Even Bai Jingkong heard this declaration of war and was caught off guard, not even thinking that the now half-crippled Tianxing Sword Sect would have this kind of audacity.

His original intention was for Shen Tang to admit to continuing to sell medicinal materials, thus provoking dissatisfaction and vigilance among various forces in Xia State. After all, a mere Liu Qingcang doing this is one thing, but the Tianxing Sword Sect, a third-rank sect, doing this, puts a completely different pressure on people. Who knows if they will violently merge or occupy the market later, making everyone unable to survive?

If the Tianxing Sword Sect indicated they were no longer planting medicine, he could still gather other forces to pressure them, giving Shen Tang a piece of land in exchange for the medicine mountain. This kind of Earth Fire Warm Medicine Mountain is very special and hard to come by; they have always wanted it.

The result was that the Tianxing Sword Sect did indicate they were no longer selling medicinal materials, but instead were selling pills. And they were selling the Melting Snow Returning Origin Pill, which was extremely important to his Xiang Ran Tower!

Bai Jingkong couldn’t help but slap the table: “This brat is bullying people too much!”

“Hmm?” Lu Xingzhou said leisurely, “What about it? If we plant medicinal materials and compete with the neighbors in Xia State, you don’t say we’re bullying people, but competing with you is bullying people too much? Do the laws of Daqian stipulate that only your Xiang Ran Tower can refine pills with similar effects?”

Bai Jingkong took a deep breath to calm his emotions, then sneered, “Young people suddenly gain fame and start looking down on everyone. Is the medicinal effect of this sect’s Melting Snow Returning Origin Pill something anyone can imitate? What shameless boasting!”

Lu Xingzhou beckoned, “Ah Nuo, distribute one of our Returning Origin Pills to each neighbor, as a return gift for everyone participating in the ceremony.”

The various forces in Xia State all showed moved expressions.

Six-grade pills are valuable; distributing a circle of them is a huge investment. The small gift money they gave back can’t make up for it at all. This Lu Xingzhou is acting so extravagantly, doesn’t Shen Tang care?

He secretly glanced at Shen Tang, who had returned to her smiling, squinting-eyed expression, resting one hand on the armrest, supporting her head, and watching Lu Xingzhou perform.

Lu Xingzhou said this was advertising fees, and this money must be spent.

Then let’s just spend it.

Ah Nuo finally had a legitimate opportunity to break free from Sheng Yuan Yao’s demonic clutches. She pulled out a small jade box from her ring. When she opened the box, it was densely packed with pills.

Ah Nuo looked at Sheng Yuan Yao, somewhat reluctantly distributed one to her, and then immediately busily ran around the square distributing them. She only distributed to the leaders of each force in Xia State and Chen Jin Nian of the Alchemy Department. As for the Xiang Ran Tower’s Dongjiang Gang and others, she didn’t even look at them and just bypassed them.

After all, the main business is with the people of Xia State; the outside can wait. Once the situation opens up in Xia State, it will naturally spread.

It is said there are many people because each sect, faction, and family, each force attending the meeting brought followers, guards, etc. Overall, it looks like a lot of people, but the actual forces are only a few dozen families. This advertising fee is actually not that much.

Each force leader held the pill in their hand, and their expressions were all somewhat shocked. Chen Jin Nian’s eyes were even bulging, and his beard was trembling.

They are all knowledgeable cultivators; they don’t need to eat it, they can roughly feel the efficacy contained within the pill.

This is indeed extremely similar to the effect of the Xiang Ran Tower’s Melting Snow Returning Origin Pill, effectively soothing qi and blood disorders, suppressing internal injuries, and simultaneously restoring True Qi.

Although they all belong to sustained treatment and recovery effects and are not too high-end, the value of this kind of thing is already self-evident.

More importantly, the quality of these dozens of pills is all top-grade! While the Xiang Ran Tower’s externally sold Melting Snow Returning Origin Pills are mostly good-grade, there are few superior-grade ones that are still being held for bidding, and the top-grade ones are frequently said to be “not for sale.”

Compared to throwing out dozens of top-grade pills like this, who the hell would still look at your good-grade ones!

