"Elder Huang, you exaggerate. Here are a few pill formulas for you to familiarize yourself with. Once the spirit herbs arrive, please refine them for me."
After saying this, Ye Yunfei pointed a finger and sent several streams of information, formed from his Soul Power, into the pill cauldron.
"Six Paths Samsara Meridian Repair Pill, Grand Foundation Stabilizing Pill, Heavenly Aura Recovery Pill... I haven't even heard of these spirit pills before!" Huang Shang exclaimed, shocked after glancing at the pill formulas Ye Yunfei had given him.
Although these spirit pills were only Fifth-Grade and Sixth-Grade, as an Eighth-Grade Alchemist, he had never encountered them.
"Elder Huang, forgive my bluntness, but you are merely an Eighth-Grade Alchemist residing in a small, remote corner of the Eastern Region. How could you know the vastness of heaven and earth? There are countless spirit pills in this world that you have never heard of," Ye Yunfei replied with a faint smile, understanding Huang Shang's thoughts.
Upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Huang Shang stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded for a long moment without a word.
"Ye Yunfei, even the Eastern Region is just a small place in your eyes. What kind of origin do you truly have?" Huang Shang finally said with a bitter smile.
"Perhaps you'll have a chance to find out later," Ye Yunfei said.
"Very well." Huang Shang nodded, knowing that some questions were better left unasked.
In the next moment, Huang Shang disappeared directly, returning to the pill cauldron to study the formulas Ye Yunfei had just given him.
Nearby, Hu Miao stared at Ye Yunfei with worshipful, beautiful eyes.
She knew that not only the Eastern Region but even the continent it was part of was a small place in Ye Yunfei's eyes. After all, Hu Miao was aware that Ye Yunfei had once been a Heavenly Emperor! For a Heavenly Emperor, traversing three thousand worlds was trivial—a mere continent was naturally insignificant.
"Hu Miao, your Demonic Power essence also seems to be recovering quite well," Ye Yunfei said, his gaze turning to her.
"Master, your insight is excellent. During this time, I've consumed a large number of Heavenly Demon Pills, so my Demonic Power essence is naturally recovering well," Hu Miao replied with a smile.
"However, that's not enough. After being trapped for hundreds of years, the damage to your Demonic Power essence is severe. Alright, later I'll have Elder Huang refine a batch of Purple Source Pills for you; the effect should be better," Ye Yunfei said.
"Sixth-Grade Purple Source Pills! Such pills hold tremendous benefits for our Demon race! Master, do you have the formula?" Hu Miao became extremely excited upon hearing this, her beautiful eyes immediately lighting up.
"Your master here has any pill formula you could want," Ye Yunfei said with a laugh.
"Master, you're so amazing! I'm so impressed!" Immediately, a faint blush appeared on Hu Miao's fragrant cheeks, her gaze turning dreamy. Her large, watery eyes seemed to hold a certain magical charm, capable of stirring hearts.
Even her voice became seductively charming. At the same time, alluring fragrances subtly wafted into the air. Any normal man in the world would likely be unable to resist such beauty.
"Alright. Retract your bewitchment technique immediately. It's useless against me," Ye Yunfei said, curling his lip.
"Master, with a beauty right in front of you, aren't you even a little bit moved?" Hu Miao asked.
"All the world's beauties are nothing but skeletons and white bones in my eyes, not worth mentioning," Ye Yunfei replied indifferently.
"You..." Hu Miao was so infuriated she couldn't speak.
"You clueless blockhead!" Hu Miao rolled her beautiful eyes at Ye Yunfei, then twisted her slender waist and transformed into a wisp of demonic mist, entering her inner core.
"Alright, it's time for me to break through to the Heaven Realm," Ye Yunfei muttered to himself.
Having broken through to the second layer of the Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Body Art, the quality of his physical body had improved significantly. Moreover, during this period, Ye Yunfei had been honing his Spiritual Qi foundation, making it exceptionally stable. It was time for a breakthrough.
Thus, Ye Yunfei began circulating the Nine-Yang Scripture.
Swoosh...
The Spiritual Qi from the surrounding atmosphere began to continuously converge toward Ye Yunfei's body.
After one hour:
"This is too slow," Ye Yunfei suddenly opened his eyes and frowned.
Clattering...
With a wave of his hand, Ye Yunfei withdrew over ten million Spirit Stones from his spatial ring, piling them around his body to form several hills of crystals.
"Absorb!"
Ye Yunfei formed a hand seal and uttered a soft command.
Immediately, the Spiritual Qi contained within those Spirit Stones was extracted, frenziedly converging towards Ye Yunfei's body and being drawn inside.
