True Martial World - Chapter 1372: Dwarf

Although Yi Yun was given some idea after seeing the map, he still let out an audible sigh when he actually saw the city. It was far bigger than in his imagination.

The city's name was simply Martial, derived from the Martial Numinous clan's name. In a warrior's world, a city being named Martial City was a projection of its strength. Otherwise, it would have been something to mock.

According to the labels on the map, Martial City was split into six main districts. Yi Yun went straight for the first district because it was uniquely known for its numerous apothecaries. Yi Yun was in search of Fey bones and other herbal materials needed for the Dragon Emperor bloodline. He wanted to continue refining the pills required for the Dragon Emperor Technique.

The herbal materials Yi Yun needed were mostly priceless treasures, but with the White Lunar Divine Empire being so massive, it was not impossible to find them there at all.

Yi Yun entered the city alone. He did not stand out amongst the crowd that was entering the city. Furthermore, he had concealed his cultivation level to appear like that of a third-storey Dao Palace realm person. Even in the White Lunar Divine Empire, Supremacies were not commonly seen. And with Yi Yun being so young, he was bound to attract attention as a Supremacy. Yi Yun did not wish to be noticed while in the Martial Numinous clan's territory.

Yi Yun was planning on shopping around to try his luck when he suddenly sensed a cold and sinister perception sweep through the street he was on. In response, a baffling sense of danger arose in Yi Yun's heart as it left him stifled.

He was momentarily shocked as he immediately converged his energy using the Purple Crystal. Such a dangerous feeling had come so suddenly. Not just that, it was in plain view on the streets of Martial City.

Yi Yun lowered his head and quickly entered a tiny tea shop. He found a corner and sat down. He converged all his aura and did not dare release his perception.

However, Yi Yun possessed the energy vision. Even without releasing his perception, he could still survey his surroundings with the energy vision.

Nothing could hide from the energy vision. Yi Yun saw that most people on the streets were lacking in cultivation levels. None of them were worth his attention.

However, he soon found someone. His body appeared like a black hole. It silently devoured the surrounding energy and laws.

The person was extremely short, like a dwarf. He wore a heavy cloak and his entire body was wrapped within. His face was shielded by the shadows and it was impossible to discern his appearance from where Yi Yun was. He had a thin force field around him that isolated him from the world.

If not for Yi Yun's energy vision, a perception probe alone would find it difficult to detect anything special about the person.

The person was likely a Divine Lord, and an extraordinary one at that.

Yi Yun had now broken through to become a Supremacy. He had a certain gauge of a person's strength too. Furthermore, he sensed something familiar about the aura that was being released by this person…

Who was he?

Yi Yun scoured through his memories and there was only one person that matched the dwarf-like height who came to mind. That person made Yi Yun's heart skip a beat.

Myriad God Patriarch!?

He was not dead after all!?

Yi Yun was inclined to believe that Myriad God Patriarch was already dead. However, there were only a handful of Divine Lords that he was familiar with. As for the dwarf-like body, Myriad God Patriarch was the only person he knew that met that criteria. Back then, Myriad God Patriarch was dressed up like a red-clothed child. However, his body was completely aged.

With this line of thought, the dwarf was very likely Myriad God Patriarch.

Back then, Myriad God Patriarch nearly robbed him of his life. Old Snake pursued Myriad God Patriarch and he entered the spatial chaos to witness the old bastard being pulverized. Yi Yun had even obtained Myriad God Patriarch's interspatial ring but… the old bastard actually managed to escape?

Yi Yun felt a chill when he came to this realization. It was quite ridiculous how many tricks the old bastard had up his sleeve. He even managed to fool Old Snake.

Although Yi Yun was unclear about how strong Old Snake truly was, he knew that he was not inferior to the White Lunar Divine Empire's Imperial Preceptors.

The world at large had underestimated Myriad God Ridge as well as Myriad God Patriarch.

Upon gathering his thoughts, Yi Yun felt extremely vexed. Having just arrived in the White Lunar Divine Empire, Yi Yun was unbothered by the Martial Numinous clan. After all, the clansmen he met back then were not considered strong. It was unlikely they could recognize him. However, Myriad God Patriarch was different. If he was recognized by him, he might be swallowed whole.

"Thankfully, I have used the Star Transference Heaven Changing Book to hide from the Martial Numinous clan. Besides, that old bastard would probably never guess that I would come here. He did not do a careful search or the outcome would be unimaginable."

The Star Transference Heaven Changing Book was an extremely brilliant disguise. Even an enemy an entire realm higher than Yi Yun would find it difficult to see through its disguise. This was the reason he dared to stay in Martial City.

Yi Yun sat in the tea shop while converging his aura, as he watched Myriad God Patriarch leave through the energy vision until his aura was completely gone.

"Unfortunately, Senior Old Snake isn't around…"

Yi Yun shook his head. He had stayed in the Nine Li Magus Empire for too long and Old Snake had already been away for several years. It was unknown where he had gone to.

Although Old Snake treated Yi Yun as though he was his junior, he could not constantly stay by Yi Yun's side as his bodyguard. Ultimately, he needed to heal himself of his injuries. It was an obsession of his.

Yi Yun understood this and did not want to constantly trouble Old Snake anyway. He had to learn to rely on himself eventually.

"Young man, do you want some tea? Or are you here to eat something…"

While Yi Yun was still having his thoughts run wild, he suddenly heard an old voice.

Only then did Yi Yun recall that he had sat down in an obscure tea shop to evade detection. A store manager naturally came to serve him.

Yi Yun sized up the manager. The old man had white hair and had an extremely low cultivation level. He was only at the Yuan foundation realm, the beginning steps of the martial path. That was not considered a very high cultivation level even in the lower realms. In the White Lunar Divine Empire, it was practically a mortal.

Of course, any country in the Sinkhole, even the White Lunar Divine Empire, had many more mortals than warriors. Most people were unsuitable for practicing martial arts.

However, mortals were rarely made manager of a store in Martial City. The rent in the city was extremely expensive. Managers were typically at or higher than the Dao Manifestation realm. Such a weak elder astonished Yi Yun.

Furthermore, the tea shop appeared spartan. The tables and chairs were made from ordinary wood. They were not made of any treasured wood. The shop sold tea leaves and some snacks but they were lacking in spiritual energies. They were only slightly better than what mortals ate.

Yi Yun swept his surroundings with his perception and was astonished. Martial City had such a place?

Such cheap tea leaves and food could not be sold for much. Perhaps few people patronized it.

In fact, Yi Yun was the only customer in the store at the moment. He was sitting alone in the corner, as though he was melting into the shadows.

The old man noticed Yi Yun's expression and chuckled. He said, "Young man, I can tell you aren't here to drink tea. Did you see an enemy? Continue sitting there and have a rest."

True Martial World - Chapter 1371: Onward to the Seven Desolates

As an alchemist, Yi Yun could tell that the quality of the mobile herbal garden the High Priest gave him was extremely high.

At that moment, the High Priest said, "Not only can this River of Forgetfulness's water be used for your cultivation, it can also be used on spirit herbs to accelerate their growth. However, the River of Forgetfulness's water is just too precious. Unless the spirit herb is direly needed, it is not to be used so casually."

Yi Yun nodded. The Nine Li Magus Empire probably did not have much of the River of Forgetfulness's water stored. Yet they were giving him so much. The only reason conclusion he could draw was that the Nine Li Magus Empire was prepared to pay a tremendous price for the Fate Changing Pill.

