The Pill Is Complete

"Your Majesty, the alchemy gathering has begun," Chief Clerk Li said, bowing. "The first batch of Alchemist have already entered."

Sima Canglan nodded slightly.

"Have the Gu Household keep an eye on those Rogue Cultivator Alchemist, and those with real skills. Make a note of their names, and 'invite' them all to be offered as tributes to Azure Waves Heaven, one by one. Not a single pill refined at this alchemy gathering is allowed to leak out; they must all be kept for our own use, adding more leverage to the Thunder Nether Grotto-Heaven matter, ensuring absolute success!"

Chief Clerk Li felt a chill run down his spine.

That was a truly insidious move by the Supreme One! Using the guise of False Core gathering to arrest Alchemist!

The Supreme One's move was truly ruthless. On the surface, it was the once-a-decade Huainan Alchemy Gathering, inviting Alchemist from all over the world, but in reality, he intended to wipe out all the Alchemist who came from Huainan, Jiangnan, and even the Northern Frontier Central Plains.

In this way, half of the Jiangnan alchemy world fell into Canglan Tian's grasp, and no one could rival it anymore.

If it cannot be used by me, then destroy it all!

"By the way, I've been looking through the records of the Firmament Heaven. The previous champion was from the Ye Clan? I think his name was Ye Chen?" Sima Canglan suddenly spoke, his tone calm.

Upon hearing this, Chief Clerk Li couldn't help but express some regret.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed Ye Chen! A cultivator at the Purple Mansion level, the champion of the Huainan Alchemy Gathering, yet he is a discarded son of the Ye Clan, a so-called lost gem of Jiangnan. It is laughable that the Cloud Mist Ye Clan could abandon such a genius!"

Of course, there's also the fact that Firmament Heaven was incompetent and failed to recruit such talent!

It's a pity that only a wisp of a soul remains now.

Chief Clerk Li's eyes flickered, and he suddenly understood Sima Canglan's thoughts. He cautiously asked, "Could it be that His Majesty means..."

"I remember he had a disciple who was engaged to the Gu Household?" Sima Canglan's lips curled into a playful smile.

"This person seems to have arrived as well. Go, send someone to pressure him a bit. I want to see this good show with my own eyes, to see if this former alchemist can bear to abandon his disciple, and also to see if this former alchemist can refine the Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill that I want."

Chief Clerk Li understood immediately and withdrew.

The Danxia Mountain has nine levels, each with its own alchemy seating area. The bottom level is for Rogue Cultivator and unorthodox practitioners, the second level is for renowned Alchemist, and the third level and above are reserved for members of established Aristocratic Clan and distinguished elders. The higher one goes, the more prestigious one's status becomes.

The meeting officially began.

The first batch of Alchemist entered, and the Pill Furnace on each floor were lit in turn, with spiritual fire rising and the fragrance of medicine filling the air.

The Alchemist displayed their skills, some controlling the fire like a dance, others drawing water to create a fiery display, and still others using the wind to ignite the fire and power the Pill Furnace. For a moment, a dazzling display of skill drew cheers from the onlookers.

On the first floor of the Pill Cloud Pavilion stood a young man in plain clothes, his face pale; it was Qi Ming.

He was currently squeezed into the crowd, looking upwards.

There, an elderly Alchemist with white hair was sweating profusely, Furnace Fire, and the melting of spiritual materials releasing bursts of medicinal fragrance. The onlookers occasionally gasped in amazement, but Qi Ming simply watched quietly without uttering a sound.

But his master, Ye Chen, stopped using these seemingly exquisite alchemy techniques ten years ago.

He subconsciously turned around and looked outside the Pill Cloud Pavilion.

In that dilapidated little courtyard outside the city, Master Ye Chen was alone, waiting for him to return.

"Get out of the way!"

A harsh shout came from behind.

Before Qi Ming could dodge, he was pushed away by a surge of spiritual energy and stumbled against a pillar. He looked back and saw several young men in fine clothes surrounding one person, swaggering in.

Qi Ming recognized the man in the lead.

Gu Qingyan.

The eldest son of the Gu Clan, and also... the cousin of his fiancée Gu Qingyin.

Gu Qingyan had obviously seen him too, and paused, a playful and teasing smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"Hey, isn't this Qi Ming?"

He looked Qi Ming up and down, his gaze settling on Qi Ming, when he suddenly let out a sneer.

"What? You think you can even participate in the Pill Gathering now? With your pathetic skills and without your master's protection, you dare to stand here?!"

His entourage burst into laughter.

Qi Ming's face flushed red, his fists clenched, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

He can't cause trouble.

Master said that the situation is severe now, and the forces are stronger than people, so we must be patient in everything.

