Chapter 759 668: A Not-So-Ideal Discussion, Drawing Closer

After all, these people were in the Saintess Pavilion and could even interact with the Merak Saintess, so he was quite polite.

As a former Sect Leader, Gu An was well-versed in the ways of the world and handled himself with decorum.

The two walked into the main hall. It had looked large from the outside, but upon entering, they discovered it was even more expansive. It didn't resemble a reception hall so much as an administrative office, like the one at the Pill Pavilion, where many people could receive Spirit Medicine and handle various matters at the same time.

At that moment, the Merak Saintess was seated in the center. She had an extremely cold and aloof air about her. Numerous books and papers were laid out around her, and she was flipping through them with a blank expression, betraying no emotion.

Yang Chan's body had been tempered many times, so his vision was excellent. He could see the words "Merak Saint Son Baili Xi" written on the paper in the Merak Saintess's hand.

Before he could read it all, the Merak Saintess set the paper down and looked toward the approaching Gu An and Yang Chan.

"Greetings, Holy Daughter!"

Gu An and Yang Chan approached, bowed, and offered their respects.

"There are seats over here. Sit."

The Merak Saintess's gaze swept over Gu An before settling on Yang Chan. After studying him for a moment, she pointed to a few chairs nearby, which were also quite close to where she sat.

"Thank you, Saintess!"

After clasping their fists in thanks, the two walked to the indicated seats and sat down.

Two maids entered from outside and served them each a cup of Spirit Tea. A fragrant aroma wafted from the cups, refreshing to the soul.

"Gu An, you've done well recently. When you return, you may collect five Inner Refining Level Spirit Pills from the Saintess Pavilion. Consider it a reward for your efforts."

"Your Martial Arts path doesn't end with the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera. If you continue to cultivate diligently, you have a chance of breaking through to the realm of Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster."

The Merak Saintess looked at Gu An and nodded slightly.

After her assessment, she offered a tangible reward. The Inner Refining Level Spirit Pills were precisely the kind of elixirs Gu An currently needed.

The variety of elixirs available at the Merak Sacred Land's Pill Pavilion was far more comprehensive than at the Cyan Yuan Sect. As such, Gu An could take a combination of them, for which the Pill Pavilion had provided a suitable regimen.

Considering Gu An's rate of refining elixirs and the issue of Elixir Poison, five Inner Refining Level Spirit Pills would last him for more than five months—not a short period.

"Thank you, Saintess!"

Gu An was overjoyed to hear this. He had received rewards from the Merak Sacred Land before.

Most of the elixirs given by the Merak Saintess were of Top Quality Level, making them naturally more valuable.

Although Gu An had received some elixirs from the Cyan Yuan Sect in the past, not many were Top Quality Level. The exchange rate for trading ordinary elixirs for Top Quality Elixirs was quite high.

If he wanted to advance his Martial Arts Cultivation quickly, the best method was to consume Top Quality Elixirs. Their Medicinal Power was more potent, they were easier to refine, and they contained less Elixir Poison, allowing for shorter intervals between doses.

Within the Merak Sacred Land, it wasn't just Liu Xuan, the Peak Master of Chiyu Peak, who was anxious to advance his Martial Arts Cultivation; Gu An felt the same. To be precise, everyone who came from the Cyan Yuan Sect was eager to improve their Martial Arts Cultivation so they could catch up with the native members of the Merak Sacred Land sooner rather than later.

At the very least, they couldn't afford to fall behind.

"Pharmacist Yang, this isn't the first time we've met, though we've never spoken before."

The Merak Saintess turned her gaze to Yang Chan, a bright light shining in her ink-black eyes.

Her opening words immediately closed the distance between them.

"I had the honor of meeting you in the Purple Void Secret Realm. I must thank you, Saintess; it was because of you that I was able to enter. I had an epiphany while inside the Secret Realm, which allowed my Alchemy Ability to break through to the level of a Third Level Alchemist."

Yang Chan naturally went along with her words, attributing part of the credit for his breakthrough to her and further closing the distance between them.

This was a game Yang Chan knew how to play.

Of course, his story was consistent; he had claimed his alchemy had hit a bottleneck before entering the Purple Void Secret Realm.