Now that the pill had yet been refined, the High Priest naturally had to show Yi Yun some good faith.

Besides, the High Priest felt that it would only bring benefits, and no harm, to the Nine Li Magus Empire if it befriended Yi Yun.

Yi Yun knew the High Priest's intent clearly, so he did not stand on ceremony. He immediately took the interspatial ring. "Thank you, Your Excellency."

The High Priest laughed out when he saw Yi Yun accept the gift. He followed up with a question, "My young friend, are you planning on resting after coming out of seclusion? If you intend to cultivate, this palace does have some good cultivation grounds. Heading to the Ancient Ruins world again isn't impossible either. My Nine Li Magus Empire has always appreciated the capable."

The High Priest's intent of recruiting Yi Yun was obvious.

Although Yi Yun was only a Supremacy, it was not a problem for him to be made a guest Elder of the Nine Li Magus Empire.

His future were definitely not limited to that of an average Supremacy.

Yi Yun shook his head. "I appreciate your good intentions, Your Excellency. However, I plan on leaving the Nine Li Magus Empire to head for the White Lunar Divine Empire. I will naturally return to complete the pill when I am ready."

"The White Lunar Divine Empire? It is extremely massive and it is a powerful faction…" The High Priest was about to advise against it, but one look at Yi Yun's face and he knew there was no way he could convince him to stay.

The High Priest swiped his interspatial ring gently as a thin piece of silk appeared in his hand.

"I went to the White Lunar Divine Empire in my early years. I still have a map of the Seven Desolates. Since you have made up your mind, take this Seven Desolates map. The White Lunar Divine Empire rules over the Seven Desolates and there are some local customs and practices written on the map. It might be of some help to you," said the High Priest.

The Seven Desolates were extensive and had a complicated power structure. Furthermore, it was the White Lunar Divine Empire's territory, making it extremely difficult for an outsider to construct a map of the Seven Desolates. As such, Yi Yun naturally did not reject it.

"Thank you, Your Excellency," said Yi Yun.

After he walked out of the tower, he saw Nine Li Magus Maiden standing outside.

She stood there with her graceful and tall figure, exuding a bearing that was noble and mysterious. As the gentle breeze hit her body, it felt like she would float away in the wind.

"Your Highness," greeted Yi Yun after he went over.

"Young Master Yi, are you planning on leaving now?" asked Nine Li Magus Maiden.

She was very intelligent and could sense that Yi Yun was eager to leave.

"Yes, I am searching for someone."

"Oh? Might the person you are looking for be a woman? I wonder what kind of woman she is. She must be very very happy," said Nine Li Magus Maiden with a faint smile.

She had guessed it from the look in Yi Yun's eyes. It was as if memories were flooding through them. Yi Yun was likely searching for a woman that was very close to him. With Yi Yun's talent, she was curious what sort of woman could match up to him.

"Your Highness, I bid you farewell," said Yi Yun as he cupped his fists.

Under the High Priest's decree, someone specially led Yi Yun to the Nine Li Magus Empire's teleportation array.

The Nine Li Magus Empire and the White Lunar Divine Empire stayed out of each other's businesses but the Nine Li Magus Empire had a teleportation array that led to an area close to the Seven Desolates. It was the closest Yi Yun could get to the White Lunar Divine Empire from the Nine Li Magus Empire.

It was a super long-distance teleportation array. After Yi Yun stood on it, large amounts of Spirit Jade were expended and, with a flash of white light, the scene before Yi Yun's eyes went into a blur. His body rapidly tore through the spatial tunnel.

After an unknown period of time, Yi Yun suddenly felt his feet plant firmly into the ground. Before he came round, he felt the wind from a strike inundate him.

"Boom!" Yi Yun struck out with his palm.

He heard a loud rumbling crash, as if something huge was hitting the ground, before he opened his eyes.

Lying a distance away was a black, ferocious tiger. It was panting in pain as it looked at Yi Yun in horror.

When it saw Yi Yun open his eyes to look at it, the tiger instantly whimpered in fear. It scrambled to climb up in a bid to escape.

"Stay behind." Yi Yun flew up and stepped on the tiger's back.

It whimpered and did not dare move, trembling beneath Yi Yun's feet.

The black tiger was a massive behemoth, but it appeared to have met its match in Yi Yun.

Yi Yun looked at his surroundings, which were a desolate valley. Before he arrived here, the High Priest had informed him that the destination of the teleportation array was a very secretive area. The Nine Li Magus Empire was always an insular country and had no ties with the White Lunar Divine Empire. Therefore, although the other countries and Great Worlds had teleportation arrays that led directly into the Seven Desolates, theirs was located outside the Seven Desolates.

Yi Yun did not mind this at all. The White Lunar Divine Empire was dangerous. He did not wish to immediately bring attention to himself the moment he passed through the teleportation array. According to the High Priest, the White Lunar Divine Empire did not really welcome outsiders.

Now, from the looks of it, although there was no one here, there were beasts. The black tiger must have sensed the Yuan Qi fluctuation and came to sneak an attack on Yi Yun. However, it never expected to fail in its hunt and end up as Yi Yun's prisoner.

"According to the map, I'm still quite a distance away from the closest Seven Desolates continent." Yi Yun glanced at the map before stamping on the black tiger's back. "Big guy, you are quite intelligent, so why don't you be my steed? Let's go."

The black tiger was too depressed even for tears. It was the king of the valley, but now it had been reduced to being a steed.

However, it did have some intelligence. It knew where Yi Yun was headed and knew that the person on its back was not someone it could survive against.

Hence, with a grunt, the black tiger pounced forward while carrying Yi Yun on its back.

The valley was located in a mountain range that spanned half a million kilometers. However, Yi Yun stood on the black tiger's back and leisurely took in the scenery as they went. Soon, they were approaching the Seven Desolates.

Far into the distance, Yi Yun could see that the path ahead seemed to come to a sudden break. All that was left was a cliff, and beside it was a river of stars.

On the other side of the river of stars was a floating continent. At a glance, it did not seem like it had an end. He could not tell how massive it was.

"This river of stars is called the Ruo River. Ordinary beasts and warriors are incapable of flying across it. They would be torn apart by the complicated space-time eddies. Therefore this river of stars is a natural boundary of the Seven Desolates.

Yi Yun recalled the information written on the map.

The black tiger was constantly growling deeply and fearfully when it reached that spot. It did not dare proceed any further.

Yi Yun threw a hard rock at the Ruo River which turned to smithereens the moment it entered the resplendent river of stars.

The Sinkhole was ancient and mysterious. It spanned an area that was unimaginably huge. It was filled with countless secrets. Unless one saw it with their own eyes, one would never imagine that such a gorgeous river of stars possessed such danger.

"Whine…" The black tiger was still whimpering. It had suffered tremendously while transporting Yi Yun here. It knew that if Yi Yun forced it to enter the Ruo River, it would rather choose to fight it out with the devil than jump in and commit suicide.

"Alright, you may leave." Yi Yun looked down at the tiger speechlessly. Then, he leaped off from the tiger's back.

When the black tiger heard Yi Yun's pardon, it immediately roared twice in excitement. When it saw Yi Yun standing before the Ruo River, it quickly shut up and gave a fearful glance at Yi Yun. It ran away with its tail between its legs.

However, the black tiger hid behind a boulder not far away. It secretly watched Yi Yun. It had been ingrained into its memories, its very instincts, to avoid the river of stars. It wanted to know if the evil and fierce human could pass through it.

