Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

Su Xiuyi and the others all had eyes burning with fervor.

Nearly a dozen golden Pills descended from above the Endless Molten Flame. Each one was perfectly round and full, inscribed with abstruse patterns that resonated with the divine rhythm of the Great Dao.

’I finally succeeded.’

Ye Xuan was thrilled. With a beckoning gesture, the Pills promptly flew into the jade box in his hand.

Seeing the Pills descend, Elder Yao didn’t rush forward. Instead, he let out a sigh, a look of relief washing over his face. He quickly sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate on what he had learned.

Previously, when he watched Ye Xuan perform alchemy, he could only learn bits and pieces from a flurry of complex techniques he couldn’t fully comprehend. He could never see the specific reactions within the Pill Furnace or the adaptive measures taken in response.

This time, however, was different. Because Ye Xuan had borrowed his Profound Sense, every single step of the process had been laid bare to his perception. He felt each stage with perfect clarity, as if an Eighth Grade Alchemist had possessed his body.

This opportunity was incredibly precious. Elder Yao was now re-examining the entire alchemy process in his mind, determined to burn it into his memory and leave a permanent imprint.

Elder Yao was certain that his current cultivation and Profound Sense were too insufficient to replicate the entire process.

However, once he broke through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor, he was confident that as long as he fully comprehended what he had just witnessed, he would have a very high chance of becoming an Eighth Grade Alchemist.

It wasn’t just Elder Yao. Elder Dong, Master Lu Li, and even Su Xiuyi were all sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, frantically absorbing the insights they had just gained.

All arts, after all, share common principles.

Ye Xuan’s single demonstration of alchemy had given them a chance to observe a higher realm of skill, granting them all a profound epiphany.

A long while later, everyone slowly opened their eyes.

By now, Ye Xuan had recovered a good deal of his Profound Sense and Profound. He let out a breath and stood up.

"Young Master Ye, did we succeed?"

Elder Yao and the others walked up, their voices filled with excitement.

"See for yourselves."

Ye Xuan smiled faintly and opened the jade box.

Nine perfectly round and full golden Pills lay quietly inside. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out as the various patterns on their surfaces flickered with a mysterious, unfathomable light.

"Eighth Grade Pills! They’re really Eighth Grade Pills!"

Elder Yao’s face instantly flushed. The others were just as ecstatic. While they weren’t Alchemists, they had seen enough of the world to recognize extraordinary items. Each of these nine Pills pulsed with an incredibly potent aura. A faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air, causing the Profound in their bodies to stir restlessly. The divine rhythm flowing from them was something no Seventh Grade Pill could ever hope to match.

Inspecting the Pills closely, Elder Yao said in an intoxicated tone, "This is incredible. Judging by their aura, a good number of these are actually Upper Grade."

Ye Xuan shook his head. "Normally, a batch of Emperor’s Heart Pills should yield twelve. This time, because my cultivation is lacking and there were issues with the Pill Furnace, I only managed to produce nine. Moreover, three of them are Lower Grade, which is a pity."

Elder Yao was left speechless. When a typical Alchemist refined Pills, the vast majority would turn out to be Mid Grade; Upper Grade and Supreme Grade were exceedingly rare. Furthermore, it was nearly impossible to achieve a perfect yield of twelve. A yield of nine was already a remarkable accomplishment.

To think that Young Master Ye, a Tier Seven Martial King, had successfully refined Eighth Grade Pills—six Upper Grade and three Lower Grade—and he was *still* not satisfied. This made dark lines crease Elder Yao’s forehead.

Unaware of Elder Yao’s thoughts, Ye Xuan waved his hand, taking four Emperor’s Heart Pills from the box and placing them in the hands of Su Xiuyi, Elder Yao, Elder Dong, and Master Lu Li.

They accepted them instinctively, asking in surprise, "Young Master Ye, what is this?"

Ye Xuan explained, "This is the Emperor’s Heart Pill, an Eighth Grade Pill. Taking one gives a Tier Seven Triple Peak Martial King a greater than fifty percent chance of breaking through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor. The exact probability varies depending on an individual’s cultivation. These four Pills are for you."

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Elder Yao and the others’ hands trembled so violently they almost dropped the Emperor’s Heart Pills.

A Pill that could help a Martial King ascend to the rank of Martial Emperor...

Their eyes instantly blazed with fervor. Their hearts pounded in their chests, and they felt almost light-headed.

"This is too precious, I can’t accept it," Master Lu Li said, waving his hands frantically. "Besides, I’m only a Tier Seven Second Layer Martial King. This Emperor’s Heart Pill is useless for me right now."

As he spoke, Master Lu Li offered the Emperor’s Heart Pill back to Ye Xuan, but his eyes were filled with visible reluctance and the pain of letting it go.

Who wouldn’t want such a powerful Pill? But Lu Li felt he wasn’t worthy of it. If a Pill like this appeared at the trading hub in Celestial Capital Prefecture, it would probably send every major family into an uproar.

Ye Xuan waved a hand, his expression turning serious. "Everyone, take them. Don’t refuse. The whole reason I traded for the Celestial Heart Imperial Fruit and refined these Emperor’s Heart Pills was for you all. The Profound Light Pavilion’s fame has grown too great. Without sufficient strength, we won’t be able to protect it."

"Master Lu Li, you may not be at the right level yet, but you can save it until you’ve reached Tier Seven Triple Peak. You’ve earned this Pill."

