Ninth In the World

After Chen Zishun left, Di Jiu entered seclusion. Even though Peace Square was already open to the public, the Peace Hotel was not open for business.

Before Di Jiu went into seclusion, Meng Qianqian sent the ring over in time. The most precious items in Meng Qianqian’s ring were a supreme-grade wood-element immortal spirit meridian and a high-grade thunder-element immortal spirit meridian compensated by Fang Feilou. Di Jiu had two elements of spirit meridians.

The rings of over 10 Immortal Supremacies and four Immortal Emperors made Di Jiu’s waist purse swell up.

There were as many as 2,000 level-seven immortal spirit herbs. Among them, Fu Jue from the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary had unexpectedly contributed the most instead of Meng Qianqian. There were almost 1,000 level-eight immortal spirit herbs and over 500 level-nine immortal spirit herbs.

Apart from those, there were also a lot of blacksmithing materials and all kinds of divine power magic techniques. Di Jiu had a lot of rare treasures and more than 20 different kinds of immortal spirit meridians.

The most precious one was the White Cloud Bound Flag in Xiling Yuanyi’s ring.

Di Jiu wanted this flag the most. The Floating Flame Flag and the Seven-Star Aqua Flag were already in the Defense Array he had set up in the Starry Sky Immortal City. With the addition of the White Cloud Bound Flag, he had already gathered three of the Five-Element Flags.

Di Jiu categorized everything and directly grabbed a pile of level-eight immortal spirit herbs to prepare to refine grade-eight immortal pills.

In just a week, he could already refine seven-patterned grade-eight immortal pills. After two weeks, the grade-eight immortal pills he refined were almost nine-patterned.

Di Jiu was not surprised that he had advanced to a grade-eight Immortal Alchemy Supremacy. Given his control and understanding of the laws of the Alchemy Dao, he only needed time and level-eight immortal spirit herbs to break through to a grade-eight Immortal Alchemy Supremacy.

Di Jiu’s goal was to become a grade-nine Immortal Alchemy Emperor. He had 500 to 600 level-nine immortal spirit herbs in his body now, which were enough for him to break through and become a grade-nine Immortal Alchemy Emperor.

Even though he had not refined grade-nine immortal pills before, Di Jiu knew very well that the grade-nine immortal pills were totally different from grade-seven and grade-eight immortal pills. A grade-nine immortal pill was considered an Emperor Pill. After he sorted out his train of thought concerning the Alchemy Dao and got things lined up, Di Jiu refined the Emperor Gamma Pill first. The main immortal spirit herb of the Emperor Gamma Pills was the Gamma Ring Immortal Fruit.

The reason he chose the Emperor Gamma Pill was because it was easier to refine and he had a lot of the immortal spirit herbs required, which were the Gamma Ring Immortal Fruits. The Gamma Ring Immortal Fruit was considered relatively poor among the level-nine immortal spirit herbs and was not worth a lot.

The main purpose of the Emperor Gamma Pills was to offer them to Immortal Emperors for cultivation. Usually, after cultivating to become an Immortal Emperor, not many cultivators would choose elixir pills. Thus, its status was considered relatively awkward.

Among grade-nine immortal pills, the most precious ones were awareness elixirs, healing elixirs, and divine power elixirs.

Di Jiu immediately botched the first cauldron of Emperor Gamma Pills. He could not even find the reason why. He had melted a few kinds of immortal spirit herbs moments ago and they had disintegrated in the cauldron.

Di Jiu was not bothered. If the grade-nine immortal pills had been so easy to refine, there would not have been so few grade-nine Alchemy Emperors. Even though his understanding of the Foundation Order far surpassed any ordinary cultivator’s understanding, it was hard to refine grade-nine immortal pills successfully in one go.

After botching up the second cauldron, the third cauldron, even the 27th cauldron, Di Jiu grew scared.

No matter how worthless the Gamma Ring Immortal Fruit was, it was still a grade-nine immortal spirit herb. He had botched 27 cauldrons of grade-nine immortal pills continuously. Even an ordinary Elixir Dispensary would have collapsed under the circumstances.

When he made the 28th cauldron of elixir pills, Di Jiu did not continue refining Emperor Gamma Pills. Instead, he chose the Starry Earth Big Essence Pills.

The Starry Earth Big Essence Pill was also a grade-nine immortal pill. Its main purpose was to recover the Immortal Essence of Immortal Emperors, so it was extremely precious. Di Jiu did not have a lot of the main immortal spirit herb used for the Starry Earth Big Essence Pills, which was the Geocentric Nettle Fruit. He had only been left with 12.

It was just like refining the Emperor Gamma Pills previously. The cauldron of Starry Earth Big Essence Pills failed likewise, and Di Jiu still could not understand why.

He did not continue wasting grade-nine immortal spirit herbs. If he could not find the reason he had failed, no matter how many immortal spirit herbs he used to break through to a grade-nine Immortal Emperor, he would only be wasting immortal spirit herbs and time. His Alchemy Dao was different from the others and could not be successful just by accumulating time and immortal spirit herbs.

Di Jiu opened the seclusion array door and saw Zhong Ao the moment he walked out.

“Old Zhong, why are you here?” Di Jiu looked at Zhong Ao in confusion.

