SWNOVELXO Chapter 379: Strength and Wealth
Chapter 379: Strength and Wealth
The battle between the two Supremes of the Qian Dynasty and the two Supremes of the Liang Dynasty had reached a fever pitch. Their injuries were getting worse and worse, and with each passing moment, they were consuming pills at a faster and faster pace.
Huangpu Jun waved his hand, sending a batch of medicinal herbs into the Imperial Preceptor’s residence within the imperial city. They landed in front of Xu Lian, who was promptly ordered, “Qin Feng, quickly refine these herbs into ultra-high-grade healing pills!”
“…” Xu Lian could only comply and immediately began the refining process.
Perhaps realizing that Xu Lian alone wouldn’t be fast enough, Huangpu Jun summoned Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, and other alchemists from the super large exclusive cultivation resource zones to the Imperial Preceptor’s residence. He commanded them, “Put the Metamorphosis Elixir on hold for now. Instead, focus on refining ultra-high-grade healing pills.”
Chi Sui, Zhao Ming, and the others had been in the middle of refining the Metamorphosis Elixir . Being abruptly pulled away disrupted their work, and probably resulted in wasted materials. But there was no time to dwell on such losses-the immediate priority was dealing with the two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty.
These alchemists stared blankly at the chaotic battle raging in the sky above them. Realizing the urgency of the situation, they quickly set to work refining the healing pills.
The entire Imperial City watched in stunned silence. The clash between the Supremes wasn’t as “grand” or “elegant” as they had imagined. Instead of a display of overwhelming power and skill, it had devolved into a war of attrition – a contest to see who had more ultra-high-grade healing pills.
The two Supremes from Liang Dynasty were livid.
“Don’t think that only your Qian Dynasty has top-notch alchemists or reserves of herbs for ultra-high-grade medicine! Our Liang Dynasty has them too! We’ll have our best alchemists refine the medicine as well. Let’s see who can outlast who!”
“If we have to, we’ll burn everything we have!”
Just like Huangpu Jun, the two Supremes of the Liang Dynasty waved their hands and sent medicinal herbs back to their own imperial capital. They ordered their alchemists to immediately begin refining ultra-high-grade medicinal pills.
Although the distance between the two capitals was vast, distance was no obstacle for the Supremes.
And so it went.
The Supremes of both dynasties fought fiercely in the skies, while alchemists from both sides worked frantically below to produce healing pills.
The great powers could not ignore the magnitude of this conflict between the two empires. Many Supreme-level experts observed the battle from afar, their reactions ranging from disbelief to amusement.
“This kind of scene is truly rare,” remarked one observer. “The two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty and the two from the Qian Dynasty are evenly matched. Neither side can gain the upper hand, so the battle has turned into a war of attrition. Whoever has more ultra-high-grade healing pills will eventually wear down the other side. This isn’t about fighting power anymore – it’s about wealth.”
“Interesting.”
“Do you think someone could step in and break the stalemate?”
“Forget it. Whoever intervenes will offend one side or the other. It’s better to let these two empires completely exhaust each other.”
“Haha, true. Everyone should just watch. No one should interfere.”
The remaining stockpile of ultra-high-grade healing pills that the Qian Dynasty’s Supremes had left over from the last time was nearly depleted. Without the support of these pills, they were quickly pushed back by the relentless assault of the Liang Dynasty’s Supremes.
Just as the tide seemed to be turning decisively in favor of the Liang Dynasty, Xu Lian finished refining two new ultra-high-grade healing pills. As soon as he opened the lid of his cauldron, Huangpu Jun and Huangpu Yan waved their hands, snatching the pills and swallowing them immediately. Instantly, their wounds began to heal, and they managed to stabilize their defenses against the Liang Dynasty’s Supremes.
The two Supremes from Liang Dynasty were momentarily stunned. Then they realized, and their eyes flashed with astonishment.
“What’s wrong with that alchemist from the Qian Dynasty? How did he manage to refine two ultra-high-grade healing pills from a single batch of herbs?”
“Unbelievable! I didn’t expect the Qian Dynasty to have such a remarkable alchemist. His value is immense!”
