For the sake of a ninth-grade Profound Elixir, countless experts have flocked to Tianxiang City, including no small number of Supreme Profound Sovereigns, and even two of the Eight Great Sovereigns have appeared!
Though all were lying low for now, the moment the Profound Elixir materialized, utter chaos was inevitable.
In Jun Moxie's view, this turmoil was immensely advantageous! He planned to exploit this chaos and the vast concentration of top-tier experts to weaken those two rival factions!
The Young Master Jun hesitated no longer. He closed his eyes, allowing his divine sense to become perfectly clear. He placed a hand on the failed elixir before him. As soon as he felt the icy touch of the object, Jun Moxie’s divine sense instantly activated the wondrous power of the Hongjun Pagoda. In an instant, surging, dense spiritual energy rushed forth, using Jun Moxie’s meridians as conduits, slowly injecting into the flawed elixir.
With Jun Moxie’s own cultivation alone, he could not generate such a massive aura; thus, he had to borrow the might of the Exquisite Hongjun Pagoda!
In the dim room, the previously dark Profound Elixir suddenly manifested a dark golden sheen, flickered once, and then vanished without a trace. Simultaneously, a vast, powerful energy emanated outwards, crossing the small dwelling and spreading in all directions.
“It’s the energy of a high-grade Profound Elixir! Such pure energy!” Inside the secret chamber of the Shengbao Hall, three white-haired elders sat cross-legged, nourishing their meridians. Suddenly, all three opened their eyes simultaneously. The Ninth Elder, seated in the center, gasped out loud!
“Ninth-Grade Peak Profound Elixir!” The three exchanged a look, seeing those very words reflected in the eyes of the others.
“Go!” The Third Elder gave the command. Hesitation vanished. The three bolted out like lightning, simultaneously tearing a massive hole through the roof with a resounding boom. They were instantly standing atop the highest point of the Shengbao Hall!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky; a downpour lashed from above!
The Third Elder, whose expression was one of benevolent kindness, closed his eyes. After a brief scan, he opened them instantly, his gaze sharp as a fierce tiger...
A flash of lightning illuminated his face, which was grave. He roared, “Profound Elixir locked! It’s in the west of the city!” At the same moment, the eyes of the other two men focused on the western expanse of Tianxiang City, entirely shrouded by the torrential rain.
“Move!” Three figures soared upward like great birds, vanishing in a blink across the air.
Only the great hole ripped in the roof remained, into which the relentless storm poured without restraint. Four other figures appeared after they departed; this group consisted of three men and one woman.
The young woman chuckled, “Tee-hee, how could I miss out on such fun? Let’s chase after them for a bit of sport.”
Before the words had fully settled, she shot forward as if fearful of being restrained, taking the lead. The remaining three exchanged wry smiles and rushed out after her. Two of them managed to stay relatively close, while the third was left trailing far behind.
At the Royal Guest Reception Inn, in the eastern courtyard, six figures shot out with incredible speed, blue light flickering around each of them as they stood in silent attendance outside. Immediately following, a man in long robes and wide sleeves, broad-shouldered and long-armed, nearly nine feet tall yet impossibly lean—like a bamboo pole—with an archaic, weathered face, abruptly appeared at the doorway. With another flicker, his towering silhouette was among the group. Six of these seven individuals were Heavenly Profound experts; the remaining one, though not displaying his cultivation, clearly held a higher status. What an imposing assembly!
The man with the weathered face murmured in a low voice, “Go!”
All seven were about to leap up!
Just then, the door to the west courtyard creaked open, and a voice, tinged with laughter, slowly emerged: “Brother Shi, are you planning to exclude your humble younger brother from such a marvelous affair? Are you perhaps intending to keep it all for yourself?!”
A figure clad in white drifted out from the downpour. The vast rain seemed incapable of wetting his robes; he walked through the storm as if strolling through a garden carpeted with blossoms, every movement showcasing an air of elegant composure.
The Imperial Grand Tutor of the Yu Tang Empire—Fei Mengchen!
“Fei Mengchen!” The man in the long robe gave a cold chuckle. “No one is stopping you. Follow along, provided you aren't afraid to die!”
Fei Mengchen threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Brother Shi, others might be intimidated by your title as one of the Eight Great Sovereigns, but you should certainly know what manner of man I, Fei, truly am!”
It turned out that the tall, lanky man in the long robes was indeed one of the Eight Great Sovereigns—Shi Changxiao of the God’s Gift Empire!
Shi Changxiao responded with a cold smile, saying no more. With a flick of his sleeve, he lifted off as if riding the clouds, turning sharply mid-air and changing direction, heading toward the west of the city with extreme swiftness. Fei Mengchen laughed triumphantly and soared up, giving chase. The others, without a word, followed behind the two, speeding away!
In the tavern, Ying Bokong spat out a mouthful of liquor fumes and roared with laughter, “Good wine! Truly excellent wine!”
He and the Prince had come to witness matters, but the fine wine held their feet fast. By the time they wished to leave, the heavy rain had begun.
If the heavens won't hold you back, the earth certainly will.
He found himself trapped in this small tavern. However, with good wine as company, it wasn't particularly unpleasant. Furthermore, he was a man accustomed to wandering, content with whatever fate brought. Having a little drink now, with someone to share it with, felt rather good.
By now, the two small jars of wine brought by Jun Moxie were completely empty. Trying to drink Song Lao San’s wine afterward—which had seemed rather intoxicating earlier—now felt utterly undrinkable in comparison. What a misery, what a true flaw in perfection!
