Chapter 421: The Evolving Spirit Pill

The Sixth Prince felt relieved that at least a few alchemists and their cauldrons proved reliable, demonstrating the skill expected of master alchemists. Among them, Su Wei, the Crimson Sun Cauldron, and the Spirit Herb Sect Master stood out the most. At the very least, their pill-refining techniques were far more pleasing to watch than Jiang Li’s.

“Look! The Spirit Herb Sect Master is using Soul-Devouring Flowers as the main ingredient!” Knowledgeable cultivators in the audience exclaimed. Soul-Devouring Flowers were poisonous—after consumption, they would gradually drain a cultivator’s spiritual energy until death by exhaustion. Rumors even claimed the Human Sovereign Jiang had once fallen victim to this potent toxin.

“Human Sovereign, you’ve actually eaten Soul-Devouring Flowers before?” Sword Sovereign transmitted his question to Jiang Li upon hearing the discussion.

“Indeed. I overfed it to death.”

Unaware of their private conversation, the Sixth Prince approached the Spirit Herb Sect Master to inquire what kind of pill required such a vicious poison. 

“You only know half the story. Poison and medicine share the same origin—they can counteract each other or even transform into one another.”

“Then you…”

“Oh, I’m doing neither counteracting nor transforming.”

The Sixth Prince suppressed the urge to curse.

“Explaining the principles would take too long. I’ll demonstrate after completion.” The sect master accelerated his movements to finalize the process. 

“Finally, add the Mother-Child Lotus… Activate!”

The cauldron spun rapidly before its lid burst open with a bang. Amid swirling mist, a golden pill rose into the air, the vapors lingering unusually long.

“Pill Clouds! Higher grade than Pill Veins! Sect Master Huang’s pill generated Pill Clouds!”

“Sect Master Huang, what effects does this pill have?”

“None whatsoever.”

“What?”

The Sixth Prince felt he hadn’t been able to follow anyone’s reasoning since hosting this Unity Stage competition.

“This is my original creation—an Evolving Spirit Pill. Initially blank like plain paper, it has no effects. But when I feed it a Qi Gathering Pill, it gains that pill’s properties.”

The prince had heard of evolving spiritual treasures, but never evolving spirit pills.

When the sect master placed a Qi Gathering Pill beside the Evolving Spirit Pill, something astonishing occurred—the two pills gradually merged into one.

“Foundation Establishment Pills, Foundation Consolidation Pills, Minor Restoration Pills… It can consume any pill.” The sect master produced numerous pills that were all devoured and assimilated by the evolving pill.

“Now my pill possesses the combined effects of Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, Foundation Consolidation, and Minor Restoration Pills.”

“If it consumes every type of pill, it becomes an omnipotent pill! What could better represent the pinnacle of alchemy?”

After hesitating, the Sixth Prince couldn’t help asking, “Then why not just take all those pills directly?”

The sect master wagged a finger. “This leads to its second ability—it can reproduce.” 

As he spoke, the pill rolled twice and spat out a smaller pill, the pair resembling mother and child.

“The offspring also inherits the abilities to consume other pills and reproduce.”

“But wouldn’t this be rather useless for cultivators?”

“Nonsense! You can either consume it or keep it as a pet—two benefits in one!”

Jiang Li mused that since the Luban Sect was poaching their business, the Spirit Herb Sect was now targeting the Beast Taming Sect’s market. After all, not all spirit beasts sold by Beast Taming Sect were for combat—some kept them as cute pets.

Retracting his earlier thought, the Sixth Prince concluded Su Wei and the Crimson Sun Cauldron better represented the Nine Provinces’ highest alchemical standards.

Indeed, standing opposed as representatives of their respective factions, both were determined to win this third match.

“Hahaha! Let’s see how you’ll surpass this, Su Wei! I’ve refined the Heaven-Transforming Spirit Pill that boosts soul strength for Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, saving them three centuries of cultivation!” 

The Crimson Sun Cauldron brimmed with confidence. A pill benefiting even Tribulation Transcendence cultivators stood infinitely close to immortal-grade—Su Wei couldn’t possibly top this.

“Sword Sovereign, would this Heaven-Transforming Spirit Pill benefit you?”

“Unless absolutely necessary, I never consume pills—especially cultivation-boosting ones. Even the finest pills leave residue. Taking them would only accumulate impurities in my body.”

“Your view aligns with Yu Yin’s,” Jiang Li chuckled.

“Then what’s the Human Sovereign’s stance? Have you ever taken cultivation-boosting pills?” Sword Sovereign asked curiously.

“Never. Thanks to my Heavenly Spiritual Root, my cultivation advanced too rapidly to bother with pills.”

“…” Sword Sovereign decided he should converse less with Jiang Li.

Indeed—reaching Mahayana Stage in two centuries made any pill’s effects trivial by comparison. At his current stage, even Nine Revolutions Immortal Pills had become ineffective for Jiang Li.

“Peak Master Su has refined… the Changbai Nation-Preserving Pill!” The Sixth Prince immediately recognized Su Wei’s creation and gasped.

Unlike regular pills, this extremely rare fortune-type pill was designed for national destiny rather than individual consumption.

National destiny and a country’s fate were interconnected. When a nation neared collapse, its destiny would similarly deteriorate. The Changbai Pill could forcibly sustain a crumbling national destiny for a century—keeping the nation alive. With competent leadership during this extension, recovery became possible.

Possessing this pill meant granting a dying nation a century-long lifeline and potential revival—every ruler’s dream.

The previous Great Han Dynasty had used one to prolong its existence for a century before ultimately falling to the Great Wei Dynasty.

The pill’s extreme difficulty came from both complex refinement and scarce ingredients. Su Wei had dipped into her personal reserves of precious materials, wincing at the cost. Moreover, the success rate stood at merely thirty percent.

Fortunately, she succeeded.

The Sixth Prince eyed the pill covetously—acquiring it would surely earn his father’s favor.

“Though Father probably doesn’t need it,” he realized awkwardly. Like all pills, the Changbai Pill had an expiration—after a century, its efficacy would vanish.

With Human Sovereign Jiang’s presence, rulers dared not mistreat citizens, instead striving for his approval through benevolent governance. This made national collapse unlikely, rendering the pill useless even if obtained.

Someone noticed celestial anomalies: “Look! That’s the legendary Pill Tribulation Lightning! The last sighting was twenty years ago!”

“Not just that—it’s dual Pill Tribulation! Both Su Wei and the Crimson Sun Cauldron have attracted it simultaneously! The combined force is terrifying!”

While Pill Tribulation signified supreme quality, neither alchemist rejoiced. Handling single tribulation was manageable, but the doubled intensity exceeded their capabilities.