Nie Sheng looked somewhat uncomprehendingly at Wu Zixiu.
Wu Zixiu sighed, "He used several different methods in projecting a single pill formula, some of which this old man could not even recognise."
"He probably did not have to go through so many steps in projecting and restoring the pill formula originally. He must have intentionally done this due to having seen through our intentions."
"Having comprehended so many principles of the dao of alchemy, it has instead prevented this old man from being able to tell what the true path he follows is. I can only say that his attainments in alchemy are definitely higher than mine."
Wu Zixiu repeatedly shook his head, "He is expressing his dissatisfaction with us."
Nie Sheng looked rather shockedly at Wu Zixiu, only saying after a long time, "In having intentionally concealed his background, this might mean that he has some unspeakable goal."
Wu Zixiu said, "Which power doesn't have their own secrets? It is just a pity that the other party is more highly skilled than me this time."
Nie Sheng was silent for a moment before he asked, "Why don't we dispatch someone out of the Royal Reed Sea to see the Southeastern Exalt? If he is notified beforehand and something really crops up, it would still be better at the very least."
Wu Zixiu said, "If they are related to the Southeastern Exalt, that move would inevitably be a travesty."
Nie Sheng reminded him, "The ritual will be beginning very soon."
Wu Zixiu smiled bitterly, "This old man is aware of that."
Nie Sheng shook his head, "Wang Wenming has really sent great trouble over. It might be a good thing in normal times. Still, it really makes for a headache at the current stage."
Wu Zixiu said, "He doesn't know that the main altar and the various branch altars are preparing for the Dim Sun Cold Moon Ritual together, not understanding our situation. By normal standards, we have handled him very appropriately, not having mistreated him in the least."
Nie Sheng said, "Indeed. The ignorant are not to blame. It is just that we cannot overlook them so easily."
Wu Zixiu slowly nodded, "The ritual is still the foremost priority. Let us send them away first. When the ritual has ended, we will send them to the main altar and get the Chief to make a decision."
"Do not forget to be polite and mention anything else. With just his attainments in alchemy alone, it is already worth our sect forging a good relationship with him."
Nie Sheng said upon hearing his words, "This is only natural."
With only Wu Zixiu left within the room, he sighed, "How young! Able to attain such a cultivation base at such an age yet still having such high attainments in the dao of alchemy-how has he had so much time and energy for all this?"
Wu Zixiu laughed bitterly, feeling for the first time all these years that he seemed to have grown old.
As Yan Zhaoge returned to his temporary lodgings with Ah Hu, the latter asked curiously, "Young Master, what will be doing now?"
"If my predictions hold true, this branch altar of the Dim Darkness Sect seems to be preparing for some major event," Yan Zhaoge said thoughtfully, "It might be some ritual. Still, the exact situation cannot be determined now due to a lack of information."
Yan Zhaoge sat down, "Under such circumstances, it clearly wouldn't be appropriate to keep us outsiders at this place."
"If they have malicious intentions towards us, they should be acting very soon. Otherwise, I estimate that they should likely be finding a pretext and sending us away from this place first."
Ah Hu scratched his big head, "Will they send us to the Dim Darkness Sect's main altar?"
Yan Zhaoge shrugged, "They might, they might not. I still can't say for sure now."
In the pill concoction hall previously, Yan Zhaoge had not thought anything of it initially. However, when Chen Ke had tried to get a grasp on his thoughts in projecting and restoring the pill formula afterwards, Yan Zhaoge had instantly detected that something was wrong.
The other party hadn't seemed to purely suspect that he had already long possessed the original pill formula. Instead, he had seemed more like he wanted to investigate his alchemical methods.
Yan Zhaoge didn't know what the other side wanted to confirm. The reason for him having been cautious in his words and thrown up a smokescreen was for those of the Dim Darkness Sect to return unsuccessfully, having run into a soft wall.
As the two were conversing, someone came over for a visit. It was precisely Nie Sheng whom they had seen previously.
At the same time that Nie Sheng chatted casually with Yan Zhaoge, he also stated why he had come. He expressed that they were preparing to send Yan Zhaoge's group over to the Dim Darkness Sect's main altar.
