Chapter 45: The Frenzy for the Perfect Life-Extending Pill and the Demon-Removing Pill!

Lu Ren's words fell into the great hall, and the hall, where one could previously hear a pin drop, instantly erupted into a massive uproar.

Everyone was incredulous; they rose to their feet one after another, their eyes burning with fervor, a complete change from their earlier calm and self-restraint.

"Lu Family Head, you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot just say whatever you want. We all sympathize with you for the loss of your clansmen just now, but is the sale of the Life-Extending Pill true or false?!"

"And the Demon-Removing Pill, Lu Family Head, is it truly that Demon-Removing Pill capable of eliminating Heart Demons?"

The representatives from the various sects asked eagerly while simultaneously and swiftly taking out sound-transmission talismans or sound-transmission jade plaques to relay the news to their respective sects.

Although they questioned him with their words, they also knew that Lu Ren would absolutely not shoot without a target.

Regardless of how many Life-Extending Pills and Demon-Removing Pills there were, buying one was a profit!

Only a fool would not come!

Lu Ren did not care about their actions.

Everything that happened today had some discrepancies with his original expectations, but the problem was not significant.

"At least two Life-Extending Pills, at least ten Demon-Removing Pills, and additionally, there will be an auction for a Post-Heaven Spirit Treasure."

His firm attitude gave those present a sense of reassurance.

It also stirred up even more fiery waves in people's hearts.

However, no one expected that this was not the end.

Lu Ren: "The Life-Extending Pill is a Perfect Life-Extending Pill; one pill can extend life by a thousand years!"

Whoosh! This bombshell of news dropped, directly leaving everyone present dizzy and dazed.

Did they hear wrong?

Or did Lu Ren misspeak? A Perfect Life-Extending Pill! They only hated that their sect masters had not come in person; otherwise, they would certainly have been able to discuss the matter of the Life-Extending Pill with Lu Ren first.

And these words of Lu Ren, falling into the ears of those with ulterior motives, also caused them to have other thoughts.

Suddenly, someone stood up; although their attitude was neither humble nor pushy, it carried greed.

He cautiously cupped his hands and asked: "Lu Family Head, I am a person from the Many Treasures Pavilion of Xizhou. May I ask, Family Head, have you already mastered the Pill Formula for the Life-Extending Pill?"

This matter was of great importance.

Although he also wanted to ask if Lu Ren had the Pill Formula for the Demon-Removing Pill.

But of two evils, choose the lesser.

If he asked everything, and Lu Ren turned hostile, that would be difficult to handle.

The people of Dongzhou were all silent for a moment.

Some people pondered the question asked by the man, while others could not control their eyes, which drifted to this Xizhou person, sizing him up from head to toe.

Xizhou...

It had truly been many years since they had heard of it.

Lu Ren's promotion had actually directly attracted forces from Xizhou.

Tsk! It was truly unexpected!

There were even small sects and factions that had no idea where Xizhou was, craning their necks and asking around.

"Where is Xizhou? Why have I never heard of it?"

"Strange, why does it look like everyone else knows, and only we are clueless and ignorant."

"Why wasn't such news made clear to us!"

But no one cared or paid them any attention.

Lu Ren was not surprised that someone would think of this question.

Or rather, he was waiting for this very question!

His condescending gaze made the Xizhou person who asked the question feel uneasy for a moment.

He had come under orders and successfully infiltrated Lu Ren's ceremony, intending to test Lu Ren's true strength and temperament, but he had not expected that first the Demon Race's provocation, and then the two types of pills Lu Ren exposed himself, would directly disrupt his plans.

At this moment, he could not care about anything else and could only bite the bullet and ask.

But in his heart, he did not really believe Lu Ren could actually produce them.

Life-Extending Pills and Demon-Removing Pills were extremely precious and rare, even in their Xizhou.

Lu Ren was merely a Clan Head from Dongzhou, at most with slightly better talent; how could he possibly possess such supreme treasures!

Perhaps it was just a bluff...

Before this thought had fully settled, he heard Lu Ren speak slowly: "And what if I have?"

Yes! Having obtained Lu Ren's admission, the Xizhou man's eyes widened sharply, filled with disbelief.

But before he could manage to say anything, he was submerged by the crowd behind him who could not wait!

Representatives from numerous sects and families all swarmed forward, looking at Lu Ren with urgency and desperation, speaking one after another.

"Lu Family Head, is this true? I don't know what price I need to pay to seek one Life-Extending Pill!? I can find the materials myself!"

"Lu Family Head, the alchemists of my sect can be at your beck and call at any time. We wish to seek a few Demon-Removing Pills! There is no set time, as long as we can get them within ten years."

