The Fourth Mystic Pill, Success The Marvelous Journey of the Alchemy Furnace Lid

The hour of Zi approached.

Though the fragrance of elixirs had yet to spill forth, the entire courtyard was already illuminated by the fiery glow of the Dragon-Tiger Alchemy Furnace, casting brilliance across the ground.

Inside the furnace, a young man was enveloped in flames, two pills suspended before him.

One was Senior Brother Xiaobao, and the other was the nascent form of a profound pill, already etched with sixty percent of the meridians from the "Eight Treasures Devouring Gold Art."

Could Senior Brother Xiaobao freely manipulate the circulation paths of other martial techniques?

Li Mo noticed that as he cycled his energy alongside Tang Xiaobao, the nascent Eight Treasures Devouring Gold Profound Pill was gradually forming a connection with him—so seamless that it was indistinguishable from one he had refined himself.

"I'm going to raise the temperature," Elder Xue's voice came from outside.

"Wait."

Li Mo detected a hint of exhaustion in his tone, so a serene glow faintly emerged behind him.

The tranquil moonlight bathed Elder Xue, instantly dispelling his scattered thoughts and calming his emotions.

For a moment, only peace remained in his heart.

"What divine intent is this kid observing?"

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow slightly, but his hands never stopped moving.

A large bucket of Black Mire Wood Oil was poured in.

Instantly, the temperature inside the furnace soared.

"Whew... Senior Brother Xiaobao, time for the final step!"

Even Li Mo could feel the scorching heat now.

His perfected Extreme Blade Slaughter Body was barely holding up against the furnace's current temperature.

"Here!"

Tang Xiaobao trembled slightly before spinning rapidly, nearly smoking himself from the speed.

Heartbinding Grass, Nine-Leaf Blossom, and Bloody Polygonum aged thousands of years were tossed in as if they cost nothing, swiftly transformed into pure primordial energy.

A quarter-hour later.

The burning sensation grew even more intense.

And the nascent profound pill, as if gilded, began to radiate dazzling light!

Boom!

The Dragon-Tiger Furnace let out a muffled explosion.

The lid shot out like a cannonball, trailing a long tail of flames into the sky.

"Xiaobao?"

Xue Jing ignored the lingering heat and rushed forward.

"Mas... Master..."

Tang Xiaobao tumbled out in human form, his tongue lolling, his black-and-white eyes swirling like whirlpools.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Master, why do you have three heads? Did you master the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit technique? Hehe..."

Dizzy, Tang Xiaobao grinned foolishly, seeing double.

Xue Jing: "..."

A slap landed on his head.

Tang Xiaobao's gaze cleared instantly.

"Where's Li Mo? Why hasn't he come out yet?"

Xue Jing peered into the furnace, torn between worry and anticipation.

This was the critical moment to test his theory—if even this failed, it would prove that External Pill Refinement had been nothing but a farce from the start.

Inside the furnace, two streaks of golden light, solid as reality, flashed briefly before vanishing.

"Ah..."

Li Mo crawled out of the furnace, sighing in disappointment.

"In the end, we fell just short."

"Failed?"

Xue Jing's excited expression froze, his eyes dimming.

So it was true...

External Pill Refinement had only been the delusion of his youth.

Even after pushing everything to the limit, it remained nothing more than theory.

"Li Mo, don't... take it too hard. External Pill Refinement defies the natural order—failure is normal. Though we did waste quite a few materials..."

The rate at which External Pill Refinement consumed rare treasures was nothing short of staggering.

A single profound pill had already cost Li Mo one-fiftieth of his stockpile.

Watching his dejected master, Tang Xiaobao scratched his head.

"Eh? But I clearly saw Li Mo swallow the pill?"

Xue Jing stiffened.

Li Mo spread his hands and grinned.

"You believed me just like that? Teehee~"

The moment the words left his mouth, Elder Xue's face visibly flushed red with rage.

"I'll beat you to death, you little brat!"

"Just a joke! Look at you, getting worked up again..."

And so, two figures began chasing each other around the courtyard.

Li Mo fled!

Xue Jing pursued!

With four profound pills now circulating within him, Li Mo's energy was inexhaustible, his movements faster than ever.

But.

An Inner Realm cultivator was still an Inner Realm cultivator.

Once Xue Jing unleashed his domain, the phantom of a Dragon-Tiger Furnace descended, pinning Li Mo like a monkey under Five Finger Mountain.

Truthfully, Li Mo could have gone even faster—but that would have cost him money.

The Eight Treasures Devouring Gold Pill could consume the essence of gold and silver to unleash even greater power.

"Couldn't you learn something good for once?"

"Eh? From who?"

"From your master, of course! Sure, she spends money recklessly, loves to fight, and drinks too much—but she must have some virtues."

"...Such as?"

Xue Jing was momentarily speechless.

Tang Xiaobao, still slightly dazed, wobbled over to clean up the Dragon-Tiger Furnace.

Suddenly, his tiny brows furrowed.

"Master, the furnace lid's gone again!"

......

The hour of Zi.

Fish-Dragon Street had fallen into complete silence, the roads pitch-black and deserted.

A figure resembling an inn attendant crept forward in the darkness—so stealthily that one might miss him entirely if not looking carefully.

"Hmm... no one's following me..."

Xu Yi remained vigilant, only relaxing after crossing three streets.

"So what if they sealed my meridians and dantian?"

"In the end, I was still a step ahead."

Xu Yi had many identities, and thus, many skills.

Even as an ordinary man, he could deftly undo tortoise-shell bindings.

Then, using the divine intent he had observed, he concealed his presence.

Finally, he had slipped away unnoticed in the dead of night.

Of course, his willingness to take Li Mo to the Black Tower during the day hadn't been an act.

But.

If he failed to report back to Yin Mianmian on time, she would assume he was dead.

And then, the bounty on Li Mo would multiply tenfold, with the Drizzle Tower coming after him with even greater ferocity.

If Li Mo died, who would pay him?

So he planned to deliver his report first, then sneak back to the inn...

Xu Yi crossed another street and was about to take out his Hallfront Swallow to leave a signal when—

Whoosh—

What was that sound?

He turned just in time to see a black, spinning object hurtling toward him.

Growing closer.

What the—?

A lid?

dUang~~

The sound of head meeting lid was oddly pleasant.

Xu Yi's scalp went numb before darkness swallowed his vision, and he collapsed stiffly onto the roadside.

Not long after.

A figure with a cloth blindfold and a small bamboo basket on her back approached.

"Eh?"

"Isn't this... Xu the waiter?"

Jiang Chulong, about to pick through his belongings, tilted her head in confusion upon recognizing him.

Why was he here?

Was he... dead?

Poking Xu Yi's stomach with a peachwood branch, she sighed in disappointment.

Still alive.

Which meant his things weren't trash...

"Did... did Big Brother Li send him out...?"

Jiang Chulong decided to ask when she returned.

So she picked up the furnace lid with one hand, grabbed Xu Yi's ankle with the other, and dragged him back toward the inn.

Thud—

A dull thud echoed as the back of his head made intimate contact with the curb.