The movements of the two people were like floating clouds and flowing water. It was incomparably smooth and easy. The process of continuous motions allowed one to see the exquisite nature of their utilized hand seals. They seemed to bear countless, profound mysteries.
Because the things they were refining were golden-level medicinal pills, after these hand seals slightly breached the pill cauldrons, the unleashed medicinal properties were gathered and kneaded together. Among this, what it gave people, apart from the pinnacle of visual pleasures, was a type of trembling excitement that came from the bottom of one’s heart. It made people unwilling to tear their eyes away — They didn’t want to stop watching.
Gu Zuo and Wu Ziqi were bustling. Hu Chang’an and the others were all admiring the two’s refining processes.
Hu Chang’an sighed and said: “Brother Ah Zuo has never refined pills in front of us before. I didn’t realize it, but now that I’ve taken a look, those hand seals seem simple, but they feel rather bizarre with a little delving. Like a complicated problem being resolved with simple methods, the hand seals possess extremely deep foundations. It seems that Brother Ah Zuo should’ve obtained an inheritance, and the hand seals of that inheritance aren’t weak.”
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng both nodded their heads. As pharmacists, they were even more capable of understanding the mysteries within those hand seals. The medicine refining hand seals passed down through their Hu Clan weren’t lacking, but compared to Gu Zuo’s hand seals, they appeared somewhat inferior.
However, the world had too many outstanding inheritances to count, and each family had their own locations of origin. They wouldn’t go so far as to develop improper feelings as a result of this.
Contrary to what one might expect, Hu Chang’an opened his mouth and said: “Regardless of whether Brother Ah Zuo wins or loses this fight, I’ll dispatch some manpower to protect him. My Hu Clan won’t covet his hand seals, but we still need to keep our guards up against the Wu Clan.”
Of course, this didn’t mean that the Wu Clan had taken a fancy to the hand seals Gu Zuo used. Only, as far as medicine-refining aristocratic families were concerned, many schools of hand seals were many individual bricks to one’s foundations… One needed to be prepared for all eventualities.
At this moment, Gu Zuo didn’t know that Hu Chang’an was worried about this on his behalf. The hand seal he was currently using was the <<Minor Seal: Plucking Nine Stars>>. It was the hand seal he primarily practiced, and it was compatible with his <<Divine Medicine Cultivation Method>>. Because the Central Continent was vast and there were untold numbers of inheritances, he didn’t come to this place just to cover it up. What’s more, he wanted to stand up for the Hu Clan, and he wanted to refine golden-level pills. If he didn’t use his most powerful hand seals, he was afraid that he was going to lose.
In any case, there was still the Hu Clan’s young lord behind him. If he hadn’t befriended Hu Chang’an, he also wouldn’t have represented the Hu Clan. He would’ve kept it concealed.
Thus, when Gu Zuo was refining golden-level pills, he fully exerted himself. After perceiving every strike of his hand seals, the true qi within him poured out like a flood as if they had been given an extremely huge pull. His bone pearls trembled frantically. It was uncontainable.
However, although Gu Zuo’s accumulations were very firm, if things went on like this, he would also end up suffering a lot. Moreover, the refining of golden-level medicinal pills were much more meticulous than that of human-level pills. He had to concentrate all of his energy on refining to let the pill take shape. If there were any sudden mistakes, it would become a waste pill.
Yet, during Gu Zuo’s wholehearted state, Wu Ziqi wouldn’t allow him to refine pills so peacefully. Just like before, a short saber whooshed out of the space between Wu Ziqi’s brows, and stabbed into Gu Zuo’s shield with extremely fast speed!
Gu Zuo’s shield resolutely blocked the saber. It seemed that it would still be the same?
But at the very next moment, the space between Wu Ziqi’s brows shot out another short saber! The direction of that saber was still that puny shield!
Everyone understood that the small, tottering shield could block one saber, but it wouldn’t necessarily be able to block a second one. After the shield was broken, the pill refiner would be in danger!
Hu Chang’an’s heart tensed.
Brother Ah Zuo, be careful!
