Inside Breezy Haven’s Potion Refining Room, Leo Blaze stood frozen, his entire body drenched in the blood of his master. Clearly, he hadn’t yet processed what had happened. “These three Elixirs had such explosive power? What on earth did I and Master Dan refine—an Elixir or dynamite?” <br><br>He lay on the ground for a while before crawling up, wiping his face with his hand, and bending over to sift through the wreckage on the floor. <br><br>After searching for a long time, he found no intact pieces of flesh, not even the copper bell belonging to Master Dan; it had been blown flat. Only then did Leo Blaze let out a sigh of relief. Master Dan had truly been obliterated by his scheme. <br><br>“But he’s dead now. What do I do next?” Leo Blaze stood in place, clueless about his next steps. <br><br>Leo Blaze originally thought he would feel immense satisfaction after avenging his grievances. Yet, when the moment arrived, he found himself engulfed in confusion. <br><br>All his plans over these past days revolved around killing Master Dan. He had never considered the possibility of surviving afterward. <br><br>Now that Master Dan was dead and Lily White was safe, everything he had promised to do was accomplished. What was next? <br><br>As he pondered this question, the door to the potion refining room was suddenly pushed open. Changren and Changming entered cautiously, each holding a sword in one hand. <br><br>Glancing around and failing to spot Master Dan, they directed their vigilant gazes toward the blood-soaked Leo Blaze. “Halt! What manner of demon are you?! Speak! Where is our Master?!” <br><br>“Master? You’re stepping on him, and by the way, it’s me, Xuan Yang, your junior disciple brothers.” <br><br>Hearing this, Changren and Changming instinctively looked down and lifted their feet. Several internal organs were revealed before them, causing both their pupils to shrink to pinpoints. <br><br>Leo Blaze glanced around, then picked up half of Master Dan’s face from the floor. “See? He’s really dead.” <br><br>“I killed him,” Leo Blaze casually explained to them. <br><br>“Technically speaking, he was a heartless killer his whole life and deserved to die long ago. But I didn’t kill him for that. I killed him out of personal vendetta.” <br><br>Just as Leo Blaze was about to explain the reasons for his actions to the two, Changming and Changren exchanged a glance, then wordlessly sheathed their swords and hurriedly turned to rush out the door. <br><br>“Hey, at least wait for me to finish explaining!” Leo Blaze shouted in exasperation, but his cries elicited no response. Resigned, he chuckled bitterly, clutching his still faintly aching stomach as he headed toward the doorway. <br><br>“Ragged Chief is dead! He’s dead! Come out, everyone! You can all go home now!!” Leo Blaze held up the flattened copper bell, shaking it furiously, his voice echoing loudly in all directions. <br><br>Today was the First Day of the Lunar New Year. The piercing sound of the bell didn’t summon any of Mr. You’s guardians; instead, it brought forth the children and the herbal activators. <br><br>When they saw the half-face in Leo Blaze’s hand, joy and tears overwhelmed them. They collectively fell to their knees, bowing to the four corners of the earth. <br><br>Leo Blaze slowly walked along the tunnels of the cave, intent on spreading this news to everyone in Breezy Haven. <br><br>More and more people joined his procession, shouting together, “Ragged Chief is dead! He’s dead! We can all go home now!” <br><br>At this moment, Leo Blaze felt someone reaching out to support him. Turning his head, he saw Lily White, tears of joy streaming down her face. <br><br>Leo Blaze smiled at her and raised half of Master Dan’s face, waving it fervently. “Ragged Chief is dead. You can all go home now. It’s New Year! You can all go home now!” <br><br>“Yes, Senior Brother Leo! You can go home too! We can all go home now!” <br><br>Leo Blaze’s expression froze for a moment before continuing to shake the copper bell with all his might. He roared with every ounce of strength he had, “Master Dan is dead! Come out, everyone! You can all go home!!” <br><br>However, not everyone in Breezy Haven shared this happiness. As Leo Blaze approached Master Dan’s residence, he heard the metallic clash of weapons in the distance. <br><br>Leading the group, Leo Blaze arrived at Master Dan’s filthy quarters and saw Mystic Origin locked in a