Chapter 58: The Reputation of the Divine Farmer Alchemist

Reflected in Meng Yu's eyes were four round, plump pills resting on Tong Jin's fair palm. Amidst the steady and solid dark yellow luster, faint wisps of golden threads were interwoven.

"This is?" Meng Yu extended a nearly trembling right hand to pick up one of the pills, bringing it up to his eyes.

Tong Jin wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled faintly. "Verdant Condensation Pill, used for replenishing *Qi*."

Meng Yu brought the pill to his nose, took a deep sniff, and exclaimed in shock, "It truly is the Verdant Condensation Pill! Years ago, when I was attempting to break through to the consummate stage of the Qi-Transformation Realm, I once took three of them. The Verdant Condensation Pill refined by young friend Tong has actually reached the intermediate grade!"

Tong Jin produced a medicinal vial, placed the remaining three pills inside, and handed it to Meng Yu. "Please accept these as a gift, Uncle, to thank you for lending me your pill-crafting manuals and medicinal ingredients."

Meng Yu was momentarily stunned. "You're giving them all to me?"

Tong Jin chuckled. "These pills might be rare treasures to others, but to me, they are merely items for practicing my craft. I hope Uncle Meng will not look down upon them."

Meng Yu was so filled with envy, jealousy, and a mixture of amusement and exasperation that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought to himself that these four pills were worth a king's ransom; even within large sects, they were certainly not items to be given away casually to others. Yet here in Tong Jin's hands, they had somehow become mere practice pieces, and he was even telling people not to disdain them... Truly, comparing oneself to others could drive a person mad. Surely, no one in the entire world would ever disdain such "practice pieces."

Though he thought this way in his heart, he could not say it aloud. Meng Yu hurriedly expressed his gratitude, excitedly placed the single pill from his hand into the vial as well, and safely tucked it into his robes. Only then did he shake his head with a wry smile and say, "Young friend Tong, you truly are a source of endless surprises. To possess such high cultivation at such a young age is already astonishing, but what is even more incredible is that you are also an alchemist. For my Meng family to possess such profound affinity that we might come to know you is truly a blessing."

Tong Jin awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Uncle flatters me. I merely happened to successfully refine a single batch by chance."

Meng Yu naturally knew this was Tong Jin being modest. If such things could happen so easily by chance, these pills would not be so exceedingly rare. Out of curiosity, he asked, "May I ask the name of young friend Tong's esteemed master?"

Tong Jin did not hide it. "Strictly speaking, the one who imparted this pill-crafting method to me was Senior Nong of the Divine Repose Palace."

"Senior Nong? Could it be the Divine Farmer Nong, the only person under the heavens capable of refining the Spirit-Transforming Pill?"

***

Tong Jin wore a blank expression. "About that, I am not entirely certain. Could Senior Nong's reputation truly be so resounding?"

Meng Yu smiled helplessly. "As a disciple of the Alchemist Nong, young friend Tong is actually unaware of this? Speaking of him, he is the pinnacle in the hearts of countless alchemists. In the past, Alchemist Nong relied on his profound experience to refine the single surviving high-grade Spirit-Transforming Pill in the entire world."

"Oh?" Tong Jin listened with a jolt in his heart, but did not interrupt.

A nostalgic look appeared on Meng Yu's face as he said, "That Spirit-Transforming Pill is a legendary medicinal pill that assists those at the peak of the Qi-Transformation Realm in breaking through to the Spirit-Transformation Realm. The moment this pill was successfully refined, it immediately drew the attention of major sects throughout the martial world. Some even could not suppress their greed and headed to the Divine Repose Palace to seize the pill!"

Hearing this, the image of Senior Nong's unflappable demeanor instantly surfaced in Tong Jin's mind. He thought to himself that Senior Nong had actually possessed such glorious moments in the past, and secretly regretted that he had chosen to learn the art of insect-cultivation a little later, rather than squeezing out more knowledge regarding alchemy from the old man when he had the chance.

"However, the decisive action taken by the Divine Repose Palace at that time dispelled the thoughts of everyone who wished to seize the pill," Meng Yu said with a sigh of lingering regret.

