novelraw Chapter 361: Fourth-Grade Sword Bone Pill
Chapter 361: Fourth-Grade Sword Bone Pill
"Since you saw that demonic cultivator, why didn’t you take action to kill him? Do you know how many people he has killed and how many Gu clans he has wiped out?"
From the crowd, a graceful female sword cultivator stepped forward, summoning her courage to question him.
"Xiao Rou! This is no place for you to speak! Step back immediately, or don’t blame me for being harsh!"
The leading middle-aged sword cultivator was startled and hurriedly scolded her loudly. He then nervously glanced at Long Xuan, fearing any offense toward this Fourth-Grade Alchemist.
After all, a Fourth-Grade Alchemist was not someone they could afford to offend lightly.
"Please forgive her, senior," the man quickly explained. "That demon has slaughtered eighteen Sword Bone talents from our Sword Cleansing Pavilion to collect their bones.
"My younger sister also has Sword Bones. Most of the slain were her friends, which is why she lost her composure and inadvertently offended you."
Long Xuan chuckled and replied, "No matter. It’s often said that sword cultivators are straightforward, and today I see that this is true."
"It seems that demon cultivator intends to replace all the bones in his body with Sword Bones. Such madness!"
"If he truly succeeds, his sword could cut down peers like slaughtering dogs. If your sister possesses Sword Bones, you must protect her well."Seeing that the Fourth-Grade Alchemist did not take offense, the lead sword cultivator let out a long sigh of relief. He immediately sent a soul-transmitted message to those behind him, instructing them to gag Xiao Rou and take her away before she said anything else inappropriate.
"Of course. Even at the cost of my life, I will protect my sister."
"However," he added, "her Sword Bone coincides with the position of one of our deceased senior brothers. Perhaps that old demon will not target her."
Long Xuan nodded and continued, "So, with your sister and the eighteen other Sword Bone talents who have perished, your Sword Cleansing Pavilion has produced nineteen individuals with Sword Bones."
"When did Sword Bones become so common? I distinctly remember them being both powerful and rare—finding even one in a region was considered fortunate."
The lead sword cultivator smiled and explained, "Senior, you may not know this, but while Sword Bones are indeed rare, the number of sword sects in this world is exceedingly small—fewer than five in total."
"With no competition, we recruit disciples from across the world, allowing us to search globally for Sword Bone talents."
"Although rare, when viewed on a global scale, how many Sword Bone talents can there truly be?"
"In truth, our Sword Cleansing Pavilion has many Sword Bone talents. Those eighteen who died are far from the total."
Long Xuan appeared enlightened and pretended to have just understood. "So, this person is collecting Sword Bones and even took the Qilin Arm from this region. It seems he intends to transplant all the world’s unique organs onto himself. Truly a mad notion."
"I wonder how he’s managing it."
"To be honest," Long Xuan added, "I refrained from acting for a reason."
"I discovered that this person’s spiritual power far surpasses the peak of a Gu King. Under such uncertain circumstances, how could I dare act rashly?"
Hearing this, the lead sword cultivator’s expression changed drastically. He furrowed his brows and said gravely, "This man is clearly in the Spiritual Sea stage, yet his spiritual power surpasses a Gu King? Unbelievable! I think I know his origins."
He quickly turned to his fellow disciples and urgently commanded, "We must leave immediately. This man is not someone we can contend with. We must report this to the sect as quickly as possible. Only the strength of a Gu King can hope to kill him."
Having said this, the lead sword cultivator turned and hastily headed toward the flying boat, his urgency suggesting a grave matter.
"Wait a moment." Long Xuan called out, stopping him. "I have something I need to discuss with your Sword Cleansing Pavilion. May I hitch a ride?"
The lead sword cultivator paused, thought for a moment, and finally nodded. "It would be an honor for us to have a senior visit our Sword Cleansing Pavilion. Please, this way."
Long Xuan nodded, hands clasped behind his back, and boarded the flying boat first.
Two days later, the flying boat slowly descended before a towering mountain peak.
This peak, named Spirit Sword Mountain, resembled a sword piercing the heavens. It was the famed home of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion, where countless sword cultivators trained.
As Long Xuan and the others disembarked, a group of sword cultivators with Sword King-level auras emerged from the pavilion, their faces brimming with smiles. Among them were the Pavilion Master and many elders, second only to the master in status.
They had received word of a distinguished Fourth-Grade Alchemist visiting that day. Such a figure could not be slighted, so they had put aside their affairs to welcome him early.
The Pavilion Master, a handsome middle-aged man, approached with a warm smile.
"The presence of a Fourth-Grade Alchemist gracing our Sword Cleansing Pavilion brings us immense honor. May I ask the esteemed guest’s name?"
The Pavilion Master spoke with great enthusiasm, though a trace of doubt lingered in his heart.
Fourth-Grade Alchemists were incredibly rare and renowned. Each was widely known, and with his status, he thought himself familiar with all of them.
Yet this alchemist was a stranger to him—a Fourth-Grade Alchemist of such standing would not appear out of thin air.
Although doubts lingered in his heart, without absolute certainty, he wouldn’t easily probe into this person, lest a mistake in judgment caused a catastrophe.
Faced with such an influential figure as the Pavilion Master of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion, Long Xuan remained calm and composed, smiling as he said, “Just call me Elder Dan; there’s no need to ask for my real name. It’s inconvenient to disclose.”
