The atmosphere in the courtyard immediately eased. Once the two men had spoken frankly, everything returned to normal.

He Yiming suddenly recalled something and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Jin, what exactly is the Jia Huang Dan?"

Jin Zhanyi lowered his voice. "The Jia Huang Dan is a potent stimulant pill. Once swallowed, it can unlock the body's potential, driving one's essence, energy, and spirit to an unprecedented peak within a few days."

He Yiming's brow furrowed slightly. "Such a potent medicine must surely cause harm to the body after use, no?"

Jin Zhanyi nodded faintly. "There is indeed a slight detriment. Once the medicinal effect wears off, the user will feel utterly drained and require a month of quiet recuperation, consuming large amounts of nourishing medicine daily just to slowly recover."

He Yiming's surprise deepened. "Given such drawbacks, why do you all regard this pill so highly?"

During their time on the Seventh Level of the Tongtian Pagoda, everyone had witnessed the performance of the Jia Huang Dan firsthand. Even after the Qilian Twin Devils used the mysterious treasure, Seamless, to block He Yiming's Heaven-Overturning Seal, provoking general outrage, the Venerable Fan Shuo needed only utter the words 'ten Jia Huang Dans' to quell all dissent. Even Jin Zhanyi himself wore an expression of longing, devoid of any resentment.

He Yiming could tell their reactions were entirely sincere. This indicated the value of the Jia Huang Dan was truly extraordinary, something rarely seen in the world.

Yet, hearing Jin Zhanyi's description now, its effect seemed rather ordinary, possessing no grand utility.

A flash of mystery crossed Jin Zhanyi’s face. "Brother He, the Jia Huang Dan is not meant for life-or-death struggles. Its effects last for several days and do not endanger life. You should understand the precise moment it is meant to be taken."

He Yiming looked at his face, and a spark ignited in his mind; he suddenly realized the application with an exclamation, "The bottleneck of the limit..."

Jin Zhanyi nodded solemnly. "Precisely. It is the optimal elixir for those of us attempting to break through our bottlenecks. If a master at the peak of the Houtian realm attempts to reach the Xiantian realm, taking this pill ensures success. Similarly, if a Xiantian master aims for the Yixiantian (First Thread Heaven), it possesses powerful efficacy. Beyond that, even for us seeking to dissolve divine weaponry and break through that final barrier, this substance is supremely useful."

He paused, then said seriously, "Brother He, what value do you place on this pill now?"

He Yiming nodded without hesitation, stating sincerely, "Priceless."

His gaze drifted towards Jin Zhanyi's embrace. Jin Zhanyi spread his hands. "Don't look, Brother He. Pills of this caliber are not for me to distribute. Miss Qiu has already delivered them to the Sect Master."

He Yiming sighed in disappointment and shook his head slightly.

A strange smile suddenly flickered across Jin Zhanyi’s face as he flipped his wrist, producing a slightly smaller jade vial.

He looked at the slightly stunned He Yiming. "However, Venerable Fan Shuo mentioned that out of those ten Jia Huang Dans, two belong to you and me."

He Yiming was overjoyed, snatching the jade vial from his hand. Opening it, he saw a single yellow pill resting quietly within. He brought it close to his nose and detected a scent reminiscent of a hundred flowers and herbs. Of course, the components were far more complex than that, but without the formula, recreating this pill was impossible.

He carefully secured the Jia Huang Dan, then took out the bottle gifted by Fan Shuo, asking, "What is this?"

Jin Zhanyi couldn't help but reveal a trace of envy. "This is the Life-Restoring Pill, a special spirit medicine from the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land. It not only replenishes Xiantian True Qi in an extremely short time but also has remarkable curative effects on internal injuries. Venerable Fan Shuo truly spared no expense to get you to the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land."

He Yiming's expression tightened. "Brother Jin, why is Venerable Fan Shuo so insistent on not giving up? Could it be that he knows this junior possesses the Five Elements Ring?"

Jin Zhanyi shook his head. "The Eldest Senior Brother explicitly commanded that nothing about you is to be spread outside. Thus, they could not possibly know you carry the Five Elements Ring. However, the fact that you possess the talent for cultivating all Five Elements is also something they cannot ignore."

He Yiming felt a chill and asked, "Do you know what they intend to do?"

Jin Zhanyi hesitated for a long time. "I do not know either. But the predecessor of the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land was the Five Elements Sect, and it was the main lineage of that sect. While Venerable Fan is correct that if you cultivate all Five Elements, the best path is the Five Elements technique from a single lineage. Such techniques can only be acquired in the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, or from the sects that split off from the Five Elements Sect thousands of years ago."

He Yiming nodded slightly, countless thoughts racing through his mind. "Brother Jin, do you know which sects, other than the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, split off from the Five Elements Sect?"

