Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The Danling Sect’s Grand Assembly had been held for countless sessions, and the steps around the Wind and Cloud Platform had been repeatedly expanded. To allow those in the back to see the medicinal pills clearly, these jade tablets had been erected.

The purpose of the jade tablets didn’t end there. As the medicinal pill in the jade box was magnified, a unique fragrance wafted out from the four tablets.

This fragrance naturally came from the pill itself. After passing through the jade tablets, the scent was spread far and wide.

"This is a Tier Three Mixed Element Pill, used by Elemental Realm Martial Artists to condense their True Essence. It’s incredibly precious. Moreover, judging by its luster and unique fragrance, it’s clearly of a higher grade than before. The Alchemy Masters of the Danling Sect have improved their Alchemy Mastery again."

A Martial Artist who had attended previous Grand Assemblies spoke up.

Shan Dan looked a bit awkward and glanced toward Lin Hao’s seat.

This pill was refined by the Alchemy Masters who had left for the Heaven-Stepping Sect; they had absolutely nothing to do with the Danling Sect now.

However, when Shan Dan saw that Lin Hao wasn’t paying attention to the Wind and Cloud Platform, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Hao’s mind was indeed not on the Wind and Cloud Platform. He had provided many of the Danling Sect’s pills, so he naturally had little interest in them.

Sitting in the VIP section, he was mentally practicing the sword moves he had just learned.

With everyone’s attention captured by the Wind and Cloud Platform, no one noticed Lin Hao’s unusual behavior.

But there was one exception.

Su Molixi, who was sitting next to Lin Hao.

As the Sect Leader of the Misty Palace, Su Molixi naturally wouldn’t be impressed by a Tier Three pill. Compared to the pill, she was far more interested in Lin Hao.

Seeing Lin Hao spacing out on such an occasion, the corners of her lips curved slightly into a faint smile.

Unfortunately, her face was covered by a white veil, so no one could see her stunning beauty.

Once the Mixed Element Pill was presented, the atmosphere became electric, and people continuously raised their bidding paddles.

The day before the Grand Assembly, all participating factions were given a wooden plaque with a number on it, each number representing a different sect or faction.

Before long, the Mixed Element Pill was won by a sect called the Three-leaf Sect for a price of one hundred thousand taels of gold.

This was the price for a single pill. The sect that won the bid could purchase these pills from the Danling Sect at this price for a one-year period.

At next year’s Grand Assembly, if they still needed them, they would have to bid again.

A Tier Three pill for one hundred thousand taels of gold might seem expensive, but if this weren’t the Danling Sect, one might have to pay ten times that price to acquire one!

After all, on the Celestial Yang Continent, medicinal pills were notoriously hard to come by, even if one had the money.

Therefore, the sect that won the Mixed Element Pill was ecstatic.

"Next, the pill to be presented is also a Tier Three pill."

Shan Dan spoke again, and the same elder appeared holding a jade box, presenting another pill.

The competition remained fierce.

Tier Three pills were simply too precious. If not for the Danling Sect’s Grand Assembly, getting their hands on one would be harder than ascending to the heavens.

The atmosphere was incredibly intense, and in the blink of an eye, two hours had passed.

During this time, the Danling Sect had presented a total of ten types of Tier Three pills, and the price for a single pill of each type sold for over one hundred thousand taels of gold.

"The next pill is also a Tier Three pill!" With the atmosphere at its peak, Pill Master Shan Dan’s face was flushed with excitement, and his voice was an octave higher.

As his voice fell, another elder appeared, but it was not the same one as before.

Many people’s expressions turned serious.

The jade box opened, revealing a dark red pill that exuded a strange fragrance.

"What pill is this?"

People whispered amongst themselves, but in the end, everyone shook their heads.

In the VIP section, Zhu Hongcai and Jin Bufan exchanged a glance and also shook their heads.

Suddenly, Jin Bufan noticed Lin Hao.

