Chapter 757: Contention in the Holy Land, Saintess Pavilion

Yang Chan had Han Bingyu investigate and gather a lot of information, but the more he looked into it, the more complicated the situation seemed.

He had thought a bystander sees the game most clearly, but now it seemed he was part of the game himself, which was why things felt this way.

As for escaping this situation, the only real possibility was to advance to the rank of Top Level Pharmacist.

Once he became a Top Level Pharmacist, it wouldn’t matter whether the Merak Saint Son or the Merak Saintess became the next Merak Saint Master; the impact on him would be minimal.

After all, the Merak Sacred Land would not easily give up someone who had reached the level of a Top Level Pharmacist.

Even if the Merak Saint Son succeeded as the next Merak Saint Master, other Blood Exchange Martial Saints would surely protect him. This was because those Blood Exchange Martial Saints still needed elixirs that only a Top Level Pharmacist could provide.

Therefore, no matter who became the next Merak Saint Master, they wouldn’t make things too difficult for a Top Level Pharmacist. They would even actively try to win him over.

This had been Yang Chan’s plan ever since joining the Merak Sacred Land, and it was why he had been using his Potential Points to level up his Pharmacist profession all this time.

It was the only way to escape his current predicament.

Even now, he did not feel particularly safe.

Under normal circumstances, the Blood Exchange Martial Saints of the Merak Sacred Land would not fight on Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain. However, if pushed to the brink, they might act rashly. If that happened, he would be in grave danger without the protection of a Blood Exchange Martial Saint Level expert.

Even though Yang Chan’s Martial Arts Cultivation had reached the Second Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, he was well aware of the vast gap between his strength and that of a Blood Exchange Martial Saint.

Even if he used all his trump cards, he likely wouldn’t last long in a fight between Blood Exchange Martial Saint experts.

If the shockwaves from a battle among the Merak Sacred Land’s Blood Exchange Martial Saints reached his vicinity, he would most likely perish, his body and soul annihilated.

This might seem like baseless worrying, but such things had happened before.

When he had Han Bingyu investigate matters within the Merak Sacred Land, he discovered that several “holy wars”—clashes between Blood Exchange Martial Saint experts—had taken place on Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain in the past. Some scars from those battles still remained on the mountain.

It was only because Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain was a focal point of Spiritual Qi within the Profound Void Grotto Heaven and was protected by numerous Arrays that it hadn’t been destroyed.

‘However, I can’t get involved in these matters right now. I can only wait and see what moves the Merak Saintess makes.’

‘If she can become the next Saint Master, that would naturally bring me considerable benefits.’

‘Based on the abilities the Merak Saintess has demonstrated so far, she seems more reliable than the Merak Saint Son. I hope she can maintain this momentum.’

Yang Chan’s gaze grew much more profound.

Caught in such an environment, he could only stick to his original plan. Even if the situation deteriorated, he had to keep moving forward as intended.

The path to becoming a Top Level Pharmacist was one he had chosen. The other was the path of Martial Arts. If his Cultivation broke through to the Blood Exchange Martial Saint Realm, he could naturally become a Supreme Elder in the Merak Sacred Land. As for the position of Saint Master, he had no interest in it whatsoever. It came with too many responsibilities that would interfere with his Cultivation.

Furthermore, it required maneuvering between various factions, which was mentally exhausting. All the scheming and plotting would consume vast amounts of time that he would rather spend cultivating.

In Yang Chan’s eyes, strength was what mattered most.

With enough strength, one could disregard many things. Any cunning plot or scheme could be shattered with absolute power.

‘Enough thinking. Time for alchemy.’

Yang Chan shook his head, refusing to dwell on these troublesome matters any longer. It was a waste of time. He was better off practicing alchemy or training in his martial arts.

Anything that could bring him improvement gave him peace of mind.

He believed in his own future potential. These minor troubles were merely obstacles on his path of growth, and he was certain he could overcome them.

Yang Chan went to the pavilion where the Spirit Medicines were stored, then proceeded to the alchemy area to continue his diligent work.

Improving his Alchemy Ability still depended on his own hard work.

Refining a cauldron of elixirs not only provided him with Cultivation Resources but also deepened his understanding of the craft, enhancing his Alchemy Ability.

…

Saintess Pavilion!

Yang Chan stared at the Saintess Pavilion. Even though he had been mentally prepared, he was still somewhat shocked.