The various high-level factions watching the battle also took notice of this development. From countless miles away, massive hands reached out and crashed into the protective barrier surrounding the Qian Dynasty’s Imperial City. Clearly, they wanted to capture this extraordinary alchemist!
The implications of being able to produce two ultra-high-grade healing pills from a single batch of herbs were enormous. The great powers immediately realized the immense value of this.
The faces of the two Supremes from the Qian Dynasty turned pale. They hadn’t expected that having Qin Feng refine the pills on the spot would cause such an unexpected complication. They had been careless.
Huangpu Jun roared angrily, “What do you all think you’re doing?!”
Huangpu Yan’s eyes turned bloodshot, as if he had been driven to madness. “Are you all ganging up on us to destroy our Qian Dynasty? If that’s the case, then we have no choice but to unleash our hidden power! What good is this world without our Qian Dynasty? Let’s just unleash everything and fight until the heavens collapse and the earth shatters! Senior Brother, activate our foundation!”
Huangpu Jun began to chant an ancient and cryptic incantation.
As the chant echoed through the air, a terrifying sound emanated from the deepest recesses of the Imperial Palace, as if something was crawling out from the corridors below. The powerful figures from the various factions at the top felt their scalps tingle, and the massive hands that had reached out toward the city drew back as if shocked by electricity. One by one, they retreated.
Huangpu Jun let out a cold snort and ceased his chanting.
Clearly, the Qian Dynasty didn’t want to resort to its hidden strength unless absolutely necessary. Once this “foundation” was revealed, it would mean exposing all of their trump cards, laying bare their full power, and signaling that their downfall was near.
This left Xu Lian stunned, his curiosity about the so-called “hidden strength” of the top factions growing even stronger. Whatever it was, it was clearly enough to terrify even Supreme-level experts.
With the retreat of the other top factions’ forces, the two Supremes of the Qian Dynasty and the two Supremes of the Liang Dynasty resumed their war of attrition.
Gradually, the stockpile of ultra-high-grade healing pills that the Liang Dynasty’s Supremes had brought with them was depleted. Now they relied entirely on their alchemists to refine the pills – one pill produced, one pill consumed.
The same situation occurred on the side of the Qian Dynasty.
In a strange twist of fate, the battle now turned on which faction’s alchemists could refine ultra-high-grade healing pills faster.
Time ticked slowly.
After exchanging a glance, the two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty silently retreated. The reason was clear: the Qian Dynasty alchemists were refining pills at a much faster rate than the Liang Dynasty alchemists. They couldn’t keep up.
The two Supremes of the Qian Dynasty did not pursue them. Although their alchemists were slightly faster, the Qian Dynasty was also running dangerously low on medicinal herbs. They couldn’t afford to continue the battle any longer.
If both sides were to engage in direct combat without the support of ultra-high-grade medicinal pills, the only result would be mutual destruction. At that time, the powerful figures of the various top factions would undoubtedly swoop in to take advantage of the chaos. Even if they didn’t dare to completely destroy the Qian and Liang dynasties, they would certainly seize the opportunity to loot cultivation resources. Neither the Qian Dynasty nor the Liang Dynasty would risk exposing their hidden strength just to protect those resources.
Therefore, both sides agreed to a temporary truce.
This was the best possible outcome, and both sides understood that.
From this battle, Xu Lian learned several important lessons:
Wars between the top factions revolve around cultivation resources: No matter how fiercely they fought over cultivation resources, none of the factions would ever resort to using their hidden power. This was an unspoken rule.
Avoid pushing opponents to the brink: It was crucial not to push an opponent into a life-or-death situation. Doing so might force them to reveal their hidden strength, leading to unpredictable consequences.
Supremes are hard to kill, and healing pills are essential : Ultra-high-grade healing pills played a critical role in battles. Warfare wasn’t just about brute force – it was also a contest of wealth and resources.
In recognition of their efforts, the imperial court rewarded the alchemists with cultivation resources according to their cultivation level. In addition, they each received a “Iron Token of Pardon”.
This token granted them immunity from punishment for any offense, no matter how severe, allowing them to escape death once.
Xu Lian quietly accepted his reward, his mind still processing the lessons of the battle. He knew that in this world of cultivation, survival often depended not only on strength, but also on strategy, resources, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.