Chapter 347 The Medicine Spirit's Visit

By the time the news reached the high-level members of the Hall of Souls, half a month had already passed.

"Out of twenty-four Earth Fiend Halls, eleven have been destroyed."

The speaker was an old man dressed in black robes, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood, making his expression unreadable.

His voice was hoarse, carrying a suppressed fury.

"Between the Pill Tower's bounty and that kid named Shen... our losses are far greater than anticipated."

At the end of the long table, a figure leaned against the back of his chair, remaining silent.

His face was also hidden in darkness, with only a pair of eyes occasionally flashing with light.

"Where are the people?" he asked, his voice so flat that no emotion could be discerned.

The black-robed Elder whispered, "Not a single person from the Earth Fiend Halls escaped. Shen Wen's spatial techniques are too bizarre; he comes and goes without a trace. Our Formations couldn't trap him at all."

Silence.

The figure at the end of the long table remained silent for a long time.

"Notify the remaining Earth Fiend Halls to evacuate entirely," he finally spoke. "Everyone is to retreat into the Heavenly Gang Halls. Until there are clear instructions from the clan side, do not engage in direct conflict with the Pill Tower again."

The black-robed Elder was slightly stunned. "Evacuate entirely?"

"Entirely."

The figure stood up and looked through the window lattice toward the distant, pitch-black night sky.

"This Shen Wen has already exceeded our expectations. If this continues, not one of the twenty-four Earth Fiend Halls will be saved."

"It's better to pull back our manpower while there's still room. Once the clan side frees up their hands—"

He paused and did not continue.

But the black-robed Elder already understood his meaning.

By the time Shen Wen discovered those Earth Fiend Halls were empty, it was already the twentieth day.

He stood in a vast underground palace; traces of active Formations still remained on the surrounding walls, but the people of the Hall of Souls had long since vanished.

They hadn't even left behind a single Medicinal Pill.

Shen Wen withdrew his Soul power, and after confirming there was no longer any aura of the Hall of Souls within a hundred-mile radius, he turned and stepped into a spatial rift.

When he reappeared, he was already in the council chamber on the highest floor of the Pill Tower.

Xuan Kongzi, Tian Leizi, and Xuan Yi were all present.

Old Monster Lin was also there.

As he entered, several gazes fell upon him simultaneously.

"They've all retreated?" Xuan Kongzi asked.

Shen Wen nodded and took a seat next to the head position.

"The last five Earth Fiend Halls are all empty. Not even a single hair was left behind."

Tian Leizi gave a cold snort. "They certainly ran fast."

Old Monster Lin leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, his tone calm. "The people from those Earth Fiend Halls should have all retreated to the three Heavenly Gang Halls. That is the Hall of Souls' true Foundation in the Central Plains."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "The Heavenly Gang Halls are guarded by Dou Saints, and more than one. With our current strength, the cost of a direct assault on the Heavenly Gang Halls would be too great."

Xuan Kongzi nodded. "Elder Lin is right. With this purge, we have already uprooted most of the Hall of Souls' strongholds in the Central Plains; the gains are significant."

"Going further would mean hitting their very bones."

He looked at Shen Wen. "How were the harvests on your end?"

Shen Wen took a storage ring from his robe and placed it on the table.

"The Soul Origins of the eleven Earth Fiend Halls are all here."

Xuan Kongzi took the storage ring and probed it with his Soul power. A moment later, a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

"This much?"

Shen Wen nodded. "The Hall of Souls has operated in the Central Plains for so many years; the wealth they've accumulated is indeed substantial."

He took back the storage ring and continued, "I have already refined a portion of these Soul Origins. The rest is enough for me to take another step upward."

Hearing this, Old Monster Lin's gaze fell upon him.

"Emperor Realm?"

Shen Wen pondered for a moment and shook his head. "Still a little bit short."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of deliberation. "The step from Heavenly Realm Great Perfection to the Emperor Realm is larger than I imagined. Even if I refine all of these Soul Origins, I'm afraid I can only reach the threshold."

"As for whether I can cross over—"

He looked up at Old Monster Lin, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "That depends on Opportunity."

Old Monster Lin nodded and didn't ask further.

Xuan Yi sat to the side, and hearing the tone Shen Wen used when he said 'still a little bit short,' her heart suddenly felt a bit dazed.

From Heavenly Realm Great Perfection to the Emperor Realm.

On this entire continent, how many Alchemists spend their whole lives without even being able to touch that threshold?

And yet, he was already considering how to cross it.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, lowering her eyes to hide that bit of complicated emotion behind the rim of the cup.

Amidst the turbulent times, the day of the Pill Gathering arrived.

