Half-Saint! These two simple words thundered suddenly in the ears of the two Nine Heavens Masters, like a bolt of lightning, so intense that it seemed their internal Qi flow had momentarily ceased. They stood wide-eyed, stunned, gazing at the elder who was single-handedly touching a massive ice sphere at a distance. To others, the concept of Half-Saint might seem entirely unfamiliar, but to the two Nine Heavens Masters, it was deeply familiar—this level was known as the "Realm of Despair" for the pinnacle of the Master Qi cultivators. The vast majority of those who reached the peak of Master Qi cultivation found themselves halted just at the edge of this Half-Saint level, no matter how diligently they trained. They could never truly step into this Half-Saint realm. Only by achieving the rank of Half-Saint could one qualify to advance to the rank of Master Saint. Indeed, one could say that Half-Saint is the most essential foundation before reaching the Master Saint level. Without stepping into the Half-Saint realm, one would never become a true Master Saint. As the Emperor of Battle gradually became a legendary memory etched in history, the simple character "Sage" stood as a symbol of the pinnacle of this realm. While Battle Emperors were considered the foremost among the continent's elite, "foremost" still did not equate to "pinnacle"—the true apex belonged to those even more transcendent. Similarly, the semi-Sage rank, which the two Heavenly Emperors had long dreamed of, remained an elusive goal. Though they fully understood the immense difficulty of reaching it, they believed that even with their entire lifetimes devoted to it, true attainment might remain out of reach. They had never imagined that the Elder of Medicine could achieve this level. In their view, even if the latter had acquired a new body, regaining peak strength was a remarkable feat; let alone surpassing the peak of Battle Emperor status and ascending to the rank of Semi-Sage. Yet, though such a possibility had never crossed their minds, reality proved brutally unforgiving—the very situation they had least expected ultimately came to pass before them. … "A half-Saint…" All eyes in the Stellar Realm were fixed upon that weathered figure floating in the sky, seemingly small in comparison to the colossal ice sphere. Yet, the aura emanating from this slender figure now was so powerful that even the terrifying energies within the ice sphere trembled. "A half-Saint… this old man has actually reached that level!" The Wind Sovereign and others stared in stunned silence, their eyes finally blazing with overwhelming joy after a long moment. Though the title carried the word "half," it still carried the weight of the word "Saint," signifying a transformative leap forward! "The Xingyin Pavilion is truly rising to prominence..." Even those who had been fleeing initially halted in their tracks, some of the more discerning masters finding their mouths dry with anticipation. The news that Xingyin had produced a half-Saint—news so dramatic it seemed like an explosion—would surely sweep across the Central Region like a hurricane, dramatically elevating the Pavilion's reputation and strength in a short span of time. While the Huan Pavilion was formidable, the future Xingyin Pavilion would no longer be one that could be simply erased at will. A half-Saint, especially one who was also the continent's foremost alchemist, would command an influence and prestige unmatched by anyone. Thus, at this very moment, everyone clearly understood: Xingyin Pavilion was destined for great rise. ... On the mountain peak, Xiao Yan was also filled with astonishment. He had never expected that Master Yao would transcend the peak of Dou Zun and reach the half-Emperor level. Although the materials used to craft Master Yao's body were all top-tier, and even a Dou Sheng arm was added at the end, he had never imagined that such a breakthrough would ultimately be achieved. As he had anticipated, it would have been a great joy if the Elder could regain his peak strength—that would already be the greatest of blessings. As for breaking through to the level of Dou Zun, that was something he hadn't given much thought to, since he himself was well aware of the difficulties involved. Though Dou Zun-level masters were relatively rare on this continent, they were still far from being mere rarities. As for the legendary Dou Sheng... even with Xiao Yan's extensive experience, he had only once encountered a Dou Sheng's skeletal remains bearing a faint trace of soul imprint. Of course, the Elder now could certainly be considered a near-Dou Sheng, though he still held the title of "half-Sheng"—in any case, he was now truly a Saint. As the elderly physician's hand pressed down, the ice ball, brimming with terrifying energy, suddenly began to warp—its surface appearing