The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 512: The Mysterious Black-Robed Man

Long Xuan’s lips curled into a faint smile. Just as he was about to toss over the Heaven-defying Pill, an unexpected change occurred.

“Hold on. I want that box of Longevity Spring.”

A sudden voice echoed through the grand hall, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. All heads turned to locate the speaker.

Long Xuan frowned slightly and looked toward the source. The man was clad in a pitch-black robe, his face hidden behind a black mask, his identity completely obscured. However, his presence was anything but ordinary—he was at the peak of the Gu King Realm.

Long Xuan wasn’t particularly curious about the man’s identity. For him to interrupt at this moment likely meant that he also possessed a pill capable of triggering a Tribulation Lightning. That thought weighed heavily on Long Xuan’s heart.

“Who are you, sir? Do you not understand the principle of first come, first served?” Long Xuan asked, his tone carrying displeasure.

The black-robed man turned to him and sneered coldly. “It seems you don’t understand the rules of a Pill Exchange Assembly. If multiple parties are interested in a particular spiritual medicine, the item goes to the highest bidder. There’s no such thing as first come, first served, unless these merchants no longer care about making money.”

He suddenly turned his gaze toward Fatty Qian and smiled confidently. “I possess Inheritance Pills. An Inheritance Pill can allow someone to instantly become a fourth-grade Alchemist, or even a fourth-grade Formation Master.”

“As long as one has enough Inheritance Pills, they could master every profession in this world and become a truly omnipotent powerhouse.”

“These pills are also capable of drawing Life-Destroying Lightning, and while their value may not match the Heaven-defying Pill, I am willing to offer two Inheritance Pills in exchange for your esteemed Pavilion’s Longevity Spring. May I ask for your opinion, Pavilion Master?”

The black-robed man stared at Fatty Qian with great confidence.

His words sparked an uproar among the crowd. Gasps and shocked expressions filled the hall.

To these Fourth-Grade Alchemists, Inheritance Pills were all too familiar. These were the legendary creations of the Deceitful Ancestor Duan Tianwu, and had once made waves during the Western Region Alchemy Competition, causing a sensation when they spread into the Central Region.

The moment a pill that could summon Tribulation Lightning appeared in the world of alchemy, how could these fourth-grade Alchemists not study it in depth?

Every alchemist present was familiar with the Inheritance Pill. No one ever expected that such a legendary pill that had once shaken the entire Gu Realm would reappear today. The crowd was visibly excited.

In this Pill Exchange Assembly, two different types of pills capable of summoning Tribulation Lightning had shown up—it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Inheritance Pills?! You have Inheritance Pills—and two of them? Just what is your relationship with Duan Tianwu? How could you possibly have access to his exclusive recipe?!”

Fatty Qian, after his initial excitement, looked at the masked man with intense suspicion.

“What’s this? Since when did the Qian Clan’s Merchant inquire about their clients’ background during business transactions? That doesn’t align with your trade practices,” the black-robed man replied with a half-smile.

“Apologies for my intrusion,” Fatty Qian said. “We won’t inquire about your identity, nor the origin of these two Inheritance Pills, as long as the transaction is legitimate. However, you must at least tell me which powerful individuals were used as the primary material in the refining of these pills.”

His gaze locked onto the robed man, his expression deadly serious.

The Inheritance Pill was an infamous demonic pill, known across the entire Gu Realm. Its refinement required the slaying of a fourth-grade Alchemist, whose memories would be sealed within the pill.

Whoever consumed it would instantly inherit that person's life’s worth of alchemical knowledge and become a fourth-grade Alchemist themselves.

The value of the pill entirely depended on who had been sacrificed and how powerful their legacy was.

Fatty Qian was now sure this man was a major demonic cultivator. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so tightly concealed, clearly fearing recognition.

Trading for demonic pills with such a character brought potential reputational risks to the Myriad Medicines Pavilion, and Fatty Qian was prepared to decide only after knowing whose memories were sealed inside.

The black-robed man seemed to read his thoughts and smiled faintly. “It’s not a secret. One pill contains the memory of Dan Qing, the Vice Palace Master of the Alchemy Divine Hall. The other contains the memory of Lu Tong, ranked tenth among the Top Ten Supremes of the Gu Realm.”

Instantly, the entire hall drew a sharp breath, their expressions filled with shock.

The Alchemy Divine Hall was one of the most dominant forces in the world, so powerful it could set the standards and grading systems for all alchemists. Every alchemist had to undergo grading through this Hall.