Sect Leader Mo hadn’t introduced Lin Hao to anyone. At first, Jin Bufan had been wary, but after a sweep with his divine sense, he discovered that Lin Hao’s cultivation was only at the Blood Coagulation Realm. This made him eager to stir up trouble.

He could see through Lin Hao’s cultivation, which meant Lin Hao’s constitution was merely a Spirit Body, and his cultivation was low. Someone like that definitely didn’t come from a major sect, and he certainly wasn’t from one of the five great divine sects.

He had also secretly asked Zhu Hongcai if Lin Hao might be a member of the Cangnan Empire’s royal family, but Zhu Hongcai had denied it.

In the Cangnan Empire, aside from the imperial royal family and the five great divine sects, Jin Bufan couldn’t think of any other power that could get this little beggar a seat in the VIP section.

He came from one of the five great divine sects; even a Marquis had to be respectful to him. But the appearance of this youth just now had made him lose face, and he was determined to get it back.

He had been waiting for an opportunity, and now, with the appearance of a pill that no one recognized, Jin Bufan felt his moment had arrived.

’If this kid recognizes the pill, it won’t hurt me. But if he doesn’t, that would be perfect.’

"Sect Leader Mo, since you honor him as a VIP, he must recognize this pill. Why not have him tell us about it?" Jin Bufan asked.

Zhu Hongcai chimed in, "Indeed. Let him broaden our horizons."

Although he was a Marquis, he was nothing before a behemoth like the Proud Moon Divine Sect. This was a perfect opportunity to curry favor, and Zhu Hongcai wasn’t about to let it pass.

He didn’t believe that a young brat could identify a pill that even a Hall Master from the Proud Moon Divine Sect didn’t recognize.

"This..." Sect Leader Mo glanced at Lin Hao, looking troubled.

From Lin Hao’s appearance, Sect Leader Mo could tell that his mind was elsewhere, but he didn’t dare to disturb him.

"How about I tell you instead?" Sect Leader Mo said after a moment of thought.

"Heh, it’s a pill from your Danling Sect, of course you know its name. This young master, with his strange clothes, made so many people wait for so long. If he can’t do something to convince us of his status, I’m afraid the Danling Sect’s prestige will be greatly damaged because of him after this Grand Assembly," Jin Bufan pressed relentlessly.

Zhu Hongcai smiled and chimed in again, "Now is the time for him to prove himself."

Sect Leader Mo was still hesitating.

Seeing this expression, Jin Bufan became even more convinced that Sect Leader Mo was bluffing out of guilt.

’Heh.’ Gloating inwardly, he stood up, walked over, and slapped a large hand unceremoniously on Lin Hao’s shoulder.

Startled awake by the slap, Lin Hao couldn’t help but frown.

’Good thing I was just practicing sword moves in my sea of consciousness. If I had been cultivating, that slap would have definitely injured me.’

Lin Hao stared at Jin Bufan, his gaze icy.

Jin Bufan’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly covered it up with a hollow laugh and then asked, "Esteemed guest, this Hall Master has a question for you."

Lin Hao chose to ignore him completely.

’This Hall Master... Is that how you ask for guidance?’

"How..." Zhu Hongcai started to speak, but he swallowed the word "dare." After all, he had no idea about Lin Hao’s background.

After a pause, he continued, "Before you stands Hall Master Jin of the Proud Moon Divine Sect."

Of the five great divine sects, Lin Hao had the worst impression of the Proud Moon Divine Sect because of Lu Dieyi. Now, hearing that this middle-aged man was from the Proud Moon Divine Sect, his displeasure grew.

"If you want to ask for guidance, then speak like a human," Lin Hao said indifferently.

"Pfft..."

In the second row, the three female disciples from the Misty Palace all let out a soft chuckle when they heard this.

As for the two Misty Palace disciples who had previously clashed with Lin Hao, because of his words, they suddenly found that he wasn’t so annoying after all.

It was a case of two people they disliked; when the person they disliked less attacked the person they disliked more, their animosity toward the former faded and was redirected to the latter.