However, he didn’t dare to say it out loud because when refining medicinal pills that were beyond one’s own realm, the pharmacist’s consumption would be enormous. Not even a bit of activity could be listened to. Otherwise, it was easy for the cauldron to be ruined and the person to die!
Hu Chang’an remembered that the psychic power method of the Wu Clan was very tyrannical. Once a pharmacist reached the Coalescing Psyche Realm, they could condense their psychic powers into short sabers. It was just that the pressure borne by the pharmacist when condensing this type of short saber was huge. It was incredibly painful every time one wanted to condense it. As a result, under normal circumstances, pharmacists would only condense one saber while at the Coalescing Psyche Realm. Upon reaching the Core Psyche Realm, when a pharmacist’s psychic power was more compact, then they could try condensing more sabers.
But this Wu Ziqi wasn’t so simple. Unexpectedly, he was tenacious enough to condense two sabers at the Coalescing Psyche Realm! It was no wonder that Third Young Master Wu believed Wu Ziqi was certainly capable of winning.
Many spectators were shocked to see two short sabers appearing in a row. They weren’t necessarily worried about Gu Zuo, but they also wanted to see the following outcome — The battle between these pharmacists was thick with gunpowder.
At the next moment, their expressions changed from curious and expectant to somewhat subtle and distorted.
As it turned out, just when the second saber was hurtling over, that small, wobbling shield began vibrating. Then, as it faced the oncoming attack, it transformed from a puny shield into a gigantic shield that was well over three meters across!
The second saber immediately ran into the surface of the giant shield. Although it was extremely sharp, it wasn’t able to pierce through that shield. Instead, it was stuck inside, and couldn’t be easily pulled out!
Everyone: “…”
They absolutely didn’t expect this result.
Hu Chang’an also stiffened for a moment. Right after that, he couldn’t help laughing.
The Wu Clan were experts in psychic power attacks. Their emulation forms were offensive types, but compared to this Brother Ah Zuo’s…ultra-defense, it was like a street performer in the presence of a grand magician. There was nothing to be proud of at all.
Hu Changbi and Hu Changfeng both revealed smiling expressions. Off to the side, the complexions of Third Young Master Wu and his group of people suddenly sank.
At this time, they discovered that not only were they preserving their strength, that Ah Zuo person was holding back, too! In addition, looking at that shield’s form, it was clear that they had been played with!
It was seriously excessive!
Gu Zuo was calm and unhurried. Right now, the true qi within his body was surging like waves. Pill refining occupied all of his time, so how could he have any thoughts of observing the others? Transforming the small shield into a large shield had wasted some of his thoughts. After this, he couldn’t be distracted in the least!
Fortunately, because Gu Zuo was fully concentrated, the pill refining process went without a hitch. After the medicinal ingredients dissolved uninterrupted, the condensation of the embryonic pill form was extraordinarily fast.
Gu Zuo lightly clenched his teeth, and his fingers slashed out countless afterimages.
Not good. With every additional second he persevered, the consumption of true qi would double!
After a long time, when he was finally on the verge of production, that medicinal pill was nearly condensed successfully. It was only lacking that last bit, and then it could be smoothly completed!
However, at this time, Gu Zuo’s true qi was all used up. He was practically squeezing each of his bone pearls to discharge more true qi.
Gradually, Gu Zuo’s complexion turned deathly pale.
He used his psychic power to pull the medicinal properties. He meticulously combed through each shred down to the finest detail. He wasn’t willing to waste the smallest amount. Merely, when it came down to the last bit, he actually…
Gu Zuo’s eyes flashed with rays of light.
No! He absolutely couldn’t fail at the final juncture just because he was about miss the last step!
At this very moment, Gu Zuo frantically operated his inner cultivation method. Innumerable strands of medicinal qi were absorbed into his body, and were transformed into true qi in an unending flow. Although every strand was being seized as soon as it was produced, this still caused his bone pearls to erupt with a terrifying pain. But Gu Zuo forcefully endured. Tightly clenching his jaw, he unleashed his strength once more!
At last, when all of his bone pearls were squeezed dry, Gu Zuo suddenly used the Pill Receiving Seal. After that, he waved his arm! Received!
