Three days later.

Outside Shouyang Mountain at Lingtian Pass.

The roads were crowded with carriages and horses, and pedestrians moved like weaving threads.

Countless lower order cultivators gathered outside the mountain, spontaneously forming large and small markets, engaging in various businesses.

Such a scene was extremely unimaginable for ordinary people.

This is because Shouyang Mountain was the temporary cave mansion of a Nascent Soul True Master; who would dare to conduct petty business at someone's doorstep?

But this Nascent Soul True Master surnamed Lu was different; hailing from the East Sun Sect, upon arriving at Lingtian Pass, he lifted many commercial restrictions under his proposal.

He even set an example by designating a large area outside Shouyang Mountain for lower order cultivators to do business openly.

In the marketplace, Glints shot up into the sky, entering the cloud-shrouded mountain.

Watching these Glints, the lower order cultivators were full of envy.

"Another Golden Core Ascendant Master has gone in, hasn't he?"

"I heard there's a gathering specifically for Golden Core Ascendant Masters inside the mountain, with attendees gaining abundant rewards."

"I wonder when I'll qualify to attend such a gathering."

"You're dreaming! Even if you dream, why not dream bigger? The higher-tier True Master gatherings are what we truly aspire for."

"I heard at the last True Master gathering, someone brought out a Demon Emperor's youngling..."

As the lower order cultivators marveled, a crimson Glint suddenly flew in from outside the marketplace, directly entering Shouyang Mountain.

Such a sight elicited gasps of astonishment.

Lingtian Pass had a No-fly Array in place!

Even Golden Core Cultivators couldn't freely soar unless during wartime or in specific areas designated for free flight.

To fly in straight from outside the mountain like this, only a True Master of Nascent Soul Realm could do so without any restrictions!

Another True Master had joined that enigmatic gathering!

...

In contrast to the lively atmosphere outside, Shouyang Mountain was relatively quiet.

But it was only "relatively."

On the mountain top and mid-mountain, two distinct cultivator groups of different realms communicated with each other. Each exhibited restraint, yet the gathering appeared full of talents.

Especially at the mountain top, today there were noticeably over twenty Nascent Soul True Masters attending!

This number accounted for nearly two-thirds of those at Lingtian Pass.

Excluding the Mingyuan Sect in the Eastern Wasteland Human Cultivation World, they made up half.

Such a gathering of talents was unparalleled.

Despite only having a little over twenty attendees, several small circles subtly formed.

One circle, headed by Elder Lu of the East Sun Sect, if closely observed, revealed that many Nascent Soul True Masters within had connections to the Mingyuan Sect.

Another crowd, led by Jiuling Yuanjun, consisted mostly of familiar faces such as Elder Fu, Xiao Shiniang, and Ling Fengzi. A common trait among them was that their sects had been lost, leaving them homeless, with many hailing from the fallen Fifteen Domains.

From a certain perspective, without the war between the Human and Demon clans, this group would be considered the rising powers of the East Desolate Human Clan.

After all, Great Territories closer to the Million Mountains were usually new developments after ancient times, with sects emerging over the past three thousand years.

The last circle was a bit more nuanced.

About seven or eight people wearing different sect emblems came together, each exuding an innate pride.

They gathered not under a leader, more out of subconscious behavior.

To discerning onlookers, this circle belonged to the older factions, naturally at odds with the new powers, yet having lukewarm relations with the Mingyuan Sect.

They were the swayable neutral powers.

Within these seven or eight people was one more active individual, whose words often met with others' laughter and agreement.

It's not because this person's realm was profound; at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, he wasn't particularly formidable in this gathering.

His importance came from being a Fourth Order Pill Refiner!

In the "A Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation," the Dao of Alchemy was foremost.

Every major sect and school cultivated their own Pill Refiners.

Ordinary Pill Refiners were easy to train, and even Third Order ones could be nurtured if enough resources were invested.

But when it came to Fourth Order Pill Refiners, it wasn't so simple.

It required the combination of talent, resources, and realm!

Without talent, one couldn't become a beginner.

Without resources, one couldn't delve deeply.

Even if the first two were fulfilled, extensive Pill Refinement would significantly delay one's own cultivation, resulting in a low realm.

And if the realm was low, one couldn't provide the powerful control needed for Fourth Order Pill Refinement.

For instance, Qing Danzi, the Supreme Elder of Qingdan Valley, had his Pill Refinement Technique reached the threshold of Fourth Order, yet failed in multiple attempts to refine the Nascent Soul Formation Pill due to his insufficient realm, even when supported by the full sect's resources.

Therefore, Fourth Order Pill Refiners were extremely rare talents throughout the Mountain Sea Realm.

In the vast Eastern Wasteland, there were only about six or seven Fourth Order Pill Refiners known by name.

More than half had been recruited by the Holy Land Mingyuan Sect.

Among those remaining, the most famous was the former Alchemy Emperor of the Medicine King Sect.

But his wealth hoarding and poor interpersonal relations led to the lack of assistance during times of trouble—on the contrary, the Medicine King Sect's enormous wealth attracted many to take advantage and knock him down when he was weak.

In this current gathering of True Masters at Shouyang Mountain, the one everyone treated amicably was another Fourth Order Pill Refiner.

His name was Yao Ping from Seven Cave Mountain, and people called him Mr. Yao.

Their flattery was naturally self-serving.

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