Translator: AnubisTL
"Success!"
When the nine Qi Gathering Pills took shape, Gu Feng couldn't help but wave his fists and shout in excitement.
Beside him, Yan Xixi was also clapping enthusiastically. Nine pills in one batch, each with excellent quality and eight runes—not even the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall Elders could achieve this. Gu Feng had once again created a miracle.
"Let's test the efficacy!" Yan Xixi cheerfully suggested.
For ordinary people, the quality of a pill could be accurately judged by its runes, appearance, and smell. But Gu Feng was no ordinary person.
His skill in counterfeiting was top-notch, and without instruments, it was nearly impossible to accurately determine the efficacy of his pills. Sometimes, even spirit beasts were needed for testing.
To make testing more convenient, Yan Xixi had already brought over a specialized instrument—a compass-like device for pill testing.
She placed the pill Gu Feng had refined into the groove of the compass, and the results soon appeared.
"The efficacy is the same as last time—one-third of a genuine Qi Gathering Pill," Yan Xixi said, her eyes filled with a strange expression. Gu Feng was also stunned.
"Maybe we should test it on a spirit beast!" This was just too coincidental, making Gu Feng's heart race, fearing that another laughable side effect might appear.
"Alright!"
Soon, Yan Xixi secretly brought over a test rat. Coincidentally, it was the same one that had previously eaten Gu Feng's Modified Bone Cleansing Pill. To avoid eating that pill again, it had desperately cultivated and miraculously broke through to the Qi Refining Realm in just a few months.
Yet, it still couldn't escape Gu Feng's grasp.
Looking at Gu Feng and the pill in his hand, the test rat's fur stood on end. Its short paws frantically covered its mouth, and its head shook like a rattle drum.
Gu Feng was the ruthless man who had caused several of its colleagues to die in regret. It would never dare to try the pills he refined.
"Either test the pill or go into the pot—your choice!" Gu Feng's face darkened as he spoke harshly. Being rejected by a test rat had greatly bruised his ego.
Gulp, gulp. The test rat swallowed hard. Though it couldn't speak, it understood Gu Feng's threat and had some level of cognitive ability. Faced with the immediate choice of going into the pot or testing the pill, it firmly chose the latter.
Its front paws waved frantically, as if trying to express something. Yan Xixi frowned and immediately took out a container from her storage ring, signaling the test rat to sit on it.
Gu Feng's mouth twitched, and his eyelids trembled slightly as he muttered, "This time, it definitely won't cause diarrhea!"
Statistically speaking, it was impossible for diarrhea to occur. Two different pills, made from different materials—how could they have the same side effect?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Gu Feng was certain in his heart, but the next moment, he was proven wrong.
The test rat, as if marching to its execution, swallowed the Qi Gathering Pill with a look of determination, its eyes closed.
Pfft—
After just a moment of refining, a pfft sound was heard, and an indescribable stench filled the alchemy room.
Looking at Yan Xixi, who was covering her nose and dry heaving, Gu Feng was completely defeated.
How could this be? Different pills, yet the same side effect?
This was a disaster. The reputation of being the "Diarrhea Pill Specialist" seemed inescapable.
With a dark face, Gu Feng quietly asked Yan Xixi, who was examining the test rat's condition, "How is it? Any other side effects besides diarrhea?"
"The efficacy is about the same as expected. So far, the only side effect is diarrhea. We'll need to wait until the pill is fully refined to be sure."
Patiently enduring the stench, Gu Feng stubbornly stayed in the alchemy room for twelve hours. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, but with Yan Xixi still there, he felt too embarrassed to go.
"Besides diarrhea, there are no other side effects!" Yan Xixi confirmed after the Qi Gathering Pill was fully refined. As she spoke, her expression was incredibly strange.
Gu Feng's face turned red with embarrassment. He coughed lightly and said confidently, "Cough, cough. Diarrhea is no big deal. My improved Diarrhea Pill—no, Qi Gathering Pill—only takes an hour to refine. Each batch produces nine pills, all with eight runes and top-grade quality. If sold, it would definitely be snatched up by Qi Refining Realm disciples like those on Carp Mountain!"
Yan Xixi couldn't argue with this and nodded repeatedly.
In her mind, she pictured a scene where the entire Carp Mountain was filled with a foul stench, with everyone sitting in their cave abodes cultivating while suffering from diarrhea, and the Carp Mountain's Chief Elder Shi in a fit of rage.
"Hehe—" She couldn't help but laugh.
"Xixi, how many pills can you produce in one batch?"
"At most five. That's my current limit. Normally, it's four or three."
Hearing this, Gu Feng pondered, "My nine pills can be counted as three, plus your four. Do you think we have a chance at winning?"