"What on earth happened?"

"Rumor has it that at the time, counting Alchemist Nong himself, there were three individuals in the Divine Repose Palace at the peak of the Qi-Transformation Realm. One of them consumed the pill and successfully broke through to the Spirit-Transformation Realm!" Meng Yu said with undisguised yearning.

"What? There were actually experts of the Spirit-Transformation Realm in the Divine Repose Palace!" Tong Jin cried out in near-disbelief.

"Young friend was actually unaware of this?" Meng Yu said in astonishment. "Those great sects and factions that have stood tall for hundreds of years—which of them does not have a Spirit-Transformation expert holding down the fort? It is simply that once they reach that level, they disdain the disputes of the mortal world and instead remain in seclusion day after day. Unless an event concerning the survival of the sect arises, they will not show their faces. Because of this, generally no one dares to truly provoke those behemoth-like existences."

Tong Jin's heart skipped a beat. "If that is the case, then within the Tianchen Sect, wouldn't there also be a Spirit-Transformation expert holding the fort?" A cold sweat immediately broke out over him. If a Spirit-Transformation expert had stepped out that day, let alone a single palm strike, the other party probably only needed to flick a finger to send him off to the netherworld, leaving him with zero chance of escape.

"That's right, young friend Tong. Tomorrow is the day of the duel. I wonder if you have any needs?"

Tong Jin smiled. "Uncle can simply call me Tong Jin. Addressing me as 'young friend' feels rather distant." Perhaps out of affection for the house for the sake of its crow, because of Meng Yueyou, he felt a deep sense of affinity toward Meng Yu, almost as if he were an elder.

***

Meng Yu naturally would not refuse such an opportunity to forge a good relationship with an alchemist. Moreover, the impression Tong Jin left in his heart was indeed excellent—capable yet unassuming, young yet not arrogant. He immediately laughed heartily, "Hahaha, good! Then I shall call you Jin'er, just as I treat Rou'er and Fan'er!"

Following that, Meng Yu briefed Tong Jin on the environment for the next day's duel and the general background of the three members of the Gu family.

The three individuals dispatched by the Gu family were the three disciples of Ba Xun, the vice leader of the Highland Poison Sect. The name of the Poison Sect was not as menacing as it sounded; in fact, the sect leader of the Poison Sect was one of the undisputed overlords of the plateau, and the name merely stemmed from the fact that everyone in the sect excelled in the art of cultivating venomous insects.

Through Meng Yu's general introduction, Tong Jin learned that Ba Xun's three disciples were the eldest, Ciren, the second, Suochi, and the third, Banjue. These three had already reached the minor accomplishment stage of the Qi-Transformation Realm several years prior, and even Meng Yu had no bottom line in his heart as to what their cultivation levels were now. What particularly caused Tong Jin to be on high alert was that the third disciple, Banjue, actually raised a secret type of insect. Meng Yu had once heard that this insect resembled a venomous bee in shape, but was entirely blood-red, with three venomous stingers on its tail. It could be shot out from beyond ten zhang away to injure people invisibly, and those struck would undoubtedly die without the antidote.

Upon hearing this, Tong Jin furrowed his brows deeply. Based on the description, he recalled the Highland Blood Bee he had seen in the Secret Codex of Insect Cultivation—that was a fatal insect ranked sixth on the Exotic Insect Rankings.

"Jin'er, although the rules state that tomorrow's duel must not take human lives, and the style of the Poison Sect people cannot be considered overly ruthless, you must still act with caution just in case," Meng Yu admonished.

Tong Jin nodded, though he felt rather uncertain in his heart. Before hearing about the Highland Blood Bee, relying on his Corpse-Submerging Venom Ants, he was confident nothing would go wrong; even if there were rules prohibiting taking lives, at worst he could pull out a Earth-Spirit Immortal Pill, and the person bitten by the ants would still retain their life. But the appearance of the Highland Blood Bee at this moment caused a lingering unease to rise in his heart.

An insect capable of ranking sixth on the Exotic Insect Rankings must not be underestimated...

It was amidst this apprehensive mood that the day of the duel finally arrived.