More than twenty days had passed since that day they forcefully took the Spirit Salamander's blood. Sect Master Shou and his party had already returned to the Qiantian Mountain.

At this moment, Sect Master Shou sat squarely within a library atop the Qiantian Mountain peak, examining the pill in his hand.

Unlike the vivid crimson of the original Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir, the pill in his hand, though still carrying a hint of raw scent, was a deep purple-gold, its aura contained.

It still shimmered with spiritual light, but it was noticeably gentler. As he observed its restless movement, he could occasionally feel the surging tide of spiritual energy.

Though he didn't yet know its effects, the mere appearance filled him with immense joy.

Xuanyuan Yiren, seated beside him, scoffed, "You were practically ready to die for it. How could I not hurry?"

Though her complexion appeared somewhat wan, Xuanyuan Yiren forced herself to explain with energy, "It was luck this time; I found a few suitable herbs that could neutralize the Spirit Salamander's imprint. After combining them, I only needed a few trials. Being this fast was truly a stroke of fortune."

Sect Master Shou felt a pang of heartache watching her. For the past twenty-odd days since their return, Xuanyuan Yiren had practically lived in the alchemy chamber at all hours. All her focus had been poured into perfecting the Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir. She had been revising and verifying the formula day and night, virtually burning through her life force.

Even when Sect Master Shou tried to persuade her to rest several times, she paid him no mind. He wondered what was truly driving the girl. Was she that obsessed with alchemy?

He swallowed the Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir in one gulp. Instantly, he felt an incredibly pure Yuan energy diffuse within his abdomen. His entire body felt warm, suffused with a comforting heat.

With a gentle guidance of his True Qi, after a few major circulatory cycles, he could clearly sense the Qi mechanism within his Wheel Meridians strengthening. Furthermore, delicate streams of energy flowed into his limbs, bones, and every corner of his physical form.

The sensation was remarkably similar to when he had absorbed those Null Essence energies not long ago.

The difference was that in his mind, illusions were now surfacing frequently. All sorts of incredible scenes flashed through his consciousness.

They were glimpses of the Cloud Barren Era, ten thousand years past. A colossal beast, seemingly akin to a lizard, swam through the sky.

Sometimes it contended with other behemoths, and other times it plunged toward the earth to hunt monstrous beasts.

Even the prey of this gigantic lizard was immense in stature, radiating a vast aura.

Finally, one scene materialized: a white-haired elder with a majestic expression, his gaze cold, holding a sword and bringing it down with sudden force.

It seemed capable of shattering everything, pulverizing the void itself. As the sword light descended, the massive body of the 'lizard' instantly disintegrated.

Sect Master Shou felt an utter powerlessness, unable to resist despite straining with all his might. For a split second, his mind screamed with pain, as if his primordial soul had been utterly annihilated by that single strike.

When he finally regained his clarity, his body was drenched in cold sweat. After a moment of quiet meditation,

He discovered that his divine soul was not only unharmed but felt even purer. He couldn't help but open his eyes, a faint brightness in his gaze. "A fine elixir! Your hard work is appreciated..."

If his intuition wasn't misleading, that final image must have been the scene where his Martial Uncle, the Dao Ancestor Xi Zi of the Cang Sheng Sect, severely injured the Spirit Salamander and severed its tail—the very memory contained within the creature’s flesh and blood.

Those ancient visions, too, held invaluable worth.

Whether for Spirit Masters tempering their divine souls and comprehending True Talismans, or for martial artists seeking insight into the Martial Dao and honing their will, this elixir offered extraordinary benefits.

Strengthening the Qi mechanism and fortifying the physical body were secondary effects, in truth.

Xuanyuan Yiren, who had been watching with eager expectation, smiled with relief upon hearing his words. It felt as if all her months of arduous research had been validated in that single moment.

"I first tested this pill on those monstrous beasts. Ten of them, already on the verge of breaking through their bottleneck, achieved advancement in only three hours after taking the elixir, and none showed any signs of poisoning. Afterwards, I tested it on myself for two days. The efficacy is slightly weaker than the original Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir, but it can temper martial will and refine the soul."

Sect Master Shou, however, remained incredulous. Diluting the original Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir from one hundred thousand doses to five hundred thousand—a reduction in the effect of strengthening the body—was anticipated.

But for just three drops of Spirit Salamander blood, divided into half a million portions, to still possess such potency was astonishingly shocking!

A Saint Realm expert, even one on the brink of demise, possessed such formidable essence. This new Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir’s value now far surpassed the previous iteration.

It wasn't just useful for his subordinates; it held benefits even for him personally.

Taking a deep breath, Sect Master Shou suppressed the turbulent excitement in his heart, his eyes sharp with a brilliant gleam. "Can this elixir truly only yield five hundred thousand doses? Can't we refine more?"

Even if he got only half the amount of the original Spirit Salamander Blood Marrow Elixir, he would risk his life to venture into the Misty Ancient Region again, attempting to secure more of the Spirit Salamander's blood.

Xuanyuan Yiren seemed to have anticipated this question. With a mixture of annoyance and amusement, she replied, "I have no other way, unless you can invite a Ninth-Tier Alchemist—only then is there a possibility. Although the Spirit Salamander Blood is the main ingredient, it requires neutralization from the blood of those spiritual beasts in the Misty Valley. Five hundred thousand is already the absolute limit."

