Chapter 753: A Surprise for the Saintess: The Enemy Was Too Powerful

He was responsible for most of the affairs concerning Chiyu Peak and Yang Chan. The better they performed, the better the impression he would make on the Merak Saintess, and the more likely he would be to receive benefits in the future.

“Elder Liao, what’s the latest on the Saint Son, Baili Xi?”

The Merak Saintess’s gaze fell upon a certain spot in the room as she slowly asked.

“He’s still pushing the matter of the Bloodline Sacrifice Array. In private, he’s even contacted the Supreme Elders, hoping to win more people to his side.”

“However, Gongye Zhe has made a move. He claims that repairing the Bloodline Sacrifice Array would place the Sacred Land in danger!”

“Gongye Zhe says that there are still members of the Earth Demon Alien Race in the Demon Caves, and if the Bloodline Sacrifice Array is repaired, they might use some bizarre method to allow their experts to descend upon the Profound Void Grotto Heaven. He claims that would put the Sacred Land in grave danger!”

“Gongye Zhe has also won over several people to oppose Baili Xi’s plan to repair the Bloodline Sacrifice Array!”

Liao Lenghui emerged from a hidden room and reported the latest intelligence she had gathered to the Merak Saintess.

Publicly, the main conflict within the Sacred Land was between the Merak Saintess and the Merak Saint Son. But behind the scenes, more than just two factions were at play. The likes of Quasi-Saint Son Gongye Zhe and Quasi-Saintess Gongsun Qiu were also making subtle moves, all aimed at the Merak Saintess and the Merak Saint Son.

‘After all, if those two want to rise to the top, they have to take me and the Merak Saint Son down first.’

Naturally, the Merak Saintess had also arranged for people to keep an eye on these two!

On the surface, she appeared unconcerned, but in reality, she had people watching them. This was why she received news of Gongye Zhe’s move immediately.

“The Bloodline Sacrifice Array is difficult to repair. Even with several Array Masters working together, success is not guaranteed!”

“However, it’s time I stated my position.”

“The safety of the Sacred Land is more important than anything else!”

The Merak Saintess said slowly after a moment of thought.

Neither Baili Xi using the array’s repair to get close to the Supreme Elders nor the potential danger of a restored Bloodline Sacrifice Array was good news for her.

Within the Sacred Land, more than just one or two people had objections to this matter.

The Merak Sacred Land had a history of several thousand years; naturally, no one wished for such a great Sacred Land to be destroyed.

The other Imperial Dynasties and Holy Lands of the Taiyu Divine Continent weren’t a significant threat. Even hostile Sects couldn’t possibly destroy the Merak Sacred Land. But the unknown entity the Bloodline Sacrifice Array communed with? That was a genuine possibility.

The annals of the Merak Sacred Land recorded that beings above the Blood Exchange Martial Saint realm were Divine Spirits who had broken the Human-God Boundary. Their combat power was beyond comprehension, capable of truly destroying the heavens and extinguishing the earth.

The current Profound Void Grotto Heaven might be nothing before them and could be destroyed instantly.

With such a great risk at hand, how could it be ignored? Therefore, there were naturally people within the Merak Sacred Land who opposed it, including some who had reached the level of Blood Exchange Martial Saint.

Not every Blood Exchange Martial Saint was in a rush to find a Cross-Realm Teleportation Array. After all, some of the Supreme Elders still had long lifespans and could afford to wait, exploring other possibilities.

A sharp glint flashed in the Merak Saintess’s eyes.

She certainly wouldn’t let Baili Xi proceed so smoothly.

…

“Quasi-Saint Son, Yang Chan came to the Alchemy Pavilion for a Pill Battle today. Pharmacist Lu Feng lost!”

Zhao Zizhen arrived at Quasi-Saint Son Gongye Zhe’s residence to report the results of the Pill Battle.

Gongye Zhe had previously arranged for him to keep a constant watch on Yang Chan. He had discovered that Yang Chan was constantly practicing alchemy, and most of the materials he consumed were for the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill.

He had, of course, relayed this information to Lu Feng, but neither of them had taken it seriously. They both believed Yang Chan would never choose the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill for the Pill Battle, as the gap between their skills in refining that specific pill was simply too large.

“Did Yang Chan choose the Seven Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill for the battle?”

Gongye Zhe’s brow furrowed upon hearing the news, and he asked.

