Chapter 422 - 428: Who Is Willing to Test the Pill?

Huo Jinchuan lowered his gaze, carefully examining the Elixir Pill.

"Based on its appearance alone, it certainly doesn’t look like a Breaking Rank Pill, but I’d like to hear what that fellow Daoist has to say."

With that, his cool gaze fell upon Song Wanning, devoid of any doubt or malice.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Song Wanning at the same time.

"Hmph, let’s see how she tries to argue her way out of this. Even Young Master Huo said it doesn’t look right!"

The eyes of the Medicine King Sect disciples were filled with schadenfreude. They had to take Song Wanning down.

Elder Wu would surely reward them later!

Song Wanning didn’t spare him a single glance, merely lifting her eyes to meet Huo Jinchuan’s.

She had been completely focused on her alchemy, thinking that cutting off Xiao Heyun’s thoughts would leave her undisturbed. Unexpectedly, a voice had suddenly emerged at the last moment, nearly causing her to refine a useless pill.

If she hadn’t misheard, that voice was identical to this Young Master Huo’s.

’So, he’s an invader, too.’

’It’s just that this person seems to have very little mental activity, which is why I never noticed him before and ended up being affected.’

She reflected inwardly. ’I still need to train my spiritual power more. Sometimes, a single second of distraction can lead to unforeseeable consequences.’

As Song Wanning watched him, she suddenly smiled.

Her smile bloomed like a flower.

"These four are all Breaking Rank Pills. And they are all top-grade Breaking Rank Pills."

Her voice was firm and resolute, its clear sound reaching everyone’s ears.

The moment she finished speaking, the crowd erupted.

"Is she crazy, or did I mishear? What did she just say?"

"She said they’re all top-grade Breaking Rank Pills..."

"Hahaha, that’s hilarious! Calling them Breaking Rank Pills is one thing, but top-grade Breaking Rank Pills? How can she be so arrogant?"

"Exactly! It’s not like we’ve never seen top-grade elixir pills before. How could they possibly look like this?"

"I think the pressure got to her, and she’s lost her mind!"

The onlookers buzzed with discussion, most of them mocking Song Wanning for her wild fantasy.

Wu Qingfeng actually laughed out loud.

He glanced at the Fourth Elder and said, "I never imagined your esteemed Sect would send such an outstanding disciple. We have truly broadened our horizons today!"

The other elders from the Eastern Domain’s Sects also started laughing in unison, feeling that the Southern Domain had utterly disgraced itself this time.

The Fourth Elder’s expression, however, remained unchanged as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Since you know Wan Ning is outstanding, you should have them concede now. It will save everyone the embarrassment when you’re proven wrong."

She couldn’t tell if they were top-grade Breaking Rank Pills herself, but she knew Song Wanning.

If Song Wanning said they were, then they definitely were.

’That big idiot Wu Qingfeng can just wait to be humiliated!’

The Fourth Elder’s reaction was so unexpected that Wu Qingfeng’s expression froze for a moment.

’Could Song Wanning’s pills really be top-grade Breaking Rank Pills?’

’Otherwise, the Fourth Elder wouldn’t be reacting like this!’

Wu Qingfeng’s heart skipped a beat, and he was suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding.

On the stone stage, the Young Master of the Demon Clan and Xiao Heyun had also been watching Song Wanning the entire time.

Unlike Xiao Heyun, who was dismissive, the Young Master of the Demon Clan narrowed his eyes, studying Song Wanning intently.

’This woman might be my greatest rival for the championship!’

On the high platform, the City Lord, hearing this, sat up straight in surprise and personally picked up an Elixir Pill to examine it.

She then brought it to her nose and sniffed.

’To be honest, if I hadn’t watched Song Wanning refine it myself, I would never have associated this Elixir Pill with a Breaking Rank Pill...’

’Neither the scent nor the patterns were the same!’

But Song Wanning’s confident demeanor piqued her interest.

Whether it was true confidence or sheer arrogance would become clear with a test.

So, holding the Elixir Pill, she asked, "Is anyone willing to test this pill?"

"For free."

Normally, one would have to "fight to the death" in an auction house to acquire a Breaking Rank Pill, ultimately paying an astronomical price for a single one.

Now, with the opportunity right in front of them, the crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into discussion once more.

"What if it’s a poison pill? After all, even the City Lord and the others can’t make heads or tails of it!"

"We all saw her make a mistake earlier. That pill is definitely not a Breaking Rank Pill. Only an idiot would eat it!"

"..."

Everyone was worried the Elixir Pill was poisonous.

It would be one thing if it was simply ineffective, but if it cost them their life, it wouldn’t be worth it.

And so, after half a minute, no one in the crowd had moved.

The Medicine King Sect disciples couldn’t help but sneer. "See? No one dares to eat the pill you refined!"

"PFFT— HAHAHA—"

The two of them laughed wildly. The crowd’s reaction was a resounding slap in the face. ’Isn’t Song Wanning’s face swollen from the shame by now?’

However, just as their laughter died down, a trembling figure stood up.

The man had a full head of white hair and a face covered in wrinkles. The hand he extended was thin and sinewy, a clear sign of his frailty.

The old man’s lifespan was clearly nearing its end, yet his cultivation had been stuck at the Nascent Soul Peak, unable to advance.

He had come this time to try his luck, hoping to find a Breaking Rank Pill.

But in his quest to advance, he had already spent nearly all of his Spirit Stones. With so many people competing, he didn’t stand a chance of winning.

Now, all he could do was gamble...

If he won the gamble, he would gain another thousand years of life.

If he lost, he would only die, which was his fate anyway...

"I am willing!!!"

He gathered his energy and leaped onto the high platform, so excited that the skin on his face was trembling.

The crowd immediately understood what was happening. They stopped their chatter, and their expressions became incredibly complex.

How many geniuses were there in the Cultivation World?

Most were just ordinary people struggling desperately for a sliver of hope, a chance at life.

The old man wouldn’t have agreed if he hadn’t been driven into a corner with no way out.

The crowd looked on with sighs of pity, and even Wu Qingfeng and the Medicine King Sect disciples were uncharacteristically silent.

"Oh? Are you sure you want to try it?" the City Lord asked again.

’If the Elixir Pill really is poisonous, with so many Pill Masters here, they will surely be able to save him.’

"I am sure!!!"

The old man’s eyes were resolute, without a hint of hesitation.

Seeing this, the City Lord asked no more questions and handed him the Elixir Pill.

The old man cradled the Elixir Pill carefully, tears glistening in his eyes as his hands trembled even more violently.

He found a spot on the high platform, sat down, and glanced at Song Wanning.

"I believe in you!"

He shouted, then immediately popped the Elixir Pill into his mouth and sat down in meditation to begin absorbing its medicinal power.

Having already accepted death, he quickly discovered something was different.

A surging medicinal power, carrying with it dense Spiritual Power, began to flow crazily toward his Dantian. His withered meridians, like a parched field nourished by rain, began to show signs of life.

’It’s working! It’s really working!’

He saw hope and hurriedly began to cultivate.

...

"Look, the old man’s aura is stable. He doesn’t look like he’s been poisoned."

"True. If it were poison, it would have taken effect by now."

"But this doesn’t prove that Song Wanning refined a top-grade Breaking Rank Pill. It only proves her pill isn’t poisonous and won’t kill you."

"Exactly. Do you see any sign that he’s about to break through?"

"I’m afraid this old man’s hopes are about to be dashed!"