"Sister Yang has been hiding her skills quite deeply. Her Qinggong is far superior to ours, a clear result of dedicated practice. Why did she never show it before?"
"I don't know. But she's too good at keeping secrets.
Do you think she might have already reached the pinnacle of her cultivation and was just concealing it until she broke through to Xiantian, where it could no longer be hidden? But what was her motive?
Higher cultivation realms also mean more resources!"
"Who can say? We'll see what she has to say later."
After a brief exchange, the elders present, due to Ding Yun's incredible speed, had no choice but to focus their minds and exert their Qinggong to their utmost to keep up.
Even so, they only managed to arrive at the Sect Master's Grand Hall a few minutes after Ding Yun.
Following this, the Sect Master and the Grand Elder were notified.
And the Sect Master arrived to understand the situation.
This was because Ding Yun had specifically stated beforehand that what she was about to discuss concerned the secret of her breakthrough to the Xiantian realm, and would only be useful to those who cultivated the Yu Hua Bao Dian.
Therefore, after a moment of contemplation, the Sect Master, True Master Fei He, brought Ding Yun, a few core elders, and the Grand Elder to the rear of the Grand Hall.
He then instructed the disciples to guard the entrance to prevent any leaks.
Only then did they all sit down, awaiting Ding Yun's account.
"Sect Master Brother, I believe you all know that my talent is mediocre, and I rarely engage in conflicts. Most of my free time is spent on alchemy.
Ever since my son passed away, I realized that without any unforeseen circumstances, his revenge would likely remain unfulfilled.
Unable to seek help from others, I could only rely on my own efforts, striving to improve myself in any way possible to increase the slim chance of avenging him. And the only skill I could truly boast of was alchemy.
So, I began to exhaustively search for elixirs and continuously refine them.
Perhaps it was Heaven's blessing, but I actually managed to concoct a special spiritual elixir that could only be refined using the internal energy of the Yu Hua Bao Dian. This elixir not only enhanced the internal energy cultivated through the Yu Hua Bao Dian but also had the effect of refining it.
The most challenging aspect of reaching the Xiantian realm is undoubtedly breaking through the Xuan Guan and opening the Heaven and Earth Bridges. The greatest difficulty in breaking through the Xuan Guan and opening the Heaven and Earth Bridges lies in insufficient refinement, purity, and strength of one's internal energy.
For everyone aspiring to break through to Xiantian,
They either need exceptional innate talent and strong meridians, with internal energy that is inherently more refined than others', or they must spend ten to twenty years of their lives slowly refining their internal energy.
This would allow them to break through the Xuan Guan and open the Heaven and Earth Bridges.
My elixir, however, not only increases internal energy but also enhances its refinement.
However, all my life's savings, and even the spiritual herbs accumulated from my husband and son's several fortunate encounters, were depleted. I only managed to refine two bottles of elixirs.
My talent is too poor, so I consumed one bottle of nine pills myself to break through to Xiantian. I have one bottle remaining, totaling nine pills. It's difficult to accurately describe its effects with words alone, so is there anyone who has already reached the peak of perfection and has been unable to break through for many years, who would be willing to try?"
The preceding explanation was merely a preamble. Ding Yun's core message was essentially twofold: first, she could refine a special elixir, and second, the elixir could help one break through to Xiantian. The Xiantian realm is a crucial threshold in a martial artist's cultivation.
Before the Xiantian realm, everyone is merely a martial artist. Even the most formidable experts are, at best, called masters. However, upon achieving Xiantian, they are honored as Grandmasters.
What is a Grandmaster?
One who has the qualification to establish a sect.
In the martial world, only sects with Xiantian experts are considered first-rate sects. The more Xiantian experts a sect possesses, the higher its status. Exceeding ten, and the sect can be considered a top-tier sect.
Currently, there are only three top-tier sects in the martial world.
Our Yu Hua Sect does not yet rank among them, as we only officially have five Xiantian experts. Even with our hidden reserves, the total is a mere nine.
Still short of double digits.
In the past, the Demonic Cult had too many Xiantian experts. Within a decade, over thirty Xiantian experts emerged. Coupled with their unbridled actions, some even dared to assassinate princes in broad daylight and abduct imperial consorts.
This made the imperial court and the three top-tier righteous sects wary, fearing that the Demonic Cult would continue to grow too powerful to control.
This led to the encirclement and suppression of the Demonic Cult forty years ago.
Regardless, even one more Xiantian expert is a boon to any sect, let alone a method that increases the probability of breaking through to Xiantian.
Therefore, as soon as Ding Yun finished speaking, everyone present felt their hearts race as they looked at the jade bottle she had produced. Some struggled to suppress the urge to shout "I'll do it!" and managed to express their willingness to test the medicine in relatively calm tones.
Then, after a moment of thought, Ding Yun spoke again:
"I have nine pills left, so there's no shortage for testing. How about we let Grand Elder Zhang try first, and then the younger Brother Li can try?
If they both have no issues after trying.
We can then let Junior Nephew Xiao Liu have a go.
This way, we can also simultaneously test whether blood and qi decline affects the elixir's breakthrough-enhancing effects."
Grand Elder Zhang is in his early nineties, Brother Li in his early fifties, and Junior Nephew Xiao Liu is twenty-nine. One has already experienced a decline in blood and qi and is unlikely to live much longer, another's blood and qi are slowly declining but can still be maintained, and the third's blood and qi are at their peak.
Having them try separately provides a clear comparison.
This not only allows for the assessment of the elixir's efficacy but also enables them to fully determine for which age group it is most cost-effective.
Faced with Ding Yun's proposal, both Sect Master True Master Fei He and the other two Xiantian Grand Elders and two Xiantian core elders present expressed no objections and agreed with the plan.
Thus, the matter was settled.
Ding Yun promptly poured out three golden pills and distributed one to each of the three individuals mentioned. Grand Elder Zhang would take his first, and after consuming it, he would refine it on the spot while the others watched.
Although Grand Elder Zhang did not expect this pill to save his declining blood and qi, or even help him break through to the Xiantian realm, an elixir that could increase internal energy undoubtedly offered some life-extending benefits for an elderly person whose bodily functions were beginning to fail.
Therefore, he eagerly, under everyone's gaze, consumed the golden pill Ding Yun offered. As the pill entered his mouth and dissolved into a sweet liquid that flowed into his stomach, Grand Elder Zhang was filled with pleasant surprise. He dared not delay and quickly focused his mind, circulating the internal energy in his dantian.
Then, a perfectly refined Yu Hua Bao Dian internal energy emerged from his stomach, flowing directly through his meridians into his dantian, purifying and enhancing his internal energy.
For a time, his internal energy surged as if he had regained his youth.
Grand Elder Zhang was immediately overjoyed and circulated his internal energy with all his might. Seizing this opportunity, he decided to try one last gamble and began to attempt to break through the Xuan Guan and step into the Xiantian realm.