Chapter 662: The Promise of Seven Peaks

A major problem is about to erupt!

Liu Ruifeng stood in place, breathing heavily, waves of panic surging in his eyes.

The Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill counts only as an entry-level calamity pill; with his current means, forging such a perfect pill would not be difficult if he simply prepared several extra portions of the main ingredients as supplements.

Yet this young man surnamed Shen, newly arrived at Shanfeng, had been asking what a calamity pill was just three days ago, and today he could display such astonishing brilliance at Shanfeng.

If the other peaks' senior uncles and senior brothers learned of this, even the First Zhu Shixiong would likely not refuse the prospect of Shenxu Mountain gaining another talent in the Dao of Alchemy.

For instance, let him and this young man surnamed Shen cultivate separately, observe their progress slowly, and make a decision in the end.

In this way, ample time would be left for Ye Lan and the others; after all, this woman is still the nominal peak master!

For some reason, Liu Ruifeng, who had been confident of victory just yesterday, suddenly found himself without certainty as he stared at that alchemy workshop.

Just on the strength of this Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill, if this young man were granted resources equal to his own, the consequences would be almost unimaginable.

"..."

Liu Ruifeng suddenly noticed Ye Lan casting a glance at him; the corners of his mouth twitched twice as he quickly adjusted his expression, yet despite his effort to force a smile, a hint of resentment still leaked from his eyes.

He clenched both fists, gritted his teeth, and smiled: "Senior sister's luck has always been good; truly, this junior brother is deeply envious."

A person who cannot refine pills somehow remained at Shanfeng, did nothing at all, saw all fellow disciples and the master perish, and then directly ascended to the position of peak master.

The Sixth Peak had spent such long years finally gaining actual control of Shanfeng, yet this woman could simply stroll outside and return with an alchemy cultivator posing a severe threat to them.

On what grounds!

On what grounds could she receive such favor from heaven, encountering nothing but things he himself had long dreamed of?

"Luck is good..."

Ye Lan slowly withdrew her gaze, directing it toward that alchemy workshop as well.

Ripples rose in her eyes.

Since the death of her master and fellow disciples, meeting Shen Yi had probably been the only stroke of good fortune she had encountered in these years.

This young man, who always appeared utterly confident, had proven through his actions exactly where his confidence came from.

Though born into poverty, he had forcibly secured the Fifth-Rank Dragon and Tiger Seat through his own means, possessed profound alchemical techniques, and earned the heartfelt submission of cultivators around him.

Had he been given an environment equal to hers since childhood, the young man's current achievements would likely have reached a level that made her, Ye Lan, look up to him in awe.

Ye Lan noticed Liu Ruifeng's quiet departure and guessed what this person would do after returning to the Sixth Peak.

She merely clenched her five fingers slightly, her expression gaining a few more points of firmness.

Shen Yi is more worthy of this Great Void Dao Fruit than these so-called peak masters.

Just as minds outside were divided.

Inside the alchemy workshop.

Shen Yi finally withdrew his palm, watching that round pill quietly float out of the alchemy furnace.

There was no joy on his face.

Because the matter itself was nothing worth praising.

What lay before him was, in truth, very simple.

The essence of calamity power is still the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; this thing cannot increase out of thin air.

Shen Yi used himself as a medium to transform the lifespans of demons and monsters into calamity power, first entering his own body, then transferring it into the pill.

Rather than alchemy, it was more like finding a way to cash out the lifespans of demons and monsters...

Was he ill?

The lifespans of demons and monsters were not even enough for himself; why extract them into pills for others to spend?

Thinking thus, Shen Yi let out a light sigh.

Very well, let it count as spending money to buy this Dao Fruit from Shenxu Mountain.

Sometimes, changing one's mindset makes the mood much better.

Slaying a seventh-rank demon beast could yield about four or five units of calamity lifespan; even at other major sects, killing dozens or even a hundred beasts would still not grant access to a fifth-rank Dao Fruit.

Let alone one ranked in the top ten.

Moreover, this money did not need to be earned by himself for now.

Shen Yi glanced at the pitiful number on the panel and transmitted a thought to Lady Qinghua in his heart: "The matter is somewhat urgent; do your best to find a way."

The brilliance released when the pill was completed must have fallen into many eyes.

The Sixth Peak would surely formulate a countermeasure; the time left for himself was not much.

On the cliff, Daoist Uncle Mu Yang stood with hands behind his back.

He gazed from afar at the highest of the Shenxu Mountains, his refined face showing no trace of emotional ripples.

"Father!" Liu Ruifeng called out in panic, his whole person somewhat dazed.

"A single Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill has scared you into this state."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang fell silent for a long time, then suddenly gave a self-mocking smile.

In terms of talent and in terms of the hundred arts, he could only be considered average among his eight fellow disciples; the hope of attaining the Great Luo Immortal Seat in the future was far too slim.

He had borne a son, hoping the other would control Shanfeng, and once the position was secure, combine the strength of two peaks to help him gain a slight lead among his fellow senior brothers.

