Nine Profound Marrow Cleansing Pill

"Old Stone, I, Yao Dan, have always kept my word. A Nine-grade Profound Pill might not be successfully refined even once in several hundred years, and apart from our Yao Clan, no one else can pull it off. You should be secretly delighted just to witness an alchemy scene of this level!" Yao Dan said smugly as he turned to look at Shi Gandang.

As he spoke, countless streams of pure heaven-and-earth energy surged into the medicine cauldron. The influx grew faster and faster, eventually condensing into a massive Energy Storm that wildly tore at everything around it. Even Yao Dan and Elder Wan Huo, powerful as they were, wore twisted expressions under the tearing force of the Energy Storm.

On a high ground dozens of miles away, Yao Chen took a deep breath and unleashed all his soul power, sorting the heaven-and-earth energy constantly converging from every direction before guiding it toward Yao Dan's location. Even in a place as rich in heaven-and-earth energy as the Lesser Medicine Realm, refining a Nine-grade Profound Pill required mobilizing and absorbing the energy within a thousand-mile radius.

Even with Yao Dan and Elder Wan Huo's soul power, precisely guiding such an immense amount of heaven-and-earth energy was quite difficult. Thus, four Pill Grandmasters were needed to sort the energy converging from all directions in advance—unlike the relatively singular energy found in medicinal ingredients, heaven-and-earth energy came in many varieties. If different types collided within the medicine cauldron, it could slow the refining process at best and cause the refinement to fail at worst.

In an open area hundreds of miles away, Yao Ling and Xiao Yan held their breath as they guided the energy within a hundred-mile radius. The most crucial secret to successfully refining a Nine-grade Profound Pill could be summed up in one word: speed! They had to guide all that energy into the medicine cauldron as quickly as possible! Even if they had to pile people onto the task, they had to increase the speed!

"Sister Yao Ling, isn't refining a Nine-grade Profound Pill a grand event rarely seen in the Yao Clan for centuries? Why did you still need to ask me to help?" Xiao Yan asked curiously. "Aren't you afraid I might cause trouble?"

"I'm watching you work right here. If you want to cause trouble during such an important task, just try it." Yao Ling shot Xiao Yan a glare. "The Clan Leader doesn't treat you as an outsider. You've consumed so many resources from our Yao Clan; you have to give a little back, don't you? Besides, there are probably only twelve or thirteen Eighth-Grade Advanced Alchemists in the clan who can completely suppress you. Ranked by ability, it was your turn to step in anyway."

"Yes, yes, yes, Sister is right. Xiao Yan wouldn't dare cause trouble." Xiao Yan stuck out his tongue and continued guiding the heaven-and-earth energy with full concentration.

This work continued without interruption for three days. At dawn on the fourth day, just as Xiao Yan had been utterly exhausted by the intense expenditure, the clear sky abruptly filled with dark clouds. Multicolored pills the size of soybeans rained down from the heavens like a torrential downpour!

"Pill Rain Falls, Profound Pill Emerges!" Upon witnessing this incomparably strange Heaven and Earth Phenomenon, the two looked at each other, their four eyes filled with shock.

"The Heaven and Earth Phenomenon is indeed astonishing. It's fine to watch for a while, but don't forget, we still have a lot to do." Yao Ling was the first to recover from her shock and spoke in a low voice. "It seems the Clan Leader has already refined the Profound Pill. In a moment, we should collect the pill grains that fell nearby. Those pill grains are condensed from the purest energy. With these alone, we can refine several more Nine-grade Treasure Pills of certain special varieties."

At the same time, at the place where the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon was most spectacular, hundreds of bolts of Black Demon Lightning descended from the sky and bombarded the ball of light within the enormous medicine cauldron. The awe-inspiring sight made the entire world tremble. The bombardment continued for several minutes. During that time, the ball of light rapidly took shape, then exploded with a Bang! under another strike of Black Demon Lightning. A streak of light shot toward the sky, only to be seized by Yao Dan and tossed into a huge Medicine Gourd.

"Old Man Dan, you really refined a Nine-grade Profound Pill!"

The moment the pill entered the gourd, the black clouds in the sky quickly dispersed. Warm sunlight once more shone upon the earth—and upon Shi Gandang, whose mouth hung open in astonishment.

"Yes. This pill is the Nine Profound Marrow Cleansing Pill, the most effective pill for increasing one's strength. Old Stone, you understand what this means, right?" Yao Dan said with a beaming smile. "Old Stone, think carefully about what I told you a few days ago. Once this chance passes, it'll be gone for good."

"Mhm." Shi Gandang said only one word. Of course he understood what this meant. The Nine Profound Marrow Cleansing Pill could allow any expert below the Eight-star Dou Sheng level to advance by two entire minor realms. Yao Dan had remained at the middle phase of the Seven-star Dou Sheng realm for over a hundred years, constantly consolidating his Dou Qi and strengthening his foundation. Once he swallowed this pill, he could advance in one breath to the early phase of the Eight-star Dou Sheng realm!

An early Eight-star Dou Sheng—even among the Ancient Eight Clans, only the four Clan Leaders of the top two clans and the middle two clans had surpassed that realm on the surface! With the clan-protecting grand formation added to the mix, even the Soul Clan and the Gu Clan would have to consider the consequences of fighting the Yao Clan to the death!

"Old Dan, I beg you, for the sake of our friendship, help me just this once." Shi Gandang steadied himself and spoke in a deep voice. "I will return to the clan and select more than a dozen of our most outstanding geniuses, entrusting them to the Yao Clan for training. If my Shi Clan ever encounters some calamity, I ask that you help preserve the last hope of my clan!" As he spoke, this tough man of steel was unexpectedly overcome with sorrow.

"I agree." Yao Dan's voice was equally filled with sadness. At most, the Yao Clan only had a little over ten years left. After the Shi Clan was destroyed, the Yao Clan would be next. How could such a prospect not grieve him?

"Mhm. I'm returning to my clan." Shi Gandang said no more. His figure flashed, space rippled, and he vanished without a trace.

"Today marks the first successful refinement of a Nine-grade Profound Pill by our clan in several hundred years. All alchemists who took part today shall be richly rewarded!" Yao Dan stared blankly at the place where Shi Gandang had disappeared for quite some time. Only after noticing that all the alchemists involved in refining the Nine-grade Profound Pill had arrived did he compose himself, force a few traces of a smile, and speak with feigned cheerfulness.

"Clan Leader, since you put it that way, I'll be direct. I want both my parents' names engraved upon the clan monument," Yao Chen said in a low voice.

No one objected when those words were spoken. Had Yao Chen not helped today, they truly could not have set up this formation. As for successfully refining a Nine-grade Profound Pill, who knew how long they would have had to wait?

"Clan Leader Yao Dan, Xiao Yan has a request as well!" Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Little friend Xiao Yan, you contributed quite a bit to this refinement too. State whatever request you have; I will do my best to fulfill it," Yao Dan said after a brief pause.

"I want a strand of your clan's Nine Nether Wind Flame as my reward!"