Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband - Chapter 80

Once the gauntlet was thrown, there was no turning back halfway. Gu Yao knew he had to see it through to the end. Only if he truly fell short could he accept defeat with grace.

The spiritual herbs for refining the ‘Clarity Spirit Pill’ were again provided by the Xingyue Chamber of Commerce. All eyes turned toward Gu Yao with growing intensity. Some were curious, some filled with anticipation. Others thought he should have quit while he was ahead—if he lost this time, his hard-won reputation would take a significant hit. Still, there were those who admired his courage to face the challenge head-on, while many others seethed with envy and disbelief.

This time, Chi Changye didn’t leave. He stood silently behind Gu Yao, watching over him. Tian Feirong and the chubby boy flanked him on either side like protective guardians. Their fates were now tied to Gu Yao’s, sharing both honor and disgrace. More importantly, they were his friends.

Gu Yao, calm and composed, remained unaffected by the mounting tension around him. He activated the Earth Flame, opened the furnace, and began adding the spiritual herbs. Liu Lingge, watching him, felt her composure falter for a brief moment. How could someone so young possess such unshakable poise? Was he not nervous? Was he not worried about making a mistake or afraid of failure?

Liu Lingge couldn’t understand it. What she didn’t know was that Gu Yao had once been a celebrated master of potions in the Interstellar Alliance. He had faced not only fame and admiration but also doubts and malicious slander. It was these experiences that tempered his resolve. Through them, he learned to focus entirely on his passion for crafting potions. This unwavering dedication became the foundation of his success.

It took Liu Lingge a while to regain her composure and shut out Gu Yao’s overwhelming presence. Only then did she begin her own furnace preparation to refine the pill.

But to Jiang Yan and the others observing, Liu Lingge had already lost the psychological upper hand. She was too easily influenced by Gu Yao’s actions. If she failed this time, it might be near impossible for her to overcome the shadow Gu Yao had cast over her.

In contrast, Gu Yao seemed wholly absorbed in his work, as if his sole opponent was himself, not Liu Lingge.

The surroundings fell into a hushed silence, broken only by the sounds of alchemy unfolding in the center of the arena.

Jiang Yan smiled as he looked around. Since Gu Yao successfully refined the top-quality ‘Restorative Spirit Pill’, several familiar presences had appeared on the commercial street. These presences came from the Pill Peak. It seemed they could no longer sit idly by. Li Shureng and Liu Lingge were merely pawns sent by them, but the outcome had not gone as expected. Now, they would probably start to truly pay attention to Gu Yao.

Everyone noticed that repeating the alchemy process didn’t seem to affect Gu Yao much. His movements remained as fluid as ever. What was once skepticism had now turned into admiration. Compared to his age and his still somewhat youthful appearance, his demeanor was incredibly calm and composed.

“Ah, has he finished refining and begun fusing the pills?”

“He’s dividing the pills! This is the pill-dividing technique… Oh my, is he really going to succeed again?!”

When the pill furnace emitted a booming sound, even someone like Jiang Yan couldn’t help but show a look of shock. Only Gu Yao’s expression remained mostly unchanged. He was still as focused as ever, though his face had grown somewhat pale. Continuous alchemy, especially crafting pills above his cultivation level, was taking a toll on him. Some people couldn’t help but worry. He had come this far—if he failed at the last moment, it would be such a waste.

His face continued to grow pale, but his gaze remained firm. His movements didn’t show a hint of hesitation.

“Seal the pills!”

After performing the final pill-sealing gesture, one pill after another flew out of the furnace. However, Gu Yao was too weak to pick up the jade bottle. His body slumped, but before he could hit the ground, Chi Changye swiftly caught him from behind, holding the jade bottle with one hand to catch the pills that were flying out.

Once all the pills were in the bottle, a movement of spiritual energy caused the bottle’s lid to automatically close.

Gu Yao tried to lift his hand to scratch his chin but didn’t have the strength. He gave a weak, awkward laugh. He had never doubted that Chi Changye would abandon him, but he still felt a bit embarrassed. “I thought I could make it… In the end, I almost didn’t hold on. Thankfully, I didn’t waste this batch of spiritual herbs.”

Zhou Li, who had been walking in that direction, almost stumbled when he heard the faint voice like a mosquito’s buzz. What was this guy worried about? He wasn’t worried about losing to Liu Lingge; instead, he was concerned about wasting the spiritual herbs? The herbs weren’t even his responsibility to pay for, and Zhou Li couldn’t understand it at all.

“You… quickly take the pill and rest. I’ll keep watch,” Chi Changye said with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence.

“Alright.”

Gu Yao obediently swallowed the pill that Chi Changye handed to him, then struggled to sit cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. He left everything happening around him to Chi Changye, not worrying at all that his rest might be disturbed.

Chi Changye casually tossed a few array plates around them, isolating them from the external noise. A spirit-gathering array ensured that there was an ample supply of spiritual energy.

Zhou Li paused for a moment before walking over. These two guys were so oblivious to everything around them. He cupped his hands in salute and said, “Previously, Brother Chi became famous in one battle. Today, Junior Brother Gu has done the same, gaining fame with a single fight. Incredible, truly incredible!”

“Too kind. Gu Yao has already completed the task. Here are the pills.” Chi Changye handed over the jade bottle.

