Lin Luo's reply was vague, leaving Xiao Xiao naturally confused. Instinctively, she looked toward Qi Qi, only to find the palm-sized "Junior Mistress" silently watching. This only deepened her confusion... If Lin Luo wasn't the Master she respected, she truly would have roared, "What on earth are you two playing at?"

Of course, whether she was the real Junior Mistress or a fake one, these were not Xiao Xiao's primary concerns. The most important thing was that Lin Luo knew this tiny figure and there was no immediate danger; that was enough.

Lin Luo didn't elaborate much to Xiao Xiao. After a brief introduction, Qi Qi drifted onto Lin Luo's shoulder like a pet. Then, the trio followed the map toward the ruins of the Divine Craftsman's dwelling.

Losing the alchemical tools certainly reduced Lin Luo's mobility considerably. Yet, in practical terms, while his pace was nowhere near the previous thousand-mile night travel, he still moved several times faster than his normal state. The reason was quite simple: although Qi Qi had lost her power, her essence remained unchanged—equal exchange. She had absorbed all the energy from the alchemical tools. While, in her view, this energy was less than a drop in the ocean, to any ordinary alchemist, it represented an unimaginably potent force. More importantly, whatever abilities the absorbed alchemical tools possessed, Qi Qi now possessed them too.

Though many of these abilities couldn't directly benefit Lin Luo, she could utilize the supportive ones to her advantage. Consequently, Lin Luo's footwork naturally became much quicker.

Furthermore, Qi Qi's absorption of alchemical mystery had given her a certain sensitivity to alchemy itself. Combined with her inherent abilities and experience, as long as the distance wasn't too great, wherever there was an alchemical fluctuation, Qi Qi could sense it—acting as a perfect treasure detector. This was infinitely more convenient than Lin Luo relying on the map for navigation.

With Qi Qi's help, their journey was convenient and swift. Although they encountered some obstacles along the way, none proved problematic. Common bandits or wild beasts were tasks easily handled by Xiao Xiao alone. Any trouble Xiao Xiao couldn't resolve was dealt with by Qi Qi. They traveled without incident.

After about ten days, Lin Luo finally reached the ruins of the Divine Craftsman marked on the map.

It was an ancient castle hidden deep within a mountain, completely overgrown with countless green vines and draped in cobwebs, appearing desolate yet profoundly mysterious. The castle's exterior was lined with numerous natural traps, alongside alchemical restrictions that had lost their efficacy due to age. Of course, some restrictions still functioned, but weakened by the scarcity of energy, they were effectively non-existent before Qi Qi.

Conversely, the natural traps proved far more menacing, nearly causing even Lin Luo to stumble in a moment of carelessness.

"Why would the Divine Craftsman live in such a dangerous place?" Xiao Xiao asked, still shaken, unable to comprehend it.

"It's only natural. Divine Craftsmen all possess secrets that are never taught. Ordinary alchemists might be helpless against them, but competition among peers is extremely fierce. If a Divine Craftsman could acquire the alchemical secrets of another, their power could easily double. To protect themselves, the residences chosen by Divine Craftsmen naturally needed to be as concealed as possible... Actually, if this ruin weren't already abandoned, even we might not have been able to enter," Lin Luo explained calmly.

As they spoke, the three arrived at the castle entrance.

"Be careful, something feels odd in here," Qi Qi warned from Lin Luo's shoulder before he could enter.

Hearing this, Lin Luo remained unphased, but Xiao Xiao instantly tensed up, paying twelve times the usual attention. After ten days together, Xiao Xiao had mostly figured out the temperament of this Junior Mistress: she rarely spoke, communicating little even with Lin Luo. But when she did speak, it meant her words were necessary and highly important, especially regarding premonitions of danger—on this journey, she had never been wrong.

And now that Qi Qi had spoken, it signaled danger within the castle.

"Mm, let's be cautious then," Lin Luo nodded, reaching out to push the door... His seemingly nonchalant attitude didn't stem from distrust in Qi Qi. Since they had come this far, they couldn't leave empty-handed. Whatever danger lay inside, they had to face it. If they died because of it, it was simply fate.

Moreover, although Qi Qi warned them to be careful, she hadn't told them not to enter, suggesting the danger, while real, wasn't immediately fatal.

The castle gate was made of iron, rusted through by age and entangled with vines. Lin Luo pushed, but it wouldn't budge, letting out a screeching, grating sound.

