With a wave of Chu Shanhe's hand, a dense surge of soul power lifted the lid of the massive cauldron—one that weighed nearly a thousand pounds—and slowly drew it away.
The instant the lid opened, something like a torrential flood of matter burst out of the alchemy furnace. The fragrance was no longer merely a scent; it condensed into a faint, multicolored mist that filled every corner of the apothecary in an instant. Everyone took only the slightest breath of it, yet the 36,000 pores across their bodies seemed to stretch open. Their soul power began to accelerate on its own, and the sea of spiritual consciousness cleared—as though simply breathing this pill aura was worth days of bitter cultivation.
Before they could even recover from the shock of that astonishing medicinal fragrance, a flash of lightning crossed the Grand Elder's eyes. With a low cry, his imposing soul power surged through him and transformed into an incomparably solid, pale-golden hand. Wrapped in lightning-like, rainbow brilliance, it shot into the alchemy furnace.
In the next moment, the soul power withdrew and floated quietly before them. Under the tense, expectant gazes of the crowd, the Grand Elder slowly opened the palm formed of soul power.
In an instant—radiance erupted in full.
They saw thirty-six shining streamers, like living spirits, bouncing and floating happily in the Grand Elder's palm. Each streamer cradled a perfectly round spirit pill the size of a dragon's eye. Across the surface of each pill, multicolored halos flowed endlessly, faintly forming mysterious patterns, while star-like light shone from within—like a cosmos of stars contained inside.
From these thirty-six spirit pills, staggering energy fluctuations spread like tides, subtly warping the surrounding space.
"Quick! Collect the pills!" the Second Elder barked, reacting at once.
Thirty-six jade bottles of delicate texture appeared before him in an instant. His fingers flicked without pause, his movements flowing like clouds and water. Each jade bottle aligned precisely with a colored streamer; the bottle mouths generated a gentle suction, drawing them in. The stoppers sealed themselves automatically, tight and secure.
The jade bottles grew slightly heavier. Their walls felt warm to the touch, and one could sense the majestic vitality and energy within trembling faintly.
As the Second Elder carefully gathered all thirty-six jade bottles onto a special jade tray, the Grand Elder—unable to hide his fatigue—wore a deeply relieved smile. Turning toward Ye Cien and the Yang brothers, his voice hoarse yet brimming with joy, he said:
"Thirty-six pills! Hah! Congratulations—there are even a few more than expected!"
Hearing this, Ye Cien and the Yang brothers exchanged smiles. Excitement and disbelief flickered in their eyes. By their initial estimate, being able to gather so many rare immortal materials and refine thirty pills was already a stroke of luck—a miracle.
After all, alchemy was full of variables. If the merging of medicinal power was even slightly off, all prior effort would be wasted. None of them had expected the final number to far exceed expectations—to reach thirty-six. How could they not be overjoyed?
Yet after the first wave of delight, Chu Shanhe's eyes shifted slightly, and he cast a faint glance at the Grand Elder. Sensing it, the Grand Elder's lips curved into the slightest arc as he returned an equally subtle look. No words were needed; everything was understood.
But aside from those lightning-quick exchanged glances, everyone else was wholly immersed in the joy of seeing the thirty-six divine pills revealed and noticed nothing unusual.
Their gazes burned toward the jade bottles; their hearts roared.
Thirty-six pieces! A heaven-defying divine pill—one that could, with high probability, create Titled Douluo!
Used correctly and given time, this meant thirty-six peak-tier powerhouses at the summit of the continent!
Chu Shanhe withdrew his gaze and coughed lightly twice. A faint trace of soul power carried in the sound, pulling everyone back from their feverish thoughts.
With a sincere smile, he looked over Ye Cien and the Yang brothers and said solemnly:
"This alchemy could not have achieved such a satisfying result without you three—Patriarch Ye, Brother Yang. Without your help, especially Patriarch Ye's exquisite control of heat through alchemy and the harmonization of medicinal power, our Body Sect could never have refined a divine medicine that could rule heaven and earth."