Yet he never expected such a worthless thing.

He had seen the earlier golden alchemical brilliance and simultaneously felt the gazes cast from the other peaks.

For some reason, Daoist Uncle Mu Yang detected a hint of mockery in those gazes; these fellow senior brothers had never looked down on him before.

"Heh."

He shook his head slightly; when he raised his eyes again, a chilling coldness had risen in his pupils.

In the next moment, Daoist Uncle Mu Yang waved his large hand, directly grabbing Liu Ruifeng by the back of his collar; like lifting a chick, ignoring his son's cries, he dragged the other toward the highest peak besides Shenxu Mountain, treading on the air!

Seeing this, the several peak lords who had cast their gazes over were all stunned for a moment, hesitated briefly, then all followed.

In an instant, one figure after another descended upon the great hall of the First Peak.

They knit their brows tightly, looked at Daoist Uncle Mu Yang standing ramrod-straight in the hall, and took their seats respectively.

A scene identical to the previous Eight Peaks council, missing only one person — that empty fifth chair.

The half-dead old man said nothing, silently staring at his junior brother in the hall.

Seeing that all these people had come, Daoist Uncle Mu Yang finally made a move. With a casual flick of his hand, he flung the flustered Liu Ruifeng to the ground and said coldly: "Kneel. Let these elders of yours take a good look at you."

"Uncle Mu Yang, what trick are you trying to pull this time?" Daoist Qianfeng was somewhat displeased. Hadn't the matter been made perfectly clear last time?

That newly-inducted third-generation disciple of Dan Peak had merely refined a single entry-level Tribulation Pill, yet here the peak lord — his uncle — was making such a fuss over it. It was rather unseemly.

"I only want to let you all take a look at this worthless thing."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang's lips curved slightly, his gaze sweeping once around, passing over everyone.

"Father…" Liu Ruifeng's face flushed crimson with urgency. He was about to compete with Ye Lan for the position of peak lord, and instead of helping his own son, his father was undermining his face in front of so many elders?!

The other peak lords wore odd expressions, some not quite understanding the situation before them.

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang paced slowly and said softly: "There's no need for any of you to feel embarrassed. Just as you've been thinking — this beast has impure intentions, mediocre talent, yet commands such abundant cultivation resources. In terms of cultivation, a mere Celestial Immortal; in terms of the Dao of Alchemy, inferior even to his former peers on Dan Peak. Utterly useless in every respect."

Seeing him belittle his own son so harshly, the many martial brothers instead felt a twinge of pity. Daoist Jinxue gently advised: "Ruifeng isn't quite so hopeless…"

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang raised a hand to cut off her words, then suddenly changed his expression: "But even if he has no merit, at least there's the merit of hard work."

He wore a cold smile: "Ye Lan, as peak lord, comes and goes as she pleases — when has He Ceng ever taken Shenxu Mountain to heart? All these days, who has been refining Tribulation Pills on behalf of Master? I know what you want to say — with so many resources spent on cultivation, anyone else could do the same, even better."

"I do have my own selfish motives."

"But this child has truly never been willful, because he is not Ye Lan — he has no capital to be willful."

"Zhu Shixiong, don't let an obedient junior lose heart."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang finally stopped pacing, arriving before the seat of honor.

Seeing this, Daoist Qianfeng simply shifted his gaze away, staring outside the door, too lazy to speak. In a few words, this man had cast Liu Ruifeng as the picture of grievance, yet never once mentioned that Ye Lan, that junior, had no intention of contesting the Sixth Peak's resources at all — what she resented was that the courtyard and the Patriarch's statue left behind by her master had been occupied.

But one thing was true: Liu Ruifeng really could save Shenxu Mountain considerable trouble.

At the very least, there was no need to seek outsiders to help refine pills.

"So then, what do you want?" the half-dead old man spoke slowly.

"Sigh."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang drew a deep breath, waved his sleeve, and swept up the kneeling Liu Ruifeng: "I want this child to display the fruits of his many years of bitter cultivation — to refine a Void Origin Treasure Pill before the disciples of all eight peaks. If you all find it satisfactory, and deem him barely fit for the task…"

"Then let the matter be settled."

Before his words had faded, Daoist Jinxue looked puzzled: "What matter?"

"Why play dumb? Could you possibly not know what this child seeks?" Daoist Uncle Mu Yang smiled mockingly and said lightly: "Ye Lan will forever be Dan Peak's nominal peak lord. That will not change."

"But Ruifeng cannot keep toiling away in this ambiguous way forever. He need not be the peak lord, but all affairs of Dan Peak, great and small, shall be managed by him alone. He has put in so much effort — he doesn't ask for both fame and fortune, but he should at least have one of them."

"Hasn't it always been this way?" Daoist Qianfeng withdrew his gaze and looked back over.

