C528 Returning to the Place I Came from

The Hall of Elixirs on Celestial Isle was a sight to behold.

Yu Yuan, with Lee Yu in tow, stepped inside and gazed upward.

Spanning three levels, the Hall of Elixirs was a marvel.

On the first floor, Common Level and Spirit Level pills were for sale.

The second floor showcased earthly and heavenly pills.

And the third floor? It boasted Divine Level pills for purchase!

The bustling first and second floors were the heart of the hall, teeming with people and an abundance of elixirs.

Yet, the third floor was shrouded in exclusivity, its Divine Level pills guarded by stringent restrictions.

Upon entering the first floor, Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, his expression one of sheer bliss. Memories flooded back, transporting him across the centuries.

"Over three hundred years have passed," he whispered to himself, listening to the myriad of independent cultivators and esteemed members of various sects. They were inquiring about the pills' effects, prices, and usage from the young women of the Chamber of Commerce, prompting a joyful smile to dance across Yu Yuan's lips.

In his past life, he had frequented this place countless times.

Before he had risen to the prestigious position of Sect Master within the Order of Healing, his master had stationed him near Healing Island to refine pills. Each secret visit to the Celestial Isle and the Hall of Elixirs would stir up a frenzy.

Numerous high-ranking individuals, their cultivation levels sky-high, would implore him for his uniquely crafted pills.

Healing Island was closely guarded, forbidding outsiders from stepping foot on its shores. Many who sought his expertise could never gain an audience.

Only during his leisure could he venture to Celestial Isle and the Hall of Elixirs to grant them an encounter.

Lost in reverie, Yu Yuan could almost hear the hall's vibrant clamor as a wave of people surged toward him, their voices loud with pleas, all yearning for just one glance from him.

At the hall's entrance, Gao Qin, who had followed him in, was curiously observing Yu Yuan while picking his teeth with a slender bone.

Gao Qin harbored doubts. What was it about this man, who had been escorted to the isle by the seventh Grand Sword Immortal of the Sword Sect and rode upon the Crucible of Evil, that seemed so peculiar?

It was as though Yu Yuan found sheer delight in simply being present within the Hall of Elixirs.

Aware of Yu Yuan's significant identity, Gao Qin had accompanied him to prevent any unwelcome disturbances from individuals like Chou Jihai, who harbored vengeful intentions.

This was to ensure that Yu Yuan could wander the Celestial Isle without discomfort.

Gao Qin was aware that Chou Jihai wasn't the only one seeking retribution against Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu.

"Hu!"

Yu Yuan let out a deep breath, clearing the heaviness from his chest, and slowly regained his composure. With a casual smile, he asked, "Is your aunt on the second floor looking for medicine?"

Lee Yu nodded in confirmation.

Lee Yuchan, who had manifested her Lunar Spirit, needed assistance after her injury. Naturally, only earthly and heavenly pills could offer her the help she required.

Lee Yu's presence outside the Hall of Elixirs indicated that Lee Yuchan was undoubtedly inside.

"Let's head upstairs."

Without a glance at the myriad of bottles and cabinets on this floor, Yu Yuan placed his hand on Lee Yu's shoulder and guided him up the stairs.

Lee Yu's steps followed suit, though his eyes wandered curiously, settling on a particular counter.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Yu Yuan slapped his forehead, suddenly recalling that Lee Yu, now at the Veil Breaking level, indeed had a need for spell pills.

He followed Lee Yu's gaze, saw what he was looking at, and chuckled, "Marrowfire Pill?"

Lee Yu's eyes brightened, and he maintained a nonchalant tone, "At my current level, the Marrowfire Pill is most effective."

He then lowered his gaze and let out a soft sigh, "Ideally, someone should have already prepared the Marrowfire Pill for me."

The Ebon Star had made it clear in their correspondence that once Lee Yu reached the Veil Breaking level, they would provide him with all the necessary pills, including the crucial Marrowfire Pill.

Advancing through the Veil Breaking level involved a transformative process, where flesh, blood, tendons, bones, and organs all underwent a thorough refinement.

The Marrowfire Pill, a sixth level Spirit Level pill, could help cultivators at the Veil Breaking level rapidly reconstruct their skeletal structure, thus accelerating their cultivation progress.

"Just wait here a moment."

With a reassuring pat on Lee Yu's shoulder, Yu Yuan quickly approached the counter and pointed to a bottle containing seven Marrowfire Pills. He said to the young woman in green from the merchant house, "I'll take this bottle of Marrowfire Pills, please."