This year's Pill Gathering was more grand than any previous one.

The reason was simple—the Ancient Emperor Clans had come.

Both the Medicine Clan and the Yan Clan had sent Alchemists of the younger generation to participate.

The moment the news spread, the entire Pill Domain was shaken.

"The Medicine Clan? The Yan Clan? Why would those reclusive Emperor Clans come to participate in the Pill Gathering?"

"I heard it's because of Shen Wen, such a young Grade 8 Alchemist, and the zong ji pill. It made those Emperor Clans unable to sit still."

"Tsk, now there's going to be a good show to watch."

Discussions rose and fell in every street and alley of Pill City.

And Pill City itself had long since changed its appearance.

Alchemists, Loose Cultivators, and representatives of various major powers who had rushed from all directions packed the city to the brim.

Inns were full, restaurants were full, and even the tea stalls by the roadside were crowded with people.

Shen Wen had been staying in his residence for two days when a formal visiting card from the Medicine Clan was delivered.

Yao Ling.

Cao Ying leaned against a soft couch, her belly protruding. She glanced at the card. "The Medicine Clan has old ties with Senior Shen Nong. Sending someone now is likely for the sake of the Pill Gathering."

Shen Wen nodded, changed his robes, and had the person invited in.

When Yao Ling stepped into the Flower Hall, Shen Wen's gaze lingered on her for a moment.

She had long azure hair and delicate features, but she was as cold as frost, giving off the vibe of an ice beauty.

What truly caught his attention were those eyes.

Deep and calm, their depths unfathomable.

A natural-born Heavenly Realm Soul.

"Grandmaster Shen," she curtsied slightly. "I have long heard of your great name."

Shen Wen raised his hand to gesture for her to sit and smiled. "Miss Yao is too polite. My Revered Master often speaks of the Medicine Clan. By rights, it should have been me paying a visit."

After a few pleasantries, Yao Ling got straight to the point. "I heard that when Grandmaster Shen performs Alchemy, he can integrate Formations into the Medicinal Pills."

"When this matter spread within the clan, several Elders found it hard to believe."

"A Medicinal Pill is only the size of an inch; how can it carry a complete Formation?"

Shen Wen took out a zong ji pill and handed it over.

Yao Ling took it and probed it with her Soul power. After a moment, she opened her eyes, filled with astonishment. "This is... a spatial Formation?"

"Using medicinal power as Formation lines to construct a miniature Formation inside the pill," Shen Wen said. "After consumption, the Formation operates within the body, and spatial insights naturally emerge."

Yao Ling asked about several key points, and Shen Wen answered them one by one. After listening, she fell silent for a moment and suddenly sighed. "The clan Elders say the path of Alchemy relies on generations of accumulation."

"But where did Grandmaster Shen's things come from?"

Shen Wen smiled and didn't respond.

Yao Ling also realized she was being presumptuous and quickly changed the subject.

The two talked about everything from the smelting of medicinal ingredients to flame temperature control, and from Grade 8 Pill Formulas to Grade 9 rules.

At some point, Dan Chen had run over and was sitting quietly to the side, listening.

Cao Ying also put down her account books, occasionally interjecting a word or two.

Initially, Yao Ling maintained a bit of reserved dignity, but many of the things Shen Wen said were things she had never heard before.

Using flames to simulate the changing of the four seasons, allowing medicinal ingredients to release their properties in a natural rhythm;

Using Soul power as a guide to mobilize the energy of heaven and earth to merge into the pill;

Combining the principles of Dou Techniques with Alchemy techniques, allowing medicinal power to resonate and increase the success rate of pill Formation.

The more she listened, the brighter her eyes became. She asked questions from time to time, and her calm and composed demeanor was gradually replaced by a thirst for knowledge.

By the end of the conversation, Yao Ling stood up and gave Shen Wen a deep bow. "Listening to Grandmaster Shen's words today is better than ten years of study. If there is an Opportunity in the future, please do not hesitate to teach me."

Shen Wen returned the gesture. "It was merely a mutual exchange."

Yao Ling glanced at him and turned to leave.

Dan Chen leaned in. "Brother Shen Wen, why did she leave so suddenly? I thought she was going to stay for dinner."

Shen Wen rubbed her head. "She is a Medicine Clan Prodigy; she isn't that idle."

Cao Ying leaned against the soft couch, flipped a page of her account book, and said leisurely, "I'm afraid this Miss Yao is going to be thinking about you."

Shen Wen turned to look at her.

Cao Ying raised an eyebrow. "With your Alchemy, I'm afraid she'll be thinking about it day and night after she goes back, unable to sleep."

Shen Wen chuckled and didn't reply.