"What I mean is—" Daoist Uncle Mu Yang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said word by word: "A contract drawn up by all of you together, with your names signed, pledging it will never change — not the kind where Ye Lan comes back for a visit and my Ruifeng has to be prepared to be driven out at any moment."

At these words, the great hall fell silent once more.

Uncle Mu Yang's move could be seen as a step back — no longer demanding more, abandoning those empty titles — but it could also be seen as forcibly striding a great step forward, firmly taking hold of the Fifth Peak from this day forth, allowing no one to interfere.

When it came to such matters, everyone instinctively looked toward the seat of honor.

The half-dead old man's eyelids drooped: "Shenxu Mountain cannot have only one person who can refine the Void Origin Treasure Pill."

"So long as you all are willing to sign this contract and give my son a pledge, Uncle Mu Yang can also guarantee that what happened before will not happen again. Dan Peak will do its utmost to cultivate more capable individuals… including the young man Ye Lan brought back."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang's expression returned to calm.

He had already made all his plans the moment that dan-light had manifested.

Even if he could not obtain more, he had to at least hold onto what he already had.

After a long while, the old man's hoarse voice rose in the hall.

"Granted."

As the senior brother of the Eight Peaks and the one closest to the third-rank realm, a single word from him was enough to settle the matter.

"…"

Liu Ruifeng knelt once more, prostrating himself fully, and kowtowed heavily toward the seat of honor.

Had this been before today, he would never have been able to accept this outcome.

Replacing Ye Lan as Dan Peak's Patriarch, receiving the reverence of all disciples — that had always been his dream.

But upon thinking of that Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill, he found that upon hearing that word, a trace of relief had actually welled up within him.

Yet precisely because of that trace of relief, a killing intent that was hard to suppress surged into Liu Ruifeng's eyes.

Why did that wretched woman have to come back at a time like this?

Ye Lan would be one thing — after all, she was still a disciple of Dan Peak. But that young alchemist, this matter clearly had nothing to do with him — why should he help her?

He dares to meddle in anything — a mere seventh-rank Taiyi Zhenxian, and he wants to stick his fingers into the succession dispute beneath a Daluo Immortal Venerable.

Does he truly think the Sixth Peak is so weak and easily bullied that it dares not kill?!

"Many thanks, Zhu Shixiong."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang cupped his hands in salute, then turned and led his son out of the great hall.

Only after walking out of this lofty peak did he turn back, his face now utterly cold: "This is your last chance. Don't disappoint me again. If after the pill is complete, there are fewer than eight tribulations…"

"Eight tribulations?"

Under his father's cold gaze, Liu Ruifeng suddenly shivered all over.

One must understand that even at his very best, he could only leave seven tribulations' worth of power within a Void Origin Treasure Pill — seven out of ten was already his limit.

"Dan Peak still has two and a half portions of Void Origin Treasure Pill ingredients on hand."

"In these years, I have kept two copies there; take them all. This is the only chance to make the Eight Peaks believe you."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang patted his son's shoulder, took a step, and vanished from the spot.

At the same time.

Amidst the Bihai, under the lead of a towering Golden Body Dharma Image, dozens of heavenly soldiers clad in Xian armor stood tall and straight like pines and cypresses, their faces extraordinary and their demeanor imposing.

"General, we have come by order to guard this place; we must not act too hastily."

Two lieutenants stood beside the Golden Body; one was named You Yunshan, the other Shi Yong. Both were Seventh-Rank Xian Generals and disciples of the Sanxian Sect, possessing remarkable abilities.

At this moment, You Yunshan's expression was complex. He understood the principle that a new official starts with three fires, but this newly arrived Sixth-Rank Vice General was far too eager.

Day after day, he led his brothers on patrols, not even sparing the small demons who did not know the heavenly soldiers.

There are three sworn-brother great demons here, known as the Bai Hong Three Immortals.

One must know that the Bihai is the dojo of Shenxu Laozu; to occupy a place under the very eyes of a Great Luo Immortal Venerable, the power of these three demons is far from ordinary.

It is said they offended a certain Righteous Deity, but there is no concrete evidence. The task of investigating fell to General Qingluan. The three demons have sought refuge in the Bihai for many years, never venturing out, and have gathered many evil demons as followers.

And what we are responsible for guarding is one of those followers, a snake demon with the cultivation of a Heavenly Immortal.

The recent actions of this newly arrived general have already shown signs of startling the snake; now he even attempts to go straight to the demon lair to annihilate this beast in one stroke.

His eagerness to earn merit is too obvious, but he has just descended from the heavens to this place; how could he know the dangers involved?

"You should try to persuade him," You Yunshan glared at the person beside him.

"..." Shi Yong lowered his eyes slightly, standing quietly beside, his gaze never leaving the back of the Golden Body.

Hearing this, he merely smiled: "The general has given an order; we shall obey."

After all, the demons and monsters encountered in recent days have been of too low a realm; up to now, this general has not yet revealed any methods beyond the Immortal Seal.

Tsk, truly cautious.

(End of this chapter)