The name “Saintess Pavilion” suggested a single building, but it occupied a vast area, only slightly smaller than Chiyu Peak. Its location was higher up on Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi was far denser than on Chiyu Peak.

Furthermore, the Saintess Pavilion was not a single building but a massive complex formed by numerous interconnected pavilions that covered most of the area. The entire layout was specially designed to gather Spiritual Qi, making the concentration within even richer.

Just standing on the outskirts, Yang Chan could sense that the ambient energy far surpassed that of Chiyu Peak. He wasn’t familiar with the other peaks of the Merak Sacred Land, but given the Saintess’s status, he guessed that the peaks in the middle and lower ranks couldn’t possibly compare to the Saintess Pavilion.

As for the peaks at the forefront, those that had produced Saint Masters in the past, he wasn’t so sure. He would have to visit them to know for certain.

Yang Chan and Gu An now stood before the Saintess Pavilion—or more accurately, before the outermost building of the Saintess Pavilion complex.

Gu An presented a Pass Token while an attendant recorded their information. Everyone who entered or exited the Saintess Pavilion was logged.

Evidently, Gu An must have visited the Saintess Pavilion before, as he was quite familiar with the procedure. Yang Chan, in contrast, was not.

Although Han Bingyu’s intelligence network had grown, it still lacked the clearance to investigate certain things, such as the entry procedure for the Saintess Pavilion. Han Bingyu had not managed to uncover this.

Of course, this was partly because Han Bingyu’s network had been established too recently.

Public knowledge was relatively easy to gather, but confidential information was not so easy to obtain.

Then again, it was also because Yang Chan had never given such an order.

He was aligned with the Merak Saintess, so he would not deliberately investigate her affairs. Causing a misunderstanding would do more harm than good.

“All right, your information has been recorded.”

“This attendant will lead you both inside.”

After confirming their details were correct, the person at the desk had someone who had just emerged from the pavilion lead them in.

The Saintess Pavilion was massive. Without a guide, one could easily get lost or even wander into one of the pavilion’s Forbidden Areas.

Not every area was accessible to visitors.

“Xiaoyue, these two gentlemen are the ones the Saintess is expecting. It has been arranged in advance.”

“Please take them to Room Bing.”

The man at the desk said to the young woman who had emerged from the pavilion, making arrangements for Yang Chan and Gu An.

“Yes, Steward Li,” the woman named Xiaoyue replied respectfully.

“The Saintess is currently occupied, so you will likely have to wait a while,” Steward Li added, turning to Yang Chan and Gu An.

This was obviously a pre-arranged situation.

They weren’t the only ones here to see the Merak Saintess.

It made sense. Given the Merak Saintess’s status, she had many people to see. Moreover, she was likely preparing to make a move against the Merak Saint Son, Baili Xi, and would need to rally others to her side.

If not for Yang Chan’s recent outstanding performance, his audience with her would probably have been delayed even further.

“Thank you for the heads-up, Steward Li,” Gu An said with a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

Yang Chan, standing to the side, followed suit with his own salute.

He could sense that this Steward Li’s Martial Arts Cultivation was also at the level of a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster—specifically, one who had completed the First Bone Marrow Cleansing.

To have such a figure stationed at the very entrance of the Saintess Pavilion, essentially serving as a gatekeeper for the Merak Saintess, spoke volumes about her power and influence.

There was a vast difference in status within the Merak Sacred Land between an Initial Stage of Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster and one who had completed the First Bone Marrow Cleansing. Take Liu Xuan, for instance. If not for his good luck, he probably would have become an Elder with no real power. It was only by a stroke of fortune that he had obtained his current position.

However, in the eyes of many, his Martial Arts Cultivation did not match his position as a Peak Master. This was precisely why Liu Xuan was constantly trying to find ways to improve his cultivation and reach the First Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm.

He had previously asked Yang Chan to help refine an Auxiliary Spirit Cold Marrow Pill for this very reason—to rapidly advance his Martial Arts Cultivation and complete his First Bone Marrow Cleansing, at least so he wouldn’t seem so conspicuously underqualified.

And now, to see a Grandmaster who had completed the First Bone Marrow Cleansing assigned to a post like this… while it might be to guard against intruders, it also revealed just how deep the Merak Saintess’s foundation truly was.