As Vice Palace Master, Dan Qing was unquestionably among the world’s top-tier alchemists—perhaps even within the top ten.

To alchemists, possessing his memory was akin to receiving the treasure of a lifetime. Everyone in the crowd wished they could consume the pill instantly and inherit a master’s entire expertise.

As for Lu Tong, one of the Top Ten Supremes of the Gu Realm, his memory was even more valuable.

In the Gu Realm, the ten individuals with the greatest combat power were honored with the title Supreme. Being ranked tenth meant Lu Tong was, at least on paper, the tenth most powerful fighter in the realm.

Even if the ranking wasn’t perfectly accurate, its prestige was unquestionable. Who wouldn't desire the memory of such a supreme expert?

If one could absorb all of Lu Tong’s memories, they might even replace him as one of the Top Ten Supremes.

Everyone’s breathing became ragged.

Even Fatty Qian's face turned red with greed.

If these pills truly contained the memories of those two figures, then their value was beyond comprehension—priceless.

Such a price made the risks of doing business with a demonic cultivator tolerable. Fatty Qian was already leaning toward making the deal.

While the Heaven-defying Pill was indeed powerful, in the Gu Realm, the highest cultivation realm was Gu King Peak. One’s talent and bloodline limited advancement. Once a cultivator reached their natural limit, improving it further mattered little.

In contrast, an Inheritance Pill with Lu Tong’s memories could dramatically enhance battle power, making its value far greater.

Fatty Qian took a deep breath, his eyes filled with wariness as he stared at the black-robed man.

Who was this person? What terrifying power supported him, that he could eliminate both the Vice Palace Master of the Alchemy Divine Hall and Lu Tong, the tenth ranked Supreme of the Gu Realm?

Very few factions across the Gu Realm could possibly accomplish such a feat.

Fatty Qian felt a chill, and a genuine fear of this man's background.

Taking a deep breath, he finally said, “If these Inheritance Pills truly contain the memories of those two experts, then my Myriad Medicines Pavilion is willing to—”

“Wait!”

At that moment, Long Xuan abruptly interrupted. He glanced at the black-robed man, gritted his teeth, then retrieved another jade bottle from his storage ring and shouted:

“It’s far too early to decide! So what if it's a pill that draws Life-Destroying Lightning? We’re bidding by value, aren’t we?”

“Life-Destroying Lightning is only ranked tenth among the Tribulation Lightnings. I possess a pill that summons Reincarnation Lightning—the Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill!”

“This pill can rebuild a physical body for any soul, letting them freely choose the new body’s appearance, attributes, innate talent, and bloodline.”

“Even someone who has already exhausted their soul possession opportunities can achieve rebirth again through this pill.”

“The only restriction is that once the new form is set, it cannot be altered by any means.”

“I offer this Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill plus one Heaven-defying Pill. Will this be enough to trade for your Spring Longevity?”

Long Xuan stared into Fatty Qian’s eyes as he spoke. At this moment, he had truly paid a heavy price—just to help the Tea Gu advance more quickly, he was even willing to trade away a Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill.

This Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill was different from the ones he had refined before. Those earlier pills had been concocted when he was only at the Spiritual Sea realm, and due to the lower cultivation level, the pills naturally had many flaws.

But this one had been refined at the level of a Gu King, and its medicinal potency was vastly superior.

If a top-tier genius were to consume this pill, the physique it reconstituted could even surpass their original natural aptitude.

Handing over such a heaven-defying pill truly made him feel reluctant. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

As expected, the moment Long Xuan took out the Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill, the crowd gasped in shock. Everyone was stunned.

No one expected the Pill Exchange Assembly to feature not just two pills capable of triggering Tribulation Lightning, but now a third one had appeared!

And this pill was different—it didn’t attract the lowest tier Life-Destroying Lightning, but rather a more powerful Reincarnation Tribulation Lightning.

The stronger the tribulation lightning, the higher the value of the pill. Naturally, this pill's worth was a level above the others.

The Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill, which allowed one to freely select their body’s innate qualities, caused everyone’s eyes to go wild with desire—their expressions twisted by greed.

Leaving aside the pill’s power to freely customize one’s aptitude, just the fact that it didn’t consume a Soul Transfer attempt was enough to make people go mad over it.

Didn’t this mean that carrying such a pill was akin to carrying a second life? As long as one wasn’t utterly destroyed—soul and spirit shattered with no remnant escaping—one would have a chance to reincarnate with an even stronger body.

