Chapter 461 - 460: Pill Battle
Ou Tianlin’s mind reeled, his eyes wide with horror.
But a moment later, a torrent of indignation with nowhere to go washed over him. The color drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale. He pointed a trembling finger at Qin Ya. "Since you didn’t lose your spot, why come looking for me? Do you have any idea how many precious herbs I wasted to deal with you? Get out of here, now!"
Qin Ya, however, just chuckled softly. His eyes were icy as he replied with indifference, "Leave? You plot against me, and now you just want me to leave? And as for your ’precious herbs’... Indeed. Those Wasted Pills of yours were nothing more than a pile of expensive ingredients."
At these words, Ou Tianlin could endure it no longer.
He pointed at Qin Ya and roared, "Wasted Pills! You insult the Elixirs I refine again and again! Qin Ya, as of today, you and I, Ou Tianlin, are irreconcilable! I challenge you to a debate... no, not a debate! I challenge you to a Pill Battle! Do you dare accept?"
The corners of Qin Ya’s lips curled up. He had come here today with no intention of using Martial Power. ’That would be letting Ou Tianlin off far too easily. We’re both Alchemists, so it’s only right that our feud be settled at the Pill Furnace.’
"Alright. Bring it on."
"I will see you... utterly crushed!"
Ou Tianlin said coldly, "Qin Ya, I admit your talent is extraordinary, reaching the Realm of the Pill King at such a young age. But I have studied the Alchemy Dao for two centuries and have been a Pill King for nearly sixty years. The depth of my foundation and the wealth of my experience are things a youth like you, barely a man, could never hope to match."
Qin Ya shot him an indifferent glance. "So much nonsense."
Hearing that the two were about to engage in a Pill Battle, Muo Xiu’s expression changed. She immediately rushed forward. "Gentlemen, is all this anger really necessary?"
"Elder Muo, rest assured," Ou Tianlin said. "I will make this brat understand just how profound the Alchemy Dao truly is. It’s not as simple as he thinks. He refines a single Spirit Pill and suddenly thinks he’s above everyone else? It’s laughable."
Muo Xiu froze for a moment, then sighed in resignation.
Over the past year, she had often visited Qin Ya at the Thirty-Six Peaks to discuss the Alchemy Dao, giving her a rough idea of the young man’s skill. ’Just thinking about it now makes my heart tremble. It’s hard to believe.’
’My god, his level in the Alchemy Dao... it’s simply unfathomable!’
’Compared to him, my so-called ’Pill King’ title seems almost childish.’
’Now Ou Tianlin wants a Pill Battle with Qin Ya... I’m worried he’ll be so crushed that he’ll lose all his confidence. But how can I even say that? Even if I told him, he wouldn’t believe me.’
’Sigh... forget it. I just hope Elder Ou can endure what’s coming.’
Just then, Qin Ya spoke up. "Elder Muo, let’s hold our Pill Battle in your herb garden. The ingredients are plentiful there, which makes it a fitting location. What do you say?"
"I have no objection."
Ou Tianlin snorted. "Fine by me."
Soon, the group arrived in Muo Xiu’s herb garden.
Gazing at the herbs covering the landscape, Qin Ya offered a silent note of praise. Beside him, Ou Tianlin’s eyes betrayed his greed and jealousy; he looked as if he wanted nothing more than to claim the entire garden for himself. Muo Xiu noticed this and frowned, the last bit of sympathy she had for Ou Tianlin’s impending doom evaporating.
"Heh, Elder Muo, this herb garden of yours is quite magnificent," Xu Zhenhong said admiringly. This herb garden was one of the Sect’s greatest treasures, the source of ingredients for countless Elixirs. With that realization, his respect for its creator, Muo Xiu, grew even deeper.
"You’re too kind, Elder Xu," Muo Xiu said with a smile. She then turned to Qin Ya and Ou Tianlin. "This is simply my duty."
"Gentlemen, the herbs here are more than sufficient for your Pill Battle. What kind of Elixir do you intend to refine?"
"Elder Ou, you may choose."
"Hmph. Don’t let it be said that I used my age to bully you. The choice is yours."
An idea seemed to strike Muo Xiu. She smiled and said, "Elder Feng is currently in seclusion, comprehending some profound mysteries. However, I’ve heard his Divine Thought has been somewhat disturbed. Why not compete by refining the Spirit-Storage Pill? This pill nourishes the spirit and has exceptional healing properties for Divine Thought. What do you both think?"
"Agreed."
"Hmph. I have no problem with that either."
"Then it’s settled. The Spirit-Storage Pill can be made as either a Pseudo-Spiritual Pill or a Spirit Pill, and both grades use the same herbs. We’ll have you refine the Pseudo-Spiritual Pill. The plot where the herbs for the Spirit-Storage Pill are grown is just ahead. If you please."
Ou Tianlin shot forward, eager to pick his herbs first. Qin Ya, on the other hand, was unconcerned. He walked over at a leisurely pace, allowing Ou Tianlin to snatch up the oldest and most potent herbs. Only then did he begin to calmly pick his own.
Before long, both men had selected their herbs.
Muo Xiu stared in astonishment at the herbs each man had gathered. Ou Tianlin’s ingredients exuded a rich medicinal aroma, so potent it formed a faint vapor. Every single stalk was the finest of its kind. Qin Ya’s selection, in contrast, was far inferior. Some of his herbs weren’t even fully mature. The difference between their chosen ingredients was like that of the heavens and the earth.
’Hmph. Just as I thought, he’s a complete novice. He doesn’t even know how to select proper herbs.’
Ou Tianlin snorted, his estimation of Qin Ya dropping even further. He puffed out his chest and adopted an arrogant gaze, already certain of his victory. He looked every bit the part of a grandmaster.
"With the herbs you’ve chosen, you’ll be lucky to refine a Ninth-Grade Elixir," he declared. "Brat, I’ll give you one chance. I suggest you go back and choose again."
"There’s no need." Qin Ya shook his head and said coolly, "Elder Ou, do you know why I called your Ninth-Grade Elixirs ’Wasted Pills’?"
"Why?" Ou Tianlin’s expression darkened instantly.
"Because ingredients that you could have used to refine Pseudo-Spiritual Pills, or even Spirit Pills, are instead turned into mere Ninth-Grade Pills. To me, any elixir born from such wastefulness is no different from a Wasted Pill."
"Insolent!" Ou Tianlin roared.
"Insolent? Heh. That’s only because you are too ignorant." Qin Ya gestured to his own pile of herbs. "In your eyes, these ingredients can only produce a Ninth-Grade Pill. Well, I’m about to show you how I can turn them into a Spirit Pill."
"Fine! Fine! Enough talk. Let’s begin!"
The two took their places, brought out their Pill Furnaces, and began the refining process.
Ou Tianlin was an Alchemist, after all. He quickly calmed his turbulent emotions and cleared his mind, then began to melt down his herbs. He cast a sideways glance at Qin Ya, curious to see what the insolent brat was up to. In the next instant, his eyes flew wide in an expression of pure, ghost-seeing terror.
He saw Qin Ya toss all of his herbs into the Pill Furnace at once. An incredibly scorching flame then erupted from his palm, forming eight Fire Dragons that coiled around the furnace. The dragons danced in the air, their fiery bodies enveloping all of the herbs inside.
’Melting everything down at once? Isn’t he afraid the furnace will explode?’
’Damn it, the kid’s got a death wish!’
He immediately backed away, moving his own alchemy setup a safe distance. Still feeling uneasy, he took out two Defensive Pseudo-Spiritual Artifacts and equipped them, terrified that Qin Ya would lose control and he’d be caught in the blast.