C16 Behind-the-scenes Transaction.

Beneath a sky of azure and clouds of white, a chill settled over everyone's hearts. No one had anticipated that Loong Jiaoyang, who had been engrossed in pill refining these past days, would act with such ferocity, crushing a man's palm in an instant.

Zhou Li couldn't hide her dismay, her brow furrowed in disbelief. She had never imagined Loong Jiaoyang would actually strike!

"Loong Jiaoyang... I swear I will kill you..." Gao Chuan's agonized scream pierced the air.

With a swift motion, Loong Jiaoyang's saber was at Gao Chuan's throat. "I had no intention of breaking your palm, but you aimed for my life. A person as merciless as you needs to be taught a lesson, lest you become a scourge upon the innocent. If you seek vengeance, come find me whenever you wish!"

Beneath the blood-stained blade, Gao Chuan bore the pain, his gaze venomous as he glared at Loong Jiaoyang. His right hand severed, his journey in alchemy was now at an end. He fantasized about flaying Loong Jiaoyang alive and grinding his flesh to paste.

Feeling the malevolence from Gao Chuan's icy stare, Loong Jiaoyang's Evil Blood Demon Base Spirit Power began to stir, nearly driving him to a killing blow.

Murmuring the Righteous Song to himself, Loong Jiaoyang quelled the murderous urge awakened by the Evil Blood Demon Foundation. "The Devil Dao Spell truly has the power to corrupt one's nature," he reflected silently. "I must seize the chance to purge this Evil Blood Demon Foundation from my being."

As the time of one incense stick passed, Guo Liangren returned, his excitement palpable. "The Medicine King Hall has confirmed it—Fellow Daoist Loong Jiaoyang has indeed crafted a Spirit Gathering Pill!"

Loong Jiaoyang withdrew his blade from Gao Chuan's neck, then abruptly lifted Gao Chuan's left hand, severing the meridians connecting it to his arm in one swift cut.

"Ah... Loong Jiaoyang... you've... you've crippled me... I will not rest until you are dead..." Gao Chuan's wails were filled with unbearable pain and deep-seated hatred as he coughed up blood.

With eyes cold as the frost, Loong Jiaoyang stood with his blade at the ready and declared, "It was you who insisted on a life-or-death battle through the Pill Refining Technique. Had I been defeated, what mercy would you have shown me?"

"Loong Jiaoyang... don't get too smug... Had the Saintess not stepped in... you'd already be dead by my hand... Brother Bing will certainly cut you down... You won't survive until next month..." Gao Chuan bellowed furiously.

"I will not be defeated!" Loong Jiaoyang dismissed Gao Chuan with a turn and a few steps forward, then passed the long blade to Zhou Li, expressing his thanks, "Much appreciated."

"Your ignorance could lead to grave consequences. Seek the Saintess's protection," Zhou Li advised.

Loong Jiaoyang shook his head, "I need to enter seclusion at the Pill Refining Courtyard to heal. Please relay a message to Zi Shan for me. Tell her not to worry—I'll surely overcome Gao Chuan and take care of this issue on her behalf."

A hint of perplexity flickered across Zhou Li's gaze, but she eventually couldn't resist questioning him, "Loong Jiaoyang, do you truly understand what you're doing?"

"Returning a favor," Loong Jiaoyang replied simply.

Zhou Li paused, taken aback, then shook her head, "Loong Jiaoyang, the price of ignorance can be steep. Look after yourself. I'll convey your message to Saintess Zi Shan."

In the brief time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the events that unfolded in the Pill Fire District spread like wildfire through the entire Profound Girl Sect. The sect was abuzz with shock as Loong Jiaoyang, once considered a laughingstock, suddenly became the center of everyone's attention.

In a daring pill refining showdown, he had triumphed over the second-tier alchemist Gao Chuan, not only defeating him but also mercilessly crippling him and seizing his Pill Refining Courtyard. Such a dramatic turn of events was bound to capture the interest of all.

Yet, what garnered the most intrigue was the third cycle Spirit Gathering Pill that Loong Jiaoyang had crafted. While the technique to create Spirit Gathering Pills wasn't overly complex, producing a Third Stage Spirit Gathering Pill was a formidable challenge. In the vast expanse of the Nine-Rotation Great World, there existed fewer than a thousand of these potent pills.

The Third Transformation Spirit Gathering Pill alone wasn't enough to catapult Loong Jiaoyang to fame, but the fact that he crafted it using a simple earthenware furnace was something that set imaginations ablaze. If a humble earthenware pill furnace could produce a Third Transformation Spirit Gathering Pill, what wonders might a Spirit Jade Pill Refining Furnace achieve? Could it possibly yield the elusive Four Transformation Spirit Gathering Pill?

