Elixirs of medium-grade quality were not what Ye Xuan sought. Although this was his first time refining Mortal Spirit Pills, there were so many types of Elixirs in the world that he would inevitably have many firsts. Being a beginner was merely an excuse, not the real reason for poor quality. No matter the medicinal herbs, the melting process was fundamentally the same, and the precautions were all basic principles. His failure to refine them perfectly only meant that his control over the flames was lacking, and his mental focus was not concentrated enough. The fault lay entirely with him; it had nothing to do with whether it was his first time or not. For a truly powerful Pill Master, there was no such thing as a "first time."
At this moment, Ye Xuan crushed the medium-grade Elixirs underfoot, keeping only the high-grade and top-grade ones before continuing his Alchemy.
Soon, the sun set. Ye Xuan put away the Pill Furnace and left the training room.
The seven-day deadline had arrived; tomorrow was the day the Secret Realm in Wuzong Main Town would open. If Ye Xuan traveled through the night, he could still arrive by the next day. In truth, he had decided to enter the Secret Realm for one single purpose: to obtain resources! He needed a massive amount of Beast Pills. If he could get his hands on them, why go through the trouble of Alchemy? Moreover, he could use this opportunity to probe the background of the Zhang family.
Being subservient to others was something Ye Xuan would never accept. As the saying goes, one should not harbor the intent to harm others, but one must never let their guard down. The more powerful the family, the more vigilant one had to be. After all, you never knew when you might inadvertently offend them.
Before leaving, Ye Xuan sought out Ye Zeyun and handed him a Qiankun Bag.
"Ye Xuan, what is this?" Ye Zeyun asked.
"Grandfather, they are Elixirs. Inside, there are over three hundred Mortal Spirit Pills and over one hundred Strong Spirit Pills."
"What!" Ye Zeyun was so shocked he nearly jumped. Once he recovered, he asked, "Where did these Elixirs come from? Are they spoils of war taken from the powerful Cultivators of the Ning family?"
"I refined them myself," Ye Xuan said calmly. "I was short on time, so I could only make this much. When I return from Wuzong Main Town, I’ll refine more for you all."
With those words, Ye Xuan departed, leaving behind a dumbfounded and utterly shocked Ye Zeyun.
It took quite a while for Ye Zeyun to snap back to his senses. He looked at Ye Xuan’s retreating figure with a look of pleasant surprise.
"Our Ye family actually has an Alchemy Master! Doesn’t this mean that as long as we have enough resources, the cultivation of everyone in the Ye family can advance by leaps and leaps, regardless of whether they are geniuses or good-for-nothings?
"Our Ye family will inevitably rise! Hahahaha."
Ye Zeyun looked up at the sky and laughed heartily. Ye Xuan had truly given him far too many surprises.
After his laughter subsided, he peered at the Elixirs inside the Qiankun Bag. Upon closer inspection, he was even more astounded. The quality of these pills didn’t seem to be low-grade or even medium-grade. Almost all of them were high-grade, and some were even of top-grade quality! Ye Zeyun had seen Elixirs before, but this was his first time seeing ones of such high quality.
A Demon! Ye Xuan was a peerless Demon!
Unaware of his grandfather’s shock, Ye Xuan went to find Ye Ling’Er and Ye Yizhou. Naturally, he needed to bid goodbye to his sister and father as well. Ten minutes later, he mounted a fast horse and hurried toward Wuzong Town.
Ye Ling’Er and Ye Yizhou secretly saw him off. Only when Ye Xuan’s figure vanished into the distance did Ye Ling’Er finally speak. "Father, Brother is leaving again. Why is he always so busy?"
Ye Yizhou sighed. "The head of the family bears a heavy responsibility. If he stops, who will shoulder the burden and move forward for us?"
"Father, doesn’t that mean Brother must be incredibly exhausted?"
"Silly girl, only the dead are never tired. The living, as long as they want a better life, will always be tired. Alright, go back and rest. Take good care of the two Flame Eagles your brother gave you. If they grow up, they will be of great help to our Ye family and can also ease your brother’s burden."
