"Dharma Idol-level power from the Nine Cauldrons Sect..."
Feng Ao naturally knew that by relying on an Origin Spirit array combined with their Dharma Idol spirit treasure, the Origin Realm, the Nine Cauldrons Sect could simulate techniques rivaling those of a Dharma Idol cultivator.
Yet...
He had seen Lin Deng's midair clash against that supposed "Dharma Idol" with his own eyes back then. That sort of power was certainly invincible when used to bully Origin Spirit cultivators, and saying it reached the Dharma Idol level was not an exaggeration. But before a true Dharma Idol cultivator, it fell completely flat.
To say nothing of crushing him with near-overwhelming ease like that mysterious Dharma Idol had just done, leaving his Virtual Spirit Realm gravely wounded.
That was the power of a peak Dharma Idol.
Still...
Though he knew in his heart that the mysterious fifth Dharma Idol cultivator could not possibly belong to the Nine Cauldrons Sect, Feng Ao did not voice these deductions or argue the point.
An expert with a Crimson Golden Core had stormed into the Immortal Alliance's headquarters and inflicted over thirty million—no, at least a hundred million spirit stones' worth of damage! With such astronomical losses, someone had to foot the bill and take the blame.
Since their Immortal Alliance claimed the Nine Cauldrons Sect was responsible, then even if it wasn't, it was!
If the Nine Cauldrons Sect did not pay a steep enough price, this matter would never be laid to rest.
Yelisa, on the other hand—the Myriad Beasts Sect to which she belonged and the Nine Cauldrons Sect might not be allies, but they at least shared common enemies in the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance.
With that in mind, she sneered, "Heh, Lin Deng certainly has a fine scheme. Our Myriad Beasts Sect held an internal meeting earlier to discuss why the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Li Hanqiu has been making such pronounced moves lately. Could his Golden Core have reached the point where it can no longer hold steady until the others return from the North Sea? You're terrified that Li Hanqiu will drag someone down with him before he dies and set his sights on the Wuji Astral Palace, so you're eagerly egging on the Immortal Alliance to take your place and perish alongside him, aren't you?"
Having said that, she turned her gaze toward Feng Ao. "As for whether the Dharma Idol who attacked you truly came from the Nine Cauldrons Sect... you should know full well just how much strength their so-called 'Dharma Idol' actually has. To diminish a third of your Virtual Spirit Realm in such a short time... who could possibly pull off a feat like that? I don't need to spell it out, do I?"
Lin Deng and Luofu exchanged a glance.
Luofu barked sharply, "Nonsense! Destroying a third of another Dharma Idol's Virtual Spirit Realm in so little time—no single person possesses that kind of power."
"I never said one person did it alone. What if there were two? Or perhaps a third, hidden figure joined in?" Yelisa mocked.
"You..."
"Don't waste your breath letting her muddy the waters. Lord Feng Ao personally crossed hands with that Dharma Idol, so he naturally knows it wasn't any of us," Lin Deng said with a wave of his hand, signaling Luofu not to bicker with Yelisa any further.
Seeing this, Luofu held his tongue. In truth, he had only spoken up to signal that the Wuji Astral Palace had no intention of becoming enemies with the Immortal Alliance.
"I'd say you're the ones muddying the waters. The Nine Cauldrons Sect did it? How do you even say that with a straight face?" Yelisa countered bluntly. "Don't forget, in addition to a Dharma Idol, the attackers included a Crimson Golden Core! Aside from Li Hanqiu, the Nine Cauldrons Sect doesn't have a single expert who can even take the stage! On the contrary, certain factions have far too many hidden forces and pawns planted across other sects."
"I won't bother arguing with you. Is it impossible for the Nine Cauldrons Sect to have another Crimson Golden Core hidden away?" Lin Deng flicked his sleeve, then turned toward Feng Ao. "Rest assured, Lord Feng Ao. The Wuji Astral Palace will assist you, and we will surely root out the culprits who inflicted such grievous losses upon the Immortal Alliance."
"Oh? Is the Wuji Astral Palace willing to tie down Li Hanqiu on my behalf?" Feng Ao asked.
"Er..."
That single question choked off whatever Lin Deng had been about to say next.
Luofu stepped in immediately. "We will offer our vocal support to pressure the Nine Cauldrons Sect for an explanation. With the Immortal Alliance suffering such massive losses, having the Nine Cauldrons Sect surrender their spirit treasure, the Origin Realm, strikes me as a very reasonable compensation plan."
Feng Ao glanced at him, fully aware that this was just an empty promise from the Wuji Astral Palace.
He also knew that if he truly tried to force the Nine Cauldrons Sect to hand over a supreme treasure like the Origin Realm, Li Hanqiu would undoubtedly go mad.
*Forget it. That Li Hanqiu really has seemed off lately; he might genuinely be unable to hold out for the next few decades. The odds of him dragging someone down with him before dying are quite high, so our Immortal Alliance had better not stick our necks out to court bad luck.*
Feng Ao made up his mind in secret, though he naturally kept those thoughts to himself, nodding in apparent agreement instead. "I also find that very suitable."
It was extortion anyway. Demand the sky and settle for what you could get. They would squeeze whatever they could from the Nine Cauldrons Sect to offset the Immortal Alliance's losses.
Who told the Nine Cauldrons Sect to be so weak and easy to bully?
***
Such a monumental upheaval within the Immortal Alliance was headline news across the entire realm, sparking fervent discussion throughout the Virtual Spirit Realm.
