Chapter 1114: Who is a Level Seven Pill King?
“Mist Lotus Heart fire?” Shen Guanqing and the other judges exclaimed upon seeing Ye Mo’s flame. As pill kings, they lacked heaven flames themselves, but their knowledge of their properties was extensive. The instant Ye Mo unleashed the Mist Lotus Heart fire, they recognized it.
“Mist Lotus Heart fire…” Even Lu Wuhu’s composure faltered. Ji Ling, glancing at Lu Wuhu, felt acutely embarrassed. He had asked Lu Wuhu for a rare flame for Ye Mo; now, it seemed a ludicrous request.
Another heaven flame, and the third-ranked Mist Lotus Heart fire at that! The audience erupted; this pill king tournament far surpassed their wildest expectations. It had devolved into a contest of heaven flames—four had appeared in this tournament alone, whereas previously, only five or six were known throughout the entire South Peace State. Now, the second, third, and fourth-ranked flames were all present.
The competition between Jiu Qian and Ye Mo intensified. Had Jiu Qian not faced Ye Mo, he wouldn't have used his heaven flame; similarly, if Ye Mo's opponent hadn't been Jiu Qian, he wouldn't have resorted to his own. Both were subtle and patient, particularly Ye Mo, who had progressed from Soul Flare to Purple Flower fire, and finally, the Mist Lotus Heart fire. Some speculated that if Jiu Qian possessed even stronger flames, Ye Mo might have matched them.
The level four pill kings and Xu Banchang shook their heads, observing this display. Xu Banchang, who believed himself a mere step behind Ye Mo and Jiu Qian, now saw a vast chasm separating them. He had used his heaven flame in the first round, while these two only revealed theirs at the tenth step.
Qin Muxin stared at Ye Mo incredulously. Initially worried about his lack of a rare flame, she now chuckled at her own apprehension when he produced the Purple Flower fire. It seemed evident that he possessed a heaven flame even when concocting the Spirit Weaving Pill, but had chosen not to reveal it.
Now a level seven pill king, he could unveil his heaven flame without fear of others coveting it. Martial Brother Ye possessed remarkable patience and self-control.
Seeing Ye Mo’s Mist Lotus Heart fire, Jiu Qian’s eyes narrowed. His spirit herbs nearly burned, but he managed to control the situation thanks to his experience. He hadn't anticipated Ye Mo also possessing a heaven flame. Though lower in rank, its deeper color rendered the two flames evenly matched.
In that instant, he realized his earlier arrogance. He finally understood Ye Mo's meaning: "I wasn't planning to win, but now, you can only be second. Sorry." Ye Mo’s true power had been provoked by Jiu Qian’s overconfidence.
Jiu Qian had expected Ye Mo's despair at facing his One Purple Flare, but instead, the Mist Lotus Heart fire had emerged. Though briefly regretful, he quickly dismissed it. Even with Ye Mo's heaven flame, victory wasn't guaranteed. Jiu Qian judged from his skill that Ye Mo hadn't previously refined heaven-grade level seven pills.
Focusing, Jiu Qian concentrated on his own pill, as did Ye Mo on his Season Wheat pill. Ye Mo had committed all his resources: the Shen Nong cauldron, the heaven flame, spirit sense, and whirlpool pill concoction methods. Even if he lost with these, he would accept defeat.
Refining the spirit herbs was effortless for Ye Mo; the Mist Lotus Heart fire accelerated the process. He knew Jiu Qian, possessing the One Purple Flare, would face no similar difficulties.
Judges and audience held their breaths, witnessing the concoction of level seven heaven-grade pills with heaven flames—a sight most cultivators would see only once in a lifetime. The two meticulously proceeded, abandoning their earlier casual approaches. Both found the heaven flames more convenient and familiar to use.
Four hours passed, and Ye Mo finished refining his spirit herbs, immediately commencing herbal liquid fusion. “Ye Mo is a step ahead; he’s begun fusion, but he doesn’t seem to be using pill spells…” Level four pill king Gao He trailed off.
Shen Guanqing smiled. “You noticed too. I didn't expect Ye Mo to employ the spirit sense pill concoction method. I've heard of such spells, but this is my first time witnessing it. His pill concoction heritage is remarkably advanced.”
Yue Qichao nodded. “I heard he used the spirit sense pill spell when concocting the Spirit Weaving Pill. I was skeptical, but now… this spell offers a significant advantage, though it is extremely taxing on the spirit sense.”
While Jiu Qian also began fusion, the judges’ attention remained fixed on Ye Mo. Jiu Qian’s methods were advanced, but compared to the unprecedented spirit sense pill spell, Ye Mo’s process was more captivating.
Ye Mo’s herbal liquid swirled in the cauldron, yet he remained unhurried. He skillfully manipulated the pill spell, causing the liquid to fuse and separate repeatedly. Though seemingly unremarkable to the untrained eye, Ye Mo knew this was his only recourse. This was his first attempt at this level; the spirit sense spell lessened the difficulty, but a single error could cause a catastrophic explosion.
Even with the spirit sense and whirlpool methods, he relied on repeated simulations guided by the Three Birth Chant. Jiu Qian finished his fusion and began pill formation; he concentrated intensely, aware this was his most critical moment. He'd executed the first half expertly, but that was mere groundwork.
Meanwhile, Ye Mo continued his careful testing. Without the Three Birth Chant, he would have undoubtedly failed. When the herbal liquid emitted a faint aroma, Ye Mo’s mind cleared. He realized he'd been overly cautious; constant simulation wasn't necessary. The Three Birth Chant emphasized natural flow and intuition—similar to his Illusion Cloud exert will strike. Why force a method for creating heaven-grade level seven pills when it would arise naturally?
Without hesitation, Ye Mo introduced a spirit chi whirlpool, controlled by his spirit sense, into the cauldron. The herbal liquid spun slowly. Fifteen minutes later, an invisible hand seemed to divide the whirlpool into six.
Pain lanced through Ye Mo’s sea of consciousness. He immediately consumed a spirit recovery pill and further separated the whirlpool to form the pills. While Ye Mo progressed steadily, Jiu Qian struggled. His pills neared completion, but something was amiss. He sensed the aroma, saw the six nascent pills, and knew that with a little more effort, he could create six Cauldron Filling pills, but that final touch eluded him.
Suddenly, Jiu Qian felt the herbal liquid cease spinning. Comprehending the dire situation, before he could react, the liquid began to disintegrate. In desperation, he resorted to the pill pulling spell, hoping to salvage at least one or two Cauldron Filling pills.