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Chapter 425: Marquis Shao Fei

"Ten thousand years? Only ten thousand? Haha!"

"Why are you laughing?"

"Ten thousand years? The ten largest auction houses in Li Huo Holy Capital each have treasures over twenty thousand years old. Not to mention the various noble families and even the royal family," someone laughed.

"That\'s right, a ten-thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum? The emperor has a Millennium Tree that blooms once every thousand years and bears fruit once every thousand years, with five fruits each time. Your Polygonum multiflorum? Even a hundred ten-thousand-year-old ones can\'t compare to a single Millennium Fruit," someone else jeered.

"Hmph, rarity determines value. If this were the last ten-thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum in the world, it would be priceless," the man stubbornly replied.

"Yes, rarity determines value, but your item isn\'t rare. The Millennium Fruit is the rare one. Haha."

"That\'s not true!" At this moment, a man in the corner shook his head, holding a cup of wine.

"Uh?" The crowd turned to look at him curiously.

"The rarest item isn\'t the Millennium Fruit. No matter how powerful the Millennium Fruit is, there are substitutes for it. It can be replaced in quality and quantity, and it still has a price," the man in the corner said, shaking his head.

"Oh? Are you saying there\'s something in this world that can\'t be replaced?"

"It\'s not a heavenly treasure, but a type of elixir, unique in the world, something everyone dreams of. A priceless treasure!" the man explained.

"What kind of elixir?" The crowd\'s interest was piqued, and they all stared at the man in the corner.

"The Elixir of Immortality!" the man declared.

"The Elixir of Immortality? Hahaha, are you crazy? There\'s no such thing as an Elixir of Immortality in this world!"

"Impossible! If there were, why would anyone bother cultivating?"

The crowd shook their heads, looking at the man in the corner as if he were a fool.

"No, there is an Elixir of Immortality. And it won\'t be long before it arrives in Li Huo Holy Capital," the man insisted.

Despite their disbelief, the fantastical nature of the claim made everyone curious.

"Are you saying it will come to Li Huo Holy Capital?"

"Yes, do any of you know of \'Zhong Shan\'?" the man in the corner asked.

"Zhong Shan? The Heaven Collapse Plan? The Eastern Duke of the Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty?" one well-informed person quickly responded.

When he mentioned Zhong Shan, the crowd nodded in recognition. The Heaven Collapse Plan, which had toppled a powerful imperial dynasty in less than four years, was well-known among those who pursued fame and fortune.

"I\'ve heard that Zhong Shan is currently on a diplomatic mission to the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty and will arrive in Li Huo Holy Capital soon," the man in the corner continued.

"What does that have to do with the Elixir of Immortality?"

"The Elixir of Immortality is in his possession!" the man said firmly.

The crowd exchanged glances. Though they didn\'t believe in an Elixir of Immortality, the man in the corner\'s confident assertion made them pay attention.

Could there really be an Elixir of Immortality in this world?

"The Divine Land is full of heavenly treasures. How much do you know about them? The Millennium Fruit, the Li Huo Pill, the Deep Sea Immortal Herb, each with different effects. How do you know there isn\'t an Elixir of Immortality? If heavenly dynasties have heavenly treasures, why can\'t an imperial dynasty? It\'s rumored that Zhong Shan obtained the Elixir of Immortality in a place called the \'Great Jin Dynasty.\' Smelling it extends life by thirty years, consuming it grants immortality," the man in the corner said with great emotion.

"You must be kidding. If there really was such an amazing thing, wouldn\'t Zhong Shan have already consumed it? Why would it still be in his possession?"

"Exactly, the Elixir of Immortality—if it truly existed, who would hold on to it? Who wouldn\'t just consume it immediately?"

The crowd began to expose the corner man\'s lies.

"No, there\'s a reason he hasn\'t taken it. Rumor has it that he plans to use the Elixir of Immortality to trade for something with the emperor," the man in the corner explained.

"Trade for something? What?" the crowd inquired.

"I\'m not sure, but it\'s said that whatever he wants in exchange is more important to him than immortality itself. So he\'s willing to keep the Elixir of Immortality and bring it to Li Huo Holy Capital to negotiate with the emperor," the man said.

"I\'ve heard something similar!" another man in white sitting in a different corner suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?" The crowd turned to look at the man in white.

"I didn\'t hear about the Elixir of Immortality, but I did hear that in the Great Jin Dynasty\'s Wu City, countless sect experts, including those from the Longevity Realm, gathered to fight against an evil force for some item," the man in white said.

"Countless Longevity Realm experts? You don\'t mean some minor minions, do you?"

"Minor minions? Do you know the Marquis Xiaoyao?" The man in white looked at the previous speaker with disdain.

"Of course I know the Marquis Xiaoyao. Who doesn\'t?"