as though gripped by an immense, invisible hand. "Shatter!" The distortion intensified, and after a moment, under the physician's calm voice, it cracked with a sharp *crack*, then burst violently. The energy surge that followed surged outward like a hurricane, yet as it expanded to a certain range, it abruptly ceased, vanishing silently and completely. "Gurgle..." Staring at the ice flakes drifting gently from the sky, countless people swallowed hard. This devastating attack—capable of annihilating the entire mountain range—had been effortlessly deflected, even leaving the sleeves of the Elder of Medicine untouched. "This is what half-Saint strength truly is," the many powerful figures exchanged glances, each reading deep astonishment in the other's eyes. The power displayed far surpassed that of a Battle Sovereign, truly embodying the pinnacle of strength. "Hmph!" As the ice ball shattered, the two Heavenly Sovereigns were also affected, their bodies trembling, a deep breath of annoyance escaping their throats, blood seeping from their lips. Their breaths grew disordered, clearly indicating that the Elder not only shattered the ice ball but had also inflicted significant damage upon their very essence. The Eight Heavenly Sovereign wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze fixed firmly on the distant herbal elder, filled with both fear and unyielding determination. Back then, he had once been defeated by the elder—now, in their very first encounter, he found himself once again defeated, this time in a truly decisive and humiliating manner! "Half-Sovereign..." The Ninth Heavenly Sovereign clenched his teeth, his envy nearly boiling over into frenzy. Yet, as no ordinary figure, he managed to steady himself within moments, his face turning pale and gray. Upon realizing the herbal elder's current standing, he understood clearly that today's mission had been a complete failure. If the herbal elder were still at the peak of the Battle Sovereign rank, the Ninth Sovereign would have found him formidable, though not utterly helpless or despairing. But—no one could have imagined—that the elder not only had regained his peak strength, but had even surpassed the very barrier considered the final, insurmountable abyss by the greatest among the Battle Sovereigns, ultimately achieving the rank of Half-Sovereign! This is a completely different level altogether. Though only a half-Saint, the current Master Yao is so formidable that even if two peak-level Douzun warriors teamed up, they would struggle to defeat him—this is the vast, unbridgeable gap between them. "Old Eighth, move!" Nine Tianzun took a deep breath, made up his mind, and shouted firmly to Tianzun Eighth. Hearing Nine Tianzun's command, Tianzun Eighth immediately clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with resentment. "Now that he has ascended to half-Saint status, even if we join forces, we won't stand a chance against him. If you wish to stay and fight to the death, I won't hesitate to leave you behind!" Nine Tianzun's expression darkened, and he snapped sharply. "Then let's go!" Fortunately, Tianzun Eighth was no mere impulsive man. He understood that today's situation left no room for reversal. Nodding in agreement, he raised his hand, and instantly a spatial rift tore through the space around him. With a swift motion, the two of them darted toward the crack. "Since we've come, we must leave something behind..." At this, the elderly medicant in the distance offered a faint, serene smile, extended his palm, and with a firm grasp, pressed it against the spatial rift ahead. "Boom!" As his palm made contact, the spatial rift collapsed violently, a powerful gust of wind surging through space and piercing directly into the rift, carrying with it two deep, resonant thuds. "Plush!" The thuds echoed, and two bright crimson jets of blood erupted from the rift, rushing with astonishing speed toward the medicant like lightning. Yet, just as they reached within a hundred paces of the medicant's body, they instantly dissolved into a mist of blood, dispersing gently. "Medicant, you shall witness it—my Soul Palace will not rest until this is settled!" The blood arrows dissipated, and the spatial fissures far off also gradually faded away. Yet the Nine Heavens Sovereign's furious roar echoed through the space, lingering throughout this realm. Listening to the undercurrent of pain in the roar, it was clear that the previous palm strike from the Elder of Medicine had inflicted significant wounds. Regarding this roar, the Elder of Medicine merely smiled faintly, without comment. Having attained the rank of Half-Saint, he had finally reached the pinnacle of the continent's hierarchy. Now, he was no longer the Medicine Sovereign of old—perhaps it was time for a new title. Perhaps... the Saint of Medicine, Medicine Dhen!