Yan Zhaoge glanced at Nie Sheng. While he had agreed to lead them to the main altar, where and when they would be leaving and whether they would end up going on detours was still hard to tell.
Also, it could be confirmed that the Dim Darkness Sect, or Wu Zixiu and Nie Sheng at the very least, didn't hope for Yan Zhaoge to continue being here at the Flourishing Peace Region for the time being.
The two sides were still on rather good terms right now. Therefore, while Yan Zhaoge was feeling rather curious as to whatever this branch altar of the Dim Darkness Sect was doing, he still didn't intend to pry deeply into it.
"This Yan will naturally be happy to meet your sect's Chief," Yan Zhaoge said, "The guest follows as the host intends. I will leave this to your sect to make the arrangements."
Nie Sheng smiled, nodding, "Since that is so, after Young Master Yan's group is ready, I will dispatch someone to guide the way for you."
Very soon, Yan Zhaoge saw the Dim Darkness Sect martial practitioner who would be their guide. It was precisely Elder Chen Ke whom he had met once earlier.
After exchanging some words, Yan Zhaoge knew that this task had been requested from Wu Zixiu and Nie Sheng by Chen Ke himself.
This first level Martial Saint, an Elder of the Non-Brightness Hall of the Dim Darkness Sect, was rather obsessed with the dao of alchemy. He clearly wanted to make use of this journey to interact with and ask for pointers from Yan Zhaoge.
Yan Zhaoge naturally wouldn't stop him from doing so.
Still, just after they had left the branch altar of the Dim Darkness Sect, before they had even gone far, an intimidating aura resounded from the distance.
Even with Yan Zhaoge's cultivation base, he felt his entire body's true essence seemingly going out of control as if it might catch ablaze on its own, his body turning numb as he virtually felt suffocated.
"Huh?" Yan Zhaoge's gaze focused slightly, "Is that Marquis Haicheng of the Grand Xuan Dynasty?"
"That's not right. According to the Dim Darkness Sect, this Marquis Haicheng is an expert of the fourth level of the Martial Saint realm, in the early Seeing Divinity stage. While he is extremely powerful as well, this aura here is clearly even more powerful, much more powerful."
Swivelling his head to look at Chen Ke, Yan Zhaoge saw that his expression was solemn to the extreme. After a moment's hesitation, he led them all back to the branch altar with a dismal expression on his face.
In just a single instant, all-encompassing fiery light now illuminated the sky, enveloping the entire Flourishing Peace Region and even the vast territories neighbouring it as the sky's true face could already no longer be seen at all.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge raised his brows slightly, "From the looks of it, it is probably an aura that only late Seeing Divinity Martial Saints can possess. As the Extreme Yang Seal can currently only exert the power of a mid-grade Sacred Artifact, even if it could immediately be used, it probably still wouldn't be able to do anything to him at all."
Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu both gazed at the sky. Even with the protection of the grand formation of the Dim Darkness Sect's branch altar, their bodies could still feel a burning hot pain blazing within.
Chen Ke said gravely, "It should be one of the four Lord Protectors of the Grand Xuan Dynasty, Lord Protector Zheng."
Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips.
While the former number one expert of the Royal Reed Sea, the founder of the Grand Xuan Dynasty King Xuanwen had perished with his son King Xuancheng also no longer being present, the strength of the Grand Xuan Dynasty having diminished greatly with revolts having sprung up all throughout the Royal Reed Sea, with their status as the number one power of the Royal Reed Sea, requiring the Radiant Light Sect, the Dim Darkness Sect and the other major powers to team up in order to deal with them, their strength was naturally still unordinary.
The current four Lord Protectors of the Grand Xuan Dynasty were all sons of King Xuanwen, King Xuancheng's brothers. All of them were peak experts who reigned supreme in their own individual domains of the Royal Reed Sea, acting rampantly and unbridled as they liked.
This Lord Protector Zheng had not come for Yan Zhaoge.
He was most likely here for the Dim Darkness Sect's current preparations.
"The scale's rather great this time," Yan Zhaoge muttered to himself as he looked at the sky that was filled entirely with blazing fire.