Half a month passed.
During this time, Jia Xingtian could barely sleep at night, hoping every day that the medicinal ingredients would soon be gathered and delivered to Lu Changfeng.
Fortunately, all the ingredients had been delivered to the Xiao Clan residence a few days earlier, so Lu Changfeng had agreed to come to the Imperial Family today to refine that Sect Breaking Pill.
Today in particular, Jia Xingtian had arrived at the imperial hall early in the morning and made every preparation needed for refining the pill.
At that moment, besides Jia Xingtian, Pill King Gu He and Fa Ma were also seated in the hall.
The two had heard that Lu Changfeng would be refining a sixth-grade pill, the Sect Breaking Pill, at the Imperial Family today, so they had specially come to observe and learn.
Jia Xingtian sat in the seat of honor, unable to conceal the excitement on his face. His fingers even kept tapping the armrest. "I've waited more than half my life for this day."
"As long as Lord Lu can refine that Sect Breaking Pill, I'll be able to break through to Dou Zong," Jia Xingtian said with feeling. "Then the Jia Ma Empire will truly have a Dou Zong expert standing guard. Let's see who still dares look down on the Imperial Family."
At that moment, Fa Ma nodded from his seat beside him, a measure of anticipation on his face.
Pill King Gu He, meanwhile, remained silent, but his feelings were exceedingly complicated. Although he was a sixth-tier alchemist, he did not possess the formula for a special pill like the Sect Breaking Pill.
Even if he had the formula, with his current alchemy skills, he probably would not necessarily be able to refine it successfully.
The Sect Breaking Pill ranked among the more difficult sixth-grade pills to refine, and even the slightest carelessness could lead to failure. His failed attempt to advance to seventh-tier alchemist had already dealt his confidence something of a blow.
Now that he had heard a twenty-year-old young man would refine a sixth-grade pill before his eyes, he felt somewhat unconvinced, yet could not help wanting to see it for himself.
Fa Ma glanced at him and said quietly, "Gu He, when Lord Lu refines the pill later, we must watch closely. This is a rare opportunity to learn. Miss it, and we won't get another."
Gu He nodded at those words, though a trace of complexity remained in his eyes.
In truth, he wanted to see for himself once again just what sort of bearing this twenty-year-old seventh-tier alchemist would display while refining a sixth-grade pill.
Before long, footsteps sounded outside the hall.
Jia Xingtian immediately rose from his chair and strode toward the entrance to welcome the arrival.
Sure enough, Lu Changfeng appeared at the hall's entrance, still dressed as plainly as ever, his expression calm.
"Lord Lu is here! Please, come in, come in!" Jia Xingtian greeted him with a face full of smiles.
Lu Changfeng nodded at those words and entered the hall, soon sweeping his gaze over those seated there.
Jia Xingtian hurriedly offered him a Storage Ring with both hands. "Lord Lu, all the medicinal ingredients are ready, and they're all in here. Please, I'm counting on you."
Lu Changfeng took the Storage Ring and examined it with his soul power. After confirming that all the ingredients were present, he nodded. "Mm, no problem."
He was just about to ask everyone to quiet down so he could begin refining when two more sets of footsteps sounded outside the hall.
Mittel Tengshan and Hai Bodong walked in, one behind the other.
Hai Bodong wore blue robes and looked full of vigor, like an entirely different person from the dispirited figure he had been in the Tagor Desert.
Clearly, after recovering his strength, he had fully returned to form.
Jia Xingtian paused slightly at the sight of Hai Bodong, then teased him with a smile. "Oh? What wind blew even Elder Hai here? You've been missing for so many years. What suddenly made you think of visiting my Imperial Family?"
Hai Bodong smiled at those words, but his gaze went straight to Lu Changfeng. He strode up to Lu Changfeng and bowed respectfully.
"You must be Lord Lu? I am Hai Bodong. Thanks to the pill you refined earlier, the seal on my body was lifted, and I even regained my peak strength."
"I will remember this kindness in my heart. I heard that Lord Lu was visiting the Imperial Family today, so I came especially to pay my respects and thank you in person."
Lu Changfeng glanced at him upon hearing this. His expression barely changed, and he merely gave a slight nod. "Mm, no need to stand on ceremony."
Seeing his cool attitude, Hai Bodong thought nothing of it. After all, it was normal for an expert of this level to have some pride. He then straightened and stood to the side, his heart full of gratitude and curiosity toward this young man.
Watching this, Jia Xingtian was inwardly surprised. He truly had not expected Lu Changfeng to have done Hai Bodong such a great favor as well.
Mittel Tengshan stood beside Hai Bodong, also wearing a fawning smile.
Lu Changfeng paid them no further attention, however, and instead turned to Jia Xingtian. "We can begin. Just prepare a quiet room for me."
Jia Xingtian hurriedly nodded at his words. "It's been ready for some time! Lord Lu, please follow me!"
He then led Lu Changfeng into a dedicated alchemy room beside the hall, where the pill furnace and charcoal fire had already been prepared.
After entering, Lu Changfeng glanced back at the people following him. "I need quiet when refining pills. All of you wait outside, and don't make any noise to interrupt me."
At this instruction, Jia Xingtian hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. Rest assured, Lord Lu. We'll wait outside and absolutely won't disturb you."
With that, he shut the alchemy room's door and led the others back into the hall.
Everyone then fell silent, each straining their ears to listen for sounds from the alchemy room.
Standing outside the door, Gu He felt both nervous and expectant, though he wanted to see for himself exactly how that young seventh-tier alchemist refined a sixth-grade pill.
However, the alchemy room's door was tightly shut, leaving him unable to see anything.
He could only hear the occasional faint sounds of the pill furnace at work inside, which sounded steady and orderly.
Time passed little by little. The hall was utterly quiet, and no one spoke.
Jia Xingtian was so nervous that his palms were sweating, his eyes fixed intently on the tightly closed door. Just then, he kept praying inwardly, It has to succeed. It has to succeed!
Inside the alchemy room, Lu Changfeng was controlling the pill furnace at an unhurried pace.
The Sect Breaking Pill posed no difficulty to him at all, so the entire process flowed like drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest obstruction.
The timing of each medicinal ingredient's addition and his control of the heat were just right, without the slightest deviation.
A perfectly rounded pill was slowly taking shape within the furnace. It likely would not be long before this Sect Breaking Pill was ready to emerge.