The Ancient God Clan

Even as they walked out of the small courtyard, the Great Elder and Second Elder were still wiping the cold sweat off their foreheads. Both knew that after being stuck at the same cultivation level for years, having a shot at breaking through was worth any price.

Watching the two elders leave, Mo Yang couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

Finally, he felt like he had let off some steam. The Qiankun Pill was indeed beneficial for cultivation, but the truth was that its ingredient requirements were far fewer than what he had listed—just seven ingredients in total.

As for the Yangchun Pill, the two extra ingredients he added were entirely unnecessary. Mo Yang had deliberately included them to stockpile more resources for himself. After all, the path of alchemy was long, and he would need plenty of herbs in the future.

Moreover, with his current level of alchemy, he could easily refine either the Qiankun Pill or the Yangchun Pill without any risk of failure.

The next few days passed quietly, with Mo Yang immersing himself in the Xingzi Scroll in the stone tower. This ancient body movement technique could one day become a life-saving skill, so the sooner he mastered it, the better.

As Mo Yang delved deeper into the technique, he became increasingly astonished by its profundity. After just a few days of practice, he had already begun to grasp its basics. Running through the stone tower all night, he found that his speed was now twice as fast as when he used the Lingxu Step.

Five days later, the Great Elder and Second Elder arrived at the wooden peak under the cover of night. Even Mo Yang was surprised—they had actually managed to gather all the ingredients for both the Qiankun Pill and the Yangchun Pill.

When they handed over the materials to Mo Yang, both elders wore expressions of deep pain, as though handing over pieces of their own flesh. They had practically sold off everything they owned, stopping just short of pawning their underwear.

"Come back in three days to collect the pills," Mo Yang said casually after inspecting the ingredients.

"Mo Yang, we're counting on you!" The two elders reminded him repeatedly—four or five times in total—before they reluctantly left the courtyard.

That night, Mo Yang meditated on the second level of the Star Emperor Tower for a brief moment before starting the alchemy process. In less than half an hour, both pills were successfully refined.

From one batch, he produced seven Yangchun Pills, and from another, he produced five Qiankun Pills. This far exceeded his expectations, and yet he had only used a fraction of the ingredients the elders had provided—barely one-tenth.

"Well, I'll just give them two pills each when the time comes... Ah, blame it on my inherently kind and gentle nature," Mo Yang muttered to himself, shaking his head in mock regret.

After storing the pills carefully, Mo Yang returned to the first level of the Star Emperor Tower. There, he continued to study the ancient divine symbols etched into the walls. Over the past few days, he had managed to decipher one of the symbols and could now barely recreate it. When carried on his person, it could conceal his cultivation aura.

He remembered the Fourth Elder once telling him: "Never reveal all of your abilities. Always keep a few tricks up your sleeve." Mo Yang fully agreed, and in his view, concealing his cultivation was one of the best strategies.

"This stone tower... what kind of material is it made of? It looks like ordinary stone but is incredibly tough," Mo Yang wondered as he traced his fingers over the tower walls. Despite using all his strength, he couldn't leave so much as a scratch.

The first level of the tower was eerily silent, as though it existed in a completely isolated space. The area was in disarray, littered with broken stones and the remnants of ancient, decayed corpses, which Mo Yang had slowly been clearing away.

After all, the thought of carrying so many corpses around inside his dantian made his skin crawl.

While cleaning, he had hoped to find some lost weapons or treasures among the remains, but the only things left were corroded weapon fragments. He didn't even find a single storage ring.

Before long, three days had passed, and the Great Elder and Second Elder arrived at the wooden peak early in the morning.

Mo Yang had already prepared the pills.

The two elders nervously took the white jade bottles he handed them and hurriedly opened the stoppers to check inside. Seeing two pills in each bottle, their faces lit up with joy. In an instant, all their pain and reluctance vanished.

"I did my best. Using all the ingredients, I could only refine this much," Mo Yang sighed, feigning regret.

"Ha! I knew you were extraordinary, Mo Yang! Ever since you were a child, I've said you were destined for greatness, and you've proven me right!" the Great Elder declared, his excitement evident.

Mo Yang was speechless. "Does this old man even know how to give compliments? What kind of nonsense is that?"

The Second Elder quickly chimed in, "Exactly! Mo Yang is the greatest talent our Lingxu Sect has seen in a century. Not only is he exceptionally gifted in cultivation, but he's also a master of alchemy. I've always known he was destined for greatness!"

"Yes, yes! I'd wager that one day, Mo Yang will earn a place among the greatest figures on the Xuantian Continent!" The Great Elder brought the jade bottle to his nose, inhaling its scent over and over with a grin so wide it resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.

Watching the two elders lose themselves in joy, Mo Yang felt a surge of frustration. Back when he couldn't cultivate, these very elders wouldn't even spare him a second glance, as though looking at him would dirty their eyes.

Now, seeing their shameless flattery, Mo Yang couldn't help but want to curse them out. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have believed how skilled these two are at sucking up."

After much effort, Mo Yang finally managed to send the two elders on their way. But just as he thought he could relax, the Supreme Elder arrived.

Mo Yang immediately felt a headache coming on. Of all the elders, the Supreme Elder was the most difficult to deal with.

"You brat, what's with that expression? Not happy to see me?" the Supreme Elder asked, glaring at Mo Yang the moment he stepped into the courtyard.

Before Mo Yang could respond, the elder's expression shifted to one of surprise. "Hmm? What's your current cultivation level? Why can't I sense it at all?"

Previously, even when Mo Yang concealed his aura, the Supreme Elder could easily detect it. But now, Mo Yang seemed like an ordinary mortal with no cultivation whatsoever.

"Don't tell me... your cultivation has regressed again?" The elder's face darkened. Having witnessed Mo Yang's struggles over the past ten years, he feared the worst.

Without warning, the Supreme Elder became a blur, moving to inspect Mo Yang directly.

But Mo Yang reacted quickly, retreating a few meters and skillfully dodging the elder's probing hand.

"Impressive, brat. You've improved!" The Supreme Elder's surprise was fleeting. He immediately lunged again, using the Lingxu Step to close the distance.

Yet, after dozens of attempts, the elder froze in shock. Mo Yang's speed was slightly faster than his own, and every time, Mo Yang managed to avoid him at impossible angles.

"What kind of movement technique is this?" the elder muttered. In the entire Lingxu Sect, no one—not even the sect master—was faster than him.

Mo Yang's heart pounded. He had been using the Xingzi Scroll, and this sparring session confirmed its astonishing power.

"This brat must have encountered a true expert," the elder concluded aloud, his suspicion deepening.

Mo Yang hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, seeming reluctant to reveal the truth.

The Supreme Elder pressed on. "Who is this expert? Where are they from?"

"He forbade me from speaking about him," Mo Yang replied. "He only said that he saw potential in me and decided to help me as a favor."

The Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. Whatever doubts he still harbored, he chose not to voice them—for now.

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