Extreme Devouring Pill

Walking out of the trading area, Zeng Rong, who was anxiously waiting, breathed an instant sigh of relief upon seeing her. She hurried forward and asked, “Miss Shi, how did it go? Is that Lesser Longevity Pill still there?”

All the pills in Uncle Mo's possession were merely illusions tricking people using the 《Illusory Resemblance Art》. Difficult to explain in a few words, Shi Yu simply shook her head.

Seeing her shake her head, Zeng Rong's face turned pale, and she let out a bitter smile. “I was still too late after all... In that case, I can only look for another way...”

Seeing her looking so forlorn, Shi Yu pondered for a moment before asking, “Sister, might I ask what pill that recipe in your hands is for, and what its effects are?”

She had originally refined a total of three Lesser Longevity Pills—one was given to the Zhou Clan, one was auctioned off, and she still had one left.

However, her meeting with Zeng Rong was merely a chance encounter, and their relationship was shallow. Even though she had one remaining pill, she would certainly not pull it out recklessly. If Zeng Rong's pill recipe was useful to her and wasn't too badly damaged, she might find a way to restore it.

If so, trading with Zeng Rong wouldn't be out of the question.

Zeng Rong hesitated for a moment, weighing her thoughts, before lowering her voice. “It is a pill recipe called the Extreme Devouring Pill. Depending on the quality of the completed pill, it can temporarily boost a Golden Core Realm cultivator to the Nascent Soul Realm.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu's pupils shrank abruptly.

A Nascent Soul expert and a Golden Core cultivator seemed separated by only a single realm, but the gap between the two major realms was as vast as heaven and earth.

The difference between them was not merely a simple increase in cultivation, but a fundamental metamorphosis.

Although a Golden Core cultivator was powerful enough, they were practically paper-thin before a Nascent Soul cultivator.

A Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual energy was boundless, their divine sense vast, and their body resilient beyond what a Golden Core cultivator could match. Their comprehension and application of the laws of heaven and earth grew far deeper, allowing them to master laws, create their own divine abilities, and expand their divine sense to the point where it could leave the physical body and roam freely... Crossing this divide was like a miracle of a caterpillar breaking from its cocoon to become a butterfly.

However, such a heaven-defying effect undoubtedly came with a steep price.

Sure enough, Zeng Rong added, “However, this boost in cultivation comes at the cost of burning one's lifespan. My ancestor left behind an explicit warning: after taking the Extreme Devouring Pill, one will perish within a year at most.”

Burning lifespan as the cost, resulting in death within a year of consumption?

The price of taking this pill was truly exorbitant, but... after brief consideration, Shi Yu still felt she should get her hands on the recipe. She asked, “Sister, you mentioned that this recipe is incomplete. How severely damaged is it?”

A touch of embarrassment appeared on Zeng Rong's face. “The intact portion... is less than fifty percent.”

That meant more than half of it was missing.

Shi Yu was rendered speechless. No wonder Zeng Rong possessed such a precious pill recipe yet no merchant guild or auction house was willing to accept it. If it were only slightly incomplete, it might still be restored. But with over half missing, restoration was virtually impossible.

An incomplete recipe, no matter how heaven-defying its effect, was nothing more than a useless ornament if it couldn't be used—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away.

On the flip side, if this recipe were complete, it would inevitably stir up a storm of blood and slaughter.

After all, despite the Extreme Devouring Pill's severe side effects, artificially boosting a Golden Core to Nascent Soul could grant a clan or sect one or two extra Nascent Soul experts at a critical moment. That was a massive temptation for any aristocratic family or sect, serving as an ultimate trump card.

After weighing her options, Shi Yu realized that as long as she gathered the required spirit plants, she could always refine another Lesser Longevity Pill in the future, whereas missing this incomplete recipe meant she might never find it again. Looking up, she said slowly, “The Lesser Longevity Pill held by that ‘alchemist’ in the trading area is no longer available. However...”

“I happen to have one on me, and I can trade it with you, Sister.”

Zeng Rong, whose face had been clouded with gloom, jerked her head up in utter disbelief upon hearing those words.

How could there be such a coincidence in the world? The Lesser Longevity Pill was hardly a common, dime-a-dozen pill.

Wondering whether Shi Yu's words were true or false, Zeng Rong showed a hesitant expression. Yet, if it were fake, what did she even have on her that was worth tricking?

Seeing her skeptical, Shi Yu was not annoyed. She smiled and said, “I am an alchemist participating in this Alchemy Exchange Conference. If you doubt it, Sister, you can take the pill with me to the local Alchemist Association to have it appraised, or we can find a nearby auction house for an appraisal.”

Hearing her say this, Zeng Rong believed most of it. “In that case, there is an auction house on the north side of the square. I must bother Miss Shi to accompany me there.”

She said with slight awkwardness, “It's not that I wish to judge you with petty suspicion... It is just that this pill recipe was passed down by my ancestors...”

Shi Yu nodded. “It's only right to be cautious.”

The two of them then headed toward the auction house together.

Shi Yu was still wearing her alchemist Taoist robe, but because of the upcoming conference, alchemists from various prefectures across Changyuan Prefecture had gathered in the city. Alchemists, who were usually rare, were now exceptionally common and could be seen almost everywhere, so she did not draw much extra attention.

