Unrivaled Miracle Doctor: The God-Defying Demonic Consort

Chapter 834: Chapter 269: Forced Landing in the Nine Springs Cave! (Third Update)

The dean of the Alchemy Institute was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. ”He was bluffing you. That old fox—does he really think I’ve achieved nothing all these years?” As he spoke, a cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and he sneered. ”Most of those Pill Masters who had ambitions toward the Heaven-Burning Furnace were killed by me. As for the rest, they’re all now under my wing in the Alchemy Institute.”

Mu Qingge paused, the corner of her mouth twitching despite herself.

It seemed that once she returned to Linchuan, she would have to find that old codger Baili and have a proper heart-to-heart with him.

”Looks like he tricked you into coming,” the dean of the Alchemy Institute said with a smile.

Mu Qingge’s expression had already said it all, so his tone naturally carried certainty.

Mu Qingge didn’t want to say much about Baili Teng right now. What she cared about were those ambitious people the dean had mentioned. Only, his look of wanting to speak but holding back made her very displeased.

Who could be someone even he had to avoid mentioning?

”Old Ancestor!” Suddenly, the dean stood up, looking in surprise toward the door.

Mu Qingge followed his gaze and saw a small figure walking in against the light.

When she stepped out of the halo of light and came closer, her appearance as a young girl was revealed.

”Lian Qiao.” Mu Qingge murmured the name aloud.

She could never bring herself to call this non-human in a little girl’s body ”Old Ancestor,” so she addressed her by name. She was very surprised—she hadn’t expected Lian Qiao to come.

Clearly, she was not the only one surprised.

”Finished talking?” Lian Qiao’s little face was taut, and there was a touch of premature oldness in her eyes. With her hands clasped behind her back, she naturally walked over and sat in the dean’s seat.

The dean, meanwhile, respectfully stepped to the side and said humbly, ”Yes.”

Watching this scene, Mu Qingge recalled what the dean had said earlier and couldn’t help wondering what relationship his master had with Lian Qiao.

Why was Lian Qiao so reluctant to part?

Lovers? Uh... Lian Qiao’s childlike appearance made Mu Qingge really not want to think in that direction. But Lian Qiao wasn’t human, so she naturally couldn’t be the dean’s master’s daughter—unless his master also wasn’t human.

Since a father–daughter relationship was ruled out, the only thing left was the most unlikely possibility.

Otherwise, how else could she explain what Lian Qiao had done all these years?

”All right, since everything’s been made clear, I’ll say something too,” Lian Qiao suddenly said.

Who would have thought that her words would make the dean of the Alchemy Institute’s expression drastically change.

Lian Qiao looked at Mu Qingge and spoke to her in a commanding tone: ”Take me away.”

Hm?

Mu Qingge suspected there was something wrong with her hearing. She stared at Lian Qiao in surprise, then glanced at the dean, who was fretting at the side. ”What did you say?”

”I said, I want you to take me away,” Lian Qiao repeated.

This time, Mu Qingge heard clearly.

The dean immediately stepped in front of Lian Qiao and dropped to his knees, disregarding his status as he tried to stop her. ”Old Ancestor, you mustn’t!”

Lian Qiao, however, said coolly, ”Why not? The Heaven-Burning Furnace has already returned. I can hide inside it; no one will find me.”

The dean grew frantic at that and said to Lian Qiao, ”No. The Heaven-Burning Furnace has already been exposed. It may very well have been marked by them. If you go along, wouldn’t you basically be delivering yourself to their door?”

”If that’s the case, then I all the more must go with her. The Heaven-Burning Furnace belongs to him—how could it fall into the hands of those dogs?” Lian Qiao said stubbornly.

”But...” the dean said anxiously.

Lian Qiao cut him off and said to him, ”Only I can undo the Heaven-Burning Furnace’s seal and unleash its greatest power. If I follow her, I can also protect her.”

”No!” the dean rejected outright. He said to Lian Qiao, ”Old Ancestor, you know this in your heart. To undo the Heaven-Burning Furnace’s seal will consume a vast amount of your strength, and its seal is not something that can be undone in a short time. If you truly run into those people, there won’t be enough time.”

”I’ll hide inside the Heaven-Burning Furnace. With her putting it away, they won’t find us,” Lian Qiao said again after a brief silence.

But the dean still shook his head. ”Even so, you still can’t take that risk, or I’ll have no way to answer to Master.”

Lian Qiao clenched her teeth, her expression turning twisted as she shouted at the dean, ”The Heaven-Burning Furnace has returned. Only by following it do I have any chance of finding his whereabouts.”

”Old Ancestor!” the dean’s voice rose as well.

