Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 504 - Shocking the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion

Huang Tao ended his refinement three hours later with a successful batch of Blood Pills. There were fourteen pills, as everyone had expected; they were all round and full.

The disciples rushed forward, quickly draping their robes over Huang Tao, their faces alight with excitement.

“Master is unmatched! That brat is finished!” they exclaimed, full of confidence. There were fourteen Blood Pills in the cauldron, an impressive feat. Among those present, save for the nine-star alchemists, no one could rival Huang Tao’s skill.

None dared to inspect the pills up close—his reputation as one of the top ten eight-star alchemists was enough to guarantee their quality. The rich, potent aroma emanating from the cauldron confirmed the pills' potency, even from a distance.

Everyone turned their attention to Bi Gongyu next, waiting to see if he could beat Huang Tao.

When the last spiritual herb was tossed into the cauldron, Bi Gongyu finally reached the pill condensation stage, with mist beginning to form above the cauldron.

“Look! That’s a sign that the pill is condensing. Did he refine the Spirit Restoration Pill for real?” Everyone was shocked to see the mist forming above the cauldron, and gasps of exclamation could be heard through the crowd.

Huang Tao’s heart sank deeper as the mist thickened. In his hundred years of refining pills, he had only encountered such a phenomenon once before. That memory, combined with the pill cloud Bi Gongyu produced in the previous round, left him increasingly unsettled. A single occurrence could be written off as luck, but twice in a row? It was undeniable proof of Bi Gongyu’s mastery.

The crowd, too, began to glance at Liu Wuxie with newfound respect. Whispers of awe replaced the earlier jeers. They couldn’t fathom what kind of master could produce such a remarkable disciple. Even those who had mocked Liu Wuxie moments ago remained silent, realizing they had underestimated him.

Yi Xuan bounced up on his seat and wished he could help Bi Gongyu. He was feeling anxious despite knowing nothing about alchemy.

Yi Nan grabbed onto the armrest tightly. He looked like he wanted to stand but couldn’t muster strength because his meridians had long withered.

The mist grew thicker and took the shape of pills, creating this spectacular scene. Everyone was stunned by this scene before them, and they didn’t expect someone in the Heavenly Dipper Realm to refine such a heaven-defying pill. The rich aroma from the cauldron had already filled the entire square even before the pill was formed.

“What’s going on? My injured meridians are healing?” A disciple exclaimed in disbelief. His arm had suffered a meridian injury from a sword strike years ago, leaving him with a severe loss in strength. Yet, just from inhaling the pill’s aroma, he could feel the damaged meridian begin to heal—a sensation he hadn’t felt in years.

“It’s the Spirit Restoration Pill!” The crowd went wild because if Bi Gongyu had refined the Spirit Restoration Pill, it would break the balance in the alchemy market. This meant the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would instantly reclaim its position at the top of the market.

The Azure Crimson Gate had suppressed the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion throughout the years, and the appearance of the Spirit Restoration Pill would skyrocket their status. Thus, it was no wonder why the disciples went into a frenzy.

The most terrifying part was the Spirit Restoration Pill’s effects. After all, who hadn’t had their meridians injured before?

Yi Xuan rushed over and stood behind Bi Gongyu. He was worried that Bi Gongyu might fall into mishaps, or rather, he was also worried that the Spirit Restoration Pill would be snatched away.

Huang Tao staggered and fell onto his seat when the Spirit Restoration Pill’s fragrance permeated the space. The surrounding space was distorted, and a person appeared unnoticed.

“This kid gave me a huge surprise!” Mu Tianli said with a smile before his body began to dissipate, revealing that he was only a projection. His real body remained in secluded cultivation.

Bi Gongyu was left panting in exhaustion after he finished forming the last seal. He was under immense pressure to refine the Spirit Restoration Pill in front of so many people, not to mention that Liu Wuxie’s life was on the line.

His nerves were stretched tight throughout the process, and he finally fell to the ground after succeeding.

Yi Xuan opened the cauldron eagerly, and there were five pills inside. He summoned them into his hand with a wave of hand.

“It’s the Spirit Restoration Pill!” Yi Xuan began to tear up. He had traveled across the Southern Province in the past five years to search for a Spirit Restoration Pill for his grandson. He had begged and had been taken advantage of. Only he knew the hardship he went through.

Mo Chong rushed forward, wanting to snatch a pill from Yi Xuan, but the latter held onto the pills tightly. No one could take a single pill from him today.

The meridians of Yi Xuan’s grandson were heavily damaged, and one might not be enough. It might require three or even all five pills to treat his meridians.

“Wuxie, can you let me have the Spirit Restoration Pills?” Yi Xuan walked over and asked in a pleading tone.

Everyone turned to look at Liu Wuxie, seeing how a revered elder in the pinnacle Nascent Transformation Realm humbly begged a disciple. The world would be shocked if news of this got out.

“These Spirit Restoration Pills are meant for you, to begin with.” Liu Wuxie stood up from his chair and supported Elder Yi Xuan.

“Okay! I’ll personally come to thank you once my grandson is treated!” Elder Yi Xuan straightened his back, and the despair stored in his heart had dissipated completely.

Even if the five Spirit Restoration Pills couldn't fully heal Yi Nan, they would at least restore him to the condition of an ordinary person. For Yi Xuan, that was enough—his grandson could live a normal life, free from the chair, and even carry on the family lineage. With hope in his eyes, Yi Xuan turned, eager to give the pills to Yi Nan.

"Wait!" Liu Wuxie's voice rang out, stopping Yi Xuan in his tracks. For a moment, Yi Xuan feared Liu Wuxie had changed his mind.

