Chapter 1318: Alchemy and Magic Performance

Even with the Tai Xu Immortal's composure, he couldn't help but feel shocked when his conjecture was confirmed.

How long had the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation been cultivating to reach the Void Refinement stage already?

One had to understand that even he had only grasped the key to Void Refinement and taken this step with the help of the Tai Xu Sky Measuring Ruler, a treasure that had helped him achieve enlightenment.

"Congratulations, young friend!"

After fully understanding Chen Mobai's exceptional talent, the Tai Xu Immortal immediately stood up and, with Great Void True Monarch and others, went forward to greet him.

"Thank you for waiting so long, Senior."

Chen Mobai immediately returned the greeting. Qing Nü had also arrived with E Yun, guiding Feng Qingshu to her seat.

"I didn't expect Senior Kong to still be concerned about this matter..."

After hearing why the Vast Qi Immortal hadn't arrived yet, Chen Mobai inwardly felt that he was being overly persistent. It didn't matter if True Monarch Tian Ling didn't come; Chen Mobai hadn't invited him anyway. He figured he would simply find an opportunity later to kill him and resolve the issue. Of course, he couldn't say this openly.

As there was still some time before the Grand Ceremony of God Transformation officially began, Chen Mobai first toasted each of the present God Transformation True Monarchs.

This time, he had sent invitations to almost all the Holy Lands he knew, and most of them showed great respect. Even if a God Transformation cultivator couldn't attend in person due to other commitments, they still sent gifts.

For instance, Apothecary Li of the Medicine King Sect, who was assisting True Monarch Wuchen with alchemy, sent a disciple who presented a fifth-grade spirit herb.

Holy Lands generally sent fifth-grade gifts. Only the relatively impoverished Western Continent, or perhaps the Minor Thunder Immortal's reluctance to spend much, resulted in merely a fourth-grade Thunder Spirit Ore being sent.

Furthermore, even from the Mysterious Fire Sect, the Immortal of Flames himself felt awkward coming, so he dispatched Reverend Yuan Huo, who had interacted with Chen Mobai at the Big Dipper Conference, to present a fifth-grade Nine-Yang True Fire Stone.

Although this gift was no longer particularly useful to the current Chen Mobai, it at least showed that the Mysterious Fire Sect had inquired about his preferences, using it as a gesture of goodwill.

After accepting it, Chen Mobai treated Reverend Yuan Huo with courtesy, seating him in the row behind the God Transformation cultivators. During the toasts, he even specifically went over to converse with Yuan Huo for a few moments.

Chen Mobai inquired about the fifth-grade magical artifact Yuan Huo had planned to refine. The latter smiled, stating that it had been successfully forged. Although the Immortal of Flames had lent a hand at the final stage, Yuan Huo had completed most of the work himself, making him a true fifth-grade artifact refiner by the standards of the Five Continents and Four Seas.

"Congratulations! Coincidentally, I will be demonstrating artifact refining later at the Grand Ceremony of God Transformation. A top-grade fifth-grade artifact will certainly be no problem, and if I'm lucky, I might even refine a sixth-grade one. Feel free to observe, and we can exchange insights afterward."

Chen Mobai's words made Yuan Huo repeatedly exclaim that he wouldn't dare, stating that with his own refining skill, merely understanding the demonstration would be an accomplishment.

As they conversed, the intercontinental teleportation array at the very center of the Sky-Suspended Dao Platform lit up with a silver glow.

Nine spiritual vein cloud dragons immediately drew upon the sixth-grade spiritual energy within Beiyuan City, supplying it to Zhang Pankong. Under his control, the array connected with the teleportation array in Central Continent.

Once the silver light reached its peak brilliance, the Vast Qi Immortal, Kong Wenyan, stepped out from it.

"Oh, Daoist Brother, why are you alone?"

The Tai Xu Immortal asked, somewhat surprised not to see True Monarch Tian Ling.

"Daoist Friend Tian Ling is still in secluded cultivation healing from injuries and truly unable to travel. He entrusted me to bring this gift as an apology for the Kui Beast's rampage after it left the Myriad Spirits Sect."

Kong Wenyan spoke expressionlessly, seemingly displeased that even his personal visit couldn't persuade True Monarch Tian Ling to come. Nevertheless, he fulfilled his duty as the leader of the Central Continent's righteous path, handing a storage bag to Chen Mobai.

"Today is my wife's Grand Ceremony of God Transformation. Matters between me and the Myriad Spirits Sect can be discussed after the ceremony concludes."

Chen Mobai, however, did not take it, politely declining directly.

True Monarch Tian Ling's absence showed he had no intention of reconciliation.

"Daoist Friend, please take a look at the item first. Perhaps Daoist Friend Tian Ling is very sincere."

The Vast Qi Immortal said this.

Chen Mobai smiled slightly in response, motioning for Yin Qingmei nearby to bring a wine cup. After it was filled, he handed it to the Vast Qi Immortal, emphasizing his stance that he would not discuss this matter today.

The karmic ties between him and True Monarch Tian Ling essentially marked them as mortal enemies.

If he were to ascend, he would certainly have to deal with this formidable enemy before leaving, unless True Monarch Tian Ling ascended to the Spirit Void Immortal Realm before him, or simply died.

Even if True Monarch Tian Ling swore an oath in his presence that their enmity would be forgotten, Chen Mobai would not believe it.

Seeing that Chen Mobai did not wish to discuss the matter, the Vast Qi Immortal retrieved the storage bag. The extent to which he had gone was already befitting his status as the leader of the Central Continent's righteous path.

Having put the matter aside, he conversed very pleasantly with Chen Mobai. He took the wine cup, took a sip, and his eyes quickly lit up. He drained the cup and praised, "Excellent wine."

"It's a Five-Colored Spiritual Wine brewed by my disciple, Zhuo Ming. This jar has been aged for a hundred years..."

Chen Mobai introduced it, immediately refilling the guest's cup.

After a few cups of wine, it was time for the Grand Ceremony of God Transformation to officially begin.

Chen Mobai excused himself and, along with Qing Nü, took their places at the main seats on the Sky-Suspended Dao Platform, commencing the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the discussion on Dao began.

In this phase, Qing Nü, as the main figure, shared her insights and experiences regarding the God Transformation realm, while also demonstrating her cultivation techniques of the Great Dao, concealing her true foundation as much as possible.

During this process, the attending guests participated. Some God Transformation cultivators who also practiced water-attribute cultivation methods discussed the Great Dao of Water with Qing Nü, while others, skilled in alchemy, inquired about various secrets of pill refinement.

Overall, the atmosphere remained very friendly.

This allowed Chen Mobai to breathe a sigh of relief.

According to local customs, hostile forces often appeared during such grand ceremonies to deliberately provoke.

For example, if one had just achieved God Transformation, a senior God Transformation True Monarch might arrive, ostensibly to discuss cultivation methods, but in reality, they would engage in a serious sparring match, striking fiercely during the spell exchange segment.

Those newly entered into God Transformation would certainly be no match in such a contest, leading to a severe setback.

Not only could their Dao heart be shattered, but the God Transformation Grand Ceremony, which was meant to boost morale, might instead cause the sect and its disciples to lose considerable face.

To counter this, Holy Lands with insufficient heritage would invite other God Transformation cultivators from allied Holy Lands within the same continent to provide support, while some simply chose not to hold such ceremonies at all.

With Chen Mobai's strength, there was no concern about engaging in combat, as no one in the Sky River Realm was his match.

However, if such a situation arose, the Grand Ceremony of God Transformation, which should have been a joyous occasion, would become less cheerful.

Thus, seeing the Grand Ceremony of God Transformation proceed smoothly and with none of the God Transformation guests requesting Qing Nü to spar, Chen Mobai secretly nodded in approval.

After the demonstration and sermon on Dao, the ceremony proceeded to Qing Nü's most proficient segment.

She was to refine a batch of fifth-grade pills on the spot.

This Grand Ceremony of God Transformation was also a grand stage for self-display. After Qing Nü demonstrated her alchemy skills, other God Transformation cultivators, if they wished to show off, could also seize this opportunity to showcase their mastery in any of the hundred arts of cultivation.

In the past, the Immortal of Flames had refined a fifth-grade magical artifact on the spot during the Vast Qi Immortal's Grand Ceremony of God Transformation, his reputation soaring, eventually making him one of the Three Immortals.

The pill Qing Nü intended to refine this time was the fifth-grade Life-Blood Refining Pill.

She could already refine fifth-grade pills when she was at the Nascent Soul stage. Now that she had reached God Transformation, it was even easier for her.

To display her exquisite skill, Qing Nü didn't even use Chen Mobai's Pure Yang Cauldron. Instead, she simply clasped her empty hands, condensing water into a pond. Without using any external tools, relying purely on her own technique, she extracted the essence from each ingredient with Profound Nether True Water, blending them into a single furnace.

Forty-nine days later, ten blood-jade-like pills had formed within the True Water Medicine Pool in Qing Nü's palm, radiating a rich crimson spiritual light.

"To avoid delaying your precious time, Daoist friends, I reduced the medicinal potency and increased the speed of pill refinement and condensation. This batch of pills is only of lower-grade fifth-grade quality."

As Qing Nü spoke, she extended her other slender hand into the medicine pool, sealing and extracting each of the ten Life-Blood Refining Pills, placing them into pre-prepared bottles.

"It's... finished?"

Upon witnessing this, even the Vast Qi Immortal and the Tai Xu Immortal were somewhat shocked.

This was a fifth-grade pill. Normally, when alchemists from their sects acted, it would take at least several years to complete the entire process of refining, maturing, and extracting such pills.

It was precisely for this reason that Grand Ceremonies of God Transformation often lasted for several years, as at the fifth-grade level, whether it was pills, magical artifacts, or even talismans and formations, all required years to complete.

For God Transformation cultivators, this was also a rare opportunity to spar and exchange ideas. Therefore, knowing that many fellow Daoists would attend, all God Transformation cultivators from the Holy Lands of the Five Continents and Four Seas were willing to participate.