Yi Yun obviously knew that the black tiger was watching him but he did not mind. All he did was look at the river before him silently.

"Even before I became a Supremacy, a mere river of stars like this would not have been able to stop me." Yi Yun gave a carefree smile as he strode forward and stepped into the river of stars.

The chaotic laws were flattened with every step of Yi Yun's. There was the endless universe above him, and the boundless desolate continent behind.

With that, Yi Yun stepped through the radiant starlight as he walked towards the Seven Desolates continent…

The Seven Desolates were made up of a total of seven continents. The continent closest to the Heavenly South Great World was in the periphery.

When Yi Yun reached this continent, his facial features had changed. He went from his otherworldly looks to that of a handsome mortal scholar's.

"Martial Numinous continent… I never expected to enter the Martial Numinous clan's territory the moment I arrived in the White Lunar Divine Empire. It's better if I changed my looks so that my enemies here don't recognize me." Yi Yun stroked his chin as this thought came to mind. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

In the map's introduction, Yi Yun knew that the White Lunar Divine Empire included the Martial Numinous continent. It was unfriendly to outsiders to begin with. In addition, Yi Yun had come into conflict with the Martial Numinous clan back in the Ancient Ruins world. The Nine Transformations Celestial Silkworm he 'stole' from them was happily staying in his God Advent Tower at present.

The White Lunar Divine Empire was just too large. After coming here, Yi Yun did not plan on recklessly searching for Lin Xintong. He planned to use the opportunity to raise his strength.

The stronger he was, the greater confidence he had.

When he planted the Abyssal Red Lotus in the medicinal soil, Yi Yun had also steeled his heart to use a few drops of the River of Forgetfulness's water on it. Yi Yun wanted to refine a supreme-grade pill and was still short of a few herbs. And those things were likely obtainable in the vast Seven Desolates that had abundant resources.

Yi Yun got his bearings after landing. Following that, he flew up and headed into the distance.

A few days later, Yi Yun came before a humongous city.

This was the biggest city in the Martial Numinous continent. It was a bustling city with billions of people living in it. It was something unimaginable to the world of mortals.

From afar, Yi Yun could sense the vibrancy. At the same time, there was a massive array formation that drew the surrounding Yuan Qi over to the city. It worked ceaselessly as it maintained the city's Qi flow.

True Martial World - Chapter 1370: Approaching the Divine Lord Realm

Fifty to sixty million years was already considered a rather long time. The High Priest who had lived that long through his capabilities alone was obviously superior to Patriarch Pillheart who had to rely on medicine and slumbering in Blood Jade to barely survive ten million years. Having a long life was a symbol of strength.

It was unknown how long Old Snake had lived…

Yi Yun suddenly had that thought. However, he would find it strange if Old Snake was truly a Godly Monarch. He refused to believe it.

"Young Master Yi, why did you suddenly ask about the White Lunar Divine Empire?" asked Nine Li Magus Maiden.

"I plan on making a trip there," said Yi Yun honestly.

Nine Li Magus Maiden was astonished when she heard that. "You want to head to the White Lunar Divine Empire?"

"Yes."

She was just about to say something but she refrained from doing so when she saw Yi Yun's look of firm determination.

All she could do was say, "The White Lunar Divine Empire is just too large. Other than the White Lunar Goddess Empress, it has three Imperial Preceptors, seven Desolate Monarchs, and twelve High Officials. These twenty-two people are the cream of the crop and are at the Divine Lord realm.

"My master, the High Priest, once sparred with the White Lunar Divine Empire's Imperial Preceptor Coruscant and failed to gain the upper hand. As for Elder Blackrock's strength, he is slightly weaker than the High Priest. Perhaps he is no match for any of the three Imperial Preceptors of the White Lunar Divine Empire."

"I see…"

Yi Yun nodded. Thanks to the Nine Li Magus Maiden's explanation, Yi Yun had a basic understanding of the White Lunar Divine Empire's strength. Basically, the White Lunar Divine Empire only had Bai Yueyin as its sole Godly Monarch. The other experts were all Divine Lords.

However, there were differences among Divine Lords.

The weakest ones were the low-grade Divine Lords that did not fuse with any Divine Lord Royal Seal. These Divine Lords were forever stuck at that realm, never to improve again.

As for the Divine Lords that did fuse with Divine Lord Royal Seals, their strength would be highly disparate based on the strength and quantity of Divine Lord Royal Seals they had fused with.

For instance, Felicitous Rain Lord and Azure Yang Lord had fused with Divine Lord Royal Seals that were born naturally in the world. That was no trifling matter. As for Myriad God Patriarch, he had fused with more than one Divine Lord Royal Seal. It made him even more powerful.

Upon coming to this conclusion, Yi Yun drew in a deep breath. If he were to head to the White Lunar Divine Empire, he would be coming into contact with a world more vast and wide than he had ever experienced. He would also acquaint himself with these powerful Divine Lords.

The difference now was that Divine Lords were no longer an unreachable goal.

Now, Yi Yun had already broken through and become a Supremacy, one realm short of the Divine Lord realm. And in terms of strength, Yi Yun was already approaching the power of a Divine Lord.

Yi Yun had cultivated for less than three hundred years at present. It was an impressive feat for typical geniuses from large sects, such as Myriad God Ridge's Cang Wu, to reach the Supremacy realm by their millennia birthday. But compared to Yi Yun, they were far inferior.

Furthermore, Yi Yun's actual age was even younger due to his consumption of the River of Forgetfulness. He could be considered a rare genius not seen in the Sinkhole for a hundred million years. As long as he was not killed before his time, he had a high chance of becoming a Godly Monarch.

"Young Master Yi, are you determined to leave?" asked Nine Li Magus Maiden. She was a little unwilling to part with such a powerful expert as Yi Yun.

"Yes, the Herb Nurturing Array is already stabilized. I had underestimated its difficulty before I broke through to the Supremacy realm. But looking at the array again, I'm afraid without sufficient time and support of my cultivation level, it will be difficult to complete. I will return to the Nine Li Magus Empire to complete the array once I'm confident enough."

If Yi Yun were to attempt to complete the Herb Nurturing Array now, it would require a tremendous amount of time, not to mention the delay it would impose on his cultivation. And most important of all, he was not confident that success was a given.

He planned on traveling around to raise his strength before returning to complete the array. It would be much easier at that point.

"Alright then. Might I ask if Young Master Yi is willing to meet the High Priest with me?"

Nine Li Magus Maiden felt apologetic for the High Priest's actions, despite knowing that his intentions were only to ensure the wellbeing of her and the Nine Li Magus Empire.

"Of course. I plan on bidding Senior Blackrock and the High Priest farewell," said Yi Yun with a nod.

Although he did not have a good impression on the High Priest, he did not have a bad one either.

He had remained in the array for years so the High Priest was definitely meeting him once he came out.

…

The Nine Li Magus Empire's palace compound was extremely silent. The High Priest stayed in a lofty tower deep in the palace compound.

The tower had nine stories and nine sides. It was covered in ancient runes and emitted a stern and oppressive might.

Yi Yun even sensed that what could be seen of the tower was just the tip of the iceberg. There was probably a massive space within the tower with powerful array formations.

The Nine Li Magus Empire was mysterious to begin with. It was no surprise that an important structure in the palace grounds would contain hidden secrets.

"Young Master Yi, please come on in." When they arrived in front of the tower, an elderly voice was heard.

Other than the High Priest, there were quite a number of people in the tower's hall. They had rushed there when they heard the news.