Zhong Ao rubbed his hands and said, looking a bit embarrassed, “Di Jiu, I suspect my physical body is still in the Lunar Forsaken Tomb, and it feels strange. I think that I have to go in to search for it as soon as possible. I don’t have a very good impression of the Lunar Forsaken Tomb. The further this drags on, the more anxious I will feel.”

Di Jiu patted Zhong Ao’s shoulder. “Old Zhong, forgive me for deceiving you once. Actually, when I came with you last time, I had already found your body…”

“Brother Di Jiu, have you really found my body and bones?” Zhong Ao grabbed Di Jiu’s shoulder excitedly, his excited voice trembling. He would not mind if Di Jiu had deceived him.

Di Jiu took out a ring and handed it over to Zhong Ao. “Old Zhong, this is a Small World I obtained from an Immortal Emperor. Take it.”

“Why would I want this Small World…” Zhong Ao froze as he was speaking. He then immediately grabbed the Small World that Di Jiu had handed him.

In this Small World, his skeleton was lying on a high-grade immortal spirit meridian.

“Thank you, thank you…” Zhong Ao, who got excited, repeated himself over 10 times. Soon, he crossed over Di Jiu and rushed into his seclusion room. He was obviously going to merge with his physical body.

Di Jiu shook his head and decided that after Zhong Ao merged with his body, he would tell him what kind of place the Lunar Forsaken Tomb was.

However, Zhong Ao rushed into the seclusion place and, in less than 10 breaths, he rushed back out.

“Old Zhong, what’s wrong? Didn’t you want to merge with your physical body?” Di Jiu asked in confusion.

Zhong Ao thanked him again a few more times and said excitedly, “Di Jiu, I can’t express my gratitude for you, no matter how many times I thank you. If you hadn’t helped bring my body back, I’m afraid my Dao would have ended here. My Dao is different from others, and it is merged with my body. However, I can’t merge with my body yet.”

“Why not?” Di Jiu looked at Zhong Ao, unable to understand. To his knowledge, Zhong Ao had used his previously-merged physical body at the last moment. He had not considered any top-notch merging immortal treasures and could bear to part at any time.

Zhong Ao sighed. “I’m still short of some Immortal Wood Piths, and it would be best if they were over 100 million years old. That aside, I can’t merge with my body here. Otherwise, I’m afraid I would be turned into scraps by the Heaven Earth Law here.”

“Old Zhong, don’t worry. Leave the 100-million-year-old Immortal Wood Piths to me. I’ll also find you a place to merge with your body.” Di Jiu patted Zhong Ao. Zhong Ao was not going to merge with his body now, which meant that he would still be very worried about Ye Xi if he continued staying here given his current low cultivation level.

“Alright.” Zhong Ao agreed with Di Jiu without the slightest hesitation and asked, “Are you aware of my background? Do you know why I was in the Lunar Immortal Sea?”

Di Jiu chuckled. “I really do know. You were imprisoned in the Lunar Immortal Sea by someone called Zhong You…”

Once he heard of Zhong You, extreme hatred welled from his heart unconsciously and he gestured with his hands. “Don’t worry about me. Just carry on.”

“Actually, there’s nothing else to say. The Lunar Immortal Sea and the Lunar Forsaken Tomb were all made by Zhong You’s Dharma treasure, the River and Mountain Kettle. Zhong You imprisoned you in the River and Mountain Kettle to refine the Sacred Yin Pearl…”

“That’s right. The Sacred Yin Pearl can’t be refined. That bastard Zhong You wanted me to die.” Zhong Ao suddenly recalled something as he was speaking. “Oh, that’s right. Di Jiu, how did you manage to refine the Sacred Yin Pearl?”

Di Jiu chuckled. “The Sacred Yin Pearl recognized me as its owner.”

Zhong Ao looked at Di Jiu disdainfully. The Sacred Yin Pearl did not recognize an owner at all. Who was he trying to deceive? However, he did not continue asking Di Jiu.

“Old Zhong, help me set up the Defense Array of the Gigantic Tripod Immortal City again. I might also make a trip back, so wait for me here. I will certainly find what you need.” Di Jiu wanted to restore the Defense Array of the Gigantic Tripod Immortal City first and then restore the Teleportation Array of the Square Immortal Continent.

Zhong Ao said with certainty, “I won’t leave this place before I find the 100-million-year-old Immortal Wood Pith. Oh, that’s right. After I find the 100-million-year-old Immortal Wood Pith, you have to give me some of your Pure Yin Chaos Qi.”

“I have plenty of these things, don’t worry.” Di Jiu was not stingy. Zhong Ao had helped him a lot, so he naturally had to return the favor.

“Big Brother, someone sent an invitation earlier.” Little Tree scuttled up.

It was living comfortably in the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City these days. Who would not call him on the streets?

Little Tree hoped that these good days would continue.

Di Jiu took the invitation and saw a few lines of words on it: “Daoist Di Jiu, on the 27th day of the next month, the Immortal Fruit Meeting will be held by the Brilliant Lake Palace. We would like to invite Alchemy Master Di to taste the Immortal Fruits and participate in the transactions. Brilliant Lake Palace, Ye Xi.”

He was not very courteous or particularly despised.

Di Jiu chucked. “Who does he think he is?”

Zhong Ao, who had also seen Di Jiu’s invitation, asked doubtfully, “You don’t intend to go, do you?”

“No, I’m going.” Di Jiu put away the invitation.

He had intended to make a move on Ye Xi after some time. However, since this fellow could not wait any longer, he would make the first move.