“There’s a bottle of stalactite essence. You can use it to strengthen his damaged meridians before feeding him the Spirit Restoration Pills. The effect should be much better this way because the ripping pain from healing meridians might kill your grandson.” Liu Wuxie took out a bottle of stalactite essence and handed it to Elder Yi Xuan, who was at a loss for words.

Elder Yi Xuan didn’t know what to say, but he gritted his teeth and accepted it. He had already owed Liu Wuxie a favor, so owing another one wouldn’t make a big deal.

No one interrupted as they watched Elder Yi Xuan. Everyone was still skeptical of the Spirit Restoration Pills and wanted to witness the result for themselves.

They couldn’t possibly cripple a disciple and destroy their meridians to test the Spirit Restoration Pill’s effect, but Yi Nan was the perfect candidate. His meridians were damaged beyond repair, which was no secret in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Yi Nan’s face became rosy after taking the stalactite essence, with a tingling sensation coming from his meridians. The stalactite essence was potent and the best medicine to temper the physique.

A thin membrane appeared on Yi Nan’s meridians, ensuring there wouldn’t be any pain when he consumed the Spirit Restoration Pills.

Elder Yi Xuan gently fed the pills to his grandson and used his true essence to guide the medicinal power through Yi Nan’s body. As the pills began to work, countless divine senses locked onto Yi Nan, all eager to witness the effects of the Spirit Restoration Pill firsthand.

Under the influence of Elder Yi Xuan's true essence, the pill dissolved rapidly, and its healing energy spread throughout Yi Nan's body. His damaged meridians, which had long been lifeless, were revitalized, and the broken segments began to reconnect seamlessly.

"What unbelievable potency! It's far more powerful than the rumors claimed!" Mo Chong was left speechless, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.

The withered meridians, nourished by the pill, appeared as if they had been brought back to life. A faint, almost ethereal layer formed over the newly repaired meridians, further strengthening them.

"Look at that! His meridians aren’t just healing—they’re growing stronger!" exclaimed another nine-star alchemist, astonished at the unprecedented transformation unfolding before their eyes.

This discovery left everyone stunned. An ordinary Spirit Restoration Pill could only reconnect the meridians and not strengthen them, but the pills refined by Bi Gongyu could strengthen the meridians and heal them, making them more resilient.

Oddly enough, everyone focused on Liu Wuxie instead of Bi Gongyu. The latter might be the one who had refined the pill, but everyone knew that Bi Gongyu’s alchemy skills were mediocre three months ago, barely reaching the level of a six-star alchemist.

However, Bi Gongyu’s alchemy skills skyrocketed after Liu Wuxie’s return, and there could only be one explanation: Liu Wuxie had been guiding him in alchemy.

“What a frightening pill! Everyone will enter a frenzy if this is placed on the market!” Even those without damaged meridians would consider consuming this pill to strengthen their meridians, which would, in turn, boost their talent. The reason why many people’s cultivation had stagnated was because their meridians couldn’t handle more powerful true essence.

“Grandmaster Liu, my name is Zhu San. Please take care of me in the future!” A seven-star alchemist suddenly approached Liu Wuxie and bowed, trying to curry favor with the latter.

“The grandmaster is over there!” Liu Wuxie pointed to Bi Gongyu. He had no intentions of entering the Treasure Pill Peak, and they had challenged Huang Tao to pave the way for his disciple.

Zhu Yan gave a bitter smile because everyone knew that Liu Wuxie was the true grandmaster.

It didn’t take long before a crowd surrounded Bi Gongyu. Liu Wuxie was aloof, which made it tough for anyone to approach him. On the contrary, Bi Gongyu was more approachable and treated everyone who came to greet him with friendliness.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and half of Yi Nan’s meridians were healed. His meridians would completely heal in three days at most at this rate.

A powerful aura surged from within Yi Nan. It had been five years, and his cultivation began to skyrocket the moment his true essence returned, almost reaching the high levels of the Heavenly Phase Realm.

Elder Yi Xuan wiped his tears, overwhelmed with emotion. At this moment, he looked nothing like a dignified and prestigious elder as he watched his grandson recover his true essence.

“Grandfather, I was wrong!” Yi Nan kneeled after the meridians in his legs recovered, and he gave his grandfather three kowtows.

“ It’s fine. Get up quickly!” Yi Xuan quickly supported his grandson. The renowned elder had an amicable expression on his face. This further verified that the effects of the Spirit Restoration Pill refined by Bi Gongyu were potent.

The Spirit Restoration Pill’s grade no longer mattered, and no one would dare to refute Liu Wuxie even if he claimed it to be a tenth-grade pill.

Judging from the spiritual herbs, it could barely be considered close to an eighth-grade pill.

Some people couldn’t help but look at Huang Tao because there was a pledge between them, which was a complete victory for Bi Gongyu.

Everyone completely ignored the fourteen Blood Pills refined by Huang Tao. This was because everyone could buy Blood Pills as long as they had resources. After all, it was one of the most common eighth-grade pills on the market.

Huang Tao’s face turned pale, and the disciples all stepped back.

Qing Mu’s expression darkened, growing more severe with each passing moment. He hadn’t anticipated Liu Wuxie emerging victorious. First, Jiang Gongming had failed to eliminate Liu Wuxie and ended up dead himself. Then, even Huang Tao, sent as his last resort, proved no match. Regret began to creep into Qing Mu’s heart, wondering if he had made the grave mistake of crossing someone far beyond his reach.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Hey, brat! Didn’t you say you’d kneel and eat feces if we won?" Song Ling approached with a smug grin, holding a jar in his hand, the taunt hanging in the air like a challenge.