Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 378: The Supreme Battle

Time flows like water, especially when one is deeply immersed in a task. Before they knew it, over two decades had passed, and Xu Lian had successfully refined two doses of Metamorphosis Elixir .

Huangpu Yan, the Supreme of the Qian Dynasty, who was personally overseeing the process, waved his hand to take the two elixirs into his grasp. 

With satisfaction, he remarked, “Your alchemical skills are truly divine. Even if the legendary Medicine Sovereign were to reincarnate, they wouldn’t be able to surpass you. Not only have you managed to produce two doses of Metamorphosis Elixir from a single batch of ingredients, but the quality of your elixirs far exceeds that of other alchemists. 

Everyone who has used them speaks highly of their efficacy. The five quasi-supreme beings and sages of our dynasty are all scrambling to get their hands on the elixirs you’ve refined – they’re in high demand.”

“It is my honor to refine the Metamorphosis Elixir for the dynasty,” Xu Lian humbly replied.

In truth, Xu Lian didn’t care much about the quality of the Metamorphosis Elixir . As long as it was an elixir, it would suffice. Like swallowing dates whole, as long as enough raw materials were added, progress was guaranteed. This simplicity suited him well – it saved him the trouble. The only downside was the sheer quantity required; even the resources of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands couldn’t sustain it, forcing him to scrounge around for supplies elsewhere.

Huangpu Yan continued, “Other alchemists need to work in pairs, taking turns resting in order to continuously refine the Metamorphosis Elixir for twenty or thirty years. You, on the other hand, have been doing it all alone. It must be exhausting. Take a few extra months to rest this time.”

“Thank you, Supreme One, for your consideration,” Xu Lian said with apparent fatigue etched on his face as he bowed respectfully. He then left with Ning Meixue and Huangpu Shuyi.

In reality, he wasn’t tired at all… but he had to pretend to be.

Refining the Metamorphosis Elixir required the execution of numerous incantations, which were physically and spiritually draining for Unity Realm alchemists – a significant burden. For someone with the strength of a Supreme, however, it was a piece of cake. But he couldn’t afford to appear too relaxed, lest he reveal his true power.

Back in the imperial capital of the Qian Dynasty.

As per custom, Xu Lian first took Ning Meixue and Huangpu Shuyi to the Marquis of Qin’s residence for a family banquet before returning to the Imperial Preceptor’s residence.

The first thing he did upon returning was to check the affection levels of the women in charge of each main house. Finding them all hovering between 60 and 70, he felt reassured.

Ning Meixue shot a reproachful glance at Xu Lian with her autumn-like eyes. “You’ve been busy refining the Metamorphosis Elixir for over two decades without taking a proper break. Aren’t you exhausted, my lord?”

Huangpu Shuyi covered her mouth and softly giggled. “That’s how our lord is – he treats everyone kindly, always afraid of neglecting anyone.”

Xu Lian reached out and playfully flicked her delicate nose. “I treat you the best, don’t I?”

Huangpu Shuyi’s face flushed red and she huffed, “I’m young and beautiful. Of course, a middle-aged alchemist like you would adore me.”

Xu Lian chuckled. “Over a hundred years old and still calling yourself young?”

Huangpu Shuyi became nervous and replied, “I was only eighteen or nineteen when I got close to you! Are you saying that I am too old now?”

Xu Lian feigned helplessness. “Of course not. In my eyes, you’ll always be eighteen.”

Unable to maintain her pout, Huangpu Shuyi burst into laughter.

Xu Lian knew that she wasn’t genuinely upset. At an affection level of 70, she hadn’t even developed any real feelings for him… so how could she be angry?

But Xu Lian still had more than enough progression points to spare. Whether she harbored genuine feelings for him or not didn’t matter. She was undeniably beautiful, and that was all he cared about. Their relationship was purely physical, devoid of any emotional attachment – and that suited both of them just fine.

Boom!

Suddenly, the entire Imperial Preceptor’s residence trembled violently as an overwhelming Supreme-level pressure descended from the heavens, pressing down oppressively.

Ning Meixue and Huangpu Shuyi turned pale, but Xu Lian remained calm. After all, it was just a Supreme… it wasn’t as if Supremes were rare.

Still, he put on an act of panic and stepped out of the house to join the others in looking up at the sky.

Two towering figures were fiercely attacking the protective barrier surrounding the Imperial City. Fortunately, the barrier was strong enough to withstand the attack – at least for the time being.

Why didn’t the Supremes simply bypass space and enter the Imperial City directly to slaughter its inhabitants? Xu Lian had thought about this question before. The answer was simple: the barrier protecting the Imperial City had been specially designed to prevent Supremes from teleporting inside. Those below the level of Supreme could enter, but doing so would be akin to walking into a death trap.

Huangpu Shuyi’s face turned ashen as she speculated, “It must be the two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty. They’ve come for revenge.”

Xu Lian agreed. It was indeed the two Supremes from Liang Dynasty. The Qian Dynasty’s two Supremes had ambushed them and plundered the raw materials needed to refine the Metamorphosis Elixir . How could the Liang Dynasty not take revenge?

Huangpu Jun didn’t wait idly for the two Supremes to break through the protective barrier. With a loud roar, he soared into the sky, emerging from the depths of the palace to confront the two Supremes in battle.

