Chapter 411: As Expected

Bai Lang had no intention of probing Kuaihuo Wang's alchemy methods; he was pondering a question: could Kuaihuo Wang betray and kill to silence witnesses, even possibly use an Innate Expert's life essence and blood as sacrifice for the pill? That is entirely possible. Although Bai Lang is not an alchemy master, he had read novels where humans were used as sacrifices. "Since this so‑called Dragon Tiger Heavenly King Pill has such miraculous effect, it's clear that the fewer people he uses to forge it, the better," Bai Lang thought.

Would he strike at Bai Lang? After all, Bai Lang himself doesn't believe Kuaihuo Wang would actually share this stuff—he thinks he has no use for it; the pill that repairs foundation and replenishes vital energy seems of little benefit to him. What Bai Lang actually wants are military rations pills and healing elixirs—such as Great Restoring Pill or Black Jade Intermittent Paste, and the like. "In short, stay vigilant," Bai Lang decided.

He also wanted to satisfy his own curiosity—he had never seen alchemy before and couldn't understand how herbs, stones, metals and the like, when burned, could turn into tiny pills. He dismissed even the notion of heavy‑metal poisoning; if it can be forged, it surely won't kill people.

Time passed; for thirty‑six days they could not cease feeding true Qi, but according to the progress the eight of them, except for the host Kuaihuo Wang, could take turns meditating to rest. So it wasn't overly tiring. "Now that it's come to this, if that scoundrel Kuaihuo Wang turns hostile, we'll be completely without conscience!" Bai Lang thought, watching Chai Chunmen's god‑like, bone‑standing form.

That day was the furnace‑opening day; within the thirty‑six days, every twelve days the furnace was opened to add ingredients, and this third time, also the final time, the furnace would be lit. Bai Lang gathered his breath in preparation; inside the furnace the Dragon and Tiger intertwined, clouds and rainbows formed within the hall, and an inexplicable sound of dragon roars and tiger howls echoed. Apart from Bai Lang, the other seven Innate Experts watched the alchemy furnace anxiously. Bai Lang could see Kuaihuo Wang's hand trembling slightly; this man seemed the most anxious in the room.

If it goes well, there will be Dragon Tiger Pill; if it goes badly, the whole affair could fall apart, and gathering the ingredients again might take who knows how many years—three to five? six to seven?

In short, Bai Lang watched Kuaihuo Wang take several deep breaths, steadied his mind, then stretched his hand forward and struck. A torrent of Innate true Qi surged out, wildly flooding the furnace's opened door. Once inside the furnace, it instantly grasped a fragment of chaotic pill‑Qi, and Bai Lang shouted, "Open!" Kuaihuo Wang let out a sharp bark, his true Qi trembling again, transforming into a massive hand that slammed down. Within the furnace, multicolored Dragon‑Tiger true Qi swirled, and amid the dragon roars and tiger howls a pill the size of an egg, with an indescribable hue, appeared.

Around that pill, seven thumb‑sized pills spun around it… Bai Lang laughed, "Whoa, that's actually quite pretty."

Kuaihuo Wang gathered all the pills in one hand but didn't distribute them immediately; instead he smiled and said, "Everyone is tired, so go rest for a while; once you've recovered we'll divide the pills!"

Bai Lang nodded, realizing the fellow was unconventional, but he didn't intervene—those few hadn't spoken, either acting as models or sharing his mindset, so for now they'd rest first, and of course stay vigilant. "But there was no human sacrifice… I guess I was being overly cautious," he thought, sitting upright in the pavilion. He refused the offered items and, after a while, just slept.

After waking, although he hadn't eaten much, Bai Lang's spirit and body had recovered well; now that he was restored, he went to ask Kuaihuo Wang for the pills. He arrived at Kuaihuo Wang's location, where the others had already gathered. Chai Chunmen's complexion seemed unchanged; he laughed loudly, handing a porcelain bottle to each person, "Thank you all for your effort, thank you all for your effort. If you wish to stay, I will gladly sweep the mat and welcome you."

Bai Lang bluntly requested a map, needing nothing else. "So Chai Chunmen really is a good person? He didn't even act," Bai Lang thought. He received the map, grabbed a handful of gold and silver, and filled his water bag—yes, Kuaihuo Wang had given him a water bag; the water in his original leather pouch was indeed poison, which would cause a mortal's intestines to burst if drunk.

Kuaihuo Wang's water bag was also considered a "treasure"; the item sold under the Tianji Ge brand could hold far more water than it seemed, preserve its quality, and even insulate heat—so in the Great Desert it fetched a thousand gold per piece. As an Innate Expert, Bai Lang naturally had the reputation to claim such an item. He filled the bag, looked at the map, and left. He had no desire to stay; the Great Desert still held many strange places he wanted to explore.

Bai Lang still drew a long plume of smoke across the desert, like a Mercedes. "Hmm… seems my expectations were off," he sighed, halting his steps. Three formed characters surrounded him in the center; the three gradually tightened the circle. Though their faces were covered, Bai Lang laughed, "You all want to do this, covering your faces isn't just taking off your pants and farting? You think I can't tell?"

They were the three from Kuaihuo Wang's side; although Bai Lang hadn't paid them much attention, the playboy‑like middle‑aged man, the old woman, and another old man were still vivid in his memory. "What, are you here to silence and stop the news from spreading? Didn't Chai Chunmen already take the pill? Or are you trying to snatch that pill back? Aren't you afraid I've already eaten it?" Bai Lang was a bit puzzled.

The three remained silent, only smiling; the playboy fanned himself with a folding fan, shaking his head and sighing as if Bai Lang knew nothing, still smiling. It seemed they didn't intend to make Bai Lang a clear‑sighted ghost… but Bai Lang wasn't about to make them clear‑sighted ghosts either; once they realized how powerful he was, these guys deserved to die.

Bai Lang didn't intend to utter another word; he vaulted his body, summoning a foul wind that surged toward the playboy—among the three present, this man's martial skill was the highest by qi resonance. Since Bai Lang leapt upward, he Transform into Mad Wind; within the wind a white tiger leapt and roared, whipping up gusts of raging sand. At Bai Lang's level, he needn't summon sky‑wide phenomena; his true Qi was controlled like an arm, gathering all destructive force onto the target.

Nevertheless, the clash among Innate Experts still stirred celestial changes; in the sky, wind swept the remaining clouds, instantly forming a canopy of dark clouds.

The other two also acted; the old man thrust his palm, unleashing boundless fire energy, while the old woman's cane twitched, twisting like a poisonous snake, turning into a shadow that moved with the fire. Facing Bai Lang, the playboy unfurled his folding fan; as the wind and clouds surged, it was as if the celestial clouds dispersed upon the world…