"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Let the dragon's feast perfect the pill!"
Zhuo Fan's shout was followed by a vigorous shake of the hand, sending 18 drops of Bodhi Jade Sap into the air. The 18 dragonlings acted like cats catching the smell of fish, nabbing a drop each.
Roar!
As the dragonlings roared, their body dissolved into azure flames followed by their heads and leaving a ball of azure fire.
Then the fire scattered to reveal upon the world a shining azure pill. It released a soothing smell, gripping the hearts of everyone there.
"W-what grade is it to have such an astonishing effect?" The people stared unblinking at the 18 dancing pills.
These pills had yet to renounce their dragonic nature, roaring as they traveled the sky.
All 18 of them were clearly alive. What got people so distraught was that while Vicious Pill King nearly gave his life to make just one, Zhuo Fan flipped his hand and there went eighteen of them dancing across the sky.
This feeling was something words weren't enough to describe. Just how many times did one need to surpass Vicious Pill King's skill to breach this gap?
There was no need for judging at this point. Everyone was dead set that Zhuo Fan was the winner. And this time, his victory was perfect, incontestable, thoroughly crushing the opposition.
Taking a small bottle, Zhuo Fan waved for the 18 pills. He put them inside without even letting Xiao Ya take a single peek.
Xiao Ya was alarmed, "Grandmaster Song, the pills you refined…"
"No need to see them." Zhuo Fan cut her off with a shake of his head. He turned to the dumbstruck and collapsed Vicious Pill King and muttered, "I won!"
Pure confidence.
The whole crowd watched the calm and proud Zhuo Fan with a sense of awe. They looked at him as if he was their sole king.
His cocky and obnoxious attitude came back in full force as well, making them all bend their knees.
[In alchemy, I am the first. Who dares claim my throne?]
Zhuo Fan stood there, quietly, giving the grandmaster alchemists a whole new meaning to how small they felt.
He was a true Pill King. A Pill King with unquestionable authority!
Xiao Ya was the closest to Zhuo Fan. She bore the brunt of his aura, but was fast to recover also, "Grandmaster Song, I'm convinced you have gone beyond mere winning. But please, explain to us, what grade are they?"
"18 pills, all of perfect 8th-grade quality!" Zhuo Fan deadpanned.
The crowd erupted in surprise. The grandmaster alchemists knew he exceeded their imagination, but never knew the full extent of it. How sheerly unbelievable it all was.
Vicious Pill King could refine a perfect 7th-grade pill and he was already at the peak of his skill.
When people saw the 18 pills, despite the shock, they only went as far as thinking Zhuo Fan refined them as perfect 7th-grade pills. It was more than enough to surpass Vicious by many times.
But this little prick went even further beyond anyone's guess. He not only surpassed him but went a full grade above.
Perfect 8th-grade pill. That was something not even a 10th-grade alchemist could accomplish consistently, least of all 18 of them in one breath.
Such heaven-defying skill was only mentioned in legends, hearsay. How could it ever be a reality, here and now?
This cheeky little prick was that much of a monster?
They shouted at him in their hearts, but they could not hide the sheer admiration and respect they held for his incredible refining ability.
Vicious Pill King himself was floored. His green hair became white under the naked eye. He aged dozens of years in just one breath.
It was an astonishing defeat. Vicious Pill King never had suffered such a thorough and complete loss. It left him with no chance of a comeback.
This Pill King had discovered today that his refining ability was nothing when faced with a true expert. The despair, the grief, was harder to bear than even death.
Yan Fu watched his master's loss with a pained heart. He flicked a glare at Zhuo Fan, but all he could do was gnash his teeth.
[This brat is too damn strong. Master was never his match. And I will never get the chance to catch up to him either!]
As there was a man beyond the next, so was a sky beyond another. It was such an apt description that no one could refute it.
He took master as his role model. Acting as brash as him, thinking his master was the best alchemist in the world. But then came the day his master was defeated, hopeless of even taking revenge.
Such a gap was no different from a chasm…
Tao Danniang ought to be going wild with joy seeing Yan Song's crushed spirit. But it never came. Every new wave drove higher than its predecessor, who died on the sandy beach.
Didn't Yan Song's defeat mark the end of their generation of grandmaster alchemists?