Chen Jin Nian couldn’t even understand why Lu Xingzhou refined top-grade pills no matter what kind. Refining seven-grade pills like this is one thing, but six-grade ones too? He himself couldn’t do it! The head of the Alchemy Department in Xia State, you come and do it?

Seeing the shocked expressions of the crowd, Bai Jingkong’s heart skipped a beat, and the expression of watching a cold joke was gone.

He didn’t expect this Lu Xingzhou to actually be able to produce pills similar to the Melting Snow Returning Origin Pill, and all of them were top-grade! This is a heavy blow to the Xiang Ran Tower!

Of course, they are not unable to refine top-grade pills, it’s just that high-grade alchemists are used to refine high-grade pills. Matching alchemists refine corresponding grade pills and indeed cannot steadily produce top-grade ones; it’s not for the purpose of hiding top-grade ones to raise their own prices.

If Lu Xingzhou makes such an impact, what should they do afterwards? Should high-grade alchemists be responsible for refining low-grade pills? This is chaos…

He was a bit anxious, his thoughts turning quickly, and he found a matter: “Do you all really believe that so many top-grade six-grade pills were made by this seven-grade alchemist alone? It is likely that there is another expert assisting him, which may not be a regular practice of the Tianxing Sword Sect. At this time, they are raising their profile, likely needing everyone to auction and bid later…”

Lu Xingzhou laughed: “If it really is like that, it’s none of your business. Even if we just auction off a few dozen, what impact can it have on your Xiang Ran Tower? What are you afraid of?”

Bai Jingkong flicked his sleeve: “This old man is just reminding everyone present!”

“Reminding is quite good, it also reminds me. We will not only refine the Melting Snow Returning Origin Pill, but also continue to launch Clear Spirit Pills, Heart Protection Pills, Spirit Passing Pills, and so on. This Melting Snow Returning Jade Pill is just the first display, please look forward to it later.”

The crowd was in an uproar, and Bai Jingkong was dumbfounded: “You plan to completely replicate my Xiang Ran Tower with the strength of a mere seven-grade alchemist?”

“Xiang Ran Tower, is it very impressive?” Lu Xingzhou sneered, “I said the Xiang Ran Tower is a false reputation, among the fourth-grade alchemists, they are all mediocre, what do you say?”

Bai Jingkong, provoked, finally could not maintain his composure again. He slapped the table and stood up: “What shameless boasting!”

“Whether it’s shameless boasting, you’ll know when you try.” Lu Xingzhou said faintly, “Today, all the heroes of Xia State are here, City Lord Sheng, Supervisor Chen, you and I will refine the Melting Snow Returning Jade Pill together, let everyone appraise it, it also adds some excitement to my sect’s ceremony, what does the old man think?”

Sheng Yuan Yao and Chen Jin Nian looked at Lu Xingzhou as if they were looking at a madman.

Even if you can refine this pill and produce top-grade ones, a general six-grade alchemist indeed cannot do it, but Bai Jingkong is a fourth-grade alchemist! Is it not easy for him to do this? And he can basically refine multiple at the same time; he will definitely completely crush you on the spot. How dare you humiliate yourself?

Even the people of the Tianxing Sword Sect looking at their own guest elder were stunned like wooden chickens. Jin Mingxiu, the head of the Sword Edge Hall, secretly transmitted a message to Shen Tang: “Sect Master, you just let him mess around like this?”

Shen Tang was still propped up on her headrest, lazily watching the lively scene, and smiled charmingly: “Why not? He’s not a blind person, seemingly strange moves have their own reasons, just watch.”

Jin Mingxiu: “You… they say the Sect Master is bewitched by a man, I still don’t believe it, now it seems… sigh.”

On the other side, Bai Jingkong was even laughing out of anger: “Alright, let you, this junior, know the principle of heaven beyond heaven, so you won’t be so arrogant in the future.”

“Then let’s do it.” Lu Xingzhou snapped his fingers: “Furnace come!”

Two pill furnaces floated unsteadily from the rear hall and fell onto the high platform with a “bang.”

