The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Qin Ya was performing Alchemy on Luoyun Island, one of the Thirty-Six Islands of the Vast Sea. The island was Yun Loxi’s exclusive domain. It had two volcanoes, making the Heaven and Earth Fire Essence Qi exceptionally active—a priceless treasure for any Alchemist.

At this moment, Shangguan Feiying, Lin Yu, Mui Qiuhong, and others had gathered to watch Qin Ya perform Alchemy. News of Qin Ya had spread among the Island Masters of the Vast Sea Divine Palace over the past two days. After all, Yun Loxi’s status was anything but ordinary.

Every move he made drew the attention of many.

For the sole Eighth-Grade Alchemist in the Vast Sea Divine Palace to publicly admit that his level in the Alchemy Dao was inferior to that of a teenager naturally sparked a great deal of doubt.

Now, more than twenty Island Masters were gathered here.

A gathering of Island Masters was a rare sight in the Vast Sea Divine Palace. If the disciples were to find out that their lofty, revered Island Masters were making such a fuss over a single young man, they would be shocked speechless.

Among them, one young woman stood out. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and her eyes glowed with a faint green light, a bloodthirsty glint flashing within them from time to time. This was none other than Shangguan Yue, afflicted with the Corpse Poison.

Although an Elixir was suppressing it, this particular Corpse Poison—steeped in ten thousand years of yin energy—was not so easily dealt with. Over the past two days, Shangguan Yue had been gradually transforming into a half-human, half-corpse state, even losing her sanity on occasion.

"Yue’er." Watching Shangguan Yue in this state, Lin Yu’s heart felt as if it were being brutally squeezed. The pain was unbearable. This was her only daughter, a child she normally couldn’t even bear to strike.

"Sigh... All we can do now is place our hopes in Young Friend Qin."

Shangguan Feiying sighed. Over the past two days, besides gathering medicinal ingredients for Qin Ya, he had been searching everywhere for any sign of a Ninth-Grade Alchemist.

But Ninth-Grade Alchemists were exceedingly rare. Even with all his connections, he had scoured nearly half the Southern Domain without finding so much as a single clue.

In stark contrast to the heavy hearts of Shangguan Feiying and Lin Yu, Yun Loxi’s face was filled with admiration. His eyes shone brightly as he gazed at Qin Ya, his expression one of near obsession, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.

"Brilliant. Truly brilliant."

"To think the ingredients could be combined like that... a divine stroke of genius."

"That Purple Flame must be a Top Level Exotic Fire. How enviable... but with his level of skill in the Alchemy Dao, he’s more than worthy of it."

Yun Loxi clicked his tongue in wonder, letting out gasps of surprise from time to time, much to the astonishment of the onlookers. ’Is the boy’s skill in the Alchemy Dao really so formidable?’

Seeing Yun Loxi’s reaction, a flicker of hope ignited in the hearts of Shangguan Feiying and Lin Yu. ’Perhaps... perhaps this young man really can save Yue’er.’

Having recovered the Cultivation of his past life, Qin Ya’s skill in Alchemy had also returned to its peak. As long as he had the ingredients, he could refine not just an Eighth-Grade Elixir, but even Ninth-Grade Elixirs and beyond.

His movements were as fluid as running water, possessing a strange, captivating beauty. As they watched Qin Ya perform Alchemy, the crowd felt an inexplicable Dao Rhyme wash over them.

The young man before them seemed to have transformed into the very god of the Alchemy Dao.

Time trickled by. Suddenly, a unique medicinal aroma spread through the air. A look of comfort appeared on everyone’s face. Even Shangguan Yue, the one afflicted by Corpse Poison, showed a hint of relief, the bloodlust in her eyes receding ever so slightly.

Shangguan Feiying was overjoyed at the sight.

’It’s working! It’s really working! If the mere Pill Fragrance has this effect, then the Elixir must be able to cure Yue’er’s Corpse Poison! This is wonderful!’

