Following Pill Fairy Ao Yueyan's demonstration, the crowd was extremely unsettled.
Such a sight had never been seen before, and was even thought to be impossible beforehand. Now, people were rethinking every possibility.
Steadily walking back to her seat, the Pill Fairy bowed to her master and returned to her seat on his right.
"Congratulations to the Pill Fairy on a successful demonstration," a gruffly respectful voice sounded from another of the VIP seats.
Looking over, they saw Ximen Ming's young companion, Mo Kuang, staring directly at Ao Yueyan with bright eyes. Ao Yueyan nodded solemnly, then turned again as more praises came her way.
Leng Qi, daughter of the Eternal Forge Hall's Sect Master, called over to her with a pleasant smile. "That was amazing, Pill Fairy! I never thought I'd see an ancient art be revived in my lifetime."
Ao Yueyan returned the smile. "Thank you, Sister Leng."
Leng Qi leaned forward slightly, her eyes still fixed upon the Jade Spirit Root sitting upon the stage. Wang Zhen, sitting beside her, nodded. "It was certainly impressive."
His father, Wang Yijian, laughed as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Impressive? That's putting it mildly. With such a technique, the value of medicinal herbs throughout the world could change overnight."
Several nearby guests nodded in agreement.
"Indeed."
"If the technique can be taught to others, Pill Tower's influence will become even greater."
"Not just Pill Tower. The entire alchemy world could undergo a transformation."
"Imagine if common herbs could be cultivated into Spirit Herbs on a large scale."
"Low-tier pills would vanish from the market. Regular people wouldn't even be able to afford the cheapest pills anymore."
The last statement caused several people to fall silent.
Ao Yueyan had already returned to her seat, but she could hear every word.
The Herb Sage merely smiled. "Everyone is thinking too far ahead."
His voice was gentle, yet it immediately silenced the surrounding conversations. "This technique has only been demonstrated once. Whether it can be reproduced by others remains to be seen."
He looked toward the Jade Spirit Root. "And whether it can be applied to herbs of a higher tier... remains an even greater question."
Yuan Zhi chuckled. "Then perhaps we should stop talking about what might happen and focus on what will."
Ao Yueyan's eyes shifted toward him; the Herb Sage gave him a knowing look. Yuan Zhi smiled at them both.
The crowd that had just settled somewhat, was now entirely excited once again. Compared to before, that excitement had only become more intense. Everyone wanted to know what came next.
When they saw Yuan Zhi stand and approach the stage, they lose their minds in anticipation.
"That concludes the demonstration of the Ancient Art of Spiritual Herb Ascension," Yuan Zhi said in a loud voice.
"But... the gathering has only just begun!"
That immediately sent everyone over the edge. Almost immediately, the atmosphere changed.
Dozens of alchemists, young and old alike, looked toward one another. They were already whispering to their companions.
"How do you think the Legendary Alchemist is going to follow that?"
"After what the Pill Fairy just showed us, I can only imagine he has something even more amazing."
"Like what?"
"You were too young back then. You don't remember the last Pill War," an elder shook his head and sighed.
"Pill War?"
"The last time Yuan Zhi invented a pill formula, the various powerhouses all came to Pill Tower, desperate to offer supreme treasures in return for his pills. Yuan Zhi only traded his pills for items of the absolute best quality."
"It was not a violent war, but it was a war nonetheless. All of those old monsters wanted to ensure their disciples were able to have access to those pills."
As the many conversations carried on, Xiao Chen gazed directly at Yuan Zhi. Even Meng Lan had straightened up and was staring directly at the stage.
Jin Huang had dismissed the serving girls, thanking them after they brought a massive container of cool water which he drank from with a small, refined bamboo cup.
"Ahh. There's nothing like some refreshing water after a light snack."
"Hoho! A light snack you say?" Pill Master Zhao Kun laughed and said nothing more. His disciples, who were utterly disgusted by Jin Huang, were now equally perplexed and somewhat amazed.
