723: Old man Han, wait a minute.

Hearing this, Long Yu's lips curled into a barely perceptible arc. She naturally had full confidence in Yao Delong.

During the True Disciple Assessment, the illusion she had secretly set up was an initial test of his Dao Heart.

The resilience, clarity, and principles that brat displayed in the face of temptation and hardship had long since made her look at him in a new light.

Although the Heart Questioning Hall was deeper and bolstered by the Ancestral Master's Laws, given the brat's current Primordial Spirit strength at the Void Refining Realm and his clear Heart-Nature, passing it should be a certainty.

"In that case, there's no time to lose." Seeing that everything was settled, White Cloud Master bowed once more to the Grand Elders.

"This Disciple will go and arrange the matters for the Heart Questioning Hall. Once Delong has stabilized his Realm, we will open it on a chosen day."

After receiving everyone's tacit approval, his figure flickered and vanished from the ancient palace.

The other Grand Elders also had their own thoughts and dispersed as streaks of light. Soon, only two people remained in the vast palace.

The last to stand was Supreme Elder Han Yao, the former Peak Master of Pill Cloud Peak, who stroked his signature long, grizzled beard.

He was just about to tear through space to return to his Alchemy blessed land when he was called out by a clear and pleasant voice.

"Old Man Han, wait a moment."

Supreme Elder Han Yao paused and looked back at the smiling Long Yu, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Junior Sister Long? Is there something else?"

He wondered to himself, could it be that this always-shrewd Junior Sister was up to something again?

Long Yu walked gracefully over to Supreme Elder Han Yao, a seemingly ordinary snow-white jade piece appearing in her hand at some point.

With an expression that said "I'm doing you a favor," she said with a smile:

"Old Man Han, you are the titan of Alchemy in our Yin Yang Sect. I happen to have obtained half a scroll of a fragmented ancient Pill Formula. It's incredibly profound, and I can't quite grasp it. Why don't you help me appraise it and take a look?"

"An ancient Pill Formula?" Supreme Elder Han Yao's old eyes, which were originally somewhat cloudy, instantly erupted with a light comparable to the blazing sun!

As an old Alchemy fanatic who had poured his life's blood into the Dao of Alchemy, nothing could stimulate his sensitive nerves more than the words "ancient Pill Formula"!

Almost subconsciously, he rubbed his hands together, a smile spreading across his face:

"Junior Sister Long, when did you become so generous? To think of your old brother for such a good thing?"

However, Supreme Elder Han Yao had lived for untold years and was as shrewd as they come; he immediately became wary:

"But... Junior Sister Long, let's agree beforehand. Appraising is one thing, but don't expect this old man to work for free! And don't even think about tricking me out of my precious medicinal ingredients!"

"Look at what you're saying!" Long Yu gave Supreme Elder Han Yao a mock-angry glare, then chuckled with a hint of cunning.

"There is naturally one requirement, and it's very simple! If this Pill Formula is truly as extraordinary as I expect, once you've researched it thoroughly, just help me refine one finished pill! As for the ingredients... I will do my best to gather them."

Hearing that it was just to refine one pill, Supreme Elder Han Yao felt the request didn't sound too excessive.

His heart itched with anticipation as he snatched the Jade Slip from Long Yu's hand, his Divine Thought impatiently probing into it:

"What's the grade? If it's a ninth-order Divine Pill, forget about it. This old man's level of cultivation can't refine something that seizes the creation of heaven and earth..."

Before he could finish, the moment his Divine Thought touched the information in the jade piece, his voice came to an abrupt halt!

nine aperture spirit nurturing pill!

Eighth Order Peak!

A vast and profound flood of information surged into Supreme Elder Han Yao's Sea of Consciousness!

The pill's grade, required ingredients, pharmacological combinations, medicinal power Fusion... every aspect was exquisite, far surpassing the many eighth-order Pill Formulas he currently possessed!

"Marvelous! Truly marvelous! To think there's such a wondrous formula for harmonizing the Divine Soul, nourishing the Dao fetus, and opening the divine apertures of the Sea of Consciousness! This conception... it's simply divine craftsmanship!"

