While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 178 The Sword Master's Request, Ancient Clan Council

Tianmu Mountain Range, the mountainside of Tianmu Mountain.

Above the Tianshan Terrace, clouds and mist swirled, and the pure energy of heaven and earth almost materialized, flowing slowly. Several people sat facing each other around a stone table.

Upon hearing Lei Zunzhe's request to form an alliance and purchase a large quantity of high-grade pills, Lu Yu frowned slightly, tapped his fingertips lightly on the stone table, and showed a hint of difficulty on his face:
“Lord Lei, I’m afraid this matter will disappoint you. Although my Lingbao Pavilion has established itself here, its foundation is still shallow. Most of the main force and alchemists in the pavilion are still in the Northwest Black Corner Region and have not yet moved to the Central State.”

"Moreover, apart from myself, there is only one other high-level alchemist in the pavilion who has just entered the seventh rank. The production capacity is really limited, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to stably supply such a huge demand from your pavilion."

Seeing that Venerable Lei looked slightly disappointed, Lu Yu changed the subject, and with a flick of his sleeve, several jade slips shimmering with spiritual light appeared on the stone table.

"However, my Lingbao Pavilion has also developed some unique pills that may catch the eye of a Venerable One."

As Lu Yu spoke, he pushed several jade slips that were shimmering with spiritual light in front of Lei Zun Zhe.

"For example, this 'Breaking Emperor Pill' can help a peak Dou Wang expert increase the chance of breaking through the Dou Huang bottleneck by 30% out of thin air; and this 'Purple Jade Barrier-Breaking Pill' can allow a Dou Ling expert to increase their cultivation by two stars in a very short time without any side effects. Each person can only take it once in their lifetime... These kinds of pills are all unique prescriptions of our Lingbao Pavilion, and they should be absolutely unique in the outside world."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Lei's eyes lit up, and his soul power quickly swept over the detailed description of the pill's effects in the jade slip, his eyes shining even brighter.

If we were to discuss which type of pill is most sought after in the Dou Qi Continent, it would undoubtedly be the one that can directly enhance cultivation! Pills such as the Dou Ling Pill and the Huang Ji Pill are renowned throughout the continent, attracting countless powerful individuals.

The effects of the "Emperor Breaking Pill" and the "Purple Jade Barrier Breaking Pill" that Lu Yu took out at this moment were astonishing!
The former can increase the chance of breaking through to the Douhuang realm by 30%, while the latter can directly raise the cultivation level of a Douling expert by two stars!
If these two can be used in conjunction with the "Dou Ling Dan" and "Huang Ji Dan", they will undoubtedly be able to create a large number of core forces at the Dou Wang and Dou Huang levels for Feng Lei Ge. Their strategic significance far exceeds simply obtaining a few high-grade pills of the seventh rank or above!

"Haha, good! Pavilion Master Lu, my Wind and Thunder Pavilion will take all of these unique pills! And the demand will be no small amount!"

Lei Zun immediately made the decision, his tone becoming much warmer, "As for pills of grade seven and above, there's no rush. My Fenglei Pavilion also has a grade seven alchemist in charge, which is enough to meet some of the needs. It's not too late for us to discuss it further once your pavilion has trained more high-level alchemists."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Your Excellency is quite generous. In that case, let's settle on this cooperation."

"but……"

He changed the subject and continued, "Refining these unique pills is quite costly. In addition to the regular medicinal materials listed in the prescription, each batch of pills requires your organization to pay an extra batch of resources as compensation, such as magic cores of the sixth rank or above, or some rare high-rank medicinal materials."

Lei Zun Zhe pondered for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

While sixth-tier and above magic cores and seventh-tier and above high-grade medicinal herbs are also quite valuable, this deal is still extremely worthwhile compared to the enormous benefits of being able to reliably obtain these unique and effective pills and rapidly improve the strength of the middle-level members of the pavilion.

“Agreed!” He laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation. “We will do as Pavilion Master Lu says! I will send someone to discuss the specific details with your esteemed pavilion later.”

Lu Yu nodded slightly. Just as Lei Zun Zhe was about to get up to take his leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something, abruptly sat down again, slapped his forehead, and laughed, "Look at my memory, I was so busy talking about business that I almost forgot the main reason I came here."

“That old swordsman from the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion came to me a few days ago and asked me to pass on a message if I confirm that you, Pavilion Master Lu, have advanced to the eighth-grade alchemist realm, saying that he wants you to repay the favor he did for me before.”

After saying that, he gestured slightly to Lu Yu, and after Lu Yu nodded, he took out a small silver sword-shaped jade talisman with an ancient design from his storage ring, clenched his five fingers, and crushed it.

