Chapter 605 - 601: Defeating the Pill King

Chapter 605: Chapter 601: Defeating the Pill King

"Too bad. You still slipped up."

Hong Yu wore a calm expression.

His words made the previously confident and smug Stone Pill King’s expression darken, his face gradually stiffening. "Kid, are you sure you’re not spouting nonsense?"

"That’s right. My Master is known among the four great Pill Kings as the one with the greatest Mastery of the Deceitful Pill Discussion. If he says there are only seven methods, then there are only seven. Don’t think you can just make one up and bluff your way through!" the Stone Pill King’s disciple taunted in a snide tone.

"Boss, the Stone Pill King’s accomplishments in the Deceit Pill Dao are truly admired even by the other three great Pill Kings..."

Xishang Ling had considerable faith in Hong Yu, but the Deceitful Pill Discussion wasn’t just about being able to recognize the Dao Mark Ancient Tree.

It required a profound foundation of knowledge, something that took decades of wholehearted, dedicated research to master.

Hong Yu was even younger than him.

This made Xishang Ling feel a little uncertain.

Hong Yu smiled faintly. "You’ll see soon enough whether I’m making things up or not."

"Master, this..."

Seeing Hong Yu’s confidence, the young man was a little stunned and hesitant.

The Stone Pill King’s expression was stormy. He raised a hand, signaling for his disciple to be calm, and said indifferently, "Young people these days really don’t know their place. I’d like to see what you can possibly say!"

"Then listen closely."

Hong Yu smiled. "The Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill is refined from over seventy ingredients, with the main ones being the Three Rivers Pipa, Deep Sea Blood Coral, and Celestial Snow Lotus. It has the effect of calming the mind and enhancing Primordial Spirit Power. It is exceptionally effective when consumed during a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit Realm, second only to the legendary Nine Orifice Breaking God Pill. It’s hailed as the second-greatest Spirit Pill for reaching the Primordial Spirit Realm."

"Any apprentice who’s glanced at a Pill Scripture knows that," the young man said with contempt.

Hong Yu shot him a look, a playful tone in his voice. "Then let me ask you: of the seventy-plus ingredients in the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill, how many can be substituted? Which ingredients are used as replacements? And what are the differences between the resulting combinations? Do you know?"

"Hmph. My Master just said it. There are six possible substitutions, which, along with the original Pill Recipe, makes seven total Refining methods. Can’t you come up with something new?" the young man sneered.

Hong Yu chuckled. "Alright, since you want to hear something new, I’ll tell you. But don’t blame me if you can’t understand it!"

"I am the Chief Disciple of a great Pill King! How could I possibly not understand?" the young man said, patting his chest proudly.

Hong Yu didn’t bother speaking to him anymore.

’A Pill King?’

’Is that supposed to be a big deal?’

’The knowledge contained within my Divine Medicine Scripture is a Sea of All Rivers. I’ve only grasped a third of its essence, and I’m already on par with any Seventh-Grade Spiritual Craftsman.’

’Before the Divine Medicine Scripture, his so-called Pill King master is nothing!’

Of course, Hong Yu wouldn’t be so crude as to argue about this with the young man. He cleared his throat and began to speak, reciting the information as if listing his family heirlooms. "The seven methods for Refining the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill that the Stone Pill King just mentioned, while rare, are in fact recorded in some Pill Manuals. They are considered relatively common."

"What the Stone Pill King said wasn’t wrong, but it was merely the tip of the iceberg. Seven methods? Heh. In truth, there are no less than thirty-six ways to refine the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill. If you account for all the different ingredient substitutions and combinations, the number of methods exceeds one hundred."

Hong Yu spoke with absolute confidence, his words flowing like a torrent.

"The Deep Sea Blood Coral, for instance, can be completely replaced by the common Blood Lipid Grass. In fact, Blood Lipid Grass contains a component that nurtures the Primordial Spirit, so using it as a substitute increases the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill’s efficacy by about ten percent..."

"The Celestial Snow Lotus is cold in nature, so a Purple Flame Spirit Root is used during Refining to neutralize its properties. However, this combination can easily cause an imbalance of yin and yang, which slightly degrades the Pill’s properties and prevents it from reaching the highest grade. But if you replace the Celestial Snow Lotus with Earth Clear Heart Marrow, you not only solve this problem but can even increase the efficacy by fifteen percent."

"The twenty-some methods I just mentioned are all relatively conventional. Since today’s topic is the Deceitful Pill Discussion, I’ll describe a more outlandish method of Alchemy. This method uses a peculiar Desolate Beast, the Signal Yellow Snake, as a medicinal primer. Thirty-three Spirit Medicines are infused into its body, allowing the Signal Yellow Snake to absorb and refine their power. Finally, its gallbladder is harvested and consumed."

A playful smirk touched Hong Yu’s lips. "Its effect can be more than double that of a normal Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill!"

"..."

In total, Hong Yu described no fewer than thirty different methods for Refining the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill.

At several points, the Stone Pill King tried his best to interrupt or trip Hong Yu up with difficult questions.

But Hong Yu knew it all like the back of his hand; no question could stump him. In fact, his answers to these questions caused a peculiar light to gleam in Madam Xishang’s eyes. She was filled with admiration for Hong Yu’s accomplishments and profound knowledge of the Alchemy Dao.

By the end...

Even the Stone Pill King had stopped trying to refute or challenge Hong Yu.

His face was livid.

Although he had never heard of the Refining methods Hong Yu described, after carefully considering and working through them in his mind, he was horrified to discover they were exactly as Hong Yu had claimed.

