The cultivator who came back after buying the Purifying Spirit Pill mysteriously said, "I heard that this Purifying Spirit Pill is just the most basic kind of detoxifying pill. There is already an upgraded version available called the Clear Dust Pill. It is said that one Clear Dust Pill is equivalent to the effect of more than ten Purifying Spirit Pills."
"Really?" Needless to say, the upgraded version definitely has better effects than the basic version. Everyone became very interested and couldn't wait to ask, "So, is this Clear Dust Pill also researched by Senior Dan Master Li Qi from Changxian Sect? Senior Dan Master Li Qi is truly extraordinary, surpassing even the original creator. Amazing!"
Tian Feirong and Xiaopangzi had a bewildered expression on their faces. "Amazing? How can a pill master who stole someone else's formula be considered amazing? Is having a thick face what makes someone amazing?"
Gu Yao then chuckled and transmitted his voice to them, saying, "Certainly, that won't be the result. If Baihe City secretly releases the upgraded version, it won't be attributed to Li Qi anymore. Even if it's not clarified now, Li Qi's reputation won't last long."
Chi Changye continued, "That's right. By the time the upgraded version is available everywhere, Changxian Sect won't be able to offer the upgraded Clear Dust Pill. Will Li Qi still be admired then?"
Tian Feirong and Xiaopangzi suddenly looked enlightened. That's right, in the end, Li Qi will only bring trouble upon himself. They didn't believe Li Qi could come up with an upgraded pill formula. Even if he obtained the pill, he didn't have the ability to replicate it. They believed that there would definitely be many doubts when the time came, and Li Qi would need to clear his name.
The cultivator scratched his face and said, "I don't know about that, but the Clear Dust Pill is not produced in large quantities, and the price is much higher than the Purifying Spirit Pill. But do you know what? Remember the incident in the sea where there was an attack on the Crossing Nascent Infant stage? It has been confirmed that it was Zhang Qianfeng, the senior companion of Lord Liu from Baihe City."
"Is it true or false? It can't be possible. Didn't Zhang Qianfeng lose an arm? Didn't everyone say that he couldn't pass the tribulation?"
"Nonsense. A Nascent Infant stage cultivator has already gone to Baihe City to confirm it. Senior Zhang has both arms intact. He admitted it himself and luckily obtained a Regrowing Limb Pill, which gave him the courage to consolidate his Nascent Infant. Now, there are actually two Nascent Infant stage cultivators in Baihe City. I wonder if the young sect leader of Changxian Sect still has a chance to propose to the young city lord."
"Forget it. Originally, I didn't care for it. Changxian Sect has always suppressed Baihe City. Now that their parents are both Nascent Infant stage cultivators, and the young city lord has such a strong background, in the future, he will undoubtedly become a respected Nascent Infant stage senior. With the aptitude of that kid from Changxian Sect? He's already reached his limit by forcefully cultivating to the Golden Core stage. Dream on if you think he can marry a future Nascent Infant stage cultivator!"
Gu Yao and the others were not surprised at all. When they heard about the Clear Dust Pill, they already guessed that Zhang Qianzhi must have successfully consolidated his Nascent Infant and passed the Heavenly Tribulation. As expected, the increase in Baihe City's strength was also a good thing for them.
Gradually, everyone shifted their focus from Di Feng and the Purifying Spirit Pill to the new Nascent Infant stage cultivator. Nascent Infant stage cultivator— that was something every cultivator aspired to. Achieving the Nascent Infant stage placed them among the top figures on this vast continent. It not only represented immense strength and prestigious status, but Nascent Infant stage cultivators also had a lifespan of two thousand years, while the Golden Core stage was limited to only five hundred years.
Changxian Sect.
Li Qi, who gained fame because of the Purifying Spirit Pill, was adored wherever he went. Despite holding the title of being better than his master, he remained respectful in front of his sixth-grade Pill Master master. After all, no matter how famous he became, he knew where the pill formula came from.
Although he initially felt a bit guilty, with the various benefits that came with his fame, Li Qi's mindset inevitably swelled. Subconsciously, he started to consider himself as the true owner of the pill formula. The Purifying Spirit Pill was created by him, and he took all the praise and benefits for granted.
Just as Li Qi was feeling elated, news suddenly came from outside that an upgraded version of the Purifying Spirit Pill had appeared. This new pill was called the Clear Dust Pill. As soon as Li Qi heard others mention the name "Clear Dust Pill," he lost control and accidentally knocked over the teacup on the table. Shortly after, Li Qi had his trusted subordinate find a way to obtain the Clear Dust Pill.
In fact, Li Qi didn't need to figure it out himself. As soon as the sect leader of Changxian Sect heard about this, he immediately had someone obtain the Clear Dust Pill and delivered it to Li Qi's master.
"Master, did you call for me?" The appearance of the Clear Dust Pill abruptly snapped Li Qi out of his intoxicated state from the praise of others. He instantly became calm, but also felt anxious, fearing that someone would discover the truth.
At this moment, Li Qi's master, Han Chi, was like a lifeline to him. As a sixth-grade Pill Master, perhaps his master could replicate the formula of the Clear Dust Pill. As long as Changxian Sect could also refine the Clear Dust Pill, no one could deny that he was the true owner of the Purifying Spirit Pill.
Han Chi glanced at Li Qi and said, "Why are you panicking? No one has come knocking on your door yet, and you are already losing your composure. This is the Clear Dust Pill sent by the sect leader. Take it back and carefully study it. See if you can replicate a portion of it. I will also take a look."
