The two alchemical cauldrons glowed ever hotter. Five hours had passed since the start of the pill refining, and both individuals had continuously fueled the alchemical fires with their yuan force without pause.
At this moment, Dan Yunzi's face was pale, and large beads of sweat dripped incessantly from his cheeks, only to evaporate completely before reaching the ground.
"Buzz~~"
Just then, both of their alchemical cauldrons began to tremble. Streams of flame erupted from within the cauldrons, and waves of pill fragrance permeated the air. Upon smelling the aroma, the assembled martial artists felt invigorated, the rich scent enveloping the entire square.
"Suppress!"
Wan Mizhai shouted, stabilizing his alchemical cauldron. At that moment, Wan Mizhai increased the intensity of the alchemical fire. The surging flames continuously baked the glowing red cauldron, and potent pill fragrance overflowed from within.
"Drink!"
As the entire square fell into profound silence, Dan Yunzi let out a great roar, his face extremely pale.
With his yuan force enveloping his hands, he slammed them onto the alchemical cauldron. With a thunderous boom, the lid flew off. A ball of flame, encasing three brownish-red pills, slowly emerged from the cauldron. With a wave of his right hand, a jade bottle flew out, directly collecting the three pills within.
"Whoosh!!"
"Whoosh!!"
"Whoosh!!"
Panting heavily, Dan Yunzi clasped his knees with both hands, regulating his yuan force and nourishing his exhausted body.
This Golden Marrow Pill was indeed between the third and fourth grade. Even he had failed twice before managing to refine it. A superior third-grade pill. This was the first superior third-grade pill he had refined since becoming a third-grade alchemist, a unique achievement in the history of Dan Yun Cave Mansion for ten thousand years!
He was only at the early stage of a third-grade alchemist, and it was incredibly difficult to refine a superior-grade pill. However, a faint rosy hue now spread across his pale complexion.
"Buzz!!"
The moment Dan Yunzi finished refining and retracted his hands, Wan Mizhai lightly tapped the alchemical cauldron before him with his right middle finger.
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!"
Above the alchemical cauldron, streams of auspicious multicolored clouds appeared. The void's yuan force continuously condensed, turning into liquid.
"Gurgle gurgle~~"
Drip by drip, it landed inside the alchemical cauldron.
"Buzz!!"
"Boom!!"
"Crack!!"
The entire alchemical cauldron instantly shattered. Within it, a mass of multicolored clouds encased ten brownish-red pills.
"Whoosh!!"
The ten pills instantly flew to Dan Yunzi's side, emitting a faint halo.
"Buzz~~"
Wan Mizhai immediately took to the air, his figure rapidly flying towards the Great Han. "May Dan Yun Cave Mansion uphold its promise!"
"Otherwise!"
"The ones who will once again visit your mountain sect will be the iron cavalry of my Great Han!"
Dan Yunzi's eyes were vacant, and he paid no attention to Wan Mizhai's words, his gaze fixed on the ten Golden Marrow Pills before him.
Ten!
A full ten pills!
And all refined at once. In terms of both success rate and pill yield, Wan Mizhai had completely crushed him!
"Whoosh!!"
"Whoosh!!"
"Whoosh!!"
Dan Yunzi nervously received the pills, his eyes widening in shock. "This... this is... a fourth-grade pill!!"
"What?"
The seven elder alchemists heard this and quickly approached Dan Yunzi, gazing at the ten Golden Marrow Pills in his palm.
One!
Two!
...
Four, a full four pill patterns. A fourth-grade alchemist. Tian Yue had never produced a fourth-grade alchemist!
The eight individuals looked incredulously at the fourth-grade Golden Marrow Pills. These fourth-grade pills were like divine medicine in their eyes. Their pupils slowly turned crimson, and their breathing grew heavy!
What was the significance of a fourth-grade alchemist? They were akin to the spiritual realm powerhouses in the path of martial arts. Third-grade alchemists in Tian Yue could command the wind and call the rain, holding the royal authority in alchemy. One could imagine the sheer shock of a spiritual realm powerhouse appearing in a kingdom.