Among these people, Yi Yun saw someone familiar—Aged Blackrock.

The rest were unfamiliar faces but for them to be there, they naturally held high positions in the Nine Li Magus Empire.

After seeing Yi Yun, these people had slight changes in expression. They had never seen Yi Yun but they had heard of his feats. They never expected him to be so young.

At that moment, the High Priest said, "My young friend Yi Yun, I thank you on behalf of my Nine Li Magus Empire for all that you have done."

Yi Yun shook his head and said, "The Herb Nurturing Array went into disarray because of my switching of the fire seed. What I did, I did to resolve the trouble I caused in the array. I was just offsetting my faults."

The High Priest smiled when he saw that Yi Yun did not claim credit or remain proud. "My young friend, you are overly modest. Although I'm a layperson when it comes to alchemy, even I can tell that the Herb Nurturing Array has experienced a metamorphic change. It is one step closer to completion. However, this meeting is nothing of importance. I just wanted to give you a few items."

As the High Priest said that, he gently waved his hand. A female attendant beside him carried forward a salver with an interspatial ring sitting atop it.

Yi Yun faltered slightly. When he injected his perception into the ring, he saw a tiny jug of black liquid. The liquid seemed bottomless, like it led to another world.

Yi Yun instantly recognized the black liquid to be the River of Forgetfulness's water. The High Priest had given him that much more of it!

Yi Yun was naturally enticed by it.

Other than the River of Forgetfulness's water, Yi Yun also saw a tiny abode in the ring. When he probed it, he realized that it was a herbal garden.

A mobile herbal garden?

Yi Yun's heart stirred. For alchemists, there was always the need to nurture many herbs. It made things a lot more convenient if one had a mobile herbal garden.

However, typical mobile abodes could hardly guarantee a sufficient amount of Heaven Earth Yuan Qi for spirit herbs' growth. One needed to tune an array formation to do that. And once that was accomplished, it would become a mobile herbal garden.

True Martial World - Chapter 1369: Above Divine Lords

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold flew away together with Ouming Yin and Patriarch Pillheart. As they headed out of the array, they suddenly felt that something was amiss after traveling a short distance. The space around them seemed to clamp down on them.

"Oh?"

The three alchemist sages felt a chill as they saw a hideous looking old man appear out of nowhere. He had sealed the space around them as he leisurely approached.

"What's the meaning of this?" questioned Ouming Yin.

"Patriarch Pillheart, are you forgetting something?" said Old Snake in an excessively slow manner.

"What?" Patriarch Pillheart suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"Weren't you supposed to leave something behind after making a bet with Yi Yun?"

"What!? What nonsense are you referring to!?" Patriarch Pillheart was furious. It was true that he had made a bet with Yi Yun before they entered the array. They had bet twenty-five kilograms of Purple Numinous Herbal Soil against all the manuals the divine alchemist left behind, as well as the Divine Alchemy Cauldron. However, the bet was not about fixing the array. Back then, the array was not yet on the brink of destruction. Furthermore, there was a time limit of two hundred years. Whoever completed the Herb Nurturing Array first would be the winner.

Yi Yun may have calmed the Herb Nurturing Array, but he had yet to complete it. Furthermore, the two hundred years was not up. Yet, the old man was demanding he give up the Purple Numinous Herbal Soil.

"I haven't lost the bet. Are you trying to rob me?"

"Heh, are you kidding me? How do I know where you will be two hundred years from now? Besides, isn't the outcome already obvious? Yi Yun's completion of the Herb Nurturing Array is only a matter of time. As for you, I know you are aware of the overwhelming odds against you. I advise you to leave the soil behind."

After Old Snake spoke, he directly attacked!

He pressed down at Patriarch Pillheart with his palm, striking straight at Patriarch Pillheart's chest.

By that moment, the Nine Li Magus Empire's Aged Blackrock and High Priest had chased up to them. However, they did not stop the battle.

"Boom!"

The Heaven Earth Yuan Qi suddenly contracted like a cage, trapping Patriarch Pillheart within.

Ouming Yin and Alchemist Sage Purple Gold were prevented from interfering.

Instantly, Patriarch Pillheart sensed that his life was in great danger. The hideous looking old man in front of him could really rob him of his life!

As an alchemist, Patriarch Pillheart was not as strong as other warriors his level. His strength was far inferior to Old Snake's. Furthermore, he had expended a great deal of energy previously. His fire seed had been forcibly taken away from him and he had suffered mental damage. Considering all these factors, this battle's outcome was obvious. Noticing that Ouming Yin and Alchemist Sage Purple Gold had no intention of helping him, Patriarch Pillheart knew that there was no chance of him defeating Old Snake.

Once he was dead, everything of value that he carried would be taken by the old man, much less the twenty-five kilograms of Purple Numinous Herbal Soil.

"Peng!"

Patriarch Pillheart forced himself to withstand Old Snake's strike but it was overly oppressive. In addition, the old man struck like a venomous snake that deliberately sought out his weakest point.

"Puah!"

Patriarch Pillheart spat out a mouthful of blood as he flew backward like a kite that had its string cut. Immediately following that, Old Snake's palm came pressing down on Patriarch Pillheart's head!

Once his soul sea was destroyed, everything was over. Even if Patriarch Pillheart didn't die, he would end up being retarded for the rest of his life.

At the instant he vacillated between life and death, Patriarch Pillheart yelled, "Wait!"

Patriarch Pillheart quickly retreated as he threw an interspatial ring out. He opened a gap from Old Snake and said, "That's the Purple Numinous Herbal Soil you want!"

Old Snake grabbed the interspatial ring and injected his perception into it. Indeed, the Purple Numinous Herbal Soil was inside.

Old Snake gave Patriarch Pillheart a sinister look. He was considering the consequences of killing him anyway.

Old Snake was naturally not conflicted by the act of killing Patriarch Pillheart. However, it was something the Nine Li Magus Empire did not wish to have happen on their land.

Previously, Yi Yun had devoured Patriarch Pillheart and company's fire seeds. He was paying them back in their own coin, so it was reasonable. However, if he were to kill the three alchemist sages here, it would be going overboard. If that happened, people would spread the news that the Nine Li Magus Empire had hired alchemists from all over the world to aid it because of the Herb Nurturing Array's instability. Then, they killed all the alchemist sages out of malicious intent. If that story spread, the Nine Li Magus Empire would probably be blacklisted by all alchemists. It would also stop warriors from ever coming to the Nine Li Magus Empire in the future.

Since the Nine Li Magus Empire was treating Yi Yun well, Old Snake decided to give up on the thought of killing the trio.

Although the trio hated Yi Yun and wanted him dead, Old Snake was confident that it would not be long before Yi Yun had the ability to stand up to them on his own.

As such, Patriarch Pillheart and company were allowed to leave. Old Snake left Patriarch Pillheart's interspatial ring in the island in the array's core.

"Kid, this is the soil you wanted. I'll be going out to look around. Take your time studying the array."

Old Snake vanished after saying that.

Yi Yun needed a lot of time to research the array. Old Snake did not wish to spend time in the God Advent Tower any longer as it was too boring.

In fact, Old Snake ultimately had his own goals. He wished to find a means to cure himself of his internal injuries. And in order to seek them out, he needed to enter perilous lands. There were many places that Yi Yun was still incapable of entering.

"Senior, be careful."

Yi Yun watched Old Snake leave while inside the Herb Nurturing Array. At his present stage, it was impossible for him to help Old Snake. All he could do was remember the gratitude he had for Old Snake. He would repay him when he had the ability to in the future.

