Chapter 417: Heaven Will Never Allow Such an Amazing Elixir to Exist!
At this moment, in the Great Xia Dynasty’s imperial palace.
Empty Void Daoist woke up groggily, only to find himself in a magnificent palace that was no less grand than the Great Yan Emperor’s palace. Moreover, he saw a group of formidable individuals.
This group of formidable individuals was none other than the mysterious experts who had infiltrated the Great Yan Emperor’s palace earlier and kidnapped him. Their strength ranged from at least innate level, and there were even three Grandmaster-level experts among them. He was taken away by one of them.
Furthermore, there was an individual dressed in imperial robes, looking quite regal, being supported by an old eunuch, gazing at him with joy in their eyes.
Elderly dignity spoke up, “Empty Void Daoist, you’re awake!” Empty Void Daoist was somewhat afraid, his plump face trembling, “Who are you?”
The other person opened their arms and said with an air of majesty, “I am the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty!”
Empty Void Daoist quickly stood up and respectfully bowed, “Your Majesty, I pay my respects! May I ask what brings Your Majesty to seek me out?”
The Great Xia Emperor walked unsteadily toward him, laughing heartily, “Haha, Daoist, there’s no need for so much formality! We have been eager to meet you, but due to your presence in the Great Yan Emperor’s palace, this is the only option we have. Please do not blame us!”
Empty Void Daoist waved his hands repeatedly, “Of course not…”
Then he asked, “May I inquire why Your Majesty has summoned me?”
“I am here for the Elixir of Immortality!” The Great Xia Emperor looked at Empty Void Daoist with great eagerness, “I heard that you possess profound knowledge of the 18 Pill Refining Arts and have successfully created the Elixir of Immortality in the Great Yan Emperor’s palace. I am thrilled, so I invited you here!”
Empty Void Daoist thought to himself that this was indeed the case. Ever since he created the Elixir of Immortality, many people had been unable to sit still. Numerous experts had gathered in the capital of the Great Yan Dynasty, hoping to make contact with him or even capture him. However, he had always remained in the imperial palace, protected by the Yan Emperor’s experts, so they had not succeeded.
Unfortunately, they had ultimately fallen into the hands of the Great Xia Dynasty. The Great Xia Emperor sighed, “Daoist, a nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day! I am already old, and my time is running out. My oldest son is still imprisoned in the Great Wu, and his return is uncertain!”
“So, I cannot die yet, or else the world will surely fall into chaos! Therefore, I hope that you will consider the well-being of the people and the state and create the Elixir of Immortality to extend my life! Please grant my request!”
“Please grant my request!” others echoed in unison. “This…” Empty Void Daoist was in a difficult position, “It’s not that I don’t want to help, but this matter isn’t something that can be done easily! You see, to create the Elixir of Immortality, one requires countless rare and precious materials, as well as heavenly and earthly treasures. Without these materials, it’s impossible to create the elixir.”
The Great Xia Emperor hurriedly said, “Daoist, please rest assured, I have already ordered people to gather rare treasures from all over the world for your alchemy! Whatever you need, I will collect it without hesitation, and I will ensure that you won’t be in any difficulties.”
“Besides the challenge of finding the required medicinal materials, you also have to face the Heavenly Tribulation,” sighed Empty Void Daoist. “Your Majesty should know that the Elixir of Immortality is a celestial elixir not meant for this world. When I created it, I faced a Heavenly Punishment. Not only was I severely injured, but the elixir itself was also destroyed, so…”
The Great Xia Emperor quickly responded, “I am well aware of that, Daoist. To deal with the Heavenly Tribulation, I have enlisted many experts from all over the world. You can rest assured!”
Hearing this, Empty Void Daoist felt somewhat tempted. However, as the national teacher of the Great Yan Dynasty, changing allegiances too abruptly was not a good idea.
Therefore, he appeared hesitant.
The Great Xia Emperor declared loudly, “Furthermore, Daoist, as long as you can successfully create the Elixir of Immortality, I will appoint you as the Prime Minister and grant you every honor and wealth you desire. In short, whatever the Great Yan Dynasty can offer you, I can offer you more and better!”
Empty Void Daoist still hesitated a bit. The Great Xia Emperor clenched his teeth and said, “Moreover, Daoist, as long as you can produce the Elixir of Immortality, I will make you a co-emperor, ruling the world alongside me!”
Empty Void Daoist was now very tempted. After all, who wouldn’t want to practice alchemy when such rewards were promised?
Furthermore, the Great Xia Emperor was offering even more than his previous allegiance. So, he bowed deeply and said, “I thank Your Majesty for this great favor! I will boldly accept this task and create the divine elixir for Your Majesty!”
The Great Xia Emperor burst into laughter, “Haha! That’s the spirit, Daoist, and I should be the one thanking you!”
Following this, Empty Void Daoist took up residence in the Great Xia Imperial Palace.
The Great Xia Emperor was overjoyed, warmly hosting Empty Void Daoist and urgently collecting the rare treasures of heaven and earth needed for the elixir’s creation, to speed up the production of the Elixir of Immortality. For example, they sent people to contact Lin Beifan and paid a huge price to obtain two ounces of dragon bone from him. Just with this genuine-looking dragon bone, Lin Beifan deceived them into handing over 30 million taels.
As a result, after selling it for so long, the dragon bone was still intact.
On the other hand, when Empty Void Daoist had some spare time, he resumed his old profession and started refining the Divine Enlightenment Pill.