standoff with Changming and Changren. Both sides had drawn their weapons, and the atmosphere was tense. <br><br>Leo Blaze glanced at the so-called Immortal Ascension Scripture wrapped in Black-Lined Copper Coins, instantly understanding the cause of their fight. <br><br>“Junior Brother Xuan Yang! Come here! Let’s kill these two accomplices of Master Dan together! Then we can share the Immortal Ascension Scripture!” Mystic Origin's face was no longer amiable as he tried to persuade Leo Blaze. <br><br>Changming stepped forward with his right foot, pointing his longsword directly at Leo Blaze, who stood in the doorway. “If you don’t want to die, get lost! Our Master taught you the path of Elixirs. Do you really think you can handle two sword cultivators like us in such a setting?” <br><br>Leo Blaze sighed deeply, gazing helplessly at the scene before him. “That’s not some Immortal Ascension Scripture at all. It’s just ancient scriptures. Everything I said before was made up to deceive Ragged Chief.” <br><br>“Don’t take Ragged Chief’s nonsense too seriously. That guy lied about everything! Stuff like The Venerable Lord personally gifting it—knowing his nature, it was probably stolen from someone he killed. Fellow brothers, let’s leave this place.” <br><br>Changming and Changren each drew black talisman scripts across their longswords, instantly filling the room with a chilling wind. <br><br>“Junior Brother Xuan Yang, if you don’t want to get involved, then stop talking and leave.” <br><br>“Junior Brother Xuan Yang, if you don’t want to get involved, then stop talking and leave.” <br><br>The pair spoke in unison, lifting their swords as one. <br><br>Feeling Lily White timidly tugging at his robe, Leo Blaze cupped his hands in salute to both sides before leading everyone out of Breezy Haven’s tunnels. “Alright, senior brothers. Do carry on. Farewell until we meet again.” <br><br>The moment Leo Blaze thoughtfully closed the door behind him, sounds of a fierce battle erupted from within. <br><br>In the dark tunnel, a group of people returning home walked excitedly, trembling with emotion as they carried oil lamps. <br><br>The tunnel was unfamiliar and rugged, requiring ropes for climbing at times. It was a path Leo Blaze didn’t remember taking before. <br><br>But he knew for sure this was the exit from Breezy Haven, judging by how uncontrollably the others’ hands were shaking the closer they got. <br><br>After about the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, a light appeared in the distance at the end of the cave. Upon seeing the light, everyone’s pace became chaotic, shifting from walking to running. <br><br>As they ran, the light grew larger, encompassing everyone’s view. <br><br>The moment they stepped out of the cave, nearly everyone squinted their eyes shut. Having lived in darkness for so long, the brightness of the outside world was overwhelming. <br><br>When their eyes adjusted to the daylight, the scenery outside Breezy Haven unfolded before them. <br><br>The sky in the distance had just begun to lighten, the silhouette of mountains and forests creating a serene and pure landscape, like a delicate ink painting. <br><br>At that moment, the first ray of New Year’s morning sunlight pierced through the mist, illuminating everyone’s faces. <br><br>Leo Blaze squinted at the sunrise, murmuring to himself, “Did I spend the whole night with Ragged Chief in the potion refining room? The sun’s already up. The weather is really nice today.” <br><br>Suddenly, someone bolted—it was a child, weeping as he ran down a path disappearing into the forest. <br><br>His actions triggered a herd effect, and more and more people began running, eager to leave this place of sorrow far behind. <br><br>Before long, only seven or eight people from the material storage room remained at the cave entrance, their eyes fixed on Leo Blaze. <br><br>“Senior Brother Leo, let’s go too,” Lily White said, smiling through her tear-streaked face. <br><br>“Wait a moment.” Leo Blaze pulled some paper slips from his pocket and handed them to Lily White. “These are the last words and addresses left by the deceased herbal activators. Once you’re out, find a courier and deliver these for them.” <br><br>Lily White held the slips in her hands, momentarily at a loss. <br><br>Leo Blaze smiled again at the remaining group, raised his oil lamp, and turned back, walking alone into the pitch-black Breezy Haven.)
