The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Inside the grand hall of the Medicine Fair.

Murong Yue sat in a Grandmaster’s Chair, sipping fragrant tea. Behind him stood two old men with the white hair of cranes but the rosy complexions of children—one in a green robe, the other in white.

Simply by standing there, the two elders exuded an extraordinary aura, as if they could look down upon all living things. Their Cultivation had actually reached the Era-Defying Stage!

To have two Era-Defining bodyguards at his beck and call... such treatment was likely beyond even the most talented disciples of the Sima Family and Dongmen Family.

This alone was a testament to Murong Yue’s lofty status.

But it made sense. He was a Pill King’s Disciple, and a Pill King held an incredibly revered position within the Divine Country. Even a Venerable Strong Person would have to treat a Pill King with courtesy. As the Direct Disciple of such a figure, it would be strange if he didn’t have a few Era-Defining experts by his side.

When Qin Ya arrived in the hall, the first person he saw was Murong Yue.

After all, Murong Yue was the only one sitting in the entire hall, flanked by two powerful bodyguards. He was so conspicuous it was impossible not to notice him.

The owner of the Medicine Fair led Qin Ya and his companion to Murong Yue and said, "Alchemist Murong, this is the young master who wishes to purchase the Thousand-Year Moonlight Tear."

Murong Yue’s brow twitched, revealing a hint of impatience. His tone laced with displeasure, he said, "How does your Medicine Fair do business? You should have just wrapped it up for me. Did you really need to bring someone over to discuss it? Hmph, you should consider who I am."

From start to finish, Murong Yue didn’t even bother to look up at Qin Ya, completely ignoring him. His attitude was one of utter, bossy arrogance.

’Heh, a Pill King’s Disciple is truly willful.’

The Medicine Fair’s owner looked at Qin Ya, his expression troubled.

"Alchemist Murong, I’m afraid I cannot let you have this Thousand-Year Moonlight Tear."

Hearing this, Murong Yue finally looked up, a cold light glinting in his eyes. He said indifferently, "You can’t give it to me? Boy, don’t you know that rare medicines are treasures of nature, but only in the hands of a Pill Master can their greatest value be realized? Especially a rare and precious medicine like the Thousand-Year Moonlight Tear. Giving it to you would be nothing but a waste."

"Heh."

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

At the side, Bi Xiaoyu let out a derisive snort.

’A waste? Heh. For this ingredient to be in the hands of a Pill Master who finds Refining Spirit Pills as easy as eating and drinking is a waste? That’s the biggest joke I’ve ever heard.’

Bi Xiaoyu’s laughter caught Murong Yue’s attention. His gaze sharpened, a hint of surprise on his face as he realized he couldn’t see through her Cultivation.

Then, he glanced at one of his bodyguards and understanding dawned.

"It seems your background isn’t so simple either, boy. To have an Era-Defining King following you around. But I’ll say it again: that Bright Moon Tear will be mine."

As he finished speaking, the two Era-Defining Kings behind him slowly took a step forward. A powerful aura erupted from them, carrying a palpable sense of menace.

Bi Xiaoyu’s delicate brows rose, fury blazing in her beautiful eyes.

"Hmph! This is outrageous!"

She snorted coldly, and the aura of an Era-Defining King burst forth from her as well.

But compared to two Era-Defining experts, she was still outmatched.

"So what if I bully you? I am a Pill King’s Disciple, my status is revered. Even the ancestors of the Dongmen and Sima Families must show me some respect. The two of you think you can contend with me? You’re overestimating yourselves. How laughable."

Murong Yue remained seated in his Grandmaster’s Chair, sipping his fragrant tea. He appeared perfectly calm and composed, showing no regard for Qin Ya and Bi Xiaoyu whatsoever.

"You just said that an ingredient can only realize its true value in the hands of a suitable Pill Master, correct?" Qin Ya smiled faintly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "But I don’t believe a Pill Master who botched the Refining of a True King Pill can bring out the true value of the Thousand-Year Moonlight Tear. So, I won’t be giving it to you."

CRACK...

In that instant, the teacup in Murong Yue’s hand shattered, splashing tea onto his robes.

His expression darkened. "You have the guts to say that again."

Qin Ya smiled faintly. "When I came in just now, I caught a Pill Fragrance. If I’m not mistaken, that elixir was a True King Pill, wasn’t it?"

"To identify an elixir by its fragrance... could it be that Your Excellency is also a Pill Master?"

Qin Ya said lightly, "I know a little."

At his side, Bi Xiaoyu burst out laughing again.

’Know a little? Know a little?!’

’If you call what you do ’knowing a little,’ then no one in this world knows Alchemy at all.’

Murong Yue’s brow furrowed. He glanced at Bi Xiaoyu before saying indifferently to Qin Ya, "Your bodyguard certainly lacks refinement, laughing so easily."

Bi Xiaoyu snorted, her face cold, but said nothing.

"That is no concern of yours."

Murong Yue said, "You claimed I made a mistake while Refining the True King Pill. If you can’t explain yourself today, I’ll make sure neither of you walks out of this Medicine Fair."

The two Era-Defining Kings simultaneously locked their Divine Thought onto Qin Ya and Bi Xiaoyu.

Seeing how things were developing, the surrounding onlookers couldn’t help but scoff.

"This guy is truly arrogant and clueless."

"Indeed. Alchemist Murong is the prized Disciple of the Jade Pill King. His skill in the Alchemy Dao has reached the Ninth-Grade Peak, a realm rarely seen in the entire Divine Country."

"This kid... hmph, he’s just a wet-behind-the-ears brat, yet he dares to critique Alchemist Murong’s elixir. He won’t even know what hit him when he dies."

"I was watching clearly when Alchemist Murong was Refining the True King Pill just now. His technique was exquisite and flawless. What mistake could there have been?"

Qin Ya seemed not to hear the crowd’s accusations and disdain. He said, "The True King Pill is an elixir specifically for Kings to consume, placing it at the Spirit Pill Level. However, yours is a simplified version that can be taken by ordinary Sky-Controlling and Celestial Human cultivators."

He glanced at Murong Yue. "Am I correct?"

Murong Yue scoffed. "What of it? The True King Pill is a Spirit Pill, and I haven’t reached that level yet, so I can only refine a simplified version. How is that a mistake?"

"No, no." Qin Ya shook his head. "The ingredients for Refining a True King Pill are top-tier Spiritual Medicine. Even if you simplify it, as long as you don’t alter the Pill Formula, the result should still be at the level of a Pseudo-Spiritual Pill. Therefore..."

At these words, Murong Yue’s expression sank slightly.

’It was true. He had indeed made a small mistake during the Refining process. The other Pill Masters weren’t at a high enough Realm to notice, so they didn’t see it. He never expected this kid to accurately deduce it just from the Pill Fragrance and his own experience.’

’This level of skill in the Alchemy Dao... it’s unfathomably profound.’

But he was an extremely prideful person. Even if he had made a mistake, he would never allow an absurdly young man to critique him. He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph. That’s enough, boy. I don’t want to hear any more."

Qin Ya paid him no mind, shaking his head. "If you had substituted the Flower Orchid Grass with Thousand-Year Rehmannia, the True King Pill would have been truly simplified. Then, even with some flaws in your Refining Technique, this elixir would have at least reached the level of a Pseudo-Spiritual Pill. What a pity."

"Boy, you’ve said enough."

"Throw them out."

Murong Yue roared, furious and humiliated.