In the blink of an eye, a medicinal pill launched out of the cauldron like a shooting star, and instantly fell into a tray that Gu Zuo had exhaustedly thrown out!
The pill refining was done!
Gu Zuo’s temples throbbed in pain. He didn’t dare to neglect anything. Taking a deep breath, the cultivation method operated continuously inside his body. Gradually, even more true qi was produced, which were stuffed into his numerous bone pearls… This allowed his complexion to recover a little bit. No longer was it so unsightly like before.
Soon after, Gu Zuo was in the mood to look at Wu Ziqi’s side.
Who knew if this Wu Ziqi’s medicinal pill had been refined or not?
As before, Wu Ziqi was slightly slower than Gu Zuo. At this time, he was right in the middle of the final juncture.
Gu Zuo massaged his temples, and looked at Hu Chang’an and the others.
Hu Chang’an and his group, Third Young Master Wu and the others, as well as those countless spectators had all paid great attention to Gu Zuo when he was pill refining. Most of all, when Gu Zuo seemed like he wasn’t able to persist in the end, their expressions were all different. Reaching this point, Gu Zuo had smoothly produced his pill. Meanwhile, although Third Young Master Wu and those people on the side had maintained their elegant demeanors, the coldness in their eyes and the qi emissions around their bodies made it clear how poor and loathsome their states of mind were.
In any case, Gu Zuo could refine golden-level medicinal pills. Even if the product grade wasn’t any better than what Wu Ziqi produced, this wouldn’t cause the Hu Clan to lose face.
The intentions of Third Young Master Wu had no way of being achieved. His own clan might end up losing, so naturally, he wasn’t too happy. Luckily, he was also the young master of a large clan. Although things didn’t look very encouraging, he didn’t lose his composure.
Once Wu Ziqi finished, he no longer received surprised and admiring gazes — After all, wasn’t his publicly-displayed profound qi realm a level higher than Gu Zuo’s true qi realm?
Soon after, Third Young Master Wu and Hu Chang’an continued to jointly evaluate the victory and defeat of the two’s medicinal pills.
Yet, this round’s outcome was still outside people’s expectations.
Because the two had refined pills of higher product ranks, each of them had only produced a single Profound Infusing Pill. For the time being, this issue wasn’t mentioned. What surprised people were the product grades of the pills.
Wu Ziqi was somewhat capable. Although, as he had refined a medicinal pill of a higher rank, what he produced was a grade five Profound Infusing Pill. Since it wasn’t among the bottom three grades, it reached the standards of the test with some leeway. Additionally, its product grade was of rather fine quality.
As for Gu Zuo’s Profound Infusing Pill, it was even more…
Hu Chang’an pinched the medicinal pill Gu Zuo made between his fingers. He couldn’t help raising his voice: “A grade nine Profound Infusing Pill?!”
Off to the side, Third Young Master Wu immediately looked over, and carefully distinguished it. He observed the pill for at least fifteen minutes, but in the end, he had no other choice but to acknowledge it. This really was a grade nine pill — If it wasn’t for the last of Gu Zuo’s true qi not flowing smoothly, then it was entirely possible for the pill to have reached grade ten or even higher!
They lost.
They had lost once again.
Third Young Master Wu sighed in his heart. Facing Hu Chang’an, he said: “Sure enough, this battle is the Hu Clan’s victory. This Young Master Ah Zuo is quite strong. This outstanding potential is admirable.”
While speaking, he instructed his retainers to hand over the Particle Vine Roots that were previously won at the auction. He cupped his hands, and said: “I offer these things to this young lord. I hope you’ll kindly accept them.” Then, he spoke to Gu Zuo, “I also hope we can become friends through pill refinement in the future. We could have many more chances to spar and learn from one another.”
After he finished speaking, he turned around and left.
Losing with such magnanimity made the spectators feel a wave of appreciation for him.
Hu Chang’an watched Third Young Master Wu acting this way, and sighed again.
Shortly thereafter, he said to Gu Zuo: “Brother Ah Zuo, this time was truly all thanks to you.”
T/N: Thanks for the corrections, Charysa.
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