The Pill Tower's Shock: Who Refined This Pill?

As Jiang Yuan entered the Pill Tower's gates and passed through its square, he spotted Dan Chen in the distance, chatting with a few fellow female disciples.

Sharp-eyed, Dan Chen spotted him at once. She hurriedly left the others behind and ran over.

"Senior Brother Jiang Yuan!" Dan Chen stopped in front of him and looked him up and down. "Where have you been all day and night? I went to see you yesterday, but you weren't home. I thought something had happened to you."

Naturally, Jiang Yuan would not tell her the truth. He casually made up an excuse. "I went out for a stroll and took care of some personal business."

Dan Chen did not press him after hearing that. She nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something, excitement spreading across her face. "Oh, right, Senior Brother! You haven't heard—something huge just happened at the Pill Tower!"

Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Dan Chen lowered her voice. "I heard the Space Trade Fair is about to auction off a peak eighth-tier nine-colored pill. Its effects are incredible, too. Apparently, it can help a Dou Zun advance straight to Dou Sheng!"

Her eyes lit up as she continued. "It's not as though our Pill Tower can't refine pills of that tier, but we've never seen that formula before. And apparently, the pill's quality is exceptionally high. Even the Three Elders were beside themselves with excitement when they heard."

The corners of Jiang Yuan's mouth lifted slightly, but his expression revealed nothing unusual. He merely gave a hum of acknowledgment.

His subdued reaction surprised Dan Chen. "Senior Brother, why aren't you surprised at all? That's a pill that can let a Dou Zun advance to Dou Sheng! You could hardly find more than a handful of pills like that on the entire Dou Qi Continent."

Jiang Yuan smiled. "It is quite impressive."

Seeing his response, Dan Chen dropped the subject. After chatting with him about a few other things, she turned and left.

Once Dan Chen was gone, Jiang Yuan did not hurry back to his quarters. Instead, he wandered leisurely through the Pill Tower. As he passed the Elder Council, he heard faint voices from within and slowed his steps.

Inside the Elder Council, the Three Elders sat together, their faces brimming with excitement.

"The news has been confirmed. The Space Trade Fair does indeed have an Eighth-Tier Nine-Colored Pill coming up for auction, and it really can allow a Dou Zun expert to advance to Dou Sheng."

But is this information truly reliable? An Eighth-Tier Nine-Colored Pill is already exceedingly rare, let alone one with such a heaven-defying effect as advancing someone directly to Dou Sheng. Could it just be an unfounded rumor?

"It's reliable. I personally had someone verify it. The pill is called the Nine Netherworld Underworld Pill. Apparently, it was refined only recently, and its quality is exceptionally high. Old Man Baoshan said so himself, so it must be true."

The Nine Netherworld Underworld Pill... what an imposing name. If a pill of that caliber fell into our Pill Tower's hands, it would be extraordinary.

"Exactly. All three of us are at Peak Dou Zun, and we've been trapped at this level for so many years. If we can obtain that pill, one of us can advance directly to Dou Sheng. When that happens, the Pill Tower's strength will soar."

"So we must secure this pill, no matter what. Whatever the cost, it will be worth it."

"Agreed. We'll attend the auction in person when it begins. We must win that pill."

The only question is, which alchemist refined a pill of this caliber? The Pill Tower has never seen its formula, and the refining method is utterly unheard of. Could it be... someone from the Yao Clan?

The Yao Clan is certainly a possibility, but it doesn't quite fit. Although their alchemy is exceptional, even they have never been known to produce a pill that lets a Dou Zun skip Half-Saint and advance straight to Dou Sheng.

"That makes it all the more intriguing. Which faction or master refined it? Their alchemy actually surpasses our Pill Tower's. That's rather hard to accept."

Whoever refined it, being able to offer such a pill for auction means they must be at least a peak eighth-tier alchemist, perhaps even a ninth-tier one. Befriending someone like that would be immensely beneficial to the Pill Tower.

The Three Elders discussed the matter animatedly inside the Elder Council, their words filled with admiration and curiosity about the pill and its mysterious alchemist.

After listening outside the door for a while, Jiang Yuan could not help the slight smile that tugged at his lips.

Inside, the Three Elders excitedly discussed how precious the pill was and how extraordinary its alchemist must be, completely unaware that the mysterious alchemist they were praising so lavishly stood just outside, listening to their conversation.

How would they react if they knew I was the one who refined that Nine Netherworld Underworld Pill?

The thought amused Jiang Yuan, but he had no intention of going in and revealing the truth. He merely shook his head, then turned and walked away from the Elder Council's entrance.

As he headed toward his quarters, Jiang Yuan mulled things over.

The Three Elders want that pill, but whether they can outbid everyone else is another matter. Once a pill of that caliber appears at auction, the Pill Tower certainly won't be the only faction eyeing it.

Still, none of that has anything to do with me now. I've already obtained the magic core and sold the pill. I don't care whose hands it ends up in.

Their expressions when they learn the truth, though... that should be worth looking forward to.

After returning to his quarters, Jiang Yuan shut the door and took the Heaven-Splitting Thunder Flood Dragon's magic core out of his Storage Ring. He turned it in his hand, sensing the violent energy contained within, and began considering how to use it to improve his strength.

The energy within a Ninth-Tier Magical Beast's magic core was exceptionally pure. Absorbing and refining it directly should provide a substantial boost to his cultivation.

Still, he would have to study the exact process carefully. If he mishandled the absorption of a magic core at this level, he could damage his meridians instead.

Jiang Yuan sat down at the table, placed the magic core before him, and examined it closely. Then he closed his eyes and began circulating the Dou Qi within his body, tentatively probing the energy structure inside the core.

Time slipped by, and Jiang Yuan became completely absorbed in his cultivation, oblivious to everything outside.

Meanwhile, the Three Elders at the Elder Council had made their final decision. They would personally attend the Space Trade Fair's auction and bring back the Nine Netherworld Underworld Pill at any cost.

The entire Pill Tower buzzed with excitement over the news. The disciples discussed the mysterious alchemist's identity, while the Three Elders had already begun preparing for the auction.

Yet no one knew that the pill they so desperately coveted had been refined by Jiang Yuan, who had just walked past the entrance to their Elder Council!