The world was going to be tumultuous. A warrior of the new generation was already standing on their corpses, breaking the grounds of a new age.
Turning to Zhuo Fan next to her, Tao Danniang was grateful.
Fortune helped them to have him as Drifting Flowers Edifice's…
Long Jiu and the rest watched it all with a sigh.
"Goddamn it, this prick sure knows how to act. He said it wasn't clear that he could lose against Vicious Pill King. And the end result? Not only did he win, but got a freaking perfect win! And not just a perfect win, but crushed him thoroughly!"
Xie Tianyang couldn't help cursing to high heavens despite the shock, "For god's sake, just look at Vicious Pill King. He got his life scared out of him by that brat… even I feel sorry for him!"
Long Jiu nodded gravely, "The brat is beyond ruthless. He won't let the other have anything left. A single perfect 8th-grade pill was more than enough to win it by a landslide, but he went as far as to make 17 more, striking a fatal blow to Vicious Pill King. I fear he might never recover from this trauma for as long as he lived."
"You're speaking of… a heart demon?" Xie Tianyang raised an eyebrow.
Nodding, Long Jiu's eyes flashed, "Even without it, he may never get to refine a high-grade pill in his life. That brat's vicious retribution leaves everyone in dread!"
They all had to nod at that.
"Then the Pill King of this Hundred Pill Meeting is… "
As the crowd raved, Xiao Ya pointed at Zhuo Fan while shouting. Before she could finish, however, quick steps were heard approaching.
Zhuo Fan was slowly and calmly walking towards the center stage. Xiao Ya was startled, "Grandmaster Song, what…"
"Only I have the right to declare myself as Pill King!"
Throwing that casual sentence, Zhuo Fan didn't even look at her and walked past her.
The crowd was in awe again, [He has the aura of a king! He is without a doubt this generation's Pill King!]
Xiao Ya suddenly forgot she was the judge here and blushed a bit. She was so lost in Zhuo Fan's flair that she forgot to do her job.
Xie Tianyang sighed enviously, "He is an expert at putting on airs. When will I get the chance to do the same I wonder? Just one time is all I ask."
Under the chaotic shouts from all around him, Zhuo Fan arrived before the stage. He swallowed when he saw the wooden box and a weight fell off his heart.
[Chu Qingtian, wearing your cloak up to this point, I can rest at ease to say that I have returned your sister's debt.]
Zhuo Fan let his cloak fall and walked on stage.
The people were struck into silence. They saw the cloak spread on the steps of the stage and the words on it and were moved.
"Heaven-toppling… Pill!"
It all started with a murmur, but it soon grew into an ear-splitting roar. They all started to pump their fist and join, "Heaven-toppling Pill, Heaven-toppling Pill, Heaven-toppling Pill…"
Indeed, Pill King was far beneath a man of Zhuo Fan's caliber. In their hearts, only this title, Heaven-toppling Pill, was fit to Grandmaster Song's genius.
Chu Qingcheng covered her mouth, her eyes flowing with tears.
The people acclaimed Zhuo Fan as Heaven-toppling Pill, but it was in fact Chu Qingtian's wish. Zhuo Fan had taken her little brother's place and fulfilled his cherished wish.
Her eyes on him now contained an even deeper love.
Vicious Pill King was in a daze as he heard the roars and looked at the four words on the stage's steps. He seemed to be both crying and laughing, "Heaven-toppling Pill. I never thought there was a man in this world who'd use these words. Qingtian, I have lost today at his hands, and yours…"
Vicious Pill King seemed to have lost it. But his eyes seemed to have realized something as they got clearer…
Taking a deep breath, Zhuo Fan was cool, despite the turmoil banging his ears. He did not look at the cloak again, as it had no more sway on him.
He did what he had to. He paid the favor he owed. And now followed with his true objective.
Zhuo Fan's eyes turned colder and reached for the wooden box on the pedestal.
But with a sudden sound, a golden fist caught him off guard, "Punk, you are far from worthy of taking the Bodhi Root!"
"Watch out!"Chu Qingcheng paled at the danger he was facing, but her warning came too late.
The iron fist struck Zhuo Fan square in the chest.
Zhuo Fan's eyes suddenly turned vicious! His act as Song Yu was done. Now, it was time for the Demonic Emperor, Zhuo Fan, to reenter the scene...