While Ye Yunfei cultivated in the palace, at the headquarters of the Tianyuan Sect:
In the high-level assembly hall.
"Is the news accurate? Ye Yunfei won the championship in the imperial Alchemy Competition? Ye Yunfei is a Fourth-Grade Alchemist?" asked Sect Leader Shi Zongyang in a tone of utter disbelief.
All the high-ranking members of the Tianyuan Sect were present in the hall, each wearing expressions of incredulity.
"Sect Leader, this news was sent via carrier pigeon from the imperial city by Steward Zhang. According to Steward Zhang, he personally witnessed the entire process of the Alchemy Competition. In the competition, Ye Yunfei won first place with absolute superiority. Moreover, during the event, Ye Yunfei publicly refined two batches of Fourth-Grade Spirit Pills, both times with an output rate of five pills and every one of perfect quality," a steward of the Tianyuan Sect, standing before Shi Zongyang, reported with certainty. This steward had come to report to the sect's leadership as soon as he received the message.
"Refining Fourth-Grade Spirit Pills with an output of five pills, all of perfect quality!"
Everyone in the hall sank into deep shock.
"Such alchemy skills... I'm afraid even Master Chen Xuan and Master Huangfu Sheng are only at this level. Does Ye Yunfei really possess such profound alchemy skill?" Shi Zongyang's face was full of disbelief.
"No! I've seen both Masters Chen and Huangfu refine pills. Neither of them can consistently achieve an output of five pills, all of perfect quality," the Hidden Elder slowly shook his head.
"Doesn't that mean Ye Yunfei's alchemy skills are stronger than both Master Chen Xuan and Master Huangfu Sheng?! That can't be possible!" Shi Zongyang shook his head.
"Steward Zhang has a steady character; his words and actions have always been very cautious. He wouldn't speak recklessly. Since Steward Zhang witnessed it personally, this matter should be true. This means our Tianyuan Sect has produced a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master. I think everyone should understand what that represents," the Hidden Elder said gravely.
In the hall, everyone's spirits lifted upon hearing the Hidden Elder's words, each feeling a bit excited.
A Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master was too precious within the Great Qin Empire, wielding immense influence!
"Even without that ancient formation, the mere status of Ye Yunfei as a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master could elevate our Tianyuan Sect's overall strength by a large margin! Therefore, from now on, we must treat Ye Yunfei even better! We must find ways to make Ye Yunfei acknowledge the Tianyuan Sect! Understood?!" The Hidden Elder's gaze slowly swept over everyone in the hall.
"Understood," everyone nodded.
"By the way, do you all remember the ten Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills Ye Yunfei gifted our Tianyuan Sect? Where do you think he obtained those ten Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills? Could it be... he refined them himself?..." suddenly spoke Peak Master Du, his voice filled with shock.
"What?! Elder Du, you suspect Ye Yunfei refined those ten Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills himself? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" As soon as Elder Du finished speaking, everyone in the hall shook their heads vehemently. No one dared to believe it. The news that Ye Yunfei was a Fourth-Grade Alchemist was shocking enough. If Ye Yunfei could refine Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills, wouldn't that be simply terrifying!
"This lad Ye Yunfei is too mysterious. Ever since he entered the Tianyuan Sect, I've been unable to see through him. Regardless, from now on, we must do everything we can to make Ye Yunfei acknowledge the Tianyuan Sect, to foster goodwill. We absolutely must ensure Ye Yunfei admits he is a member of the Tianyuan Sect! Remember that!" the Hidden Elder declared.
"We remember!" Everyone in the hall responded simultaneously.
Even Luo Fengyang and Su Deqing no longer dared to hold the slightest dissatisfaction toward Ye Yunfei. As a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master, the two of them would be eager to curry favor, let alone dare to offend him.
Such was the reality of the martial world.
Previously, when they thought Ye Yunfei was weak, they had bullied him casually. But now, they realized Ye Yunfei had completely risen to prominence. All they could do was try their best to please him!
"Let's go. We must immediately find Ye Yunfei's father and ask him if he requires any further assistance or has any requests!" the Hidden Elder said after some thought. With a wave of his hand, he led the sect's leadership to the temporary living quarters of the Ye Family members.
"Sect Leader, esteemed elders, our Ye Family truly has no need for further assistance or any requests. We are living very well here," Ye Tianpeng said, surrounded by over a dozen high-ranking Tianyuan Sect members. Each wore smiling faces, their enthusiasm at an absolute peak, as they persistently inquired if Ye Tianpeng required anything.
"What's wrong with these Tianyuan Sect elders? Why are they being so kind to our Ye Family? Could there be some hidden problem here?" Ye Tianpeng was frightened by their overwhelming warmth.