Chapter 2626: The Vortex!

Ye Yuan had to admit that Cang Yongning was the strongest opponent he had ever encountered, bar none.

Even the Medicine Ancestor of yore was insignificant before Ye Yuan.

The Medicine Ancestor's strength was merely due to his high realm.

Once Ye Yuan's realm caught up, he became vulnerable.

But Cang Yongning's strength was like tempered steel—unyielding!

The depth of the Alchemy Alliance's foundation surpassed Ye Yuan's imagination.

If a mere Holy Son was this formidable, how powerful must the Alchemy Alliance's master be in the Dao of alchemy?

Unfathomable!

In terms of talent, strength, and realm, Ye Yuan was even slightly inferior!

Even in the foundation Ye Yuan had always been most proud of, Cang Yongning was extremely solid.

Perhaps not as good as Ye Yuan, but certainly not a weakness!

Defeating such an opponent was exceedingly difficult.

Yet precisely because of this, Ye Yuan yearned even more to overcome him!

If Han Yi was the whetstone for his martial path, then Cang Yongning was the best whetstone for his alchemical path!

Under the current circumstances, it was impossible to determine the winner within the ninth grade.

Only by breaking through the shackles and reaching the true grade could one emerge victorious!

After eight years of seclusion, Ye Yuan had long sensed that above the pinnacle of the ninth grade, there might be an even higher quality.

But this step was ethereal; he was separated from it by only a layer of window paper, yet he could never pierce through it.

Ye Yuan had no master, no heritage; he could only rely on his own exploration.

But Cang Yongning was the best touchstone the Alchemy Alliance had given him!

Thus, he exerted all his strength to hinder Cang Yongning from refining a true-grade pill.

And he himself would break the shackles within this limit!

This alchemy duel could be said to be the most arduous battle on his alchemical path!

Thirty rounds, a draw!

Forty rounds, a draw!

Fifty rounds, still a draw!

In the blink of an eye, the two had been locked in fierce battle for over three months.

Those who had initially come to watch were beginning to falter.

But the two in the arena continued to fight without pause!

Yes, this alchemy duel had evolved into a war.

The stakes of this battle were too important!

Neither Ye Yuan nor Cang Yongning could afford to lose!

This alchemy duel had caused a massive sensation throughout the Five Radiance Domain and even the Yuqing Continent!

Countless alchemists had gathered in the Cloud Rainbow Upper Kingdom.

The leaders of the five great celestial sects were all present.

The eyes of countless powerful figures were fixed on this small Cloud Rainbow Upper Kingdom.

Before this, even though Ye Yuan had consecutively challenged seventeen grandmasters, these sect leaders thought nothing of it.

In their view, it was merely the death throes of the Martial Determination Celestial Sect.

But after three months, everyone's perspective had changed.

Because they all realized that this alchemy duel might affect the entire landscape of the Yuqing Continent!

If Ye Yuan won this battle, the Alchemy Pavilion would immediately leap to become a superpower capable of contending with the Alchemy Alliance!

From then on, ascendants would no longer be constrained by the Alchemy Alliance!

This battle was of extraordinary significance!

But—the premise was that Ye Yuan would win!

In the imperial palace of Cloud Rainbow Superior Kingdom, even the emperor himself could only wait outside the Golden Throne Hall.

The leaders of the five great celestial sects were now gathered together!

The five men's eyes were fixed on the light screen before them.

What the light screen displayed was a projection of Ye Yuan and Cang Yongning's pill duel.

Ling Wancheng, the sect master of Shangyu Celestial Sect, couldn't help exclaiming, "Feng Xuanyi, I never expected that your Wuding Celestial Sect would produce such a prodigy! If he wins this battle, Ye Yuan's name may well rival that of Lord Zhuo Buqun!"