Qi Qi floated off Lin Luo’s shoulder, and Xiao Xiao circled the gate once. Then, Lin Luo pushed again. With a resounding CRASH, the entire gate collapsed inward. On closer inspection, clear cutting marks were visible at the corners of the ironwork—evidence that Qi Qi had severed the metal using alchemy.

As the gate fell, a stench of decay wafted out, making them recoil. While Qi Qi was unaffected, Lin Luo and Xiao Xiao instinctively covered their noses, grimacing.

"Let's wait a moment before going in," Lin Luo suggested, stepping aside to breathe the fresher air.

It was unclear how many centuries the castle had lain abandoned, but the smell of rot was overwhelmingly thick. If they rushed in immediately, the odor alone would severely impair their senses and dull their vigilance against threats. It was better to wait for the castle to air out, slightly mitigating the pungent smell.

After a while, when the air circulation felt somewhat adequate, the trio cautiously stepped into the castle.

A castle sealed for perhaps hundreds of years wouldn't have its internal stench eliminated just by airing it out for a few hours. Even after ventilation, only the air closer to the entrance was slightly better; the deeper interior likely remained unchanged. Nevertheless, it was significantly better than before—at least Lin Luo didn't have to walk around pinching his nose.

The abandoned castle was dark and silent, and its location meant little sunlight ever reached it. Before long, the vision of the three became blurry. Fortunately, they had Qi Qi, who could use alchemy for illumination. While the light problem was solvable, the deathly silence made them uneasy. The only sounds were their shoes scraping the stone floor and their own breathing—it felt exactly like being in a horror movie.

"Anything?" Lin Luo asked Qi Qi.

Qi Qi shook her head. "Everywhere feels the same—a hint of strangeness, but nothing specific. However... if there is anything here, it should come looking for us."

Lin Luo nodded inwardly. Whether it was a supernatural film or a horror film, wherever demons or ghosts resided, if outsiders trespassed, even if the intruders didn't seek a confrontation, the inhabitants would certainly seek them out. Thus, their best strategy was to wait.

"Ah!" Suddenly, a sharp gasp escaped Xiao Xiao's lips, followed by her quickly covering her mouth.

"What is it?" Lin Luo asked immediately. Qi Qi also turned to look at her.

Xiao Xiao pointed a finger toward the dark, silent passage ahead, a flicker of terror crossing her face. She whispered in a low voice, "Just... just now, I saw a white shadow flash past there. It seemed to smile at me..."

Lin Luo hadn't felt particularly scared until that moment, but hearing her words sent an involuntary chill down his spine. Of course, nothing was actually behind him, and even if there were, Qi Qi could protect him—it was purely psychological.

"Qi Qi, did you see it?" Lin Luo asked.

Qi Qi shook her head.

"I... I was telling the truth," Xiao Xiao insisted, still clearly unnerved.

Lin Luo knew she wasn't lying. In fact, setting aside her other abilities, Xiao Xiao possessed the sharpest eyesight among the three. It wasn't strange for her to see things that shouldn't be there in the dark. He only asked Qi Qi to confirm. However, while Qi Qi's senses were the most acute, amidst the pervasive strangeness of this castle, she couldn't pinpoint anything specifically anomalous—or rather, everything around her felt anomalous, neutralizing any specific signal.

Unless an entity chose to reveal itself or project hostility, Xiao Xiao's visual detection remained more useful.

"Let's be extra careful," Lin Luo stated seriously, and the three continued forward.

From then on, none of them spoke. Even the sound of their footsteps was suppressed to a minimum. Three pairs of eyes warily scanned their surroundings. They walked and walked, yet nothing happened.

"Heh heh." After an unknown amount of time, just as the trio thought they might have passed the immediate danger, a bizarre, mocking laugh echoed right beside their ears. Lin Luo reflexively shuddered, even if others wouldn't have.

"There!" Xiao Xiao shrieked again, her face turning ashen.

In truth, they didn't need her reminder; Lin Luo and Qi Qi had already seen it. Not far ahead, a small, pale white shadow drifted by, bearing a deathly expression and smiling at them.

Seeing this, Qi Qi remained expressionless as ever, but Lin Luo and Xiao Xiao felt goosebumps rise, an icy dread creeping into their hearts... They were relatively composed; a more timid person might have already fled in terror.

"Heh heh." Then, the same eerie laughter sounded from behind them.

The three instinctively looked back, spotting another white shadow floating past.

"Damn it, we're surrounded."

Seeing this, Lin Luo’s expression immediately darkened.

...

Fortunately, I drafted this chapter during the daytime; I am quite relieved. If it were night, I absolutely would not have written this chapter. RS