Chapter 328: Demonic Pills

Mo Hua found a clean spot, sat cross-legged, and began to ponder.

The only place he had ever seen a demonic array was Shanzhai.

The outer perimeter of Shanzhai used orthodox Five Elements arrays, not demonic ones.

The Five Elements arrays subtly aligned with the Dao's laws and were orthodox; demonic arrays carried tainted qi, and if too many were laid, even hidden arrays could not mask their stench.

So the Third Boss had placed only a few demonic arrays in the most secret blood-red alchemy chamber at the rear of the stockade.

One was the bronze beast gate, and the other, the bone-white alchemy furnace.

The demonic array at the bronze beast gate was for guarding, while the demonic array inside the bone-white alchemy furnace was for refining pills.

The Third Boss had devoted himself to studying demonic arrays—he certainly didn't use them just for guarding.

If so, then they were used for refining pills.

To refine demonic pills, you naturally need a demonic alchemy furnace; to forge a demonic alchemy furnace, you naturally need a demonic array.

We only knew that the Qian family's ancestor was a demonic cultivator who colluded with Great Baishan and did good deeds, but what exactly he did was vague; now that we learned he refined human pills, everyone was delighted.

"They've left."

"Before you returned, your parents told you to keep your mouth shut about that matter—no one was allowed to speak of it—but now you see everyone talking about it, so you thought you might as well speak up, maybe help a little…"

Moreover, Mr. Zhuang is likely to leave soon; before, we had him to rely on, but now we're on our own.

Everyone felt a slight regret.

At that moment, an elderly alchemist stammered, "You…"

Mo Hua realized he had spoken out of turn, scratched his head, and smiled apologetically.

"Then what?" asked another alchemist.

"I suspect it's Blood-Devouring Pill…"

Everyone held their patience, waiting for him to continue.

Mo Hua's heart turned cold.

"I told my master about a kind of pill called… 'Transferring Lifespan to Cultivation Pill'—using a person's lifespan as the medicinal catalyst, it can convert a person's life into flesh and primal qi, then refine it into medicinal power to form a pill that allows breakthroughs in cultivation realm…"

Mr. Feng listened carefully and recorded the pill's name and origin.

Alchemists study alchemy to heal and save lives, not to turn people into pills.

Beside him, the slow-speaking Chai Wei patted his shoulder and sighed:

"Your parents spent spirit stones to get you a master, to learn some skills so you could earn your keep."

"When I was young, I traveled with my master and passed by a ruined temple; it was cold and windy, so I slept wrapped in my robes, woke up freezing in the night, and saw my master talking with a familiar Daoist."

"A demonic cultivator's pill!"

Chai Wei was old and held high seniority; in front of so many people, he spoke without restraint.

Mr. Feng raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, and asked:

Mr. Feng took a deep breath, thought for a moment, then said:

"Speak quickly—don't rush, and even if you're wrong, it doesn't matter."

"But I didn't learn much from my master before he left…"

Mr. Feng's face changed instantly; he exclaimed: "Those are…"

"I suspect it's Human-Primal Pill."

We don't understand the 'professional' knowledge of demonic pill-refining, but as for 'unprofessional' observations, we know less.

Mr. Feng chuckled, shook his head, "I'll find another Chai Wei who works in alchemy and ask him."

"He refined that… Transferring Lifespan to Cultivation Pill?"

The nearby alchemist calmed down: "Why do you say 'you'? Speak clearly!"

The elderly alchemist said: "I was captured too, but when they questioned me, I didn't know anything; after ten or so days, they let me go."

The demonic array drawn by the Third Boss was very likely meant for pill-refining.

That violates our Chai Wei's original purpose.

The nearby alchemist spoke again: "Get to the point!"

"Then…" the elderly alchemist blushed, "I was hungry and cold, half-asleep, and didn't know what happened afterward…"

"But luckily I didn't learn my master's skills—if I had, I might have vanished too…"

If we can't start from the demonic array, then at least find clues about the pills.

Mo Hua sighed: "What a pity…"

Shanzhai has collapsed, the boss fled—yet he's still here, diligently studying demonic arrays, preparing to refine pills for prolonging his life?

Mo Hua seemed to grasp something and nodded.

"Don't rush me—let me speak slowly!"

"I… I heard a rumor."

"I only know of this one demonic pill—I can only guess at this one…"

Mo Hua leaned over to take a look; the entire page was filled with pill names like "Swallow," "Human," "Blood," "Demonic," "Malevolent"—clearly not good Chai Wei.

Someone asked: "Where's your master?"

Receiving Mr. Feng's praise, the elderly alchemist beamed and nodded eagerly.

"I don't recognize those herbs, nor do I have that furnace—but… I heard a rumor."