In fact, everyone had already seen the situation clearly. Both Gu Yao and Liu Lingge had each produced nine ‘Clarity Spirit Pills’, but Liu Lingge had only collected five of them at almost the same time. The difference was clear. Gu Yao was certain that the quality of his nine pills far surpassed the five pills of Liu Lingge.

However, everyone was now waiting for Jiang Yan and the others to announce the results of the contest. Zhou Li also handed the bottle in his hand to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan’s expression became more serious. He opened the bottle, poured out one of the pills, and took a deep breath before announcing, “Top-quality ‘Clarity Spirit Pills’. Of the nine pills, two are top-quality, and six are mid-quality.”

There wasn’t a single low-quality pill, which showed the level of mastery Gu Yao had over pill crafting. To think that such talent in pill-making appeared in a cultivator with four spiritual roots—Jiang Yan didn’t know what to say.

Liu Lingge, holding her own bottle of pills, staggered slightly when she heard this result. She had lost. Indeed, she had lost!

For some reason, before the contest started, she had felt this premonition, but she had quickly suppressed it. She had clearly had the upper hand in many areas—how could she lose to such a weak new disciple?

But reality was cruel!

“Junior Sister Liu.”

“No need to look. I’ve lost. Junior Brother Gu’s pill-making skills are exceptional. I, Liu Lingge, am ashamed. I will seek guidance from Junior Brother Gu another day. Farewell.”

After Li Shureng, Liu Lingge also put away her pill furnace, mounted her flying tool, and soared off into the air. Her figure looked somewhat disheveled. In the air around her, there seemed to be a faint sigh, which quickly dispersed with the wind, and no one was seen following her.

Tian Feirong and the chubby boy exchanged a glance and then grabbed Zhou Li together. “Brother Zhou, why did they leave just like that? What about the store? Are we not getting the store? Gu Yao has already won two rounds, so there won’t be more challengers, right?”

Jiang Yan chuckled. “No, the Pill Peak can’t afford to lose face. Don’t worry. Since they wagered the store, they won’t back out. Even if they do, Brother Jiang here will make sure you get it. I’m sure many disciples are waiting for your store to open. Don’t hold back, everyone’s looking forward to your high-grade pills.”

“Alright, we’ll definitely convince Gu Yao,” Tian Feirong quickly agreed. The thought of Jiang Yan helping them secure the store made him smile so widely that it seemed his face might split in half.

As Zhou Li had predicted, this day marked Gu Yao’s rise to fame. The disciples who had gathered around lingered for a while before reluctantly leaving. Fortunately, they had also heard Brother Jiang’s words—that the store would open soon, and they would be able to buy Gu Yao’s top-quality pills. For those who had enough spirit stones, why would they bother buying mid-grade or low-grade pills when they could get top-quality ones instead?

As they left, the news was bound to spread more and more widely. At the same time, the reputation of the Pill Peak came under some scrutiny. Of course, it was impossible to shake the Pill Peak’s position, as it was guarded by an eighth-tier Pill Master. Meanwhile, Gu Yao was just a Qi Refining Stage 5 cultivator with four spiritual roots. When people spoke of his spiritual roots, they often did so with a tone of regret.

The disciples who had gathered there gradually dispersed. At some point, Jiang Yan raised his head and glanced around, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. When he turned back, he saw that Chi Changye had just returned his gaze, and the direction of Chi Changye’s look coincidentally matched where Jiang Yan had just been looking.

Below the Pill Peak, three figures appeared. Two of them, rushing ahead, called out, “Senior Brother, is that Gu Yao hiding his cultivation level, trying to deliberately ruin our reputation?”

These two were the youngest disciples of Pill Peak’s Lin Peak Master. Initially, they hadn’t paid much attention to the challenge, waiting for the other party to be exposed and rejected by the Outer Sect. However, they were shocked when they heard the news of Li Shureng’s devastating defeat and immediately inquired. They then learned that Gu Yao had actually managed to refine a top-quality ‘Restorative Spirit Pills’ right on the spot. Deciding to investigate further, they ended up running into Senior Brother Ling Qi, who had the same intention.

They had been hidden in the shadows, watching Gu Yao successfully refine a top-quality ‘Clarity Spirit Pill’. They couldn’t believe that a Qi Refining Stage 5 cultivator with four spiritual roots could have such skill. So, upon returning with Senior Brother Ling Qi, their first instinct was to question Gu Yao.

Ling Qi’s expression grew serious. “He should not be hiding his cultivation. His cultivation is not deep, but his spiritual sense is stronger than that of ordinary cultivators. Moreover, he must have received a notable pill-making inheritance. The pill formulas and techniques he used are different from those of our Pill Peak. Even a Pill Master of the same rank, or even one rank higher, should not attempt to insult him right now. Let them hand over that store to avoid further ridicule of our Pill Peak.”

The two disciples were dissatisfied because they also had a stake in the matter, but they knew that they couldn’t go back on their word. If they didn’t follow through, they would only make the Pill Peak a laughingstock. Since their Senior Brother had made the statement, they dared not disobey. “Yes, Senior Brother, we will handle it.”

“Let’s go. Consider this a lesson. The Pill Peak has a high status in our Tianfu Academy, but here on the Tianlin Continent, there are other forces like the Cuiyan Valley and Valley Master Hu, not to mention the Changxian Sect. Our master has high expectations for you, so don’t let the scope of Tianfu Academy and the Tianlin Continent limit your vision.”

The two younger disciples’ expressions became even more respectful and uneasy.