Free Web NovelChapter 389: Chapter 389: Medicine Preparation Institute, Returning to the Holy Land
The negotiations between the Cyan Yuan Sect’s Sect Leader, Hall Masters, and others took longer than expected, only ending half a month after the people from the Merak Sacred Land had left.
The other members of the Cyan Yuan Sect who witnessed this knew that a decision had likely been made within the sect. freёwebnoѵel.com
Everyone naturally wanted to join a holy land for Martial Arts Cultivation like the Merak Sacred Land. The cultivation environment there was certainly better than in the Cyan Yuan Sect, and it offered a more complete path of cultivation.
In the past, they had no opportunity to even make contact, let alone join. Now that the chance had arrived, it was only natural to fight and scramble for it. Besides, this was the sect’s decision, so in a way, they would still be considered members of the Cyan Yuan Sect.
It wouldn’t be considered betraying the sect; in fact, one could even say they would be serving it.
Yang Chan didn’t have to wait long before Hall Master Gu An sent a disciple with a message, summoning him to the Medicine Hall’s Medicine Preparation Institute.
Han Bingyu informed him that the summons wasn’t just for Pharmacists like him, but for everyone in the Medicine Hall. All Official Disciples, Pharmacist’s Assistants, and others had to go, with the exception of Servant Disciples, Attendants, and Maids.
These were all people who were formally part of the Cyan Yuan Sect. After all, one was only truly considered a member upon becoming an Official Disciple and comprehending Power.
Each hall had its own arrangements, but the criteria for those attending were roughly the same across the board.
Clearly, this was how the Cyan Yuan Sect planned to announce its arrangements to everyone.
After receiving the message, Yang Chan had Han Bingyu summon the other three Pharmacist Apprentices, and they all headed to the Medicine Hall’s Medicine Preparation Institute together.
When his group arrived at the Medicine Preparation Institute, the normally bustling place was uncharacteristically quiet. The busy Servant Disciples were gone, leaving only the Official Disciples, Pharmacist’s Assistants, Pharmacists, and other formal members of the Medicine Hall.
There were eleven Intermediate Pharmacists, fifty-three Basic Level Pharmacists, and two hundred eighty-four Pharmacist’s Assistants. Some of the assistants were not currently assigned to a Pharmacist. freёweɓnovel.com
This was either because their skills weren’t acknowledged or because their supervising Pharmacist had met with an unfortunate accident, leaving them unassigned.
In addition, there were five Direct Disciples, over a hundred Elite Disciples, and more than a thousand Official Disciples. All told, it was a considerable number of people.
The Medicine Hall alone accounted for over 1,500 people. The weakest among them was an Official Disciple who had grasped Power, meaning their combat abilities were far beyond that of an ordinary person. Assembled together, they were a truly formidable force.
The number of Official Disciples had grown significantly after the Cyan Yuan Sect’s expansion, and the number of Pharmacists had also increased by a few.
The Advanced Pharmacist, Elder Hua, was not present. He had likely already been part of the negotiations and was aware of the arrangements.
Yang Chan noticed a few empty seats at the front and led Han Bingyu and the others over. Since the adjacent seats were already taken by other Intermediate Pharmacists, it was obvious this area was reserved for them. The Direct Disciples were seated in a corresponding section.
In the Cyan Yuan Sect, the status of an Intermediate Pharmacist was comparable to that of a Direct Disciple; they were considered equals.
If one could perform alchemy, their status would be even a cut above that of a Direct Disciple.
Yang Chan found a seat and sat down. Han Bingyu and the others took their places behind him, in an area also designated for Pharmacist’s Assistants.
Before long, Yang Chan and the others saw Medicine Hall Master Gu An appear and take the main, central seat.
"I have summoned you all to the Medicine Preparation Institute today, and I am sure you all have your own suspicions about the reason."
"You are correct. I am here today to discuss the matter of the Merak Sacred Land."
Gu An surveyed the crowd, then began to speak slowly. His voice, though unhurried, carried clearly through the spacious courtyard, seeming to resonate directly in everyone’s ears.
Yang Chan, however, raised an eyebrow, for he could clearly sense a change in Gu An.
Previously, he had been at the peak of the Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, his Six Viscera completely tempered, but he had never been able to break through to the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera. Now, however, things were different.
His voice was deep and resonant, seeming to vibrate from his very organs. His aura was also stronger, though his cultivation felt slightly unstable, a clear sign he had not yet fully consolidated his new realm.
’Gu An has broken through to the Inner Refining Five Viscera Realm. He must have just done it, since he can’t completely conceal his aura yet. This also means his combat power has seen a huge increase.’
’I don’t know if his breakthrough came from an opportunity in Taiyin Heaven or something he got from the Merak Saintess, but a breakthrough in cultivation also means another rise in status.’
’Within the Cyan Yuan Sect, the Supreme Elders are at the Inner Refining Five Viscera Realm. Gu An’s breakthrough puts him on their level. Now, he even has a chance of becoming a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster.’
’Inner Refining of the Five Viscera... I’m almost there myself!’
As Yang Chan sensed the change in Gu An, he thought to himself, ’In just ten-some days, I’ll also be able to break through to the Inner Refining Five Viscera Realm.’
’Unlike Gu An and the others, I don’t have bottlenecks. Once my proficiency is maxed out, I can directly upgrade and bypass the bottleneck between the Inner Refining of the Six Viscera and the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera.’
Although these thoughts ran through Yang Chan’s mind, his expression remained unchanged as he continued to listen patiently.
"The Sect Leader has reached an agreement with the Merak Saintess. Henceforth, the Cyan Yuan Sect will return to the fold of the Merak Sacred Land, becoming one of its Affiliated Forces within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty."
"Our founding ancestor originally came from the Merak Sacred Land. His dying wish was for the Cyan Yuan Sect he established to one day return to its fold. Today, we have finally fulfilled our ancestor’s goal."
By bringing up the founding ancestor after announcing the decision, Gu An was making the entire affair seem more logical and justified.
This was the official narrative for both the Cyan Yuan Sect disciples and the outside world. The sect wasn’t surrendering to the Merak Sacred Land; it was "returning to the fold"—a perfectly natural and logical progression.
Through this arrangement, the Merak Sacred Land now had an Affiliated Force within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty once more. This meant that if any opportunities arose in the dynasty, the Merak Sacred Land could legitimately contend for them without violating the pacts between the various Holy Lands.
The Merak Sacred Land was not the first power to make such a move; it was a strategy they had learned from the Supreme Sect and the Celestial Fragrance Sect.
However, those two powers had instead established brothels in the most prosperous regions, allowing their members to "Refine the Heart in the Red Dust" and overcome certain cultivation obstacles.
The Merak Sacred Land, in contrast, had absorbed a major, province-level power. While the approaches were different, it was hard to say which was superior. Their ultimate goal was the same: to create a legitimate pretext for competing over opportunities within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty.
The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s territory was vast, and Taiyin Heaven was far from the only opportunity it contained. Every so often, new opportunities would emerge—some in the form of Secret Realms, others as rare inheritances.
The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty had obtained its own founding inheritance in such a manner, eventually even producing an expert at the level of a National Guardian Martial Saint. Even among the Holy Lands, not every reigning Sect Leader could reach the National Guardian Martial Saint Realm, which spoke volumes about the difficulty.
By having an Affiliated Force within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, the Merak Sacred Land could now directly intervene and compete whenever such a major opportunity appeared.
The whole process was perfectly legitimate and unstoppable.
