Liu Wuxie couldn't help but stare in surprise. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever offending the Wen Clan. He turned toward Ye Linghan, hoping she could shed some light on the situation.

"They're the ones who used the Nine-Tailed Heptabane Serpent to poison my father," Ye Linghan whispered.

The moment those words reached his ears, realization dawned on Liu Wuxie. Back when he had cured Ye Guhai, he had already anticipated that the mastermind behind the poisoning would eventually come looking for him.

Sure enough, his concerns had come true. The mastermind had finally surfaced. Without even realizing it, he had become entangled in their conflict.

"My apologies, but I have no interest in joining the Wen Clan," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head calmly. Joining the Wen Clan would make him no different from a dog on a leash, and he never intended to bow to anyone.

The youth stepped forward and said, "Since you've chosen the second path, don't blame us for what happens next." A True Immortal aura burst from him and crashed down toward Liu Wuxie like a mountain.

"Wen Yi, how dare you try to kill an assistant mentor inside the Azure Flame Dao Hall?" Ye Linghan demanded. Her own aura surged forth and forced Wen Yi to retreat a step.

The two sides immediately fell into a tense standoff, neither willing to yield an inch. Meanwhile, Wei Wenbin had quietly become nothing more than a spectator standing on the sidelines.

"No one can save a person the Wen Clan has marked for death," Wen Qi declared. The pressure radiating from him intensified, gradually suppressing Ye Linghan's aura.

As long as he could keep Ye Linghan occupied, the Wen Clan disciples would have more than enough opportunity to kill Liu Wuxie. After all, Wen Yi and the others had all stepped into the True Immortal Realm.

The disturbance quickly attracted attention. Alchemy students emerged from nearby chambers one after another, eager to see what had happened.

As the aura of an Origin Immortal swept through the area, even mentors from the advanced classes began arriving. Before long, a sizable crowd had gathered around them.

"It's Liu Wuxie again. Why does trouble seem to follow him everywhere?" remarked many students and mentors with strange expressions. Ever since he had joined the Azure Flame Dao Hall, incidents seemed to erupt around him without fail.

"This is odd. Since when did Liu Wuxie end up at odds with the Wen Clan?" someone in the crowd asked.

During this period, Liu Wuxie had mostly kept to himself and rarely interacted with outsiders.

Whispers and discussions rippled through the gathering as everyone tried to piece together the source of the conflict.

Wen Qi continued pressing forward while Wen Yi and the other Wen Clan disciples unsheathed their weapons and aimed them directly at Liu Wuxie. They dared not disobey the patriarch's order and had already decided to kill him, even if it meant violating the Azure Flame Dao Hall's rules.

"Wuxie, leave immediately while I hold them off," Ye Linghan urged him through a voice transmission.

As long as Liu Wuxie returned to their courtyard, he would be safe. After all, he had established a spiritual array around the area.

Under normal circumstances, the array remained dormant and harmless. It would only activate once someone attempted to attack the courtyard.

The Azure Flame Dao Hall wasn't a sect, and its upper management imposed relatively loose restrictions.

Wen Yi and the others swiftly spread out, forming a tight encirclement around Liu Wuxie and leaving him with nowhere to flee.

Tu Zhengbao, Jiang Hongran, and several other mentors had also arrived. Yet all of them stood at the side with no intention of intervening. Given their status, resolving this feud would've been effortless, but each of them acted as though the matter had nothing to do with them.

Most people joined the Azure Flame Dao Hall as mentors for resources. Unlike members of a sect, they shared little loyalty or emotional attachment.

Ye Linghan quietly slipped her right hand inside her robes. If there were truly no other option, she would have to use the life-saving flag her father had given her. However, using it carried a severe price, as it would drain all of her immortal energy in a single use.

If she failed to kill Wen Qi and the others, both she and Liu Wuxie would be left at the mercy of the Wen Clan.

A figure suddenly appeared. "Why is it so lively here?"

A gentle ripple spread outward from him, effortlessly dissolving the pressure released by both Ye Linghan and Wen Qi just as the situation was about to descend into a full-scale battle. A faint smile rested on his face as he surveyed the crowd.

"Lao Kaiyu, what is the meaning of this?" Wen Qi demanded, a trace of apprehension surfacing in his eyes. The newcomer's cultivation was higher than his and held considerable status within the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Nothing much," Lao Kaiyu replied with a smile. "I simply find it unpleasant watching so many people gang up on a young lady. It doesn't seem very appropriate, does it?" As he spoke, his curious gaze drifted toward Liu Wuxie.

"So you're determined to interfere in the Wen Clan's affairs?" Wen Qi asked, his expression darkening further.

"Has the Wen Clan done any good over the years?" Lao Kaiyu replied casually. "Aside from murder, arson, and every vile deed imaginable, what good have you actually accomplished? I'm merely doing a good deed myself by stopping you from murdering innocent people."

His answer stunned everyone present, including Liu Wuxie.

After all, it was rare to encounter someone with such an unusual line of thinking.

"You're courting death!" Wen Qi roared as he launched a strike toward Lao Kaiyu.

A powerful voice thundered through the area as Zuo Yang appeared. "That's enough!"

"You're all second-grade mentors of the Azure Flame Dao Hall. What kind of behavior is this, fighting in a place like this?" Zuo Yang snapped.