As the array turned calm, everything returned to normal.

Yi Yun took the Purple Numinous Herbal Soil and planted the Abyssal Red Lotus Seed into the soil. The Herb Nurturing Array was a land with rich fire-elemental laws. It was extremely suitable for nurturing and nourishing the Abyssal Red Lotus. With the Herb Nurturing Techniques that the divine alchemist left behind, Yi Yun was confident that he could revive the Abyssal Red Lotus.

Yi Yun was in no hurry to leave the array. He knew that the Herb Nurturing Array would require a long period of time to complete. He might as well cultivate as he studied the array.

The people from the Nine Li Magus Empire left as the array turned empty and quiet. Soon, it became empty, as if isolated from the world.

Time slowly passed as several years flew by. One day, Yi Yun switched the Ascending Dragon Cauldron with the Divine Alchemy Cauldron.

The array was set up by the divine alchemist after all. Although the Ascending Dragon Cauldron was powerful, it was not as suitable as the Divine Alchemy Cauldron in terms of compatibility.

Furthermore, the Herb Nurturing Array was now working as intended. A lot of the remaining work was now just a matter of time. Yi Yun did not wish to keep waiting inside the array.

Yi Yun's cultivation level slowly improved as he made use of the time to cultivate. He had already stabilized the beginning stages of the Supremacy realm.

However, Yi Yun had been in seclusion for too long prior to this. Continued seclusion was no longer as effective. He felt that he needed to exit seclusion. After all, enhancing his cultivation level was of utmost importance to him.

Apart from that, Yi Yun was constantly worried about Lin Xintong. He did not know what sort of treatment Lin Xintong was receiving in the White Lunar Divine Empire.

Having come to the Nine Li Magus Empire, Yi Yun was already not very far from the White Lunar Divine Empire.

His eagerness to find Lin Xintong turned more intense as a result.

However, the White Lunar Divine Empire was a massive entity. Bai Yueyin was even more mysterious and unfathomable. Now that Yi Yun had reached the level of Supremacy, he finally felt that he had the necessary confidence to head to the White Lunar Divine Empire and search for Lin Xintong.

The Nine Li Magus Maiden would often visit the Herb Nurturing Array's periphery.

With the alchemists' departure, the Nine Li Magus Empire closed its doors once again. It returned to its quiet and peaceful days.

The Nine Li Magus Maiden felt calm whenever she looked at the Herb Nurturing Array.

That day, a figure suddenly charged out of the array.

Yi Yun was finally ready to leave the Herb Nurturing Array after a few years.

"Young Master Yi." The Nine Li Magus Maiden's eyes had a joyful glint to them. "Thank you."

"I was merely upholding an agreement we made. Your Highness, there's no need thank me," said Yi Yun.

The Nine Li Magus Maiden looked at him. After a few years, Yi Yun seemed to glow with divine light. At a glance, he looked like a mortal scion with no cultivation level but his bearing was extraordinary.

"Young Master, your cultivation level seems to have improved," said the Nine Li Magus Maiden.

Yi Yun smiled faintly before asking. "Might I ask Your Highness a question? Do you know much about the White Lunar Divine Empire?"

"The White Lunar Divine Empire? In terms of history, the White Lunar Divine Empire hasn't been established for that long. However, the White Lunar Goddess Empress has lived for an exceedingly long time. She knows just too many secrets. The White Lunar Divine Empire she established is one of the strongest factions in the Sinkhole. I admire her greatly. I would definitely like to meet her if I had the chance. However, she has not appeared for about ten million years now. It's rumored that she is currently experiencing a tribulation in a secret land."

"Oh? Does Your Highness know what the White Lunar Goddess Empress's cultivation level is?"

"She's definitely a Godly Monarch. Aside from that, it's unknown how long she has been one," said Nine Li Magus Maiden emotively. The realm of Godly Monarch was something countless people yearned for. Once one became a Godly Monarch, their lifespans would be in units of hundreds of millions of years. They possessed strength that was completely unimaginable to ordinary warriors.

"Does Your Highness know how many Godly Monarchs there are in the Sinkhole?" asked Yi Yun. He had always been curious about this point in particular.

"No, I don't." Nine Li Magus Maiden shook her head. "If we are just looking back over the recent tens of millions of years, there has not been any talk of anyone becoming a Godly Monarch. However, the Sinkhole has such a long history. Some Godly Monarchs have lived from ancient times to this present day. The existence of such Godly Monarchs are unknown, much less seekable. As they have lived for a period longer than recorded history, their existences have already been buried in the annals of history. It's not possible to tell if the accounts in many books are legend or truth. Some of the legendary figures written of in books might still be alive but only thought of as legends."

Living longer than recorded history…

Yi Yun drew a gasp. It sounded shocking. Going from a Divine Lord to a Godly Monarch was a qualitative leap in terms of vitality. They were figures that had truly witnessed history. Records in books might become insubstantial or lost as long periods of time passed, but the events of history might be something a present day Godly Monarch had experienced personally. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"You asked me how many Godly Monarchs there are. Although I do not know, I can give you a vague idea. In the entire Sinkhole, the Godly Monarchs that are known—such as figures like the White Lunar Goddess Empress—number only a handful. As for the reclusive Godly Monarchs, no one can tell you. For instance, my Nine Li Magus Empire does not have a Godly Monarch. The strongest figures are Elder Blackrock and my master, the High Priest. Their lifespans do not exceed fifty or sixty million years either."

"Thank you for telling me this, Your Highness." Yi Yun nodded. By telling him the Nine Li Magus Empire's actual strength, it showed that she trusted him.

True Martial World - Chapter 1368: The Dust Settles

With Yi Yun resetting the array to a new state, no one else could enter. Even the members of the Nine Li Magus Empire could not do so unless they completely destroyed the array. But clearly, that would not happen. It was the opposite, the Nine Li Magus Empire would actually painstakingly protect the Herb Nurturing Array.

Therefore, Yi Yun was assured that it was safe to leave the Ascending Dragon Cauldron and Ling Xie'er in the array temporarily.

"Yi Yun… actually managed to do it," muttered the Nine Li Magus Maiden. She heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that he was fine. Although she thought nothing of worldly riches, she long wished to escape her fate of experiencing lifetime after lifetime as a mortal and suffering the constant cycle of reincarnation. Now, not only had the array been stabilized, it was even more perfect than before. She could not help but feel delighted.

Having survived repeated bouts of dire failure, the addition of just a hint of hope was very meaningful to the Nine Li Magus Maiden.

The alchemists remained inundated by shock. They looked at the array and felt like they were in a dream. If they were not actually present in the array, they would have refused to believe that the picturesque Herb Nurturing Array before their eyes was a world on the brink of destruction just moments ago.

"Dear alchemists." At that moment, the High Priest's voice jolted everyone from their daze.

The alchemists looked at the High Priest, who had already turned calm. He looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, my Nine Li Magus Empire will naturally not forget your contributions to the Herb Nurturing Array."

"We have prepared pills, Spirit Jade, and various treasures. They will be dispensed to you shortly."

The alchemists exchanged looks. Previously, the High Priest had threatened to bury all of them alive with the array if it was destroyed…

However, none of the alchemists were foolish enough to make an enemy out of the Nine Li Magus Empire. Now that everything was peaceful, they were naturally delighted to receive remuneration and get out of there.

