Chapter 353: He Is Refining a Pill Even Greater Than the Heavy Water Extreme Cold Pill…

“Many thanks for Your Majesty’s generous reward,” Elder Qingmu said, his voice trembling slightly as he attempted to bow.

The Jing Emperor quickly stepped forward and helped him up. “There is no need for such formalities, Elder Qingmu.”

“I still have state affairs to attend to, so I shall take my leave.”

“Very well, we respectfully see Your Majesty off.” Elder Qingmu nodded.

Bai Tianyuan and the herbal attendants all called out in unison, “Respectfully seeing off His Majesty!”

The Jing Emperor boarded the dragon carriage, and the young eunuch driving it gave a loud command. The eight golden-scaled dragon-horses neighed and took to the skies, pulling the carriage toward the imperial palace.

Bai Tianyuan felt immense satisfaction in his heart.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Master went through all four sets of medicinal ingredients, and now the pill has finally been completed.”

“Five great factions sent their people to congratulate him immediately, and even His Majesty personally came to offer his blessings.”

“In contrast, that brat Shen Mo hasn’t made a single move!”

“I bet he already failed a long time ago and is just hiding in the guest courtyard of the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce, having Zhou Mingyi guard the entrance to keep others out. He’s only stalling for time.”

“He must have been hoping that Master would fail in his refinement as well.”

Elder Qingmu replied indifferently, “Just an arrogant junior, not worth paying attention to.”

“I’m going to rest now. Tianyuan, you see the guests out.”

“Yes!” Bai Tianyuan nodded firmly.

Just as Elder Qingmu was about to return to the pavilion, Xue Ziyi suddenly felt something and sharply lifted her head, looking beyond the imperial city.

A moment later, Elder Qingmu also sensed something, his gaze filled with uncertainty as he stared in the same direction.

As a grandmaster in the Dao of Alchemy, he was intimately familiar with the various phenomena that accompanied the successful formation of different pills.

And when it came to Heaven-grade pills, he understood their accompanying signs even more clearly.

For example, the Great Refining God Pill he frequently crafted would produce invisible energy waves upon completion, spreading in all directions.

It would even strike at one’s soul, causing a momentary blankness in the mind.

Similarly, the Heavy Water Extreme Cold Pill also followed a pattern.

Upon formation, it would cause an immense surge of water vapor to condense from the surroundings, drawing an enormous amount of water spiritual energy.

Just now, he had clearly felt a vast wave of water spiritual energy converging in that direction.

That was undoubtedly a sign of pill formation!

Moreover, the phenomenon was even more grand and imposing than when his own pill had formed!

Elder Qingmu abruptly stood up, pointing toward the direction in question with a serious expression. “Where is that?”

Bai Tianyuan, unaware of his master’s change in demeanor, followed his gaze and laughed. “That’s the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce. That ignorant brat is staying in its guest courtyard.”

“Master’s eyes are truly sharp, spotting that brat’s residence in one glance. Truly, you are—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Elder Qingmu sternly interrupted, “Silence!”

Bai Tianyuan immediately shrank his neck, not daring to speak further.

He had no idea why his master was suddenly so enraged.

“That is… that is a sign of pill formation!”

Elder Qingmu’s eyes widened as he sensed the spiritual energy shifting in the heavens and earth. “The boy you spoke of so dismissively—he is about to succeed in his refinement!”

“What?!”

Bai Tianyuan froze in shock.

The cultivators from the five great factions also faltered, all turning their eyes toward the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce.

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Bai Tianyuan immediately denied it.

“Master, he’s just an amateur! He only had a single set of medicinal ingredients—how could he possibly succeed on his first attempt?”

“You failed three times before finally succeeding. How could Shen Mo have such skill to refine it in one try?”

Elder Qingmu took a deep breath. “We’re going.”

Bai Tianyuan looked confused. “Going where?”

“To the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce!” Elder Qingmu said with a grave expression.

Seeing Elder Qingmu react so intensely, Xue Ziyi and the others were astonished and quickly followed.

High above the imperial palace, the dragon carriage suddenly halted.

The Jing Emperor gazed toward the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce with furrowed brows. “Stop here. Prepare plain robes. I will go and see for myself.”

The young eunuch nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

By now, a considerable number of cultivators had gathered.

Without exception, all of them were at least at the Core Formation stage or higher.

At this level, cultivators could sense and connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making them more attuned to changes in their surroundings.

That was why they had immediately noticed the massive condensation of water vapor over the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce.

It had almost formed into rain clouds.

“What on earth is happening inside the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce? Could someone be cultivating an extremely powerful water-attribute technique?”

“No, have you forgotten? That Shen Mo, who has been the talk of the city lately, is currently refining pills in the guest courtyard of the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce!”

“Right, I remember now! And he had the audacity to challenge Elder Qingmu!”

“This phenomenon… could it be that he is about to complete his pill?”

“Impossible! Shen Mo only had a single set of ingredients. How could he be so absurdly lucky to succeed on the first try?”

The cultivators were engaged in a heated discussion, with most unwilling to believe that Shen Mo was about to complete his refinement.

Some tried to enter the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce using their personal connections, but they were firmly denied entry.

As a result, more and more cultivators gathered at the entrance, all eager to find out what was happening.

Just then, an exclamation rang out from the outer edges of the crowd.

“Elder Qingmu!”

“The grandmaster of alchemy himself has arrived!”

“Not long ago, we saw water vapor gathering over Myriad Herb Garden in the Imperial City. That must have been when Elder Qingmu successfully refined the Heavy Water Extreme Cold Pill.”

“But why would Elder Qingmu come here? Did he also sense that Shen Mo is about to complete his pill?”

“Look behind Elder Qingmu—cultivators from the Shadowless Pavilion, Holy Spirit Sect, Qianyuan Sect, Sea God Island, and Great Snow Palace are all here!”

The cultivators murmured in hushed voices, their expressions filled with astonishment.

A moment ago, the origin of the strange phenomenon had still been uncertain.

But now that even Elder Qingmu had personally arrived, the answer was clear.

Shen Mo was about to complete his pill!

Xue Ziyi gazed at the darkening rain clouds, a flicker of emotion flashing across her beautiful face.

“It must be complete.”

“But why… why is this phenomenon even more astonishing than what Elder Qingmu’s Heavy Water Extreme Cold Pill caused?”

The cultivators from Qianyuan Sect and Sea God Island exchanged glances, deeply shaken.

“I never expected that the Young Sect Master of the Jade Cauldron Sect, already formidable in combat, would also possess such mastery in alchemy!”

“Indeed. It seems that allying with the Jade Cauldron Sect was the right decision after all!”

The cultivators from the Holy Spirit Sect and Great Snow Palace also looked at each other in confusion, unable to make sense of the situation.

At that moment, the phenomenon in the sky shifted once more.

The black clouds became even heavier.

Then, with a deafening clap of thunder—

A torrential downpour suddenly erupted!

However, the rain fell solely within the grounds of the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce.

Beyond its perimeter, the sky remained completely clear, with bright sunlight pouring down.

The sight was utterly bizarre.

It even drew the attention of many mortals.

To them, such a scene was nothing short of divine intervention!

And then—

A powerful surge of energy suddenly erupted from within the Tianhe Chamber of Commerce!

A rich, ethereal fragrance spread through the air, filling the nostrils of everyone present.

With just a single breath, they felt a profound sense of tranquility, as if they were drifting peacefully upon the ocean, basking in the golden hues of the setting sun.

Elder Qingmu murmured, “It is done… He has succeeded.”

“And it’s not the Heavy Water Extreme Cold Pill that he refined. It is something even greater…”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel