As the world regained its natural state of tranquility, the five Grand Imperial Sages alongside the other high-ranking members of the Myriad Monarch Sect were gathered, standing at the entrance to Wei Wuyin's sky palace. Despite their revered status, strength, and reputation, none of them stepped into the sky palace. They merely waited.
"What was that manifestation?" Ji Changkong asked, specifically towards Tuo Bihan. When the manifestation erupted, the world's ambient mana became violent and vigorous. It was this unexpected event that caused their Astral Souls to instinctively react, protecting them from its influence. To them, it felt as if the entire planet was quivering with excitement.
"We were directly in it, but I still don't know what it was," Zen said in a drawn-out manner, but her voice carried a wisp of detectable solemness. Unlike the others below, they were directly within the heart of the manifestation and hadn't been able to observe the sights of an indeterminate celestial body. Furthermore, the ambient mana was so chaotic that their spiritual senses were overwhelmed.
That being said, Tuo Bihan's eyes were incomparably calm as he fixated on the entrance. He didn't speak, merely watched. As an Emperor Alchemist, and likely the only one amongst all those present who studied the King of Everlore's history with an avid passion, he acutely noticed things.
The only issue was that he wasn't certain.
If his thoughts were correct, then what they witnessed had been a phenomenon produced by the creation of a ninth-grade product—the Stellar Manifestation of a Mortal Sovereign. It was referred to as such by those in the King of Everlore's era, and it was usually accompanied by an Everlore Ascension Pill.
There was even a specific day in the year that was celebrated back then by all, referred to as the Day of Everlore. While the day was no longer celebrated with such zeal, there were a few who would use it to revisit the King of Everlore's legacy and influence during his era and the other eras after while paying respects. On the planet Everlore, the central planet of the San Clan, it was remarked as a day to pay respects. There, the King of Everlore was worshipped like an ancient mythological deity.
Considering the San Clan's history, this made sense.
'It shouldn't be possible, right?' From what he knew, while Wei Wuyin was extraordinarily talented, he had merely started his path in the Alchemic Dao a little over a decade ago. Even the King of Everlore required decades before he stumbled into creating the Everlore Ascension Pill, and even more years before he established himself as a publicly recognized Mortal Sovereign Alchemist.
But...a little over a decade…
Seeing that Tuo Bihan remained silent, clearly unwilling to make speculations, their hearts shook. This might be more impactful than they originally thought. In the end, they could wait for that figure to step outside and deliver an explanation. This was the reason why all these elites and experts were waiting with bated breaths.
The sound of footsteps resounded as a figure approached the door from the other side. These footsteps caused the heartbeats of these experts to resonate with it, causing their hearts to tense in anticipation.
The sound of the door opening was accompanied by a figure, garbed in black robes. His stature was impressive, with impeccable symmetric perfection, and the outlines of his muscles that those robes hugged revealed power and exquisite design. Tall, imposing, yet with eyes that seemed to contain the silver moons and glittering stars.
These stars, which numbered seven in each eye, were faint, emitting various colors that accentuated his silver colors. Wei Wuyin hadn't noticed these stars when he was cultivating, but they were faint marks of a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist. They were the recognition given to those who reached that stage by the Alchemic Dao. It was an incomparably precious gift. Its manifestation was quiet and unnoticeable, so even Wei Wuyin hadn't realized it.
They were called the Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality.
The embodied two Daos, the Mortal Dao and the Alchemic Dao, providing benefits to Alchemists.
When Wei Wuyin's eyes met the crowd, he saw a unique aura within the bodies of those present. It was a strange wispy aura that fluttered and twisted oddly. Each wisp was of the same color but varying shades, from dark or light, and varying sizes. He frowned for a moment before Eden's voice echoed in his heart.
"Your eyes!" Eden exclaimed uncharacteristically. Immediately, Wei Wuyin realized his sight was different. He could see these wisps within the bodies of others, something even his Celestial Eyes hadn't perceived before.
Eden was swift. In a flash, it directly informed him of what he was seeing. "These are Alchemic Spirit Remnants! They store the unused efficacy of various products within." When explained, Wei Wuyin immediately understood.
Alchemic Spirit Remnants were the leftover efficacy unrefined by others, because it was simply impossible to refine a hundred percent of it. It stayed and stored in a certain area of a person's spirit. This was a profound aspect of the Dao of Alchemy; it wasted nothing. When these people died, these remnants would re-enter the mortal world eventually and produce various materials or treasured grounds at their burial sites. If an alchemist were to extract these remnants, they could create all sorts of unique products.
He was startled for a moment, but when his eyes saw Tuo Bihan and witnessed those widened and disturbed eyes of his as if he had just saw a ghost, Wei Wuyin realized this was evidence of his Mortal Sovereign abilities. He blinked. In that blinking moment, Eden went to work and hurriedly concealed the manifestation.
When he opened his eyes, his clear silver irises and black pupils were all that remained.
Tuo Bihan's eyes widened in even greater horror. It seemed it wasn't something that could be concealed to an Emperor Alchemist with sufficient knowledge of the Dao of Alchemy. In that case, the smokescreen would only work as a brief and temporary relief as the Alchemist Association will definitely know of the manifestation's purpose.
He sighed inwardly. 'This is troublesome.'
In the end, he could only accept it.
He continued to walk until he was directly before the others and gently smiled, but everyone could tell that his eyes were filled with jubilation. "I've concocted my first solo Eighth-Grade Pill!" He announced.
The crowd was silent. Before they could fully process his outrageous statement, he waved his hand and a box appeared. With care, he lifted its lid to reveal a freshly concocted eighth-grade pill with his unique spiritual aura.
"The Spatial Spirit Pill!" He once more announced, this time causing quite a few powerful hearts to thunder outwards in shock. These were from the beastmen that cultivated their fleshy bodies and contained their Astral Souls within their hearts. It was vigorous and loud, like chaotic drums. As for the other cultivators, their expressions widened in shock.
This was especially so for those Sky Nobles and Heavenly Kings from the other mountains; they were wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Wei Wuyin had succeeded in concocting an eighth-grade pill? But...but he wasn't even fifty! In fact, he was barely forty-two!
Besides the Princess of Everlore and Wei Wuyin, there wasn't even an Alchemic King below the age of five hundred, yet there was now an Emperor Alchemist at forty-two?!?! Okay, perhaps that was jumping the gun a little. To be classified as an official alchemist, he needed a certain degree of success rate with eighth-grade pills, but considering his age, perhaps that was a mere formality?
These Sky Nobles and Heavenly Kings were all at the Third Stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Soul Idol Phase, so this Spatial Spirit Pill was endlessly beneficial to them. Their hearts were overwhelmed with desire for it, their Alchemic Souls screaming to consume it. If it wasn't for Wei Wuyin's presence, no, it should be Grand Imperial Sages and the rest, right? Well, if it wasn't for all these important people, they might have tried to snatch it.
Wei Wuyin didn't mind this as he allowed his excited eyes to flash with exhaustion. Despite the appearance of this pill, these experts acutely noticed this and they immediately voiced their concern.
"Are you okay, Heavenly King Wei?" A young female Sky Noble of the Extreme War Mountain, one renowned for her brutality in handling matters, was among the first to speak. It was echoed by numerous young elites, especially these women. They seemed ready to leap forward and lift Wei Wuyin away if he tottered even a little.
They might even 'nurse' him back to full health.
"Ahem!" Qin Rui cleared out her throat, silencing these youngsters. Her actions were timely as these old froggies were nearly done deliberating their willingness to lower themselves to the young women's level.
Wei Wuyin slightly smiled at this. He knew the attractiveness of an Emperor Alchemist. It was highly likely that obtaining the favor of one would soon allow them to experience a rise, becoming a peak expert at the Fifth or even Sixth Phase in their lifetime. These experts were rare and ruled entire planets or were a part of the hegemons upper-echelons.
Their names were renowned and remembered, and even the San Clan had to give them exceptional respect and face.
"I'm fine. I've just exhausted my mental energies a little during the process, so I'm quite tired. I think I need to undergo a period of secluded recovery." Wei Wuyin flashed a reluctant expression as he turned to Tuo Bihan. He no longer had a deeply shocked expression. Instead, he was serene like a windless ocean.
He knew he couldn't conceal things. At most, he could fool those who weren't in the know.
With a bitter smile, he turned towards Qin Rui. When he did, it was noticed by everyone. Ji Changkong frowned. He imagined a scenario where Wei Wuyin uses his current momentum to propose marriage. In his thoughts, he felt that Qin Rui would be hard-pressed to decline.
Even if she wanted to, the chances of a rising expert like Wei Wuyin returning to take her by force when he fully matured if she did was quite high. After all, these youths cared heavily about pride.
But his thoughts were nothing but wasted energy. In fact, these thoughts were within Zen, Yao Zhen, and Qin Rui's thoughts as well. Beneath her veil, her expression was somewhat awkward and twisted. She recalled Wei Wuyin's formidable display of self-restraint. Then, he causes this commotion? Was it all to prove his worth to be with her? If he asked, should she accept?
Their thoughts were quite colorful but pointless. Wei Wuyin gently smiled as he said, "This Spatial Spirit Pill is merely of the low-quality, but I hope Grand Imperial Sage Qin can find a worthy recipient." His words caught everyone off-guard. But before they could speak, the box closed and quietly floated towards Qin Rui.
She absentmindedly accepted the box. The responsibility of finding someone worthy of this pill was left to her. And this was a grand gesture and one that likely contained quite a few hidden implications. After that, Wei Wuyin clasped his hands respectfully.
"I need to rest. I apologize for not being able to accompany you all further. Thanks for your concern." After he said those words, he returned to his sky palace. Tuo Bihan swept his gaze around to see all these figures with varying expressions, trying to digest all this information.
"Grand Imperial Sage Qin, you should handle this matter properly. He trusts your choice. Consider this carefully. As for the rest of you, return to your mountains." After he said these orders, a wisp of reluctance entered the eyes of many. To leave after being told that the youngest Emperor Alchemist in history had been born?
Furthermore, it wasn't someone like the Princess of Everlore, someone with an Alchemic Astral Soul, but an alchemist that had combat ability and a thousand years of life in the Astral Core Realm. If an Emperor Alchemist was a figure everyone and their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents wanted to befriend at any cost, then an Emperor Alchemist with combat prowess was enough to sell your daughters and sons.
Tuo Bihan, the strongest human expert at the Sixth Stage in the entire starfield, was an Emperor Alchemist. His importance was enough to lead the Myriad Monarch Sect in the absence of a Grand Monarch. How exceptional was this? While there were no other human experts of this caliber at the Myriad Monarch Sect, he was still considered the strongest of the six.
"Disperse!" Tuo Bihan barked. The others could only accept this as they started to leave. A few Sky Nobles and Heavenly Kings looked at Qin Rui with desire. They were all thinking of various ways to obtain the Spatial Spirit Pill to pave a smoother path to the Fourth Stage of the Astral Core Realm, the Spatial Resonance Phase. Unfortunately, they had to leave too after Tuo Bihan's glance.
In seconds, only the Grand Imperial Sages remained.
Qin Rui gazed at the box for a brief moment. In her entire life, she consumed a single eighth-grade pill. It was given to her by Tuo Bihan and it was this very pill! It was with this pill's support that she could reach the Fifth-Ripple Resonance. With that came bountiful benefits as she crushed the Light Reflection and Gravity Emission Astral Tribulations thanks to her solid comprehension of space.
In the Astral Core Realm, the First, Fourth, and Seventh Phases were fundamentally important to advance. In fact, it was said that unless one was at the Fourth-Ripple Resonance, trying to assail the Realm World Phase to become an illustrious Realmlord was impossible!
It was the truth, of course. But the higher your resonance, the greater your chances to advance. Similarly to how the greater your foundation, the stronger your Soul Idol and Spatial Resonance would be.