Seeing that Qi Ming dared not retort, Gu Qingyan became even more smug, took a step forward, and looked down at him.

"Oh, by the way, I have some good news for you. Qingyin is here today too. She'll be announcing something later."

He patted Qi Ming on the shoulder, leaned close to his ear, and lowered his voice.

"Furthermore, I advise you to be sensible. The annulment of the engagement was agreed upon by your master. If you continue to pester us, don't blame the Gu Clan for being ruthless and showing no mercy, ensuring you don't leave Pill Cloud Pavilion alive!"

After saying that, he laughed loudly and strode away.

Qi Ming stood there, trembling, filled with humiliation!

He recalled the smiling face of the Gu Household came to propose marriage eight years ago, and the look of satisfaction in his master Ye Chen's eyes when he personally wrote the marriage certificate for him.

Thinking back to the glory days when her master was at the height of his power, standing as the top disciple of the Alchemy Association, she recalled how she secretly visited Gu Qingyin back then. The two of them treated each other with respect and chatted happily, and her heart was pounding wildly.

Now, they've all become a joke.

Meanwhile, on the eighth floor of the Pill Cloud Pavilion.

In the private room reserved for the Gu Household, Gu Qingyin sat by the window, looking at the crowd below with an expressionless face.

Behind her, a maid whispered, "Miss, the young master has gone to find Qi Ming."

Gu Qingyin frowned slightly.

What is Qi Ming doing here?

The maid shook her head.

"I don't know. But... Miss, are you really going to break off the engagement in public? After all, it was our Gu Household family who proposed the marriage back then..."

Gu Qingyin coldly interrupted her.

"Those were those days, and now is now. He and his disciple are a man and a woman, one with a fading soul, the other in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, powerless, without influence, and without any foundation. What right do I have to marry him?"

She stood up and walked to the window.

"Today is the perfect day to show the world that I, Gu Qingyin, am not someone that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be worthy of."

She turned around and walked outside.

"Let's go meet that good-for-nothing."

Qi Ming was immersed in his own emotions, feeling extremely humiliated and uncomfortable, when he suddenly sensed someone behind him.

He turned his head.

Gu Qingyin stood behind him, dressed in a light blue dress, with exquisite makeup and a cold, elegant demeanor. Behind her were several maids and guards.

Qi Ming's expression changed.

"Qingyin..."

"Shut up."

Gu Qingyin stared at him coldly.

"Qi Ming, I'm here today to tell you this in front of everyone—"

She raised her voice so that everyone around her could hear her.

Our engagement is hereby terminated.

The surrounding crowd fell silent instantly, and countless eyes focused on them.

Qi Ming's expression was somber.

"Gu Qingyin, what... what do you mean by this?!"

"What do you mean?" Gu Qingyin sneered. "You and your master, one is just a remnant soul, the other a down-on-his-luck Rogue Cultivator, powerless, without influence, without foundation. What makes you think you can marry me? What makes me, the legitimate daughter of the Gu Clan, marry someone like you?"

A murmur arose from the crowd.

"Is this Qi Ming? Ye Chen's disciple?"

"Ye Fan? Is that the abandoned son who was expelled from the Ye Clan?"

"Tsk tsk, those two, master and apprentice, are nothing but stray dogs. Do they even deserve to marry Miss Gu Household?"

Qi Ming trembled as he listened to the discussions.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't utter a single word.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd.

"Look! Who's that?"

"Ye Chen? Ye Chen, the champion of the Pill Competition back then? Isn't he dead?"

"Only a wisp of a soul remains... How did he get here?"

Qi Ming suddenly looked up.

A phantom figure slowly drifted in from outside the crowd.

That's Ye Chen.

His figure was almost transparent, appearing and disappearing in the sunlight, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. But his back was very straight, his gaze was calm as water, and he walked step by step toward the alchemy platform.

"Master!" Qi Ming rushed over, asking with concern, "Why are you here? Your health..."

Ye Chen waved his hand without saying a word. He simply raised his head and looked towards the ninth floor of the Pill Cloud Pavilion, towards those lofty figures.

Ten years ago, he also rose to fame here.

Ten years later, he was just a wisp of a soul left, yet he still came.

"Ye Chen? He really dares to come?" At the Pill Cloud Pavilion, Chief Clerk Li frowned.

Sima Canglan raised his hand, looking quite interested.

"Good, good."

He stared at the illusory figure.

"I'd like to see how much skill this once-renowned top Alchemist of Jianghuai still possesses! Whether he can refine this Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill."

Before the alchemy platform, Ye Chen's remnant soul drifted aimlessly.

The surrounding Alchemist all stopped what they were doing, looking at this former genius who was now just a remnant soul. Some felt pity, some scorn, and some waited to see him make a fool of himself.