Li Qi instantly regained his composure and smiled with relief. "With you here, master, I have nothing to fear."
Han Chi tossed a jade bottle to him. "Good, that's the spirit. Now go."
"Yes, master."
Li Qi left his master's cave and on the way back, he encountered a fellow junior brother who seemed to be waiting for him.
Li Qi looked displeased at his junior brother and said, "If you're looking for our master, feel free to go up. I've said it before, all of this is our master's and the sect's decision, it has nothing to do with you and me."
Because Ning Hui was one of the insiders, Li Qi always felt a sense of hostility whenever he saw him.
Ning Hui, with his hands behind his back and chin raised, said, "Let me guess, is senior brother trying to figure out the formula for the Clear Dust Pill? If you can't produce this formula in the end, won't it bring shame to our entire Changxian Sect? Don't think that other people's things are so easy to obtain. You should know that the pill formula was originally obtained by a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Ning Hui was envious. Why was it that all of them were master's disciples, yet Li Qi could enjoy all the benefits? He was also a seventh-grade Pill Master now, but he was always being overshadowed by Li Qi.
Li Qi sneered, "Instead of wasting your time like this, why don't you focus on improving your own pill art? I know very well that you lost to a pill master from the wilderness when you went to the secret realm, bringing disgrace to our sect!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Ning Hui wasn't angered at all. Instead, he felt a sense of delight as he watched Li Qi's retreating figure. Constrained by the sect, he couldn't reveal the truth, but he could still make Li Qi feel disgusted. Now, Ning Hui was a hundred percent sure that the pill master called Gu Yao had already arrived.
He believed that no one besides Gu Yao could produce the upgraded version of the Clear Dust Pill. Now, even he had to admire Gu Yao's pill art. If such a pill master entered the major sects, where would their opportunity to shine be?
Han Chi took out a Clear Dust Pill in his own cave. Back then, when he discussed taking possession of the pill formula with the sect leader, he didn't know if it was right or wrong. But this Clear Dust Pill was clearly much more advanced than the lower version they obtained last time, and it employed several concealment techniques. He never expected that such a genius pill master would emerge from that wilderness, and moreover, managed to leave that place through other means.
Yan Yuanjing, that kid, always manages to mess things up. It was not his place to make a ten-year promise. How could Changxian Sect be restricted by that wilderness? Changxian Sect currently has no way to go over there unless they capture the people who came from there and extract information about another route from them.
Han Chi didn't know how much smarter Gu Yao had become this time. With the Purifying Spirit Pill as a template, it would be easier to decipher the upgraded version of the Clear Dust Pill, especially for a sixth-grade Pill Master. However, if one hasn't seen the lower version, the difficulty might increase significantly.
So this time, when formulating the pill formula, Han Chi specifically sought help from Xu Chen. Xu Chen's pill art was not something Han Chi could compare to. He taught Gu Yao some techniques that made the composition of this pill more complex and elusive, making it difficult to identify the active ingredients.
Ying Muqing had just returned from completing a sect mission and encountered several fellow disciples with whom he had a good relationship. He had reached the Core Formation stage, creating a gap in seniority between him and Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, he had a good temperament, so when these disciples saw him, they still called him "Big Brother Ying" and "Senior Brother Mu."
"Big Brother Ying, do you know that an upgraded version of the Purifying Spirit Pill has been released outside, but our sect still has no trace of it."
As soon as Ying Muqing heard the words Purifying Spirit Pill, he felt a sense of embarrassment. But as a mid-level disciple of the sect, he didn't have much say.
When the sect first introduced the Purifying Spirit Pill, he also bought some. However, problems arose when he consumed them. They were almost identical to the Clear Dust Pill he obtained when he went to the Tianlin Continent. At that time, it was said that the pill was developed by Li Qi, which made him suspicious. Later, the sect rewarded the disciples who went to the Cangkun Secret Realm, which only deepened his suspicions. It seemed like the sect was trying to silence them.
Later, Ying Muqing resisted taking the Purifying Spirit Pill, as if doing so would prevent him from being tainted along with the sect.
Now, upon hearing about the Purifying Spirit Pill again, Ying Muqing, who had just received a reward during a mission, felt a subtle change in his mood and casually asked, "What kind of pill is it?"
"I heard it's called the Clear Dust Pill. I don't know how the sect managed it, but it's already available outside. However, the prices outside are too high, and ordinary disciples like us can't afford it..."
As soon as the words "Clear Dust Pill" were mentioned, Ying Muqing's mind buzzed, and he couldn't hear the voices below anymore. Clear Dust Pill!
It was really the Clear Dust Pill! And it was even marketed as an upgraded version of the Purifying Spirit Pill!
No matter how much he tried to deceive himself, Ying Muqing couldn't deny it. The Purifying Spirit Pill was indeed based on the stolen formula of the original Clear Dust Pill. That's why the upgraded version directly used this name.
And another thing, the appearance of the Clear Dust Pill meant that the Pill Master Gu Yao had arrived! He had come to Qianhao Continent through another way. Seeing that Ying Muqing seemed preoccupied and lost in thought, the other disciples thought he must be tired from the mission and bid farewell, leaving one by one.
When he was near his own cave, Ying Muyi bumped into someone and quickly greeted him respectfully, "Senior Lou, I didn't expect to run into Senior Lou."
At that moment, Ying Muqing's mind was thinking that Senior Lou was also one of the insiders. He wondered what was going on in Senior Lou's mind.