A mere minute in this state – no, a mere instant would be more than sufficient for Elder Tang Sheng to take down someone of his rank if they weren’t aware of Cola’s effects.
Unless they had their guard raised to the absolute limit, he would obliterate them!
That just showed how absurdly powerful Cola’s effect was.
And it only cost three crystals?
Not even in a hundred years of seclusion and cultivation could he have conceived such a thing.
Meanwhile, Elder Feng Yuhan, who had been silently observing Elder Tang Sheng, could now verify that the Cola’s effects were just as astonishing as she had been told – no, perhaps even more, judging by his reaction.
She didn’t say anything. She just stared.
And kept staring.
Elder Tang Sheng could feel her burning gaze drilling into him, filled with boundless curiosity. It wasn’t just curiosity.
It was the intense, wordless demand of someone desperate for answers.
Finally, with a sigh, Elder Tang Sheng gave in.
’The effect, right? Elder Feng?’
Elder Feng Yuhan nodded eagerly – almost too eagerly. It was the kind of nod you’d expect from a cat staring at a piece of dried fish, eyes wide, tail flicking impatiently, waiting for the treat to drop.
Elder Tang Sheng let out a small chuckle inwardly, puffed his chest out ever so slightly.
’Urhm… Right now, I should be able to defeat all the other pillars of my sect in a one-on-one battle.’
Elder Feng Yuhan: “…”
She blinked. Then again.
Did she mishear that?
No.
She didn’t!
Elder Feng Yuhan knew exactly how strong the other pillars of the Drifting Sword Sect were. Each one of them was a monstrous existence, experts in their own right.
Some were even stronger than her.
Yet Elder Tang Sheng was saying, with full confidence, that he could win against any of them.
That…
Elder Feng Yuhan felt a strong temptation rising within her. She wanted to drink her own Cola right now – just to see for herself.
Her intrusive thoughts whispered, ’Just one sip…’
But she clenched her fist and held back.
No.
This could be her trump card.
According to her disciple, Yue Xueyan, customers here could only purchase one of each product per day.
She could wait until tomorrow. For now, she would hold onto this one.
Elder Tang Sheng, meanwhile, looked at her and then at the store shelves.
’Should we get the other instant noodles?’ he suggested.
Before he even finished speaking, Elder Feng Yuhan had already nodded.
The moment Hao scanned the purchase, they quickly prepared it themselves. After all, it was just a simple process – even a child could do it.
This artifact called a Water Dispenser sure was handy!
Once the noodles were ready, they waited patiently.
And soon enough, they went in for their second round of instant noodles!
The taste was just as enjoyable as the first one, but this time, Elder Feng Yuhan found herself favoring the Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles over the Beef-Flavored one.
They finished their instant noodles down to the last drop, not leaving a single speck behind.
With nothing else to do, they closed their eyes and started cultivating, patiently waiting for the four inside to complete their enlightenment.
However, before long, the door creaked open.
Their eyes snapped toward it, alert and expectant.
Elder Feng Yuhan had no idea who had just arrived, but Elder Tang Sheng instantly recognized the figure stepping inside.
A dark gold sleeveless alchemist robe.
A clean, bald head.
Bai Chen.
The rising rogue alchemist in Sovereign City!
Many sects had sought to recruit him, hoping to bring such a promising alchemist under their banner. Yet no matter the offer – wealth, status, rare ingredients – Bai Chen had rejected them all.
Even their Drifting Sword Sect had tried its luck, only to be met with the same response.
Stubborn wasn’t enough to describe him. But talent? That, Bai Chen had in abundance.
And he wasn’t just talented – he was smart.
Despite rejecting every offer, he had never once offended a sect. Instead, he skillfully handled the rejections, ensuring that while he wouldn’t work under any of them, he still left the door open for business.
He was an independent force, refusing to be tied down, yet at the same time, he provided alchemical services to those very same sects.
It was a strategic balance – one that allowed him to grow his own power and reputation while avoiding conflicts with the major factions.
“Welcome.”
Of course, Hao didn’t forget about Ji Yunzhi.
How could he? That ridiculous – no, that unique get-up of his was burned into Hao’s memory.
“Greetings, storekeeper.”
Ji Yunzhi bowed before striding straight to the glass refrigerator. He grabbed a can of Cola, but then his eyes landed on something else – a row of green cans sitting next to the Cola.
’Lime Fizz?’
Wait. This wasn’t here before.
’A new product?’ he inspected, checking the price.
Three crystals, same as Cola, huh?
Well, he couldn’t just ignore it now. He picked one up.
After paying and bidding farewell to Hao, Ji Yunzhi walked out of the store. Now that he knew he could take these drinks out, he needed to study them in a proper environment.
Hao easily gained six more crystals from the transaction.
Yesterday, Ji Yunzhi’s study had unfortunately ended in failure.
After fully opening the can and carefully dissecting it, he discovered that he had left no liquid behind – nothing to analyze.
That didn’t stop him, though.
Recalling the Cola’s effects, he attempted to recreate even a fraction of its properties. Using Thunder Dew Grass, Scarlet Flame Berry, and Volt Qi Root, he tried refining a pill that could mimic the drink’s effect.
The first attempt? A failure. The energy was too wild, surging uncontrollably and overheating the body. Clearly, the balance was off.
Perhaps replacing Thunder Dew Grass with Thunder Thorn Grass would help. Or maybe adding a stabilizer like Golden Spirit Mushroom could calm the effect?
The formula was still in its experimental phase, but Ji Yunzhi wasn’t one to give up easily.
He was convinced that even a small portion of the Cola’s effect could be replicated. The challenge only pushed him to work harder.
The art of pill-making had always been a source of passion for him.
Each new concoction, each new possibility, made him feel more alive than ever.
It was this thrill, the endless process of trial and error, that drove him further in his craft.