"Move aside, you brute, don't think about having your sect's alchemists steal the craft! Lu Family Head, look at me; my clan has many geniuses who are willing to submit to the Lu Family. Is it possible to seek one pill?"

"..."

Everyone talked at once, directly diluting the coldness from just a moment ago.

What a joke!

Who could still care about frowning at each other now.

The Life-Extending Pill and the Demon-Removing Pill were the most important things.

There were two things that cultivators feared most.

One was having low talent and exhausting one's lifespan, finding it difficult to glimpse the Great Dao, and dying with regret.

The second was the interference of a Heart Demon, dying midway, forced to part ways with the path of the Dao, and dying with hatred.

There are only two things in this world that can provide a cure.

The first is a Life-Extending Pill, or a Longevity Pill; however, Longevity Pills have a limit on how many times they can be used—the more they are used, the less effective they become, whereas Life-Extending Pills have no such drawback, especially the Perfect Life-Extending Pill, which extends life by a thousand years without any side effects, and regardless of whether one is an immortal or a mortal, everyone would absolutely go mad for it!

The second is a Demon-Removing Pill, or a Demon-Breaking Pill; a Demon-Breaking Pill can shatter a Heart Demon and suppress it for a short time, but the more fiercely it is suppressed, the stronger the Heart Demon will be when it returns.

A Demon-Removing Pill, however, can directly remove a Heart Demon, sparing one from all future worries!

With both types of pills appearing at once, and in even numbers, a full twelve of them.

Everyone went crazy.

They wanted the Life-Extending Pills!

They wanted the Demon-Removing Pills too! Even Shi Zihe could no longer spare a thought for his own dark intentions from just a moment ago.

Kill Qi Yi?

Get rid of his beloved daughter?

What a joke!

How could those compare to the importance of these two types of pills!

Shi Zihe's breathing was rapid; he could not hide his madness at all.

Whatever Qi Yi, whatever son—at this moment, he had cast them all to the back of his mind.

As long as he had a Life-Extending Pill, supplemented by a Demon-Removing Pill, he would surely be able to successfully break through his realm and extend his life; by then, it might even be possible to have another child!

The sound-transmission jade plaques of the various major sects were almost blown up. It was no wonder they were so excited; even if their own Sect Masters were to arrive, they would likely be even more excited than them.

Yet, excitement was one thing, but they dared not crowd Lu Ren even in the slightest; they all stared with eager eyes, truly wishing that time could immediately jump forward by three months.

"Cough, cough..."

At the critical moment.

Lu Guangyang rolled out from behind in a wheelchair, leaning on it in a sickly manner; he did not use his true appearance, but rather a face that was three parts similar to Lu Ren's.

His pale face looked as if he might drop dead at any second, and he could not help but cough as he waved his hand, saying softly, "Everyone, if you have any needs, you may discuss them with me. I am the Deputy Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall; there is no need to disturb our Family Head."

He wore a broken yet poignant smile on his face, the very image of a sickly beauty.

Seeing this... the Lu Family members could not help but shudder.

Although they did not know who this was, it was certainly not the Deputy Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall.

That old man had made a mistake and was locked in the confinement room in the back mountain by the Family Head to reflect on his errors for ten years, and it was not yet time for him to come out.

It was just that Lu Ren clearly tacitly approved, and the other Lu Family members kept their eyes on their noses, their noses on their mouths, and their mouths on their hearts, naturally not intending to expose the ruse.

Lu Ren had long since anticipated this scene.

He had previously given Lu Guangyang a copy of the Pill Formula for the Life-Extending Pill, leaving it to him to decide how much of the formula to reveal.

The Life-Extending Pills had to be sold.

The two Life-Extending Pills at the auction were merely a prelude.

Only after Dongzhou had digested this news would the spring of the Life-Extending Pill arrive.

But how to sell them, how many to sell, and when to start selling—that was a matter of great strategy.

Although Lu Guangyang was the Supreme Treasure Pavilion Master of the Dark Pavilion, he did not participate in assassinations, but instead focused entirely on business.

Handing this matter to him was a perfect use of his talents.

Although there were twists and turns along the way, the result was ultimately the same as what Lu Ren had envisioned.

The Lu Family's Chiyan Feng.

This was where the Great Elder's cave abode was located, in the outer courtyard of the Lu Family, and also on the front line; Feng Wuyou's civil and military officials, as well as Qi Yi and others, were almost all settled at the foot of Chiyan Feng.

The Great Elder sat beside a stone table, pouring and drinking by himself, looking from time to time at the woman lying on the stone bed.