Jin Zhanyi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "When the Five Elements Sect fractured, dozens of powerful sects suddenly emerged across the world. But after thousands of years of development and elimination, to my knowledge, only two major sects have managed to survive their legacy."

He Yiming's eyes gleamed faintly. He had already decided: if there was even a sliver of a chance, he would not go to the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land. Since there was another option, he naturally wanted to aim for that one.

Jin Zhanyi grew solemn. "Besides the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, the only other lineage stemming from the ancient Five Elements Sect is the Great Shen Imperial Family."

He Yiming was momentarily stunned. "The Imperial Family?"

Jin Zhanyi seemed to read his thoughts. "Brother He, the Great Shen Imperial Family is different from the Northwest. They replaced the previous dynasty barely a thousand years ago. The current Imperial Family boasts experts like clouds, with more than one master at the Venerable level. Therefore, if you truly wish to obtain the unified Five Elements arts, it is best to accept Venerable Fan’s invitation."

He Yiming's brows immediately knitted deeply.

Jin Zhanyi smiled faintly. "Brother He, you are a distinguished guest of our Lingxiao Treasure Hall and a disciple of Tianchi, the foremost sect in the Northwest. Although the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land is powerful, unless they have lost their minds, they would not dare cause trouble for you. However..." He paused for a moment, "If you are determined to go to the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, it would be best to hide the Five Elements Ring first, or wait until you have advanced to the Venerable realm. Then, going there will involve far fewer reservations."

He Yiming genuinely nodded in praise this time. Having already condensed the Flower of Metal, he could certainly attempt the Three-Legged Stance. As long as he could successfully gather the summit, even the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land would have to allow him an exit if they harbored any designs.

Jin Zhanyi suddenly slapped his forehead. "I've been completely focused on preparing for battle these past few days and completely forgot about this important matter."

He Yiming was greatly curious. "What matter?"

Jin Zhanyi asked with a half-smile, "Brother He, why exactly did we invite you to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall? Is it truly, as you claimed, that you are heading to the Central Great Plains?"

He Yiming's face flushed slightly. Jin Zhanyi had covered for him in front of Fan Shuo, yet he had overlooked Jin Zhanyi's pleading gaze at a crucial moment—that was somewhat dishonorable.

He quickly changed the subject. "I understand now, Brother Jin. Are you about to begin refining the Youth-Preserving Pill?"

Jin Zhanyi said proudly, "Indeed. We will open the furnace in three days. You absolutely must not miss it."

He Yiming acknowledged this, yet he was deeply shocked inwardly.

Ever since arriving at the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, He Yiming had handed the pill formula to Jin Zhanyi. That formula listed countless rare treasures and exotic herbs. According to He Yiming’s original expectation, even if the Lingxiao Treasure Hall emptied its entire medicine storehouse, they would surely lack one or two components. Even with their influence spanning the world, gathering everything would likely take several years.

But unexpectedly, they were preparing to refine the pill in just a few days. This demonstrated that the richness of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall's reserves far exceeded his estimation. Such profound foundation truly befitting the title of the Great Shen's leading sect.

Jin Zhanyi suddenly sighed. "In truth, regarding the Dao of Alchemy, no one under heaven surpasses the masters within the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land. That Venerable Fan is also a renowned alchemist in the world. But we cannot ask them to act; what a pity."

As the foremost sect in the East, the Lingxiao Treasure Hall certainly had its own alchemists. As long as there was a chance, they would not ask favors in this regard. Just as the Tianchi lineage in the Northwest would never lower itself to beg unless driven to desperation.

He Yiming hesitated for a moment. "Brother Jin, what is your sect's alchemist's chance of success?"

Jin Zhanyi replied without hesitation, "Around fifty percent."

He Yiming relaxed slightly and smiled. "Fifty percent is already magnificent. If our Hengshan lineage were to open the furnace, we probably wouldn't even have a ten percent chance."

Jin Zhanyi shook his head slightly. "The one responsible for the refinement is a Martial Uncle of our Lingxiao Treasure Hall who has been in seclusion for many years. He is the sect’s foremost alchemist. However, according to him, if Venerable Fan could be persuaded to act, the certainty would rise to at least seventy percent."

He Yiming's expression shifted slightly. It turned out that this Elder Fan Shuo possessed such formidable skill in alchemy. A thought struck him suddenly, and his expression became peculiar. "Brother Jin, Brother Zhang once said that if the Youth-Preserving Pill is successfully refined, there are two people who must take it. Could it be..."

He pointed toward the Tongtian Pagoda in the city center, his gaze flickering.

Jin Zhanyi coughed repeatedly, nodding expressionlessly.

They exchanged a look and never discussed the matter further. However, He Yiming now understood completely. No wonder they were willing to pay such a heavy price in exchange for the Youth-Preserving Pill formula—that was the real reason!