Chapter 560 - 237: Suppression
On Danxia Peak, within a great hall.
The air was filled with a rich, lingering fragrance of elixirs, a scent that refreshed the heart and mind.
In the center of the hall, Elder Zhang Yi of Danxia Peak stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was placid, betraying no hint of his emotions.
Beside him, the lid of a half-man-high Red Copper Pill Furnace was already open. It still radiated warmth, and wisps of white vapor drifted up from within.
Four people stood silently before him.
They were the representatives from the Four Veins of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, here for this distribution.
Qu River of the True Martial Lineage.
Luo Chengxuan of the Mystic Sun Lineage.
Lu Chenming of the Nine Heavens Lineage.
The representative for the Jade Celestial Lineage was a woman. Dressed in a water-blue long dress, she had a tall, slender figure. She was none other than Huo Qiushui, the fifth-ranked True Disciple.
Elder Zhang Yi’s gaze swept over the four of them, his voice calm and even. "This batch of Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pills is complete. Twelve Elixirs were formed, all of Upper Grade quality. You know the rules. Distribute them amongst yourselves."
With that, he gave his sleeve a gentle flick. A White Jade Plate floated slowly out of the Pill Furnace, the twelve Elixirs upon it spinning gently.
The Elixirs were a pale gold color, their surfaces marked with natural, cloud-like patterns. The pure Yang Yuan Astral energy they emitted was refreshing to both mind and spirit.
Zhang Yi said no more and took two steps back, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
His task was only Alchemy and delivery. How they were distributed was a matter for the Four Veins.
After a brief silence, Lu Chenming was the first to rise. He gave the other three a casual cupped-fist salute. "Everyone, Eldest Brother gave instructions before he went into seclusion. These Elixirs are of utmost importance to several of our junior brothers and sisters in the Nine Heavens Lineage. The Nine Heavens Lineage will take four. I trust no one has any objections?"
The "Eldest Brother" he spoke of was the current number one among the Ten Great True Disciples, the publicly acknowledged frontrunner to inherit the Sect Leader’s position, and the unshakable pillar of the Nine Heavens Lineage.
As soon as he said this, Qu River’s eyes narrowed slightly. Huo Qiushui’s cool expression remained unchanged, while Luo Chengxuan’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Of the twelve Elixirs, the Nine Heavens Lineage was demanding one-third right from the start!
But at the mention of "Eldest Brother," even someone as proud and arrogant as Huo Qiushui didn’t voice any opposition.
It was an undeniable fact that the Nine Heavens Lineage currently had the greatest momentum and the strongest power.
This Eldest Brother, in particular, was a man of unfathomable strength, a peak that no one could surmount.
Seeing no one speak up, a faint smirk touched the corners of Lu Chenming’s lips. He took out a Jade Bottle he had prepared earlier and, with a flick of his finger, sent four Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pills flying precisely into its mouth before stowing it away.
In an instant, four Elixirs were gone, leaving only eight.
Immediately after, Huo Qiushui of the Jade Celestial Lineage spoke coolly, "The Jade Celestial Lineage requires three."
Her words were concise, without any further explanation. She directly took three Elixirs.
Now, only five Elixirs remained on the White Jade Plate, lying there forlornly.
Seeing this, Qu River was about to step forward and take the two Elixirs belonging to the True Martial Lineage. According to past, unspoken conventions, it was already a struggle for the True Martial Lineage to secure even two elixirs in this kind of core resource distribution.
However, just as he moved, Luo Chengxuan, who was standing to the side, spoke up first. "Brother Qu, a moment."
Qu River’s gaze shifted to him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Junior Brother Luo, what is it?"
Luo Chengxuan sighed. "Brother Qu, to be frank, the situation is special this time. Two junior brothers in my Mystic Sun Lineage are at a critical point in their breakthrough and urgently need this Elixir to solidify their foundations and break through their bottleneck. I hope Brother Qu can be understanding. Let the Mystic Sun Lineage take four this time. You’ve already reached the True Essence Realm, Brother Qu, so this Elixir is of little use to you. Meanwhile, my Mystic Sun Lineage truly does have many senior members at Astral Force Perfection who are in dire need of resources..."
His words both stated the Mystic Sun Lineage’s needs and subtly used the ’Momentum’ of his lineage to try and force Qu River to back down.
Huo Qiushui and Lu Chenming, who had been about to leave, both stopped in their tracks upon hearing this.
A flicker of amusement crossed Huo Qiushui’s eyes, while Lu Chenming adopted the posture of someone ready to watch a good show.
The gentle smile on Qu River’s face gradually faded, replaced by a touch of coldness. "Four? Junior Brother Luo, in that case, how many would my True Martial Lineage receive?"
"Well..."
Luo Chengxuan looked troubled. "Brother Qu, the True Martial Lineage has relatively few members. How about you take one this time? The next time there are Elixirs like these, my Mystic Sun Lineage will definitely compensate you by yielding an extra one to the True Martial Lineage. What do you think?"
"Impossible." Qu River’s voice was firm and resolute. "The True Martial Lineage will take no less than two this time! This is not for my personal use, but for the face and foundation of my entire lineage!"
The True Martial Lineage had been in decline for a long time. If they were to be deprived of even this most basic share, they would have no standing left Within the Sect in the future.
Besides, if word of this got out, his own prestige as Qu River would also suffer.
This was no longer just a fight over Elixirs; it was a fight for dignity.
Before his voice had even faded, Qu River ignored Luo Chengxuan’s instantly soured expression and acted directly. With a slight pulse of True Essence, two Pure Yang Yuan Astral Pills flew up from the Jade Plate and into the Jade Bottle in his palm.
Without so much as a glance at Luo Chengxuan, he gave a slight nod to Elder Zhang Yi, then turned and strode straight out of the great hall.
Luo Chengxuan watched Qu River’s departing back, a gloomy chill flashing in the depths of his eyes. His expression, however, quickly returned to calm. He simply walked forward in silence and collected the remaining three Elixirs.
In the end, he had failed to suppress Qu River.
"Junior Brother Luo, it seems the name of your Mystic Sun Lineage doesn’t carry much weight with Brother Qu."
Seeing this, Huo Qiushui couldn’t help but laugh. "Next time, perhaps you should ask Brother Ji to come in person."
Brother Ji was a True Disciple of the Mystic Sun Lineage, ranked even higher than Luo Chengxuan.
Luo Chengxuan snorted coldly, ignored Huo Qiushui’s sarcastic remark, and also left the great hall in a hurry.