“Alright, I’ll call you Elder Dan then. You can simply address me as Pavilion Master Ren,” the Pavilion Master replied.
“This is not the place for conversation; let’s talk inside.”
The Pavilion Master gestured invitingly and stepped aside to make way.
Long Xuan nodded and strode forward without hesitation.
The Pavilion Master walked alongside him, and the elders of the pavilion and the Sword Kings of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion followed at a respectful distance, not daring to overstep.
As they walked, the two exchanged pleasantries. During their conversation, they entered the welcoming hall of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion.
Long Xuan, mindful that too many words could lead to mistakes, decided to get straight to the point. After sitting on a chair, he said bluntly, “I’ll get right to the purpose of my visit. I need the strongest sword intent from your pavilion. I wonder if you can help me with this?”
After taking his seat at the head of the room, the Pavilion Master smiled and said, “It’s a small matter. The strongest sword intent of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion is none other than my own Free and Unfettered Sword Intent.”
“It’s thanks to the powerful Free and Unfettered Sword Intent that I ascended to the position of Pavilion Master of the Sword Cleansing Pavilion.”
“Many have sought to observe my Free and Unfettered Sword Intent in an attempt to comprehend it. Naturally, my fees for such a demonstration are not low.”
“However, meeting you, Elder Dan, today has been a delight. I’ve decided not to charge you anything and consider it a gesture of friendship.”
“Oh, by the way, my wife is about to give birth. I wonder if Elder Dan could refine a Fourth-Grade Sword Bone Pill for me? I would be deeply grateful.”
As he spoke, the Pavilion Master fixed his gaze intently on Elder Dan’s eyes. Determining whether this Elder Dan was truly a Grade-4 alchemist could be resolved by having him refine a Fourth-Grade pill.
If he truly was a Grade-4 alchemist, it would be a fortuitous coincidence, as the Pavilion Master urgently needed a Sword Bone Pill to increase the likelihood of his unborn child awakening sword bones.
Hearing this, Long Xuan silently mocked the Pavilion Master’s audacity. Claiming to offer sword intent for free, only to follow up with a request for a Sword Bone Pill—wasn’t this essentially a transaction?
Being well-versed in the field of alchemy, Long Xuan naturally knew what a Sword Bone Pill was. If a pregnant woman consumed it, there was a chance the unborn child would awaken sword bones.
This pill was almost miraculous. Once refined, it would trigger heavenly phenomena. The difficulty of refining such a pill was unimaginable, making the Pavilion Master’s request a daunting challenge.
Fortunately, it was Long Xuan sitting here. Most Grade-4 alchemists would have been flustered by such a request.
Long Xuan could indeed refine the Sword Bone Pill. Moreover, if he accepted the Pavilion Master’s request, he could obtain the precious Sword Bone Pill recipe for free, which tempted him.
Thus, he said, “Refining a Sword Bone Pill is possible, but Pavilion Master Ren must know that it is a pill capable of triggering heavenly phenomena, making it extremely difficult to refine. Therefore, the materials must be plentiful—at least thirty portions.”
“Let’s follow the rules of the alchemy world: you provide the recipe and materials, and the refined pills are split fifty-fifty. Even numbers are divided evenly, and if there’s an odd one, the extra goes to you.”
“If no pill is successfully refined, I’ll compensate you with materials of equivalent value. What do you think?”
Long Xuan looked at the Pavilion Master.
These weren’t his personal terms but long-standing rules of the alchemy world. They were fair, especially the last clause, which prevented alchemists from hoarding materials under the pretext of failed refinements.
Hearing Elder Dan agree so readily, with an air of confidence in his gaze, Pavilion Master Ren’s doubts significantly diminished. He now believed there was a 99% chance that Elder Dan was a Grade-4 alchemist.
Delighted, the Pavilion Master’s eyes lit up. To think this mysterious alchemist could genuinely refine a Fourth-Grade Sword Bone Pill—it was a pleasant surprise.
Refining a Fourth-Grade Sword Bone Pill was an exceedingly challenging task, and there weren’t many alchemists capable of it. Even with his extensive connections, the Pavilion Master couldn’t guarantee he’d find someone to refine such a pill. This Grade-4 alchemist had arrived at just the right time, prompting him to consider establishing a closer relationship.
“Alright! Let’s follow the rules of the alchemy world. I’ll prepare thirty portions of materials immediately.” Pavilion Master Ren enthusiastically slapped the table.
...
Long Xuan then stayed at the Sword Cleansing Pavilion, where the Pavilion Master arranged luxurious accommodations for him. After settling in, Long Xuan officially began his seclusion to refine the Sword Bone Pill.
His alchemy methods were unique, allowing him to refine pills at incredible speeds. Despite the complexity of the Sword Bone Pill’s process, he could typically finish it within a day.
However, for an ordinary alchemist, the Sword Bone Pill had an exceptionally high failure rate, and the intricate refining process could lead to frequent failures. Taking a month to successfully refine the pill would be entirely normal.
Long Xuan didn’t want to appear too extraordinary. Refining a Sword Bone Pill capable of triggering heavenly phenomena within a day would seem incredibly shocking to outsiders.
Thus, he decided not to rush and planned to delay the refinement process, beginning the actual attempt a month later.