Chapter 2727 — The Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill Is Refined

You Panhu and You Zhentian did not dare speak. They waited quietly to one side, watching as Old Master You respectfully dialed the number of the Xuan Dan Sect's young sect master, Tian Canbian. Though Tian Canbian was not old, being roughly You Panhu's age, he was the young sect master of the Xuan Dan Sect, a figure of lofty standing who was not someone Old Master You could compare to.

"Hello, this is the old master of the Hidden You family. Might the young sect master Tian be available?" Old Master You said respectfully to whoever answered. He had not expected Tian Canbian to pick up the phone himself.

"Oh, so it is the You family head. The young sect master is not here. Is there something you need?" asked the woman who answered.

"Oh? Then when might the young sect master Tian be free? Shall I call again?" Old Master You asked upon hearing that Tian Canbian was not in.

"Our young sect master has been in secluded cultivation lately, preparing for a major matter. For the time being he will not be able to take your calls for some time. If you have business, you may tell me as well," the woman said.

"I see..." Old Master You found it a little strange, wondering what major matter Tian Canbian was preparing for, but he did not dare ask more. So he said, "It is like this. Kang Jingming of the Kang family—was he not taken as a disciple by the Fifth Elder? Now the Kang family wishes to know how Kang Jingming has been lately, so they asked me to help inquire."

"Oh, so that is all it is. I will have Kang Jingming call you back later," the woman said lightly after hearing this.

She was Tian Canbian's personal maidservant, so naturally her status in the Xuan Dan Sect was out of the ordinary. Thus she showed no great deference even toward the Fifth Elder's disciple.

"Good, then many thanks!" Old Master You said with a sigh of relief.

At this moment Kang Jingming was nervously refining a pill. Success or failure hinged on this one attempt. This was his second time refining the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill; the first attempt had failed, and this second attempt absolutely had to succeed!

Because the time Tian Canbian had demanded was running short, and he had to give it his all!

Kang Jingming knew that his current position and strength had all been given to him by Tian Canbian. Once he failed to refine the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill, Tian Canbian would naturally no longer value him so highly, and he would no longer be able to gain a firm foothold in the Xuan Dan Sect.

If Wei Zhao were here, he would surely have been greatly astonished, because Kang Jingming had actually already become a Heaven-Tier expert and a third-grade Yellow-Tier alchemist! The speed of this advancement was simply akin to riding a rocket!

Of course, to build Kang Jingming up, the Xuan Dan Sect had fed him Spirit-Gathering Pills, Minor Qi-Gathering Pills, Intermediate Qi-Gathering Pills, and Qi-Gathering Pills! Kang Jingming's strength had soared all the way, and he had quickly become a Heaven-Tier expert and a third-grade Yellow-Tier alchemist!

The Qi-Gathering Pills had been refined with the help of Old Ancestor Xuanzhen. Otherwise, given the level of the Xuan Dan Sect's old ancestor Tiandiren, he could have refined them as well, but the success rate would not have been so high, nor would they have been ready in time for Kang Jingming to consume.

That Kang Jingming received such favor showed just how important this Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill was to the Xuan Dan Sect—or rather, to the Five Luminaries Sect!

In the secret chamber sat Kang Jingming, drenched in sweat as he concentrated on urging the pill fire and refining the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill. Beside him sat the Xuan Dan Sect's old ancestor Tiandiren, and also an old man whom most in the Xuan Dan Sect would find very unfamiliar—this person was actually Old Ancestor Xuanzhen!

That Old Ancestor Xuanzhen would personally sit here to supervise and guide Kang Jingming in pill refinement made plain the importance of this refining task.

"Raise the temperature slowly, increase the fire..." Old Ancestor Xuanzhen ordered Kang Jingming.

Kang Jingming carefully followed the instructions.

"Steady the temperature, continue increasing the fire..." Old Ancestor Xuanzhen continued to command.

Kang Jingming continued to comply...

Tian Canbian's maidservant did not find Kang Jingming and only saw the Fifth Elder, so she relayed Old Master You's call to the Fifth Elder.

"I understand. But Kang Jingming is currently engaged in a major undertaking. Once it is done, he may be able to communicate with the outside world without hindrance..." the Fifth Elder said, somewhat gratified and somewhat moved.

If his disciple successfully refined the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill, he would become the Eighth Elder of the Xuan Dan Sect. Though his status would not be as high as the Fifth Elder's, he would still be an elder! This was his disciple, so the Fifth Elder was naturally pleased!

But when he thought of the past—how much effort he had spent to become an elder of the Xuan Dan Sect—and yet Kang Jingming was simply lucky. Not only did he have people assisting his advancement, but refining a single pill would firmly secure him the position of Eighth Elder. What tremendous fortune!

"Understood," Tian Canbian's maidservant said with a nod, then respectfully took her leave. She was not particularly respectful toward Kang Jingming, but she was very polite to the Fifth Elder. Within the Xuan Dan Sect, the elders held very high status; apart from Tian Canbian, theirs was the highest.

As for the Fifth Elder, his eyes were fixed intently on the door of the secret chamber, tense beyond measure...

"Good, now slowly withdraw the fire!" Old Ancestor Xuanzhen shouted, his voice excited.

"Yes!" Kang Jingming also sensed that the pill was complete and hurriedly began withdrawing the fire.

Once Kang Jingming finished withdrawing the fire, Tiandiren, heedless of the heat, directly opened the lid of the pill cauldron. At once the room was filled with overflowing fragrance—the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill had truly been refined successfully!

Kang Jingming wiped the sweat from his forehead, a smug smile on his face. This was the moment he had been waiting for—at last it had succeeded, and he was about to become the Eighth Elder of the Xuan Dan Sect! To hell with Wei Zhao, to hell with Kang Xiaofeng—they were all trash!

No matter how capable Wei Zhao was, he was merely prancing about at the level of the great families. Would he dare oppose the ancient level? Even the hidden level did not dare provoke them, so what was there to fear? Poor Kang Jingming still did not know of Wei Zhao's accomplishments during this period, nor did he know that the hidden level now scarcely dared provoke Wei Zhao. He still thought Wei Zhao was as he had been before his departure...

"Very good, only the quality is a little inferior!" Old Ancestor Xuanzhen looked excitedly at the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill in his hand, then directly swallowed it.

This scene left Kang Jingming dumbfounded, and Tiandiren dumbfounded as well. This Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill was not meant for him to consume—did it not have another purpose? Why had it been swallowed by Old Ancestor Xuanzhen just like that?

Old Ancestor Xuanzhen looked at the two dumbfounded men before him and laughed. "After I take it, I will be able to continue refining. Zhaoming can refine it too, but his skill is ultimately inferior to mine. Once I have taken it, I can refine a Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Tempering Pill of better quality!"

"Oh..." Tiandiren nodded. He had been startled just now, thinking Old Ancestor Xuanzhen had suddenly changed his mind.