Now, everyone in the Great Xia Dynasty had complete confidence in Empty Void Daoist’s abilities.
Witnessing him produce such divine elixirs, they couldn’t wait to try them. As a result, everyone felt like they were floating on clouds after taking the Divine Enlightenment Pill, full of energy and excitement. They truly seemed like immortals. Even the ailing and elderly Great Xia Emperor, after consuming the Divine Enlightenment Pill, appeared much more energetic, and his health improved significantly. Thus, their trust in Empty Void Daoist’s abilities deepened, and they bestowed even greater honors upon him.
Due to frequent appearances, news of Empty Void Daoist being captured by the Great Xia Dynasty gradually spread.
The Great Yan Emperor became furious and issued an urgent royal decree, accusing the Great Xia Emperor of being a thief for taking away their national teacher. He demanded that the Great Xia Emperor immediately return the national teacher and offer a formal apology; otherwise, they would resort to military confrontation.
The Great Xia Emperor was completely unfazed by the threat and simply ignored it. He believed that they had nothing to fear, primarily because the two countries were not connected by land. Any invasion would have to go through the Great Wu, and the Great Wu was unlikely to allow it. Therefore, the only option would be a naval route.
However, the appearance of dragon bones in the sea had previously sparked conflicts between the two nations, resulting in the destruction of both naval forces. So, there was no real possibility of a naval battle either.
At this point, the Empress of the Great Wu, despite the significant matter at hand, decided to intervene. Both emperors of great nations were behaving childishly, and she suggested that they allocate a piece of territory at the border and let both sides fight it out there to resolve their differences peacefully.
The two elderly emperors were so angered that they couldn’t even eat properly.
Other countries watched this spectacle and found it amusing.
In the end, the Great Yan Dynasty and the Great Xia Dynasty did not go to war. However, it was unclear what they were doing behind the scenes. Since Empty Void Daoist, who could produce the Elixir of Immortality, had arrived in the Great Xia capital, various factions and individuals began flocking to the city, making it extremely tense.
The Great Xia Emperor had to strengthen his security measures to prevent his national teacher from being kidnapped by others and to protect the dream of eternal life.
Not long after, the Great Xia Emperor joyfully approached Empty Void Daoist, saying, “National Teacher, I have already collected all the alchemical materials you need. When will you start the alchemy?”
Empty Void Daoist was very surprised, “Your Majesty, so soon?”
“Of course! To gather all the medicinal materials you need, I have depleted the national treasury and mobilized numerous experts from around the world to collect them. Perhaps it’s Heaven’s blessing, but we’ve finally found them all!” exclaimed the Great Xia Emperor with great enthusiasm.
“Very well!” Empty Void Daoist was also delighted. Ever since he successfully created the Elixir of Immortality the first time, he had been eager to produce another one. He hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
“National Teacher, when will you begin the alchemy?” the Great Xia Emperor asked eagerly.
Empty Void Daoist looked solemn, “Your Majesty, creating the Elixir of Immortality is no child’s play! Besides preparing the materials, I need to observe a strict 7-day fasting and purification ritual, maintain a calm mind, and only then can I begin the alchemical process. Furthermore, we need to dispatch many experts to guard against potential thieves and prepare for the impending Heavenly Tribulation.”
The Great Xia Emperor nodded in agreement, “National Teacher, you are absolutely right. We must prepare for all aspects of this endeavor. Please proceed with your fasting and purification, and I will take care of all other matters.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said Empty Void Daoist, expressing his gratitude.
Next, the two of them went their separate ways.
The unscrupulous Daoist prepared for the alchemical process, while the Great Xia Emperor mobilized his troops, summoned experts, and made preparations to deal with various powerful individuals who might try to interfere, as well as the impending Heavenly Tribulation.
Such significant actions naturally attracted the attention of people from various backgrounds.
“What’s going on with the Great Xia court? Why are they mobilizing their military forces so frequently?”
“Even the troops from several surrounding cities have been brought to the capital, totaling 500,000 soldiers!”
“Could they be preparing for war? Who are they going to fight?”
“It’s not a war. I suspect that the Great Xia Emperor might be in trouble!”
“Nonsense! Just the other day, I saw him in high spirits, full of energy, and he didn’t look like someone in trouble at all! Moreover, he has the elixir from the national teacher to extend his life. How could anything happen to him?”
“Could it be that Empty Void Daoist is about to produce a divine elixir?”
Various speculations were rampant, and rumors spread like wildfire.
Among these, the most widely circulated theory was that Empty Void Daoist was preparing to create the Elixir of Immortality. This was why the Great Xia Emperor mobilized his troops and gathered all the experts in the capital to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.
Inside the study of the Great Wu Palace, Lin Beifan and the Empress sat facing each other.
“My dear, what do you think of the recent developments in the Great Xia capital?” the Empress inquired.
Lin Beifan smiled confidently, “I believe that Empty Void Daoist may be preparing to create the Elixir of Immortality. However, this matter is related to the Great Xia Emperor’s quest for immortality, which is why he’s mobilizing his forces to prepare for any unforeseen events.”
The Empress nodded in agreement, “I share the same opinion. The Great Xia Emperor doesn’t have many years left, and now that he sees hope for prolonging his lifespan, he naturally goes all out. But, my dear, do you think this elixir can be successfully created?”
Lin Beifan’s tone was resolute, “I still hold the same view. Creating the Elixir of Immortality is going against the natural order! Heaven will never allow such an extraordinary elixir to exist!”
Seven days passed quickly.