Hua Ziyu, the sect master of Xingyun Celestial Sect, nodded in agreement, "After Lord Zhuo Buqun, our five celestial sects have been hampered at every turn, unable to expand our territory. The biggest reason lies in celestial pills! If the Alchemy Pavilion gains momentum, we ascenders will no longer be constrained! In as little as a thousand years, or at most three thousand, our Five Radiance Domain will surely restore its glory!"

Yang Jie, the sect master of Wanxiang Celestial Sect, frowned slightly, displeased with these remarks.

After all, Wanxiang Celestial Sect was the central sect, the foremost among the five!

But he had to admit that Ling Wancheng and Hua Ziyu had a point.

Zhuo Buqun was astonishingly brilliant, standing proudly above the heavens.

Yet such individuals were far too rare.

However, if the Alchemy Pavilion gained momentum, it could produce a large number of experts.

The combat power of ascenders already far surpassed that of native strongmen.

If aided by celestial pills, they would be like tigers with wings.

It was no exaggeration to say this could change the landscape of the entire Yuqing Continent!

When he heard the news of Ye Yuan's great battle against Cang Yongning, Feng Xuanyi was also dumbfounded.

The Alchemy Alliance had emerged with great force, yet Ye Yuan had driven them to such a corner.

Ye Yuan's twenty-year pact was truly no empty talk!

If the Alchemy Pavilion gained momentum, why would his Wuding Celestial Sect need to fear the Alchemy Alliance?

How laughable that those short-sighted fools in the sect were probably too ashamed to show their faces now, weren't they?

"Feng Xuanyi, if Ye Yuan truly wins, your Alchemy Pavilion cannot go back on its earlier promise! Otherwise, my Wanxiang Celestial Sect will be the first to object!" Yang Jie suddenly said.

The so-called promise was that Ye Yuan had said the Alchemy Pavilion would be an open force, not forcibly recruiting celestial pharmacists like the Alchemy Alliance.

This was crucial to the other four sects!

If you let one person snatch all the celestial pharmacists, what's left for us?

When the Alchemy Pavilion rises, wouldn't it become another Alchemy Alliance?

Feng Xuanyi nodded, "Central Sect, please rest assured. Ye Yuan said that as long as they are disciples of the five great celestial sects, the Alchemy Pavilion is completely open! Any celestial pharmacist who joins the Alchemy Pavilion can browse all pill formulas and receive the best training! After they succeed, the disciples of the five great celestial sects will return to their respective sects and serve their own masters! If Ye Yuan wins, the five of us can sign a covenant on the spot, binding future generations to this agreement forever! However, our five great celestial sects are originally of the same spirit, and the rise of the Alchemy Pavilion also needs the support of the Central Sect and the three sects!"

Yang Jie's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, "Naturally! If the Alchemy Pavilion succeeds, our five sects will join forces to expel the Alchemy Alliance from the Five Radiance Domain!"

Feng Xuanyi nodded slightly, his gaze once again falling on the light screen.

In his heart, he silently cheered for Ye Yuan.

Say what you will, it all hinged on the premise that Ye Yuan could win!

If Ye Yuan failed, Wuding Celestial Sect would likely suffer a devastating blow!

This pill duel involved far, far too much.

No one had expected things to develop like this.

Each round of their pill duel was like a whirlpool.

As the rounds increased, this whirlpool grew larger and larger.

In the end, it affected the entire Yuqing Continent!

Now, the momentum was set, and no one could reverse it.

Even when the Alchemy Alliance leader sent Cang Yongning, he probably didn't foresee such consequences, did he?

The situation was already out of control.

The pill duel between these two would eventually collapse.

Either the Alchemy Alliance would collapse, or the Five Radiance Domain would collapse!

If the Alchemy Alliance collapsed, they would merely withdraw from the Five Radiance Domain.

But if the Five Radiance Domain collapsed, their days ahead would be difficult!

Suddenly, Feng Xuanyi's gaze sharpened—this protracted pill duel had finally stirred up new waves!