Prince Yang Huainong’s residence, belonging to the only noble of the Tianxiang Empire, was not far away, but how could he leave before finishing the wine? Wouldn't that let Ying Dekong steal an advantage? Even if he was a Sovereign of the Eight Hounds lineage, they had agreed to one jar each, and besides, Song Lao San had taken several generous cups from his jar. Thus, the Prince and his son were also forced to stay put, a fact that greatly depressed Song Lao San. This was his Master’s wine, and these two men he intended to study were draining it as if it were mere water.
What was most infuriating and vexing was that even Song Lao San himself, having tasted his Master’s brew, could no longer stomach his own finest vintage—a liquor he usually cherished—now that he had tasted the superior quality. ...”
One was the sole peer of the Tianxiang Empire, and the other was one of the few Supreme Profound Sovereigns of this era. Such prominent figures, yet behaving with such roguish stubbornness!
As the three plus the one major and minor figures stared at each other dumbfounded, suddenly, Ying Bokong’s sharp eyes snapped open, two beams of terrifying divine light shooting out. He rose instantly, laughing loudly, “The chance to stretch my bones has finally arrived!” With a flicker, without so much as a goodbye, he suddenly vanished into the vast emptiness, utterly gone.
Song Lao San, a true expert of the Heavenly Profound realm, instantly sensed something: a vast, pure... energy stirring in the air. Song Shang’s eyes glittered, and though he several times looked as if he would rise, he finally let out a long sigh, lowered his head, picked up his own wine, and downed it in one gulp.
With his level of power, to participate in the contest for the Profound Elixir among the Profound Sovereigns would lead to only one outcome: death!
Having witnessed Ying Bokong's terrifying strength, Song Shang gave up the idea of obtaining the Profound Elixir, resolving not to wade into waters for which he had no stake.
“What happened?” The Prince, seeing Ying Bokong leave so suddenly and noticing his strange expression, asked.
“A Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir! It must be the legendary Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir appearing,” Song Shang replied gravely. “If a Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir is not contained in a Cold Jade Box, it will emit this kind of aura! There’s no mistaking this.”
“A Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir?!” The Prince gasped. “Did Ying Bokong just disappear to fight for that thing?”
“He went, yes, but it’s uncertain if Eagle God went for the elixir itself. He might just be seeking a worthy opponent. Given his temperament, he wouldn't care so much for material possessions,” Song Shang confessed with a dejected downward gaze. “This is a battle of the Profound Sovereign level; we are powerless to intervene.”
The Prince remained silent, crestfallen.
He understood Song Shang’s feelings—to have cultivated fiercely his entire life, only to watch a magnificent battle unfold right before his eyes, yet lack the qualifications to even participate. What sorrow!
Simultaneously, from four different directions.
To the north, three figures streaked like lightning—they were the three Divine Profound Elders of the Wind and Snow Silver City, Feng, Xue, San, Liu, and Jiu, attacking together once more!
To the east, Li Youran’s ten junior martial brothers sped forward, each face set with an expression of determined victory!
To the south, Shi Changxiao, one of the Eight Great Sovereigns, and Fei Mengchen, the Grand Tutor of the Yu Tang Empire, were leading the charge, speeding in from a distance. Behind them followed six or seven figures trailing azure Profound Qi, slicing through the curtain of rain!
To the west, Ying Bokong soared like a fierce eagle, his jet-black robes emitting a faint hissing sound in the air, a testament to his incredible speed!
Their target was singular: that dilapidated little wooden hut currently emanating the aura of the Ninth-Grade Profound Elixir!
The divine senses of the Supreme Profound Sovereigns locked onto it, with not a single millimeter of error!
Further in the distance, through the rain, numerous yellow and blue streaks of light flickered incessantly, resembling clusters of small lanterns, twinkling like distant will-o'-the-wisps as they slowly approached.
“This person is rather foolish, attempting to activate a Profound Elixir on such a rainy night. Doesn't he realize that even the heaviest rain cannot block the dissipation of the elixir's field? Could this be a long-prepared trap!” In the north, the white-bearded, white-haired Third Elder spoke from the center. Even while maintaining such breakneck speed, his breath remained steady, a clear indication of his power.
“At least the Profound Elixir is real! The previous energy signature was undoubtedly that of a high-grade Profound Elixir; that much cannot be faked. As for whether there's an ambush, that remains to be seen.” The Sixth Elder’s expression was grave. As they raced along, the three were intently probing their surroundings, yet had found nothing so far.
“The aura of that supreme expert residing here has not manifested, nor is there any sign of him rushing over this way,” the Ninth Elder’s voice carried a lingering trace of dread. He had once collided his divine sense against that “Legendary Expert,” and the memory still sent shivers down his spine.
“Third Brother, there is one thing I never quite understood. With the might of this senior, he should have long since escaped...” Before the Ninth Elder could finish, the Third Elder cut him off sharply: “Do not speak those two words!”
The Third Elder’s tone was hurried, sounding distinctly anxious.
“Yes, yes;” The Ninth Elder knew he had spoken improperly and quickly agreed.
“Everyone has their own ambitions; can we force the issue?” After saying this, the three moved forward rapidly in silence.
Suddenly, the Third Elder’s gaze sharpened as he glanced south. His silver eyebrows furrowed. “High-grade Profound Elixirs truly breed desire; even Shi Changxiao and Fei Mengchen have arrived! Sixth, Ninth, you two go and intercept them for a moment; I will seize the Profound Elixir first!”