This pill created her. If someone were to obtain this pill with talents similar to hers, wouldn't the sect create another Sixth Stage expert in a few hundred years? Her heart started to race uncontrollably as her face became flushed. She was just given the right to choose the next Grand Imperial Sage!
Her soft lips were soon dry as she licked them a little.
The others weren't ignorant. They too understood the importance of this pill and their eyes towards Qin Rui was blazing. They wanted to grasp this pill for their descendants or disciples, but they halted their desires. If they dared to snatch this pill, wouldn't they irrevocably offend Wei Wuyin? In the end, it just wasn't worth it.
Tuo Bihan sighed in his heart. They hadn't even realized the truth, and even if they didn't, they similarly didn't realize the facts of what just happened. Even if Wei Wuyin had concocted this pill, it took him two weeks maximum.
Two. Weeks.
To put it into proper perspective, it took him five years to succeed. And that was after being an officially recognized Emperor Alchemist for a hundred years! He lost five years for a single pill that later gave birth to Qin Rui, a fellow Grand Imperial Sage a few hundred years later.
Two. Weeks.
While they were fascinated, he said: "I'll ensure that this sly lad hadn't suffered too much of a backlash." After saying this, he walked into the entrance and closed the door. The others were brought out of their thoughts, but they couldn't say anything. Since he was the only Alchemist at that level, and a fellow human too, it was best he handled any negative aftereffects that Wei Wuyin suffered.
They merely glanced before their eyes returned to the box. Qin Rui noticed this and felt somewhat threatened. She knew they wouldn't simply allow her to choose her disciple or family member for this pill one-sidedly. But she felt aggrieved, so she flashed away. The other three didn't hesitate to follow.
While they can't snatch it, they absolutely couldn't let her freely decide!
While this outrageous chase happened, Tuo Bihan arrived to see Wei Wuyin eating green seedless grapes and lounging on the couch. Clearly, he was relaxed and suffered not a hint of exhaustion.
"You want some?" Wei Wuyin offered with a smile.
Tuo Bihan quietly observed Wei Wuyin, particularly glancing in his eyes. He definitely saw the same lights oftentimes referred to when describing the King of Everlore. They were seven-colored stars within each eye, accentuating the ring of silver that was his irises.
"That was the Stellar Manifestation of the Mortal Sovereign and...your eyes contained the Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality, didn't they?" Tuo Bihan asked, but his voice resonated with certainty.
Wei Wuyin started for a moment. He hadn't known what to term the manifestation or his newfound abilities, but he knew from Eden's explanation that they emerged after he completed the concoction of the ninth-grade pill. They were profound signs of his acceptance by the Dao of Alchemy.
The Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality could be classified the same as Sword Intent or Elemental Origin Intent. It was the proven result of understanding the profoundness of the Sword Dao or Elemental Dao.
"Yes." He didn't deny and straightforwardly admitted.
Tuo Bihan stilled for a moment, then took several long and deep inhales and exhales. Only after a long period did he regain himself. "What ninth-grade product did you concoct?"
"The Everlore Ascension Pill." Wei Wuyin didn't rise as he waved his hand, producing a box that could contain various energies and alchemical auras. But the pill within the box was already corroding it. When it opened, the black sun-like pill levitated out the box and its aura permeated throughout the room.
Tuo Bihan's eyes flashed with pure shock. The eyes, the talent, and the pills! He couldn't help but ask, "Are you his reincarnation?!"
"..." Wei Wuyin's expression froze.
...could he be?
Wait.
"Is he even dead?" Wei Wuyin asked in response. There was no record of his death, and many refer to him as having 'vanished' rather than having died. There were a few rumors, unsubstantiated, that stated he had died from old age. But that was absolutely impossible. As an Alchemist, there were a thousand and one pills that can increase one's longevity.
Tuo Bihan was about to answer when his voice was caught in his throat. His expression rapidly shifted and then he revealed uncertain confusion.
"...I don't know."