That was Lu Guangyan.

A trace of heartache flashed through his eyes.

The Great Elder was old, and with several generations between him and Lu Guangyan, it naturally could not be romantic love.

The reason he acted this way was because Lu Guangyan was his niece, and a child he had watched grow up.

From the time she was learning to speak and showing her talent, being sent to the Lu Family main branch, all the way to her marriage and childbirth, and knocking on the door of the Great Dao, the Great Elder had witnessed the lives of everyone in the Lu Family.

Even Lu Ren had grown up under the Great Elder's care.

The Great Elder sighed faintly, his expression complex; it was hard to say what exactly he was thinking at this moment.

Just then, Lu Guangyan, who was lying on the stone bed, let out a soft moan, her brows furrowed, and she slowly woke up.

She opened her eyes in a daze and looked around, as if she were extremely confused about where she was.

The Great Elder was a meticulous person, and almost instantly, he noticed something was wrong.

His figure flashed, and he arrived at Lu Guangyan's side in an instant; he reached out to grab her wrist, sent his divine sense into her body to take a look, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Not right... there were no traces of Possession.

Why did she look so strange? Lu Guangyan felt some discomfort, withdrew her hand, blinked her eyes, and asked softly, "Great Elder, why am I here?"

The Great Elder pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You don't know why you are here?"

Lu Guangyan thought for a moment, but ultimately shook her head with regret.

As she got off the stone bed, she looked around with a bewildered expression, muttering to herself.

"I can't remember... just a moment ago, I seemed to be refining the Ice Soul. Did I succeed? Or did I fail?"

As she spoke, she raised her fingertips and subconsciously rubbed her cold fingers; specks of ice suddenly appeared on her hand, making Lu Guangyan beam with joy.

"I succeeded! That's great!"

However, the Great Elder's heart sank heavily.

If his memory hadn't yet failed him with age, Lu Guangyan refining the Ice Soul was something that happened decades ago.

At that time, she hadn't even been married yet.

Lu Guangyan wiped the chill from her fingertips and looked up at the Great Elder, finding that the other party did not seem happy, which left her puzzled and tilting her head.

"Great Elder, what is the matter with you? Why do you look so unhappy?"

Who would have thought that the Great Elder would not answer her question, but instead gaze deeply into her eyes, as if trying to see into her heart.

Lu Guangyan felt somewhat bewildered, and even more aggrieved.

"Guangyan, do you still remember Tong'er?" the Great Elder asked softly.

Lu Guangyan's brows knitted together instantly!

She suddenly reached out, covering her chest, her eyes filled with nothing but confusion and an inexplicable pain that had welled up.

"Tong, Tong'er... who is that?"

"Why do I feel so distressed when I hear this name?"

She reached out her fingertips and touched her cheek in a daze; moist teardrops fell, one after another, as if driven by the instinct of her body.

Lu Guangyan stared blankly at the Great Elder, murmuring, "Great Elder, Guangyan's heart hurts so much; why does it hurt like this?"

"Who is Tong'er?"

In the Great Elder's previously calm eyes, a look of pained pity suddenly emerged; he reached out, intending to knock Lu Guangyan unconscious, but unexpectedly heard approaching footsteps and a string of joyful, childish laughter.

"Come on, come catch Qianhui, hee hee, you can't catch me, dummy... Qianhui is going to find the pretty big brother!"

Almost the moment she heard this voice, Lu Guangyan's expression changed.

She flashed and vanished from the Great Elder's cave dwelling.

"Not good!"

The Great Elder's expression shifted, and he immediately gave chase.

Qi Qianhui chased after a butterfly, laughing as she ran forward.

Behind her was a young member of the Lu Family with their eyes covered, laughing and making bear noises while playing with Qi Qianhui.

She was a child at heart, after all; Qi Yi had not kept her confined to sitting at the grand ceremony, and fearing trouble, he had let her go off to play with the Lu Family juniors.

After all, they were still within the Lu Family, so nothing would go wrong.

As Qi Qianhui ran, she laughed and looked back, holding a pinwheel in her hand; caught off guard and not paying attention, she slammed into something, fell down instantly, and landed hard on the ground, on the verge of crying.

She pouted in grievance and looked up to see what exactly had bumped into her, only to see, in that instant, Lu Guangyan's face—bewildered, twisted with obsession, and lingering with maternal instinct.

Almost subconsciously, Qi Qianhui widened her deer-like eyes and whispered.

"Mother... Mother."

In an instant, tears streamed down Lu Guangyan's face like rain.

(End of this chapter)