The next second, Liam found himself unceremoniously tossed out of his own guild base—the heavy doors slamming shut behind him with a finality that made his eyebrow twitch. He stood there in silence for a moment, arms crossed, staring at the ornate wood. "Did I just get kicked out by a talking cat?" he muttered to himself. His expression darkened. He didn't like this. Not one bit. The Eternal System, the smug little furball that now seemed to have wormed its way into Shen Yue's fate—it all left a sour taste in his mouth. Too many unknowns. Too many risks. He didn't trust the system. But even so… he'd seen the change in Shen Yue's eyes. The way her shoulders squared just a little taller. The way she'd spoken—not with hesitation, but conviction. For the first time in a long while, she'd looked like someone stepping into her own light. Liam exhaled, slow and deep. He would give it time. A little time. But if that cat so much as made her cry, then everything would change. Liam looked at the door again and let out a sigh. He then left the guild hall and headed for the system shop. He had some work of his own to get done. With the treasure hunt event wrapped up, he headed for his next goal to join an alchemy sect. While the sword sect helped him a little, to truly figure out and utilize the three priceless treasures in his hand, he needed to take matters more seriously and focus on his Dao of alchemy. He has been stuck in the Awakening realm for far too long. Everyone else was moving forward. Soon, his strength would become a joke if he didn't find a solution to his problem. In deep thought, Liam walked past an eager Tilia, straight to the teleportation portals. The fairy pouted but did not disturb him from his thoughts. Liam stepped into the teleportation array, the runes beneath his feet humming with life. The world blinked out in a kaleidoscope of color as the unsettling feeling of teleportation began and ended in the blink of an eye. When he opened his eyes again, he stood in the middle of a disorienting mist. Hmmm? Liam took a step back. He should be standing in the Green Mountains, a world not too different from the Purple world. While the Purple world was suited for sword art cultivation, the Green Mountain was a paradise for alchemy. There were multiple sects here, and one of them stood above all the rest, the Green Mountain sect, the sect that was big enough to engulf the whole mountain and claim dominance over it. An old monster is rumored to be the head of this sect, but no one has seen him in centuries. Nevertheless, the sect is the best when it comes to alchemy, and it was the best option Liam had to completely master his three treasures. This was the only way he was going to find the answer he was seeking. If there was anything that was going to help him on the path of the many daos without losing himself, it was these three treasures. Liam steeled himself as he tried to sense the surroundings beyond the mist that was swirling around. The mist clung to Liam like a second skin, thick and perfumed with herbs both fragrant and bitter. Each breath he took was like sipping from a cauldron mid-brew—rich with power, volatile, and strangely invigorating. It wasn't just mist. It was spiritual fog, saturated with ancient alchemical residue. Every molecule buzzed with half-forgotten knowledge and a thousand failed experiments. It was easy to get lost in the mist, but every second spent here was worth a thousand years of cultivation. If he could just stay in this mist forever, he would be able to gain a lot. Even better, if he just becomes a part of this mist, then he would have already attained Godhood. Liam narrowed his eyes. The thought hadn't come from him. It was subtle, barely a whisper in his mind—sweet and seductive like the pull of a siren. He stopped walking and took a deep breath, grounding his consciousness. This place… was already testing him. The mist around him was alive, hungry, and feeding on his mind. The fog was trying to blend into his spirit, whispering truths and lies alike. He could feel knowledge blooming in his mind, new concepts of spirit integration, pill sentience, elemental balancing between fire and metal—but it was coming too fast. Too easily. It was all a lie. His body instantly shot up, trying to get away from the mist. He continued shooting upwards like a projectile for a good few minutes, and he was yet to see the end of the mist. He tried going forward and back, and it was the same result. Finally, he tried using his sprouted dao seed of alchemy, and the next second, the mist around him instantly dispersed. He found himself standing in front of a small building with a single counter. A soft bell chimed above the counter as Liam landed lightly on the stone floor. The mist behind him collapsed in slow swirls, reluctant to release him, but utterly suppressed by the pulse of his alchemy seed. The building was small—absurdly so. It looked more like a modest apothecary tucked away in a sleepy village than the entrance to the greatest alchemy sect in the Green Mountains. There were no grand gates. No heavenly beasts guarding the entrance. Just a wooden counter, and behind it, a disinterested old man lounging on a stool, chewing on a dried spirit root as if it were jerky. His robes were plain brown, stained with scorch marks and long-forgotten concoctions. His aura was… nonexistent. Ordinary. Which, to Liam, was far more terrifying than a tyrannical display of strength. The man lazily looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "That was impressively fast. You must be a good seed."