“Have you finished?
Then let’s waste no time—we’re starting to refine pills.”
Zhou Tong said flatly, wiping the smile off Tang Qi’s face.
“Putting on airs.”
Tang Qi sneered.
“You forced a seventh-grade pill before and suffered the backlash.
You’ve been a cripple ever since.
What right do you have to talk tough in front of me!”
At these words, the people around were startled at first, then turned to Zhou Tong with curious amusement.
“A seventh-grade pill?
Him?
Has he taken a good look at himself lately!”
“If you want an example of overreaching, here it is.
He thinks his talent is higher than the sky, when in fact he’s just a piece of trash!”
“It looks like Fairy Mo did the right thing.
A fellow like this is better tossed out early—otherwise he’ll bring disaster upon everyone sooner or later!”
Facing the crowd’s mockery, Zhou Tong was neither alarmed nor angered.
He sat down cross-legged and took out his pill furnace.
As it happened, the task board listed a request to refine a Bodhi Pill—just what he had been hoping for.
A single seventh-grade pill was worth twenty thousand merit points.
If he refined every pill on the task board, he could not only clear his debts but also buy several Way of Heaven stone tablets with what remained.
Two birds with one stone!
The ingredients went into the furnace, the divine flame was kindled, and everything proceeded in orderly fashion.
Everyone around fell silent—that was the rule.
But there’s always someone who wants to break the rules.
Chen Ling’er walked up and said, looking down on him: “Stop putting on a brave face and toughing it out.
When that Dao wound flares up, no one will be able to save you.”
Zhou Tong remained silent, as if he hadn’t heard her.
“I’m talking to you!
What kind of attitude is that?!”
Chen Ling’er flushed with humiliation and rage, convinced Zhou Tong was playing hard to get.
She reached out to grab his shoulder.
“Scram!”
“Come any closer, and I’ll kill you!”
“Ahh!”
Chen Ling’er couldn’t hold back a cry of pain, shock and fury filling her eyes.
“You’re all trying to destroy him!”
“Senior Sister, there’s nothing to say to trash like this.
If he wants to humiliate himself, I’ll gladly oblige him!”
Tang Qi’s lips curled.
He realized this was a perfect chance to trample Zhou Tong underfoot.
If the two of them refined pills side by side, and Zhou Tong failed while he succeeded—wouldn’t his prestige shoot straight to the heavens!
With that thought, he excitedly brought out his own furnace and entered a state of refinement.
The scene immediately drew a crowd of onlookers.
The genius of the past and the genius of the present, locked in a clash.
Who knew what sparks would fly?
“Do we even need to watch?
One of them has real substance, the other is just posturing.
The outcome was decided long ago!”
As if to prove that man’s point, an hour later, waves of rich pill fragrance drifted from Tang Qi’s furnace—sweet and refreshing to the soul!
“Such rich, pure pill aura—this is a sixth-grade Origin-Returning Pill, and of exceptionally high quality!”
An alchemy grandmaster hurried over, nodding in approval.
The crowd erupted at once.
“As expected of an all-around genius!
Just days ago he was a fifth-grade pill master, and now he’s already broken through.
It’s truly humbling!”
“Done!”
Tang Qi’s eyes lit up.
He slapped open the cauldron’s lid, and a bright red pill flew out.
“Flawless color, dense pill aura—this is indeed a top-grade Origin-Returning Pill!”
The crowd sang its praises—then, all of a sudden, the sky filled with dark clouds, pressing down until the air grew thick and stifling.
“Heavens!
That’s a pill cloud!”
Some alchemists shouted in alarm: “Refining a sixth-grade pill yet drawing an auspicious omen—that means its quality is nearly seventh-grade!”
At these words, everyone was dumbstruck, gazing at Tang Qi with awe. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“Young Master Tang is truly a peerless prodigy!”
For a time, the flattery never stopped, and quite a few people were busy running Zhou Tong down at the same time.
“Look at the likes of him!
A piece of trash daring to compare himself with Young Master Tang—he’d have better luck dreaming!”
“Everyone, don’t disturb him.
Don’t let him pin his failure on us later.”
Tang Qi said teasingly, his eyes fixed on Zhou Tong.
Even Chen Ling’er was shaking her head nearby, as if disappointed beyond measure.
A moment later, Zhou Tong opened his eyes as well.
“It’s done.”
He said flatly.
“What have you done?
There’s not even a trace of pill fluctuation.
Don’t tell me you refined a seventh-grade pill!”
Someone rushed up, speaking with the utmost sarcasm.
“Indeed—a seventh-grade Bodhi Pill.”
At these words, the crowd exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha…
Did I hear that right?
He actually dares to say it!
A seventh-grade pill is something that summons heavenly thunder and earthly fire.
Should we all prepare ourselves so we don’t get struck dead by lightning!”
“I hope so!”
Zhou Tong looked at the man and smiled brightly.
“Then let the lightning strike me dead!”
The man ran straight out and spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the sky.
“If the lightning doesn’t strike me dead, then you crawl between my legs!”
At this, the crowd couldn’t help laughing again.
Then let’s wait and see.
Zhou Tong smiled and slowly opened his furnace.