Jian Bu smirked inwardly. "That was too easy. I'm surprised it worked so well. It's unfortunate I lost a strong pawn, but he was a double-edged sword. I can't let anyone know about his inheritance. The less, the better. Now, I must find that kid my foolish younger brother befriended and silence him for good."
As the clan members witnessed the gruesome scene of the mangled bodies and the clan elder devouring them whole, many retched, while others were stricken with shock. It was understandable, as most of them had never encountered such a horrific act. Jian Bu stepped forward and addressed the crowd. "I am deeply saddened by the deaths of our clan members. Let us hold a moment of silence. [...] Prepare a proper burial for our fallen comrades. Inform Elder Jian Fan of his grandson's tragic demise. Their deaths remain a mystery, so we will need volunteers to investigate. Those who believe they can assist Elder Jian Zhen should remain; the rest should prepare for the ceremony." Jian Zhen observed the proceedings with a mix of wonder and disdain. "This brat is truly a capable leader. Alas, his days are numbered." With a loud harrumph, Jian Zhen commanded the attention of all. "We will follow Jian Bu's instructions, but I also insist that all clan members exercise caution. We do not know what transpired here. This mountain may harbor ancient traps or dangerous creatures. No one should venture alone until we have a clearer understanding of the situation. Everyone must report their location to the clan monitor. I will assign a squad of monitors to oversee all of you. Act with prudence!" Jian Bu's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he thought, "He's thwarting my plans. How am I going to silence Jian Feng's friend if everyone is in large groups and under constant surveillance? I'll need to devise another strategy." "Found you," Jian Bu mused, spotting Jian Ning. He approached the young man. "Is this Jian Ning, I assume? Thank you for caring for my brother during this difficult time. He truly needs friends right now. Your kindness will not be forgotten." Jian Ning gazed at the young clan leader in awe. "Greetings, young master. It is my honor to have met young master Jian Feng, the former genius of our clan and the son of the branch patriarch. I require no rewards." Jian Bu nodded. "I heard my brother mentioned that he told you about our progenitor's inheritance. I came here to warn you not to share this information with anyone. Our clan needs unity more than ever. I will reveal the truth when the time is right. How many people know about this?" Jian Ning nodded. "Some clan members overheard me talking with young master Jian Feng, and they threatened to extort more details from me. Fortunately, justice prevailed. I couldn't help but recognize their lifeless bodies on the floor." Jian Bu patted Jian Ning on the back. "Don't worry about it. You've done well," he said, before striking his fist through Jian Ning's chest, seizing his heart, and crushing it. He then wrapped the body in his clothes and quickly fled the scene. "That was close," Jian Bu thought. "Luckily, the news hasn't spread too far yet. I have an opportunity now. I'll turn him into a forbidden pill: the human pill." Jian Bu erased any evidence and vanished into the distance, unseen by anyone. Jian Bu began his preparations. He arranged the bones from Jian Ning's limbs into a square on the floor, placing the skull in the center. He used his spine as a pole to support the square structure and encircled it with his ribs. He extracted all of Jian Ning's blood and poured it into the formation, then infused it with his own Qi. As the pool of blood began to glow a blue hue, he employed the family's alchemist technique, "Universe in a Sleeve," to condense it. "There's still a chance of failure," Jian Bu thought. With unwavering determination, he cut his own wrists and allowed his blood to nourish the pool. With a powerful explosion, everything was consumed by smoke. "Cough, cough. I succeeded," Jian Bu said with a triumphant smile. The human pill is one of the 100 ranked forbidden pills in the world, ranked 27th. The Human Pill is a potent cultivation pill that can be used indefinitely to enhance the host's cultivation. It provides instant benefits without any cultivation defects, aside from the mental demons one might experience from their actions. To create this pill, one must instantly process a living human being who shares the same bloodline as the host. This pill requires exceptional alchemy expertise. Even an Alchemist Master has only a 5% chance of success, while only an Alchemist Grandmaster can consistently craft it with a 30% success rate. However, Alchemist Grandmasters are exceedingly rare. Nurturing one is equivalent to the cost of nurturing an entire clan, making them exclusive to hegemon organizations. Jian Bu is a multi-talented youth. While most people believe his expertise lies in cultivation, as he has not disclosed his alchemist skills, all of his subsidiary skills have reached the Master level. He is currently a Master in