"Oh!"
Emperor Neville Valeguard raised his eyebrows slightly and asked calmly, "Is there any Marrow-Cleansing Pill left?"
Nathan Vale replied, "Reporting to Father, Sherry Summers only gave me one Marrow-Cleansing Pill. But I heard she also gave one to several of my royal brothers."
"Is that so? You may step back for now."
"Yes, your son takes his leave!"
After Nathan left, Emperor Neville summoned his personal eunuch and ordered him to investigate exactly which princes received Marrow-Cleansing Pills from Sherry Summers yesterday, then commanded them to appear before him.
In less than half an hour, nine underage princes arrived one after another at the Jade Purity Palace.
After the nine sons finished their formal greetings, Emperor Neville got straight to the point: "I heard that yesterday Sherry Summers from the Daxia Merchant Guild gave each of you a Marrow-Cleansing Pill."
Except for the Thirty-Seventh Prince Nicholas Vale, whose expression remained unchanged, the other eight princes looked more or less uncertain and uneasy.
"Don't overthink it. I don't mean to blame any of you," Emperor Neville added.
Hearing this, the eight princes all breathed a sigh of relief. Nicholas Vale caught their reaction, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
"Who among you still has a Marrow-Cleansing Pill on you? Bring it here for me to see."
"Father, I have one," said the Thirty-Sixth Prince Mason Ning. He raised a wooden pill box above his head, which a eunuch took and handed to Emperor Neville.
After a close inspection, Emperor Neville nodded in satisfaction. "This is an excellent pill. Mason, take it right now!"
"Yes, Father!"
Mason Ning retrieved the Marrow-Cleansing Pill and popped it into his mouth. Emperor Neville wrapped Mason's body with his Sun-Soul spiritual sense, monitoring the changes happening inside him...
After a while, Emperor Neville's face showed some surprise—the pill's effects exceeded his expectations.
A moment later, he pointed a finger and sent a strand of true power to help Mason digest the medicinal force.
Normally, it would take most of an hour to absorb the pill's power, but with just fifteen minutes Mason fully absorbed it. At the same time, a layer of sticky black filth appeared on his skin, filling the Jade Purity Palace with a foul stench.
"Attendants, take Mason to get cleaned up!"
A quarter of an hour later, Mason returned to the Jade Purity Palace in fresh clothes, and his whole demeanor had changed noticeably.
Most notably, Mason's dantian and meridians had undergone major changes, which would greatly benefit his future cultivation.
"Excellent."
Emperor Neville nodded with satisfaction. "You may all leave now."
Although Emperor Neville didn't spell it out, all the princes realized this Marrow-Cleansing Pill was no ordinary item. Otherwise, their father wouldn't have gone to such lengths to summon them.
Normally, it would have taken some time for the effects of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill to fully spread, but thanks to Emperor Neville's divine assist, it became the hottest topic in Dragonfang City almost overnight.
Not only did eunuchs from the palace's internal affairs bureau approach Sherry Summers to negotiate purchases, but martial clans and sects also came one after another to seek her out.
In just one day, the remaining ninety Marrow-Cleansing Pills were completely sold out.
Following Ian's hunger marketing strategy, after selling the ninety pills, Sherry Summers told the clans and sects that the Marrow-Cleansing Pill was out of stock and would take some time to restock.
She didn't specify exactly how long the wait would be.
Those who failed to buy a pill were all deeply disappointed.
Still, most didn't care too much. In their minds, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill's effects probably weren't as miraculous as rumored—just exaggerated hearsay.
But just one day later...
The clans and sects that had bought pills came back again, waving gold notes and eager to buy more. To secure a larger share, they even offered higher prices.
Even so, Sherry Summers refused to supply pills immediately, insisting they were out of stock and would require a wait—leaving everyone completely hooked.
Meanwhile, those clans and sects who hadn't managed to buy any pills grew restless after hearing the news. They began to suspect that the Marrow-Cleansing Pill was far more extraordinary than they'd imagined.
They started sending people to investigate the families and sects who had bought pills.
The results shocked them: the Marrow-Cleansing Pill's effects were incredibly strong. After taking it, one's dantian could expand and meridians would become wider and tougher.
Unable to sit still, these powers rushed to Sherry Summers' residence, demanding to buy pills.
For a time, Sherry Summers became the holder of a rare treasure. Countless forces tried to curry favor, even offering precious items just for a chance to buy the pill.
The Marrow-Cleansing Pill only works for martial artists below the Sigilforge Realm.
But those below Sigilforge are mostly the younger generation—the future of every clan and sect depends on them.
The Daxia Merchant Guild itself was a step slow to react.
Once the news was confirmed, Summer Huanlong, the chief steward for the Mystic Sun Domain, personally visited Sherry Summers, hoping to secure some pill sales rights.
After arriving in the Mystic Sun Domain, Summer Huanlong had always treated Sherry with surface-level courtesy while keeping all real power tightly in his own hands. Now, with him coming to her for help, Sherry finally felt vindicated—and her gratitude toward Ian grew even deeper.
After Summer Huanlong paid a tangible price, Sherry promised him a monthly quota of fifty pills at the original price of one hundred thousand gold each. How Daxia handled things internally was up to them; she wouldn't interfere.
Finally, three days later...
Sherry released another batch of one hundred Marrow-Cleansing Pills. This time, the royal family bought forty on the spot, leaving just sixty for the clans and sects to scramble over.
Once again, demand far exceeded supply—some top clans and sects nearly came to blows over the pills.
And Sherry Summers became hotter than ever, her status rising sharply.
Even Emperor Neville Valeguard sent an invitation, asking her to attend a banquet at the palace the next day.
Prince Jin's Manor.
Prince Jin Victor Valeguard looked coolly at the middle-aged man before him. "Have you found out who provided Sherry Summers with the Marrow-Cleansing Pill?" he asked calmly.
Recently, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill has stirred up a storm in Dragonfang City.
Naturally, nothing escapes his notice.
"According to my investigation, the one who supplied Sherry Summers is likely Evan Chu, who only recently entered the Soaring Dragon Ranking!" the middle-aged man replied, bowing.
"Him?"
Prince Jin's brows furrowed slightly. After a moment's silence, he said, "Tomorrow night, I'll be hosting a banquet here at the manor. Send Evan Chu an invitation!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The middle-aged man withdrew to carry out his orders.
The next morning, Ian Song received an invitation from Prince Jin's Manor. He wasn't surprised—Prince Jin was one of the top contenders for the throne, and it wasn't hard for him to trace the source of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill back to Ian.
He just wondered what sort of expression Lydia Zhu would have when she saw him at the banquet.
The thought alone amused him greatly.
Evening fell.
Ian Song and Lena Wei set out by carriage from the Daxia Merchant Guild's estate, heading for Prince Jin's Manor.
This banquet was ostensibly for Dragonfang City's outstanding young talents—but Prince Jin's real motives were hidden.
Prince Jin's Manor wasn't as grand or luxurious as one might expect.
It wasn't large either, about the size of an ordinary estate, but the guards inside were all formidable.
Along the way, Ian sensed at least eight Sun-Soul Realm martial artists.
As Ian and Lena Wei entered the banquet hall, he suddenly felt a gaze full of hatred. Looking up, he saw Brian Zhang, accompanied by a young man who resembled him by seven or eight tenths.
That must be Adrian Zhang, ranked ninetieth on the Soaring Dragon Ranking.