Song Mei gaped at him, "A light snack? Are you saying you can eat even more?"
"Of course," Jin Huang smirked.
"Then," Lin fan interjected, "Why don't you?"
Jin Huang folded his arms and shook his head, eyes closed. He looked every bit the amused teacher who was subtly looking down on his younger students.
"I may be a glutton, but I am not a mindless one. I wouldn't eat the same things, prepared the exact same way, over and over. Especially if the Pill Tower's food isn't anything special."
Song Mei and Lin Fan suddenly found themselves thinking that Jin Huang was even crazier than they had initially suspected.
The other VIP guests who heard him had varying reactions to his words. Most assumed he was just an ignorant youngling who was just trying to seem sophisticated, and so they paid him no mind.
Meng Lan slowly turned her head, trying to hide the faint smile appearing on her face.
Ao Yueyan watched Jin Huang for several moments, her expression curious rather than offended.
A few people nearby laughed, while others merely looked at him as though he were an idiot.
Mo Kuang, however, had started to look at Jin Huang with a measuring gaze. His bright eyes narrowed slightly, as if there was something about this strange youth that had caught his attention.
Not his appetite, but something else.
Mo Kuang leaned toward Ximen Ming. "Master."
"Hm?" Ximen Ming responded with closed eyes.
Mo Kuang tilted his head in Jin Huang's direction. "That guy."
Ximen Ming glanced toward Jin Huang. "The glutton?"
"Yes." Mo Kuang lowered his voice. "There's something strange about him."
Ximen Ming's expression remained amused. "So you noticed as well?"
Mo Kuang nodded. "I don't think he's normal."
"Neither do I," Ximen Ming chuckled.
At that time, Yuan Zhi stood tall on the stage and began to address the guests.
"Greetings to you all! I am sure you all know, but I am Yuan Zhi, creator of the Mana Restoration and Spring Nurturing pills!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Yuan Zhi gave them the time to be excited and loud, as well as to openly speculate as to what he was going to show them. Eventually, he silenced them with a raise of his hand.
"It should go without saying that I am here because I have developed a new pill formula! One that far exceeds any other pill formula I have ever created!"
This time, the guests and spectators were unable to contain themselves.
"I knew it! This is going to be the start of another Pill War!"
"No wonder even the Sect Master of Eternal Forge Hall is here!"
The chatter came even from those who were watching the gathering on the screens outside. There was no shortage of exhilaration. No end to the frenzied comments, impatient conversations and cheering.
Yuan Zhi soaked it all up, and smiled as he waved his hand for an attendant to join him on stage. As he proceeded with his demonstration, the guests silenced themselves.
"My Mana Restoration Pill was perfect for replenishing lost magical energy, and had various practical uses. Likewise, my Spring Nurturing Pill proved invaluable to cultivators at the Spirit Spring Stage."
As he spoke, his attendant arrived on stage, a young man dressed in simple servant's clothes.
"However, what if I told you that I had invented a pill that could take someone with no cultivation or talent, and cause them to naturally ascend to the Spirit Spring Realm with no drawbacks? No flaws in their foundation?"
Silence reigned as mouths fell agape and eyes widened as far as they could go.
Yuan Zhi laughed and removed something from his robes. A small copper container within which were the white, spherical pills. As soon as the container was opened, an overbearingly powerful medicinal aroma wafted from it, shocking everyone that was seated near the stage.
"Incredible..."
"I have only just inhaled its scent, and I already feel as though I am ascending."
Yuan Zhi took a singular pill out of the container, then closed it. "What if I told you, that I had created a pill that could take someone who has only just formed their first spirit spring, and immediately take them to the peak of the Spirit Spring Realm?"
A wave of gasps and breathless voices sounded once more.
Yuan Zhi raised the pill into the air, allowing everyone to see it clearly.
"This... ladies and gentlemen... is the Divine Opening Pill!"