Chapter Forty-Two: Merger

The Nine-Dragon Stones were objects that drove cultivators across the world into madness. For their sake, Gui Duzi had been ruthlessly hunted by his own sect; for their sake, he had been cast out from his master’s gate; for their sake, even as he knew the end of his life was near, he still strove to fulfill his master's final wish. To suddenly hear that Lei Yan possessed five Nine-Dragon Stones—how could Gui Duzi not be overcome with emotion? Yet as he watched Lei Yan’s actions, his heart grew unbearably heavy. The Nine-Dragon Stones were no longer what they once were; their vital energy was depleted, rendering them useless except perhaps as ingredients for alchemy.

“It’s fate! All of this is fate!” Gui Duzi cried out in agony.

Lei Yan looked at him, bewildered. The elder’s words were cryptic, their meaning unclear to anyone who might overhear. What most concerned Lei Yan now was whether his meridians could be restored, so he asked, “Grandmaster, now that I have these Nine-Dragon Stones, I should be able to rebuild my meridians, right?”

Gui Duzi’s gaze turned bleak, and he shook his head, weary in spirit. “If these stones were intact, I could have restored your meridians instantly. But now…”

Restoring his meridians was the gateway for Lei Yan to enter the world of cultivation. Although he understood what Gui Duzi was implying, he could not help but press on, unwilling to give up hope. “Grandmaster, is there really no way at all?”

“Do you know what the Nine-Dragon Stones truly are?” Gui Duzi countered. Though he asked the question, he did not wait for an answer. After a brief pause, he continued, “Since you are now the head of the Gui Du Sect, it is time you learned these things.”

“The world has always spread the rumor that the Nine-Dragon Stones are the crystallized blood of nine dragons. That is pure fabrication. In truth, the Nine-Dragon Stones are nine pills crafted by our sect’s founding ancestor. These nine pills embody both poison and cure. The poison can kill, even those arrogant cultivators who think themselves above all; the medicine can heal the gravest of ills, even bring one back from the brink of death. Because of this, the Nine-Dragon Stones have drawn the covetous eyes of cultivators everywhere. Powerful foes pressured our sect to hand them over, sending spies to infiltrate us and steal them at every opportunity. With enemies without and traitors within, my master was about to destroy the stones when he found me—a mere apprentice tending herbs. Yet he trusted me enough to entrust the Nine-Dragon Stones to my care.

To save my life, my master expelled me from the sect, but none of those cultivators let me go. At that time, I was just a humble apprentice, ignorant of cultivation or alchemy, knowing only a little about medicinal herbs. How could I withstand their attacks? I was struck down into a ravine. Perhaps my fate was not yet sealed, but when I awoke, I had only one stone left. Perhaps it was fate. All these years, I have searched and managed to find only two more. Those outside have searched as well, but no one ever expected that you would end up with five. Yet, these stones are ruined now—useless for healing!”

Lei Yan listened quietly to Gui Duzi’s account, easily picturing the dire straits the elder had endured. A mere apprentice, without knowledge of poison or cultivation, hunted by countless cultivators—surviving that was more than luck; it was a testament to Gui Duzi’s cunning. Seeing the elder lost in memory, Lei Yan did not disturb him, simply waiting in silence.

After a long while, Gui Duzi gradually recovered his composure. “It’s all fate! Fate destined the Nine-Dragon Stones to be destroyed! From now on, they will exist no more.” He paused, as if making some weighty decision. “Since the stones are gone, there’s no point in clinging to hope. I will do my best to reconstruct your meridians. But before we begin, you must know: with my current cultivation, I cannot guarantee success. If we fail, you will surely die. So you still have a choice—once we start, there is no turning back!”

Lei Yan understood that every endeavor carried risk. He would not give up hope simply because danger lay ahead. He nodded. “Grandmaster, I have decided! I will not regret it.”

“Very well!” Seeing Lei Yan’s unwavering resolve, Gui Duzi nodded. “In that case, come with me. I shall prepare a pill for you—one unlike any other in this world. Let us hope it can preserve your life!”