"One hundred Soul Crystals," said the girl in green as she smiled, taking out a white porcelain bottle and placing it in her palm. With a mere thought, ten transparent Psicrystals flew out from her Bracelet of Holding.

As the Psicrystals settled, Yu Yuan took the white porcelain bottle from the girl's palm and turned to Lee Yu, saying, "Here, seven Marrowfire Pills should be enough for you to refine your physique for some time."

Lee Yu was somewhat bewildered.

"Don't mention it," Yu Yuan insisted, pressing the bottle into Lee Yu's hand regardless of his reluctance, and then pulled him along toward the second floor of the Hall of Elixirs.

Yu Yuan was filled with doubts. Lee Yuchan and Lee Yu, being core members of the Lee family, shouldn't be in such dire straits. It was only a few Marrowfire Pills; why was Lee Yu so concerned about the value of a hundred Soul Crystals? If he needed them, why didn't he purchase them sooner?

"What exactly happened along the way? What caused that female general to sustain repeated injuries, and why is Lee Yu so impoverished that he can't even afford to use Marrowfire Pills?" he wondered as he ascended to the second floor.

There, the female general who had once dazzled the Empire with her mastery of the Shadow Curse was pale and trembling, embroiled in an argument. Yu Yuan needed only a glance to recognize that Lee Yuchan's injuries were to her soul. The sharp, icy gaze that had once been her hallmark was gone, replaced by a lack of the cold, disdainful pride she once held over common spirits.

"The injuries my aunt suffered are partly from combat and partly from the backlash of her spell," Lee Yu confessed, clutching the Marrowfire Pills. He was visibly ashamed as he spoke in a hushed tone to Yu Yuan, "Without the right pills, I have no idea when she'll recover."

"Spell backlash!" Yu Yuan was startled. He had witnessed the formidable nature of the Shadow Curse through the Stormcrowned Emperor. Such a deadly spell had been banned by the premier sects of both the Land of Quiescence and the Euwrea Continent. This spell was known for its immense power, capable of creating a formidable cultivator in a remarkably short period.

The prerequisite, however, was the souls of countless soldiers who had perished on the battlefield over the years!

The Shadow Curse had allowed Lee Yuchan to survive against all odds, time and again, by using the deaths of innumerable soldiers to make leaps and bounds in her realm.

She had reached the Lunar Spirit Stage even faster than Yuan Lianyao, all thanks to the Shadow Curse!

But now, the drawbacks of this potent spell were beginning to manifest in her body.

"You must understand that the pills at this level are not like those at the lower level; they cannot be supplied in unlimited quantities," a young girl from the Skyreach Consortium explained with patience. "The Soul Essence Pill is a seventh-level earthly pill, and currently, there are only five available. If someone offers a higher price, our Consortium prioritizes profit and will sell to them first. There's nothing wrong with that."

Lee Yuchan protested, "But I was here first!"

The girl with the oval face maintained her friendly demeanor, smiling as she said, "On Celestial Isle, there's no such thing as first come, first served. Since the other party wants all five Soul Essence Pills, we can't sell any to you."

She paused before adding, "Unless, of course, you're willing to outbid them."

Upon hearing this, Lee Yuchan's complexion grew even paler.

"There are other pills available for nurturing the soul, and they're of a higher grade. Would you like to have a look?" the girl kindly suggested, pointing to another display. "Those pills have effects that far surpass the Soul Essence Pill. You might want to check them out."

Lee Yuchan bit her lip, remaining silent.

"Auntie, I had to sell several items just to gather enough soulstones to buy five Soul Awakening Elixirs," Lee Yu said with a sigh, his head bowed. "If we can't secure the Soul Awakening Elixirs, purchasing anything more expensive is out of the question."

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed. The rules of the Skyreach Consortium were clear, and the girl wasn't intentionally being difficult.

The Consortium clearly priced each pill, but in the event of a bidding war, they would naturally sell to the highest bidder.

This meant that if no one else competed for them, Lee Yuchan could purchase the five Soul Awakening Elixirs at the original price.

Unfortunately, there was another party interested in the Soul Awakening Elixir, ready to offer a price higher than the asking rate for all five pills. Naturally, the consortium was more than happy to sell to them.

"Could I possibly purchase just three of the five Soul Awakening Elixirs? I'm willing to match his offer," Lee Yuchan proposed.

"I'm afraid we can't accommodate that request, my apologies," the young lady said with a smile, gently shaking her head.

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