Chapter 1757: Little Heavenly Pill

Sage Wuhen’s sigh was filled with endless weariness and the weight of ages. Already old, he seemed to age another hundred years in that moment.

“Wuhen, give up.”

A wisp of green smoke emerged from Sage Wuhen’s embrace, solidifying upon the ground into a middle-aged woman in a pill-master’s robe. Faint ripples of elemental law emanated from her, revealing her to be the remnant soul of a Sage.

She was Sage Xingye, another Sage from the Medicine God Hall a millennium ago, and the only female Sage of the Hall.

Sage Xingye gazed at Sage Wuhen’s wrinkled form, her face showing pity. “There is no eternal life in this world. Do not go against the heavens. You have exhausted yourself trying to refine the Elixir of Immortality for our comrades fighting against the Source of All Evil. You should have reincarnated and cultivated anew long ago. Instead, you extended your life by several centuries, clinging to this world. In your current state, who among our former comrades would recognize you?”

Sage Wuhen closed his eyes bitterly. To reach the level of an Eight-Star Soul Master, he had sacrificed far more than just his lifespan and the chance to recultivate. He was so dedicated to alchemy that he neglected the Medicine God Hall. He even neglected to discipline his own disciple.

He sighed, "Ancient Heart was right all along. He was the first to perceive the existence of the Source of All Evil, knowing that the true world-ending enemy was not before us, but in the distant Source of All Evil. That's why he proposed pooling the Medicine God Hall's power to refine the legendary Elixir of Immortality, to wage a prolonged punitive expedition. Unfortunately, no one believed him; they thought he was too extreme and drove him out of the Medicine God Hall.

"Now, his words have come true. The Source of All Evil is indeed the world-ending enemy of the myriad realms. Until it is eradicated, the Ancient Giant's unrest will never cease. The Sages have fought at the Source of All Evil for a thousand years. Once in their prime, they are now as decrepit as I am. How many more years can they fight? If only we had the Elixir of Immortality now..."

He slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with regret. "But I am just one person, powerless to achieve it. The realm of an Eight-Star Soul Master is beyond my reach, let alone refining the Elixir of Immortality, the most difficult of all eighth-grade elixirs."

Sage Xingye sighed, "Let it go. While you still have a century of life left, train a Sage for the Medicine God Hall to take your place. Then, reincarnate and cultivate anew with peace of mind."

Sage Wuhen said bitterly, "Do I have a choice? I couldn't achieve it in a thousand years; what difference will another century of life make? From now on, I'll just focus on diligently guiding my unruly disciple. An Eight-Star Soul Master... I no longer dare to hope for it."

Just as he spoke, a barely perceptible ripple silently swept across the sky above the Medicine God Hall. To a Seven-Star Soul Master, however, this ripple was like a lightning strike, impossible to miss.

Sage Wuhen suddenly looked towards the direction of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, deep confusion slowly emerging in his ancient eyes. Sage Xingye, being only a remnant soul, sensed it a moment later and said, uncertain, "Did I sense incorrectly? Is someone refining a seventh-grade elixir?"

The confusion on Sage Wuhen's face gradually turned to astonishment: "You didn't sense incorrectly, someone is indeed refining a seventh-grade elixir! And it's even a mid-grade seventh-grade elixir."

An incredulous expression appeared on Sage Xingye's face. "A mid-grade seventh-grade elixir? That's nearly on par with you. But when did a second Seven-Star Soul Master emerge in the Central Lands? The Seven-Star Soul Masters of the past had all gone to the Source of All Evil long ago! How could there be a second one? And in Tianzhou, right under the nose of the Medicine God Hall?"

As the two Sages stood in stunned disbelief, another ripple silently swept across the sky above the Medicine God Hall; this time, the fluctuation was even more pronounced. Sage Wuhen's ancient eyes widened, and a hint of shock flashed across his face. "It's a high-grade seventh-grade elixir now! The grade of this elixir is still rising!"

Sage Xingye gasped, too astonished to speak. Through a millennium of arduous cultivation, Sage Wuhen had progressed from refining low-grade seventh-grade elixirs to consistently refining high-grade seventh-grade elixirs. He had become the foremost alchemist in the entire Central Lands. Even if the Seven-Star Soul Masters from the Source of All Evil returned, they would certainly not surpass the current Sage Wuhen. Yet, at this moment, there was a Grand Soul Master on par with Sage Wuhen! How was this possible?

Sage Wuhen's expression suddenly became solemn. "Let's go, let's see. Who on earth is refining elixirs in my Tianzhou!"

However, when they arrived at the source of the fluctuations, Sage Wuhen stood dumbfounded.

Sage Xingye looked down and said, "Isn't this the Tai Cang Grand State's temporary residence in Tianzhou? Is a Seven-Star Soul Master borrowing the Tai Cang Grand State's residence to refine elixirs?" It was no wonder she thought someone was borrowing the premises; even during its heyday a thousand years ago, Tai Cang Grand State was not known to have any Soul Masters above the sixth grade.

Sage Wuhen's eyes were fixed, and after a long moment of stunned silence, he murmured absently, "I was mistaken! That young man, he can actually refine the Dragon Phoenix God Gallbladder! This isn't right, is it? Can he be a Seven-Star Soul Master, like me? Or a Soul Master capable of refining mid-grade seventh-grade elixirs?"

Sage Xingye looked puzzled. "A young man? Do you know this Seven-Star Soul Master?"

Sage Wuhen's face darkened. "Yes, I remember him vividly."

Sage Xingye was greatly surprised. "This Seven-Star Soul Master, who is on par with you, is actually a young person? Do we really have such a prodigy in the Central Lands? This is incredible! I must meet him, to witness his brilliance."

Sage Wuhen quickly said, "No! Keep your distance from him! If he calls out 'Senior, wait a moment,' run immediately and don't stop!"

Sage Xingye was perplexed. Why?

At that moment, from the moon hanging solitary in the sky, a stooped, white-haired old woman, leaning on a staff, flew down. The rhythm of elemental law encircled her, revealing her to be a Sage!

"Sage Lengyue?" Sage Xingye exclaimed with emotion. "A thousand years, and you've aged too." A millennium ago, Sage Lengyue was a famous beauty in Tianzhou, known as the Chang'e of the Moon Palace. A thousand years later, she was decrepit, her beauty faded.

Upon hearing someone say she was old, Sage Lengyue immediately became displeased and retorted sardonically: "Of course a flesh-and-blood body will age, unlike some immortal remnant soul that looks the same after a thousand years."

Sage Xingye's face stiffened, and she instantly became annoyed. "Aren't you also an immortal old hag?"

Sage Lengyue opened her mouth to retort with an insult, but Sage Wuhen stopped her. "Don't quarrel, don't disturb his alchemy."

Sage Lengyue looked at the residence below, then at Sage Wuhen, a hint of confusion appearing in her aged eyes. "Aren't you the one refining elixirs?" She had felt the powerful elixir fluctuations and assumed Sage Wuhen was refining a top-grade grand elixir, which was why she came out to see. To her surprise, Sage Wuhen was merely an observer, just like her.

Sage Wuhen spread his hands, implying, *Does it look like I'm refining elixirs?* He sighed, "From now on, I won't be the sole Seven-Star Soul Master capable of refining high-grade seventh-grade elixirs. Someone is about to be my equal."

But no sooner had he spoken, a visibly colorful ripple vigorously emanated from within the residence, sweeping in all directions. Sage Wuhen's ancient eyes were wide, and he gasped in horror, "A seventh-grade perfected grand elixir!"