Such pills were rarities within the vast Ninefold Great World, with fewer than a hundred crafted annually. Each one sparked bidding wars that soared to astronomical figures. The previous year, the going rate for each of the fifty Four Transformation Spirit Gathering Pills had exceeded 18 million gold coins.

Meanwhile, Loong Jiaoyang, the man behind the marvel, had retreated to the Alchemy Courtyard. There, he expelled every maid and slave, activated the Saint Level Profound Girl defensive array, and hung a sign indicating his seclusion. He had effectively sealed himself off from the Profound Girl Sect's elite and their tumultuous disputes.

Zi Shan was both astonished and infuriated upon hearing the news. She was determined to confront Loong Jiaoyang, but found herself barred by the Pill Refining Courtyard's protective spells.

"Loong Jiaoyang, that fool, to think he wouldn't even grant me an audience before secluding himself!" Zi Shan fumed, stamping her foot just outside his Pill Refining Courtyard.

"Miss, do you think the Sect Master might execute Loong Jiaoyang? His audacity knows no bounds, having crippled Gao Chuan's hands!" Xiaohong murmured.

"If my father intended to kill him, he would have shattered the Saint Level Profound Girl formation long ago. Despite Loong Jiaoyang's actions against Gao Chuan, his pill refining prowess now surpasses Gao Chuan's. His presence in the Profound Girl Sect is nothing but advantageous to us," Zi Shan replied with an unconcerned chuckle.

"Miss, Holy Son Gao Bing won't let this go easily. When the time for their confrontation arrives, Loong Jiaoyang will surely face grave danger."

"We need my father to intervene. We'll go see him immediately; I won't allow Loong Jiaoyang to fall to Gao Bing." With that, Zi Shan swept out of the Pill Refining Courtyard like a gust of wind, with Xiaohong hastening to keep pace.

After Zi Shan's departure, two elders descended outside Loong Jiaoyang's Pill Refining Courtyard. One elder, crane-like with his elongated neck and legs, had a piercing glint in his half-closed eyes. The other, with a sallow complexion and a bald head, leaned on a serpent-shaped cane and spoke with a chilling tone, "Zi Shan is becoming more and more unruly. As the Saintess of the Profound Girl Sect, she should sever all romantic ties! How could she possibly fall for a man who isn't the Holy Son?"

"Senior Brother Zi Qian, do you intend to discipline your granddaughter?" inquired the crane-like elder.

"I've been out of the fray for quite some time. It's up to Zi Chongyang to make that call," replied Zi Qian.

"If you're truly content being a bystander, why come here?" The crane-like elder's gaze sharpened as he fixed it on Zi Qian.

Zi Qian's murky eyes suddenly blazed with intensity as he stood his ground. "Junior Brother Gao Li, I simply don't want to see the Profound Girl Sect lose another alchemist!"

Gao Li's eyes blazed with fury, his murderous intent undisguised. "Gao Chuan is the Gao family's most gifted alchemist of the younger generation. Loong Jiaoyang severed his right hand and disabled his left. Should I just let that pass?"

"Gao Chuan brought the life-and-death duel upon himself and lost fair and square. Who else is there to blame?" Zi Qian retorted icily.

"Must you insist on defending Loong Jiaoyang, Senior Brother Zi Qian?" Gao Li pressed, emphasizing each word.

"I'm in need of a Thousand Year Pill," Zi Qian stated, his eyelids drooping.

"Senior Brother Zi Qian, at over six hundred years old, your life is nearly spent, and your cultivation has plateaued at the peak of the Saint Stage. Even with the Thousand Year Pill, how many more years can you really hope to gain?" Gao Li asked, his face contorted with displeasure.

"Without that, there's nothing more to discuss. I am resolute in my protection of Loong Jiaoyang," declared Zi Qian firmly.

Gao Li fell silent for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. "Fine, you'll have your Thousand Year Pill. But leave at once and don't interfere with my actions!"

"That's not possible here," Zi Qian countered, lifting his gaze with a grave tone. "The Dragon Roar Competition, a decennial event of the Great Tang Royal Family, is about to commence. Should Loong Jiaoyang survive until then, I assure you he'll be part of the Profound Girl Sect's contingent."

"I'm not willing to wait a second longer. I intend to disable him today!" Gao Li growled ferociously.

"Do you really have so little faith in Gao Bing?" Zi Qian retorted icily.

Gao Li's face flickered with emotion as he took to the skies, departing with a final declaration, "Senior Brother Zi Qian, forget about receiving the Thousand Year Pill. Loong Jiaoyang won't even see the next month!"