Saint-grade alchemists were exceedingly rare. Each one held a position of authority at the Alchemist Association in a major city, and far too many people requested their services. Many had to wait years or even longer before their turn finally came.
But the Nine Heavens Holy Land was different. The reputation of its pill refinement had only just begun to spread, and it seemed not many people had come to request their services yet. If you came here, there was no need to wait at all.
When they expressed their intention to introduce their friends and relatives for pill refinement, Xu Hui found them considerably more agreeable and laughed heartily. "Sure, as long as they bring adequate compensation. The masters of our Holy Land will certainly lend a hand."
"Of course, of course." The two nodded eagerly, grabbed their saint pills, and hurried off to spread the word to those among their acquaintances who had been unable to find a way in.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Beyond the Nine Peaks, crowds milled about in a bustling, lively throng.
These martial artists, all of whom had reached the Transcendent Realm, formed a long queue winding around the outskirts of the Nine Peaks. They craned their necks anxiously, peering toward the interior of the peaks with expressions ranging from anticipation to impatience.
Every last one of them had come seeking the Holy Land's help in refining pills.
Over the past month, the number of people arriving at the Nine Peaks to request pill refinement had grown steadily. At first, only scattered martial artists came to try their luck—one or two people every three to five days. But as those who had received spirit pills and saint pills departed, more and more people were drawn to this place.
Gradually, arrivals picked up. Some days one or two came alone; other times groups arrived together.
Before long, the numbers swelled further, the arrivals growing ever more frequent.
And so the scene before them had come to be.
At least several dozen Transcendent-realm powerhouses waited outside the Nine Peaks. Elders Luo Sheng and Meng Tianfei of the Holy Land stood to the side with a number of Holy Land disciples, maintaining order.
Guests from afar were treated with courtesy. The Holy Land disciples provided tea and rest areas for the martial artists waiting to enter and request their pills.
However, anyone who dared disregard the Holy Land's rules and try to cut in line would be thrown out, regardless of their cultivation level. This was Yang Kai's order, and the two Holy Land Elders carried it out without reservation.
"Why haven't we gotten to go in yet?" Near the front of the queue, a man craned his neck and muttered impatiently.
"Soon—our batch will be called next." A companion beside him looked on with eager anticipation.
"Don't worry about it. We've only waited a few days here. If you went anywhere else, you might wait years and still not get your turn!" A third person chimed in to soothe him.
"That's true enough." The man's mood improved considerably, and he struck up a conversation with those nearby. "I've heard that this master alchemist at the Nine Heavens Holy Land hasn't failed a single time since he started taking commissions. Whether it's spirit pills or saint pills, every attempt succeeds, and every person leaves satisfied."
"That's not even the half of it. Among those who had spirit pills refined, quite a few received pills with pill veins."
"Really? Pill veins are actually a thing?"
"I've heard the same thing. Apparently quite a number of spirit pills came out with pill veins."
"Then the compensation they'd have to pay... wouldn't it be several times higher?"
"The Nine Heavens Holy Land seems to only charge the value of one ordinary spirit pill, but if you offer more, they won't refuse!"
"Well, naturally you'd want to offer a bit more. Leave a good impression, and next time you come for pills things might go more smoothly. Heh, I brought extra compensation just in case—maybe I'll get lucky and the pills I need will come out with veins."
"This master is something else... With this level of skill, he's got to be at least a saint-grade mid-tier alchemist, right? I'd bet aside from Old Man Tianzang, he's the best in the world."
"I don't think there's only one saint-grade alchemist here..."
"What makes you say that?"
"Didn't you notice how fast they refine? They're handling at least ten people a day, and these pills are all spirit-grade upper-tier at minimum, many of them saint-grade pills. How could a single master manage all that?"
"Could it be that the Nine Heavens Holy Land has several masters of this caliber hiding inside?"
The moment those words were spoken, a murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
Saint-grade alchemists were extraordinarily rare. Every faction wished they could have such a distinguished figure within their ranks, but precious few organizations in the world actually did. Even those that did found that their alchemists served only their own sect and never helped outsiders. Moreover, those figures held exalted positions and might only take action once every few months or even once or twice a year, living lives of comfort and leisure.
The Nine Heavens Holy Land's master alchemist, by contrast, had likely been so busy over the past month that he hadn't even had time to drink water. He was practically a saint doing good deeds for all humanity—someone worthy of deep respect and admiration.
These whispered discussions spread among the waiting martial artists, and all were stunned by the depth of the Nine Heavens Holy Land's resources.
The only thing people found somewhat regrettable was that this master from the Nine Heavens Holy Land would only refine one pill per person—never more, no matter what.
But then again, masters were known for their eccentric temperaments, and those who came seeking pills could understand.
After a while, a group suddenly emerged from within the Nine Peaks. There were exactly ten of them—no more, no less. Regardless of their cultivation level, regardless of age or gender, every single one held their head high, radiant with satisfaction, their faces beaming with contentment.
"They're out! The batch that went in yesterday is coming out!" Exclamations rose from the queue.
A curious voice called out, "How did your pills turn out?"