Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze pushed open the heavy stone door together, and the scene behind it was shocking.

The ground was littered with Beast Pills and Blue Rose Stones, which emitted an eerie light, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of medicine and blood.

Even more appalling, countless cultivators and demonic beasts were imprisoned in iron cages, their cries of agony echoing throughout. They were used as test subjects and materials for refining the Mad Beast Pill, suffering inhuman torture.

“These innocent lives…” Xu Yuehuai’s voice trembled, her eyes filled with anger and grief.

Qi Guze clenched his fists, his anger barely contained: "We cannot stand idly by; we must rescue them and rid the world of this scourge!"

The two acted swiftly, rescuing the imprisoned cultivators and demonic beasts while engaging in a fierce battle with the villains guarding the base.

Amidst the flashing swords and clashing blades, they fought side by side, their teamwork impeccable, each attack precise and deadly.

In the end, they defeated all the villains who were making the Mad Beast Pills, and the evil base was reduced to ruins.

With the destruction of the secret alchemy base and the loss of the Beast Pills, the continent seemed to welcome a long-awaited glimmer of hope.

The cultivators and demons who had regained their freedom all looked at Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze with gratitude. They knew that it was these two heroes who had saved them with their courage and wisdom.

"Thank you, my two benefactors!"

Qi Guze arranged for people to come and treat the injured and send them away.

"Ah Yue, if we join hands, we'll definitely be able to laugh our way to the end." Qi Guze.

Xu Yuehuai grasped Qi Guze's hand: "Yes, Aze."

One day, the two were traversing a desolate and boundless mountain range, preparing to return to the capital to report their mission, when a deafening mechanical roar resounded through the sky, shattering the surrounding silence.

A colossal mecha monster slowly emerged from the other side of the mountain ridge. Its size was like a mountain, enough to blot out the sky and the sun. Its body was covered with a cold metal shell, which gleamed with a chilling light under the sunlight.

"What kind of monster is this?" Qi Guze exclaimed, quickly shielding Xu Yuehuai behind him and watching the sudden threat warily.

The mecha monster did not attack immediately, but slowly approached in a strange manner, its eyes, made of intricate machinery, seemed to be scrutinizing the two uninvited guests.

However, after this brief calm, it suddenly started its engine, emitting a deafening roar, like an enraged beast, and pounced on the two of them.

"Watch out!" Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze leaped up at the same time, their figures like two bolts of lightning. Each of them used all their skills, their sword light and spiritual power intertwining into an impenetrable net, trying to block the mecha monster's attack.

But the mecha monster's power far exceeded their imagination. Every collision was like an earthquake, making the two feel powerless. Their bodies involuntarily retreated, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.

The battle was extremely fierce, and the mecha monster's indestructible armor and powerful firepower put the two in an unprecedented predicament.

Just as they were about to exhaust all their strength, the mecha monster suddenly stopped attacking, and a synthesized electronic voice came from its body: "Warning, unauthorized intruders, evacuate immediately."

"It seems to have self-awareness?" Xu Yuehuai gasped, a hint of doubt and shock flashing in her eyes.

Qi Guze nodded, his eyes sharp: "We must find its owner, otherwise there is no way to stop it."

Despite their injuries, they continued tracking the mecha monster and eventually found its control room in an abandoned factory.

However, when they stormed into the control room, they found it empty, with only a forgotten blueprint and a string of complex encryption code left behind.

Clearly, the owner of the mecha monster had noticed their arrival and fled the scene beforehand.

"It seems we're a step too late." Xu Yuehuai looked at the empty control room, a sense of powerlessness welling up inside her.

Qi Guze gripped the blueprints tightly, his eyes flashing with determination: "Although we haven't found the owner, these clues are enough to prove our suspicions. We must report this matter to the capital as soon as possible so that His Majesty and his ministers can discuss countermeasures together."

So, carrying clues about the mecha monster and exhausted, the two hurriedly returned to the imperial city.

However, an even more severe challenge awaited them—within the capital, a plague raged, and the people lived in fear and despair; the once prosperous scene was gone forever.

On the streets and alleys, people looked sick, walked with difficulty, and their eyes were full of despair and helplessness about the future.

"We must find a solution to the epidemic as soon as possible." Xu Yuehuai frowned, her gaze as firm as iron.

Qi Guze nodded and quickly took action, using his extensive network of contacts to collect various possible drugs and prescriptions for treating the epidemic.

Xu Yuehuai then personally went to the imperial pharmacy to select the most precious medicinal herbs in preparation for refining elixirs.

After several sleepless days and countless attempts and failures, Xu Yuehuai finally refined a batch of pills that could suppress the epidemic.

Full of hope, she distributed the medicine to the people, looking forward to seeing their smiles as they recovered.

However, to her utter surprise, the people did not improve after taking the elixir; instead, they experienced even more severe mutations.

Their bodies twisted and deformed, emitting painful groans as if they were being corrupted by some evil force.

A seriously ill villager angrily pointed at Xu Yuehuai and shouted, "The pills you gave us are defective! Are you trying to kill us?"

"Give me the real elixir now!"

"I don't want to die!"

The surrounding people echoed their sentiments, becoming extremely agitated.

Xu Yuehuai was stunned; she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had clearly refined the pills according to the oldest medicinal formula—how could there be a problem?

But seeing the suffering and struggling people, she had to face reality.

"It's your disease that has mutated, not the elixir that's the problem," Xu Yuehuai explained loudly, suppressing her inner pain and grievances.

But her voice was quickly drowned out by the roars and curses of the people. They only believed the pain and despair they saw and felt, and refused to believe the princess who had once saved their lives.

Upon seeing this, Qi Guze immediately stepped forward to shield Xu Yuehuai behind him, using his own body to block the angry fists and stones. He knew Xu Yuehuai's character and medical skills well, and he believed that she would not do anything to harm the people.

"Everyone, calm down! She refined the pills to save us; she would never harm us!" Qi Guze shouted, trying to quell the anger and agitation of the people.

But at this moment, the people had lost their reason; they only wanted to believe the truth they wanted to believe.