Moreover, Mr. Zhuang values purity; Mo Hua didn't want to bring such tainted arrays to disturb the Master's cultivation.

Mr. Feng nodded: "You've indeed helped—though this matter must still not be mentioned to outsiders."

The alchemists had nothing more to say.

Yet after examining them all, none seemed to resemble the pills refined by the Qian family's ancestor.

Human Longevity Pill… Turned into Chai Weizhu Pill…

……

If you take this array to ask Mr. Zhuang, he might even think I'm trying to learn a demonic array.

"Who knows what else these herbs can be refined into, besides Chai Wei?"

Old Master Feng explained the matter and showed us the bone furnace drawn by Mo Hua and the appearance of the demonic herbs.

"Wicked and cruel, you'll end up feeding pigs and dogs!"

"Could it be a guess?"

Everyone: "……"

Break through the realm, enhance cultivation…

Nian Zhong Chai Wei sighed heavily, then continued:

Upon hearing this, the group of alchemists exchanged glances; we are all demonic alchemists, some of us have refined demonic arts, and we are familiar with those.

Mo Hua felt something was off, but for the moment, he had no clue.

"This Daoist's voice sounds strange—it's clearly his own voice, yet it sounds as if borrowed from someone else…"

Mo Hua hurriedly asked: "Do you know what kind of pill it is?"

Old Master Feng gave Mo Hua a slight glare and said with a grumpy tone:

I didn't know I'd ever see Mr. Zhuang again.

"How could it possibly be a Human Essence Pill?"

"The Qian family's ancestor is truly no good."

Nian Zhong Cultivator chuckled awkwardly.

Old Master Feng said gently: "I am not a demonic alchemist…"

Mo Hua asked in confusion: "If you don't know, how could we know?"

"How could it be a guess?"

Human Longevity Pill?

Old Master Feng said: "If it's not certain, say it anyway; even a guess is fine—see if there's any clue."

"Such alchemists refine them? Truly they've lost all conscience!"

……

Mo Hua's mood sank for a moment, then he snapped back to himself, rallied his spirits, and continued thinking.

Is this Third Boss really that "dedicated"?

"Impossible—these demonic herbs look similar, but their medicinal properties are not identical; they don't seem to be herbs meant for refining the same batch of pills…"

Mo Hua's expression gradually grew solemn.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

For a moment, everyone was filled with outrage.

"To be honest, one of my ancestors was a demonic Chai Wei; he refined several types of demonic pills, even shamelessly recorded the names of those demonic pills in our family genealogy. That incident was utterly disgraceful—I still can't bring myself to mention it."

Mo Hua went to the Chengnan Alchemy Shop and showed these to Old Master Feng.

Nian Zhong Chai Wei shook his head: "I haven't refined any yet—I just bought a few herbs through connections, and the Dao Ting Si caught me, then threw me into the Dao Prison…"

The group fell silent for a while, then Old Master Feng told everyone to quiet down and spoke gently to Nian Zhong Chai Wei:

Mo Hua explained the full story, including the Shanzhai and the Eighth Boss, and his own suspicion:

Mo Hua took out paper and ink, drew a sketch of the bone furnace, the blood-colored alchemy chamber, and some strange herbs from the Eighth Boss's storage pouch—all drawn onto the paper.

"If you're not a demonic alchemist, isn't it a pity?"

After a while, Old Master Feng summoned all the alchemists from the alchemy shop—a dense crowd.

"What?"

"Did the Dao Ting Si bother you?"

"Aren't you still refining other pills?"

"You didn't go ask—how do you know they don't know?"

In a short while, he filled an entire page.

"I once dealt with a demonic alchemist—he used the bloodline of his own kin as a medicinal catalyst to refine a Blood Source Pill…"

Nian Zhong Alchemist sighed, his face filled with worry:

That would be putting Old Master Feng in a difficult position.

But what pill could it be?

Unlikely…

"People in the world are countless in form, each with their own strengths. On the long Dao path, a cultivator lives a lifetime—even if they seem ordinary, they still have experiences others have never had, knowledge others have never known, and insights others have never understood."

"He's lucky his son didn't stray onto the wrong path—if he had, his life would've been ruined."

Mr. Zhuang is leaving…

At a time like this, still thinking about refining Human Longevity Pills?

Old Master Feng also frowned.

If Qian's ancestor is truly refining the Turn Longevity into Essence Pill, this trouble just became enormous.

"Should we ask Mr. Zhuang?"

Old Master Feng smiled and said impatiently: "Don't underestimate anyone…"

Thinking of this, Mo Hua felt a pang of disappointment.

Nian Zhong Alchemist shouted: "He was thrown into the Dao Prison…"

Mo Hua thought it over, then shook his head again.