In fact, because of her young age, she was assumed to be merely a youngster who had come to broaden her horizons and watch the excitement, so no one even stepped forward to greet her.

Seeing a woman dressed in reception attire walk past them, Zeng Rong stepped forward. “Miss—”

The woman sized Zeng Rong up from head to toe. Seeing her constrained demeanor and plain attire, she immediately knew that Zeng Rong was short on funds and not a major client. Leaving behind an impatient line—“The house is busy right now, don't bother us if you have no business”—she walked off briskly.

Zeng Rong looked somewhat embarrassed. Shi Yu frowned and was about to say something when another young woman in a plain-colored dress nearby noticed the two of them. She stepped forward with a graceful smile and said, “I am a receptionist for this house, Danyue. Are the two of you looking to place items for auction or make purchases?”

Shi Yu flicked a glance at the receptionist who had previously brushed them off, then looked at Miss Danyue and said, “I have a pill here that I would like your house to appraise.”

“Oh?” Danyue asked with great interest. “May I have a look?”

Shi Yu turned her hand, taking out the final Lesser Longevity Pill stored in a transparent jade box.

Working in an auction house, Danyue possessed broad experience, yet she had never seen the pill before her. Seeing how plump and lustrous the pill was, and catching a faint whiff of pill fragrance as the jade box was opened a crack—clearly indicative of high quality—she immediately said, “Please wait a moment, ladies. I will go invite the master alchemist stationed in our house.”

With that, she hurried off to fetch the person.

Seeing this, the previous receptionist sneered and shook her head.

Shi Yu and Zeng Rong waited only a moment before Danyue returned with someone in tow.

The alchemist who came to perform the appraisal wore the Taoist robe of the Hengze Prefecture Alchemist Association. He had a stern expression and did not look easy to get along with.

Danyue introduced him: “This is Elder Luo from the Alchemist Association.”

Stopping in front of Shi Yu, he took the pill and began appraising it directly without saying much. After a good while, his expression shifted slightly, and he looked at Shi Yu in surprise. “This pill extends life?”

Shi Yu nodded. “Indeed. This pill is called the Lesser Longevity Pill. It is a medium-grade pill capable of extending life by ten years.”

Elder Luo nodded, his rigid expression softening considerably. “Close enough.”

Saying that, he returned the jade box containing the pill to Shi Yu. Hearing his words, Zeng Rong beside her slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Elder Luo appraised Shi Yu from head to toe and asked, “This pill... you refined it yourself?”

Shi Yu smiled subtly and nodded.

Elder Luo showed nothing on his face, but inwardly he was shaken. This pill is Tier-2, and this girl looks only around ten years old... Even Yin Wenzhou didn't have such attainments at her age.

Talent-scouting thoughts arose in his mind. Glancing at the emblem of the Lingtai Prefecture Alchemist Association embroidered on Shi Yu's robe, he showed a look of disdain. “A remote place like Lingtai Prefecture has an association with shallow foundations. Staying there will sooner or later hold you back. You would be better off leaving early and coming to join our Hengze Prefecture Alchemist Association.”

Seeing his arrogant tone, the smile on Shi Yu's face faded slightly. “Thank you for your concern.”

Seeing that her words amounted to a refusal, Elder Luo scoffed, “Ignorant of good intentions.”

With a flick of his sleeves, he turned and left.

Danyue stood nearby, hardly daring to breathe. Seeing Elder Luo walk away, she showed an apologetic expression. “I am truly sorry. Elder Luo has a cold temperament, so please do not take it to heart, ladies.”

Saying that, she couldn't help stealing another couple of glances at Shi Yu, thinking to herself, Even Elder Luo couldn't resist trying to recruit her. This young lady...

Shi Yu said, “It's fine. How much is the appraisal fee?”

Miss Danyue smiled. “If you put the pill up for auction at our house, ladies, we naturally won't charge an appraisal fee.”

Shi Yu glanced at Zeng Rong. With a look of hesitation on her face, Zeng Rong shook her head apologetically.

She had gone to such lengths to obtain a life-extending item to seek an immortal opportunity for her husband.

Shi Yu said no more, directly paying the one hundred spirit stones appraisal fee before handing the pill over to Zeng Rong.

Miss Danyue felt it was somewhat of a pity and said to Zeng Rong, “If you change your mind later, Sister, I can still refund this appraisal fee to you.”

Zeng Rong carefully put away the pill, agreed with a soft smile.

With the matter settled, the two walked out of the auction house, and Zeng Rong gave the incomplete pill recipe fragment to Shi Yu as agreed.

This pill recipe scroll resembled silk yet felt like metal and stone, its texture delicate and uniform. It emitted a quaint yellow hue, with fine, intricate lines looming faintly on its surface. The side of the fragment was sealed and engraved with source runes; lightly running one's fingers over it, one could feel a certain power pulsing within.

Putting it away into the Fate-Tapping Bell, Shi Yu looked at Zeng Rong once more.

Since she had already given her the pill, how Zeng Rong chose to deal with it was her own business, but Shi Yu couldn't help offering a word of caution: “Sister, you should make plans for yourself as well.”

Zeng Rong lowered her eyelids and hummed a soft affirmative.

Shi Yu bade her farewell and turned toward the restaurant across from the inn. After being busy for most of the day, it was time for the association's gathering meal.