An invisible spatial fluctuation immediately dissipated.

After the message was sent, the group stayed put, drinking tea and chatting for about two hours.

Suddenly, the space above Tianshan Platform was violently torn open, and a sharp and incomparable sword aura was the first to emerge. Immediately afterward, an old man dressed in a green robe with a back as straight as a sword stepped out. He was none other than the Sword Venerable of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion!
His gaze, sharp as lightning, instantly locked onto Lu Yu. He went straight to the point, taking out a jade slip exuding an ancient aura and handing it over:

“Master Lu, I will be frank. This is a prescription for a grade eight, low-level pill called ‘Nine Revolutions Bone Tempering Pill.’ Its effects are extremely potent, and it is specifically used to temper the physical body of a Dou Zun expert, helping them break through the bottleneck of body tempering techniques.”

"I have prepared three portions of the medicinal materials needed to refine this pill."

As the Sword Venerable spoke, he flipped his hand, and three jade boxes emitting a rich medicinal fragrance and energy fluctuations appeared on the table.

He paused, then, as if remembering something, took something out of his storage ring.

It was a fist-sized, crimson ore with lava flowing slowly across its surface, radiating astonishing heat that caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

Inside the ore, a dark gold pattern resembling a phoenix spreading its wings can be faintly seen, which is extraordinary.

"According to Venerable Lei, the master seemed to have been searching for high-grade fire-attribute ore. This item is 'Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal,' an extremely rare eighth-grade fire-attribute ore. It contains a trace of the bloodline essence of an ancient celestial phoenix and the essence of the earth's core molten fire, making it an invaluable treasure for fire-attribute cultivators or alchemists."

Sword Master placed the ore on the table and looked intently at Lu Yu: "I wonder if Master would be so kind as to refine a batch for me? If successful, it will repay the previous favor, and this item will belong to Master!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu was slightly taken aback, looking at the Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal with a hint of surprise. He truly hadn't expected that the Sword Venerable would be able to produce such a treasure for alchemy.

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and declined, saying, "Sword Venerable, you are too kind. Since I have already accepted this favor, I will do my best in alchemy. This Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal is really unnecessary..."

Before the words were finished, a ripple suddenly appeared in the space beside them. A purple figure darted out like lightning, like a kitten that had caught a whiff of fish, and pounced in an instant.

Behind the purple figure, Hei Qing emerged with a helpless expression.

Needless to say, the purple figure that darted out like lightning was none other than Zi Yan.

She was completely captivated by the Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal on the stone table. Her large, amethyst-like eyes were wide open, staring intently at the crimson ore. Her small nose twitched slightly as if she were savoring its alluring aroma, and a glistening drop of saliva almost clung to the corner of her mouth.

"It smells so good..." Her eyes lit up, and she instinctively reached out her little hand to touch it.

"Ziyan, this thing belongs to someone else..."

Lu Yu grabbed Zi Yan's hand, looked at Zi Yan's shining eyes, and then at the treasure on the table, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He rubbed his temples, turned to the Sword Venerable, and said sincerely, "Sword Venerable, this item is indeed extremely precious, and I cannot take advantage of it for nothing. How about this, I am willing to exchange it for a high-level Earth-rank sword technique..."

Just then, Hei Qing reached out a large hand and patted Lu Yu's shoulder, interrupting him in a gruff voice: "Boy Lu, I'll exchange this for it. No need to spend money. My Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan still has some resources..." Then his sharp gaze swept over the Sword Venerable, and he said in a rough voice: "Old man, if I'm not mistaken, you mainly cultivate a mid-level Earth-rank body refining technique that is powerful but lacks staying power, right? And it seems you've been stuck at a bottleneck for quite some time."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Venerable looked at the suddenly appearing man in black, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He subconsciously nodded, "Senior has excellent eyesight! Indeed..."

Hei Qing laughed heartily, and with a wave of his hand, a black jade slip exuding an ancient and vast aura appeared in his hand: "My Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan may not have much else, but we have an abundance of body-refining techniques! This 'Ancient Dragon Shaking Heaven Technique' is a genuine high-level Earth-rank body-refining technique, combining both strength and gentleness, enough to help you break through your current bottleneck and reach a higher realm!"

He placed the jade slip on the table and pointed to the Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal: "How about I exchange this cultivation technique for this stone?"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Venerable was first taken aback, then his breathing instantly became heavy. A high-level Earth-rank body-refining technique was naturally far more valuable to him than a piece of unusable ore!

"Change it! Of course we'll change it!"

He agreed almost without hesitation, fearing that Hei Qing might change his mind, and immediately pushed the Phoenix Blood Flame Crystal in front of Zi Yan.