Dan Yunzi was silent for a long time. "Effective immediately, Dan Yun Cave Mansion will be disbanded. Those willing to accompany me to Great Han may stay; those unwilling are free to leave. This sect will not coerce anyone!" Su Dan Novel Network
...
...
On March 25th of the first year of Great Han, the Three Overseas Sects, Xian Yu Sect, and Dan Yun Cave Mansion officially announced their allegiance to Great Han, marking the end of the Three Overseas Sects' history in Tian Yue.
On March 25th of the first year of Great Han, over a thousand alchemists from Dan Yun Cave Mansion abandoned their ten-thousand-year foundation and, led by Dan Yunzi, traveled to Chang'an to receive an audience with Yang Hao.
On the same day, Dan Yunzi officially became a disciple of Wan Mizhai. The over a thousand alchemists from Dan Yun Cave Mansion were formally incorporated into the Great Han Alchemical Hall, greatly bolstering its strength.
On March 26th of the first year of Great Han, Zhang Jiao and Yuan Tiangang, leading ten thousand Daoist disciples and three thousand Yellow Turban Warriors, surveyed the Three Overseas Sects. Xian Yu Sect was formally merged into the Daoist sect.
That night, the skies above the three overseas islands were filled with divine lightning. Dragon-like thunderbolts battled in the heavens. Zhang Jiao and Yuan Tiangang appeared like divine beings.
Wielding the heavenly lightning, they roared, "By the order of the King of Han of Great Han, we shall establish the foundation of the Daoist sect on these three overseas islands!"
"The Daoist sect is established!"
Thunder rumbled, and in an instant, the bloody sea stretched for hundreds of millions of miles!
On March 26th of the first year of Great Han, the Daoist sect was founded, becoming a top-tier sect within Great Han, standing on par with the Alchemical Hall.
On March 26th of the first year of Great Han, Yang Hao unified the northern part of Tian Yue. Great Han now dominated two-thirds of Tian Yue's land. Only Great Han and the State of Chu remained, standing in opposition to each other in the north and south.
On March 27th of the first year of Great Han, Yang Hao issued an order. The army, led by Shi Wansui, advanced from the western border with the former territory of Loulan and the State of Chu, to the eastern borders of Great Han's Yizhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou prefectures, and the former territory of the Baiyue kingdom. They gradually pressed towards the State of Chu.
On March 28th of the first year of Great Han, Liu Ao, the Grand Tutor of Chu, was dispatched by the King of Chu to pay a visit to Great Han.
On March 29th of the first year of Great Han, at the Xuanzheng Hall of the Royal Palace in Chang'an, Great Han.
"Announce, Liu Ao is to be granted an audience!"
Wei Zhongxian stood at the entrance of Xuanzheng Hall, his voice high and clear, shouting.
Liu Ao clasped his hands and lowered his head, walking towards Xuanzheng Hall.
"Stomp~~"
"Stomp~~"
"Stomp~~"
"Liu Ao pays respects to the King of Han!"
Liu Ao, the Grand Tutor of Chu, knelt on both knees and bowed deeply.
Yang Hao's expression was calm. He looked at Liu Ao kneeling below and said softly, "What does the King of Chu have to say?"
The armies of Great Han were fully assembled at the border, awaiting Yang Hao's command to march south and sweep through the State of Chu.
"King of Han, my King deeply understands that our ancestors failed the beings of Tian Yue. Tian Yue has not recovered since the darkness of ten thousand years ago. My King, in his compassion for all beings, has established a Duel Stage at the border between Great Han's Jingzhou and our Chu."
"Hmph!"
Yang Hao grunted deeply.
"King of Han!"
Liu Ao, the Grand Tutor of Chu, slightly raised his head and bowed again. "My King, in order to cease hostilities, has specially set up a擂台 (arena). Our two nations may each dispatch three martial artists to compete in a duel to determine victory, and peacefully unify Tian Yue!"