"Well, the Marquis Xiaoyao participated in that event. He, a Consolidation Stage expert, brought twenty-nine Imperial Realm guards and still had to flee in panic. Infinite experts converged on Wu City, and for what? The battle was so fierce it darkened the sky and drenched the city in blood. The imperial dynasty was torn apart, countless experts died, and not a single imperial guard survived. It was brutal," the man in white recounted.

Hearing this, the crowd was shocked. Twenty-nine Imperial Realm experts fleeing in panic? That was indeed a significant mobilization by the Longevity Realm.

Such a massive commotion must have been for something extraordinary. The Elixir of Immortality? The thought suddenly illuminated their minds.

Could it really be the Elixir of Immortality?

"Then how did it end up in Zhong Shan\'s hands?"

"Yes, if the Longevity Realm sent so many experts, did they fail?"

"I don\'t know the details, but it seems the final victor was a commander named Zhong. That\'s all I know. If what our friend here said is true, then what they were fighting over might indeed be..." The man in white trailed off, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"The Elixir of Immortality?" a few people asked excitedly.

After he finished speaking, the tavern fell into silence. The Elixir of Immortality—could it really exist? Most people didn\'t believe it, but a few began to entertain the possibility. The idea of immortality spread through their minds like wildfire, making them increasingly convinced.

In just three days, the entire Li Huo Holy Capital was enveloped in a strange atmosphere.

The rumor of the Elixir of Immortality spread like wildfire. Although most people didn\'t believe in its existence, they were still hopeful. Meanwhile, a minority had already started to believe, their hearts filled with longing for the Elixir.

Immortality—who wouldn\'t want it?

Li Huo Holy Capital was just the first stop. The news radiated outwards, spreading to other cities. It seemed almost coordinated, as those carrying the news found that the rumors had already reached their destinations.

The Elixir of Immortality, the greatest divine medicine of all time!

As the rumors spread, countless experts were eager to act. Some traced Zhong Shan\'s route, while others rushed towards Li Huo Holy Capital.

At the border of the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty, Zhong Shan led his army deeper into the territory.

"Commander, in just a few days, we\'ll reach a city in the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty. At that point, we can request the local garrison to escort us," Shui Wuhen said with a smile.

"Escort?" Zhong Shan looked at Shui Wuhen with a hint of surprise. Shui Wuhen\'s wisdom had noticeably improved lately.

As they spoke, a streak of light flashed in the distance. About three hundred people were flying towards them.

With a wave of Zhong Shan\'s hand, the entire army came to a halt.

The group of three hundred paused momentarily before flying swiftly to Zhong Shan\'s army.

This group wore the official uniforms of the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty. The leader, dressed in luxurious garments, looked like a significant official. His hair was tied back with a purple-gold cord, giving him a carefree appearance.

The leader looked at Zhong Shan\'s army and squinted slightly, "Who are you?"

"We are envoys from the Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty," Shui Wuhen promptly replied.

"Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty? Do you have credentials?" the official asked with mild suspicion.

Shui Wuhen quickly prepared to show the diplomatic credentials.

However, Zhong Shan grabbed Shui Wuhen\'s right hand, signaling him to wait.

"Who are you?" Zhong Shan asked.

Surprised, the young official turned his hand, revealing his official seal.

"I am Marquis Shao Fei of the Da Li Heavenly Dynasty," the official declared.

"Marquis!" one of his subordinates urged impatiently, as if pressed for time.

Marquis Shao Fei ignored the urging and looked at Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan was slightly surprised by how readily the official showed his seal.

Shui Wuhen examined the seal and nodded to Zhong Shan, confirming its authenticity.

At Zhong Shan\'s signal, Shui Wuhen handed over the diplomatic credentials to Marquis Shao Fei.

Marquis Shao Fei carefully inspected the credentials.

"Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty, Duke of the East, Zhong Shan?" Shao Fei remarked with mild surprise.

"That is indeed me," Zhong Shan replied with a smile.

"My apologies, I have long heard of a peerless hero from the Da Luo Heavenly Dynasty. I am delighted to meet you today. The emperor specifically assigned me to guard this area, and it is a pleasure to escort such distinguished envoys," Shao Fei said with a smile.

"Thank you for your efforts," Zhong Shan nodded, though internally he was filled with curiosity. No one knew their exact route; how could this be such a coincidence?

"Before we proceed, I must ask Duke Zhong to wait briefly. I am here to capture a group of rebels," Shao Fei explained.

"Rebels?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"Yes, we have about half an hour. I request that your army retreat a hundred miles to avoid alarming the rebels," Shao Fei said sincerely.

"Very well," Zhong Shan nodded. With a wave of his hand, Shui Wuhen immediately commanded the army to retreat.

(Continued in the next chapter)