“Almost!” The shopkeeper nodded.
“The City Lord’s Mansion is now fully occupied by people from Asura City. The original inhabitants have been controlled.”
“Shopkeeper, is the headquarters of the Alchemists’ Alliance the same place as the City Lord’s Mansion in Pill City?” Harleen asked.
“No!” The shopkeeper shook his head. “The headquarters of the Alchemists’ Alliance is on the mountain top in the western outskirts of Pill City. The City Lord’s Mansion is just an office for the Alchemists’ Alliance.”
“Understood!” Harleen nodded and continued, “So what’s the situation at the Alchemists’ Alliance courtyard now? Has it also been taken over by Asura City?”
“No, it hasn’t!” The shopkeeper shook his head again.
“However, ever since the Alliance Leader and the young lady were captured, the Alchemists’ Alliance has been in chaos. Many people have left in fear over the past few days…”
“Why hasn’t Asura City taken control of the Alchemists’ Alliance courtyard?” Ivy asked.
“Asura City captured the Alliance Leader and the young lady, knowing that the people of the Alchemists’ Alliance wouldn’t dare to act rashly. So they didn’t send anyone to take over the courtyard,” the shopkeeper explained.
“Moreover, they gave a one-month deadline for the Alchemists’ Alliance to produce a hundred high-grade Spirit Essence Pills. If they fail to deliver, the outcome will be the same!”
“Who’s in charge of the Alchemists’ Alliance now?” Billy asked.
“Vice Alliance Leader River Frost,” the shopkeeper replied.
“Thank you!” Billy nodded and handed over a purchase list. “Could you check if you have these herbs?”
“Let me see!” The shopkeeper took the list and examined it.
He then looked at Billy with a hint of surprise. “Young master, if I’m not mistaken, these herbs are all ingredients for making high-grade Spirit Essence Pills, right?”
“Indeed,” Billy smiled and nodded.
“You can make high-grade Spirit Essence Pills?” The shopkeeper was taken aback.
“I’m just giving it a try,” Billy smiled again.
“High-grade Spirit Essence Pills are not that easy to make!” The shopkeeper added. “If you’ve come to Pill City specifically to buy these herbs, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
“In this past month, the Alchemists’ Alliance has collected all herbs related to high-grade Spirit Essence Pills in the entire city to meet Asura City’s demands. There’s no stock left in the market.”
“I see,” Billy nodded.
Five minutes later, Billy and his companions left the trading market.
He had come to gather information and to purchase ingredients for high-grade Spirit Essence Pills.
“Stout, send a message to Opal and Casey, asking them to meet us at the Alchemists’ Alliance courtyard,” Billy instructed Stout.
“Okay!” Stout took out a sound transmission stone from his storage ring.
After Stout finished sending the message, the four of them headed towards the western outskirts of the city.
After about thirty or forty minutes, they arrived at the foot of a mountain where the Alchemists’ Alliance courtyard was located at the top.
“Boss!”
Seeing Billy and his group, Casey and others who had been waiting there quickly approached.
“Let’s go up and take a look!” Billy led them towards the mountain top.
A few minutes later, they landed at the entrance of the Alchemists’ Alliance courtyard. The gate was closed, and there was no one in sight.
Judge stepped forward and knocked a few times, but there was no response.
“Let’s go in directly,” Billy said calmly.
“Alright!” Judge nodded and with a palm strike, blasted open the heavy red gate.
As soon as Billy stepped inside, dozens of fierce attacks came whistling towards them from ahead.
White Feather let out a cry and was about to act.
“White Feather!” Billy stopped him and formed a barrier with a twist of his eyes, blocking in front of them.
The attacks hit the barrier one after another and exploded with a roar.
The attackers were only at the early stage of Breaking Emptiness Realm and couldn’t break through Billy’s barrier.
“Who are you?” A gray-robed elderly man shouted after the wave of attacks ended.
Perhaps sensing that Billy’s group had no ill intentions, he didn’t attack again.
“Is Vice Alliance Leader River Frost here?” Billy asked after removing the barrier.
“State your name first!” The gray-robed elderly man responded.
“Billy, from a lower star domain. I’m a friend of your young lady,” Billy replied.
“Billy?” The gray-robed elderly man was slightly stunned. “Are you Mr. Billy?”
The members of the Alchemists’ Alliance behind him were also surprised and looked at each other in astonishment.
“That’s right,” Billy smiled faintly.
“Do you have any proof?” The gray-robed elderly man asked again after a pause.
“This formula was given to me by your young lady. Can it serve as proof?” Billy took out a high-grade Spirit Essence Pill formula from his storage ring and handed it over.
“A formula?” The gray-robed elderly man was stunned again as he took it and examined it.
“Hmm?!” After a while, his pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Billy. “How did you get this high-grade Spirit Essence Pill formula?”
From his words, it was clear he didn’t know its origin.
“Didn’t you understand what my boss said?” Stout interjected. “This formula was given to us by your young lady!”
“Please wait here while I inform the Vice Alliance Leader,” the gray-robed elderly man said after taking a deep breath and quickly walked towards the back of the courtyard.
“Old man, you won’t run off with our formula, will you?” Stout clicked his tongue. “You should return it to us before you go.”
“Young man, you’re joking. Rest assured, I…” The gray-robed elderly man’s mouth twitched as he spoke.
“Return the formula to Mr. Billy!” At that moment, an elderly voice echoed from within the courtyard.
A black-robed elder with silver hair quickly approached, followed by seven or eight men and women, all in their sixties or seventies-likely members of the Alchemists’ Alliance Elder Pavilion.
Billy quickly assessed their cultivation levels. The leading elder was at first-rank Entering Ancestry Realm, while the others were at late-stage Breaking Emptiness Realm.
“Vice Alliance Leader!” The gray-robed elderly man and other members of the Alchemists’ Alliance bowed upon seeing him.
“Elder Five, hand over the formula!” River Frost, the Vice Alliance Leader of the Alchemists’ Alliance, took the formula from Elder Five and approached Billy.
“Mr. Billy, I apologize for Elder Five’s lack of recognition. Please forgive us for any disrespect!”
“Please forgive us!” The elders behind him also bowed in apology.
“You know my boss?” Stout stepped forward and took back the formula from River Frost as if fearing he might change his mind.
River Frost’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at Billy.
“Mr. Billy, our young lady instructed us to treat you well if you ever came to the Alchemists’ Alliance…”
Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud noise at the gate. The red doors shattered into splinters that flew everywhere.
After the noise subsided, a group of twenty or thirty people entered from outside.
Leading them was a man in his thirties wearing white robes with an arrogant expression. He was at first-rank Breaking Emptiness Realm.
Following closely behind him was an old man in blue robes with sharp eyes and an aura that matched River Frost’s level.
Apart from these two, there were four or five other late-stage Breaking Emptiness Realm men and women among their group.