Hei Qing chuckled, scooped up the ore with his large hand, and casually stuffed it into the impatient Zi Yan's arms.

Zi Yan was overjoyed and hugged her warm baby tightly, sweetly exclaiming, "Uncle Hei is the best!"

Having dealt with this unexpected little incident, the Sword Master immediately returned to his main business.

He carefully took out the ancient jade slip containing the "Nine-Turn Bone Tempering Pill" again and handed it to Lu Yu, his tone filled with anticipation and solemnity: "Master Lu, this is the prescription. Please take a look. I wonder how many days it will take you to refine this pill?"

Lu Yu took the jade slip and quickly scanned the complex information within with his soul power.

He discovered that although the prescription was for tempering the physical body, the refining process was not difficult at all, even easier than ordinary grade eight low-level pills. He couldn't help but smile slightly and said:

"Please rest assured, Sword Venerable, although this prescription is uncommon, it is not particularly difficult. Within ten days, I, Lu, will begin refining the pill and will certainly refine this Nine-Turn Bone Tempering Pill for you."

"That's good, that's good! With Master Lu's words, I can finally rest assured!"

Upon hearing this, Sword Venerable's face immediately lit up with uncontrollable joy, and he nodded repeatedly.

Just as Lu Yu finalized the alchemy arrangements...

—————————————————————

Ancient tribes and ancient boundaries, the council hall of the ancient tribes.

Inside the magnificent and ancient hall, the atmosphere was somber and solemn. Around the large conference table, a group of elderly men with profound auras and white hair and beards sat upright.

At the end of the conference table, a woman in green sat quietly, her posture as upright as a lotus, her temperament elegant and otherworldly. She was none other than Xun'er, who had proposed to go to Zhongzhou.

"Nonsense! Xun'er, you possess divine bloodline and are the future hope of the clan. How can you go out so easily? The Central Plains is a mixed bag, fraught with danger. If something happens to you, who can bear the responsibility?"

Elder Gu Qian's expression was solemn, and his voice was deep yet carried an undeniable authority, "You should stay in the clan and communicate more with the outstanding geniuses in the clan, especially Gu Yao and Gu Qingyang. This will greatly benefit you in your future leadership of the Gu Clan!"

“Yes, Miss, that boy named Lu Yu may have some talent in alchemy, but how can he compare to the geniuses cultivated by our ancient clan over thousands of years?” another elder chimed in.

"Hehe, I don't think there's any need to be so nervous."

A cheerful voice rang out, and an old man dressed in a white robe with white hair and beard slowly spoke.

His deep-set eyes, far from being cloudy, were as profound as black holes, making one almost sink into them, exuding an indescribable mystery.

“Xun’er has already advanced to the Dou Zun level and has the ability to protect herself. It may not be a bad thing for young people to go out and gain experience and see the top geniuses on the continent. Lu Yu is only eighteen years old and has already reached the level of an eighth-grade alchemist. Such an achievement is unparalleled in the entire continent. This boy may not be unworthy of being friends with my ancient clan.”

"Elder Tongxuan is mistaken..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than an elder immediately retorted.

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, and the debate escalated.

Xun'er listened quietly to the various opinions, her originally serene eyes gradually turning cold. Suddenly, she stood up, her clear voice instantly drowning out all the arguments, echoing throughout the hall:

"The elders keep praising the outstanding talents within our clan. So, I ask you, among the younger generation of our ancient clan, is there anyone who has reached the level of an eighth-grade alchemist at the age of eighteen?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent!
The entire hall fell silent instantly. All the elders who had been arguing fiercely just moments before now had changed expressions, as if they had been choked, and not one of them could utter a word in rebuttal.

While Gu Yao and Gu Qingyang are undoubtedly gifted, an eighteen-year-old rank eight alchemist? Such an achievement is rare, even among the renowned Medicine Clan, let alone the Ancient Clan!

Just then, the space above the main seat in the hall rippled slightly, and a figure quietly appeared, as if he had always been there. The newcomer was dressed in simple hemp clothing, his face blurred, yet he naturally exuded a solemn and imposing aura.

It was Gu Yuan, the patriarch of the ancient clan.

His gaze calmly swept across the entire room, finally settling on Xun'er, and he spoke slowly. His voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority:
"All right."

"Xun'er, you can go."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over all the council elders present: "Not only you, but also pass on my order that all the younger generation of our ancient clan who are willing to go out and gain experience may leave the border and go to the Central Continent. Go and see what kind of demeanor the current prodigies of the Central Continent are. Let the pride of our clan also personally measure how vast this world really is."

Upon hearing this, the elders exchanged glances but had no further objections.

(End of this chapter)