Ye Xuan had entirely gifted the Flame Eagles to Ye Ling’Er. He had no lingering attachment to, nor did he covet, these rank-four Beasts. This was because his future cultivation would absolutely far surpass the Super Spirit Realm.
The next day, at the break of dawn, Ye Xuan arrived at Wuzong Main Town. At the town entrance, a brand-new plaque gleamed brightly under the morning sun. The word "Wuzong," as if carved by a sword, possessed a divine majesty of its own. Just a few days ago, Wuzong Main Town was still in ruins, yet in such a short time, it had restored its prosperity.
"Pay the entry fee. One Strong Soul Crystal," the guards at the gate said as they stopped Ye Xuan.
Entering a main town also required a toll, and it wasn’t money used by ordinary people, but resources needed by Cultivators. This was why people from weak factions knew so little about the main towns. If you didn’t even have the qualifications to enter, how could you possibly know anything about them? Even if you came, you could only observe from the outside.
Ye Xuan paid a Strong Soul Crystal and led his horse into the town. After asking for directions, he headed straight for the Town Mayor’s Mansion. The Town Mayor’s Mansion was actually the former residence of the Ning family. After the Zhang family wiped out the Ning family, they couldn’t be bothered to name the courtyard and simply called it the Town Mayor’s Mansion.
When Ye Xuan arrived, the entrance to the Town Mayor’s Mansion was already packed with a dense sea of people. Wuzong Main Town had fifty affiliated towns. Each town had sent one or two hundred people. There were over ten thousand people present at the scene. The last time Ye Xuan saw this many Cultivators was when the Niu family attacked the Ye family.
"My lord... my lord..." Upon seeing Ye Xuan, Niu Tong’s voice immediately rang out.
Only then did Ye Xuan walk over to the Niu family’s contingent.
"My lord, after entering the Secret Realm later, will you be coming with us, or..." Niu Tong asked in a low voice.
"I will act alone," Ye Xuan replied calmly.
"Oh." A hint of disappointment flashed in Niu Tong’s eyes.
He knew how powerful Ye Xuan was. If Ye Xuan accompanied them, it would absolutely be a tremendous blessing. In that case, the safety of the Niu family members would be guaranteed. After all, during the Secret Realm trial, it wasn’t just the Wild Beasts they needed to be wary of, but other families as well. If you obtained a lot of Beast Pills, you would likely become a target. If your strength was inferior to the other party’s and you didn’t want your clansmen to die in vain, you would have no choice but to obediently hand over a portion of your Beast Pills.
"The time has come." Just then, an elderly man walked out of the Town Mayor’s Mansion. He had a Flaming Lion embroidered on his chest, indicating that he was a member of the Zhang family. "Any town that has not yet arrived loses its qualification to enter the Secret Realm. You have all entered the Secret Realm before, so there is no need for me to repeat the rules. Now, follow me."
The elderly man turned around and entered the courtyard.
"All family members, heed my command. After we go inside, keep your mouths shut! There must be no clamor. Also, do not look at things you shouldn’t. Otherwise, when you die, no one will save you." The Town Mayors of the affiliated factions gave instructions to their subordinates, and the ten thousand people subsequently entered the Town Mayor’s Mansion.
The entrance to the Secret Realm Gate was right inside the Town Mayor’s Mansion. Soon, the ten thousand people arrived at an enormous courtyard. This courtyard did not contain a single building. At the very back of the courtyard stood something resembling an altar. Beside the altar lay a considerable number of Soul Crystals. There were Strong Soul Crystals, Frenzy Soul Crystals, and even Super Soul Crystals. The Soul Crystals were piled high, forming a small mountain.
The eyes of the ten thousand people gleamed as they looked at the pile. These were all precious cultivation resources! Especially the Super Soul Crystals—they were incredibly precious! If a Cultivator in the Frenzy Spirit Realm wanted to break through to the Super Spirit Realm, they had to rely on the power of Super Soul Crystals.
But unfortunately, these Soul Crystals were not for them; they were meant to open the Secret Realm Gate.
"Secret Realm Gate, open!"