The High Priest's eyes flashed with a glint of satisfaction when he saw the people's reaction. Now that the array was in good shape, the High Priest would naturally not make things difficult for the alchemists. Besides, remuneration had already been promised to these alchemists.

Upon seeing this scene, Patriarch Pillheart and company immediately became belligerent.

"What about us?"

Of the ten thousand alchemists present, the ones that suffered the most damages were obviously Patriarch Pillheart, Ouming Yin, and Alchemist Sage Purple Gold.

The High Priest gave the trio a glance but he did not speak a word.

"Your Excellency, now that the array has been restored, shouldn't we be given our remuneration?" asked Ouming Yin.

"It shouldn't just be remuneration," said Patriarch Pillheart coldly. He was still bearing a grudge over the loss of his fire seed.

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's expression sank too as he said, "The remuneration is of secondary importance. Since Yi Yun's fire seed is now in the heart of your Herb Nurturing Array, the bill for Yi Yun's devouring of our fire seeds should naturally be given to you."

"True. For us, nurturing another fire seed will expend numerous resources, much less the time and effort spent on our previous seeds that is now wasted. No matter how great your compensation is, it is impossible to compensate us for our loss!" echoed Ouming Yin.

Patriarch Pillheart did not speak a word. All he did was nod with a cold expression. The Nine Li Magus Empire's compensation would not alleviate the hatred he felt for Yi Yun at all. However, the Nine Li Magus Empire was a massive entity. The trio's fire seeds might have been very precious but they were still something the Nine Li Magus Empire could afford compensation. Even if they could not pay in full, receiving some compensation was better than nothing.

As for Yi Yun… They already knew that Yi Yun was favored by the Nine Li Magus Empire now that he had stabilized the array. There was nothing they could do to Yi Yun at present.

However, it was impossible for Yi Yun to hide in the Nine Li Magus Empire forever. Apart from him, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold probably hated Yi Yun to the bone too. Ouming Yin was also one who would not suffer in silence.

"Take the compensation and remuneration first before making plans for the future," thought Patriarch Pillheart.

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold and Ouming Yin shared his thoughts.

However, the High Priest snorted at that moment.

Patriarch Pillheart and company immediately had a sense of foreboding.

"What? Is the mighty Nine Li Magus Empire going to refuse compensation?" asked Alchemist Sage Purple Gold in disbelief.

The Nine Li Magus Empire had already been extremely unfair by allowing Yi Yun to commit his malicious actions. If they refused compensation as well, it would be taking things too far.

At that moment, Aged Blackrock said lightly. "You mention remuneration and compensation? I don't understand what gives you the right to request that. Not only did your actions here in the Nine Li Magus Empire fail to stabilize the array, you even made the array more violent. You failed to live up to your promises. Hence, my Nine Li Magus Empire naturally does not need to adhere to our side of the deal. If not for Yi Yun, the array would have exploded. Had that happened, our Nine Li Magus Empire would have suffered an immense lose. Yet, you still have the nerve to ask for remuneration?"

"You!"

They originally believed that they could bargain with the Nine Li Magus Empire and obtain greater prizes. However, they never expected the Nine Li Magus Empire would refuse to give them even one Spirit Jade!

"The one that caused the array's near destruction wasn't us. As for Yi Yun, if he had not devoured our fire seeds, there was no way he could have stabilized the array!"

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold was already incensed to his tipping point. The other alchemists had received remuneration but the three of them, alchemist sages, were not receiving a single thing!

This was no longer just a matter of remuneration. This was publicly smacking them in the face.

"You say that Yi Yun devoured your fire seeds but all of you clearly tried to devour Yi Yun's fire seed first. Later on, you were simply paid back in your own coin. That is a dispute between you and Yi Yun, it has nothing to do with my Nine Li Magus Empire. You can settle it with Yi Yun," said Nine Li Magus Maiden. She came to a pause before she continued. "However, my Nine Li Magus Empire is indebted to Yi Yun as he is the only person that can complete my Nine Li Magus Empire's array. He is considered a distinguished guest of my Nine Li Magus Empire, so no matter what faction it is that wants to go after Yi Yun, they should be prepared to have their factions decimated."

Nine Li Magus Maiden's slow speech left all the alchemists present astounded. Someone could actually think that way? The grudge was between the three alchemist sages and Yi Yun. Their Nine Li Magus Empire claimed neutrality in that. But if the three alchemist sages wanted to settle scores with Yi Yun, the Nine Li Magus Empire would take action to protect Yi Yun. That was just too high-handed!

"Please leave. We won't be seeing you off!" Aged Blackrock directly gave the order for them to leave.

"Good! Very good! All of you and Yi Yun did very well!" Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's expression was contorted. When the alchemists saw Alchemist Sage Purple Gold's expression, they were worried that he would turn deranged from his fury.

After all, if they were in his shoes, they would probably go crazy.

"I will definitely not forget what happened here today!" said Alchemist Sage Purple Gold through gritted teeth.

Patriarch Pillheart's expression was as black as a wok's bottom. He abruptly turned and flew away without turning his head back. He didn't even look at his disciples.

Patriarch Pillheart was afraid that he would die from rage if he stayed there for even an additional second.

Ouming Yin could not stand it either. He had disgraced himself sufficiently today.

In the Nine Li Magus Empire's territory, he could not do a thing despite his indignation.

"Purple Gold, aren't you leaving?" The corners of Aged Blackrock's mouth revealed a sarcastic smile as he looked at Alchemist Sage Purple Gold.

The gloomy-looking Alchemist Sage Purple Gold caught Aged Blackrock's gaze and was caught unaware by a chill.

"Let us… leave!" Alchemist Sage Purple Gold said as though he had to force each word out.

He would never forget the humiliation he had suffered that day. And it was all because of Yi Yun and the Nine Li Magus Empire!

True Martial World - Chapter 1367: Return to Peacefulness

When Yi Yun finished all of that, he heard a loud bang. The entire world began shaking violently as though there was a massive earthquake.

With the central lake as the core, a gray ripple radiated out. The entire Herb Nurturing Array seemed to freeze as the gray ripple passed. Following that, the fire-elemental Yuan Qi in the Herb Nurturing Array began surging towards the array's core like it was a series of ocean waves in a maelstrom.

And the very spot where the fire-elemental Yuan Qi intended to gather was where Yi Yun was standing!

"Oh? This is?"

Upon seeing all of these changes take place, the High Priest was alarmed. Following that, all the energy in the area gathered towards the middle of the array. This change happened so suddenly that it was impossible to predict what would happen next. Such a change felt like the calm before the storm—when all the energy was concentrated at one point, the explosion would only be more violent.

Apart from the Nine Li Magus Empire's clansmen, all the gathered alchemists were far away. But they were afraid that they were not far enough to escape.

Hum Hum Hum…

The fire-elemental Yuan Qi howled as the vortex that arose increased in size. As the energy was being absorbed, the laws vanished. It felt like the entire world was being devoured by the vortex.

About thirty seconds later, nearly all the energy gathered from the world went to the array's core. It reached an unimaginable energy density that left everyone holding their breaths. They employed their various protective measures, all bracing for the upcoming explosion.

However, another thirty seconds passed. The expected blast did not happen. The world remained surprisingly peaceful…

The world did not continue to crumble. Nor did any black holes form. Instead, the world was slowly mending itself. Even the spewing lava came to a rest, and flowed back into the depths of the earth.

Everything returned to normalcy. In the island at the array's core, the lake turned emerald green again. It was as though the violent Yuan Qi from before had just been a dream.

