Watching Ye Cien and the others from afar until their figures disappeared completely at the end of the winding mountain path, the smile on Chu Shanhe's face gradually faded into deep calm.
He turned slowly and looked at Chen Yi beside him, as well as the Second and Third Elders. His voice was steady and unshakable.
"Let's go. Return to the Qi Blood Soaring Hall, and hurry."
No one asked unnecessary questions. They all understood. Suppressing their emotions, they followed Chu Shanhe's pace.
Upon entering the Qi Blood Soaring Hall, Chu Shanhe stopped, turned his head to the Grand Elder, and said softly with a faint smile:
"Take it out."
At that seemingly contextless sentence, Chen Yi, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder's eyes flared with burning light as they all fixed their gazes on the Grand Elder.
They were not fools. Back in the apothecary, the Grand Elder had seemed impatient, nearly eager to snatch the pills directly with soul power. If it wasn't a trap, they would never believe it.
It was only that the situation had been special. Everyone had been stunned by the joy of pill completion and the astonishing number—thirty-six—and had no time to think deeply.
Hearing this, the Grand Elder swept his gaze over them and grinned openly. Pride and slyness flickered in his eyes.
"No hiding it, huh?"
Without further explanation, he raised a thin but steady finger and lightly tapped his soul tool.
In an instant, streams of multicolored light—identical to what they had seen in the apothecary—poured out, illuminating the slightly dim hall in a flash.
"One, two, three…" the Third Elder counted unconsciously, voice trembling.
When he finished counting the hovering pills, he sucked in a breath, eyes shining like bronze bells.
"Twenty-seven!"
The Second Elder cried out, facial muscles twitching from the impact.
Chen Yi inhaled sharply, his heart thundering.
Knowing the Grand Elder's methods, he had suspected that the moment the Grand Elder moved, he might secretly intercept part of the pills. After all, the sect's came first—human nature.
But he hadn't expected the Grand Elder to be this bold: not just skimming a few, but taking twenty-seven—nearly half of the completed pills.
Seeing their shocked expressions, the Grand Elder's smug smile deepened. He spoke slowly, strategic satisfaction in his voice:
"In this refinement, thirty-six pills was already a stroke of luck. But as you all know, the true total number was seven times nine."
Seven times nine.
Sixty-three.
That number exploded like thunder in their hearts.
Sixty-three heaven-defying divine pills—enough to create the embryos of Titled Douluo.
If word of this leaked, it would drive every faction on the continent mad and ignite a war that swept the world.
Seeing their stunned faces, Chu Shanhe let out a soft chuckle, his tone tinged with faint ridicule.
"What? You forgot? Our brothers here have dabbled in the path of alchemy too."
As soon as those words fell, Chen Yi and the Second and Third Elders exchanged looks and gave bitter smiles.
They'd been so shocked by the pills' effects and the Grand Elder's handwriting that they'd forgotten the key point.
As sect master, the Grand Elder was one of the sect's pillars. His alchemy level was not inferior even to Ye Cien, who specialized in the field—perhaps in soul power control and understanding of high-level medicinal materials, his cultivation was even more unparalleled.
Moreover, his strength far exceeded theirs; doing something under their noses was effortless.
Seeing their expressions shift from shock to sudden comprehension, the Grand Elder felt pleased as well.
This refinement had not only succeeded—it had left the sect a complete inheritance.
His gaze turned to Chen Yi, and he asked with a hint of testing and subtle observation:
"Xiao Yi—do you think there's a problem with this old man secretly taking nearly half the pills?"
Chen Yi was startled, but immediately understood the intent: the Grand Elder worried that, being young, Chen Yi might still cling to so-called "righteousness," and would feel disgusted by such calculating, dishonest behavior.
But Chen Yi was not that naïve.
He knew the world was harsh and dangerous, hearts were unpredictable, and between sect and family, benefit tangled endlessly. The Body Sect had already given up many immortal products to cooperate with the righteous Breaking Clan and the Ye Clan—while secretly retaining most of the results. That was not only self-preservation, but also for the sect's future. It was understandable.
Sometimes, in the face of absolute benefit, so-called "honesty" became the very method by which disaster arrived.
Chen Yi steadied himself. His expression was calm, but his tone was firm:
"The world bustles—all for profit. The world is in turmoil—all for profit."
Those sixteen simple words echoed through the solemn hall like a great bell.
Chu Shanhe, the Grand Elder, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder—four powerhouses standing at the peak of the continent—all fell momentarily silent, sinking into thought.
The sentence pierced the essence of worldly relations, returning every conflict, cooperation, betrayal, and loyalty to the most fundamental word:
Profit.
Simple and direct—yet containing the wisdom to understand the world.
They had weathered countless storms in life and understood this deeply. Looking at Chen Yi, they couldn't help but feel a trace of approval and recognition.
"Hahaha!" Chu Shanhe was the first to laugh aloud, his laughter full of joy and relief.
"Well said—'the world bustles, all for profit'!"
The Grand Elder and the Second and Third Elders also laughed and clapped. The hall's subtle tension vanished, replaced by tacit understanding and brightness.
Laughing, the Second Elder rubbed his chin with his usual thrifty expression and said with a pained look:
"Even so, Sect Master—didn't we give a bit too much to the Ye Clan and the Breaking Clan? In my view, the three of them each contributed. Giving one each would have been enough to show sincerity. But you—seven in total! These are immortal pills refined from immortal medicines—one less is one less!"
At that moment, the Second Elder seemed to see four bright roads leading to Titled Douluo flying out of the sect's treasury, and he nearly wept in anguish.
Chu Shanhe waved his hand, returning to the composure and foresight of a sect master.
"Second Brother, I understand your thoughts. But Ye Cien has ties to our sect, and this time came from thousands of miles away to help. The Yang brothers of the Breaking Clan are also fierce in temperament—clear in gratitude and enmity."
"This refinement required all three of them—especially the Yang brothers' deft manipulation of medicinal power and unique insight into heat. Even if we could have made pills, we would never have achieved today's quantity and quality. In emotion and in reason, they deserve generous reward."
"Show enough sincerity in exchange for true friendship and long-term cooperation. We must take the long view."
He paused. A deep light flashed in his eyes, and a faint smile touched his lips.
"Besides… these pills weren't given away for nothing."
Hearing this, the Grand Elder seemed to think of something. He stroked his beard and smiled, a matching shrewd light in his eyes.
Chen Yi and the Second and Third Elders were confused again. The pills had already been handed out—could they still be retrieved, or…?
Chu Shanhe didn't explain further. He only ordered the Third Elder, who still looked puzzled:
"Third Brother, go outside the hall and greet those two."
"They should be arriving about now."
The Third Elder was even more bewildered. Who was he greeting? Who else would come to the Qi Blood Soaring Hall at this time?
But he always carried out the sect master's orders. He bowed and answered:
"Yes, Sect Master."
The moment he stepped out of the heavy, dark-red doors, he paused in the square outside. Before he could ponder the sect master's intent, fast yet steady footsteps sounded from afar.
He raised his eyes and saw two familiar figures striding quickly up the mountain path, solemn determination on their faces.
They were the brothers Yang Wudi and Yang Wushuang—returning after leaving.
The Third Elder's heart jolted. He immediately understood the deeper meaning of Chu Shanhe and the Grand Elder's earlier words, and greeted them with a warm smile:
"Clan Head Yang, Elder Yang—please, come in!"
…
Bonus chapter at 100 PS