Therefore, while his words now might seem like flattery, they were also perfectly logical.

After all, his entry into the Purple Void Secret Realm was indeed thanks to the Merak Saintess. At the time, she was the one leading the disciples of the Merak Sacred Land, while the members of the Cyan Yuan Sect were merely support staff.

First, they helped guide the way, and later, they helped transport the spoils from the Secret Realm, such as Spirit Medicine and Ancient Texts.

"That also required someone with your Comprehension, Pharmacist Yang. Otherwise, of all the people who entered the Purple Void Secret Realm, why is it that only you had such an epiphany?"

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on the Merak Saintess's face. She no longer seemed as cold and detached as before; in fact, she gave off a feeling of approachability.

This contrast left a much better impression, as if the distance between them wasn't so great after all.

"I am aware of what happened with you at the Spirit Medicine Tower. You handled it very well. Your methods were more sophisticated than I anticipated."

"In that regard, you've surpassed many of your peers."

"I had intended to meet with you then, but the discovery of ruins within the Demon Cave forced a delay."

The Merak Saintess continued, her eyes observing Yang Chan the entire time.

Seeing that he was listening intently, the Merak Saintess went on, "Later, when I discovered that Quasi-Saint Son Gongye Zhe was targeting you, I intervened. I never expected he would actually challenge you to a Pill Battle."

"You handled it very well. Unlike Yuwen Ze, you didn't agree rashly. Instead, you bought yourself some time. Furthermore, under great pressure, your Alchemy Ability improved even more, to the point where you can now refine a Perfect Level Nourishing Vein and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill."

"That was quite a surprise."

"You are even more outstanding than I had anticipated."

As the Merak Saintess spoke, a peculiar glint flashed in her eyes.

As she praised Yang Chan, she was also reflecting with some emotion.

'It was quite a surprise for a person like this to fall right into my lap.'

'The first time I went to the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was when Taiyin Heaven appeared. That was when I accepted the Cyan Yuan Sect as one of the Merak Sacred Land's Affiliated Forces. I never expected things to turn out this way.'

'Later, when multiple factions vied for the newly established Fifty-Eighth Peak, the Cyan Yuan Sect unexpectedly came out ahead, which was a pleasant surprise.'

'It helped me, but not significantly. After all, a new Chiyu Peak, in the beginning, couldn't help me at all. On the contrary, it required me to invest manpower and resources, draining a considerable amount of my energy.'

'It was only with my help that Chiyu Peak stabilized its position. But the returns I got from them were minimal, not even enough to justify the effort I expended.'

'My second trip to the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was for the appearance of the Purple Void Secret Realm. Because of my previous aid to Chiyu Peak and my prior visit to the dynasty, I was naturally put in charge of matters there.'

'By then, most of the experts from the Cyan Yuan Sect had already joined the Merak Sacred Land. I felt the Cyan Yuan Sect couldn't offer me much more assistance, so I didn't pay them much mind.'

'When Gu An pledged his support, I didn't think much of it either. I simply saw that his Martial Arts Cultivation was decent and didn't refuse him.'

'But I never expected the Cyan Yuan Sect to have someone like Yang Chan.'

'We met once in the Purple Void Secret Realm. I had a faint impression of him—a person who greatly cherished his own life.'

'The next time he came to my attention was after he became an Advanced Pharmacist. Soon after arriving at the Merak Sacred Land, he passed the Pill Pavilion's Third Level Alchemist assessment by refining a Top Quality Level elixir. His potential was far greater than I had anticipated.'

'Then came the matter of the Spirit Medicine Tower.'

'I originally thought I would need to intervene and help him. After all, in my eyes, Yang Chan was a Pharmacist who was cautious to the point of being timid. I expected his handling of the Spirit Medicine Tower's affairs to be mediocre at best. But he surprised me yet again.'

'His methods were decisive and masterful. He cleaned out the Quasi-Saint Son's people one by one while simultaneously placing my people inside the Spirit Medicine Tower. Now, I won't face any restrictions regarding the allocation of Spirit Medicine. For me, this was a rather good outcome.'

'And then came the Pill Battle, which was also unexpected. Through it all, Yang Chan has grown, step by step.'