Chapter 101: Chapter 101: The Wang Family’s Methods
Hua Luoxuan was a Third Grade Alchemist, after all. With him presiding, the rate of pill production nearly doubled.
Vast quantities of Pills came rattling down the assembly line.
In just half a day, Hua Luoxuan hadn’t had a single moment to rest. He had lost count of how many Pills he had refined, and the work was enough to thoroughly exhaust even a Third Grade Alchemist like him.
As for the First Grade Alchemists, they were so tired they could barely even stand.
While resting, many of the Alchemists were shocked to discover that this high-intensity, cooperative Alchemy had actually caused their Profound Sense to grow by a minuscule amount in just half a day.
Even their Alchemy techniques had become significantly more proficient.
This discovery immediately sent the Alchemists into a frenzy.
Any fool knew that increasing an Alchemist’s Profound Sense was incredibly difficult. Even the slightest wisp of growth would normally require several months of cultivation.
Yet, in the process of cooperatively refining these Pills, a mere half-day had yielded the same progress as two or three months of their usual training. It was practically a cheat code. In an instant, they were all ecstatic.
Initially, they had only been refining these low-grade Pills to earn money, in accordance with the agreement they’d signed with the Alchemist Association.
But now, this miraculous method could actually enhance their abilities. This time, without any prompting from Hua Luoxuan or Zhou Huarong, the Alchemists demanded to get back to work after resting for only a few minutes.
Their eyes burned with feverish excitement, making them look no different from the Martial Artists outside who were running on pure adrenaline.
And so—
In just half a day, the Ye family’s Pills took Blue Moon City by storm, becoming a local phenomenon.
But while the Ye family and the Alchemist Association were bustling with extraordinary activity, the atmosphere in the Wang family’s estate was grim and oppressive.
According to their records, in just half a day, the Wang family had sold less than one percent of their usual volume of Pills.
Furthermore, the few Pills that did sell were all purchased before the Ye family’s store opened, sold to Martial Artists who were still unaware of the situation.
Later, the Wang family Pharmacy’s flagship store, located in the very heart of the city, went two full hours without selling a single Pill.
This data weighed heavily on the hearts of every Wang family member, as if a great mountain was crushing them.
A colossal shadow instantly fell over every member of the Wang family, suffocating them to the point they could barely breathe. They panicked as if the end of the world was upon them.
In the Wang family’s council hall, all the high-level members were present.
Arranged before them were several porcelain vials containing the three types of Pills sold by the Ye family.
An elderly man was carefully observing and analyzing the three types of Pills, remaining silent for a long time.
Wang Hai finally broke the silence. "Master Xi Lin, what are the effects of these three Pills?"
This man was the Wang family’s chief Alchemist, Xi Lin, a Second Grade Alchemist.
"Alas, Patriarch Wang Hai, the Ye family’s three Pills are nothing short of a miracle," Xi Lin lamented, his face a mask of shock. "In all my years of Alchemy, I have never seen such heaven-defying Pills. Their effects are likely even better than advertised."
"Master Xi Lin, is it possible for the Wang family to replicate Pills of this quality?"
"It would be nigh on impossible." Xi Lin shook his head. "On the surface, these three Pills look almost identical to the ones the Wang family produces, just with enhanced effects. In truth, however, their composition has changed significantly. With my current skill, I’m afraid it would be extremely difficult to reverse-engineer them. What’s more, it’s not just the recipe; the Alchemy technique itself has been altered. If the Wang family wants to produce them, we need both the recipe and the technique. Otherwise, it’s all for naught."
"Damn it! When did the Ye family get their hands on Pills like these? It must be that Hua Luoxuan from the Alchemist Association’s doing."
Wang Xuan snarled, his face contorted with hatred.
Xi Lin shook his head. "Elder Wang Xuan, forgive my bluntness, but these Pills are a complete revolution. Even with Hua Luoxuan’s skill, I doubt he could have developed them. There must be an even more powerful Alchemist behind him."
"What?" Wang Hai and the others exchanged looks of utter shock.
On this continent, the status of an Alchemist was second only to that of a Soul Refiner.
In Blue Moon City, Hua Luoxuan, the Third Grade Alchemist and president of the Alchemist Association, was already the most powerful Alchemist, strong enough to contend with the Wang family.
And yet, Xi Lin was claiming that the Ye family had an even more powerful Alchemist backing them. What could that possibly mean?
For a moment, an inexplicable fear rose in their hearts. Wang Hai and the others even felt a faint twinge of regret for making an enemy of the Ye family.
But the situation had already reached this point; it was far too late for the Wang family’s regrets.
The Ye family’s current actions had struck at the Wang family’s very core. If they didn’t counterattack, the only path left for them was annihilation.
"No matter who is behind the Ye family, we, the Wang family, cannot allow them to grow. Otherwise, we’re facing a dead end."