Lu Xingzhou laughed: “Not very good furnaces, all just seven-grade goods. The old man has come from afar as a guest, so pick one first? Don’t say later that the venue is not good, the furnace is not used to, etc…”

Bai Jingkong’s cultivation had not reached “divine sense,” he just roughly scanned them and felt that the two furnaces were no different. He thought that in broad daylight, Lu Xingzhou would not dare to tamper with the furnace, so he casually selected one: “A mere six-grade pill, it is not yet time for this old man to demand a good furnace.”

Lu Xingzhou beckoned with his hand, and the other furnace flew to the side: “I will only refine one portion. How many portions does the old man want to refine? Let them get the medicinal materials.”

Bai Jingkong thought that if he refined one portion, even if he produced a top-grade one, he could not suppress Lu Xingzhou, so he said: “Five portions.”

There was some sarcasm in Lu Xingzhou’s eyes. A fourth-grade alchemist refining a six-grade pill, yet only daring to refine five portions simultaneously. This fourth-grade is truly enough to deceive the world and steal fame. If it were him, Lu Xingzhou, crossing two grades to refine a low-level pill, he wouldn’t even bother if he didn’t refine nine or more simultaneously.

But he still said: “The old man is indeed confident. Then let’s begin?”

“Wait.” Bai Jingkong sneered: “This old man is not here to play house with you, this junior. There should be a bet.”

Lu Xingzhou laughed: “How about it, old man?”

Bai Jingkong said: “If you lose, then in front of the heroes of Xia State, shout three times: Lu Xingzhou is ignorant and arrogant, and will never dare to provoke the Xiang Ran Tower in this life.”

Lu Xingzhou responded very indifferently: “Comparatively speaking, if the old man loses, then in front of everyone, admit that the Xiang Ran Tower is a false reputation.”

Bai Jingkong coldly snorted, not answering.

“Then just consider it the old man’s default.” Lu Xingzhou snapped his fingers, and Ah Nuo ran over to hand over the medicinal materials to each of them.

The two of them respectively selected the medicine and placed it in the furnace.

Refining pills often takes a long time and is very boring, but at this moment, the entire field held their breath, and no one felt impatient.

This is a new star challenging an old alchemist… just like a seven-grade cultivator challenging a fourth-grade. Although Bai Jingkong did not enter the list of heroes, this completely spans three grades; it is fundamentally not a contest of the same level!

Everyone wants to know, how dare Lu Xingzhou!

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xingzhou’s furnace lid was the first to jump, and a pill rotated and floated to the mouth of the furnace.

He only refined one, so finishing first is normal. The crowd all craned their necks to look. Six-grade pills are different from those low-grade ones; everyone is not familiar with them, and no one can distinguish the quality from so far away.

Lu Xingzhou casually pointed, and the pill flew into Ah Nuo’s hand: “Go and show everyone.”

Ah Nuo held the pill in her hand, busily ran into the field, raised her hand, and displayed it to people one by one.

“Indeed, it is still a top-grade pill.” Chen Jin Nian sighed: “The suspicion that Mister Bai mentioned earlier about having an expert assisting can be put to rest; Lu Xingzhou indeed has this standard himself.”

Shen Tang looked at Lu Xingzhou with a seemingly smiling but not smiling expression. In fact, no matter what Bai Jingkong refines, Lu Xingzhou’s advertising effect with this move is already out.

Looking at the shining eyes of the people in Xia State, as long as the Tianxing Sword Sect’s pricing is not too outrageous, this business will likely sell out.

As for Bai Jingkong…

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

The overall level of Xia State is low. This six-grade pill, the scene of five top-grade pills coming out of one furnace simultaneously, is also considered a rare grand spectacle for the people of Xia State. Everyone was very expectant.

The pill furnace shook more and more, and Bai Jingkong’s original confident face gradually changed.

He didn’t know why, the medicinal herbs seemed to have emotions, more and more unwilling to fuse into pills, each one like a child throwing a tantrum and making trouble. He exhausted his mind to harmonize them, yet it had almost no effect, and he could suppress them less and less.

The shaking of this pill furnace is not the shaking of forming pills, it is…

An exploding furnace!

“Bang!” Under the watchful eyes of ten thousand people, there was an explosion inside the furnace, and all five portions of medicinal materials turned into waste slag.

The entire field was in an uproar, and Bai Jingkong’s face swelled to the color of a pig’s liver.