The Pill Fragrance gradually spread on the wind, blanketing the entirety of Luoyun Island.

Everyone who smelled the Pill Fragrance wore an expression of rapture. Some disciples who had been on the verge of a breakthrough found their Cultivation bottlenecks shattering the moment they inhaled the aroma.

"This Pill Fragrance... it’s incredible."

"It must be Master Yun. It looks like he’s refined another Treasure Pill."

"Master Yun is truly worthy of his title as the number one Alchemist of our Vast Sea Divine Palace! Judging by this Pill Fragrance, the Elixir must be at least Eighth Grade. He’s amazing!"

...

The disciples cried out in alarm, their gazes fixed on the central region of Luoyun Island, the source of the Pill Fragrance. "Look! It’s a Pill Cloud!"

Suddenly, someone exclaimed.

In the center of Luoyun Island, Pill Qi surged into the sky, causing the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to boil and converge into an enormous, golden-yellow cloud cluster. It was a Pill Cloud!

SCREECH... SCREECH...

A series of sharp cries rang out as dozens of flying Fierce Beasts of all shapes and sizes flew in from every direction. They swooped and weaved above the Pill Cloud—Iron-Backed Eagles with iron feathers and gray talons, Peng Birds with blue bellies and golden eyes, and the crimson-feathered Blood Sparrows...

Each of these raptors radiated a powerful aura; they were hunters of the sky that normally made countless Martial Artists flee in terror. Yet, from their calls now, the crowd could hear that they were filled with joy.

"I never thought the Pill Cloud from the Elixir Young Friend Qin is Refining would attract so many of these birds. Truly remarkable." Yun Loxi gazed at the white-robed young man still performing Alchemy, a look of deep admiration in his eyes.

Just then, the flock of raptors noticed Qin Ya performing his Alchemy. As if spotting rare prey, they shrieked and dove straight for him. Yun Loxi’s expression changed. "This is bad!"

But before he could even act, Shangguan Feiying’s figure flickered, appearing in the air above Qin Ya. He slashed out with his sword. A brilliant Sword Light flashed, followed by a terrifying Sword Qi that seemed capable of sundering the heavens. In the blink of an eye, the flock of raptors was reduced to ash. The sheer power of the display stunned everyone present.

"Everyone, protect Young Friend Qin!"

"Yes."

A Treasure Pill emerging, raptors fighting over it, and an Extraordinary expert acting as a protector—the scene left the many disciples on Luoyun Island utterly shaken, especially by that breathtaking Sword Light.

Any one of those raptors was comparable to a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist, yet Shangguan Feiying had annihilated a whole flock with a single, casual slash. His combat prowess was truly terrifying.

In the face of all this, Qin Ya remained completely unperturbed, as if he had expected Shangguan Feiying and the others to protect him all along. Without so much as a glance, he calmly channeled his True Essence, and the Purple Flame shot forth to envelop the Alchemy Furnace.

The crowd watched in silent admiration. ’This young man’s composure is incredible.’

A short while later, the Pill Qi began to recede. Qin Ya’s eyes brightened. He withdrew the Purple Flame and, with a wave of his hand, lifted the lid of the Pill Furnace. Several golden Elixirs flew out.

Qin Ya was ready. His True Essence surged, forming an invisible hand that caught the Elixirs and placed them into a Jade Bottle. There were four Elixirs in total, each the size of a thumb and emitting a crystalline, translucent glow.

Once the Elixirs were complete, the Pill Cloud gradually dispersed.

Everyone gathered before Qin Ya, their eyes burning with fervent desire as they stared at the Elixirs in his hand. This was especially true for Yun Loxi, who was so excited he seemed at a loss. He said to Qin Ya, "Young Friend Qin, may I have a look?"

"Of course."

Yun Loxi immediately took the Jade Bottle with both hands, his expression reverent. As he opened it, a rich Pill Fragrance filled the air. He carefully tipped one Elixir out to examine it closely.

"This is... a Top Level, Eighth-Grade Supreme Yang Golden Pill."