Every inch of her flesh, bones, and cells was being squeezed, and sweat dripped down her face. Ye Xiruo gasped for breath, but she still couldn't move her legs.

After resting for almost half an hour, Ye Xiruo gritted her teeth and continued walking. Even if she could only take half a step, she couldn't stop. It wasn't just for her master and Brother Xiu Qi, but also for her own survival.

Alchemists in this world are physically weak and need the service of warriors who follow them in everything, resulting in a high mortality rate. They either die at the hands of demonic beasts, wild animals, or monsters, or from assassination and betrayal.

Fortunately, she met Brother Xiu Qi, and their fates were destined to be intertwined. She didn't want to become a burden to Brother Xiu Qi, so she could only strive to become stronger.

An invisible pressure relentlessly assaulted Ye Xiruo's mind and body, making it impossible for her feet to land in mid-air. This pressure targeted not only her body but also her mental strength.

Ye Xiruo tried to envelop her entire body with her mental energy, then carefully placed her right foot on the step. It worked; the pressure immediately decreased by a third. She quickly climbed to the tenth floor.

The moment she stepped onto the tenth floor, the overwhelming pressure almost made her kneel down. If the previous pressure was water, this was mercury; this viscous pressure was rapidly consuming Ye Xiruo's mental and physical strength.

Ye Xiruo gritted her teeth, wanting to hold on a little longer, even though she had the illusion that her bones were about to shatter.

A minute later, Ye Xiruo could no longer hold on and was thrown away by an invisible force.

Ye Xiruo closed her eyes, hoping that her parabolic fall wouldn't be too beautiful. If she suffered a fracture or internal injury, her master and senior brother would worry again.

However, the expected excruciating pain did not come. Ye Xiruo felt as if she were on a cloud, enveloped by a gentle energy, and landed steadily on the ground.

"Senior Brother, thank you." Ye Xiruo was pleasantly surprised to see her senior brother dressed in white as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Junior Sister is working very hard, Master will surely be very happy." Zishu patted Ye Xiruo's damp head.

Ye Xiruo had just breathed a sigh of relief when her heart immediately tightened again: "Senior Brother, can we not tell Master?"

“I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but everything has to be done step by step. If it weren’t for me today, you might have been seriously injured, which would have delayed your cultivation and alchemy. Most importantly, my master and I would have been very worried, and your partner would probably have been affected as well.”

Zishu's two seemingly casual remarks sent chills down Ye Xiruo's spine. Her senior brother was definitely doing this on purpose. However, the last reason was enough; she couldn't let Xiu Qi drag her down. Xiu Qi was in such a dangerous place as the Ancient Domain; if she were to hold him back at a crucial moment, Ye Xiruo couldn't even bear to imagine it.

"Senior brother, I was wrong."

"Practice should be done step by step. Don't be so reckless next time. The gravity training room is already a relatively gentle place to train physical and mental strength. How could you still make such a mess of it?"

Ye Xiruo tilted her head; why did her words sound like she was gloating? Hopefully, she misheard!

"When you feel you've reached your limit, sit down and cultivate. Cultivate under pressure, and you'll experience the benefits for yourself."

Well, he's even become arrogant now.

Ye Xiruo felt a little heartbroken by her senior brother's peculiar art style.

"Isn't Senior Brother refining pills?"

"It's successfully refined. I'll invite you to dinner. By the way, where did the second brother go?"

"have no idea."

After going outside, it was already dark. It was estimated that it would be completely dark in half an hour. Ye Xiruo went back and took a good bath before rushing to the front hall.

Unfortunately, I happened to see my senior brother seriously sneaking a bite to eat.

Ye Xiruo coughed twice on purpose, and sure enough, several afterimages flashed before her eyes, and the plate of food that her senior brother was stealing disappeared into his spatial ring.

Dinner was plentiful, including braised pork ribs, beef stew with potatoes, eggplant casserole, spicy diced chicken, and chicken stew with mushrooms, which Ye Xiru had been craving.

When two foodies get together, don't expect them to have any table manners. They wolf down their food and devour it quickly.

Zishu didn't seem to like the eggplant casserole very much; he only ate one and didn't touch it again. Ye Xiruo, of course, accepted it without any hesitation. She didn't know what kind of meat and seasonings were put in the eggplant casserole, but it was soft, sticky, and fragrant. After taking a bite, Ye Xiruo was hooked on the taste and decided that she must have a good talk with the chef in the kitchen when she had time.

Zishu had his eye on the spicy diced chicken. Even though his nose and forehead were covered in sweat from the spiciness, his chopsticks were still moving incredibly fast.

You should know that Jing Li has tried all sorts of methods to get Zi Shu to stay in the Dan Wang Palace longer, and so far, the food temptation has been the most successful.

However, Ye Xiruo ultimately lost to Zishu and could only rub her stomach as she watched Zishu devour her meal.

"Boss, how many times have I told you? We're eating. You have to be elegant, elegant." Jing Li arrived at some point, trailing a long purple robe, her alluring and delicate face somewhat pale.

Ye Xiruo quickly pulled out a chair and fawned over Jingli, massaging his shoulders: "Master, you've had a long day. Would you like something to eat?"

Ye Xiruo hurriedly called for more dishes to be served.

A smile appeared on Jing Li's pale face, captivating all who saw it: "Even when I'm not hungry, seeing the boss eat makes me feel hungry."

"So you're eating because you're watching your senior brother eat?" Ye Xiruo blinked.

"Master, wasting food is shameful."

"Such exquisite food is no different in your mouth." Jingli was always curious about what Zishu could taste since he ate so fast.

Soon, an even more exquisite meal was laid out on the table, perfectly matching Jing Li's aesthetic sense. Each dish was small and exquisitely prepared.

Zishu seemed not to notice and continued gnawing on his ribs. Ye Xiruo's eyes widened: "Does Senior Brother not like any of these dishes?"

Jingli laughed heartily: "Of course not, there are too few dishes, that's why Zishu won't eat them."

It turns out it was Master's wicked sense of humor again.

"Little Leaf, would you like some lily and mushroom soup?"

Ye Xiruo shook her head, indicating that she couldn't eat any more.

Jingli ate with elegant movements, every gesture pleasing to the eye. In contrast, Zishu was simple and crude, but just looking at him made one want to rush up and snatch the food from him; it really did look delicious.

"I might be quite busy these next couple of days, so I'll leave Xiao Yezi to you, boss."

"Yes, Master."

"Is it because of Master Cao's illness?"

"Yes, Master and the Medicine King discussed it today, but haven't decided which plan to use yet." (To be continued.)