Chapter 329: Chapter 222: The Demon Monarch’s Scheme
"Mm."
The Mystic Womb Corpse Refining Demon Monarch gave a faint nod, paying Ji Boyan no mind whatsoever as he turned to look at Fan Luming.
"Junior Brother Fan, it’s been a long time. I’ve missed you dearly!"
Fan Luming cupped his hands. "Greetings, Senior Brother Sunx."
Ma Miaoyin also bowed gracefully, her manner much warmer than it had been toward Ji Boyan. "Senior Brother Sunx, your Corpse Dao has grown even more profound. I am truly envious."
Unfortunately, the Mystic Womb Corpse Refining Demon Monarch didn’t even raise an eyelid, completely ignoring Ma Miaoyin.
Ma Miaoyin didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed. On the contrary, she cozied up to him even more enthusiastically.
Ji Boyan let out a dry laugh, but his heart sank. A flash of displeasure, fleeting and gone in an instant, crossed his eyes.
’So this is the Holy Sect!’
’They all treat you based on your status.’
’Just because Fan Luming and Sunx Youhai are late-stage Nascent Soul, while Ma Miaoyin and I are only early-stage Nascent Soul, their attitudes are completely different.’
Sunx Youhai was the true name of the Mystic Womb Corpse Refining Demon Monarch.
"Look, the competition in the Illusion Heart Prison has begun!" Ma Miaoyin suddenly exclaimed.
Her words drew everyone’s attention to the Illusion Heart Prison—to the Pill Prison within.
...
The fragrance of medicine intertwined with Demonic Qi.
In the Pill Domain where Wei Qingyi stood, a White Bone Pill Furnace hovered, a ghostly green fire burning quietly beneath it.
His expression was one of intense focus as he precisely added one toxic Spirit Grass after another into the Pill Furnace.
As the essence of the final Soul-Eroding Grass was integrated, the furnace’s body trembled slightly.
Three pills, each the size of a longan, flew out. They were entirely jade-green, with the faint pattern of a ghostly face on their surfaces.
An unusual fragrance assailed the senses, causing one’s Divine Soul to tremble slightly.
"Tier Three Low-Grade Green Phosphorus Ghost King Pill. Three pills formed, high quality."
Ming Zhan’s voice rang out, carrying a trace of approval.
"Nephew Qingyi’s Alchemy skills have certainly captured the True Inheritance of the Wei Family."
Ma Miaoyin said with a delicate laugh, her tone tinged with an unreadable, ambiguous meaning.
"Junior Sister Ma, you flatter him. My Qingyi’s meager skills are merely methodical. They can’t compare to the strange and unpredictable methods of Miaoyin Cave, which always manage to surprise."
Light and shadow twisted, coalescing into the phantom of a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in cyan gauze, her figure graceful and alluring.
The woman’s skin was whiter than snow, her face flawless. She was barefoot, and the golden bells tied to her ankles chimed with a clear, pleasant ring, though there was no wind.
It was none other than the Green Snake Primordial Evil Demon Monarch, Wei Jieyue.
Ma Miaoyin’s gaze shifted. She glanced at Wei Jieyue and giggled. "Senior Sister Wei, don’t be so modest. If Qingyi truly manages to take first place in the Demon Child trial, it will be due to his own efforts..."
"Of course, it’s also because Miaoyin Cave hasn’t had any outstanding disciples these past few years. There’s Luo Li, who has Three Spirit Roots and is barely usable. He can’t compare to a reincarnated Venerable, so he’s just there to make up the numbers."
The moment she said this, the air crackled with hostility.
Ming Zhan and Ji Boyan exchanged a look, while Fan Luming simply threw his head back and laughed without restraint.
Ma Miaoyin’s words were not as pleasant as they sounded on the surface.
’Even a random Inner Disciple of mine with Three Spirit Roots can compete with a direct Bloodline descendant of your Wei Family for the Demon Child position. That just goes to show how weak your Wei Family has become!’
