Chapter 42: I say the Incense-Burning Tower is nothing but trash

Even Bai Jingtian was caught off guard by such a declaration of war; he had never imagined that the now half-crippled Profound Heaven Sword Sect would possess such audacity.

His original intention was to force Shen Tang to admit they would continue selling medicinal herbs, thereby provoking the dissatisfaction and vigilance of the various factions in Xiazhou. After all, the pressure exerted by a mere Liu Qingcang doing this was completely different from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect—which possessed two Fourth-Grade experts—doing it. Heaven knows if they would resort to violent mergers or market monopolization, leaving no room for anyone else to survive.

If the Profound Heaven Sword Sect indicated they would stop growing herbs, he could still rally other factions to pressure them, trading some random land for Shen Tang’s medicinal mountain. Such medicinal mountains with geothermal heat were quite unique and difficult to find; this was exactly what they had always wanted.

As it turned out, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect did indeed indicate they would stop selling medicinal herbs, but they were selling elixirs instead—and the very elixir that was crucial to their Incense-Burning Tower: the Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir!

Bai Jingtian couldn't help but slap the table: "The boy is too arrogant!"

"Hmm?" Lu Xingzhou said leisurely: "What is it? If we grow herbs and compete with our neighbors in Xiazhou, you don't call it arrogant, but competing with you is 'too arrogant'? Does the Great Qian law stipulate that only your Incense-Burning Tower can refine elixirs with similar effects?"

Bai Jingtian took a deep breath to calm his emotions and sneered: "A young man who has suddenly gained a bit of fame starts looking down on everyone. Is the efficacy of my sect's Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir something just anyone can imitate? Shameless boasting!"

Lu Xingzhou waved his hand: "A Nuo, distribute one of our Returning-Origin Elixirs to each of our neighbors as a return gift for everyone attending the ceremony."

The various factions of Xiazhou were all moved.

A Sixth-Grade elixir was highly valuable. Distributing them to everyone was a massive expense; the small gift money they brought wouldn't even cover the cost. With Lu Xingzhou being so wasteful, did Shen Tang not care?

Stealing a glance at Shen Tang, she had returned to her smiling expression, one hand propping up her head on the armrest as she watched Lu Xingzhou perform.

Lu Xingzhou had said this was advertising costs, and the money had to be spent.

Then let it be spent.

A Nuo finally had a legitimate opportunity to escape Sheng Yuanyao’s clutches. She fished a small jade box out of her ring; opening it, the inside was densely packed with elixirs.

A Nuo glanced at Sheng Yuanyao and somewhat reluctantly distributed one to her. Then, she trotted around the square, distributing them only to the leaders of the various Xiazhou factions and Chen Jinnian of the Elixir Department, completely ignoring the Incense-Burning Tower, the East River Gang, and the like.

After all, their main business was the people of Xiazhou; outsiders could wait until later. Once they opened up the situation in Xiazhou, it would naturally spread further.

While it sounded like a lot of people, that was because every sect, gang, and family brought attendants and guards. In total, there were only a few dozen factions, so the actual advertising cost wasn't much.

Each faction leader held the elixir, their expressions shocked. Chen Jinnian’s eyes were even bulging, and his beard was trembling.

They were all knowledgeable cultivators; they didn't need to consume it to roughly sense the efficacy contained within the elixir.

This was indeed extremely similar in effect to the Incense-Burning Tower’s Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir, effectively soothing chaotic blood and qi, suppressing internal injuries, and simultaneously restoring true qi.

Although they belonged to the category of sustained treatment and recovery and weren't considered top-tier, the value of such an item was self-evident.

More importantly, the quality of these dozens of elixirs was all "Top-Grade"! Meanwhile, the Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixirs sold by the Incense-Burning Tower were mostly "Good-Grade," with a small amount of "Excellent-Grade" kept back to drive up prices, and "Top-Grade" ones were often labeled "Not for Sale."

Compared to this casual tossing out of dozens of Top-Grade elixirs, who the hell would still care about those Good-Grade ones!

Chen Jinnian couldn't understand why everything Lu Xingzhou refined was Top-Grade. Refining Seventh-Grade elixirs like this was one thing, but Sixth-Grade too? Even he couldn't do it! Why don't you come be the Head of the Xiazhou Elixir Department?