Fighting two-on-one against an opponent of equal cultivation level placed Huangpu Jun at a clear disadvantage. However, Huangpu Yan soon arrived and turned the battle into a two-on-two match. Each pair engaged in single combat.

“Huangpu Jun, Huangpu Yan! The last time you ambushed us in the Liang Dynasty, you healed yourselves with high-grade recovery pills while fighting us. That was unfair! Today, we’ve brought our own high-grade recovery pills. Either you die or we die-this battle will end in death!”

“A decisive battle to the death!” the two Supremes from Liang Dynasty roared furiously.

Huangpu Yan calmly responded, “Several of our exclusive cultivation resource zones capable of producing the Metamorphosis Elixir were completely plundered. The future of our dynasty is bleak. We had no choice but to raid your Liang Dynasty. As neighboring nations, why can’t you simply consider it charity to help us survive?”

Huangpu Jun echoed his sentiments, unwilling to engage in a desperate fight to the death. “My younger brother is telling the truth. When we raided your Liang Dynasty for the raw materials of Metamorphosis Elixir, we only took half, leaving the rest behind. We left you a way out precisely to avoid reaching this point of no return.”

The stage was set for a climactic showdown between the two dynasties’ most powerful beings, where survival and supremacy would be decided in a brutal clash of strength and strategy.

Upon hearing this, the two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty grew even angrier.

“Your Qian Dynasty was plundered? What does that have to do with us from the Liang Dynasty? It wasn’t us who plundered you!”

“Do you think our Liang Dynasty is a soft target that you can squeeze whenever you want? Today, you will pay a heavy price for your arrogance!”

Huangpu Yan replied indifferently, “Our Qian Dynasty and your Liang Dynasty have been harboring grievances against each other for years. There’s an eighty percent chance that it was your Liang Dynasty that plundered us. In that case, it’s only fair that we take what we need from you.”

What a blatant slander, false accusation, and distortion of facts… Xu Lian thought to himself, feeling like he’d just learned another lesson in political maneuvering.

The battle between the two Supremes of the Qian Dynasty and the two Supremes of the Liang Dynasty intensified dramatically. The clash was so fierce that it turned the sky dark, blotting out the sun and moon. Space itself collapsed into a chaotic mist. Among the people in the Imperial City, only Xu Lian could clearly see what was happening. The five Quasi-Supreme beings could barely make out the scene, while those below the Quasi-Supreme level-including ordinary sages-were completely unable to follow the fight.

The two Supremes from the Liang Dynasty had come well prepared. They started consuming pills in the middle of the battle, and grew stronger with each passing moment. They fought ruthlessly, trading blows and injuries without hesitation, fully committed to a fight to the death. Even the Supremes benefited greatly from the ultra-high-grade healing pills they consumed.

However, the two Supremes from the Qian Dynasty also started taking their own pills… Perhaps they still had some left over from the last batch of ultra-high-grade healing pills they had refined.

As Xu Lian watched both sides taking pills while fighting, he couldn’t help but feel speechless. When two sides were evenly matched in strength, wasn’t this just a competition to see who had more pills?

The battlefield had become a chaotic maelstrom of energy, destruction, and pill-fueled resilience. Each blow exchanged between the Supremes carried enough force to obliterate mountains or shatter rivers. The very fabric of reality seemed to warp and twist under the strain of their overwhelming power. Despite the apocalyptic display of power, Xu Lian couldn’t help but view the situation with a detached sense of irony.

So this is what passes for a “Supreme Battle”? he thought to himself. It’s less about skill or strategy and more about who brought the bigger medicine cabinet.

The Liang Dynasty’s Supremes were relentless, their movements growing sharper and faster with every pill they consumed. Their attacks became increasingly aggressive, pushing the Qian Dynasty’s Supremes to their limits. But Huangpu Yan and Huangpu Jun wouldn’t back down. With each pill they swallowed, their wounds healed quickly, and their stamina seemed inexhaustible.

From his vantage point, Xu Lian observed the battle with clinical precision. He noticed that the two sides were locked in a stalemate, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage. Every time one side would land a devastating blow, the other side would counter with equal ferocity, thanks to the miraculous effects of their healing pills. The battle had become a brutal war of attrition, with victory ultimately going to whoever had the deeper pockets-or, more accurately, the larger supply of pills.

Despite the intensity of the battle, Xu Lian remained unfazed. For him, the spectacle was more amusing than awe-inspiring. He had seen enough battles in his time to recognize when a fight was more about posturing and resource management than actual martial prowess. Still, he couldn’t deny the raw power on display. The sheer scale of destruction was enough to take anyone’s breath away – if they weren’t already used to it.

As the battle raged on, Xu Lian’s mind wandered. He wondered how long this charade would last. Both sides were clearly determined to win, but at what cost? The Imperial City was shaking under the weight of their conflict, and the protective barrier was beginning to show signs of strain. If the barrier collapsed, the collateral damage would be catastrophic.

But Xu Lian wasn’t worried. He knew that neither side would allow the barrier to collapse – not when their own lives were on the line. For now, all he could do was sit back and watch as the Supremes duked it out, trading blows and pills in equal measure.

This isn’t a battle of honor or justice, he mused. It’s a battle of logistics. Whoever runs out of pills first will lose.

And with that thought, Xu Lian leaned back slightly, his expression calm and unreadable as the heavens above continued to tremble under the fury of the Four Supremes.