"The array has been fixed?"

The High Priest looked at the distant island and felt baffled. He sent his perception to every corner of the world and found that it was completely peaceful. Such a situation meant that there would likely be no explosion. But in that case, where did all the energy that was sucked into the array's core go?

Could such tremendous amounts of energy really be absorbed by something?

"It really has calmed down…" Aged Blackrock was pleasantly surprised but he also spoke in disbelief. Instead, Alchemist Sage Purple Gold, Patriarch Pillheart, and Ouming Yin felt disheartened. They fell into a daze as they flew into the air.

As alchemists, their understanding of the array naturally exceeded that of the High Priest and Aged Blackrock. They were certain that the array had indeed been stabilized.

Yi Yun had actually succeeded. How did he do it?

"Darn it. Why did this happen?"

Patriarch Pillheart clenched his teeth till they nearly shattered. He was hoping to see the array destroyed and Yi Yun completely torn apart. He did not wish to see this outcome.

"What do we do? Did our fire seeds get devoured for nothing?" asked Ouming Yin.

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold remained silent but his expression was as contorted as it could be. This was the biggest failure of his life. The Nine Li Magus Empire had originally requested his help and promised him handsome rewards. He even thought to profit more by taking advantage of the situation. The Nine Li Magus Empire had no choice but to agree to whatever he wanted before he agreed to lend his help.

But in the end, the Nine Li Magus Empire treated him as a fat lamb for slaughter. They allowed Yi Yun to devour his fire seed. In the end, he failed completely but Yi Yun succeeded in stabilizing the array. From beginning to end, he was treated like a complete retard.

How could Alchemist Sage Purple Gold accept it?

At that moment, nomological array patterns appeared out of nowhere in the already peaceful land. These array patterns combined together and gathered towards the array's core.

Several minutes later, the remaining energy in the sky gathered together, forming thick Yuan Qi clouds. Light scattered through the layer of clouds, shining down on the island in the array's core like a falling river of stars. Countless array patterns bobbed up and down within the radiance of the river of stars.

Upon seeing this scene, even laymen knew that something impressive had happened to the array. It was more perfect than before the anomaly happened.

Now, even if the Herb Nurturing Array was not completed, it had taken a step closer to completion.

When the many alchemists saw this scene, they approached the array's core out of curiosity. However, they found that a barrier of light had appeared of nowhere, completely shielding the island within.

They could only look at the island through the barrier. The lake on the island was shimmering with light as green waves ebbed. It was difficult to imagine that such massive energies had been absorbed by the tiny island. Where did all of it go?

Meanwhile, in the island's interior, the massive Ascending Dragon Cauldron was quietly pressing down on the lake. The original Fate Changing Pill had disappeared, leaving only a few chains coiled around the Ascending Dragon Cauldron's three feet.

Yi Yun had already entered the Ascending Dragon Cauldron. The violent Heaven Earth Yuan Qi had all been sucked into the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

Any ordinary cauldron would have long exploded if it had sucked in such massive amounts of energy. But this was nothing to the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

Yi Yun managed to stabilize the Herb Nurturing Array by using the Ascending Dragon Cauldron to absorb the excess energy in the array, as well as using Ling Xie'er's Heretic God Fire.

At that moment, all the fiery energy within the Ascending Dragon Cauldron had calmed down. It transformed into a calm red ocean. However, beneath the layer of calmness laid an infinitely terrifying power.

And in the middle of this ocean, a girl lay asleep. She was the Fate Changing Pill. She was being nourished by the energy of the red ocean.

"Brother Yi Yun, you really did stabilize the array."

At that moment, Ling Xie'er appeared in the Ascending Dragon Cauldron. When she saw the originally violent energies in the Ascending Dragon Cauldron become completely neutered by Yi Yun, she idolized him even more. She had previously attempted to stabilize the array through her own strength but the situation only turned worse. She knew very well how difficult it was.

Yi Yun shook his head and said, "You can't consider this my ability. The Ascending Dragon Cauldron is just too powerful. It can devour everything. In addition, I'm well versed in the divine alchemist's manuals. I understand the principle behind the Herb Nurturing Array, that's all. I thought that I would be able to fully complete the Herb Nurturing Array after breaking through to the Supremacy realm. But from the looks of it, I was being overly optimistic."

It had been hundreds of millions of years since the Herb Nurturing Array was set up. Completing it was not something that could be done in a day or two. Even Yi Yun, with his newfound Supremacy realm, lacked the confidence. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

He needed time.

"Xie'er, stay in the Herb Nurturing Array and cultivate. The environment in here suits your growth."

Yi Yun needed Ling Xie'er to be the Herb Nurturing Array's core array fire. At the same time, it was also an opportunity for her to grow.

True Martial World - Chapter 1366: Suppressing the Mountains and Rivers

"He actually went in!"

At that moment, many people were already fleeing. However, a lot of them still witnessed that scene. Yi Yun had charged into such a terrifying inferno?

Nine Li Magus Maiden looked at Yi Yun. Inside the array's core, he was like a tiny boat in a stormy sea. He looked like he would capsize at any time but he ultimately managed to stay afloat, fighting against the waves. With that, she held back from stopping him despite her original intentions.

Soon, Yi Yun was fully immersed in the blazing sea of fire, so that those outside could only see a faint silhouette.

"How did Yi Yun not burn to death?" commented Patriarch Pillheart with a frown.

Ouming Yin's eyebrows twitched too. He knew that if he were the one entering the array's core, it would definitely not be easy on him. Did Yi Yun have some sort of indestructible body that allowed him to charge straight in?

They were obviously unaware that Yi Yun had once been burned by Myriad God Patriarch for days with astral fire while he was trapped in the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.

That astral fire might not compare to the array's violent fire-elemental Yuan Qi, but back then Yi Yun treated the astral fire like it was a pleasant hot spring. He did not suffer much back then. So now, it was no problem for him to tolerate the more terrifying inferno.

"Ignore him. Even if he doesn't burn to death, he definitely cannot survive the array's explosion. We should take this opportunity to leave as soon as possible," said Ouming Yin.

Although the others were astonished by Yi Yun's sudden plunge into the array, no really cared what happened to him at such a dangerous time. All they cared about was self-preservation and being able to make it out of the array alive.

"Elder Blackrock, Yi Yun is currently in peril because of the Nine Li Magus Empire. If things take a turn for a worse, you must protect Yi Yun," said Nine Li Magus Maiden.

"I got it." Elder Blackrock naturally agreed. Even the High Priest fell silent for a moment before nodding. In fact, the High Priest had his own priorities to consider. Although Yi Yun was the main culprit behind the Herb Nurturing Array's destruction, the array had existed in an incomplete state for a very long period of time. With the passage of time, the chance of it ever being completed only turned slimmer.

Meanwhile, with the strength Yi Yun had been showing, he was definitely going to be someone of great importance in the future, regardless of his present shortcomings. There was even a chance that he could become an alchemist that matched the divine alchemist. If that were the case, it was possible that he could end the Nine Li Magus Maiden's curse.

All them looked at the faint silhouette in the inferno. Amid the terrifying waves of flame, Yi Yun looked so minute.

By that moment, Yi Yun had already arrived in the array's core. Ling Xie'er was there, barely holding on.

There were no flames in the tiny area due to Ling Xie'er's presence.

"Brother Yi Yun…" Upon seeing Yi Yun, Ling Xie'er revealed a look of delight. But at the same time, she turned worried. Once the array exploded, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Xie'er, you have already done a great job. Leave the rest to me." Yi Yun stroked Ling Xie'er's head.