Supreme Elder Han Yao was so excited his beard was trembling. His eyes shone as if he were holding a rare treasure, and he muttered to himself, completely immersed in the mysteries of the Pill Formula.

However, as he delved deeper into the information, when he saw the core refining technique—the Nine Flames Spirit Tempering Art!

And the subsequent list of several rare ancient Spirit Medicines, whose names were almost only found in legends, the wild joy on his face instantly froze, and his brows knit tightly into a " river" shape.

"This... this..." Supreme Elder Han Yao's expression shifted uncertainly, his fingers unconsciously twirling his beard as if he were about to pull it out.

"Well? Old Man Han, are you confident?"

Long Yu had been observing his expression and spoke up at the right moment, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

This Pill Formula was key to her future attempt to break through to a higher Realm; there was no room for error.

Supreme Elder Han Yao reluctantly withdrew his Divine Thought from the Jade Slip and let out a long sigh. His face was full of regret and helplessness, even carrying a hint of unwillingness:

"Alas! Junior Sister Long... this time, you've truly given your old brother a monumental problem!"

He pointed at the Jade Slip, his voice raspy from the excitement:

"This Pill Formula is indeed Eighth Order Peak without a doubt! Its exquisite conception and miraculous effects are the likes of which I have never seen in my life!

If it can be refined, it will be of immense benefit for nourishing and strengthening the Primordial Spirit, stabilizing the dao foundation, and even breaking through Bottlenecks!

Especially for Cultivators about to face the impact of the Great Heavenly Tribulation, it's practically a life-saving Divine Pill!"

His tone shifted, becoming incredibly heavy: "But! It's hard! Too hard!"

"First, the core refining technique, the 'Nine Flames Spirit Tempering Art', requires the alchemist to simultaneously and precisely control nine different types of exotic fires with completely different attributes, all of which must reach the level of Heaven and Earth Essence Fire or higher!

Using one's own Primordial Spirit as a guide, the nine fires rotate, tempering the main ingredients layer by layer! One slight mistake would result in the pill being destroyed, being consumed by the fire, and the Primordial Spirit being severely wounded!

I've lived for so long, and I've only mastered four types of high-grade exotic fires! Nine? Unheard of!"

Supreme Elder Han Yao shook his head, looking as if he were saying "this is simply asking the impossible."

"Second," he continued with a bitter face, "look at these ingredients!

'nine yin soul condensing grass', 'crimson sun soul fruit', 'star tear crystal', 'Styx Nether Epiphyllum'... how many of these things can still be easily found in today's cultivation world?

Especially the 'nine yin soul condensing grass'. It grows in the Nine Nether Extremes of Yin, takes a thousand years to ripen, and must be preserved in Profound Yin Jade Marrow after being picked; otherwise, its medicinal power will dissipate instantly!

In my collection, I don't have this main ingredient at all! As for the others, I can barely scrape together enough for one or two portions, but those are my bottom-of-the-barrel reserves!"

Hearing this, Long Yu's heart also sank. She knew it would be difficult, but she hadn't expected even an Alchemy titan like Supreme Elder Han Yao to call it impossible!

Especially that "Nine Flames Spirit Tempering Art"; the requirements were too abnormal.

Refusing to give up, she pressed on: "Then... do you have any of the ingredients listed on this Pill Formula in your collection, Brother Han? Especially the main ingredients?"

Supreme Elder Han Yao twirled his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying:

"Among the main ingredients, the nine yin soul condensing grass... this item can only possibly be born in a place of extreme Yin and absolute baleful energy, and it needs to be at least ten thousand years old to be barely qualified.

This item has long been extinct for many years. My Pill Cloud Peak's medicine storehouse has been collecting for thousands of years, yet we haven't received a single stalk."

He paused, then changed the subject, "However... as for the other main ingredients, I fortunately have a bit of stock saved up."

With a wave of his hand, spiritual light flickered before him, and three jade boxes of different materials, each emitting strong energy fluctuations, appeared out of thin air.