Wen Qi could only withdraw, with Zuo Yang personally interfering.

Both Wen Qi and Lao Kaiyu were second-grade mentors, a rank above Ye Linghan, and both taught advanced classes.

"Elder Zuo Yang, you've arrived at the perfect time," Ye Linghan said. "We came here to borrow an alchemy chamber, but these people deliberately obstructed us and openly ignored the rules of the Azure Flame Dao Hall. I hope you'll judge the matter fairly."

A frown appeared on Zuo Yang's face. The academy's facilities were benefits granted to its mentors. Many people joined precisely because they could freely use such resources while receiving generous compensation.

"Mentor Wen, is that true?" Zuo Yang asked as he turned toward Wei Wenbin.

Wei Wenbin's heart skipped a beat as he realized the situation had suddenly turned unfavorable.

Wen Qi and Lao Kaiyu were both second-grade mentors. Zuo Yang had chosen to show them courtesy, which meant the responsibility would inevitably fall onto Wei Wenbin's shoulders.

"This is all a misunderstanding," Wei Wenbin replied hurriedly. "I was only planning to inspect the alchemy chambers. I'll have them opened immediately."

"Mentor Ye, is there anything else?" Zuo Yang asked.

He only wanted to smooth things over and prevent the matter from escalating. As for the personal grudges between mentors, they could settle those matters elsewhere.

"I have nothing else," Ye Linghan replied.

She knew Zuo Yang would only mediate. There was no chance he would punish Wen Qi. If pushed too hard, Wen Qi could resign from his position altogether.

"Let's go," Wen Qi said coldly.

After casting a final glance toward Lao Kaiyu, he departed with the Wen Clan disciples.

Although they had failed to kill Liu Wuxie today, they would have plenty of opportunities in the future.

The crowd gradually dispersed until only Liu Wuxie, Ye Linghan, and Lao Kaiyu remained behind.

"Mentor Lao, thank you for helping us," Ye Linghan said sincerely.

"Mentor Ye, you're too polite. It was nothing worth mentioning," Lao Kaiyu replied.

Despite being an Origin Immortal, he carried no airs whatsoever. Speaking with him felt comfortable because of his approachable demeanor, which was uncommon among powerful cultivators.

"We're strangers. Why did you help us?" Liu Wuxie asked directly.

He wanted to understand Lao Kaiyu's true intentions.

"I was merely helping because someone asked me to," Lao Kaiyu replied, as though he had anticipated the question.

Liu Wuxie pressed, "Who?"

Even Ye Linghan couldn't hide her curiosity. She had no connection to Lao Kaiyu, and it made little sense for a dignified second-grade mentor to offend the Wen Clan on their behalf.

"You'll find out eventually. For now, hurry up and refine your pill." With those words, Lao Kaiyu turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan exchanged glances. Both could clearly see the same confusion reflected in each other's eyes.

Ye Linghan knew with certainty that Lao Kaiyu wasn't someone arranged by her father. Fourfold City was far too distant from the Azure Flame Dao Hall, and Ye Guhai's influence couldn't reach this far.

Since neither of them could figure it out, they stopped dwelling on the mystery. After all, Lao Kaiyu remained within the Azure Flame Dao Hall, and there would be opportunities to question him later.

After entering the alchemy chamber, Liu Wuxie took out the spiritual herbs he had purchased several days ago in Eastern Emperor City.

"Wuxie, are you confident about refining the Soul Healing Pill?" Ye Linghan asked while helping sort the herbs.

"No alchemist can claim absolute certainty when refining pills," Liu Wuxie replied as he arranged the herbs. "Cultivation is no different. All you can do is give it your all and leave the rest to fate."

By now, Ye Linghan had already grown accustomed to Liu Wuxie's old-fashioned way of speaking. Despite being around her age, he often sounded like an elder who had lived for countless decades.

Liu Wuxie pushed aside the cauldron originally placed within the chamber and took out the alchemy cauldron he had purchased from the Myriad Artifact Pavilion before setting it atop the flame source.

"Can that cauldron really refine pills?" Ye Linghan asked skeptically as she looked at the chipped and battered cauldron. Secretly, she hoped he would reconsider and use the academy's cauldron instead.

"It can," Liu Wuxie replied.

Without another word, he immersed himself in pill refinement and chose to employ the Heavenly Destiny Alchemy Art.

......

After helping Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan resolve their conflict with the Wen Clan, Lao Kaiyu did not return to his residence.

Since it was a rest day, most mentors preferred to spend their time outside.

Inside the Drunken Fragrance House, Xiang Zicheng and Xiang Rulong had already been waiting for some time before the door finally creaked open and Lao Kaiyu stepped inside.

"Brother Lao, you're late," Xiang Zicheng said as he and his nephew rose to greet him.

"A small matter delayed me," Lao Kaiyu replied as he sat down.

Xiang Rulong immediately stepped forward and poured wine for both his uncle and Lao Kaiyu.

"What matter could delay Brother Lao?" Xiang Zicheng asked as he raised his cup in a toast. The two shared an extraordinary friendship and had known each other since childhood.

"That troublesome favor you asked me to handle," Lao Kaiyu replied after draining the wine from his cup.

"Now that you've met him, what do you think?" Xiang Zicheng asked as he gently set his cup back onto the table.

Listening to the two speak in riddles, Xiang Rulong sat there completely baffled.