Lei Yan followed Gui Duzi to an alchemy chamber. Upon entering, he was immediately drawn to the Eight Trigram Furnace within. He had never seen such a cauldron before—azure-blue, carved with the symbols of the Eight Trigrams, with several vents below, much like the incense burners outside temples. Around the furnace stood wooden racks, each laden with jars and medicinal herbs.

“Go to the side chamber and fetch some antidotes,” Gui Duzi said, glancing at Lei Yan’s face. At that moment, Lei Yan’s complexion was dark and ashen; if he did not take an antidote soon, the poison from the Azure Spirit could permanently scar him.

Lei Yan had wanted to watch how cultivators refined pills, but he was afflicted with more than one kind of poison. He had no choice but to nod and leave the alchemy chamber.

Stepping into the adjacent side chamber, Lei Yan was stunned. Rows upon rows of shelves filled the room, each lined with already-refined pills. At a glance, Lei Yan could tell these were pills far beyond his own ability to craft. As he looked over them one by one, he found several bottles of Foundation Establishment Pills, as well as antidotes for the Dribbling Ant’s venom. He swiftly took a pill from a porcelain bottle and swallowed it. After collecting several bottles of high-grade pills, he returned to the alchemy chamber.

Upon entering, Lei Yan saw Gui Duzi smiling at him, and realized the elder had not yet begun refining. Evidently, Gui Duzi had noticed his little pill-pilfering, and Lei Yan scratched his head sheepishly as he walked over.

No sooner had Lei Yan approached than Gui Duzi handed him a jade pendant. “Keep this! It holds my lifetime of alchemical insights. Now, watch carefully—this is my Heaven-and-Earth Alchemy Technique!”

Taking the jade pendant, Lei Yan closed his eyes. He knew that relying on his eyes alone would never allow him to remember those swift, intricate techniques, so he called upon his extraordinary abilities to commit them to memory.

Gui Duzi nodded in satisfaction, then formed a complex hand seal. A faint light shimmered from his hands, twining around the Nine-Dragon Stones on the ground, lifting them into the Eight Trigram Furnace. As Gui Duzi’s hand seals changed, the furnace lid opened, and the stones floated inside. At the same time, he intoned, “Metal of Heaven, Five Elements aligned!”

A scarlet flame leapt from within Gui Duzi and shot into the vents of the Eight Trigram Furnace. At once, the furnace glowed, beams of light shooting forth to form mysterious talismanic patterns, while the temperature of the red flame soared higher.

Lei Yan focused intently on Gui Duzi’s every move, even sensing the scarlet flame that emerged from him. He noticed, too, that the flame bore a faint green hue. He could sense everything within the Eight Trigram Furnace—the ruined Nine-Dragon Stones slowly melting in the heat, while the other three remained completely inert.

Gui Duzi frowned slightly, surprised at how difficult it was to refine the stones that still retained their vital energy. With a low shout, he declared, “Earth of Kun, Five Elements reversed!” and increased the output of his true fire. Scarlet flames surged from him, streaming into the furnace.

Suddenly, blinding rays shot from the furnace.

Boom!

The Eight Trigram Furnace exploded. Gui Duzi reacted instantly, forming a barrier of vital energy to shield them from the blast, with Lei Yan sheltering behind him.

When the shockwaves faded, three Nine-Dragon Stones were left hovering in midair above the collapsed chamber, burning fiercely. They circled around a sphere at the center, its colors shifting unceasingly. Gradually, the three burning stones seemed to be devoured by the sphere, vanishing slowly, while three golden beams shot outward at the same moment.

“They… the Nine-Dragon Stones have merged!” Gui Duzi was at a loss, feeling the pure vital energy emanate from within the stones. He hadn’t even noticed the three golden beams from before.

(P.S.: Apologies, this chapter is a bit short! I’m truly sorry for letting down your support. I’ll write another chapter right away, but it might be uploaded a bit late—feel free to check back tomorrow!)