The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

"Zhao Jun and the Zhao family acted directly, but the mastermind behind it all is the Beihai Dan Palace." Jiang Yuanji's face darkened. "They need someone to help them collect evil techniques, and Zhao Jun is the best candidate."

Your father has discovered something he shouldn't have known, so naturally he won't let it go easily.

Xiao Fan remained silent for a long time, his fingers gently stroking the Qiankun Creation Cauldron.

It turns out that Zhao Jun wasn't the only one with enemies along this route.

"Master, Yin Beichuan wants me to go with him to the Alchemy Conference in three months. What will happen if I go?"

"If you go, Yin Tianyuan will stop at nothing to keep you here. You're his only chance to break through to the Celestial Realm, so how could he possibly let you go?"

"Let's forget about it."

"No," Jiang Yuanji shook his head.

"Why?" Xiao Fan was taken aback.

"Because this is a competition, to put it bluntly, a gamble." Jiang Yuanji stood up, took an old map from the wall, and placed it on the table. "Although the North is rich in resources, its population is not large."

The reason the North Sea Pill Palace was able to dominate the Northern Region was because they monopolized the entire region's spiritual veins and mineral deposits. Therefore, the Pill Tower could compete with the North Sea Pill Palace at the grand event and emerge victorious, thus gaining a chance to obtain a fortuitous opportunity.

"Is the tower master sending me to cause trouble?"

Jiang Yuanji smiled like an old fox: "We're not here to cause trouble, we're here to have a fair fight."

The invitation from the Beihai Dan Palace clearly stated: "We welcome all fellow alchemists from around the world to exchange skills. As this is an exchange meeting, the Dan Tower, as the leading alchemy force in the Southern Region, will naturally send a representative."

Xiao Fan pondered for a moment and said, "However, what they want is the Qiankun Creation Cauldron."

Jiang Yuanji said, "Therefore, you cannot take this cauldron with you. I will guard it personally. Take out another alchemy furnace and defeat them with your true skills."

The art of alchemy lies not in the alchemy furnace, but in your mind. Even without the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, you can become a genius with ninth-level alchemical patterns.

A flash of inspiration struck Xiao Fan.

The Tower Master is right. Although the Qiankun Creation Cauldron is only an auxiliary tool, his alchemy skills, his past life experience, the supreme alchemy scriptures, and the Qiankun Refining God Technique are his trump cards.

"How long will it take to reach the Northern Regions?"

"If we travel at full speed, we can arrive within a month," Jiang Yuanji said. "During this time, you must do everything in your power to break through to the peak of the Yang Realm. The Northern Region is teeming with powerful experts; alchemy alone is simply insufficient."

Xiao Fan nodded with a serious expression.

He was about to leave when Jiang Yuanji called him back.

"Young man. The fact that the North Sea Pill Palace was able to locate them so accurately suggests they've planted spies within the Pill Tower. Only close relatives may be taken to the Northern Region. Han Fei is quite clever; let him come along. As for the rest, you can handle it."

"Thank you for the reminder, Tower Master." Xiao Fan's heart tightened, and he cupped his hands in thanks.

When Yun Ruoxi returned to Tinglan Garden, she saw Yun Ruoxi sitting by the window, combing her hair, looking preoccupied. When she saw Xiao Fan enter, she put down her comb and stood up: "What did the Tower Master say? You don't look well."

Xiao Fan pulled her to a seat and told her everything that had happened at the Beihai Dan Palace.

Yun Ruoxi was silent for a while, then took his hand and said, "I will go to the Northern Region with you."

"No," Xiao Fan quickly shook his head. "This is a very dangerous thing for us."

"Going by yourself would be much riskier," Yun Ruoxi said, looking directly at him. "Although my cultivation is low, I am still your legal wife. Wherever you go, I will go. If you won't let me go, I will secretly follow you."

Seeing her stubborn expression, Xiao Fan couldn't help but laugh.

"Your temperament is just like my mother's."

"That's because your mother taught you well," Yun Ruoxi said matter-of-factly.

Xiao Fan pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on her head and inhaling the faint scent of osmanthus in her hair. "Alright, let's go. But you have to promise that if there's any danger, you must escape and don't worry about me."

Yun Ruoxi patted his chest. "Don't underestimate me. I'm just like you, a Spirit Realm expert. Escaping won't be a problem for me."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Over the next few days, Xiao Fan prepared for his journey north while also diligently cultivating his skills.

Jiang Yuanji took a large quantity of high-grade spiritual herbs from the Pill Tower's treasury and handed them to Xiao Fan, asking him to refine some pills to aid in breakthroughs.

Several priceless ginseng and Xuanbing grass were also sent from Medicine King Valley.

Xiao Fan practiced the Qiankun Refining God Technique day and night, and his spiritual power increased at an astonishing rate. At the same time, his cultivation level also rose steadily.

Yang Realm, Rank 5, Rank 6, Rank 7.

A month later, his cultivation level had reached the seventh rank of the Yang Realm.

He was only one step away from reaching the eighth rank of the Yang Realm. However, Xiao Fan did not persist any longer; time was up.

The night before his departure, Xiao Fan went to visit his mother.

Su Wanqing was sewing a gray rat-skin robe in front of the light, the stitches fine and dense, clearly showing she had put a lot of effort into it. Seeing Xiao Fan enter, she put down her needlework and beckoned to him: "Come, come, try it on."

Xiao Fan stepped forward and asked his mother to put the coat on him. The fur coat was thick and warm.

"Mother, don't worry, I'll be right back."

Su Wanqing straightened his collar and said, "I won't stop you. Back then, your father traveled everywhere, and although your mother felt sorry for him, she never stopped him. A real man should go out and see the world. But..."

She paused here, looked up, and met Xiao Fan's gaze.

"All I need is your promise that no matter what happens, you won't force yourself. If you can't win, escaping is the most important thing."

Xiao Fan nodded vigorously, then hugged his mother tightly.

"Mother, wait for me here."

Early the next morning, Xiao Fan, along with Yun Ruoxi, Han Fei, and twenty elite soldiers carefully selected by Zhao Tieshan, quietly left the north gate of the capital.

On the ninth floor of the Pill Tower, Jiang Yuanji stood by the window, watching the two figures disappear into the distance. Gu Yuan stood to the side, holding a recently delivered intelligence report, his face filled with worry.

"Reporting to the Tower Master, news has arrived from the north that Yin Tianyuan has emerged from seclusion and is preparing for a period of closed-door cultivation. He is at the peak of the Tribulation Realm and could step into the Celestial Realm at any time."

Jiang Yuanji remained silent for a long time, a cold look gradually appearing on his lips.

"So what? Without a breakthrough, everything is uncertain."