Everyone was stunned. They initially thought that Shen Xiang might make the stone glow purple, but to their astonishment, Shen Xiang shattered the stone into pieces with one punch. The sheer force of his strike was so overwhelming that the testing stone couldn't withstand it.
Those who had previously turned the stone blue or purple were considered elites among the younger generation, but Shen Xiang's ability to completely destroy the stone demonstrated that his strength far surpassed theirs!
Even Shen Xiang hadn't expected such a result. After all, he had just destroyed the Yao Family's testing stone, and he worried they might charge him for the damages.
"Um… Did I pass? I didn't mean to break it. I just wanted to test my strength at its maximum. Who knew I'd be so lucky and break it with one punch!" Shen Xiang scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
The crowd glared at him with contempt. Claiming that destroying the stone was due to luck? Only an idiot would believe such nonsense.
"You passed!" the person in charge of the test declared. If someone like Shen Xiang didn't pass, then no one could.
A stamp was added to Shen Xiang's registration paper, indicating that he had qualified to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament in the Royal City. To his relief, the Yao Family didn't demand compensation for the destruction of the testing stone.
Of course, the power Shen Xiang displayed wasn't his full strength. After all, he had only used his fire and wood attribute True Qi. There were still three other attributes he hadn't tapped into. If all five elements of his True Qi were fused together, his power would be even more immense!
After many days of training, Shen Xiang had successfully merged his fire and wood attributes, complementing each other and forming a more potent True Qi. This was one of the reasons why Shen Xiang was nearly unbeatable among others at his level.
After registering, Shen Xiang resumed refining pills. Although he was still young, the pills he produced were more abundant than those made by many veteran alchemists, as Shen Luzong had mentioned.
Shen Xiang had learned many pill-refining techniques and insights from Su Meiyao, and he was happy to share these with Shen Luzong, who greatly benefited from the knowledge. Shen Luzong believed that Shen Xiang had come up with these ideas on his own, which deepened his admiration for his great-nephew.
After ten days, six golden fruits the size of fists appeared on the Golden Spirit Fruit tree in Shen Xiang's courtyard. Bathed in sunlight, the fruits shimmered with a golden glow, radiating powerful spiritual energy.
"This is a high-grade Profound level spirit fruit! I really want to eat one!" Shen Xiang gulped. If the old alchemists knew what he was thinking, they would surely beat him up. Consuming such valuable fruits raw would be considered an utter waste.
Carefully, Shen Xiang harvested the six golden fruits and placed them in his storage pouch. He then hurried to a place next to the Danxiang Herbal Manor where alchemists often posted requests for pill-refining assistance. He put up the notice he had prepared in advance.
"The Shen Family Pill King Pavilion is hiring three alchemists capable of refining top-grade Mortal level pills. Compensation: Golden Spirit Fruit…"
The notice included the address and Shen Xiang's name. Although he had six Golden Spirit Fruits, he intended to keep some for himself, as the fruits would be crucial in refining Foundation Establishment Pills.
Returning to his shop, Shen Xiang patiently waited, knowing that it wouldn't take long for alchemists to seek him out. Golden Spirit Fruits were incredibly rare high-grade Profound level treasures, highly coveted by every alchemist. He was sure many would be eager to join him.
As expected, it didn't take long before someone arrived. To Shen Xiang's surprise, it wasn't an alchemist but Hua Yueyun, the owner of Danxiang Herbal Manor!
Shen Luzong was equally puzzled. He still didn't know about Shen Xiang's use of Golden Spirit Fruits to attract alchemists. If he had, he would've been jumping around in excitement.
Hua Yueyun descended from her carriage and entered the shop, dressed in an elegant white gown that made her look both refined and noble. This time, she wasn't wearing a veil.
Seeing her beautiful yet slightly melancholic face, Shen Xiang asked, "Lady Hua, is there something you need?"
Hua Yueyun huffed, her face serious as she asked in a low voice, "Did you really offer Golden Spirit Fruits as compensation to recruit alchemists?"
Shen Luzong was startled and quickly looked at Shen Xiang. Seeing him nod, Shen Xiang shrugged and said, "Is there a problem with that? Is it not allowed?"
Shen Luzong let out a strange cry and exclaimed, "You brat! You actually have Golden Spirit Fruits, and you're using them to pay alchemists? Are you insane?"
Golden Spirit Fruits were incredibly rare and difficult to come by. Normally, anyone who obtained them would keep them for personal use, selling only the skin and seeds.
Shen Xiang coughed and took out two shimmering golden fruits, placing them on the table. A wave of spiritual energy immediately filled the room, astonishing both Shen Luzong and Hua Yueyun.
Neither of them had expected Shen Xiang to have two of these fruits.
"You… you…" Shen Luzong pointed at Shen Xiang, too shocked to speak.
Hua Yueyun took a deep breath. After all, she had seen much in the world due to her background in a major sect. However, she still found it unbelievable that a young man like Shen Xiang possessed so many precious treasures.
Thousand-Year Spirit Fruit, Hell Spirit Mushroom, Millennium Beast Core, and now Golden Spirit Fruits — each of these was extraordinarily rare.
At this moment, Shen Xiang pulled out another Golden Spirit Fruit, once again leaving Shen Luzong and Hua Yueyun in awe. Laughing, Shen Xiang said, "Great Uncle, I know you're very capable. I'll leave these three Golden Spirit Fruits with you. One of them is my gift to you, and the other two are for hiring alchemists. When they come, you can take charge of the process."
Hua Yueyun bit her lip as she stared at the three Golden Spirit Fruits on the table, her expression filled with complicated emotions. In her view, Shen Xiang was a rare alchemy prodigy with a high chance of entering the True Martial Realm. Yet, she was unable to persuade him to join Danxiang Peach Blossom Garden!
With trembling hands, Shen Luzong carefully stored the three fruits before suppressing his excitement and asking, "Where did you get these?"
Shen Xiang casually replied, "While practicing outside last night, I found them in a secluded spot on a desolate mountain. I even brought the tree back."
"Golden Spirit Fruit trees usually bear five fruits. It seems you're quite wealthy now!" Hua Yueyun's enchanting eyes flashed as she blinked at Shen Xiang, exuding a seductive allure.
Shen Xiang turned his head away to avoid her gaze and asked, "Lady Hua, why are you really here?"
Hua Yueyun snorted and replied, "I just came to see if you truly had Golden Spirit Fruits. But you're being too high-profile. This will cause trouble. Previously, the Yao Family didn't take your so-called Shen Family Pill King Pavilion seriously, but now that you're using Golden Spirit Fruits to lure alchemists, they won't let you succeed so easily."
"Anyone who tries to stop us, I'll destroy them!" Shen Luzong declared loudly, his voice full of authority. With the Golden Spirit Fruits in hand, he knew it was only a matter of time before he refined pills that could help him break through his bottleneck.