Chapter 1106: What is Powerful?
Thinking about this, Ye Mo recalled the Truth Fall Palace stairway and how he'd used purple eye soul sever to reach level seven. Could this be similar? He extended his spirit sense and found that, even before employing purple eye soul sever, the pressure lessened considerably. Withdrawing his cultivation essence, he wasn't pushed off. He realized the key: resisting the pressure with cultivation essence wouldn't sustain him past step three. Cultivators needed to use spirit sense for defense; the stronger one's power, the greater the pressure.
Ye Mo chuckled at his own naiveté; he was likely the only cultivator in this round unaware of this. City Lord Shen Guanqing had hinted at using spirit sense, but Ye Mo hadn't grasped it. Even using spirit sense for defense, some interference remained. Concentration was paramount in pill concoction. While his Three Birth Chant mitigated this, eliminating the interference entirely would be preferable.
Therefore, Ye Mo tried purple eye soul sever, effectively nullifying the pressure. The step now felt like his personal pill concoction room. Didn't this imply that pill masters with spirit sense cultivation methods could negate the pushing force?
Looking up, Ye Mo was surprised to find himself alone on step one, while many pill kings had reached step three. He didn't hesitate, quickly selecting Blue Wen Pill. Before even releasing his soul flare and Shen Nong cauldron, the ingredients materialized. He checked them swiftly and commenced concoction.
The judges visibly relaxed; this contestant consistently startled them. In the first round, his use of soul flare had initially seemed like surrender, but he'd dissected the pill. Now, his delayed use of the cauldron and choice of the challenging Blue Wen Pill left everyone wondering what surprise he held in store. Ning Qingxue also visibly relaxed, relieved to see Ye Mo finally begin.
Ye Mo had concocted countless Blue Wen pills. Even with soul flare, he completed a cauldron in under fifteen minutes. Although some competitors reached step four by the time he reached step two, it didn't faze him. He knew his purple eye soul sever gave him a significant advantage over those constantly battling the pressure. He wasn't alone on step two; a few other pill masters remained.
He chose Mist Spirit Pill, a difficult level eight spirit pill to concoct. Before Heaven Glory Pill, it was the optimal pill for golden core cultivators aiming for a breakthrough, with Blue Wen Pill a close second.
Watching Ye Mo work, Wu Tan sighed, “If he had even a moderately ranked rare flame, he'd be far faster.” Ji Ling immediately glanced at Lu Wuhu, who, after a sip of spirit wine, replied, “Don't look at me; I'm almost out.” The others were speechless.
Yue Qichao declared, “After the tournament, I'll give him a stone skin flame. It's relatively low-ranked, but better than nothing. This Luo Xiaomo—no, Ye Mo—is the most gifted pill master I've ever witnessed. The effortless way he concocts level seven and eight spirit pills with soul flare is a joy to watch.”
Ji Ling, however, shook his head, expressing pity. “But why did he linger on step one so long? He could be on step four now.”
Yue Qichao smiled, “I don't see it as a pity. He saved time he'd lose later by staying on step one. I'm not entirely certain yet.” Shen Guanqing nodded in agreement.
Ye Mo didn't dawdle on step two, swiftly moving to step three. While some had reached step five, he'd caught up. Many pill masters were astounded by his rapid ascent from step one to three. Even a level one pill king needed thirty minutes for a level seven spirit pill. Yet, Ye Mo, supposedly a level seven pill master, used soul flare.
However, most pill masters and spectators realized Luo Xiaomo was certainly no ordinary level seven pill master. On step three, Ye Mo chose the challenging, high-caliber Face Recovery Pill. The pressure here was significantly higher than the previous steps. Ye Mo was grateful for his insight on step one; otherwise, he might not have survived this step. Being eliminated here would be humiliating. No pill master had been ousted yet.
Reaching step three, Jiu Qian was disappointed to see his primary rival still on step one, shaking his head. He suspected Ye Mo had prior knowledge of the pill recipes, explaining his high scores in the earlier rounds. However, Jiu Qian immediately pressed on to step four. Without Ye Mo, victory would be assured. Steps four and five were easily conquered. Upon reaching step six, he subconsciously glanced back, seeing Ye Mo poised to ascend to step four.
Jiu Qian's spirits plummeted. Luo Xiaomo possessed genuine skill. Yet, he remained confident in his victory on the twelve pill king steps. Unknown to others, Jiu Qian was a level six pill king on the verge of level seven.
As soon as Ye Mo reached step four, before he could utilize purple eye soul sever, he was nearly pushed off. Upon severing the pressure, he sighed; this step was clearly designed for level one pill kings. Those with weaker spirit sense would struggle immensely to concoct heaven-grade level one pills here. Even those capable of remaining would avoid the harder pills. The twelve pill king steps weren't entirely irrelevant to cultivation level.
Observing Hu Wen and Qin Muxin, Ye Mo saw Hu Wen preparing for step four while Qin Muxin struggled on step three. Even if she reached step four, completing a heaven-grade level one pill seemed improbable. Ye Mo also recognized Jiu Qian's strength; he was on step six while Xu Banchang was only on step five. Without a decisive victory with Heaven Glory Pill, securing first place seemed difficult.
However, Ye Mo remained unconcerned; he hadn't used his full potential, relying solely on soul flare thus far. Despite his nonchalance, Jiu Qian's confident declaration of sole victory ignited Ye Mo's competitiveness. He chose the exceedingly challenging Cao Huan pill for step four.
Then, abandoning soul flare, Ye Mo unleashed the purple flower flame. This triggered numerous gasps of surprise. The judges exchanged looks, realizing Ye Mo had finally revealed his true power.
"Purple flower flame? Is this real? Luo Xiaomo hasn't used his full strength in the previous rounds!"
"Finally, I understand the absurdity! This Luo Xiaomo is outrageously powerful. He possesses a rare flame but only uses it for heaven-grade pills!"