Alchemy, Talismans, Formations, and Forging. However, Jian Bu has always yearned for the path of Fortune Seeking, the powerful ability to predict the future. Unfortunately, the inheritance of a Fortune Seeker is practically extinct, unless one happens to excavate an ancient one. The Fortune Seeking path is a legendary path, and even the hegemon clans do not have their own exclusive Fortune Seekers. They rely on powerful Fortune Masters from around the world. Although the alchemy inheritance is rare, Jian Bu's Jian clan has a rich history. It is now a Super Clan with numerous overlord branches, having previously been a hegemon clan. His own mother is a respected Alchemist Grandmaster, from whom he learned the path. The most well-known subsidiary skills of a cultivator are Alchemy, Talismans, Formations, Music, Painting, Forging, and Fortune Seeking. To be truly considered an expert, a cultivator must master at least one of these paths. Jian Bu regarded the Human Pill with awe but quickly regained his composure. "This will help me reach the Qi Condensation 6th layer and give me the ability to escape the elders' grasp." Currently, three elders are overseeing the group, all at the Qi Condensation 7th layer. While they may not seem like much, their job is to handle troublesome matters that require brute force or to govern certain areas for the clan. Their ranking within the clan can only be described as acceptable. His father was the branch clan patriarch, a powerful peak Foundation Establishment expert. The supreme elder is a 7th rank Foundation Establishment Expert, and the twelve core elders range from foundation establishment 3rd to 5th rank. Elders like Jian Zhen are only outer clan elders, their potential having been spent, but they are still formidable assets to the clan. They cannot be compared to the inner clan elders, who possess cultivations of Qi Condensation 9th Layer or Foundation Establishment 1st to 2nd layer. These are the true powerhouses of the clan, capable of summoning wind and rain. The Jian branch Clan was a powerful local overlord clan, second only to Super-Clans, but even this branch clan pales in comparison to the main clan. The main clan is a super-clan that was once a hegemon clan, and despite no longer holding that title, it remains stronger than most other super-clans. The story takes place on the barren earth continent, which was once known as "Little Heaven" by the people of the world. However, after a cataclysmic event, the energy on the continent waned. As the years passed, the continent grew weaker, and most powers withdrew their members, leaving behind only a seed to govern the place and perhaps one day return. Currently, there are twelve hegemon powers in the world: Heaven Seeking Tower, Zither Pavillion, Sword Sect, Overlord Sect, Heavenly Demon Sect, Starry Treasure House, Myriad Races Dynasty, Blood Kill Order, Five Empire Coaliation, Ancient Clan Committee, Righteous Path, and Corrupt Path. These organizations are either the combined power of super-clan forces or a single powerful hegemon entity. As for other Super organizations, there are 99 of them. Every 10 years, the super organizations hold a tournament to determine their ranking. Other powerful organizations can also participate if they aspire to reach the next level. The organization that ranks 100 will be eliminated from the super organizations and lose significant benefits. Do not underestimate the moniker of a super-clan. Super-clans are treated with respect, and no one dares to attack their trade routes, making merchants eager to work with them. Additionally, new talent joins every year, strengthening their foundation, and they have the ability to claim powerful resource points. Losing the super-clan moniker not only diminishes respect for them but also exposes their belongings to potential theft. Therefore, all organizations strive to maintain their status as a super-organization. Jian Clan is a top super-clan, consistently ranking among the top 10 and having held the number one position multiple times. In the last tournament, the main clan ranked 9th. The next strongest entities after super organizations are overlord organizations, of which there are countless, at least a thousand. The next strongest entities after super organizations are overlord organizations. There are countless overlord organizations, at least a thousand. An overlord clan will have numerous foundation establishment experts, and a top one might even possess a formidable Golden Core expert. However, they are doomed to never become a super organization. The basic prerequisite to become a super organization is to have one nascent soul expert or ten golden core experts. An overlord organization does not have the resources to entertain these powerful figures, so they would rather leave their respective organization and test their luck joining a super organization as an external elder or disciple. Super organizations will also have subordinate overlord forces. Our Jian branch clan can be considered one, except we have a blood relationship with the main clan.