He was well aware that Yang Chan had refined a Top Quality Seven Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill when he passed the Third Level Alchemist assessment. It was clear he had deep insights and exceptional skill with that particular elixir.

Even if Lu Feng’s overall alchemy ability was stronger than Yang Chan’s, victory wasn’t guaranteed when it came to that specific elixir, so Gongye Zhe had made some preparations.

After all, nothing was ever a hundred percent certain. There were always unexpected factors.

“No. Yang Chan chose the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill for the Pill Battle!”

Zhao Zizhen gave a bitter smile upon hearing this.

That choice had taken everyone by surprise, and the result was even more shocking.

When he first saw the outcome of the Pill Battle, he also thought there must have been some mistake!

“What? Did Lu Feng make a mistake during the alchemy process?”

A look of astonishment appeared on Gongye Zhe’s face. He clearly hadn’t expected this, and his frown deepened.

He could have accepted it if Lu Feng had lost a Pill Battle involving the Seven Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill. After all, it was a lower-level elixir, making the refining process inherently less stable and prone to fluctuations.

If Yang Chan got lucky and won, that would be understandable. Although he would regret that his plan failed, it would still be an acceptable outcome.

But to think he lost while refining the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill… that was unacceptable to Gongye Zhe. Even if Lu Feng couldn’t achieve a crushing victory, the final result should have been as he predicted.

He understood the significance of choosing the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill over the Seven Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill. Yang Chan’s victory with the former was a much greater testament to his talent, meaning he would be valued even more by the Merak Saintess. He would become a rising star in the Pill Pavilion, his status climbing to new heights.

And he had risen by stepping on one of Gongye Zhe’s own people, which made the situation all the more infuriating.

“No, Pharmacist Lu Feng performed normally. He refined a Top Quality Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill with a quality rating of eighty-five!”

“It’s just that Yang Chan also refined a Top Quality Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, and its quality even reached ninety—the Perfect Level!”

“I was investigating Yang Chan’s alchemy before this, and I never heard of him successfully refining a Top Quality Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill!”

“Furthermore, according to the investigation into his past, he barely had any opportunity to refine the Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill back in the Cyan Yuan Sect!”

“So, I can only assume that Yang Chan is truly gifted. He must have had a breakthrough in his Alchemy Ability under pressure!”

Zhao Zizhen concluded with a bitter smile.

‘Lu Feng performed normally and still lost. That’s what makes this so hard to swallow. It just proves how incredible Yang Chan is—his talent far exceeds anyone’s expectations.’

Fearing Gongye Zhe would accuse him of slacking, Zhao Zizhen had even brought up the intelligence on Yang Chan’s past in the Cyan Yuan Sect. While this only served to make Yang Chan seem even more incredible, Zhao Zizhen felt it was his best option.

‘It wasn’t a lack of effort on my part; the enemy was just too formidable!’

“A Perfect Level Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill!”

Expression after expression of surprise crossed Gongye Zhe’s face today. This was something he had never expected.

He couldn’t believe Yang Chan had given him so many surprises. The victory alone was shocking, and he had chalked it up to luck. He never imagined Yang Chan had won the Pill Battle on pure skill, going so far as to refine a Perfect Level elixir.

Gongye Zhe knew exactly what a Perfect Level elixir signified. For Yang Chan to achieve this, his potential was even greater than he had anticipated.

It could even be said that as long as Yang Chan didn’t die prematurely, he was highly likely to become a Top Level Pharmacist in the future. A being of that caliber would have a status no lower than his own—in some respects, it might even be higher.

‘So, Lu Feng’s loss wasn’t unfair after all,’ Gongye Zhe thought to himself, a helpless expression on his face.

Even if Lu Feng had performed exceptionally, he wouldn’t have been able to refine a Perfect Level elixir. That represented a ceiling, a limit that Lu Feng could not reach.

“Quasi-Saint Son, about Yang Chan… should we continue to target him?”

Zhao Zizhen glanced at Gongye Zhe and asked in a low voice.

‘I have my suspicions, but the final decision is, of course, up to Gongye Zhe. I can’t be the one to decide for him.’

Thus, he took the initiative to ask.

‘Whatever Gongye Zhe decides, I can only follow his orders. On this point, I know my place,’ Zhao Zizhen thought, fully aware of his position.