"Shen Gongzi, please reconsider the offer I made earlier. This is a great opportunity, and you must think it over carefully," Hua Yueyun pleaded, her beautiful, clear eyes showing a hint of sincerity.
After Hua Yueyun left, Shen Lüzong looked at Shen Xiang with a strange expression and asked in a low voice, "Kid, this woman is, after all, the master of Danxiang Taoyuan, yet she doesn't put on any airs in front of you. What exactly did she invite you to?"
"She invited me to join Danxiang Taoyuan, but I want to join the Taiwu Gate, so I refused," Shen Xiang said casually.
"What?" Shen Lüzong was stunned for a moment, then smacked Shen Xiang on the head and continued, "Danxiang Taoyuan is a place that all alchemists dream of joining, and you just rejected it?"
Rubbing his head, which was sore from the hit, Shen Xiang pouted and said, "Great Uncle, that woman is just a maid in Danxiang Taoyuan. Many have been fooled by her into joining. I'm not falling for that. Choosing a sect to join is a very important decision, and I want to join one I truly admire."
Once someone becomes a disciple of a sect, they can't leave unless they're expelled, and those who are expelled are generally not accepted by other sects. Therefore, Shen Xiang was cautious about this decision.
With Su Meiyao teaching him alchemy and the Dragon Saliva Technique accelerating his herbs' growth, Shen Xiang didn't need to join Danxiang Taoyuan. That's why he preferred to join the Taiwu Gate, a sect with deep foundations.
Before long, two alchemists came to apply for the position, and Shen Lüzong was in charge of the selection process. As soon as the alchemists arrived, they eagerly eyed the Golden Spirit Fruits, and Shen Lüzong would proudly show them off. The envious looks from the alchemists gave him a sense of satisfaction.
Shen Lüzong had the applicants demonstrate their abilities by first showing their previously refined pills and then having them refine a batch of mid-grade mortal pills. He assessed their skill level based on the quality of the pills and the time taken to refine them.
To his frustration, although about ten alchemists came that day, only two or three could be considered skilled, and even they didn't meet the standard. Many were just trying to take advantage of the opportunity.
Shen Xiang wasn't worried, knowing that many capable alchemists were likely still in seclusion and hadn't received the news yet. He expected more to come in the following days, especially those aligned with various factions in the capital.
Shen Xiang planned to hire four skilled alchemists. Two Golden Spirit Fruits would be enough to retain them for a while, and once the Pill King Pavilion grew stronger, attracting more alchemists wouldn't be a problem.
As usual, Shen Xiang went out late and returned early, training at night and refining pills during the day. Three days after posting the recruitment notice, Shen Xiang returned from the deep mountains outside the city only to find a group of elderly alchemists gathered outside the Pill King Pavilion, waiting eagerly.
It was early in the morning, and the Pill King Pavilion had not yet opened. These alchemists, despite usually holding themselves in high esteem, were patiently waiting. For them, money was never a lure, but rare spiritual herbs were treasures that couldn't be bought with money.
Once the shop doors opened, the alchemists entered and exchanged pleasantries with Shen Lüzong. From the subtle heat radiating from these alchemists, Shen Xiang could roughly gauge their abilities. Apart from two, the rest had impure True Qi, which indicated they could only refine low-level pills.
Most of these half-baked alchemists were here hoping for a lucky break, although they knew the standards would be high. Shen Xiang followed Shen Lüzong into the shop.
At this moment, a wrinkled, yellow-haired old man walked in and shouted, "Who's in charge here? Show yourself!"
As the old man's voice echoed, a wave of pure fire Qi radiated from him, causing the ten or so alchemists in the shop to tremble. They all recognized the power of such fire Qi, which they could only dream of achieving. They knew this yellow-haired old man was an exceptional alchemist, likely famous, though alchemists rarely revealed their identities.
Shen Xiang stepped forward and responded, "I'm the one in charge here. What can I do for you?"
Everyone knew the Pill King Pavilion belonged to the Shen family, with Shen Xiang as its main manager.
The yellow-haired old man looked at Shen Xiang with disdain, his face full of arrogance as he said, "I demand that you immediately change the name of this shop. You're not allowed to use the name 'Pill King Pavilion' because you don't deserve it!"
Shen Xiang narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why? What does the name I choose have to do with you? If you're here to cause trouble, don't blame me for being impolite!"
The old man sneered at Shen Xiang and said, "I am the Pill King, and I won't allow you to use this name for your shop."
**The Pill King?**
Upon hearing these words, Shen Lüzong and the other alchemists froze in shock. In the entire Southern Martial Empire, with a population of tens of billions, there was indeed an alchemist renowned for his skills who had been conferred the title of Pill King. He had connections with the Yao Family.
At this moment, they realized that the arrogant old man before them was none other than Meng Bo, the Pill King of the Southern Martial Empire!
Shen Xiang wasn't unfamiliar with this name. He had heard it frequently as a child, and now, seeing the man in person, he immediately suspected that Meng Bo had been sent by the Yao Family to stir up trouble.
Frowning, Shen Xiang realized this situation was tricky. He had named the shop "Pill King Pavilion" to make it sound powerful, but now the actual Pill King had come to challenge him.
"Hmph, this guy dares call himself a Pill King? I've refined pills for thousands of years and barely earned the title of Pill Saint. This so-called Pill King is nothing!" Su Meiyao's scornful voice echoed in Shen Xiang's mind.
Shen Xiang was startled, realizing for the first time that alchemists had ranked titles. His eyes lit up as he sneered at Meng Bo, "Hmph, you dare call yourself the Pill King? Why don't you go to one of the major sects and see if they don't laugh you out of the place?"
At the mention of the major sects, the other alchemists' faces filled with longing. They knew that alchemists in those sects were far superior. In front of those alchemists, Meng Bo wouldn't dare call himself the Pill King. He could only flaunt his title in the mortal world.
Meng Bo's face flushed with anger, clearly provoked by Shen Xiang's words. He hadn't expected this young boy to dare humiliate him so openly, but he couldn't refute it. He knew that compared to the alchemists of the major sects, he was far inferior—just a small fry in their eyes.
Seeing Meng Bo's face turn red with fury, Shen Xiang continued, "Since you claim your alchemy skills are so superior, why don't we have a little competition? Let the other alchemists here be the judges."
"Of course, if it's a competition, we should add a wager. If I lose, I'll give you one Golden Spirit Fruit. But if you lose, what will you offer?"