Such a heaven-defying pill—who wouldn't desire it? The entire audience’s breathing grew ragged; even the venerable Fourth-Grade Alchemists lost their composure.

Fatty Qian, in particular, stared at the pill in Long Xuan’s hand, eyes burning with intensity, heart pounding uncontrollably.

Very few people knew this: due to an accident, the Qian Clan Ancestor’s physical body had already been destroyed. Moreover, he had already used one Soul Transfer, meaning he no longer had another chance at reincarnation through that method.

Under such circumstances, the Qian Clan Ancestor had no path to rise again.

This was devastating—he was the strongest combatant of the Qian Clan, the spiritual pillar of their people. If anything happened to him, the consequences for the Qian Clan’s entire commercial alliance would be catastrophic.

The news that the ancestor’s body had been destroyed was still under wraps. If leaked, it would be disastrous.

Now, seeing this pill that ignored Soul Transfer limitations and allowed rebirth, Fatty Qian was overwhelmed with emotion.

If he could bring this Bone-Regenerating Blood-Merging Pill back, it would be an enormous merit—a beacon of salvation for the entire Qian Clan. The merit of reviving the old patriarch would be boundless; a promotion would be the least of his rewards.

Fatty Qian clenched his fists in excitement, eyes fiery as he stared at Long Xuan and exclaimed:

“I never imagined you’d possess the legendary Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill!”

“Back during the Western Region Alchemy Tournament, this pill overshadowed both the Inheritance Pill and the Hundred Lives Pill, winning the championship and drawing the awe-inspiring Reincarnation Lightning—it shocked the entire Gu World!”

“Such a divine pill caused quite the uproar in the alchemy world. I’m afraid every alchemist across the Gu World has heard of it.”

“And the genius who created this divine pill… could that genius be you, young friend?”

With that question, all eyes from every alchemist present locked onto Long Xuan again—he had become the absolute center of attention.

The Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill had made waves during the Western Region Alchemy Tournament, especially because it could trigger the ninth-level lightning tribulation—Reincarnation Lightning. How could it not shake the highest levels of the Gu World’s alchemy community?

Among fourth-grade Alchemists, this pill was infamous—there wasn’t a single one who hadn’t heard of it.

And now, to hear that this man might be its creator—how could they not be stirred?

Faced with the stares of so many venerable alchemists, Long Xuan felt tremendous pressure. By nature, he never intended to admit it.

He sighed inwardly at Fatty Qian’s cunning. With one probing sentence, he’d trapped him in a difficult spot.

He couldn’t deny it outright—they probably had access to Integrity Gu, which could detect lies.

Remaining silent wouldn’t work either—it would be seen as a tacit admission. It was a checkmate.

Ultimately, Long Xuan could only respond hurriedly:

“You’re all mistaken. How could I be such a peerless genius? Since you’ve all studied the Bone-Regrowing Blood-Merging Pill in depth, you must have conducted a thorough investigation into its creator.”

“It’s obvious—I don’t resemble that person at all. I’m not using any disguise techniques, and you can all clearly see the difference.”

After speaking, Long Xuan offered no further explanation. He didn’t believe anyone here could pierce his disguise crafted with Seventy-Two Transformations, which was powered by his Book Gu.

In a world where everyone had read Journey to the West, his Book Gu was absurdly powerful. The transformation technique was flawless—unless one had surpassed the Gu King level or possessed a special ability, they couldn’t see through it.

He couldn’t be sure who would believe him, but the statement had to be made—it would prevent many future complications.

Though it might be hard to fool Fatty Qian, Long Xuan assumed that, with his emotional intelligence, Qian wouldn’t expose him publicly.

Sure enough, his words left all the fourth-grade Alchemists in confusion.

With their level of skill, they could tell he wasn’t disguised. Could it be that he really wasn’t the creator of the pill? Everyone furrowed their brows, showing signs of disappointment.

Only Fatty Qian continued to gaze at him with a meaningful look.

But as the Master of the Myriad Medicines Pavilion, Fatty Qian’s emotional intelligence was naturally not low. Since the real creator clearly wished to keep it secret, he wouldn’t be so foolish as to expose him—lest he offend this extraordinary talent.

Now, what he was truly pondering was: how to win over this alchemical prodigy.

A genius capable of refining a pill that could summon heavenly tribulation lightning was someone any faction would welcome as a supreme honored guest—including the Qian Clan’s Commercial Alliance.