Seeing the shocked expressions of the crowd, Bai Jingtian’s heart sank; his sneering, "watching a show" expression vanished.

He had never imagined that Lu Xingzhou could actually produce an elixir similar to the Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir, and all of them were Top-Grade! This was a heavy blow to the Incense-Burning Tower!

Of course, they weren't incapable of refining Top-Grade ones, but high-grade alchemists went off to refine high-grade elixirs. Alchemists refining corresponding levels of elixirs indeed couldn't guarantee Top-Grade results; it wasn't about hiding them to raise their own value.

If they were hit by Lu Xingzhou like this, what would happen in the future? Would high-grade alchemists have to be responsible for refining low-grade ones? This would be chaos...

He was somewhat anxious, his thoughts racing, and he found an issue: "Do you all really believe that so many Top-Grade Sixth-Grade elixirs were the work of this one Seventh-Grade alchemist alone? It must be that there is an expert helping from behind the scenes, which may not be a permanent fixture of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. By raising your status now, I fear you will have to auction them off to the highest bidder later..."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "If that were really the case, it wouldn't concern you, would it? If we really only auction a few dozen, what kind of impact could it have on your Incense-Burning Tower? What are you afraid of?"

Bai Jingtian flicked his sleeve: "I am merely reminding everyone here!"

"A very good reminder, and it also happens to remind me that we aren't just refining the Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir. In the future, we will continue to launch Clear-Spirit Elixirs, Heart-Protecting Elixirs, Spirit-Connecting Elixirs, and so on. This Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir is just a demonstration; please look forward to what follows."

The crowd was in an uproar. Bai Jingtian was dumbfounded: "Are you planning to use the strength of a mere Seventh-Grade alchemist to completely replicate my Incense-Burning Tower?"

"Is the Incense-Burning Tower very impressive?" Lu Xingzhou sneered: "I say the Incense-Burning Tower is famous for nothing, and the Fourth-Grade alchemists within are all worthless. What will you do about it?"

Provoked to the point where he could no longer maintain his composure, Bai Jingtian slapped the table and stood up: "Truly shameless boasting!"

"Whether it's shameless boasting or not, we'll know if we try." Lu Xingzhou said calmly: "Today, the heroes of Xiazhou are all here, with City Lord Sheng and Head Chen supervising. You and I shall refine the Snow-Melting Returning-Origin Elixir together and let everyone judge it. It can also serve to liven up our sect's ceremony. What does the old man think?"

Sheng Yuanyao and Chen Jinnian looked at Lu Xingzhou as if looking at a madman.

Even if you can refine Top-Grade elixirs, an ordinary Sixth-Grade alchemist indeed can't do it, but Bai Jingtian is Fourth-Grade! Isn't it easy for him to achieve this? Moreover, he can basically refine multiple pills at once; he would definitely crush you in terms of scale. How dare you invite humiliation?

Even the people of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect looked at their guest elder as if he were a fool. The Head of the Sword Peak Hall, Jin Mingxiu, secretly transmitted his voice to Shen Tang: "Sect Master, are you just going to let him act so recklessly?"

Shen Tang still propped her head up, lazily watching the chaotic scene, and smiled beautifully: "Why not let him? He is not a blind person. His seemingly strange actions have their own reasons. Just watch."

Jin Mingxiu: "You... they say the Sect Master has been bewitched by a man. I didn't believe it, but now it seems... sigh."

Over there, Bai Jingtian was so angry he laughed: "Fine. I will let you juniors know that there is a heaven beyond heaven, so you won't be so arrogant in the future."

"That works." Lu Xingzhou snapped his fingers: "Bring the furnace!"

Two pill furnaces floated over leisurely from the hall behind and landed on the high platform with a "clatter."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Not great furnaces, just Seventh-Grade items. Old man, you are a guest from afar, pick one first? Don't say later that the venue wasn't good or the furnace wasn't easy to use..."

