Chapter 101 - 100: A Disgraceful Spectacle
Chapter 101: Chapter 100: A Disgraceful Spectacle
"The pills are finally forming!"
Hu Liang excitedly formed a sealing technique, concentrating the fire’s intensity at the center of the Pill Furnace. Under his Divine Sense, the Desire Immortal Pills inside were gradually taking shape, splitting into nine, then ten!
"This batch, I’m going for a perfect ten!"
Hu Liang formed a sealing technique with both hands. The Desire Immortal Pills in the Pill Furnace instantly took their final form, and the Desire Immortal Smoke wafting from them transformed into ten celestial maidens that soared into the sky, scattering flowers like goddesses.
"He succeeded?"
Offstage, a group of disciples gasped, their eyes filled with amazement.
They were even more eager to see just how many Desire Immortal Pills Hu Liang could refine!
But just as everyone thought this, Mi Lifu spared a glance and secretly shook his head.
’He hasn’t succeeded yet. The most important part, the Desire Immortal Smoke, hasn’t been absorbed!’
’Only if he can withstand this wave of temptation will it count as a success!’
Just then.
BOOM!
The Pill Furnace in front of Hu Liang roared as a red mist billowed out, instantly enveloping his body.
At the same time, the ten celestial maidens flew to his side, extending their lovely hands to caress his chest and stir his emotions.
"Something’s not right... This! Ah!"
Hu Liang’s face flushed crimson, his expression shifting. The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably into a dazed, foolish grin.
But his Divine Sense was blaring alarms, desperately trying to wake him up, to keep him from being mesmerized by the false illusion.
"No, I can’t let this happen!"
Hu Liang knew this was wrong, but his body was beyond his control, as if poisoned by an aphrodisiac. The Heart-Clearing Talisman on his back had, at some unknown point, been blown off by the Desire Immortal Smoke.
At that moment, he completely lost control and burst into wild laughter.
"Beauties! Celestial maidens! You’re all mine!"
"Hahaha! I want you! I want more!"
"Don’t go! Come to my arms!"
Hu Liang snatched at the illusion’s clothes and pounced, laughing without pause as he performed unspeakable acts in full view of the public.
"Oh no!"
Xu Nian’s expression changed, and he quickly reached out, intending to do something to stop his disciple’s shameful display.
But Gongsun Yang simply smiled and gently blocked him.
"Elder Xu, the alchemy is still in progress. Even Elder Huang hasn’t made a move. Wouldn’t you be overstepping your bounds by interfering?"
"Gongsun Yang!" Xu Nian glared at him, his expression turning cold.
"Now, don’t get angry. Your disciple hasn’t failed yet. Look, the Desire Immortal Pills in his furnace are almost ready. If you stop him now and ruin a whole batch of elixirs, wouldn’t that be a shame?"
Gongsun Yang said with a gloating smile.
Xu Nian gritted his teeth.
At that moment, Elder Huang, whose eyes had been half-closed, glanced back at him. That single look was enough to halt Xu Nian’s intentions, and he didn’t dare make a move.
"This stage of alchemy is also a test. If he can’t even pass this trial of the mind, his future will be limited. Passing is a blessing, failing is a tribulation."
Having said that, Elder Huang turned his attention back to the stone stage, watching Hu Liang with keen interest.
Under the crowd’s watchful eyes, Hu Liang had already stripped off his shirt. He was giggling foolishly and calling out for his "beauties" and "celestial maidens."
A single thread of reason was all that held him back from completely losing himself, a testament to the strength of his Divine Sense. Any other Qi Refining Cultivator would have completely succumbed by now.
"Oh, my eyes! I can’t watch this. I never knew he was into that."
"From those moves, you can tell he frequents the brothels. Tsk, tsk."
"Savage. Absolutely savage!"
"Whoa, why are you taking out a Memory Stone? Aren’t you afraid Hu Liang will come after you for this?"
"Heh, I’m an Inner Sect Disciple, same as him. What’s to be afraid of? This little piece of blackmail material must be preserved!"