The situation of the array was no longer something a fire seed like Ling Xie'er could control.

Back when the divine alchemist set up the array, he did install a fire seed as the array's core to control everything. However, the person who set up the array was, in the end, the divine alchemist himself.

A fire seed could stabilize an array but could not alter or direct it. All of that had to be done by an actual person.

Yi Yun had now broken through to the Supremacy realm. He had already thought of many ideas while observing the array. It was now time to verify his theories.

At that moment, Yi Yun stepped into the heart of the array. Through Ling Xie'er, his perception permeated the entirety of the Herb Nurturing Array. Every minute change in the array was completely within his grasp.

The Herb Nurturing Array was indeed on the brink of collapse. The core's energy was boiling and spilling over. Once it spewed out entirely, it would set off a chain reaction that would cause the entire Herb Nurturing Array to explode, sending out massive amounts of energy.

That energy would be enough to burn and destroy everything in the array's core, including the alchemical cauldron and the Fate Changing Pill inside it.

"I can only make a gamble."

Yi Yun extended his hand and swiped his interspatial ring. Immediately, an alchemical cauldron appeared.

An ancient aura immediately emanated from it. Once it appeared, the cauldron that contained the Fate Changing Pill trembled immediately in response. It was like a servant catching sight of its master and dancing in joy.

Even the surrounding laws stabilized.

The cauldron that Yi Yun took out possessed a natural control over the massive array.

Divine Alchemy Cauldron!

The cauldron was intrinsic to the divine alchemist, after all. It contained the remnant aura of the divine alchemist, and the Herb Nurturing Array was a product of the divine alchemist. Once the Divine Alchemy Cauldron appeared, it seemed to create a seamless harmony.

"Suppress!" Yi Yun sank the Divine Alchemy Cauldron down and with a loud boom, the Divine Alchemy Cauldron instantly transformed into an ancient but plain cauldron that held down the array's core!

At the same time, the surrounding fire-elemental Yuan Qi was sucked into the cauldron as it began refining the energy.

The moment the fire-elemental Yuan Qi was absorbed by the Divine Alchemy Cauldron, the Herb Nurturing Array that was on the brink of collapse immediately became stable.

And outside the Herb Nurturing Array, Nine Li Magus Maiden and the rest watched Yi Yun intently with bated breaths. They immediately noticed the change in the array.

"Oh?" The array has greatly stabilized." The High Priest was delighted.

But Alchemist Sage Purple Gold and Patriarch Pillheart, who were not far away, found it hard to be happy. Be it their hatred for Yi Yun or the resentment they had towards the Nine Li Magus Empire, they yearned for the array's complete collapse.

"Don't make hasty conclusions. The array is already rotten to the core. There's no way the situation can be reversed. What's happening is just a sudden spurt of calm prior to its collapse."

Alchemist Sage Purple Gold gave his judgment. And, just as his voice faded, the array turned chaotic once again.

"Haha, Brother Purple Gold, you nailed it. If this is the calm before the complete explosion, it would mean that the explosion will be more horrible than we originally imagined!" Patriarch Pillheart said with a twisted expression. He was constantly keeping tabs on the array.

He wanted to see Yi Yun die, as well as the Herb Nurturing Array's destruction.

The High Priest revealed a look of disappointment, but he continued staring intently at the array. He was prepared to save Yi Yun if the situation became unmanageable.

The Nine Li Magus Maiden clasped her hands tightly and began praying using the Nine Li Magus Empire's ancient language.

A strong wind swept through the entire void as terrifying heat waves constantly consumed the world around them. It seemed like the entire world was quaking as black holes were burnt out of the void, creating heat vortices.

At that moment, it was no longer the array that was about to collapse. Even the very world around them could be brought down with it, shattering in the process.

As for Yi Yun, he had already sank to the core region of the array. It was also the lake where the Fate Changing Pill was sleeping within.

The emerald green lake had turned into a burning sea of fire like it was molten lava.

Situated in the middle of the fiery lake was the Fate Changing Pill. It still took the form of the Nine Li Magus Maiden with a crystalline naked body.

However, as it was being consumed by the flames, Yi Yun sensed that the Fate Changing Pill's spirituality was being reduced. If this continued, it would slowly perish and turn to ashes.

Yi Yun looked at the cauldron beneath the Fate Changing Pill.

The cauldron had been left behind by the divine alchemist. It was definitely poorer in quality and if he could use the Divine Alchemy Cauldron to replace it, the effects would be better. However, Yi Yun had already used the Divine Alchemy Cauldron to temporarily suppress the violent inferno. But even that did not achieve the most perfect effect.

The Divine Alchemy Cauldron had already lost its core array and it was not as powerful as it used to be. It was not necessarily usable as the vessel of the Fate Changing Pill. This was also why the array faced destruction only moments after Yi Yun calmed it with the Divine Alchemy Cauldron.

Yi Yun took a deep breath as he injected Yuan Qi into his dantian. Following that, he blasted his energy outwards as he roared. This long roar sounded like a dragon's. It went from the array's core straight to the horizons.

That instant, what appeared to be a True Dragon's phantom soared into the sky from Yi Yun's body. Instantly, it tore through the layers of heat waves.

Hum!

A heavy metallic resonance was heard as a heavy cauldron appeared out of thin air. It was none other than the Ascending Dragon Cauldron!

"Oh? What happened?"

Patriarch Pillheart, Ouming Yin, and company heard the dragon's roar. Just that was not enough to astound them, but then they could sense an ancient aura transmit from the array's core. It was as though they were facing the entire universe.

What was this power?

They felt shaken deep down. However, even if they tried their best to look into the array's core, all they could see was the chaotic fire-elemental Yuan Qi. They had no idea what was happening within.

Yi Yun held one arm out. The ancient Ascending Dragon Cauldron was floating above his palm. Above it, one could vaguely see a dragon's breath lingering over it. The appearance of the cauldron seemed to change the laws of the world they were in.

Yi Yun looked at the cauldron the divine alchemist had left behind. He spoke softly to it, "You have been holding this area down for hundreds of millions of years. You must be tired. From this moment forth, let me hold down this array."

Yi Yun produced imprints as the cauldron left behind by the divine alchemist seemed to understand what he said. It began trembling slightly beneath his feet.

There were many thick chains coiled around the cauldron. They had been asleep for very long and at that moment, when touched by Yi Yun's imprints, these chains lit up with runes. Every rune corresponded to an imprint that Yi Yun produced.

A few seconds later, the chains began producing crisp sounds before seemingly coming alive. They swayed around like pythons as they unwrapped themselves!

Clang!

All the chains fell to the ground. The ancient cauldron trembled more and more vigorously. Finally, under Yi Yun's control, it rose from the bottom of the lake.

The ancient cauldron finally left its spot.

Yi Yun formed imprints again. The Ascending Dragon Cauldron could seal the heavens and earth, as well as repress mountains and rivers!

Yi Yun stepped on the Ascending Dragon Cauldron as he sank bit by bit.

The Ascending Dragon Cauldron that was as heavy as a star sank to the lake's bottom and took the ancient cauldron's former position.

Following that, Yi Yun produced more imprints. He began moving the chains as they crept over. However, they did not truly wrapped around the entire Ascending Dragon Cauldron. Instead, they wrapped around the Ascending Dragon Cauldron's three feet as though they were afraid of the paragon dragon aura that the Ascending Dragon Cauldron possessed.