In fact, many of the methods would produce a Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill with even more extraordinary effects.

For a long moment, the Stone Pill King remained silent, his face grim.

His disciple, on the other hand, had only a superficial understanding of the subject. Still believing his master was the greatest, he scoffed at everything Hong Yu said.

"Alright, I’ve said just about all I know regarding the methods for Refining the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill," Hong Yu said with a smile.

The young man snorted. "Idiot! So what if you can make up a bunch of stories? Madam Xishang will naturally decide who won and who lost. My master has definitely won this round!"

"Shut your mouth!"

The Stone Pill King barked.

The young man was startled, not understanding why his master was angry, and could only hang his head.

Madam Xishang smiled faintly and unfurled the Scroll in her hand.

Everyone except Hong Yu craned their necks to see. Upon seeing it, the young man’s face instantly turned deathly pale. "Th-th-th... How is this possible?"

The Scroll indeed detailed over twenty Refining methods, all of which Hong Yu had just mentioned.

Moreover, Hong Yu’s explanations were even more detailed than what was on the Scroll.

It was like an invisible hand slapping him across the face, again and again. The corner of the young man’s eye twitched. He was so mortified and uncomfortable that he couldn’t utter a single word.

The Stone Pill King narrowed his eyes, a flicker of hatred within them.

"Damn, he got everything on there right, and he even knew six or seven more methods than the scroll!" Xishang Ling cheered excitedly.

Zhao Feng’Er danced with joy. "Hee hee, Brother Beichen really is amazing!"

"Yeah, he’s stronger than any so-called Pill King!" Zhao Hu added with a nod.

Madam Xishang smiled. "Young Friend Beichen, to possess such knowledge at your age, your master’s school must be truly extraordinary."

"Heh, my master has always preferred to avoid worldly affairs."

Hong Yu just smiled.

He knew Madam Xishang was trying to probe his background, so his answer was perfectly noncommittal.

A flicker of disappointment appeared in Madam Xishang’s eyes, but she concealed it well. Smiling, she turned to the Stone Pill King. "Stone Pill King, my husband once said that when it comes to the Refining methods for the Seven Emperors Spirit God Pill, knowing one makes you an ordinary Spiritual Craftsman. Knowing three makes you a true Grandmaster. And knowing more than five absolutely puts you at the Pill King Level. You know seven methods, so you are certainly worthy of your title!"

Normally, the Stone Pill King would have been thrilled to receive such praise from Madam Xishang.

But today...

After that crushing defeat, he wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it. Hearing her words now, they sounded unbearably grating.

But he couldn’t lose his temper in front of Madam Xishang. He could only glare viciously at Hong Yu, his eyes burning with venom, and say in a snide tone, "I’m old and past my prime. The young people these days are truly getting more and more formidable. It’s as they say, the new waves of the Yangtze push the old. I have no choice but to admit my age."

He said it like that, but someone as shrewd as Madam Xishang could easily see he was feigning retreat as a tactic. ’Old fox,’ she cursed inwardly.

But she kept a smile on her face. "You’re too modest, Stone Pill King. As they say, every master has their specialty. Your greatest strength lies in the practical Refining of Pills, not theoretical matters like the Deceitful Pill Discussion. Today’s contest was simply not your strong suit. It doesn’t prove you are weak at all!"

Hearing this, the Stone Pill King’s expression immediately brightened.

In truth, he had been hoping for just such an explanation.

He just couldn’t be the one to say it, or he’d come off as a shameless old sore loser, losing both face and dignity.

That was the whole point of his feigned retreat—to have Madam Xishang say it for him.

He seized the opportunity and waved his hand dismissively. "You jest, Madam. I am rather tired today, so I shall take my leave and rest."

He then beckoned to his disciple and turned to leave.

Except...

The old man seemed to be walking away rather quickly.

Once the Stone Pill King had left, Madam Xishang finally turned to Hong Yu with a smile. "Young man, you are very impressive."

"Thank you for your praise, Madam."

Hong Yu replied noncommittally.

A flash of appreciation appeared in Madam Xishang’s eyes. ’Not arrogant in victory, not discouraged in defeat. A rare disposition for someone so young.’

She then looked to her precious son, her eyes filled with affection. "Ling’Er, you must take good care of Mr. Beichen. As for everything else, we will discuss it after the evening banquet."

"Yes, Mother!"

Xishang Ling nodded.

He then led Hong Yu and his two companions away.

Madam Xishang narrowed her eyes. The smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by the cold, steely expression of a powerful woman. "Shadow, go and investigate the background of this Master Beichen."

"Yes!"

A figure retreated into the shadows.

Madam Xishang murmured to herself, ’My husband, I hope this Master Beichen truly has the skills Ling’Er described. If he can cure you, I am willing to give him *that* as a reward. But if he approached Ling’Er with ill intentions... then I will make him regret it.’

Her gaze shot out like a bolt of lightning, making the very air around her tremble.

「At the same time.」

Deep within the Xishang Mansion, a figure spoke respectfully into a Sound Transmission Stone. "Master, Xishang Ling has brought someone back. He’s said to have defeated the Stone Pill King. He might be here to detoxify the Xishang King!"

"I know."

The other end of the Sound Transmission Stone went silent for a moment before a faint voice replied, "Don’t make any rash moves. I will send someone to deal with him."

"Yes, Master!"

And then, all was quiet.

Hong Yu, currently on a tour of the vast Xishang Mansion with Xishang Ling as his guide, remained completely oblivious to all this.

He had no idea.

That from the moment he set foot in the Xishang Tribe, he had been inevitably drawn into the eye of a great storm.ℯℯ𝑙.