Joe Di cast out over a dozen Array Banners, tossing them down. Clear words appeared on the stone gate before him: Within one hour, embed any type of Sixth-Grade Seven-Stripe Elixir to open the first array gate of Harmony Hall.
"Big Brother, you can definitely refine one, can't you?" Upon seeing the inscription, Aaron Jace exclaimed excitedly. He had a blind, unwavering trust in Joe Di.
Joe Di nodded. "I can indeed refine a Sixth-Grade Seven-Stripe Elixir. But look, this only opens the first array gate. That means Harmony Hall has more than one gate. Even if I open it, it won't be enough. If I'm not mistaken, the second array gate likely requires a Pill King-grade elixir."
"Ah..." Aaron Jace let out a cry, then said regretfully, "If only I had brought Master Luan here, we could open the second array gate."
Joe Di shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Why not? Master Luan is a Pill Sovereign and can refine Eighth-Grade Elixirs," Aaron Jace protested. Before meeting Joe Di, he had survived thanks to a pill Master Luan refined to suppress his Desire Poison.
Joe Di smiled. "Master Luan might indeed be able to refine Eighth-Grade Elixirs, but I doubt he can produce a Seven-Stripe Seventh-Grade Elixir."
The reason Joe Di could refine Nine-Mark Elixirs was due to the insights he gained from the World Tree—and more importantly, because of the Ninth Prime Law.
Hearing Joe Di's words, Aaron Jace was at a loss for words. He knew well how difficult it was to refine Seven-Stripe Elixirs. Master Luan truly couldn't make them.
"Besides, even if you wanted to bring him, I doubt you could. If I'm not mistaken, your father wouldn't let Master Luan leave with you." Joe Di looked at Aaron Jace, sensing that Aaron's status in Marlon Jace's eyes might not be as important as it seemed.
Not only that, Joe Di also sensed that among the Immortal Emperors who had once hunted him, Marlon Jace was one of them.
"So what should we do?" Aaron Jace asked helplessly. Deep down, he knew Joe Di was right—his status in his father's eyes had never been that high.
"Let me open this first gate and see what happens." Joe Di drew out his alchemy furnace and took out immortal spirit herbs for refining a Cleardew Elixir.
With just a wisp of incense, Joe Di had already finished refining a batch of Seven-Stripe Cleardew Elixirs. Six elixirs were sent out by Joe Di, perfectly embedded into the six elixir slots on the stone gate.
A faint shimmer of light flickered around the stone gate, followed by a series of rumbling, grinding sounds.
Moments later, the stone gate swung open, revealing a grand stone hall—far larger than the one outside—appearing before the group.
An even denser wave of immortal energy swept through, and Aaron Jace and the others couldn't help but cry out in astonishment.
Even Joe Di was filled with delighted surprise as he gazed around the four sides of the grand hall. Inside this vast chamber were eighteen Immortal Spirit Veins, all of middle-grade quality, forming a massive Grand Immortal Vein Array.
"No wonder the immortal energy outside was so dense—this is where the real secret lies." Aaron Jace exclaimed in awe. Even as a native of Star Demon Palace, he had never seen such craftsmanship.
Joe Di swept his divine sense across the stone wall behind the eighteen Immortal Spirit Veins and discovered another stone gate at the edge. He quickly walked over, noticing several elixir slots on the gate. As Joe Di's array flag fell, a row of words appeared beneath the slots: Within one hour, embed any Seventh-Grade Eight-Stripe Elixir to open the second array gate in Harmony Hall.
"Big Brother, you were right—this gate really does require a Seventh-Grade Eight-Stripe Elixir," Aaron Jace sighed.
"I can't open this Pillgate for now. Let's focus on cultivating—training here is several times more effective than outside," Joe Di affirmed, certain he couldn't unlock the stone gate yet.
Not to mention he's not yet a Seventh-Grade Pill King—even if he were, Joe Di still couldn't refine a Seventh-Grade Eight-Stripe Elixir, unless he used the Genesis Cauldron.
Now he had a powerful alchemical flame and his own unique Dao of Alchemy, but he still lacked a truly exceptional alchemy furnace.
Seeing that Joe Di was planning to cultivate here, Aaron Jace quickly picked a spot close to him. If Joe Di wasn't cultivating, it would be much harder for Aaron. But when Joe Di was training, the surrounding laws became far clearer, making cultivation much easier for him.
...
Cauldron Haven Free City—the recently concluded auction had become the hottest topic in the realm.
Not only did the auction sell a Godflame Escape Technique for over two hundred million Liberty Points, it also featured legendary treasures: the Chrono Crystal, Trueglass Elixir, and the highest single bid for Prime Iron—without a second contender.
Rumor had it that the Chrono Crystal, Trueglass Elixir, and Prime Iron were all won by the same bidder. Not only did he claim these treasures, he even clashed head-on with Emperor Yue Liang during the auction. In the end, a dozen Immortal Emperors surrounded him, yet he still escaped with composure. The reason? This cultivator was a top-tier Grand Immortal Emperor, his strength truly formidable.