"Chu Shanhe, on behalf of the Body Sect, thanks the three of you!"
With that, Chu Shanhe clasped his fists with both hands and bowed deeply to them.
Ye Cien and the Yang brothers were startled and hurriedly dodged to the side, repeating:
"Sect Master Chu must not!"
"How could we accept such a great salute!"
Chu Shanhe was an extraordinary powerhouse whose identity alone commanded reverence. Though they had assisted, they did not dare accept such a bow calmly.
Seeing their resolute refusal, Chu Shanhe did not insist. Straightening his back, he laughed loudly.
"Fine! I won't dwell on formalities."
He waved his hand. Under the force of soul power, three jade bottles rose gently from the tray of pills and landed firmly before Ye Cien.
"Patriarch Ye—these three spirit pills are primarily based on Soul-Origin Immortal Grass, supplemented with Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid. Their medicinal nature is neutral and gentle—soft yet enduring—the most nourishing kind of foundation. They broaden meridians, raise soul power, and have miraculous effects in breaking bottlenecks. They are especially suitable for support-type soul masters. I believe they will be of great benefit to the Ye Clan."
Immediately after, four more jade bottles flew out and fell into the Yang brothers' hands.
"Patriarch Yang—these four spirit pills use Black Jade Divine Bamboo and Mixed-Element Immortal Grass as the core ingredients. The indestructible, sharp properties of Black Jade Divine Bamboo harmonize with your brothers' Soul Breaking Spear martial souls. These pills will not only greatly strengthen soul power, but further temper your martial souls, increasing attack and penetration. I hope they help you advance farther along the path of soul masters!"
Ye Cien and the Yang brothers hurriedly reached out to catch the flying bottles. Feeling the vast and boundless fluctuations of energy within, uncontrollable shock and excitement rose in all three pairs of eyes.
At first, they had thought simply being able to share in a portion of the pills would already be a tremendous kindness. After all, these immortal materials were from the Body Sect's collection—they were only providing manpower.
They never expected Chu Shanhe to be so generous: three for Ye Cien, and two each for the Yang brothers.
The gift far exceeded their expectations.
Ye Cien's aged fingers trembled as he rubbed the smooth jade bottle, feeling the warm, solemn vitality emanating from the pill within. Waves surged in his heart.
As the one most versed in pharmacology—and one who had personally participated in the refinement—he understood these pills' terrifying effects better than anyone. He had been trapped at the eighty-fourth rank for years, believing there was no hope of reaching a higher realm in this lifetime. But with these pills…
That once-unreachable dream—the realm of Titled Douluo—seemed to finally let a real beam of light through.
And his granddaughter Lingling possessed even greater talent. If she took this medicine, she would almost certainly obtain a Douluo title in the future.
Thinking this, Ye Cien's eyes grew slightly moist.
The Yang brothers gripped the jade bottles tightly and looked at each other, incomparable resolve shining in their eyes.
Seeing the undisguisable joy and gratitude in their expressions, Chu Shanhe knew the time was right. He winked at the Third Elder beside him.
The Third Elder immediately understood. Stepping forward, he smiled gently and said:
"Patriarch Ye, Brother Yang—you've been refining pills for days. You must be exhausted. The sect has prepared quiet rooms; you may go rest and recover first."
"Tonight, the Sect Master will host a banquet. One—to celebrate the refinement of the divine pills. Two—to thank you for your assistance. Please honor us with your presence."
Only then did Ye Cien and the Yang brothers feel their hearts finally settle, and a strong wave of fatigue crashed over them. Hearing this, they nodded.
Ye Cien clasped his hands. "Sect Master Chu, many thanks. We appreciate your kindness. Then I'll retire first."
He took Ye Lingling, who had been standing quietly to the side, her eyes full of excitement. Together with the Yang brothers, under the guidance of the sect's disciples, they left the apothecary—still filled with lingering pill fragrance.
Left behind in the apothecary were only Chu Shanhe, the three elders, Chen Yi—and the remaining twenty-nine divine pills, enough to shake the entire continent.
…
PS: Read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode