Chapter 455: Discussing the Pill Testing at the Yin Ruins Hall

It's done! It's done!

Looking at the two Pills in her hand, Lingxiang did not know for a moment whether to be happy or sad.

When the furnace was first opened, the Pill's heat had not yet faded and it was glowing red all over; Lingxiang had been nervous for a while, but fortunately, it was a success in the end, and it was not in vain that she had gone to the trouble of running to Yunmeng.

Just as Lingxiang had expected, the reason it had not been refined before was because of the Dantian Fire; now that it had been replaced with Immortal Fire, the pill could be formed.

Back then, Tumi Xianzi had only managed to refine the Pill in Yunmeng Marsh; if this batch had also been in such a place overflowing with Spirit Qi like Yunmeng, perhaps three Supreme Grade ones could have been produced.

These two Pills, one was flashing with golden light, the other was dim and lusterless; one was Supreme Grade, the other was Middle Grade.

Although it did not reach Tumi Xianzi's three Supreme Grade pills per batch, Lingxiang was very satisfied.

Contentment brings happiness, after all!

Being able to refine them proved that she still had talent; perhaps she could not ascend to a higher level in cultivation, but if she relied on the Outer Alchemy Art, she could still carve out a world of her own among the myriad paths.

Wasn't Zhuzhang Laoren just like that?

Besides, two were enough.

Lingxiang glanced at the Demon Lord beside her; he looked even more nervous than she was.

"How is it? Is it reliable?"

Lingxiang rolled her eyes: Did that even need to be asked?

However, before letting the little Demon Lord take it, she couldn't make it too easy for him; she had to make things difficult, otherwise the suffering of these past years would have been in vain.

Admittedly, she had not been mistreated in terms of food and clothing these years, but she had suffered deep mental torment—how could that be smoothed over by such small favors?

Lingxiang had always prided herself on being a merchant, and to be a merchant, one must have a merchant's principles; she could not afford to do business at a loss.

Lingxiang gave a crafty smile, but when she turned back, she put on a pitiful face, as if she had suffered a great grievance, and sobbed twice very hard.

"It is refined, but for some reason, I feel uneasy in my heart," she said, while pretending to wipe the corner of her eye, "You know that my alchemy skill cannot compare to my mother's. Now that I only have two, I don't know what the effect will be, I'm afraid..."

Lingxiang did not finish her sentence, putting on a look of being at a loss, as if the pills in her hand were two doses of poison.

It was fortunate that two were produced; it was truly a great help from heaven!

In the past, the Demon Lord would have seen through Lingxiang's little tricks, but now all his attention was focused on the pills; how could he have the heart to think of anything else?

"Afraid of what?"

The Demon Lord naturally heard the implication, but this was the "Huitian" he had been longing for for over a decade, and now that it was right before his eyes, how could he be willing to fail?

"When my mother refined pills in the past, she also had to test the medicine. Since I cannot compare to my mother, the efficacy of these pills cannot be guaranteed. I am afraid that if they have no effect, it will be a joy in vain. If there are other side effects, I fear it might cause harm and ruin things..."

Lingxiang sighed again: "It is all my fault for being unskilled, only refining two. If I had a higher success rate, I could have left some room to test the medicine myself and know its shortcomings."

As she spoke, she put on a conflicted look again, reaching out to pick up one of the pills, hesitating whether she should put it into her mouth.

"But if the pill doesn't work, and I have an accident, I don't know who will be able to refine 'Huitian' in the future..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she was about to put the Middle Grade one into her mouth, but was stopped by the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord scrutinized Lingxiang, while Lingxiang's brows were filled with extreme worry, and she looked back at the Demon Lord with a hint of confusion in her eyes, as if she had not expected to be stopped.

This expression and demeanor, even the best play-script master at Yangqu Lou in Guyang City would likely have to admit defeat.

What was wrong with that? Everything she said was the truth, she just concealed some things, but that didn't count as lying.

Who didn't have a few little secrets?

Sincerity!

It was still sincerity!

What always defeats an opponent is sincerity!

"I will test the medicine!"

The Demon Lord snatched the pill and was about to swallow it, but was hurriedly stopped by the Great Steward.

"Your Excellency, you must not!"

Lingxiang's eyes flickered, but her face remained calm.

This old man, who had been brooding in the corners for so long, had to come and ruin her plans at this moment. "You absolutely must not!" The Great Steward hurriedly grabbed the Demon Lord's sleeve, "Your Excellency's body is not what it used to be. If, as the Imperial Princess said, the pill is flawed and causes damage, with the current internal and external troubles, there will be no one to preside over the big picture."

If it were his former Demon body, who would care about the power of a mere pill? It would just be a bit of fun.

But the current Demon Lord's body was a mortal shell obtained through Possession from the human world, and everything was restricted. In this moment of crisis, not a single mistake could be tolerated, otherwise the Demon Race would face the disaster of annihilation.

"Get lost!"

The Demon Lord flicked his long sleeve, intending to break free from the Great Steward, but even as the Great Steward fell to the ground, he still clutched the Demon Lord tightly, not letting him take the pill.

Just as the two were struggling, Lingxiang spoke at the right moment, interrupting their dispute.

"The Great Steward's words are not without reason. The current situation is indeed not optimistic, and we must be cautious."

Both the Demon Lord and the Great Steward were full of confusion: Had this little girl changed her nature?

But it was only for an instant before the Great Steward came to his senses.

The Great Steward had never trusted Lingxiang; he only acknowledged this "Imperial Princess" because of the Demon Lord's words.

For three years, he had sent people to track and investigate Lingxiang in the open and in secret, but had found no evidence, which made the Great Steward even more convinced that Lingxiang must have ulterior motives.

Not a single mistake, not a single detail, not a single content—look at it all!

One might ask, how could a mere person of the Mortal Path, having experienced the disaster of their sect being slaughtered, be willing to live in the same room as their enemy?

The Demon Lord naturally did not fully trust Lingxiang either, and although he did not know the full extent of what Lingxiang was doing in secret, he was clear about seven or eight parts of it; yet every time doubt arose in his heart, a voice deep within would constantly say:

"Trust her! Trust her!"

Where this inner voice came from, the Demon Lord had never delved into, nor did he care; his goal had always been only Tumi Xianzi.

So even if Lingxiang was up to something, the Demon Lord had never stopped her, as long as she could refine the Huitian Pill.

With the Huitian Pill, Tumi could be resurrected!

The Demon Lord had never doubted the efficacy of the Huitian Pill; after all, Lingxiang was a living example, but how could he know the details behind it?

But Lingxiang knew; not only did she know, she had also learned of the Demon Lord's inevitable death—that was the prophecy of the Dust-Peering Mirror, and it could not be wrong.

Just like her departure three years ago, it was a fate that could not be changed.

Since that day at Wuji Hall, Lingxiang had begun her layout, and even that Pill for Zhao Wuyang was within her calculations.

Since this day had to come sooner or later, she would make full preparations.

And the most important part of this was Long Qi.

As long as the Hanyu Pill inside Long Qi's body was undone...

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Lingxiang put on a puzzled expression: "Could it be wrong to think of the Demon Realm?"

Upon hearing this, the Grand Minister almost couldn't help but roll his eyes.

If Lingxiang truly cared for the Demon Realm, then he would gladly hand over his position as Grand Minister to someone more worthy.

"The Grand Minister's words certainly make sense; since that is the case, why not let the Grand Minister try this Pill himself?"

What?

So this stinking girl was waiting for this old man right here!

Don't look at the Grand Minister's current appearance as a loyal remonstrator; he cherished his life dearly.

Who knew if this girl had put poison in the Pill? Even if she hadn't, its effects were currently unknown, and who knew if it would kill someone?

Lingxiang curled her lips and leaned in close to the Grand Minister's face: "How is my proposal? It looks after the Demon Lord's health while fulfilling the Grand Minister's loyalty—it kills two birds with one stone!"

The Grand Minister looked toward the Demon Lord, and the latter was also eyeing him askance.

It's over, it's over!

I've been trapped by this little demoness...

Cold sweat streamed down the Grand Minister's face as he glanced at Lingxiang, and Lingxiang glanced back, equally unyielding, not hiding the smugness on her face in the slightest.

Heh! You stinking old man! Telling you to stop getting in my way and making things difficult at every turn!

Fighting with me! Do you even deserve to?