Chapter 1100: He Really Succeeded
Shen Guanqing’s tone was electric. Without waiting for the discussion to subside, he announced, “Solo cultivator, level seven spirit pill master, Luo Xiaomo, perfectly recreated the Heaven Glory Pill. The judges awarded him full marks—100 points, placing him first.” The sheer excitement in his voice underscored the profound shock rippling through him.
All cultivators and contestants in the square were astounded. The uproar was even greater than when rumors of collusion surfaced, but this time, no one dared to interrupt. Luo Xiaomo’s achievement was simply too extraordinary. Even the dozens of Pill Kings in Pill City hadn't managed to dissect the Heaven Glory Pill, yet he had done so in a mere three days.
Initially, everyone understood the question's intent wasn't to elicit a correct answer—that was impossible. The goal was to assess the contestants' knowledge of spirit herbs. Perhaps a secondary objective was to see if anyone could identify a few particularly rare herbs. But now, the judges claimed someone had perfectly dissected the Heaven Glory Pill's components. Was it even possible? Yet, fabrication was equally impossible; even the City Lord hadn't deciphered the pill's composition.
Major sects cast fervent gazes upon Luo Xiaomo. If he could mass-produce the Heaven Glory Pill, the Golden Core bottleneck would vanish, facilitating effortless breakthroughs. Such a resource was invaluable to any sect.
Jiu Qian glanced at the unassuming Ye Mo, his breath catching. A level seven spirit pill master had perfectly dissected the Heaven Glory Pill. Ye Mo was undeniably superior. Before, Jiu Qian hadn't considered level four or five Pill Kings a threat; now, Ye Mo was his greatest obstacle to first place.
Qin Muxin looked at Ye Mo with envy. Her master had been right; Ye Mo possessed an unimaginable future, excelling in every aspect.
Gu Wenqian was ecstatic, as if he himself had won. He felt his decision to follow Ye Mo was profoundly correct. His master was indeed number one; insurmountable.
Feng Ling stared at Ye Mo, dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend how a level seven spirit pill master could perfectly dissect such an ancient recipe. The words he'd spoken to Luo Xiaomo earlier now filled him with deep regret.
The other Pill Kings also kept their eyes fixed on Ye Mo, baffled by his feat. It was clearly beyond mere luck. Some even suspected Ye Mo already possessed the recipe. If Ye Mo were present, he might well exclaim, "You know me well!"
The audience buzzed with discussion:
“Who is this Luo Xiaomo? I’ve never heard of him.”
“There are countless prodigies you haven't heard of. Have you heard of Ye Mo? Or Jiu Qian?”
“True. But isn’t it peculiar that the top two in the first round are spirit pill masters, surpassing the third-place Half-Immortal Pill King by such a margin?”
“Not strange at all. As City Lord Yue mentioned, a pill master named Ye Mo from North Far State created the Spirit Weaving Pill during his Foundation Establishment stage.”
Mo Youshan sat uneasily, cold sweat beading on his skin. He realized the Ye Mo who created the Spirit Weaving Pill was the Ye Mo before him. Regardless of Ye Mo’s performance in subsequent rounds, he could no longer harm him. At the very least, he needed to ensure Ye Mo remained unaware of his presence in Pill City.
He wanted to confide in his master, but his master was a judge and couldn't communicate with him.
The Hollow Spirit State tertiary stage cultivator from the Earth Demon Sect, who had threatened to kill Ye Mo, stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't fathom how this seemingly insignificant level seven spirit pill master had achieved a perfect score in the first round.
Huang Yushang and his martial uncle were speechless. After a moment, the Hollow Spirit State cultivator instructed Huang Yushan, “Send a messenger flying sword back to the sect leader; tell him to send someone to bring the Five-Colored Lotus to Pill City.” Then, he abruptly changed his mind: “No, I'll do it myself.”
Yi Pandie looked at Ye Mo, shocked. The familiarity of Ye Mo struck her, prompting her to approach the Abstruse Sound Sect’s area.
Jing Yingli, of the Abstruse Sound Sect, also stared at Ye Mo with uncertainty. She never expected the seemingly unremarkable man accompanying her sister to be so extraordinary. No wonder, given her sister's pride, she was willing to be with him.
She rose to join Jing Yingli, but then saw Yi Pandie approaching. Jing Yingli was adept at masking her emotions, but Ye Mo's performance had still deeply impressed her.
Yi Pandie greeted Jing Yingmeng and sat beside Jing Yingli, asking, “Martial Sister Yingli, when I first saw Luo Xiaomo, he seemed familiar. Can you tell me where he’s from?”
Before Jing Yingli could answer, Jing Yingmeng laughed, “Martial Sister Pandie, Luo Xiaomo is indeed performing well, but don’t tell me you’re smitten? He's not simple. I invited him out the other day, but he didn't come.”
Of course, Yi Pandie had no romantic interest in Ye Mo.
Jing Yingli glanced at Jing Yingmeng and stated, “What I told you before still stands.”
Jing Yingmeng’s expression faltered, but she didn't argue. Previously, she'd thought Jing Yingli was speaking out of spite, but now she believed her sister’s words to be truthful.
“What did you tell her?” Yi Pandie asked instinctively.
Jing Yingli calmly replied, “Neither of us needs to consider a romantic relationship with him. It's pointless; he already has a wife.”
“Martial Sister Yingli, I’m asking about his origins. Who do you think I am? As if I’d be interested in a mere spirit pill master,” Yi Pandie retorted, slightly irritated.
Jing Yingli smiled, unfazed. “Luo Xiaomo is from North Far State. He lives in a small mortal city, Mo Yue City, which he owns. His real name is Ye Mo; he also uses the alias Ning Xiaoma.”
Jing Yingli realized there was no need to shield Ye Mo’s identity any longer. Even if he didn't win, an investigation was already underway, and his true identity would soon be revealed.
“What? He’s Ning Xiaoma?” Yi Pandie gasped, her face a mixture of shock and gratitude. Ning Xiaoma had saved her in the Truth Fall Palace. She’d believed he'd been killed by Wu Yu, but it now seemed Wu Yu had been killed by him instead. He'd concealed his identity to avoid retribution from the Eternity Sea.
“What's wrong? Martial Sister Pandie, you know Ye Mo?” Jing Yingmeng casually inquired, but the moment she uttered the name, shock registered on her face. She stared at Jing Yingli and asked shakily, “Sister, you mean his name is Ye Mo, the one who created the Spirit Weaving Pill?”
Even without her sister's confirmation, she knew the answer. A bitter taste filled her mouth. What did she possess except for her looks? Luo Xiaomo seemed kind to her sister, yet when she invited him out, he hadn't even responded.
“Ye Mo. So he's such a prodigiously talented pill master. I foolishly believed Martial Sister Ji Yu’s words,” Yi Pandie shook her head.
Composing herself, she said to Jing Yingli, “Martial Sister Yingli, Luo Xiaomo will soon be famous. It won't be easy to see him again, but he saved my life. Please arrange a meeting; I simply wish to thank him.”
“Of course. I'll convey your message,” Jing Yingli nodded.
Ning Qingxue heard the announcement and wept, “He succeeded. He really did.”
Huang Qian approached Ning Qingxue, taking her hand. “Sister Qingxue, Luo Xiaomo succeeded. Congratulations. No one will dare harm you now.” Huang Ping then rolled her eyes at Fang Zhongshi.