His sudden shout made Lian Qiao quiet down.

Mu Qingge sat off to the side, not in a position to butt in. As for Lian Qiao wanting to leave with her, she was of course inclined to refuse, but she simply hadn’t had the chance to open her mouth.

Now, if the dean could talk her out of it, that would be best.

The dean said, his expression complicated, ”The Heaven-Burning Furnace has already recognized a new master. That means the thread of connection between it and Master has already been severed. Old Ancestor, you know this perfectly well in your heart, so why deceive yourself? If you stay, I can protect you properly!”

Lian Qiao tilted her head back to look at the sky and suddenly murmured, ”Back then, he set up this array in order to protect me. In the end, he left, but trapped me inside it. This isn’t a place that protects me—it’s a place that imprisons me.”

Array!

”This Alchemy Institute is actually an array!” Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, shock surging within.

”Deceive the heavens and cross the sea, conceal all aura.” Lian Qiao spoke these eight words, making Mu Qingge even more aware of the function of this array—or rather, of the Alchemy Institute.

The dean stared at Lian Qiao in fright, stunned that she had revealed such a secret right in front of Mu Qingge.

But since it had already been said, what could he do?

”Fine, if you want to lock me up, then lock me up. But from now on I can’t be bothered to see you, and you’re not to come disturb me either.” After speaking, Lian Qiao stood up and walked out.

Her suddenly becoming so easy to talk to left the dean astonished.

But in his heart, all that mattered was that Lian Qiao had given up on the idea of leaving.

As for Mu Qingge, when she heard that Lian Qiao had changed her mind, she also let out a breath.

Suddenly, Lian Qiao stopped in front of her and tilted her head slightly. ”You promised that when you left, you’d keep me company for a bit. Now, come with me.”

Mu Qingge raised a brow. There were still things she hadn’t asked the dean clearly about, so she naturally didn’t want to leave just yet. But judging by the dean’s expression at the moment, he seemed unwilling to continue talking, while Lian Qiao was waiting at the side. If she refused, would she end up provoking this little she-devil into changing her mind and insisting on leaving with her?

Thinking it over, Mu Qingge decided to placate Lian Qiao first.

She stood up and followed Lian Qiao back to that resplendent residence of hers. There was no one else inside; once the two of them went in, the doors automatically closed.

Lian Qiao turned to look at Mu Qingge and made a request of her: ”Take out the Heaven-Burning Furnace. I want to see it.”

Mu Qingge was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Lian Qiao to make such a request.

After a moment’s thought, she waved her hand, and the Heaven-Burning Furnace landed on the open space between the two of them.

Seeing the Heaven-Burning Furnace again, a surge of excitement surfaced in Lian Qiao’s eyes, within which was mixed a faint, inexplicable sadness. She walked up to the Heaven-Burning Furnace, reached out and gently caressed it back and forth, her movements incomparably soft, tinged with reluctant fondness.

”You go on ahead. Let me stay with the Heaven-Burning Furnace for one night; come take it back tomorrow.” Lian Qiao spoke.

Mu Qingge frowned slightly; she kept feeling that something was off.

Yet as to what exactly was off, she could not put her finger on it. Lian Qiao’s temperament was hard to grasp. After thinking for a moment, Mu Qingge nodded and withdrew.

Leaving Lian Qiao’s courtyard, Mu Qingge went to find Mei Zizhong, Zhao Nanxing and the others.

Originally, she’d planned to stay a few more days before leaving, but now it seemed the sooner she left the better. So, after saying goodbye to them, she intended to depart at dawn the next day.

As for Ji Yaohua, Ying Ze, Ji Pianpian and Yao Xinghai.

Today, Ying Ze and Yao Xinghai had agreed to duel in the Danquan Forest behind the Alchemy Institute, and probably wouldn’t make it back within two or three days, so she didn’t bother waiting.

In any case, she’d already mentioned her departure at yesterday’s banquet; that more or less counted as an advance farewell.

After chatting the whole night with her close friends, Mu Qingge sat to rest for a while at daybreak before heading toward Lian Qiao’s courtyard. Entering that resplendent, gilded courtyard, she did not see Lian Qiao’s figure.

The Heaven-Burning Furnace was still quietly standing where she had placed it yesterday. Mu Qingge slowed her steps, walked to the side of the Heaven-Burning Furnace, let her fingertips fall on the rim of the furnace, and, thinking, slowly circled around it.

The inside of the Heaven-Burning Furnace was empty; no figure was within.

She also did not sense any other aura inside.

”Lian Qiao, Lian Qiao?” Mu Qingge stood beside the Heaven-Burning Furnace and called out.

Yet the courtyard was empty and echoing, with no one answering.