Amid such a massive storm, the death of an Alchemy Grandmaster hardly made a ripple. At most, it caused Dengxian Tower to raise the prices of a few specialized pills by a few tens of percent.
The shockwaves from the clash between a Crimson Golden Core and a Star God had claimed only a few hundred lives, which for the entire Dengxian Tower headquarters was already a blessing in disguise. Had the fight dragged on even slightly longer or grown more intense, leveling the entire Dengxian Tower headquarters—or even all of Seven Hills City—would have been completely normal.
When even the death of an Alchemy Grandmaster was overshadowed by the news, the silent disappearance of a deputy director-level figure shortly thereafter drew even less attention.
***
Three days later.
After personally executing the mastermind responsible for slaughtering his entire family, Sheikh returned to Yaoguang, his expression solemn. "Hall Master Yaoguang, from this day forth, my life belongs to you."
"As long as you do not fail our Nine Cauldrons Sect, the Nine Cauldrons Sect will never fail you," Yaoguang said, clapping him on the shoulder, even though his age was dozens of years junior to this Alchemy Grandmaster.
***
Several days later, Yaoguang brought Sheikh directly to the headquarters of the Nine Cauldrons Sect—Chicheng.
To show their sincerity upon their arrival, Sect Master Li Qingshan personally led a welcoming party to receive them.
Of course, for security reasons, the reception was not particularly grand, but every person in attendance was of the Hall Master tier. Among them was the master of the Alchemy Hall, Wu Qingying.
This was the first time Yaoguang had seen the Alchemy Hall Master in person. She exuded the distinct aura of an overworked doctoral scholar—listless, hollow-eyed, and seemingly daydreaming even amid the welcoming ceremony.
That was until Li Qingshan spoke to her: "Qingying, with Grandmaster Sheikh's help, you can hand over all of Hall Master Yaoguang's body refining pills to him from now on. You won't have to worry yourself over them anymore..."
Instantly, as if struck by a surge of pure vitality, Wu Qingying became brimming with energy.
Casting aside her dazed stupor, she stepped before Sheikh full of enthusiasm. "Grandmaster Sheikh, welcome to the sect! You've arrived at the perfect time! The Alchemy Hall will be counting on you to hold up the sky from now on..."
Seeing Wu Qingying's earnest demeanor, Sheikh felt the genuine sincerity of the Nine Cauldrons Sect once more and solemnly promised, "Hall Master Wu overpraises me. I am only skilled in a few pill formulas; the broader affairs of the Alchemy Hall still require your guidance. We can assist and learn from each other..."
"I mean every word! I've decided—I will step down right now and yield the position to you so you can take over as Master of the Alchemy Hall! I'll also transfer control of the Cyan Jade Pill Cauldron to you. With your alchemy attainments, if you command that spirit treasure cauldron, you will certainly refine far more and far superior pills!"
Wu Qingying looked as though she could not wait to shed her burdens on the spot.
"This... no, no, that won't do at all! As an outsider with neither merit nor tenure, how could I possibly take over as Master of the Alchemy Hall the moment I arrive...?" Sheikh waved his hands frantically.
"The path of alchemy favors the accomplished. Grandmaster Sheikh, you are a renowned level-nine, three-star Alchemy Grandmaster in the Cangwu Great World, whereas I... at best, I can only be considered a level-eight, one-star alchemist. And that is only because the sect gave me copious resources to squander, allowing me to refine a single type of mid-grade precious pill. In truth, I can't even craft third-generation low-grade precious pills... I... I..."
As Wu Qingying spoke, the immense pressure she had shouldered over the years welled up, and her voice choked with emotion.
"Come now, it's not that bad, not that bad..." Li Qingshan hastily stepped in to console her. "Qingying, your talent in alchemy is beyond question. Before the age of forty, you were already able to craft second-generation low-grade precious pills and even force out a first-generation mid-grade precious pill. Given another thirty years of growth, crafting first-generation high-grade precious pills and stepping into the realm of a level-nine alchemist is by no means an extravagant dream. After several more decades of accumulation, becoming a level-nine, three-star alchemist before turning a hundred is entirely within reach. There is truly no need to belittle yourself."
The other hall masters nodded in deep agreement.
Wu Qingying was indeed a top-tier alchemy prodigy. Being on track to become a level-nine, three-star alchemist before reaching a hundred placed her on roughly equal footing with Sheikh.
The main reason she lacked confidence was simply that Yaoguang had pushed her too hard.
He would send people two or three times a year to inquire about her pill-refining progress, and each time he asked, his cultivation seemed to leap by an entire tier. The person waiting for her pills was advancing relentlessly, while her own alchemy remained stalled. Naturally, the contrast made her feel completely useless.
"But..." Wu Qingying started to speak.
At that moment, Yaoguang chimed in, "Let us first hand over the Cyan Jade Pill Cauldron for Sheikh to use as a token of our Nine Cauldrons Sect's sincerity. As it happens, I have a pill formula I'd like Sheikh to attempt. With a spirit treasure cauldron, the success rate should improve considerably."
Hearing Yaoguang speak, Wu Qingying and the others raised no further objections.
"Then we'll do as you say."
By now, she and the sect's upper echelons could already see that Yaoguang represented the future of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. If given enough time to grow, the Nine Cauldrons Sect might one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with peak immortal sects like the Myriad Beasts Sect and the Immortal Alliance.
Therefore, even though he was merely a deputy hall master who did not even hold a full hall master title, in the hearts of many, he had already become the sect's number-three figure, second only to Li Hanqiu and Li Qingshan.
Chapter 232