Ever since becoming the designated Supreme Pontiff, Yin Zhang had begun personally handling government affairs.
At first, it was indeed somewhat troublesome, but far more than exhaustion, he felt novelty—and the intoxicating pleasure that came with holding real power.
Seated on the Supreme Pontiff's throne, a seat once reserved solely for Bibi Dong, Yin Zhang stretched comfortably.
Footsteps echoed through the hall.
He lifted his gaze and saw Yuan Qiqi approaching.
"Elder Yuan, what brings you here?" Yin Zhang asked with a smile in his eyes.
This was, after all, a public place. Guard knights stood outside the hall, and Elders from the Hall of Worship could appear at any moment. On the surface, his relationship with Yuan Qiqi still had to remain strictly proper.
Yuan Qiqi was holding a stack of documents. Hearing how he addressed her, a trace of resentment flashed across her face.
Back when they had watched the stars together, he had called her Qiqi. Now that he was about to become the Supreme Pontiff, it was suddenly Elder Yuan.
"It's not like I'm just watching the great Supreme Pontiff toil away," she said coolly as she walked forward. "I brought more work for you. One of these scrolls was sent by Salas. There's a letter inside—I didn't read it, but I imagine it's nothing but flattery."
She gently placed the documents on the table.
Yin Zhang coughed lightly and waved his hand with a smile.
"Elder Yuan, you've been quite busy lately. I haven't seen you for several days."
Yuan Qiqi sighed helplessly.
"Since you became the Supreme Pontiff, I've been running all over the place dealing with matters on your behalf. Otherwise, how do you think Hu Yan Zhen of Elephant Armored Academy—and all those other sects—were brought under your command so smoothly?"
Yin Zhang thought about it and realized she was absolutely right. He laughed awkwardly.
"Elder Yuan, you've been stuck at the bottleneck of Rank 92 for several years now. How long before you can break through?"
She pondered for a moment.
"If things go smoothly, a few months. If not, perhaps another year."
Yin Zhang nodded.
"Good. If there's nothing urgent, stay in Spirit City and focus on cultivation. Strive to reach Rank 93 as soon as possible. Every rank for a Titled Douluo is a hurdle—once you cross it, your strength will rise substantially."
During these two months, Yin Zhang himself hadn't slacked off in cultivation either.
He had advanced from Rank 75 to Rank 77.
Two months ago, he had already been stuck at Rank 75 for quite some time. Just a week earlier, he finally broke through again.
Yuan Qiqi was visibly moved.
"If you hadn't helped me back then, I'd probably still be lingering at Rank 91."
Yin Zhang merely smiled and said nothing more.
After Yuan Qiqi left, his gaze returned to the documents on the table.
Among them, the most conspicuous scroll bore the seal of the Sacred Dragon Sect.
Its sender was Tuoba Xi.
Tuoba Xi—Spirit: White Armored Earth Dragon, Rank 89 attack-type Spirit Douluo.
He was only a single step away from Rank 90, the Titled Douluo realm.
In the original trajectory of events, Tuoba Xi would eventually break through to Rank 90, absorb his ninth spirit ring, and become a Titled Douluo—only to later die at Bibi Dong's hands.
That alone proved his aptitude. He was worth cultivating.
A few days earlier, Dugu Bo had come to see Yin Zhang with important news.
The item Yin Zhang had commissioned him to refine two years ago was finally nearing completion.
Refining it had been anything but easy.
Just gathering the required materials—with help from Dugu Bo and Xue Qinghe—had taken more than two years, nearly three.
After acquiring the materials, Dugu Bo still didn't dare rush the process. To ensure compatibility and avoid wasting such rare resources, he practiced first using an ordinary fire-attribute pill formula.
A few days ago, Dugu Bo finally told Yin Zhang that he was ninety percent confident he could successfully refine the Fire Phoenix Pill.
The reason for such caution was simple—the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower Yin Zhang had entrusted to him was the only one in existence.
If it were damaged, the entire pill formula would be lost, unless one waited for another Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower to mature. Even in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, an immortal herb would take at least a thousand years to fully grow.
Yin Zhang had also asked how many pills a single refinement would yield.
Dugu Bo couldn't be completely certain, but he gave a conservative estimate.
At least five.
The medicinal power contained within the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower was the most intense fire-attribute energy Dugu Bo had ever encountered. The auxiliary materials were equally potent.
Two of them were specifically used to neutralize the herb's toxicity.
After all, medicine is three parts poison—let alone an immortal herb.
The fire poison within the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower directly affected the pill's success rate.
Once the Fire Phoenix Pill was refined, Yin Zhang himself would take one to aid his cultivation.
Next would be Qiangu Yunying.
Her Spirit, the Flame-Plundering Spear, was also fire-attribute.
Then there was Yuan Qiqi.
Her Spirit was likewise fire-attribute. This pill could allow her to break straight through to Rank 93—or, if she pushed herself fully, even reach Rank 94.
According to the pill formula, the Fire Phoenix Pill's effect varied with its quality.
But no matter how low the quality, as long as refinement succeeded, its effect would never be inferior to consuming the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower directly.
Once Yuan Qiqi absorbed and refined it, her spirit power would very likely surge directly to Rank 94.
As for Qiangu Yuan and the others, although their Spirits did not clash with fire, they had previously absorbed that water-attribute stone slab. Their bodies contained excessive water-attribute energy.
If they took the Fire Phoenix Pill, not only would it be useless, it could even cause violent internal conflict between attributes—doing more harm than good.
At least five pills.
One for Yin Zhang, one for Qiangu Yunying, one for Yuan Qiqi—there would still be at least two remaining.
However, immortal-grade pills, like immortal herbs, could only be consumed once. Taking more would yield at most a day or two of cultivation—not worth it at all.
Given the immense effort Dugu Bo had invested, Yin Zhang naturally had to compensate him.
One pill would go to Dugu Bo himself.
And finally—Qian Renxue.
Her Seraphim Spirit was both fire-attribute and light-attribute, making her perfectly compatible with the Fire Phoenix Pill.
In this way, even the minimum yield of five pills had already been fully allocated.
Yin Zhang shook his head lightly, then looked down at the scroll from Tuoba Xi—his eyes tracing the lines of flattery between the words.