She knit her brows and walked toward the room. ”Lian Qiao...” she continued to call, but there was still no response.

Only when one of her feet stepped onto the stairs did the tightly shut room finally send out Lian Qiao’s voice: ”Scram, stop bothering my sleep.”

That tone...

Mu Qingge arched a brow.

She didn’t care what tone Lian Qiao used; as long as she could confirm Lian Qiao was in the room, that was enough.

Lian Qiao’s reaction even made her a bit worried that this demoness would sneak into the Heaven-Burning Furnace and follow along with her.

Confirming that it was Lian Qiao’s voice, Mu Qingge, still not quite at ease, asked once more, ”Then I’m taking the Heaven-Burning Furnace with me.”

”Go. Don’t come and bother me.”

Lian Qiao’s voice sounded again.

Only then did Mu Qingge truly relax. She drew back the foot she’d stepped out with, turned, and walked back to the Heaven-Burning Furnace.

She lifted her hand in a wave, storing the Heaven-Burning Furnace into her space, then strode out.

She had already said goodbye to everyone she should.

So this time, she didn’t waste any more time, and headed straight out of the Alchemy Institute.

She hadn’t asked Mei Zizhong and the others to see her off, because there was no need. Mu Qingge walked out of the Alchemy Institute, directly released Xiaocai, leapt onto its back. Xiaocai flapped its wings and rose, flying toward Qingchang Prefecture.

She was going to Qingchang Prefecture to take the Teleportation Array to Yinggu City, then teleport to Xipu City in the Northern Continent. Following the route she had taken coming here, she would return to the West Continent, back to the Sang Family, and revive Mu Liancheng.

Xiaocai flew swiftly through the air, like a seven-colored bolt of lightning.

Mu Qingge sat cross-legged on its spine, her hair lightly dancing. Xiaocai was already blocking the fierce wind for her, leaving only a gentle breeze.

’At Xiaocai’s speed, in a short while we’ll reach Qingchang Prefecture.’ Mu Qingge silently calculated in her heart.

More than half an hour later, she landed within Qingchang Prefecture.

But she received bad news.

Because of the previous Alchemy Conference, too many people had entered the East Continent, causing severe damage to the Teleportation Array, which now needed repair. And the time needed for repairs was uncertain.

This news made Mu Qingge decide on the spot. She immediately released Xiaocai and set off directly toward Yinggu City.

Even at Xiaocai’s speed, this stretch of road would still take several days.

But that was still better than waiting endlessly in Qingchang Prefecture for the Teleportation Array to be repaired.

On this day, Mu Qingge had already been riding Xiaocai, hurrying through the air, for the third day. In terms of distance, she had reached nearly halfway to Yinggu City; once she covered the remaining half, she would arrive there.

Days of rushing on the road made Mu Qingge feel a bit sorry for Xiaocai.

She lightly patted the feathered crest on Xiaocai’s head and asked, ”Xiaocai, are you tired?”

Xiaocai let out a clear cry, seemingly telling her it was not.

Mu Qingge smiled faintly, then suddenly the smile on her face froze, and her gaze turned sharp.

Ahead of her, many Flying Beasts were rapidly approaching, and all of them were packed with people. Mu Qingge whipped around, looking behind her; not far to her rear was likewise a group of Flying Beasts giving chase, with people standing densely on their backs.

Her eyes narrowed. Flying Beasts in the Middle Ancient Realm were not common. She had flown for several days and hadn’t seen many. Yet now, suddenly, hundreds appeared at once, and all of them were fully manned.

If she said these people weren’t targeting her, she herself wouldn’t believe it.

Enemies behind, blockade ahead.

Mu Qingge’s gaze turned fierce; she ordered Xiaocai, ”Go around them.”

Xiaocai let out a ringing cry, changed direction, and shot through the gap between the two converging forces. It seemed to sense that bad people were in pursuit, and so it flew even faster.

Behind it, the two groups merged, adjusted their direction, and continued chasing toward Mu Qingge.

’Who is coming after me? Could it be for the Heaven-Burning Furnace!’ Cold light flashed at the depths of Mu Qingge’s eyes; her lips pressed into a thin line.

After detouring, their course had already shifted.

Xiaocai carried Mu Qingge into layers of dense mist. Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes and looked toward the ground, seeing only rugged, bizarrely shaped caves stretching on and on, covering the entire underground.

And this mist was gushing out from some of those caverns.

This is... the Nine Springs Cave!

Light flashed in Mu Qingge’s eyes; she ordered Xiaocai, ”Xiaocai, go down!”

Xiaocai dove, and behind it, those Flying Beasts also followed in a dive, plunging into the thick white fog...