Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1418 - Golden Cicada Pill

Chapter 1418 – Golden Cicada Pill

The rich fragrance of the pill wafted out over the Auspicious Cloud Hall. This seventh-grade spiritual pill resonated with the Void Realm and carried a vast amount of the Void Realm’s laws within it.

A single pill could easily fetch millions of astral stones. After all, Liu Wuxie had once sold Wisdom Stones for at least a million each, let alone a seventh-grade spiritual pill.

“It’s really going to succeed!” Those who had doubted Liu Wuxie earlier stared with wide eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

“I knew that Liu Wuxie wouldn’t boast without any confidence to prove it. Since he dared to say that, he naturally had a reason for doing so,” said the cultivators who had supported Liu Wuxie from the very beginning.

Voices buzzed nonstop across the hall as skepticism gradually faded. Even if no one had yet to confirm whether the pill truly reached the level of a seventh-grade spiritual pill, the fragrance alone told everyone it was far superior to the Intestine Cleansing Pill.

Even if this pill turned out to be only a sixth-grade spiritual pill, that alone would still be enough to leave the Divine Alchemy Sect far behind.

“Rise!” Sun Xiao yelled. The alchemy cauldron shuddered and burst open as three golden pills shot into the air before dropping neatly into his palm. They radiated a rich fragrance and retained a faint residual warmth. In his hand, the three pills looked like three golden beans.

There was a well-known saying in the alchemy world—one could judge the quality of a pill by its fragrance.

The pill Sun Xiao refined exuded a vibrant scent, with a hint of sweetness that was anything but ordinary.

“It’s really a seventh-grade spiritual pill!” exclaimed a grandmaster alchemist after sweeping his gaze over the pills in Sun Xiao’s hand. Each major force maintained its own Alchemy Hall, and he clearly knew what he was talking about.

“It’s a seventh-grade spiritual pill, but why has this pill never appeared on the market before?” Many cultivators looked baffled. The pills circulating on the market had been in use for countless years and were familiar to every household.

Despite that, this was the first time anyone had seen a pill like the three in Sun Xiao’s hand, so it was only natural that no one could recognize them.

Discussion exploded as more people focused their divine sense on the pills, analyzing their internal structure.

Most importantly, everyone could clearly see seven pill runes on the pill’s surface, marking it as a rare seventh-grade spiritual pill.

To make things even more shocking, it possessed even higher value than the seventh-grade pills currently sold in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

“Has no one noticed? The raw ingredients aren’t that expensive, and if it has a strong medicinal effect, won’t that crush the market for the seventh-grade spiritual pill?” someone remarked, casting a meaningful look toward the Divine Alchemy Sect.

The Divine Alchemy Sect relied on pills to fuel its rise and maintain its power. If someone were to cut into their market share, the competition would quickly drive them back to where they had started.

The other sects had been wanting to compete with them for years, but no one could do anything because the pills they refined could not compare to theirs. Take the Heavenly Dragon Sect, for instance—they only controlled three types of seventh-grade spiritual pills, while the Divine Alchemy Sect monopolized around seven or eight varieties.

The situation was similar for the other sects; because of that, pills from the Divine Alchemy Sect had been dominating the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain’s market for a very long time.

If this new pill Liu Wuxie had created was truly beyond the Divine Alchemy Sect’s offerings, their monopoly would shatter on the spot.

Many people watched with barely concealed anticipation. The pill’s outer appearance was flawless, with perfect color and luster. The only unknown remaining was its actual effect.

If it turned out to be useless, it would still be nothing more than a glorified garbage pill, no matter how beautiful it looked.

“Young Master Liu, what is the name of this pill?” asked an elder of the Absolute Frost Palace, finally unable to suppress his curiosity. Everyone else turned their attention to Liu Wuxie as well.

“This is called the Golden Cicada Pill. As for the effects, why don’t we test it on the spot?” Liu Wuxie asked. He chose not to explain the pill’s properties and instead intended to let the result speak for itself. It would be far more convincing for someone to experience the effects personally than to rely on his explanation.

Even if he were to praise it to the heavens, the elders of the Divine Alchemy Sect would never believe him outright. It was better to hand the initiative to everyone present.

The assembled cultivators exchanged glances, yet no one rushed forward. Alchemists and consumers had tested the pills circulating on the market for tens of thousands of years, and any serious problems would have surfaced long ago.

However, this was the first time they had seen the three pills refined by Sun Xiao. No one could say for sure whether they were genuine spiritual pills or deadly poison. No one wanted to gamble their life or their cultivation on an unknown pill.

No cultivator would risk their own body lightly on a whim. The Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples were eager to step up, but their testimony alone wouldn’t carry enough weight.

“Elders, don’t tell me that you don’t dare to give it a try yourself?” Liu Wuxie asked, turning his gaze on Bai Ran and Feng He.

Both men stood in the Earth Immortal Realm, and a single pill would not cost them their lives even if it proved poisonous. Moreover, only if they personally tested it would the result truly convince the crowd.

“Young Master Liu, may I try one?” asked a youth with no cultivation of his own, though he looked pretty familiar to Liu Wuxie.

After a brief moment of thought, Liu Wuxie recalled him as the one who created the Nine Dragon Palace’s pill in the Myriad Race Ceremony—the pill that Mo Hong had swallowed. The young man had even shouted for Liu Wuxie to avenge him, and Liu Wuxie had done so, taking first place in the alchemy event.

“Go ahead,” Liu Wuxie said, extending his hand in invitation.

“Give me one!” Feng He said, stepping forward as he decided to test the pill himself.

