Desolate Devouring Art

Geng Ye collapsed onto the ground as the flame died out, his face ashen. A potent fragrance filled the entire chamber as all ten cauldrons were successful.

Sang Yan rushed over anxiously and opened the cauldrons while Sheng Lian and Gao Hong collected the pills. When three hundred pills were placed into the porcelain bottles, it was revealed that Liu Wuxie had refined 5,080 fourth-grade pills through seventeen batches.

Most importantly, there were still four hours till the next day.

“He succeeded?” The alchemists who had remained neutral snapped back to reality, looking at Liu Wuxie with a mix of respect and a hint of fear.

“It’s beyond words. I bet even a monstrous genius couldn’t achieve this!” Everyone was unable to calm their hearts as they looked at the pile of porcelain bottles.

“Elder Wen, can these pills compensate for the losses of the herbs?” Liu Wuxie asked with a sneer. There were still enough herbs to refine about two thousand pills.

“O-Of course!” Elder Wen responded, his smile bright and his attitude quickly changing.

When Mu Yueying killed Zhang Dejun, it was as if she was sending a message to everyone that anyone who dared to question Liu Wuxie would be going against her, and their only outcome would be death.

Geng Ye’s group was reduced to just four people after Zhang Dejun’s demise. Geng Ye was in a daze, and Xiao Li found it hard to accept that someone could refine 5,000 pills in a single day.

“Young Lady, please don’t expel us!” Geng Ye suddenly ran over to Mu Yueying and begged for forgiveness.

“We were wrong! Please give us another chance!” Yu Zhong was on the brink of tears, nearly falling to his knees.

“You all are on your own!” Mu Yueying retorted, her eyes flashing with disgust. Their actions had gone too far in provoking the chief alchemist she had personally appointed.

“Young Master Liu, Master Liu, please forgive us! We won’t dare to go against you again!” Zou Tao prostrated himself before Liu Wuxie, his voice trembling with fear.

“Master Liu, please grant us another opportunity!” Xiao Li also set aside his pride and implored Liu Wuxie for mercy. The four of them were akin to dogs, begging for their master’s forgiveness.

Everyone else remained silent, none stepping forward, merely observing quietly.

“Give you all another chance?” Liu Wuxie scoffed, “Would any of you have given me a chance had I failed today?”

No one could respond to that question, for they knew that if Liu Wuxie had failed today and been expelled from the Treasure Pill Pavilion, he would have faced attacks from Geng Ye’s group.

If Liu Wuxie allowed them to stay, they might stir up trouble in the future. It wasn’t that he was ruthless, but such was the harsh reality of the cultivation world. Once a feud was established, it would only end with the demise of one party.

“Master Mao, confiscate their alchemist tokens, and henceforth, these four will no longer be alchemists of my Treasure Pill Pavilion,” Mu Yueying declared. Upon her judgment, Geng Ye’s group of four collapsed onto the cold ground. Having their alchemist tokens confiscated would be a lifelong disgrace to them.

However, no one dared to defy her and obediently handed over their alchemist tokens. They knew they would meet the same fate as Zhang Dejun if they dared to resist, given how resolute Mu Yueying was in executing him.

“Leave!” Master Mao didn’t take advantage of their downfall. They were former colleagues, and he wished for them to look after themselves well.

Dejected, the four left the Treasure Pill Pavilion. A crowd had gathered outside, parting to let them pass, oblivious to the events that had transpired. As the four stood on the streets, the warm sunlight bathed them, but they felt no warmth.

“Geng Ye, what should we do now?!” Xiao Li’s face was a mask of grim despair. Even though their status as alchemists had been revoked, they still had their cultivation skills to earn a living.

“Let’s seek out Jiang Yue. He’s currently the chief alchemist of the Cloud Xing Pavilion, and I’m confident he’ll welcome us!” Geng Ye cast a cold glance at the Treasure Pill Pavilion before departing with the other three.

......

Inside the alchemy chamber, Mu Yueying surveyed everyone present. She sternly warned, “Keep today’s events to yourselves. Don’t hold me accountable for being harsh if anyone dares to divulge it!”

The remarkable feat of Liu Wuxie refining five thousand pills in a single day was best kept under wraps. Geng Ye’s group, humiliated by the event, would naturally keep silent, not wanting to rub salt into their own wounds.

“Rest assured, our lips are sealed!” Sang Yan was the first to assure them, and others quickly echoed his words.

“You can all leave now!” Mu Yueying, satisfied, dismissed the crowd, leaving only herself and Liu Wuxie in the alchemy chamber.

As Master Mao exited last and closed the door behind him, the alchemy chamber became isolated from the outside world.

Mu Yueying’s gaze upon Liu Wuxie revealed nothing, his eyes appearing as unfathomable as an abyss.

“I apologize for what happened today on behalf of the Treasure Pill Pavilion.” Mu Yueying bowed deeply. As the pavilion master, she had to be responsible for that day’s events.

“This isn’t your fault. I foresaw this when I arrived at the Treasure Pill Pavilion yesterday,” Liu Wuxie responded nonchalantly, sorting through the herbs without a care.

As an Immortal Emperor, he had experienced all sorts of things. He knew he would have to convince everyone of his qualifications to become the chief alchemist because of his young age. It was natural for him to be outcasted and suppressed.