"Make sure to send me a copy later."
Hu Liang’s performance grew increasingly outrageous. Many of the Female Cultivators couldn’t bear to watch any longer and left the Alchemy Conference. Meanwhile, the Pill Furnace before him was shaking violently.
Having lost control over the final part of the process, the ten Desire Immortal Pills inside were only half-formed. Only by overcoming the hallucination and infusing them with the Desire Immortal Smoke could Hu Liang truly succeed in forming the pills!
On the other side, Mi Lifu was also beginning the final step of forming the pills.
However, he was clearly far better prepared than Hu Liang. He had not only covered himself in Talismans but had also placed a Magical Artifact before him to ward off the hallucinations.
When the Desire Immortal Smoke before him reached its most intense point, his eyes glazed over for an instant. But he quickly stabilized his Divine Sense, relying on his Magical Artifact and Talismans.
"I’m only into men! Beauties and celestial maidens do nothing for me!"
"Heh heh... Scram!"
With Mi Lifu’s cold shout, he forced the encroaching Desire Immortal Smoke back. However, a portion of it escaped, which meant the resulting elixirs would be weaker in effect.
At least he hadn’t made a complete fool of himself like Hu Liang.
Thanks to his thorough preparations, he successfully formed his pills!
He was the first person in the fifth round of the competition to successfully refine the Desire Immortal Pill!
"Phew!"
The lid of the Pill Furnace flew open. A puff of red smoke scattered, revealing eight glistening, crimson Desire Immortal Pills beneath!
Seeing this, Mi Lifu let out a sigh of relief. His entire body relaxed, and a look of joy slowly appeared on his face.
’Eight pills. It’s not the perfect ten, but their quality looks excellent. I should get a good score for this.’
He looked up in anticipation and saw that Elder Huang had already made his way over. The elder glanced down, picked up a pill, sniffed it, and broke into a broad smile.
"The aroma is decent. A notch above the standard product from Brahma Sound Manor."
"For eight Desire Immortal Pills, you are awarded ninety-two points."
With the addition of those ninety-two points, Mi Lifu instantly surpassed both Hu Liang and Yu Changsheng.
If both of them failed their refinement, he would be the ultimate winner of this Alchemy Conference!
But could his wish truly be realized?
Mi Lifu glanced aside and saw Yu Changsheng’s knowing smile.
As for Hu Liang, he was still lost in the illusions of the Desire Immortal Smoke, unable to break free!
"Why hasn’t he snapped out of it yet!" Xu Nian cursed, a tone of deep disappointment in his voice.
"Calm down. You should watch how my disciple handles it instead, hahaha." Gongsun Yang laughed and turned his gaze to Yu Changsheng.
Yu Changsheng had one hand on his hip and was swaying his body, almost as if he were dancing on the stone stage.
But his eyes were far clearer than Hu Liang’s, and his was a faint smile, nothing like Hu Liang’s unhinged, senseless mania.
’That’s enough of a show, isn’t it?’
Yu Changsheng’s eyes flickered. Seeing that all the off-stage disciples were focused on Hu Liang, he decided the time was right.
He formed a sealing technique, then spun and swiped his hand. The Flame within the Pill Furnace immediately surged, wrapping around the Desire Immortal Smoke that floated above it.
The blaze was so intense it bathed the entire area in a fiery red glow.
It also drew the attention of many in the crowd.
"Form," Yu Changsheng said with a light chuckle. With a single downward press of his hand, he forced the Pill Fire and the Desire Immortal Smoke back into the Pill Furnace, where they fused and solidified!
"What kind of move was that?" Mi Lifu was dumbfounded.
’No, wait. How is he still clear-headed enough to act? Did the Desire Immortal Smoke have no effect on him? Or is he like me, using some item to block the hallucinations!’
Whichever it was, he knew one thing for certain: Yu Changsheng’s batch of Desire Immortal Pills would be far more impressive than his own. He, at least, could never have performed that final technique!