Bai Jingtian’s cultivation hadn't reached the level of "Spiritual Sense," so he just glanced at them roughly and felt there was no difference between the two furnaces. Thinking that in front of such a crowd, Lu Xingzhou wouldn't dare to tamper with the furnace, he picked one at random: "A mere Sixth-Grade elixir; it's not yet time for me to require a good furnace."

Lu Xingzhou beckoned, and the other furnace flew to his side: "I will refine one portion. How many portions will you refine, old man? Have them fetch the medicinal materials."

Bai Jingtian thought that if they both refined one portion, even if he produced Top-Grade ones, he wouldn't be able to suppress Lu Xingzhou, so he said: "Five portions."

There was a hint of mockery in Lu Xingzhou’s eyes. A Fourth-Grade alchemist refining Sixth-Grade elixirs only dared to refine five portions at once; this Fourth-Grade title was truly a fraud. If he, Lu Xingzhou, were refining lower-level elixirs across two grades, it would be an insult to his own time not to refine at least nine at once.

But he said: "The old man is indeed confident. Shall we begin then?"

"Wait." Bai Jingtian sneered: "I didn't come here to play house with juniors like you. There must be a wager."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "What does the old man propose?"

Bai Jingtian said: "If you lose, you must shout three times in front of all the heroes of Xiazhou: 'Lu Xingzhou is ignorant and arrogant, and I will never dare to provoke the Incense-Burning Tower again in this life.'"

Lu Xingzhou responded nonchalantly: "Then, conversely, if you lose, old man, you must admit in front of everyone that the Incense-Burning Tower is famous for nothing."

Bai Jingtian snorted and did not answer.

"Then I will take that as the old man's tacit agreement." Lu Xingzhou snapped his fingers, and A Nuo flew over to hand them each their medicinal materials.

The two of them picked their herbs and placed them into the furnaces.

Refining elixirs often takes a long time and is very dull, but at this moment, the entire venue held its breath; not a single person felt impatient.

This was a newcomer challenging a veteran alchemist... just like a Seventh-Grade cultivator challenging a Fourth-Grade one. Although Bai Jingtian hadn't made it onto the Hero Ranking, this was a full three-grade gap; it was simply not a contest of the same level!

Everyone wanted to know how Lu Xingzhou dared to do this!

I don't know how much time passed, but Lu Xingzhou’s furnace lid was the first to jump, and a pill floated up to the furnace mouth, spinning.

He only refined one, so it was normal for him to finish first. Everyone craned their necks to look; Sixth-Grade elixirs were different from those low-grade ones, and everyone was unfamiliar with them. From this distance, no one could distinguish the quality.

Lu Xingzhou pointed casually, and the pill flew into A Nuo’s hand: "Go show everyone."

A Nuo held the pill in her hands, trotted into the square, and held it up to show everyone one by one.

"It really is a Top-Grade elixir." Chen Jinnian sighed: "The previous suspicion that Mr. Bai mentioned about an expert helping can be put to rest. Lu Xingzhou truly has this level of skill himself."

Shen Tang looked at Lu Xingzhou with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. In reality, no matter what Bai Jingtian refined, Lu Xingzhou’s advertising effect had already been achieved.

Looking at the glowing expressions of those Xiazhou people in the square, as long as the Profound Heaven Sword Sect’s pricing wasn't too outrageous, this business would probably explode.

As for Bai Jingtian...

His furnace lid had also started to jump, and everyone subconsciously held their breath and looked up.

Xiazhou’s overall level was low; this scene of a Sixth-Grade elixir with five Top-Grade pills coming out of one furnace at the same time was a rare spectacle for the people of Xiazhou, and everyone was looking forward to it.

The pill furnace shook more and more, and Bai Jingtian’s originally confident expression gradually changed.

For some reason, the herbs seemed to have developed emotions, becoming increasingly unwilling to fuse into pills, each acting out and throwing a tantrum. He exhausted all his mental energy to harmonize them, but it had almost no effect, and he could suppress them less and less.

The shaking of this pill furnace was not the shaking of a pill forming; it was...

A furnace explosion!

"Bang!" Amidst the gaze of everyone, there was a loud explosion in the pill furnace, and all five portions of medicinal materials turned into waste slag.

The entire venue was in an uproar, and Bai Jingtian’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver.