Liu Qitan possessed the profound wisdom of a Pill Saint; even a casual piece of advice from him was enough to benefit these elders for a lifetime. After Liu Qitan’s guidance, some elders felt as if they had been enlightened, their souls suddenly clear. Some saw their spiritual power improve, while others refined their fire-control techniques. The disciples who observed the interaction also benefited immensely.
Half an hour later, Master Zhuge and Liu Qitan entered the main hall.
Chapter 10: The Incomplete Pill Recipe
Two figures strode into the hall, and all eyes instantly converged upon them. It was Master Zhuge and Liu Qitan.
Master Zhuge appeared troubled. He clasped his hands together and said with a look of guilt, "Master Ye, the final ingredient you require, known as the Green Wood Turtle Vine, is incredibly rare. Our Alchemist Guild only has one stalk remaining, so I do not have the authority to simply hand it over to you. However, if you must have it, you could request permission from the President."
"Request permission from the President?" Ye Tiange set his teacup down gently and raised an eyebrow.
Beside him, Elder Yun Long frowned and shook his head. "Asking to see the President right now is truly bad timing. He has been in seclusion for several months. Even we, the elders of the guild, cannot easily see him."
"The President has a peculiar temperament. If we were to disturb him rashly, I fear..." Elder Tianque also nodded slightly, looking at Ye Tiange with an apologetic expression.
"Is there really no other way?" Ye Tiange’s expression darkened. The opening of the Martial Tower was in two days, and he had to obtain this final ingredient.
"The President’s current seclusion will last at least another six months to a year. It is said that months ago, he obtained an incomplete Fourth-Layer pill recipe. A key ingredient is missing from a torn corner of the scroll, and he has been studying it ever since," another elder said after a moment of contemplation.
"Oh? Is that so?" Ye Tiange thought for a moment before saying, "Perhaps I can help your President identify that missing ingredient and restore the Fourth-Layer pill recipe to its original state."
"This..." The elders exchanged glances, feeling stuck. While Ye Tiange was skilled at alchemy, they didn’t believe he could succeed where the President had spent months struggling. However, having just benefited from his teachings, they felt indebted. After conferring with one another, Elder Zhuge and Elder Yun Long nodded.
"Very well, follow us to see the President. But be warned, he is quite temperamental; I hope you are prepared."
Ye Tiange nodded, his curiosity growing.
...
Guided by the elders, they bypassed the Pill Tower and soon arrived at a courtyard surrounded by a bamboo grove. It was a secluded, peaceful place filled with rich spiritual energy. However, upon entering, they found the ground in disarray, littered with shredded medicinal herbs.
"President!" Master Zhuge and the others stepped forward and bowed.
"Get out! All of you, get out!" A furious, elderly voice roared from the alchemy room. Then, with a *whoosh*, a pile of charred, smoking herbs was flung out.
The elders looked at Ye Tiange, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Ye Tiange stood his ground, his gaze fixed on the alchemy room, as calm as a deep well.
"The President has a fiery temper, but he is actually a good person," Elder Yun Long explained hastily, his face flushed with embarrassment.
No sooner had he spoken than a loud *bang* shook the alchemy room, and plumes of smoke billowed out. A moment later, a disheveled, bald old man stumbled out, covered in soot, clutching his face and coughing violently. His beard was singed, and his robes were in tatters.
"Dammit, the furnace exploded again! Son of a… I was so close to succeeding!" The President grabbed at the herb residue on the ground, cursing in frustration.
Ye Tiange glanced at him. The old man was extremely lean, and his few remaining strands of hair were standing straight up from the blast, a sight that made it difficult not to chuckle.
"President, we have a distinguished guest," Master Zhuge reminded him in a low voice.
"Don't disturb my alchemy! Get out!" The President was still in a rage and continued to snap.
Ye Tiange stepped forward, took a light sniff of the air, nodded slightly, and said, "The scent is sharp and cool, with an aromatic fragrance. This is undoubtedly the smell of Imperial Blood Grass."
"Hmm... and Octagonal Profound Ice Grass, Phoenix Fire Spirit Fruit, and Red Sand Leaves..."
"Pres—" The elders’ expressions changed, and they moved to step in, fearing the President’s wrath. But instead of exploding, the President glared at Master Zhuge, then looked at Ye Tiange with wild, ecstatic eyes, scanning him up and down. "What else?" he demanded impatiently.
Ye Tiange smiled and continued, "Fire Spirit Root, Jade Skin Flower... and Nine-Leaf Purple Fungus, Water Spirit Lotus..."
Ye Tiange rattled off a hundred herbs! The President looked as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with shock. For even a Fourth-Layer Alchemist like him, identifying ingredients from a pile of waste based on scent alone was an impossible feat! But the next sentence struck the President like a bolt of lightning.
"If I am not mistaken, this is the Fourth-Layer pill recipe for the Nine-Turn Golden Spirit Pill." Ye Tiange said with absolute certainty.
"You... you were able to identify it as the Nine-Turn Golden Spirit Pill just by the scent of the herbs?!" The President’s eyes widened like copper bells in disbelief. Even he, a Fourth-Layer Alchemist, could not do that!
"Not entirely," Ye Tiange smiled enigmatically. As a former Pill Saint, such pills were low-tier in his eyes; he knew the recipes by heart, so identifying them was natural.
"Then what is the missing ingredient in the recipe?" The President stared at Ye Tiange, practically desperate to pry the answer from his lips.
"Snow Bone Ginseng," Ye Tiange said with a squint and a smile.
"Son of a... it’s actually Snow Bone Ginseng? Good! I’m going to try it now. If I can’t brew the Nine-Turn Golden Spirit Pill, you’ll have hell to pay!" With that, the President rushed back into the room, his eyes burning with fervor.
"A madman for alchemy, certainly peculiar. He could have pushed for the Fifth Layer, but his talent is mediocre..." Ye Tiange remarked, though his assessment of the obsessed alchemist was not entirely unfavorable.
The other elders, however, were speechless and dumbfounded. The President was a Fourth-Layer Alchemist, yet in Ye Tiange's eyes, he was merely mediocre! Was Ye Tiange’s alchemy truly above the President’s? Elder Yun Long and the others were now even more curious: could the Nine-Turn Golden Spirit Pill really be brewed with the ingredients Ye Tiange mentioned?
*Hum—*
A few hours later, a brilliant light flashed from the alchemy room, and a rich, fragrant scent of medicine wafted out.
"Hahahaha! It worked!" A wild, unbridled laugh echoed from the room.
"This... it really... succeeded?" Master Zhuge and the others looked at each other, their nerves frayed. The President had studied it for months, yet Ye Tiange had identified the recipe and the missing ingredient with a mere sniff. They now felt that Ye Tiange’s alchemy was truly unfathomable.
Before long, the President happily gifted the Green Wood Turtle Vine to Ye Tiange.
...
Having obtained the final ingredient, Ye Tiange returned to his courtyard to begin his seclusion. He had to reach the Spirit Sea Realm within the next two days.
That night, the moon was hidden and the wind was cold. Deep within the Ye Family estate, a great hall was brightly lit.
"Father," Ye Tiange said. Dressed in white, he had an air of arrogance, his eyes sharp.
"Tomorrow is the day the Martial Tower opens. You must seize the opportunity. If you can obtain a high-grade Mystic Art, you will surely shine at the upcoming Sea of Clouds Sect recruitment," Ye Tianba said, his hand resting on his chair, his tone stern. He paused, then his eyes turned fierce. "Also, if there is a chance, cripple that boy, Ye Tiange!"
"Father, rest assured. He was lucky that the Profound Yin Poison failed to cripple him last time. This time, I will personally destroy his Dantian and crush him beneath my feet!" Ye Tiange’s tone was filled with disdain, his eyes cruel. He would let everyone in the clan know that he was the true number one prodigy of the Ye Family! As for Ye Tiange, he was just an insignificant stepping stone. He himself was destined to be the dragon of the nine heavens! He had prepared thoroughly for this opening of the Martial Tower, and he was absolutely confident that inside, he would show Ye Tiange the true meaning of despair.
Chapter 11: Opening the Martial Tower
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Today was the day the Ye Family’s Martial Tower would open.
For the disciples of the Ye Family, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Martial Tower held the family's legacy, housing various Mystic Arts accumulated over the past century. Even obtaining a single art was enough to significantly boost one's strength. Usually, the disciples had no chance of even approaching the tower, but today they could select one.
In the center of the Ye estate stood a towering golden iron tower. It was currently surrounded by a massive crowd. Under the sunlight, the tower reflected a magnificent glow, as if countless arcane runes were flowing across its surface.
Thousands of disciples gathered around the tower, and among them, two figures were undoubtedly the focus of everyone’s attention.
Ye Tiange stood in the crowd, his plain green robe making him stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens; he looked extraordinary. Not far from him, Ye Tiange was dressed in blue robes, his expression proud, as radiant as the moon in the sky. Everyone sensed the tension between them; their eyes locked, and the air seemed to bristle with the scent of sparks.
"Although Ye Tiange has recovered his cultivation, I’m curious—is he really a match for Ye Tiange now?" Some disciples on the sidelines discussed, filled with anticipation. After all, one had once been the family’s greatest genius, and the other was the current one. If not for that sudden inability to cultivate, Ye Tiange’s monstrous talent would have left the current Ye Tiange far behind.
Hearing the chatter, Ye Tiange only smiled faintly. His eyes were fixed on the slender figure of Ye Tiange, a cold gleam hidden deep within his gaze. He was the star everyone revolved around now, and no one would take his glory away—not even Ye Tiange.
"I could drive you into the abyss once, and I can do it again," Ye Tiange said, his voice brimming with confidence.
Behind him, a woman in red robes looked on with cold disdain. "Does he really think recovering his cultivation makes him your match? How delusional. You have already reached the early stage of the Spirit Sea Realm; even if he spent three more months in bitter cultivation, he wouldn't catch up." This woman was Ye Hongling, another Ye Family genius, and she was clearly very close to Ye Tiange.
"Talent is talent. No matter how strong his talent is, he cannot challenge a Spirit Sea Realm expert with his Ninth Layer of the Spirit Spring Realm. If he insists on fighting the young clan leader, he’s just looking for death," a grey-robed youth beside her sneered.
The elders standing on the field also frowned, but they didn't favor Ye Tiange either. The gap between the Spirit Spring Realm and the Spirit Sea Realm, while only a step, was like heaven and earth. Regardless, who the true genius of the Ye Family was would be revealed after today at the Martial Tower.
"The Martial Tower will now open. The fortune you receive depends on your own capability," Ye Baili said, stroking his beard, his voice dignified.
A stir rippled through the crowd. Everyone’s eyes burned with anticipation.
"They say there is a Ninth-Grade Mystic Art inside, the family’s ultimate technique. I wonder if it’s true?" Ye Tiange’s eyes lit up. He was quite interested in that art. Mystic Arts were graded in nine levels. In a remote corner like Flame City, a Ninth-Grade art was rare, though even higher-tier Mystic Arts, Dao Arts, and powerful divine abilities existed beyond that. It was said that in all of Flame City, only the City Lord possessed a high-tier Mystic Art.
"Open the tower!" the First Elder commanded, slamming his palm and channeling spiritual power into the tower. The structure trembled violently.
*Rumble!*
*Hum—*
The golden tower released a brilliant light, and ancient, mottled patterns emerged.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Thousands of light orbs of various colors erupted from the tower, circling its body.
"Heaven! Those... those are all Mystic Arts!" The disciples were overwhelmed with greed. Each orb contained an art! But their grades were unknown; one needed sharp perception or great luck to pick a high-grade one. To date, no one had ever managed to pick that rumored Ninth-Grade Mystic Art.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The disciples lunged toward the tower, fighting for the orbs. Ye Tiange and Ye Tiange remained standing still, scanning the orbs; they were clearly aiming for the Ninth-Grade art.
*Bang!*
A golden light burst, a roar like a lion sounded, and a scroll appeared.
"Hahaha! A Fourth-Grade Mystic Art! 'Raging Lion Fist'!" A grey-robed boy grabbed the scroll and laughed wildly, drawing envy from the crowd.
*Hum—*
Next, a grey light shot out, radiating a fierce aura.
"That’s... a Fifth-Grade Mystic Art!" People’s eyes turned green with greed as a grey scroll landed in Ye Hongling’s hand.
"Why haven't those two moved yet?" Ye Hongling frowned, looking at Ye Tiange and Ye Tiange. They stood with eyes closed, seemingly sensing something.
Time ticked by. Most disciples had already chosen their arts, some ecstatic, others cursing their luck. Everyone only had one chance!
"Hm?!"
Suddenly, both Ye Tiange and Ye Tiange opened their eyes simultaneously, sensing a subtle vibration. They locked onto a corner where a golden orb was floating. It looked ordinary, yet both had targeted it!
*Boom!*
Ye Tiange stomped the ground, charging like a leopard, his palms surging with pale golden spiritual power, heavy and forceful, as he lunged for the orb.
"You won't get it that easily!"
A cold gust of wind hit him. Ye Tiange was shrouded in icy blue light, shooting toward him like an ice arrow; frost froze the ground wherever he passed.
*Bang—*
Both struck out with their spiritual power at the orb. The two forces collided, shattering the orb instantly, revealing a scroll.
*Hum!*
A violent light rose like a scorching sun, hovering in mid-air.
"This aura..."
At this moment, everyone, including the four elders, felt their pupils constrict. Their eyes were filled with shock and hunger.
"A Ninth-Grade Mystic Art!"
Chapter 12: Spirit Sea Realm
*Hum!*
Gold light scattered in all directions. The scroll floated in the air like a rising sun. The intense spiritual power made the surrounding air ripple and distort.
"This aura..."
"A Ninth-Grade Mystic Art!"
Sensing this, the disciples were consumed by greed, their breathing turning ragged. No one expected Ye Tiange and Ye Tiange to both find this Ninth-Grade Mystic Art!
"This Ninth-Grade Mystic Art has not been cultivated by anyone in our family for decades. If mastered to its peak, its power rivals a true high-tier Mystic Art!" The First Elder’s voice trembled with excitement as he stared at the scroll.
Rivaling a high-tier Mystic Art! The crowd erupted in an even greater commotion. Such arts were usually only accessible to those in the Purple Palace Realm!
All eyes shifted back to the two on the field. Who would walk away with it?
Ye Tiange looked at Ye Tiange, surprised to see he had found it too. He curled his lips into a wicked smile and sneered, "You’d better choose to give up. This is not something you can touch, or it won't just be your cultivation that gets crippled this time."
Facing the mockery, Ye Tiange remained calm. He reached out a hand, smiled faintly, and said, "I don't think you have the capability to stop me."
"How arrogant!"
Ye Tiange’s eyes flashed with rage. His palms clenched, and icy blue spiritual power, filled with biting cold, wrapped around his arms. He stepped forward, freezing the ground with every stride, and shot toward Ye Tiange like a hunting leopard.
*Boom!*
His ice-cold, blue-fisted strike bore down on Ye Tiange, the pressure of his spiritual power causing the air to groan.