Chapter 1088: Pill King Follower
Gu Wenqian's excitement was palpable. He'd guessed correctly; the young man before him was Ye Mo, the creator of the spirit weaving pill—a brilliant pill master. His voice trembled with respect as he bowed deeply, saying, “I didn’t expect Qianbei to be the creator of the spirit weaving pill. Wanbei Gu Wenqian greets Ye-Qianbei.”
Every cultivator understood the spirit weaving pill's value, but as a pill king, Gu Wenqian grasped the significance of its concoction method: a revolutionary system unlike any traditional method. It promised more complete pill digestion for all cultivators. Unknown to Gu Wenqian, Ye Mo hadn't considered applying this method to other pills; the traditional method was simpler and less demanding on spiritual sense.
Gu Wenqian's respect stemmed from this understanding, prompting him to address Ye Mo with the honorific "Qianbei" despite his age. He yearned to become Ye Mo's disciple, believing that mastering the spirit chi whirlpool pill concoction method would elevate him to at least a level three pill king.
“That’s right, I’m Ye Mo, the creator of the spirit weaving pill. Tell me where you first heard of it and how you recognized me,” Ye Mo said calmly, though inwardly he was far from calm. He knew his identity would inevitably be revealed. The longer it remained hidden, the more likely its exposure would become.
The Lightning Cloud Sect, if they investigated, would connect his arrival in the South Peace State with Tian Aofeng’s death. Finding Cheng Yugeng and Zheng Yidao would solidify his culpability. They knew his battle prowess—he'd instantly killed Fu Rong, a level nine Golden Core cultivator. His journey from Mo Hai City to South Peace City, necessitating passage through the Heartless Sea, would link all the evidence. Ye Mo could only hope the two remained out of the Lightning Cloud Sect's grasp. He regretted his leniency; a crueler cultivator would have eliminated them.
“Qianbei, I wish to serve you as my master,” Gu Wenqian declared.
Ye Mo sneered but remained silent.
Jing Yingli interjected, “Pill King Gu Wenqian, do you think Ye Mo would accept you simply because you're a level two pill king?”
“No, no, but I deeply admire Ye-Qianbei,” Gu Wenqian hastily clarified, his obsession with pills exceeding ordinary comprehension.
Jing Yingli stated plainly, “Ye Mo is actually a level five pill king. Do you think he’d care about a mere level two pill king disciple?”
“Huh?” Gu Wenqian was stunned. While he suspected Ye Mo's skill, he hadn't anticipated his level five pill king status at such a young age. This revelation matched the spirit weaving pill’s impact; even in Pill City, level five or higher pill kings were rare.
Jing Yingli reveled in his shock. Repeatedly defeated by Ye Mo, she now witnessed this level two pill king's humbling.
Ye Mo looked at Jing Yingli wordlessly. Although he believed he could create a heaven-grade level five pill, he hadn't yet done so.
Jing Yingli, observing Gu Wenqian's astonishment, tossed him a hollow meridian pill. “Look, this is a hollow meridian pill Ye Mo made. Do you think a level four pill king could create this?”
The hollow meridian pill, a heaven-grade level four pill requiring a level four pill king for concoction, was special grade, exceeding the capabilities of even a level four pill king, as Jing Yingli rightly pointed out.
Gu Wenqian respectfully returned the pill, bowing to Ye Mo. “Wanbei Gu Wenqian greets Pill King Ye Mo Qianbei. Please accept me as your disciple.” He knelt again.
Gu Wenqian knew only Ye Mo could help him reach greater heights. Failing to seize this opportunity meant remaining a level two pill king for life.
Ye Mo, seeing Gu Wenqian's persistence, simply waved a hand. “Answer my questions first. We’ll discuss that later.”
“Yes,” Gu Wenqian replied, careful not to offend. “Three months ago, while delivering pills to the eight-star sect Heartless Valley, I encountered a female cultivator from the North Far State—a very young level one pill king.”
“Wait,” Ye Mo interrupted. “A level one pill king from the North Far State? Isn't a level three pill king required to use the teleportation formation to reach the South Peace State?”
Gu Wenqian shook his head. “I don’t know how she arrived, but she was indeed a level one pill king, recently accepted as a disciple by Heartless Valley. This eliminated my need to deliver heaven-grade level one and two pills.” The fact that a level two pill king delivered pills to Heartless Valley spoke volumes about the sect's stature.
“Because of our collaboration, they treated me well. They took on a new pill king disciple, and asked me to mentor her. I found her skill comparable to mine, certainly a level two pill king within a few years. Discussing which pill master she most admired, I expected her to name Kong Ye, but instead she mentioned a name I’d never heard—yours, Ye-Qianbei.”
“When I asked about you, she described you as the cultivator who incorporated spirit attraction grass into a pill to create the spirit weaving pill. She said you'd disappeared after leaving the herb plain. If I could travel to the North Far State, I would have sought you out immediately. To emphasize your youth, she even drew your portrait,” Gu Wenqian explained.
Ye Mo frowned. He should recognize such a skilled young pill king.
“What's her name? Which sect in the North Far State is she from?” Ye Mo asked.
Gu Wenqian answered, “She’s Qin Muxin, from the five-star sect Immortal Herb Valley in the North Far State.”
So it was her. A level seven spirit pill master over a decade ago, reaching level one pill king status was expected. She possessed a rare flame. Her master, Ming Xin, had wished to marry her to him, a proposal he’d refused.
“I knew Pill King Muxin wasn’t lying, but I still couldn't believe the spirit weaving pill existed. I'm thrilled to meet Qianbei today,” Gu Wenqian exclaimed, still overwhelmed.
Ye Mo, admiring Gu Wenqian's enthusiasm, offered him a spirit weaving pill. “No more doubt then. I’ve since improved the recipe. This one is better.”
Gu Wenqian immediately swallowed the pill. After a moment, he exclaimed, “It truly contains spirit attraction grass! The digestion rate is 90%!”
Seeing Gu Wenqian’s eagerness to resume the discussion about discipleship, Ye Mo quickly interrupted. “Let’s hold off on that. Which sect are you from?”
“I am a solo cultivator, residing at Blue Lake. I came to Pill City for the pill king tournament,” Gu Wenqian replied cautiously.
A solo cultivator? Ye Mo nodded. “I've made many enemies, mostly from powerful factions. Following me could cost you your life. Are you prepared for that?”
Gu Wenqian immediately responded, “Even if you kill me instantly, I won’t so much as flinch.”
“Very well. Stay here for now. After the pill king tournament, I’ll decide whether to accept you as a disciple,” Ye Mo said. If Gu Wenqian proved truly loyal, he could bring him to Mo Yue City; a pill king would greatly benefit the city.