“I’ll leave you to your work. Don’t hesitate to call on me if you need anything,” Mu Yueying offered with a smile before exiting the alchemy chamber.

In the vast alchemy chamber, Liu Wuxie was the only one left behind. The multitude of pills he had refined was enough to keep the Treasure Pill Pavilion in business for some time.

Liu Wuxie brought out spiritual flame directly, giving up using earthly flame since there wasn’t anyone around. He directly used the flame from his dantian to refine pills.

The terrifying flame engulfed the ten cauldrons, and the herbs on the ground began to dwindle. His refining speed was significantly faster than before, showcasing his true alchemical skills.

Within two hours, Liu Wuxie had successfully refined two thousand fourth-grade pills, their potency surpassing those he had previously refined for his own use.

After extinguishing the flame, Liu Wuxie ingested three pills. A wave of potent energy surged through his body, a necessary boost as he was left with only thirty percent of his true essence after a day of pill refining.

This was crucial as he was about to undertake the task of refining a fifth-grade pill, a process that demanded the alchemist’s cultivation to be at the True Core Realm. Despite the risks, Liu Wuxie was determined to proceed. With only nineteen days remaining until his death match with Qin Shi, he was acutely aware that time was of the essence, and he needed to seize every opportunity to advance his cultivation.

Six hours later, having recovered to his peak condition, Liu Wuxie’s cultivation was on the brink of reaching the seventh level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm.

The first three levels were classified as the initial phase, the next three as the intermediate phase, and the last three as the late phase. This meant he would soon step into the late phase of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, and reaching the pinnacle was just a matter of time for him.

Approaching the largest cauldron, Liu Wuxie took out the Dragon Whisker Grass and other herbs.

“Dragon Origin Pill...I’ll depend on you to see if I can reach the seventh level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm,” Liu Wuxie pondered to himself.

The Dragon Origin Pill was a fifth-grade pill, and it wasn’t available in the market. He had obtained the formula from Master Mao, but it wasn’t complete because some herbs were blurred.

But through Ghost Eye and his ample knowledge in alchemy, Liu Wuxie soon restored the Dragon Origin Pill’s formula. The Dragon Whisker Grass was the main ingredient for refining the Dragon Origin Pill.

He brought out the flame from his dantian. The flame was like two hands engulfing the entire cauldron. As the temperature increased, Liu Wuxie concentrated and was prepared to start the refinement.

As he placed the initial Dragon Whisker Grass into the cauldron, Liu Wuxie felt a surge of tension. He quickly formed hand seals to secure the cauldron, ensuring no leakage would occur.

“Seven Yang Grass, Misty Dew, Aquawood Essence...” Liu Wuxie began tossing herbs into the cauldron. The herbs swiftly dissolved and merged with the Dragon Whisker Grass. They looked like a liquid but were mist as they rumbled in the cauldron.

Fifteen minutes later, Liu Wuxie tossed the second Dragon Whisker Grass into the cauldron, and a roar came from within the cauldron.

This was an ordinary cauldron, and it had never been used to refine a fifth-grade pill before. Thus, it was a question of whether the cauldron could withstand it.

Fine cracks began appearing on the cauldron, which would’ve blown apart if it hadn’t been supported with profound seals.

A mere ten minutes later, as Liu Wuxie introduced the third Dragon Whisker Grass into the cauldron, delicate cracking sounds could be heard emanating from the cauldron. This allowed a formidable energy to seep out.

Not long after Mu Yueying returned to her residence, the Myriad Beast Cauldron roared. This brought a bitter smile to Mu Yueying’s lips, and she gently comforted the cauldron. She muttered, “What a monster. What pill are you refining that even the Myriad Beast Cauldron feels pressured?”

Two hours later, Liu Wuxie tossed the fifth Dragon Whisker Grass into the cauldron, leaving everything to fate. He strode an unusual footwork with flames enveloping the cauldron through his hands.

A foot-long fissure ran along the edge of the cauldron, reaching its abdomen as the energy inside began to seep out. This meant that the effects of the Dragon Origin Pill would be significantly weakened.

But Liu Wuxie remained calm as he formed multiple golden seals that lifted the cauldron to the sky. If someone else had seen this scene, they would have fainted from the fright.

The cauldron was engulfed in flames when it flew to the sky. As it spun, a powerful gust of wind formed, sending the herbal shelves on two sides flying away.

The cauldron flew off the ground, and the pills were refined in mid-air, which was an incredible sight.

Fifth-grade pills couldn’t be handled through conventional methods. The cauldron wouldn’t last long, and Liu Wuxie had to resort to other methods, directly bypassing the condensing stage and going straight to the forming stage.

Dragon roars came from the cauldron as the Dragon Origin Pill started forming. More cracks also began to appear on the cauldron's surface, which was on the verge of collapse.

Time was running out, and Liu Wuxie resorted to multitasking, refining pills, and controlling the flame. Dragon aura seeped out from the cracks, forming countless golden dragons wandering in the air, and those were pill spirits.

Fifth-grade pills contained intense spirituality. As the dragon's roar grew louder, cracking sounds echoed in the entire alchemy chamber. Cracks began to appear on the walls as they could not withstand the pill's impact.

“Form!” Liu Wuxie roared, and a golden beam shot into the sky. The cauldron also burst into countless fragments, scattering around.

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