Chapter 1843: Chapter 1940: Make Plans Early

In the main hall of the Pill Saint Palace, Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng walked side by side; before them was the Old Palace Master.

Aside from the three of them, there was no one else in the main hall.

The Old Palace Master held a jade bottle in each hand, which contained the pills Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng had refined using Dragon Blood.

"You both are very impressive, even though you haven’t truly become Eight Cauldrons Alchemists, you can already refine pills of such a level. This truly makes this old man gratified," said the Old Palace Master, looking at Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng with appreciation in his eyes.

At this moment, Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng had not yet participated in the Eight Cauldrons Alchemist examination; consequently, they were still considered Seven Cauldrons Alchemists. However, everyone in the Pill Saint Palace knew that these two already possessed the abilities of an Eight Cauldrons Alchemist, only lacking the examination.

This time, their use of Dragon Blood in pill refining was enough to demonstrate their strength. Whether it was the Superior Eight-grade Pill refined by Fang Lin, or the Pseudo Nine-grade Pill refined by Qi Liansheng, both showcased that they possessed abilities exceeding their current alchemist rank.

Fang Lin said, "Compared to Brother Qi, I’m still a bit lacking."

Speaking honestly, Fang Lin felt this way since Qi Liansheng’s refined pill was indeed of a higher grade.

Qi Liansheng responded with a wry smile, "Junior Brother Fang, don’t belittle me."

The Old Palace Master laughed heartily, returning two jade bottles to Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng, and said, "I am quite pleased with both of you. Although there are differences in pill quality, the timing of your pill refinements was not the same, so it’s not clear who’s stronger."

"Yes!" Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng responded in unison, but in Qi Liansheng’s mind, he felt he had still lost to Fang Lin this time.

After all, Fang Lin had the confidence to start refining upon obtaining Dragon Blood, whereas Qi Liansheng had no such confidence and only commenced after much preparation.

Although Qi Liansheng’s refined pill was indeed of a higher quality, he knew that if Fang Lin had the same preparation time, the quality of Fang Lin’s pill would surely not fall short.

"Return now, in a month, the Eight Cauldrons Alchemist examination will be held," the Old Palace Master said.

Upon hearing this, both showed excitement, for they were young, and feelings like this were hard to suppress.

After Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng departed, the Old Palace Master remained seated in the main hall, pondering many things, including the future Fang Lin.

"Is everything truly under control? Perhaps some matters have unknowingly slipped beyond our sight," the Old Palace Master murmured.

Although the Pill Saint Palace had always been under his watchful eye and nothing escaped his notice, an inexplicable worry arose in his heart as Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng, two generational talents, grew ever more illustrious and mature.

Furthermore, the Old Palace Master bore pressures unknown to others in the Pill Saint Palace.

The legacy of Xuanyuan Ya, the fate of all beings, and the destined demise of the Pill Saint Palace weighed not only on Fang Lin but also on the Old Palace Master.

Someone entered the main hall and greeted the silent Old Palace Master with a slight bow.

"You’re here," acknowledged the Old Palace Master.

The visitor was equally elderly, with a stern face, rarely smiling, making him seem unapproachable from the first glance.

The Great Elder!

In the Pill Saint Palace, he was the only one who could stand on equal footing with the Old Palace Master, wielding power not inferior to the Old Palace Master. Often, the Old Palace Master kept a low profile, with this Great Elder stewarding the major affairs of the Pill Saint Palace.

Regardless of their status, even figures as prominent as the nine Hall Masters felt genuine awe when facing the unsmiling Great Elder.

Yet few in the Pill Saint Palace knew that the Old Palace Master and the Great Elder were once archrival siblings, much like Fang Lin and Qi Liansheng now, both hailed as promising talents. In their youth, they were headstrong, neither yielding to the other, contesting for more than half their lives.

"Junior Brother, it seems we both have grown much older," the Old Palace Master said, seeing that the Great Elder did not speak after greeting him, he took the initiative to speak.

The Great Elder raised an eyebrow, saying, "Having lived so many years, naturally, we should age."

The Old Palace Master smiled self-deprecatingly, "Honestly, I don’t want to grow old, let alone die. This beautiful world, the glorious Pill Saint Palace, I don’t wish to leave all this behind one day and see nothing."

The Great Elder felt uneasy hearing this and said, "With your cultivation, Senior Brother, living for thousands more years is no issue."

The Old Palace Master shook his head, "How long I can live doesn’t matter; it’s the Pill Saint Palace I can’t let go of."

"Why do you say that, Senior Brother?" The Great Elder grew more puzzled, as his senior brother was never this talkative, nor this melancholic. What was going on today?

"Have you ever considered, Junior Brother, if one day we are both gone, what will become of the Pill Saint Palace? Everything we have today might turn to dust, forgotten by the world, with not even ruins to commemorate it," said the Old Palace Master, his words laden with complexity and bitterness.

The Great Elder’s expression changed; he was perceptive and immediately sensed a deeper meaning in the Old Palace Master’s words.

"Senior Brother, has something happened?" the Great Elder inquired, for the Old Palace Master’s words unsettled him.

"You’re overthinking it, Junior Brother. I asked to see you today simply to entrust you with some affairs in case of unforeseen events in the future," the Old Palace Master said.

"I’ll carry out your instructions, Senior Brother," the Great Elder said with a fist salute.

The Old Palace Master smiled contentedly, giving the Great Elder some instructions via voice transmission.

The Great Elder’s expression changed dramatically, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at the Old Palace Master.

"Senior Brother, is it really so?" the Great Elder asked in a trembling voice. For someone like him to lose composure, the matter must have been incredibly shocking.

The Old Palace Master said nothing, only nodding, then closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh.

The Great Elder clenched his fists tightly, his emotions too complex for words. He hadn’t expected his senior brother to be contemplating such matters.

"I understand," the Great Elder steadied himself, finally agreeing, then turned to leave.

"Junior Brother, after competing for most of our lives, do you have any regrets?" the Old Palace Master suddenly asked.

The Great Elder’s steps did not halt, but his voice came, "Naturally, yes. If I were in your position, I’d surely do a better job."

The Old Palace Master laughed grandly, the heaviness and gloom in his heart dispelled.

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