A woman’s heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea.

"You...!" Anger flashed in Jin Bufan’s eyes, but he forcibly suppressed it.

’Go on and be arrogant. When you can’t recognize that pill, I’ll make you lose all your face!’

"Your Excellency, the honored guest, please be so kind as to tell all of us what that pill on the platform is?" In order to crush Lin Hao, Jin Bufan went all out with the mock politeness.

After asking this, Jin Bufan sneered, his eyes fixed on Lin Hao’s face, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Immediately, he noticed that Lin Hao’s gaze had changed.

Then, he heard Lin Hao’s voice, "You’re really from the Proud Moon Divine Sect? And a Hall Master at that?"

"Hahaha, the one and only," Jin Bufan said smugly. In his eyes, this was a sign of Lin Hao’s own insecurity.

’Now you know who you’re dealing with, but it’s too late.’

"Sigh..." Lin Hao shook his head and sighed, looking at Jin Bufan as if he were looking at an idiot.

Er...

Jin Bufan’s smile froze on his face. He couldn’t figure out what was happening.

But a vague sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Lin Hao’s scornful voice rang in his ear, "You don’t even recognize a Harmonization Pill. You’ve brought complete shame to the Proud Moon Divine Sect."

"Hahaha, Harmonization Pill... I’ve only ever heard of the Dao-Encompassing Pill. This is the first time I’m hearing about a Harmonization Pill. What kind of bullshit pill is that? Does such a pill even exist?" Jin Bufan roared with laughter, looking toward Zhu Hongcai.

’Seriously, how could Zhu Hongcai drop the ball at a time like this?’

But then he saw the shocked expression on Zhu Hongcai’s face.

Jin Bufan’s heart sank. He instantly felt that something was wrong.

’Could there really be a pill called the Harmonization Pill?’

Just then, on the Wind and Cloud Platform, Shan Dan began to speak, his timing impeccable.

"Everyone, I’m sure you’re all guessing what this pill is. I estimate that very few people know its name, because its Alchemy Hand Seal has long been lost on the Celestial Yang Continent. Its name is the Harmonization Pill."

BOOM!

The name itself exploded in Jin Bufan’s mind like a clap of thunder.

’The Harmonization Pill... a pill with this name really exists, and it’s a lost recipe at that.’

Devastated, he collapsed back into his seat.

On the platform, Shan Dan’s voice continued:

"Many of you may not know of the Harmonization Pill, but I’m sure you all know of the Dao-Encompassing Pill. When an Elemental Realm Martial Artist is advancing to the Soul Gathering Realm, taking a Dao-Encompassing Pill offers a one-in-a-million chance of comprehending a sliver of Domain power. The Harmonization Pill, however, can increase this chance ten-fold."

When one’s cultivation reaches the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, only by comprehending the power of an Absolute Domain can they advance to the Sealed Martial Realm.

The power of a Domain makes Sealed Martial Realm experts so powerful they are without equal, able to traverse the void with their physical bodies, roam the great emptiness, and suppress ten thousand enemies with a single hand.

And on the Celestial Yang Continent, it has been an unknown amount of time since a peerless expert of the Sealed Martial Realm has appeared.

If one could comprehend a sliver of Domain power in the Soul Gathering Realm, then the hope of stepping into the legendary Sealed Martial Realm and becoming the number one expert on the continent would be that much closer.

It sounds easy, but in the past, there was only the Dao-Encompassing Pill. In the last forty years, only Cang Yan of the Heaven-Stepping Sect managed to comprehend a sliver of Domain power after taking a Dao-Encompassing Pill, allowing him to break his shackles as a Spirit Body and step into the Spirit Transformation Realm.

The Harmonization Pill—a ten-fold increase in chance, a hope of one in one hundred thousand.

If one had this Harmonization Pill, comprehending a sliver of Domain power...

Countless hearts burned with fervent desire.

Number one on the continent—this title was a temptation that no Martial Artist could refuse.