It's better to exchange ideas with peers than to cultivate in isolation.

The reason the Sacred Dao Conference of the Thousand Autumn Pen and Ink Forest was renowned was that all Holy Lands from the Five Continents and Four Seas would attend.

That's why, when Chen Mobai had been in seclusion and unable to attend previously, True Monarch Wuchen and Great Void True Monarch both felt it was a great pity.

For with Chen Mobai's artifact refining skills and cultivation, he would surely have shone brightly and brought glory to the Eastern Continent.

However, even without the Sacred Dao Conference, Chen Mobai's brilliance had already soared, becoming known and revered by all God Transformation cultivators in the Sky River Realm.

"Whenever I watch your alchemy, Daoist friend, it is always a pleasure."

It was Feng Qingshu who spoke. She was also a fifth-grade alchemist, and if she hadn't consistently refused to refine pills for outsiders, she might have contended for the title of the Sky River Realm's foremost alchemist.

Even so, her knowledge of alchemy remained top-tier.

Earlier, when Chen Mobai brought Qing Nü's second primordial spirit to Du Guangye, Feng Qingshu initially paid little attention, viewing her merely as a fortunate woman who married the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Desolation.

But soon, Qing Nü's peerless alchemy brought immense shock to Feng Qingshu.

This shock differed from Chen Mobai's repair of the strings of the Nine Calamities Heavenly Phoenix Zither. Because Feng Qingshu's attainment in artifact refining was not deep, she merely considered Chen Mobai very impressive in that regard.

However, Feng Qingshu was extremely proud of her alchemy skills, as she had, in her youth, followed the previous Valley Master of Heavenly Phoenix Valley, her mother, in refining sixth-grade pills.

By the standards of the Sky River Realm, Feng Qingshu could even call herself a sixth-grade alchemist. While she didn't care for the title, she believed her alchemy skills were paramount in the Sky River Realm.

True Monarch Wuchen and Apothecary Li, combined, might barely be able to compare with her.

Yet, even with such confidence, after witnessing the fifth-grade pills refined by Qing Nü and personally tasting and appraising them, she felt utterly ashamed of her own skills.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen fifth-grade pills without residual toxicity, but only a sixth-grade alchemist like her mother could achieve that, and even then, one or two tenths of the medicinal properties would be lost.

However, the fifth-grade pills refined by Qing Nü not only lacked residual toxicity, but their medicinal properties even reached ninety-nine percent, with some even achieving a perfect one hundred percent.

From this point, Feng Qingshu, proficient in alchemy, knew that Qing Nü's skill level far surpassed her own.

Although both were fifth-grade alchemists, they could hardly be said to be on the same level.

"Thank you for your praise, Clan Head Feng."

Qing Nü smiled slightly and placed the ten sealed Life-Blood Refining Pills one by one onto the prepared table.

The waiting God Transformation cultivators surged forward, beginning to appraise the newly refined pills using their own methods.

Feng Qingshu, the Vast Qi Immortal, and the Tai Xu Immortal each took one pill; no one contended with them.

They poured the pills into their palms, and after examining them by sight and smell, all expressed admiration.

There weren't many God Transformation cultivators present, so everyone quickly had a chance to appraise the pills.

Shen Xi held the pill in his hand, reluctant to let go. Only an alchemist of his caliber could truly understand how perfect the pill Qing Nü had refined was.

All the medicinal properties of the ingredients were perfectly extracted and utilized, precisely controlling the pill's grade to the lower-grade fifth-grade level, with no waste or excess.

If Shen Xi were to refine the same pill, he would certainly need to prepare thirty percent more ingredients, preferring to waste some rather than being so strict with the raw materials.

Only someone extremely confident in their alchemy skills would dare to do this.

And there were quite a few others, like Shen Xi, who could discern such profound mastery.

"What is the true origin of this True Monarch Danxia? Such alchemy skills, even our Central Continent cannot match?"

The Tai Xu Immortal asked curiously via spiritual transmission to the Vast Qi Immortal.

The Tai Xu Ethereal Palace was considered a neutral Holy Land, focused on business, and therefore its understanding of the alchemy profession was not as deep as that of the Thousand Autumn Pen and Ink Forest.

Moreover, within the Thousand Autumn Pen and Ink Forest, there was a God Transformation True Monarch widely known as the Central Continent's foremost alchemist.

"There is only one place whose alchemy surpasses both my Thousand Autumn Pen and Ink Forest and the Heavenly Phoenix Valley."

The Vast Qi Immortal replied after a moment of silence.

"Are you referring to..."

The Tai Xu Immortal quickly understood where the Vast Qi Immortal was referring to, and his expression turned to one of astonishment.

"You are the Eastern Continent Prefect of the Impermanence Pavilion, aren't you? Do you have any records concerning this True Monarch Danxia?"

At that moment, Cui Tai, who had been drinking in the corner, suddenly heard a series of spiritual transmissions in his ear.

Everyone was asking the same thing.