"That’s right. As a court Alchemist for the kingdom, it’s not strange for Hua Luoxuan to know other powerful Alchemists. Perhaps he got the recipe from one of them."
"Our top priority is to shatter the Ye family’s momentum. We can’t let them continue this rampage. Otherwise, our family’s entire foundation will be destroyed in less than half a year."
The Wang family elders spoke up one by one, a sharp, murderous intent glinting in their eyes.
The Wang family had stood tall in Blue Moon City for centuries not merely through powerful business tactics; violence ran in their very blood. Though the Ye family now held the momentum, not a single one of them considered backing down.
"The Ye family is now colluding with the Alchemist Association and has the backing of the City Lord’s Mansion. On the Pill front, our Wang family has been thoroughly outmaneuvered. To defeat them, we must eliminate them at the source."
"The Ye family’s Pills rely on their family’s herb fields and the Alchemists from the Alchemist Association. We can’t make a move against the Alchemist Association, but we can absolutely destroy the Ye family’s herb fields."
"Exactly. As long as we destroy all of the Ye family’s medicinal herbs, it won’t matter how great their recipes are; they’ll be useless."
Wang Hai and the others exchanged glances, cold smirks spreading across their faces.
"Patriarch, after the last battle, the Ye family is surely paying close attention to their herb fields. Even the Blood Saber Stronghold couldn’t break through. I’m afraid no other band of marauders in Blue Moon City would dare to move against the Ye family now."
Wang Hai sneered. "We don’t need any other marauders. This time, the Wang family will act personally. Of course, we will also ally with the Zhou family. I’m sure the Zhou family will be more than willing."
"Correct. The Ye family has also left the Zhou family’s Demon Pill business in shambles. They must be fuming right now."
"Send someone to contact the Zhou family immediately." Wang Hai’s gaze was sinister as he looked to the side. "Wang Xuan, how about you lead our family’s team this time? I will send the Fourth Elder, Seventh Elder, and Eighth Elder to assist you. I want to ensure the Ye family can never get back on its feet."
"Rest assured," Wang Xuan said with a cruel smile, his eyes savage. "Brother, this time, I won’t just destroy the Ye family’s herb fields; I will see to it that every Ye family member there is annihilated."
Wang Hai added a reminder, "I’ve heard that old bastard from the Ye family, Ye Batian, is an Earth Martial Artist at the Second Layer. Second Brother, you must be careful."
Wang Xuan scoffed. "Don’t worry, Brother. I can handle an old bastard like that all by myself. Besides, all the other Ye family experts are in Blue Moon City. With the Wang and Zhou families joining forces and dispatching so many experts, how could a trivial family like the Ye not be ours for the taking?"
Wang Xuan’s face was filled with scorn.
"They were courting death the moment they decided to oppose the Wang family."
"Haha, let Ye Zhanxiong and the others celebrate for a little while. Just wait a few days for the grim news."
"Hahaha."
All the Wang family experts in the council hall began to laugh menacingly.
In the dead of night, seven or eight figures darted out from the Wang and Zhou family compounds. Clad in black and moving like phantoms, they silently vanished outside Blue Moon City.
For the next two days, the Ye family and the Alchemist Association remained a whirlwind of bustling, feverish activity.
Meanwhile, Ye Xuan, having done his part, had locked himself away in a refining chamber within the Alchemist Association.
Before him, an Array was fully activated, and clusters of dense flames continuously burned a piece of black metal.
Under such powerful flames, ordinary steel would have long ago melted into liquid. This piece of metal, however, was only glowing faintly red, showing no other signs of change.
’This Soul Profound Steel really is tough,’ Ye Xuan muttered, exasperated. ’At this rate, how long will it take to refine it with just this True Fire?’
Soul Profound Steel was one of the hardest materials in existence, renowned for its indestructibility. In terms of sheer strength, it was even more formidable than Star Meteorite Iron and over ten times stronger than Profound Iron.
’Relying solely on the intensity of the True Fire from this Third Level Array, it would likely take seven or eight days just to melt it into a liquid state. I don’t have that kind of time to waste.’
Ye Xuan muttered to himself as his hands began to form a series of complex Seal Skills. With each skill he formed, the Array’s True Fire grew denser. Its energy gathered like ocean waves, tightly wrapping around the fist-sized piece of Soul Profound Steel floating in mid-air.
The previously motionless Soul Profound Steel instantly began to SIZZLE as its entire body started to glow red.
Next, Ye Xuan began to chant. Strands of profound energy flowed from him into the Soul Profound Steel, beginning to purge it of impurities.
Ye Xuan’s movements were gentle and elegant, as if he were sculpting a work of art. The rhythm and precise control he displayed had reached the peak of perfection.
After several more hours of refining, the formerly pitch-black, liquid Soul Profound Steel burst into a bluish-purple radiance, shimmering like a beautiful and exquisite crystalline sphere.