"Ye Chen, you're in this state, what are you still trying to refine pills for?" a Alchemist sneered.

Ye Chen ignored him. He simply raised his hand and gently placed it on the Pill Furnace.

The fire in the Furnace Fire suddenly went out.

The next instant, a wisp of strange fire rose from his fingertips, its outer flames dazzlingly golden, while its core was chillingly cold, the intense heat carrying a faint trace of thunderous energy that rushed towards him.

The flames fell into the Pill Furnace, and the spiritual materials prepared specifically for the Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill instantly melted into liquid, the rich medicinal fragrance mixed with the power of thunder soaring into the sky.

"This is..." A veteran Alchemist, witnessing this scene, exclaimed in shock, his pupils shrinking. "Using one's divine soul to control Divergent Flame to refine pills! This is High Antiquity alchemy method! Ye Chen is truly a genius!"

Moreover, the pills Ye Chen refined were based on the very formula personally chosen by Sima Canglan.

Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill!

The key to activating the Thunder Nether Grotto-Heaven, the key that Shen Zhe'an had carefully prepared as a sacrifice to consume, was the key to activating the Thunderous Netherworld.

Ye Chen's remnant soul rapidly dimmed in the flames, but his alchemy skills became increasingly swift, flowing smoothly and effortlessly. The spiritual liquid inside the furnace churned and fused, and the pill patterns gradually appeared. Under everyone's watchful eyes, a superior-grade divine Divine Core, surrounded by faint lightning, was completely formed.

When the elixir was completed, a faint rumbling of thunder could be heard above the plaza, as the Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill had stirred up the thunderous energy between heaven and earth.

Qi Ming stood below the stage, tears streaming down his face.

He knew that his master was risking his life to refine the elixir, using his last remaining soul to forge this extraordinary elixir that no one else could refine, and also to save face for his disciple, using his life to wash away the humiliation!

On the Pill Cloud Pavilion, Sima Canglan watched this scene, a satisfied glint in his eyes, then chuckled softly, "Well done, Ye Chen. Well done, champion! What a pity, what a pity."

The elixir was now fully formed, and Ye Chen abruptly stopped.

He looked up, his gaze calm, yet concealing ten years of suppressed resentment and anger.

He knew that this refined Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill would ultimately become a deadly weapon that would lock down and activate the Thunder Nether Grotto-Heaven.

Ye Chen slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at the Thunder Pill, which was shimmering with spiritual light in the Pill Furnace. His fingertips trembled slightly, but he ultimately did not destroy it.

If he destroys the pill, Sima Canglan will surely take his anger out on Qi Ming, and he won't even have the strength to protect his disciple in the end.

He turned and slowly walked towards Qi Ming. His remaining soul was even fainter than before, almost completely dissipating.

"Master..." Qi Ming quickly supported him, tears blurring his vision.

Ye Chen looked at him, his eyes filled with pity and guilt. "Ming'er, your master is sorry. I failed to protect you, failed to let you stand upright in front of others. It is your master's incompetence."

Qi Ming shook his head frantically, unable to utter a single word.

Ye Chen forced a smile, took out a Jade Slip from his robes, and stuffed the Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill refined in the Pill Furnace into Qi Ming's hand. "Go to Zhong Mountain, find the Ye Clan, the Cloud Mist Ye Clan!"

Ye Chen was a nobody, nothing more than a discarded pawn, but he offered Divine Core to the Ye Clan to take him in.

It is said that Ye Chen owes me a debt today, to be repaid with his remnant soul, in order to plan for the Ye Clan!

I only ask that you, young master, treat my only disciple well.

He paused, his voice so faint it was almost inaudible. "This Thunder Pill... must not fall into Sima Canglan's hands."

As soon as he finished speaking, his lingering soul dimmed completely and vanished into the air.

Qi Ming knelt on the ground, clutching the Jade Slip and Lei Dan tightly, and burst into tears.

On the Pill Cloud Pavilion, Sima Canglan's face was icy cold, devoid of any smile. He had obtained the Thunder Pill he desired, and naturally he would not let the master and disciple who knew the inside story go.

"Capture Qi Ming, and obtain the Thunder Nether Ninefold Mystery Divine Edict Pill." He spoke calmly, his tone utterly indifferent. "The pill is complete; as for the person, I still want him."

Chief Clerk Li responded immediately and waved for the guards to come forward, surrounded by armored soldiers.

In an instant, they surrounded Qi Ming, who was kneeling and weeping, while Shen Zhe'an, standing at the edge of the square, watched all this with his hands behind his back, a glint of lightning flashing in his eyes, barely daring to speak!