The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Xiao Fan opened the wooden box, and inside lay a jade bracelet of emerald green, warm to the touch, clearly quite old. He carefully put it away and thanked him sincerely.

Guests arrived in an endless stream, and Xiao Zhankui, seated at the head of the table, grinned from ear to ear. Su Wanqing accompanied him, having changed into a deep red wedding dress. Her complexion was much better than when she left Guanlan Garden, and her brows once again shone with their former radiance.

Xiao Zhankui kept turning back to look at her, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he sighed heavily and said, "I really hope that the mountains in the distance can also see this day."

Su Wanqing's eyes reddened, but she still smiled and nodded.

The auspicious time has arrived.

The Yun family's sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Danlou, and Yun Xiaotian saw his daughter off at the door.

Led by Yun Tianxiao, Yun Ruoxi wore a red wedding dress and a red veil embroidered with mandarin ducks on her head.

Xiao Fan stood at the other end of the red carpet, watching the petite figure walk towards him step by step, his heart inexplicably racing.

Yun Xiaotian handed Yun Ruoxi's hand to Xiao Fan. "If you dare to bully her, I'll never forgive you."

Xiao Fan grasped Yun Ruoxi's cold hand and said earnestly, "Father-in-law, rest assured, Xiao Fan will never let Ruoxi down in this lifetime."

As the officiant, Jiang Yuanji spoke at length, his voice booming like a bell.

Xiao Fan and Yun Ruoxi went through the wedding ceremony.

When the two stood up and their eyes met, Xiao Fan seemed to see a pair of smiling eyes beneath the red scarf.

"The ceremony is complete!"

Amid cheers, Xiao Fan removed the red scarf. Yun Ruoxi slightly raised her head, her eyes sparkling, and parted her red lips to speak. Xiao Fan understood immediately, his eyes narrowing into slits with a smile.

Just as the banquet was reaching its climax, an unusual commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

A guard from the Pill Tower hurriedly approached Xiao Fan and whispered, "Young Master, someone outside wants to see you. He claims his surname is Yin and he comes from the north."

The North? Xiao Fan frowned slightly.

The area north of the capital was a desolate and sparsely populated place. He put down his wine cup and walked towards the door. There, outside the Dan Tower, at the foot of the stone steps, stood a middle-aged man in a gray robe.

He was tall and slender, with an ordinary appearance; he would easily blend into a crowd and go unnoticed. However, Xiao Fan noticed his eyes—eyes as calm as an ancient well, without a trace of emotion.

"And who are you?" Xiao Fan cupped his hands in greeting, his eyes filled with a hint of awe.

The gray-robed man returned the greeting, his tone flat and devoid of any emotion: "I am Yin Beichuan of the Northern Sea Palace. I came here specifically to offer my congratulations upon hearing of Young Master Xiao's wedding."

Dan Palace, Beihai!

Xiao Fan's eyes widened. He had heard of this name in his previous life. The Beihai Pill Palace was the number one alchemy force in the Northern Region. It was said that it contained ancient pill formulas that had been lost for a long time. The palace master's cultivation was unfathomable, and even the Pill Tower had to give him some respect.

However, this force has only operated in the Northern Region, which is thousands of miles away from the Tingxiang Empire.

"It is truly an honor for me, Mr. Yin, to grace us with his presence," Xiao Fan said calmly. "Come in and have a drink."

"No need." Yin Beichuan took out a silver token from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "The Palace Master asked me to tell Young Master Xiao that the Qiankun Creation Cauldron is an ancient divine object. If it is left in the mortal world, it will surely bring disaster."

"If Young Master Xiao is willing, my Beihai Pill Palace is willing to provide three ninth-grade pill formulas to safeguard this cauldron for you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fan's smile froze instantly.

Three Grade Nine Pill Formulas. This is an enormous fortune. However, he revealed the secret of the Qiankun Creation Cauldron right from the start; his intelligence-gathering ability is truly astonishing.

"Lord Yin, I am unaware of the Qiankun Creation Cauldron. I am afraid I will disappoint your palace master's painstaking efforts."

Yin Beichuan glanced at him indifferently, neither asking further nor getting angry, and nodded slightly, saying, "Since it's Young Master Xiao's wedding, I won't disturb you any longer."

In three months, the North Sea Pill Palace will hold a grand alchemy gathering in the Northern Region, inviting alchemy masters from all over the world. If Young Master Xiao changes his mind, he may bring this cauldron, and the Palace Master will welcome him.

As he spoke, he placed the token on the stone steps, turned around and left. In just a few steps, he disappeared into the darkness, as if he had never been there at all.

Xiao Fan didn't move. Instead, he bent down and picked up the silver-white token. It was a cool token with wave-shaped patterns engraved on it and the words "North Sea Pill Palace" written below.

As soon as he returned to the hall, Jiang Yuanji heard a noise outside. He walked over to him and asked in a low voice, "Who's here?"

"People from the North Sea Pill Palace." Xiao Fan handed over a token. "They want this Qiankun Creation Cauldron."

Jiang Yuanji's face darkened as soon as he saw the words on the token.

"Yin Tianyuan, the master of the North Sea Pill Palace. That person has been at the peak of the Tribulation Realm for hundreds of years."

Centuries?

Xiao Fan's heart sank immediately.

"Tower Master, what exactly is this Qiankun Creation Cauldron? How did they come up with such a thing?"

Jiang Yuanji remained silent for a long time before slapping him on the shoulder: "This is a long story, and I can't explain it clearly. Come to the ninth floor tomorrow after your wedding, and I'll tell you all about it."

After carefully putting away the token, Xiao Fan suppressed his doubts and returned to the banquet. Yun Ruoxi noticed his strange expression, subtly took his hand, and said nothing more.

Xiao Fan turned around, smiled slightly at her, and stopped thinking about the cold sign.

Tonight is his wedding night; we'll talk about the rest tomorrow.

The next morning, Xiao Fan arrived at the ninth floor of the Pill Tower as promised.

Jiang Yuanji had already prepared tea, and there was a soft cushion at the other end of the futon, clearly something he had anticipated. After sitting down, Xiao Fan didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point: "Tower Master, what exactly is the Qiankun Creation Cauldron all about?"

Jiang Yuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked out the window, seemingly reminiscing about something.

"Legend has it that this cauldron was cast by the ancient founder of alchemy and contains the ultimate principles of alchemy. Only by obtaining it can one grasp the essence of alchemy."

He put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Xiao Fan, and said calmly, "Yin Tianyuan, the Palace Master of the North Sea Pill Palace, that old codger has been searching for him for hundreds of years. He has been stuck at the peak of the Tribulation Realm for too long and needs to rely on the power of the Qiankun Creation Cauldron to break through to the Celestial Realm."

"So, he sent someone to ask for it?"

"Is that so? That was just polite talk." Jiang Yuanji sneered. "If he weren't wary of the Pill Tower, he would have already seized it. Although the North Sea Pill Palace has a foothold in the Northern Region, it has also planted many spies in the South over the years."

Your father went to the capital and discovered that the Beihai Dan Palace was the mastermind behind the Zhao family.

Xiao Fan immediately sat up straight: "Is my father's death related to the North Sea Pill Palace?"