Fighting Soul Clan Demoness

Chapter 685 Ninth Rank?!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down. Bright flashes of lightning occasionally rose from the clouds, making the girl appear even more eerie and dreamlike, like a clear moon veiled by clouds, or plum blossoms falling in the snow, leaving one mesmerized and lost in a dreamlike state.

As the girl's voice softly murmured, the entire Xuanmu Spirit Platform trembled violently, and the towering green leaves flickered on and off, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

This scene was like the divine might descending upon the world, and the words spoken were like the words of the heavens, which held the law of heaven.

The old man's face was deathly pale, as if his soul had been drained away. His eyes were vacant, his pupils unfocused, and he slowly turned his head to look at the beauty in the black dress.

All eyes were fixed on Hun Ruoruo. The world fell silent at that moment, as if even the torrential rain and thunder could not reach her ears.

The crowd was eerily quiet. Those cultivators who had always been optimistic about Yao Lao all changed their expressions drastically, while Xuan Kongzi and the others, who were alchemists, frowned and looked troubled.

"What is she going to do?"

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the room, along with Elder Lin's horrified expression, immediately filled Xun'er with unease.

She wasn't particularly knowledgeable about alchemy, so she naturally didn't understand the other party's intentions at this moment. However, the reactions of those around her were enough for her to realize the seriousness of the situation.

"Ninth rank." Elder Lin murmured in shock.

The word "slowly" seemed to carry immense force, causing Xun'er's pupils to shrink to pinpoints, almost unable to believe her ears.

"Nine ranks. What does that mean?"

Xun'er panicked for the first time, staring intently at the other person: "Old Lin, you mean that woman, Sister Ruoruo?"

Given Xun'er's status, she was raised in the ancient clan as the next head of the family, so her vision and composure naturally far surpassed those of ordinary people. However, she didn't even dare to voice her inner thoughts.

"What she is about to refine is a ninth-grade elixir."

Elder Lin slowly closed his eyes, his deep, cold voice devoid of emotion, yet it seemed as if he had already foreseen the end.

Ninth rank.

Although it differs from the eighth rank by only one character, the meaning of the number nine far surpasses that of the number eight.

Nine is the ultimate number.

To refine a ninth-grade pill, alchemy skills alone are not enough. Only with power truly comparable to the 'Saint' level can there be a one in ten million chance of refining it.

The Dou Qi Continent is vast, and there are countless geniuses and heroes. There have been other peerless geniuses like Cao Ying, who became an eighth-grade alchemist at the age of twenty-two.

However, even someone as exceptionally talented as Cao Ying, who devoted her entire life to studying alchemy for ten or even a hundred years, might not be able to even reach the threshold of the ninth rank.

Let alone ordinary people?

Otherwise, the old alchemist wouldn't have been stuck at the peak of the eighth rank for so long, and the Dou Qi Continent wouldn't have gone a full century without producing a new grandmaster of alchemy.

The difference in difficulty is so great that it's no exaggeration to say it's like the difference between heaven and hell.

"How could this be?"

Xun'er's pupils darted around, and she suddenly fell silent.

Even within her ancient clan, a ninth-grade alchemist would be a terrifying figure, a guest of honor. The power of their energy is comparable to that of a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) level expert.

If Yao Lao can successfully become a ninth-rank cultivator with Hun Ruoruo's help, then without a doubt, even the Soul Palace would never dare to plot against Yao Lao again.

The Medicine Clan, which has always looked down on them, will face the most resounding slap in the face in their history, and may even find it difficult to hold their heads high in front of the other eight clans for ten or a hundred years.

But is that really possible?

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Xun'er had already made her judgment in her heart.

This is a game with a zero success rate.

"what"

His wrinkled old face contorted like tree bark, and Elder Mu Gu suddenly chuckled, then burst into a maniacal laugh: "Hahahahahaha!!" He laughed until tears streamed down his face, his eyes filled with venomous resentment and mockery, as if he had heard the most foolish utterance of his life: "Ninth grade? You say you want to refine a ninth grade pill? You expect an old geezer who's been dead for who knows how many years to help you refine a ninth grade pill?!"

"dream!"

"Foolish, utterly foolish! It's laughable that I, Mu Gu, with my lifelong wisdom, was outsmarted by a stupid and despicable woman like you. It's an absolute joke!"

A series of increasingly mocking laughs rang out, as if carrying fifty years of resentment and bitterness, all of which were now being poured out on Yao Lao and Hun Ruoruo.

The thunder in the sky continued to rumble, but the thunder, which far surpassed the power of Elder Mu Gu by countless degrees, could no longer stir people's hearts.

Everyone knew that no matter how large the thundercloud's fluctuations or how powerful its momentum, it was all meaningless.

This alchemy attempt was doomed to failure from the very beginning.

On the field, upon hearing the words "ninth rank," even though he had already anticipated it, Yao Lao's heart still clenched violently, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, Yao Lao stood in front of the stage, and even without using his soul power, he could still clearly feel countless gazes fixed on him.

He had experienced this feeling before, but never as profoundly or movingly as he was today.

In the past, at the same Danhui, which was also the focus of everyone's attention, the champion Yao Lao also saw the older generation of strong people covering their faces and crying because they were able to return to the competition, unable to control themselves for a long time.

He couldn't understand it at the time.

Now, after overcoming countless hardships and even facing imminent death, when he stands on the stage again, the complex and bittersweet emotions replace countless words, and only tears can express them.

"Girl, you really trust this old man enough."

Hearing Yao Lao's hoarse voice, Hun Ruoruo smiled slightly, but did not answer. Instead, she stepped aside from the stone platform, clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Master, please."

The next moment, the figure of the white-robed, white-haired old man leaped into the arena and stood atop the stone platform.

"Medicine dust!"

Xuan Kongzi cried out urgently, but was held back tightly by Xuan Yi beside him.

Xuan Yi did not try to persuade Yao Lao, nor did she even have the thought of stopping him, because she knew that Yao Lao would not listen at all.

He was once a prodigy, and he once had endless pride and vigor in his heart. He had experienced the ridicule of the Medicine Clan and Elder Mu Gu. If it weren't for his disciple, how could he have endured it all?
Therefore, at such moments, even a moment's hesitation or retreat will become an invisible inner demon, diminishing one's inner strength.

Xuan Yi didn't want to hold him back.

Even as a peak eighth-grade alchemist, the rationality of one of the three giants of the Pill Tower told her that the probability of Yao Lao succeeding was infinitely close to zero.

"This master and his apprentice...sigh!"

Having failed to set out, Xuan Kongzi had no choice but to abandon his plan to stop them. His gentle face suddenly turned somewhat irritable: "No matter the outcome, if that Mu Gu dares to make the slightest move, I will be the first to kill him!"

"Pass down the word: activate the Sacred Pill Barrier, and all spectators, retreat to a distance of at least a hundred feet!"

"Yes!"

As orders were issued, Xuan Kongzi's mind remained unsettled for a long time. He even crushed the armrest of his seat to dust: "That old man, it's one thing for him to be a madman, but the disciples he has taught are all madners, daring to dream of ninth-grade pills!"

"Without the power of 'sacred energy,' even if the old man's alchemy skills hadn't declined, there would be absolutely no way he could have refined a ninth-grade medicine. Isn't he afraid of ruining his reputation?!"

Although every word was a complaint, anyone could tell how much this giant of the Dan Tower cared about Yao Lao.

With a worried look in her eyes, Xuan Yi gazed silently at the white-haired figure dancing in the sky and murmured, "He is stronger than us, so naturally he understands the stakes better than we do."

"But like his disciples, he won't listen."

(End of this chapter)