Chapter 421: Chapter 420 The Pill that Best Represents Alchemy Achievements

Jiang Li was rather disappointed that his sneaky approach didn’t fool the keen-eyed elder alchemists. They immediately detected his attempt to cheat.

After weighing everyone’s opinions, the Sixth Prince announced, “Su Wei wins the second round.”

“That’s not really cheating, you know. I mean, I did spend quite a bit of spirit stones.” Jiang Li felt like he’d been short-changed by the cost of it.

Swordsman acknowledged, “Indeed, this isn’t cheating. More like counting your chickens before they hatched.”

“Swordsman, has anyone ever told you that you’re too blunt?”

“Yes, but they stopped the moment I drew my sword and started complimenting how honest and straightforward I am.”

“…How about you go back to Sword Tomb and have another go battling your Heart Demon? Let’s just pretend I never saved you.”

“The third round will be testing the alchemists’ improvisational abilities. Here, we’ve gathered over ninety percent of the spirit herbs from all over the nine continents. Feel free to use them, they don’t cost any spirit stones thanks to our Spirit-Grass Sect sponsorship.”

Jiang Li noticed a twitch on the face of the Sect Master of the Spirit-Grass Sect. The man was in clear physical distress from the cost.

The Sixth Prince continued, “We ask each of the alchemy masters to craft the pill that you believe best represents your accomplishments in alchemy. If you require ingredients not provided by the spirit-Grass Sect, please resolve it yourself.”

A pill that symbolizes their accomplishments in alchemy? That alone will make these alchemists think for a while.

Everyone, that is, except Jiang Li and Swordsman.

A pill that represents one’s alchemy achievements would be difficult to make. It’s not something two dilettantes like them could do.

The Sixth Prince gave Jiang Li a look and added, “It must be made on the spot.”

Jiang Li dismissed the thought of using the Nine Turns Immortal Pill, and asked, “Could I hire someone to make it on the spot?”

“No.”

Jiang Li felt these alchemists were too inflexible and lacked creativity.

“Forget it. I’ll just try to win this round honestly. As someone in the Mahayana Realm, creating a new pill shouldn’t be a problem.”

Very soon, some alchemists decided on what they wanted to make, and began preparing, raiding the Spirit-Grass Sect’s precious resources.

“Let’s interview one. May I ask what kind of pill you wish to make?”

The interviewed Alchemy Master didn’t stop working, and responded, “In the countless years of history in the nine continents, and even longer in the Immortal Realm, numerous precious pills have appeared and vanished. Their demise is primarily due to the rarity of their ingredients. These materials are gathered faster than they grow, and soon become extinct. Once the main ingredient is lost, the pill will also be lost to history.”

“I believe that the pill best representing the achievement of alchemy should be those made from common spirit herbs that have been passed down from ancient times and will continue to be passed down.”

“So, you wish to make…”

“A pill called Man Pill. One made from human material and capable of advancing one’s cultivation.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of cultivators from the Body Integration Realm pounced on him to arrest him, intending to take him to the Imperial Palace.

“A Demon Cultivator has the audacity to openly admit to manufacturing human pills.”

The Alchemy Master eagerly explained, “No, it’s not what you think! Let me explain. The Man Pill that I spoke of is made using my own blood. It wouldn’t harm anyone else. Just look at me, I don’t emit any demonic aura, I’m not a Demon Cultivator.”

With this explanation, people noticed that he lacked the characteristics of a Demon Cultivator and let him go.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, so the Sixth Prince decided to interview another Alchemy Master to divert everyone’s attention.

Moving on to the next, he asked, “Sir, what kind of pill would you like to make?”

“A pill that every living being needs.”

“And that would be?”

“The Yin Yang Harmony Pill.”

“…” The Sixth Prince thought he had heard wrong.

“Think about it, Your Highness. Cultivators can’t live forever, and propagation is the way of survival. Regardless of how powerful any entity is, they cannot escape from this fact.”

“The humanity reflected in the Yin Yang Harmony Pill proves it to be the highest achievement in alchemy!”

The Sixth Prince asked, “Every cultivator can’t escape propagation?”

“That’s right.”

“But to my knowledge, the Human Emperor, Jiang, hasn’t been in a relationship, let alone getting married. How does propagation apply to him?”

The Alchemy Master waved off his question, “That just goes on to show the effectiveness of my Yin Yang Harmony Pill. Even if Jiang the Human Emperor takes it, he would be filled with the desire to procreate.”

“Really?” The Sixth Prince was skeptical.

“I hope it’s true.”

“…”

Master Chen Jian, what kind of pill do you want to make?”

“A Sword Pill.”

“What?”

“Whether to advance cultivation or heal wounds, the consumption of pills is to protect oneself. In that case, why not be direct and use the pill for battle.”

“The Sword Pill that I’m making could cause heavy injuries to a Body Integration Realm cultivator. Once the enemy is injured, wouldn’t you be safe? There would be no need to take pills anymore.”

The Sixth Prince struggled to keep up with Swordsman’s thought process.

“Master Jin Li, what kind of pill do you want to make?” He found Jiang Li and asked him. Jiang Li was the one who left a deep impression on him.

“A self-created pill.” Jiang Li casually replied, emanating an aura of aloofness.

“The Spirit Grass Sect has provided 108,000 kinds of spirit herbs which I used one of each to blend together.”

Jiang Li presented a shiny black pill.

“This pill was made from 108,000 kinds of spirit herbs?” The Sixth Prince couldn’t believe it, considering the sophistication of alchemy needed to be this advanced.

Truly an Alchemy Master!

“What methods did you use to refine this pill? Was it a special kind of flame, or a unique technique?” The Sixth Prince had been busy questioning others. He didn’t see how Jiang Li had done it.

“Let me show you again.” Jiang Li collected the spirit herbs and piled them up high again, as high as a small mountain. Then, with two invisible colossal hands, he squeezed the spirit herb mountain, forcibly squashing it into a pill.

Clang–

The pill fell to the ground with a sound akin to a metal block dropping.

The Sixth Prince was stunned. He had never seen this method of pill-making before.

Where was the process of extracting medicinal properties, and removing impurities?

Today, he learned something new: while others use flames and pill furnaces for alchemy, this one used brute force.

“The only problem with this pill is…it’s a bit hard.” Jiang Li handed the pill to the Sixth Prince.

The Sixth Prince found that even with his strength at the Divinity Transformation Stage, he could not pinch the pill.

Is this thing even edible? Even if you swallowed it, wouldn’t it remain undigested in the stomach.

“This pill used over ninety percent of the spirit herbs from the nine continents, it is no doubt a great accomplishment in Alchemy Dao, the highest achievement in Alchemy Dao, isn’t it?”

“And what’s its effect?” Medicine used in alchemy has principles as to how they synergise and counteract each other. Just now, a combination of highly toxic substances was used, which would need careful application. Jiang Li on the other hand, had clustered all of them into one another all together.

Is it a pill or poison was hard to tell.

Jiang Li explained, “This pill is called ‘Life and Death are Fated, Wealth is in Heaven Pill’. It means that after consuming it, one may either experience a huge advancement in cultivation, advancing through several stages, or they may die. Everything is unknown.”

“Y-your Highness, would you like to try?” Jiang Li enthusiastically pushed his product.

The Sixth Prince shook his head fervently, afraid that if he shook his head any slower he would give Jiang Li the wrong impression.