As an elder of the Divine Alchemy Hall and the one presiding over this trial, he had to understand the pill’s composition and effects firsthand.

If it truly proved to be a seventh-grade spiritual pill with potent effects, the Divine Alchemy Sect would need to research it immediately and get ahead of everyone else.

What he did not know, however, was that no one could replicate Liu Wuxie’s alchemy technique, even after watching Sun Xiao refine the pills with their own eyes.

Even if Sun Xiao himself tried it again, he would fail to make another batch.

“Let me have the last one,” said a disciple from the Comet Temple.

A seventh-grade spiritual pill was incredibly valuable, and an opportunity to obtain one for free was too rare to pass up. The three volunteers took up positions in different parts of the platform, each holding a Golden Cicada Pill.

The Nine Dragon Palace disciple swallowed his pill first. The pill dissolved the instant it entered his mouth and flowed down into his stomach. Moments later, he felt a wave of intense heat rising from his abdomen, and he described the sensation aloud as it surged through his body.

He did not even need to speak, though, as many experts had already locked their divine sense onto him. They clearly saw the pill dissolve. Then, it spread throughout his body along his meridians.

A faint golden radiance formed around his internal organs, clinging to them like a thin cicada shell as it began to temper them. That was the origin of the Golden Cicada Pill’s name—it reforged a cultivator’s internal organs.

In just a short while, a powerful surge of aura erupted from the Nine Dragon Palace disciple as he broke through on the spot. A wave of regret instantly swept through the crowd as countless cultivators realized that they had just missed a golden opportunity.

After all, a pill that could unconditionally raise one’s cultivation by a whole level while simultaneously tempering the internal organs was unheard of on the market.

At the very least, none of the Divine Alchemy Sect’s products had ever shown such dual effects; most of their pills centered purely on strengthening true essence.

Pills that offered multiple benefits at once were naturally far more attractive to cultivators, especially if their price remained similar. Anyone with sense would know which to choose.

Someone had already done a rough calculation. The production cost of this Golden Cicada Pill was at least fifty percent lower than that of the seventh-grade spiritual pills currently on the market.

If this pill entered the market, it would quickly squeeze the existing seventh-grade spiritual pills out of the market, leaving them no room to survive.

Feng He slowly rose to his feet. Although he did not break through on the spot, everyone could sense that the aura he emitted had grown noticeably stronger. When their eyes met, both men saw the same grim realization reflected in each other’s gaze.

Shortly after, the Comet Temple disciple also successfully broke through.

“Many thanks, Young Master Liu!” The disciples from the Nine Dragon Palace and the Comet Temple bowed deeply to Liu Wuxie, expressing their gratitude for the pill.

Liu Wuxie responded with a simple smile and nod. Both of them were outstanding prodigies of their respective sects, and he fully intended to foster closer ties with them in the future.

“Elders, are you satisfied with the effects of this pill?” Liu Wuxie asked, still smiling as he turned back to the two Divine Alchemy Sect elders.

The crowd finally remembered that the Divine Alchemy Sect’s trial had yet to officially end. They withdrew their divine sense and settled back into their seats.

Bai Ran and Feng He both revealed ashen faces. This demonstration had exposed them as absolute fools. The same ingredients could produce a superior pill, yet they could only refine the Intestine Cleansing Pill, and they had even mocked Liu Wuxie as garbage.

The Golden Cicada Pill had become a crisp, resounding slap across their faces. Even though they were Earth Immortals, Liu Wuxie had still managed to slap them, and he had done it so hard that their faces burned.

“The effects are powerful, and the fragrance is rich. It’s an excellent pill,” Feng He said, forcing the words out. With so many eyes on him, he had no choice but to admit it. If he denied the pill’s effects, he would drown under everyone’s scorn.

With the test complete, the pill had proven non-toxic, capable of strengthening the internal organs and refining true essence, all without side effects.

“Young Master Liu, please go ahead,” Bai Ran said after taking a deep breath, gesturing for Liu Wuxie to continue his climb.

Liu Wuxie chose not to push the matter any further. This was still his apprenticeship ceremony, and he had already achieved what he wanted.

He believed that news of the Golden Cicada Pill would spread quickly and that every major force would soon hear about it.

Once he found the right opportunity, the Heavenly Dao Society could introduce the Golden Cicada Pill to the market, and he had no doubts that countless cultivators would fight to obtain it.

Today’s demonstration was free advertising for the Heavenly Dao Society in front of the top powers of the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

He felt quietly delighted. He had worried about how to make the Heavenly Dao Society’s name known across the astral domain, but now, he had his answer. He believed that the moment the Golden Cicada Pill hit the market, everyone would immediately think back to this day.

The two elders of the Divine Alchemy Sect did not linger. After saying a few perfunctory words to the reception elder, they hurried away from the apprenticeship ceremony.

They were clearly planning to rush back and attempt to refine the Golden Cicada Pill themselves to seize the market first.

Only Liu Wuxie knew that the Golden Cicada Pill was not something anyone else could replicate. Many in the crowd watched the two elders’ retreating figures with unconcealed contempt.

Only a single final trial remained now, but no one knew which force had drawn it.

Liu Wuxie kept his steady pace as he continued up the stairs. He had already passed the first nine trials perfectly, leaving no room for criticism, and he never flinched when it came time to slap faces.

Everyone saw Liu Wuxie’s methods firsthand. Many sect leaders quietly warned their disciples not to provoke him in the future.

When Liu Wuxie was only fifty steps away from the summit, the final trial finally revealed itself. Yet when everyone saw who stood there, they all wore bizarre expressions, unable to understand what was happening.