Chương 79: Successful Refinement, The Grade 3 High-Rank Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pill

"The mist gathers in swirling clouds, and a fragrance clings to the senses—the unmistakable omens of pill condensation! This boy... he has reached the final, critical threshold!" At the head of the various sect delegations, Xuan Wuqing spoke with a heavy, somber tone, his eyes unable to mask the profound shock within. Beneath his composed exterior, his heart was a well of bitterness.

To refine a Grade 3 High-Rank Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pill required a level of alchemical talent that bordered on the monstrous. If the Xuanxiao Sect possessed such a disciple, their meteoric rise was no longer a mere possibility; it was an inevitability. Following his initial shock, Bai Sha's expression twisted into a mask of dark hostility. Inside his voluminous sleeves, his fists clenched and relaxed in a rhythmic, agitated motion.

His eyes flickered with a thousand shifting schemes, his thoughts a turbulent sea of envy and calculation. As for the three Xuan Brothers, they stared at one another in paralyzed disbelief. A Grade 3 High-Rank alchemist of such a tender age was a phenomenon unseen for centuries, not just in the modest North Yue State, but in the entirety of the Zhao Kingdom. Why was such a heaven-defying genius not a product of their own Qingyan Sect? The three exchanged glances that were thick with the sour taste of regret.

Meanwhile, those within the hall who had previously mocked Reyn now looked upon him with eyes full of trembling awe. They realized with a jolt of terror that if this young man held a grudge for their earlier insolence, their future prospects—and perhaps their lives—were in grave peril. A Grade 3 High-Rank alchemist held a status so exalted that it rivaled, and perhaps even surpassed, that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. Dan Chenzi flickered like a ghost, appearing instantly at Reyn's side.

With a stern expression, he cupped his hands toward the crowd.

"Fellow Daoists, my disciple has reached the most precarious moment of the refinement. I must ask that no one makes any sudden movements or disturbances, lest you interfere with the pill's formation." Qingxiaozi rose from his seat in a blur of motion, landing beside Dan Chenzi in the next heartbeat. His eyes burned with a manic, triumphant joy as he glanced at the restrictive barrier before turning to stand guard.

The two Golden Core masters allowed their auras to ripple outward—a subtle yet suffocating pressure that bypassed Reyn's barrier but saturated every corner of the hall. The noisy chatter died instantly, replaced by a heavy silence, though every burning gaze remained locked onto the center of the room. As time ticked by, the medicinal fragrance in the hall grew increasingly potent, and the mist within the barrier began to churn with violent intensity. Suddenly, a transformation occurred!

Amidst the swirling white vapors, a three-foot-tall withered tree manifested. Its branches were dense and skeletal, devoid of any foliage. Simultaneously, streams of misty energy began to pour into the tree's roots. As the vapors entered, the withered wood seemed to drink in newfound life; from the base to the crown, it began to turn a vibrant, lush green. Verdant leaves unfurled in rapid succession. Then, at the tip of a slender branch, the air shimmered, and a delicate white flower bud emerged.

Its petals bloomed in an instant, releasing a transcendent scent before withering just as quickly. In its place, a green fruit the size of a dragon's eye began to solidify. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"The Divine Tree of Floating Life! Reversing life and death, the branches flourish, and the Divine Pill is born! The Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pill has been successfully refined!" As the fruit reached total solidification, Dan Chenzi's eyes narrowed, and he couldn't help but shout in a voice thick with emotion. His face was flushed a deep red from sheer excitement. For a Golden Core master to lose his composure so completely was a testament to the magnitude of the moment.

However, even though the fruit had formed, nearly half of the mist remained, still surging relentlessly into the tree. At the end of another branch, a second bud appeared. As the mist poured in, a phantom image of another fruit began to manifest and solidify.

"Could it be... a double pill formation?" Dan Chenzi and Qingxiaozi exchanged a look of pure shock. To produce two pills in a single batch at Grade 3 was a feat reserved only for those with the most profound alchemical mastery. Reyn had only been a disciple for a single year; had he truly reached such a terrifying height already?

"Senior Brother, Reyn is currently only my Registered Disciple. He has every right to leave the sect and join another at any time. With the skill he's shown today, every sect here will likely try to poach him with everything they have," Dan Chenzi whispered via mental transmission, his expression darkening with sudden anxiety. Qingxiaozi's face shifted slightly. After a moment of cold calculation, he sneered.

"Junior Brother, rest easy. I will not give them the chance. The moment this refinement ends, you will promote him to a True Inheritance Disciple. Given his status as a Grade 3 High-Rank alchemist, I will grant him the position of Sect Elder. He lacks spirit roots? No matter. I will personally wash his marrow and infuse him with my own法力 to forcibly raise his cultivation to the 8th level of Foundation Establishment. Though he won't be able to form a core, it will grant him a long life.

I refuse to believe he would leave us under such conditions!"

"I will pass down my entire legacy of alchemy to him. Anyone who dares to snatch him from me will be my mortal enemy! This disciple is mine, and mine alone!" Dan Chenzi nodded ferociously. His usually calm eyes were now brimming with a murderous intent. He swept his gaze across the room like a hawk guarding its nest, his Golden Core pressure serving as a silent warning to all. As the final wisps of mist were absorbed into the tree, the second green fruit solidified instantly.

A wave of fragrance, even more concentrated than before, erupted from within the barrier.

"Pill Return!" A slightly strained, weary voice echoed from the barrier. The divine tree began to wither and dissolve into clear qi, but the two fruits erupted with a soft green glow, shooting toward the center of the barrier in a flash of light. Silence. The entire hall was deathly still, save for the ragged breathing of the spectators. Countless eyes were fixed with burning intensity on the spot where the light had vanished. The barrier flickered, and a figure in green robes stepped out.

Reyn's face was pale, his brow damp with sweat, and his eyes were clouded with deep exhaustion. He was momentarily startled to find the two Golden Core ancestors standing directly in front of him, and the heat from the crowd's gaze felt like a physical weight. Recovering his composure, Reyn bowed respectfully.

"Disciple Reyn has fortunately not failed his mission. I have refined the Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pill and offer it to Master to celebrate your ascension to the Golden Core Stage. May your power be boundless!" As he spoke, he produced a box carved from warm jade and presented it with both hands. Dan Chenzi gave Reyn a long, searching look before taking the jade box that had drawn the attention of everyone in the hall.

He opened it, revealing a pebble-sized, emerald-green pill that radiated a dense, intoxicating aroma. Dan Chenzi lifted it, bringing it to his nose to inhale the scent. He closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them with a look of genuine astonishment. He nodded slowly.

"It is indeed a Grade 3 High-Rank Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pill. The shape is perfectly round, the fragrance is pure, and there is almost zero dross. This is a masterpiece among low-grade Myriad Swallows Spring-Returning Pills!"