"Really?" Lu Li’s expression was one of pure elation. With trembling hands, he took the Pill back. "Then, thank you, Young Master Ye."

"Xuan Ye," Su Xiuyi spoke up, "you said this Pill is for a Tier Seven Triple Peak Martial King. I’m already a Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor, so this Pill shouldn’t have much effect on me, right? You should take it back and give my Emperor’s Heart Pill to Vice Director Ge or Jiuchen."

Based on the effects Ye Xuan had described, the Pill shouldn’t be of much use to him. He didn’t understand why Ye Xuan had given one to him as well.

Ye Xuan couldn’t help but laugh. "Elder Su, I forgot to mention something. The Emperor’s Heart Pill can not only help a Tier Seven Martial King break through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor, but it also has a chance of raising the cultivation of an existing Martial Emperor. The Celestial Heart Imperial Fruit contains a sliver of spatial power, so it will be of great benefit to you as well."

"As for Vice Director Ge and Protector Jiuchen, I still have five Pills left. Two of them were already intended for them."

"What? The Emperor’s Heart Pill contains spatial power and can increase a Martial Emperor’s cultivation?"

Su Xiuyi, who had been calm and unconcerned just moments ago, suddenly became excited—even more so than Elder Yao and the others. He carefully stored the Emperor’s Heart Pill away, which made Elder Yao’s group roar with laughter.

Soon, Ye Xuan shared the news of the successful alchemy with Jiuchen and Ge Puzi. When they heard, both were left dumbfounded and overcome with excitement.

Considering everyone’s different circumstances, and with the Profound Light Pavilion’s grand opening imminent, Ye Xuan decided to have Ge Puzi and Jiuchen attempt their breakthroughs first.

Both men had reached Tier Seven Third Layer many years ago. Jiuchen, in fact, had done so decades ago, and the Profound in his body had long since reached the apex of Tier Seven.

Ye Xuan estimated that with the Emperor’s Heart Pill, their chances of breaking through were as high as eighty or ninety percent.

Elder Yao and Elder Dong, on the other hand, had reached Tier Seven Third Layer less than a year ago. If they took the Pill now, the chance of failure would still be quite high, so he decided they should wait.

Once Vice Director Ge and Protector Jiuchen broke through, the Profound Light Pavilion would have three Martial Emperors, giving them a basic capacity for self-preservation.

The commotion caused by a breakthrough to the Martial Emperor realm is immense. Therefore, Ye Xuan’s group didn’t attempt it inside Celestial Capital Prefecture, instead traveling to a dense forest several thousand miles away.

The area was secluded and rarely traveled, making it the perfect location for the breakthrough.

To prevent any accidents, Ye Xuan set up a large-scale Array in the vicinity. He, Su Xiuyi, and the others stood guard personally, with Elder Yao’s group also present. Jiuchen and Ge Puzi sat at the center of the Array and swallowed their respective Emperor’s Heart Pills.

The moment the Emperor’s Heart Pills entered their bodies, the Profound within the two men began to fluctuate violently. A potent aura swept out from them. The fluctuations were so intense that if not for the massive Array Ye Xuan had deployed, they would have easily attracted Demon Beasts or other powerful experts.

"They’re attempting the breakthrough," Su Xiuyi said in a low voice, having gone through the experience himself.

Ye Xuan nodded silently.

The Emperor’s Heart Pill could only provide them with an opportunity; whether they could ultimately succeed was not something Ye Xuan could control.

The fluctuations continued for a full half-hour.

Then, suddenly—

VMMMM!

A vortex of Profound suddenly formed above Protector Jiuchen’s head. Countless streams of the world’s Profound Qi gathered frantically, pouring into his body.

A look of joy instantly appeared on the faces of Ye Xuan and Su Xiuyi. The appearance of this Profound vortex signified that Jiuchen had succeeded in his breakthrough. Otherwise, such a massive vortex would never have formed.

Not long after the vortex appeared above Jiuchen, Ge Puzi’s body shuddered as if in resonance, and another Profound vortex materialized above his own head.

’They both succeeded!’ Ye Xuan thought, thrilled. A weight was lifted off his shoulders. With this, the Profound Light Pavilion would now have three Tier Eight Martial Emperors.

Above Jiuchen and Ge Puzi, the two great Profound vortexes vied for brilliance. At the same time, an inexplicable spatial power materialized in the air—wisps of energy that descended upon the two men like a celestial waterfall. The very space around them grew hazy.

"This is spatial power entering the body! Elder Yao, Elder Dong, get closer and experience it! Even sensing a single trace will be of immense help to your own future breakthroughs," Ye Xuan urged hurriedly.

Not daring to waste the opportunity, Elder Yao and Elder Dong immediately sat cross-legged near the two men and began to carefully perceive the phenomenon.

Even Su Xiuyi closed his eyes to carefully sense the spatial power suffusing the area.

The spatial fluctuations lingered for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before completely fading away. The Profound vortexes above Jiuchen and Ge Puzi’s heads vanished along with them.

Jiuchen and Ge Puzi, who had been sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, opened their eyes at nearly the same instant.

SWISH!

Their gazes were as bright as lightning, seeming to flash across the sky.

"Haha! We’ve broken through! We’ve finally broken through!"

The two men leaped into the air, letting out long cries of exultation as tears of joy streamed down their faces. The aura unique to a Martial Emperor’s power instantly filled the air, shaking the very heavens and earth.