Just as the expressions of the several Demon Monarchs grew complicated...
In Qin Xuan’s Pill Domain, the lid of the illusory Eight Desolates Forging Fire Furnace suddenly flew open with a BOOM!
The gazes of nearly all the Demon Monarchs, to one degree or another, fell upon Qin Xuan.
"Is this the boy who created his own Demon Slayer Sword Talisman and utterly defeated Miao’Er in the Blood Pool Sword Tomb?"
Sunx Youhai asked with great interest, "He took first place with his Sword Talisman but chose Alchemy over Artifact Refining? What an interesting young man. Does he know his Artifact Refining skills are inferior, or is his talent in the Alchemy Dao simply that astounding?"
From his tone, it seemed Sunx Youhai held little hostility toward Qin Xuan.
Fan Luming’s eyes were deep. "Dragon Blood Grass, Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk, Illusion Dream Flower... and the Three-leaf Resurrection Grass as the main ingredient..."
"Judging by the materials he’s chosen, he must be trying to refine the Soul-Stabilizing Pill, one of the most difficult Tier Three Low-Grade Pills."
Ma Miaoyin shook her head. "This Pill has miraculous effects for stabilizing the Divine Soul and resisting Heart Demons, but its formation rate is extremely low. Even veteran Tier Three Pill Masters wouldn’t dare attempt it lightly."
"This kid reached the Purple Mansion Seventh Level after only a few decades of cultivation. How could he have had time to immerse himself in the Alchemy Dao? He’s being a bit too arrogant."
Ji Boyan smiled. "This boy’s actions are often unexpected. Let’s just watch and see what he does."
Inside the Illusion Heart Prison’s Pill Domain, Qin Xuan was completely focused.
He summoned the Yin Yang Demon Refining Furnace and, following the guidance of the Cyan-robed Little Daoist Child in his mind, precisely controlled the heat of the flames.
One Tier Three Spirit Medicine after another was tossed into the furnace, transforming into pure medicinal liquid.
’You idiot... you added the Earth Core Milk three-tenths of a breath too early! Its medicinal properties weren’t fully activated before clashing with the Dragon Blood Grass. This batch will lose five percent of its potency!’
The Cyan-robed Little Daoist Child’s curses echoed in Qin Xuan’s sea of consciousness.
As a Taoist Artifact connected to his Divine Soul, the Cyan-robed Little Daoist Child’s transmissions couldn’t be heard by Golden Core Blood Demons, let alone the Demon Monarchs.
"Right!" Sweat poured from Qin Xuan’s forehead as he immediately made adjustments.
His hands moved like butterflies flitting through flowers. His Divine Sense spread out in a fine mesh, covering the entire Pill Furnace and sensing every minute change as the medicinal energies fused within.
Outside, the Demon Monarchs watched Qin Xuan’s exquisite Fire Control technique and steady composure—far surpassing that of an ordinary Purple Mansion Cultivator—and their expressions shifted slightly.
Sunx Youhai chuckled lightly. "A little interesting. It seems his first place with the Sword Talisman wasn’t entirely due to luck. If he can really refine this Soul-Stabilizing Pill, he might be worth paying some attention to."
Ji Boyan nodded. "His use of Divine Sense is incredibly refined. His fundamentals are so solid it’s absurd. He doesn’t seem like a Loose Cultivator who came up the hard way."
Wei Jieyue watched the light screen, her gaze fixed on Qin Xuan, whose aura was growing more focused and whose technique was becoming more practiced. She thought to herself...
’This boy is hiding even more than I imagined. It seems Qingyi’s claim to the Demon Child position has gained another powerful contender.’
「Time slowly passed.」
Inside Qin Xuan’s Pill Furnace, the medicinal fragrance grew richer, and a faint, rosy glow began to shine through.
It would all come down to this moment!
BOOM!
A massive tremor shook the air.