Sect Master Shou frowned, then dismissed the thought. His friends from his previous life weren't merely Ninth-Tier Alchemists; they were Fourth-Tier Profound Alchemists, several tiers higher, and yet they were utterly helpless with this Spirit Salamander Blood.

Then, Xuanyuan Yiren's pretty face hardened, and her tone suddenly grew solemn. "Now, can you tell me why you were in such a hurry, Sect Master Shou? Is it because of Long Ruo from the Lingyun Sect? Martial Saint Long Ying already warned them. If they truly dare to offend a Martial Fiend..."

Sect Master Shou was momentarily stunned before realizing. He had assumed Xuanyuan Yiren’s frantic work these past few days was purely out of professional interest. Only now did he understand that this young woman had been forcing herself to endure, bottling up her anger, waiting until the formula succeeded before demanding an explanation from him.

He instinctively wanted to change the subject. But when he saw Xuanyuan Yiren’s gaze, laced with a dangerous warning, Sect Master Shou knew that if he didn't satisfy her, this righteous girl might just throw a tantrum right there.

After a brief moment of thought, Sect Master Shou nodded. "I inadvertently offended the Li Family of Fierce Spirit a few days ago, but it’s not a serious issue; it's just about being prepared. Neither the Lingyun Sect nor the Li Family can likely touch me, but they might try to strike at Qiantian Mountain."

"The Li Family of Fierce Spirit?"

Xuanyuan Yiren murmured, then furrowed her brows again. "Does your caution also extend to the Danquan Sect?"

This time, Sect Master Shou just smiled without answering. Although Yiren was the direct disciple of the Elder Dan, within the Danquan Sect, she was still junior, her status far below that of Li Yuan Dan. Furthermore, influenced by the Lingyun Sect, it was uncertain what choice the Danquan Sect would make, or if they would become enemies of the Qiantian faction.

After her inquiry, Xuanyuan Yiren fell silent, no longer pressing Sect Master Shou. After a long pause, she abruptly stood up. "I have matters to attend to; I must return to the Danquan Sect first!"

With that, she placed a small vial and a pill formula on the desk before Sect Master Shou. Then, mounting her sword, she shot straight out of the pavilion.

Sect Master Shou opened his mouth, intending to dissuade her, but the words caught in his throat, unspoken. He knew Xuanyuan Yiren would never be at ease unless she went back to see for herself. If things were to proceed this way, perhaps it would be better to let her become completely disillusioned with her sect.

Silently sitting still for a long time, Sect Master Shou sighed, then returned to his desk, writing furiously.

As if unconcerned by the pill formula, his expression was intensely focused. Every stroke of his hand aimed for absolute precision.

If a Martial Ancestor realm cultivator were present and looked closely, they would realize that while the characters—resembling silver hooks and iron strokes—were aesthetically pleasing, they were actually not entirely regular. Almost every stroke seemed imbued with a profound meaning, as if channeling a deep and vast intention into the writing.

After an unknown amount of time, the final stroke was completed. Sect Master Shou summoned a small flame to dry the ink. He then turned the book to the cover and, this time with impeccable care, inscribed the four characters: Xuan Huang Dragon Sword.

He treated the ink there as well, then stood up and placed the volume onto the bookshelf behind him.

It was a seven-tiered bookshelf. Within this shelf, besides martial arts manuals he already knew from his previous life, such as Rhinoceros Demon Spirit Armor Fist, Great Sun Bright Fire Fist, and Lesser Five Wheels Bright King Fist, there were also the techniques he had gathered in this life, like the Unfixed Spirit Emperor Art and the Imperial Flame Burning Spirit Art.

All of these were above the Sixth-Grade Ultimate Skill level. And this Xuan Huang Dragon Sword was placed by Sect Master Shou on the very top shelf.

There were nine books in total; the other eight True Dragon Sword Techniques, including Platinum Dragon Sword, Dark Yin Dragon Sword, and Thunder Dragon Sword, were all neatly arranged above it.

Contemplating for another moment, Sect Master Shou wrote two lines of numbers on the tag below: one thousand and ten thousand, respectively.

The former was the merit points required for three days of perusal; the latter was for copying.

However, Sect Master Shou immediately felt this was insufficient. He added a few more strokes, changing the numbers to one thousand five hundred and fifteen thousand.

Then, he casually tossed the brush aside, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

According to the rules established by Ren Bo, a Martial Master serving in the military only earned about ten merit points annually. A slightly stronger Martial Ancestor realm cultivator earned only about fifty points. To gain sight of a True Dragon Sword Technique, a congenital expert would need to serve Qiantian Mountain for at least twenty years, even factoring in regular missions and side earnings.

But he had set the merit points so high because the value matched.

All the rubbings of murals obtained from Jin Buhui were included, along with the key essence of the sword techniques and his annotations that he had penned himself.

As long as one wasn't an absolute fool and possessed some comprehension, it wouldn't be difficult for them to glean the True Dragon Sword Stance and Sword Intent from these seven books.

He surmised that in a few days, when someone discovered these nine True Dragon Sword Techniques in the library pavilion, the entire Qiantian Mountain City was likely to fall into complete madness!