But soon, a second rumor spread: this escaping cultivator was no Grand Immortal Emperor at all, but Joe Di—the very man who once sold Starfield Tea in Cauldron Haven Free City.
The reason Joe Di managed to escape back then was because he mastered a powerful escape technique, and had purchased a Veinburst Elixir. By taking the Veinburst Elixir at the last moment, he temporarily boosted his strength and fled—even though the elixir ruptured his veins, leaving him crippled and taken away by one of the Immortal Emperors.
While people still debated which rumor was true, the Starlit Teahouse was seized by force.
The one who seized the Starlit Teahouse was Hui, manager of Fortune Rest Pavilion. Hui had previously offended Joe Di outside the Starlit Teahouse, only to be nailed there by Joe Di's blade—because the teahouse was backed by Star Demon Palace.
After the auction in Cauldron Haven Free City, Marlon Jace, the Palace Lord of Star Demon Palace, publicly declared that the Starlit Teahouse had nothing to do with him. Not only that, Emperor Yue Liang of Skycloud Dao informed Deputy City Lord Jie Guangmao that ruthless people like Joe Di from the Starlit Teahouse had no right to remain in Cauldron Haven Free City. Anyone could teach such a person a lesson, which was a public show of support for Jie Guangmao.
With Marlon Jace severing ties to the Starlit Teahouse and Emperor Yue Liang backing Jie Guangmao, Hui—the manager under Jie Guangmao—naturally seized the teahouse immediately.
The manager of Fortune Rest Pavilion took over the Starlit Teahouse, convincing even more people that the one who snatched so many treasures at the auction was Joe Di. Only someone as bold as Joe Di would dare stand against Immortal Emperors. Likewise, only a cultivator who ran the Starfield Tea business could possess so many Liberty Points.
In all of Cauldron Haven Free City, the only person truly worried for Joe Di was probably Huo Qianqian.
Huo Qianqian didn't know whether Joe Di had escaped Cauldron Haven Free City. As the person closest to him, she even destroyed her Communication Pearl—let alone attempt to send him a message.
As a steward of the Elixir Pavilion, Huo Qianqian was no fool. She knew that many powerful figures were watching her in secret. If she made even the slightest move, she might be dragged into the chaos.
After Fortune Rest Pavilion forcibly took over the Starlit Teahouse and began selling another kind of Immortal Spirit Tea, Cauldron Haven Free City issued a warrant for Joe Di.
Joe Di was accused of deceiving cultivators in Cauldron Haven Free City, selling Starfield Tea at outrageous prices and losing his moral integrity—everyone was urged to hunt him down. Any cultivator who provided information on Joe Di could claim a hefty reward.
The joint warrant was not only issued by Cauldron Haven Free City, but also by Skycloud Sect, Star Demon Hall, Buzhou Immortal Sect, and more than a dozen other sects and Immortal Emperor powerhouses.
Of all the powers in Cauldron Haven Free City, only the Cauldron Haven Alchemy Guild refrained from joining the hunt for Joe Di.
No matter what, Joe Di was still an Alchemist of the Cauldron Haven Alchemy Guild. The guild refused to participate in such blatant treasure-coveting hunts for Joe Di.
...
At this moment, in the second grand hall of Harmony Hall, the dense immortal energy was layered like clouds. Everyone cultivating within the hall found their cultivation soaring with each passing moment.
Eight years passed in the blink of an eye, but Joe Di was not the one who progressed the fastest. Although he absorbed the most immortal energy, his Starvein Meridians and boundless sea of consciousness required far more energy than the others.
The fastest in cultivation were Aaron Jace and Blackfire. Blackfire had advanced to the rank of Sixth-Grade Immortal Beast and was charging towards the seventh grade, while Aaron Jace had reached the seventh layer of Grand Ether Immortal—just a little more time, and he could attempt a breakthrough to Immortal King.
Sprout was progressing the slowest, still lingering at the third grade of Immortal Beast. Moria Lane had reached the seventh layer of Golden Immortal, and with her Immaculate Spirit Body, she faced almost no bottlenecks in such an environment.
Although Joe Di was the center of cultivation, even after all these years and absorbing far more immortal energy than the rest combined, he remained around the ninth layer of Grand Ether Immortal.
Joe Di stopped cultivating, knowing that continued seclusion would do him little good. With the Ninth Prime Law, Joe Di was well aware that his foundation was weak. If he kept pushing, even if he broke through to Grand Ether Immortal or Immortal King, his foundation would only grow more unstable.
Moreover, before stepping into the Immortal King realm, he needed to prepare Emperor King Pills—not just for himself, but for Aaron Jace and Moria Lane as well.
Joe Di hadn't decided where to go next, but he planned to upgrade his Azure Veil Blade first.
The Azure Veil Blade was currently a mid-grade Immortal Artifact. Having obtained a piece of Prime Iron at the auction, along with his Eighth-Grade Immortal Flame Dao Fire, it was the perfect time to upgrade the blade.