Chapter 420: The Pill That Best Represents Alchemy Achievements
To Jiang Li’s regret, this shortcut method failed to deceive the sharp eyes of the senior alchemy elders, who immediately saw through his cheating.
After synthesizing opinions from all sides, the Sixth Prince announced: “The winner of the second match is Su Wei.”
“It can’t really be called cheating—I spent a lot of spirit stones,” Jiang Li felt the expenditure was wasteful.
The Sword Sovereign nodded: “Indeed, this isn’t cheating. More like going for wool and coming home shorn.”
“Sword Sovereign, has anyone ever told you you’re too blunt?”
“Yes, but after they see me draw my sword, they change their tune and say I’m just frank.”
“…Maybe you should go back to the Sword Tomb to battle your inner demons. Pretend I never saved you.”
“For the third match, we’ll test the alchemists’ improvisational skills. Over ninety percent of the Nine Provinces’ spiritual herbs are available here for your unrestricted use—no spirit stones required, all expenses covered by the Spirit Herb Sect.”
Jiang Li noticed the Spirit Herb Sect Master’s facial muscles twitching, clearly pained by the financial loss.
The Sixth Prince continued: “Esteemed alchemy masters, please refine the pill that best represents alchemical achievement. If any ingredients aren’t among the Spirit Herb Sect’s prepared materials, you must procure them yourself.”
Just this challenge alone gave all present alchemists pause for thought.
Except Jiang Li and the Sword Sovereign.
Any pill representing alchemical achievement would undoubtedly be difficult to refine—far beyond the capabilities of these two imposters.
The Sixth Prince glanced at Jiang Li and added: “It must be refined on-site.”
Jiang Li abandoned his thought of presenting a Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill and asked instead: “What about hiring someone to refine it here?”
“Not allowed.”
Jiang Li found alchemists too rigid and inflexible.
“Forget it, this time I’ll win properly. As a Mahayana Stage cultivator, creating a new pill should pose no difficulty.”
Soon, some alchemists decided what to refine and began preparations, plundering the Spirit Herb Sect’s most precious reserves.
“Let’s interview this master—what pill do you intend to refine?”
The interviewed master continued working as he answered: “Throughout the Nine Provinces’ millennia of history—and even longer in the immortal realms—countless precious pills have briefly flourished only to vanish suddenly. The fundamental reason lies in their ingredients being too rare, harvested faster than they could regrow until extinction. Without key ingredients, the pill formulas were lost.”
“I believe the pill that best represents alchemical achievement uses the most common spiritual herbs—ones that have survived since antiquity and will continue being passed down.”
“So Master, you intend to refine…”
“Human Pills—using human material to create cultivation-enhancing pills.”
Before he finished speaking, a group of Unity Stage spectators pounced, swiftly subduing the alchemist to deliver him to the Human Sovereign Hall.
“How dare this demonic cultivator be so brazen, openly declaring he’ll refine Human Pills!”
The alchemist hastily explained: “No, let me clarify—I meant pills refined from my own blood! No harm to others! Look at me—no baleful aura! I’m no demonic cultivator!”
Only then did people notice the alchemist lacked demonic cultivator traits and released him.
Noticing the awkward atmosphere, the Sixth Prince sought another alchemist to shift attention.
“Master, what pill will you refine?”
“A pill all living beings need.”
“Which is…?”
“Yin-Yang Joyous Pills.”
“…” The Sixth Prince thought he misheard.
“Consider this, Sixth Prince—cultivators aren’t immortal, so propagation is survival’s path. All creatures, no matter how powerful, cannot escape reproduction.”
“The humanistic care behind Yin-Yang Joyous Pills proves they represent alchemy’s pinnacle!”
The Sixth Prince asked: “All cultivators must reproduce?”
“Naturally.”
“But the Human Sovereign Jiang has never courted anyone, let alone married—where’s the reproduction there?”
The alchemist waved dismissively: “That precisely demonstrates my pill’s efficacy! Even Human Sovereign Jiang would feel reproductive urges after taking it.”
“Truly?” The Sixth Prince was skeptical.
“I hope so.”
“…”
“Master Chen Jian, what pill will you refine?”
“Sword Pellets.”
“What?”
“Whether enhancing cultivation or healing wounds, pills ultimately serve protection. So why not directly use pills for combat?”
“My Sword Pellets would severely injure any Unity Stage opponent at minimum. If enemies are wounded, wouldn’t that ensure safety? Eliminating the need for other pills.”
The Sixth Prince found it difficult to follow the Sword Sovereign’s logic.
“Master Jin Li, what pill will you refine?” The Sixth Prince approached Jiang Li, who had left the deepest impression.
“An original creation,” Jiang Li said loftily, projecting an aura of transcendent mastery.
“The Spirit Herb Sect provided 108,000 spiritual herbs—I took one of each and fused them together.”
Jiang Li produced a pitch-black pill.
“This pill used 108,000 herbs?” The Sixth Prince couldn’t believe it—what extraordinary skill this required!
Truly an alchemy grandmaster!
“What method did you use? Special flames? Unique techniques?” The Sixth Prince had been occupied earlier and missed Jiang Li’s process.
“Let me demonstrate.” Jiang Li gathered the herbs again into a mountainous pile, then summoned two invisible giant hands to compress the heap forcibly into a pellet.
Clang!
The pellet hit the ground like an iron ingot.
The Sixth Prince gaped—in all his years, he’d never seen such alchemy.
Where was the essence extraction? The impurity removal?
Today was enlightening—while others used flames and cauldrons, this master used brute force.
“My pellet has only one flaw—it’s somewhat hard.” Jiang Li handed it over.
The Sixth Prince found even his Divine Transformation Stage strength couldn’t dent it.
Was this edible? Even swallowed whole, no stomach could digest it.
“My pill uses over ninety percent of the Nine Provinces’ herbs—the culmination of alchemical mastery, the indisputable pinnacle of pill-making!”
“Then… what’s its effect?” Pills require balancing complementary and opposing properties. Many ingredients were highly toxic—normally used with extreme caution. Yet Jiang Li compressed them all into one pellet.
Debatable whether this was medicine or poison.
Jiang Li explained: “This is the ‘Life-Death-Fortune-Heaven Pill’—consumption might bring massive cultivation leaps through multiple realms, or instant death. Completely unpredictable.”
“Sixth Prince, care to try?” Jiang Li enthusiastically promoted.
The prince shook his head violently, fearing any hesitation might be misinterpreted as interest.