"Elder Luan, will Patriarch Taishu be here soon?" "Yes, yes, bring out the medicinal herbs and the incomplete prescription first, so we can feast our eyes." "Indeed, after waiting so many days, this old man can hardly contain his eagerness." "........." Several elders could no longer restrain themselves, slight looks of impatience showing on their faces. Nie Kong glanced over and chuckled inwardly.

It seemed that whether on the Tianling Continent or in the Shenkong Realm, truly devoted cultivators of the Dao of Medicine shared the same disposition: uncontrollable eagerness upon hearing of fine herbs. Sitting around the round table now were the sixteen outer-sect Medicine Kings, and the rest should belong to the Danxian Sect.

He wondered what kind of figure the Patriarch of the Danxian Sect might be. "Everyone, please do not rush; the Patriarch will arrive shortly," Luan Yexin said quickly, smiling broadly to soothe them.

"My apologies for making all you fellow Daoists wait so long." Almost as soon as Luan Yexin finished speaking, a clear, resonant voice came from the doorway, followed by a middle-aged man walking in slowly, a smile gracing his features. This man was tall and slender, with a long black beard hanging from his chin, possessing a refined, dashing, and outstanding demeanor.

"Is that Taishu Yan?" Nie Kong subconsciously followed the sound and, combining the information gathered previously in Shenglong City, immediately deduced that this middle-aged man must be the Patriarch of the Danxian Sect. Rumor had it that this individual appeared gentle and refined on the surface but was actually ruthless and cold-hearted.

Nie Kong wondered if the rumors were true. As Nie Kong looked toward Taishu Lou, Taishu Yan intentionally or unintentionally glanced toward Nie Kong as well.

The moment their gazes met, Nie Kong suddenly sensed that Taishu Yan's eyes seemed to contain a penetrating power capable of piercing the soul. This gave him a faint illusion, as if the secrets hidden deep within his heart were being completely laid bare under the gaze of this Danxian Sect Patriarch.

Their eyes briefly locked before passing, and Taishu Yan walked smilingly toward his seat. "This man is not simple." Nie Kong maintained a composed expression, but inwardly he let out a soft breath of relief.

Fortunately, he had no real intention of joining the Danxian Sect, nor did he plan to linger in Shenglong City for long. He likely wouldn't have much interaction with this Sect Patriarch; otherwise, his flaws might truly be exposed.

Just seconds after Taishu Yan entered, five figures filed in one after another. These were all Ninth-Rank experts, each carrying a long medicinal box, clearly containing rare and precious medicinal herbs recently acquired by the Danxian Sect.

"They are..." As his eyes swept over the first three figures, then shifted to the two behind them, Nie Kong’s heart couldn't help but jolt. He recognized both of the last two figures.

They were none other than the two Eighth-Rank Medicine Kings from the Lingshen Palace: Zhan Tianfeng! Ye Haoran!

They were truly here. Despite exerting extreme control, a slight ripple stirred within Nie Kong's chest.

He hadn't expected to trace their whereabouts so quickly. If the waters in the Danxian Sect weren't so murky, Nie Kong would have wanted to capture these two immediately and force them to reveal the hiding places of Kou Xilai and the other Lingshen Palace experts.

To avoid attracting attention, Nie Kong quickly averted his gaze. Zhan Tianfeng and Ye Haoran followed the three Danxian Sect experts and took seats by the round table, positioned immediately to Taishu Yan's right.

The invited Ninth-Rank Medicine Kings assumed they were merely pharmacists of the Danxian Sect and paid them no mind, focusing instead on the boxes. Taishu Yan smiled faintly, pointed to the wooden boxes placed on the table, and said, "Fellow Daoists, please observe.

These are the herbs I mentioned—six varieties in total, all of which have become extinct in the Shenkong Realm." As he spoke, Taishu Yan waved his right hand, and the largest wooden box floated to the center of the platform table. With a soft pa, the lid opened, revealing six types of herbs placed side-by-side that immediately entered everyone's line of sight.

What was particularly eye-catching was that these six herbs were all living, natural specimens, each cultivated in an exquisite jade pot. The shape and color of the herbs varied, but the one on the far right was especially striking, growing upward in layers like the pampered bamboo pruned in Nie Kong's previous life, resembling a pagoda.

Moreover, every section of the herb was as pure and white as jade, strikingly beautiful. At this moment, the gazes of the Ninth-Rank Medicine Kings were completely captivated by the center of the round platform.

Each held their breath, leaning slightly forward, their eyes blinking not at all as they meticulously examined the herbs. Zhan Tianfeng and Ye Haoran took in the expressions of the crowd.

Their faces remained calm, yet a subtle, almost imperceptible smugness flickered in their eyes. "It really was their doing!" Nie Kong felt a surge of amusement in his heart.

These six herbs were indeed incredibly precious on the Tianling Continent; they had all been documented in the Compendium of Materia Medica he compiled, and they were all the principal ingredients for refining Ninth-Rank Spiritual Medicines. Of course, the formulas for those Ninth-Rank Spiritual Medicines were also included in the Pharmacopoeia he provided.

Although dismissive internally, Nie Kong maintained the same outward demeanor as the Ninth-Rank Medicine Kings around him, his eyes darting between the six potted herbs. As for Tai Yan, having concealed all her power, she presented herself as an ordinary person, continuously looking around since entering.

Although the assembled guests were astonished by her unparalleled beauty, they did not take her seriously; a person without power was naturally not worth noting. "........." "In our Hongmeng Heavenly Mansion, there is a Pharmacopoeia passed down from ten thousand years ago.

Two of these herbs seem to align perfectly with the records within." "My 'Jile Sect' also preserves the Herbal Classic from the Huanling Continent. If this old man remembers correctly, the herb on the far left here is also recorded, but unfortunately, only the illustrations are present, with no description of its medicinal principles or properties." "Patriarch Taishu, do these herbs have names?" "........." After observing closely for two or three minutes, slightly noisy discussions began to break out.

Taishu Yan suddenly laughed loudly, "From left to right, these six herbs are: Shenxiang Herb, Dragon Gallflower, Tree Red Star Hair, Hook Ling, Flowing Spring Red Powder Vine, and White Snow Heaven-Reaching Bamboo. They are recorded in the pharmacopoeias circulated within my Danxian Sect, but they have long been extinct in the current Shenkong Realm.

Today, the Danxian Sect has prepared six portions of each herb for all of you to appreciate." Saying this, he gestured toward Luan Yexin, who stood nearby. Luan Yexin nodded, proceeded to open the remaining four wooden boxes, and with a flurry of hand movements, the long, slender little medicine boxes, as if guided by eyes, floated gently down in front of Nie Kong and the other seventeen individuals.

Evidently, besides Nie Kong, the other sixteen were the outer-sect Medicine Kings. Kacha, kacha...

The medicine boxes opened in quick succession as everyone acted swiftly. They had come to Shenglong City for the 'Dan Palace Immortal Assembly' precisely to sample these long-extinct, precious herbs, and now their wish was finally granted.

Each box was divided into six compartments, with one type of medicine placed in each compartment, all looking extremely fresh, likely picked that morning from the six potted specimens. After just a quick glance, a Medicine King impatiently pinched a small amount of powdered medicine and placed it in his mouth, chewing intently with focused expressions.

...