Chapter 405: Ancestor of Sound Valley

At that moment, several ethereal figures glided over and came to a halt not far from Xiao Ming and the others. Each of them exuded an air of grace and beauty, with above-average looks.

Upon seeing Xiao Ming and his companions, a hint of wariness appeared on their pretty and jade-like faces.

"Who are you? And why have you trespassed into our Sound Valley..." one of the women asked with a guarded tone.

"I am Elder Xiao Ming from the Pill Tower, here by invitation," Xiao Ming smiled as he tossed a token and the invitation towards them. "This token and the invitation were sent to the Pill Tower by Sound Valley."

After receiving the token and confirming its authenticity, the faces of those female disciples instantly melted like snow meeting the sun, revealing smiles.

The leading woman chuckled softly and said, "So, you are Elder Xiao Ming. The Valley Master has given instructions. Please follow me."

With that, she gracefully moved, soaring into the air and leading the way towards the center of the bamboo forest. Xiao Ming and his group followed suit.

Meanwhile, back at their original location, after Xiao Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Venerable Tian Huo had left, the group of women immediately started chattering excitedly.

"Wow, Elder Xiao Ming looks so handsome, hehe..."

"Hee, hee! I've heard the Elders say that Elder Xiao Ming refined an eighth-tier pill before he turned eighteen and became the youngest Great Elder of the Pill Tower. His talent is simply terrifying..."

"It's a pity he already has stunning partners by his side; I'm sure he won't be interested in the likes of us..."

"..."

Amidst their excitement, a hunched old woman suddenly appeared, emanating an imposing aura. She scolded them sternly, "What are you all gathering here for? Why aren't you patrolling?"

"Yes!"

Immediately, the group of women dispersed as fast as they could.

...

Amidst the Sound Valley.

Several streaks of light crossed the sky, flying toward the depths of Sound Valley and the dense bamboo forest. A woman led the way, encountering no obstacles along the journey.

Within a few minutes, Xiao Ming could already see a heavily guarded palace standing tall. Countless disciples were hidden in various locations, maintaining vigilance for any sign of disturbance.

The woman's figure changed direction in midair, swiftly descending towards a lower palace. Xiao Ming and the others followed closely behind.

Moving through the air, they landed gracefully on the ground. Xiao Ming looked at the palace in front of him - it wasn't particularly large, but rather modest, resembling a sleeping chamber.

The woman took a step forward and respectfully bowed, announcing, "Valley Master, Elder Xiao Ming has been brought here!"

Before she finished speaking, the palace doors opened swiftly, revealing a well-endowed woman dressed in elegant attire. Her presence exuded an air of authority as she appeared before them.

Her gaze scanned everyone present before settling on Xiao Ming's face, her expression displaying delight.

"You came, little guy. Come in, and let's talk," she said with a warm smile.

"Valley Master Qing Yi, is this appropriate?" Xiao Ming didn't move, hesitating as he looked at what seemed to be a bedroom.

"... Oh well, come along."

Seeing Xiao Ming hesitating, Qing Yi realized that she didn't mind having someone like him, who happened to match her preferences, enter her room. However, she couldn't ignore the presence of the old man by Xiao Ming's side.

Thus, she had no choice but to bring Xiao Ming to the reception hall of another palace and had someone serve tea.

After tasting the tea, Xiao Ming turned to Qing Yi, who was sitting in the main seat, and asked, "Valley Master Qing Yi sent someone to the Pill Tower to invite me. Is it for the purpose of refining that pill?"

"Just call me Sister Qing. No need for formalities," Qing Yi smiled enchantingly at Xiao Ming, her beauty becoming as mesmerizing as a garden of blooming flowers, causing both women to frown at her.

"I find that somewhat inappropriate, Valley Master Qing Yi," Xiao Ming replied with a wry chuckle.

Seeing that he didn't change his address, Qing Yi sighed and then said with a hint of disappointment, "Well, if you're unwilling, let's leave it at that."

"I did invite you here for the matter of that pill. I wonder if you can refine a six-colored eighth-tier pill now?"

"Oh? It shouldn't be a problem. However, I need to see the recipe to estimate the success rate."

Xiao Ming nodded slightly. Given his current strength, refining a six-colored eighth-tier Pill was indeed manageable.

Hearing his response, Qing Yi's eyes lit up, showing no signs of doubt. She smiled at Xiao Ming and said, "It hasn't been long, and you can already refine a six-colored eighth-tier Pill! Sister Qing didn't misjudge you."

"Here, this is the recipe," she added, throwing a cyan scroll over. Xiao Ming caught it casually and, with the power of his soul, explored its contents. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes.

"How is it?" Qing Yi asked, noticing his expression.

"The Nine Revolving Sun Returning Pill is an extremely yang attribute pill. It requires a Heavenly Flame to refine it into a pill. During the refining process, it also requires special techniques and multiple transformations. The lowest grade is Three Colors at the Third Revolution, while the highest is Nine Colors at the Ninth Revolution. After successful refinement, the pill needs to be used by the alchemist with special techniques."

"Since Valley Master Qing Yi mentioned six colors, it obviously needed to go through six transformations, which is quite difficult." Xiao Ming explained.

"Is the success rate low?" Qing Yi, not being an alchemist, wasn't very knowledgeable in this area and frowned slightly, sensing the difficulty of Xiao Ming's words.

"No, if it's at the Six Revolution level, I would have about an 80% chance of success," Xiao Ming shook his head.

"Phew~ Don't sound so serious next time!" Qing Yi exhaled lightly, patting her ample bosom, playfully reproaching him.

"Based on what you're saying, can it be refined at the Ninth Revolution as well?"

"About 30%," Xiao Ming pursed his lips in response.

"30%!" Qing Yi's eyes flickered. That probability was not low at all.

"In that case, please refine it at the Ninth Revolution. I have already prepared the reward," Qing Yi said.

Xiao Ming: "..."

"Is there any difficulty?"

"No, I'm just curious about the purpose of this pill. If it can be used at the Six Revolution level, I would still recommend refining it at that level," Xiao Ming replied.

A 30% success rate might seem high to others, considering the well-known difficulty of refining a nine-colored eighth-tier Pill. Anyone who could refine a pill of this grade was already considered at the pinnacle of alchemists.

However, Xiao Ming felt that the success rate was a bit too low. He didn't want all the medicinal materials to be used up without successfully refining a single pill. Although he wouldn't face any problems himself, it would still be somewhat embarrassing.

Qing Yi hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"This is related to our Ancestor."

'The Ancestor of Sound Valley...' Xiao Ming nodded in realization. It was normal for the Sound Valley to have an Ancestor since the Burning Flame Valley had Ancestor Huo Yun. Only the Ice River Valley was lacking in that aspect.

"Our Ancestors are twins. They once went to the Fallen Spirit Ice Source in search of the Endless Spirit Ice. During their journey, they were injured by a high-level Half-Saint Ice Dragon Scorpion and afflicted with its freezing poison."

"They used their cultivation to barely resist it in the past, but now... sigh..."

As Qing Yi spoke, she sighed. It was evident that the Sound Valley's Ancestors couldn't withstand it any longer, hence the need for the Nine Revolving Sun Returning Pill.