"Not much, but that's not important. What matters is participation!" Yan Xixi laughed. For her, winning wasn't the goal; what mattered was who she was participating with.
"Alright, let's practice some more!"
"Sure!"
Just as the two were about to start refining again, there was a knock at the door.
They remembered that when they entered the alchemy room, they had activated the soundproofing array. The only ones who could bypass this and knock were the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall Elders.
"An Elder is here. I'll go see!"
Yan Xixi quickly said, straightened her clothes, and opened the door.
"Sister, and Elder Shen?"
As Yan Xixi opened the door, both of them tilted their heads to look at Gu Feng inside the alchemy room.
Elder Shen helplessly pursed his lips, while Yan Yexue glared in anger.
They wanted to say something, but the delayed stench made them quickly cover their mouths.
"Did Gu Feng refine another Diarrhea Pill?" Elder Shen asked in astonishment. Gu Feng was truly a talent—any spirit herb in his hands would inevitably turn into a diarrhea-inducing pill.
"It's not too late to change assistants. The competition list won't be submitted until tomorrow! A Diarrhea Pill can't win." Perhaps because of Chu Youhuan, Yan Yexue didn't explode in anger this time, but she didn't lower her voice either, as if deliberately speaking for Gu Feng to hear.
Gu Feng, with his thick skin, was in a state of confidence after refining the Diarrhea Pill and completely ignored her taunts!
"Never mind, never mind. As long as Xixi can showcase her pill refining talent, winning isn't that important!" Elder Shen's thoughts were simple. As long as Yan Xixi could display extraordinary skill at the pill refining competition, even if she didn't win, it would still bring honor to the Sunset Glow Sect.
As for Gu Feng? Just ignore him!
"Xixi, your sister has high expectations for you, and the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall also has high expectations for you...
Today, we came to you not to persuade you to abandon Gu Feng, but to give you some extra guidance to improve your pill refining techniques, so you can perform even better at the competition!"
"Thank you, Elder Shen, and sister!" Yan Xixi replied respectfully.
Inside the alchemy room, Gu Feng smiled. He believed he had already done his best and had no room for improvement. Whether they could win depended entirely on Yan Xixi's performance.
Having Yan Yexue and Elder Shen, both skilled pill refiners, to guide her was the best possible scenario.
"Elder Shen, how about giving me some extra guidance too? I also want to bring glory to the Sunset Glow Sect!" Gu Feng joked.
Elder Shen's mouth twitched. "You not embarrassing the Sunset Glow Sect is already an achievement. I don't have the ability to guide you in refining Diarrhea Pills!"
With that, the stone door of the alchemy room slammed shut, leaving Gu Feng alone.
"Hehe. You, the Diarrhea Pill Specialist, better not tarnish the reputation of the Sunset Glow Sect I founded!" After Yan Xixi left, Zhu Qingyan appeared, mocking Gu Feng.
"Here, go refine some pills on your own!" Gu Feng tossed a handful of spirit herbs at her. Zhu Qingyan giggled and walked to a corner of the alchemy room to start refining.
Gu Feng didn't know, nor did he care to ask, why Zhu Qingyan, who was so bad at pill refining, was so obsessed with it. Her talent in this area was even worse than his!
Once again, he was proven wrong. After five hours, Zhu Qingyan miraculously succeeded in refining a Qi Gathering Pill!
"Look, this is what a true pill refining master looks like!" A three-leaf spirit herb proudly held five pills and came to Gu Feng to show off.
"What's so great about that? I can refine nine pills in one batch. In the time it took you to refine one batch, I refined forty-five!" Gu Feng said disdainfully.
"Yours are Diarrhea Pills, and they're just watered-down Qi Gathering Pills!"
"Try refining a watered-down Qi Gathering Pill! I bet you can't!" Gu Feng waved the watered-down Qi Gathering Pill in his hand, speaking smugly.
This left Zhu Qingyan speechless. Gu Feng was bizarre. The pills he created were impossible for others to refine, even for her. This phenomenon couldn't be explained by any known rule.
"I can refine genuine Qi Gathering Pills. Why would I refine your counterfeit, diarrhea-inducing pills?"
"If you can't refine it, stop bragging!"
Watching Gu Feng and a three-leaf spirit herb argue, the test rat sitting on the container was utterly shocked, as if witnessing something extraordinary.
"Diarrhea Pill!"
"How do you know your pills won't cause diarrhea? Maybe they'll even kill someone!"
Gu Feng retorted without backing down. Zhu Qingyan, looking at the stubborn Gu Feng, sneered and walked over to the test rat. She extended a leaf and handed a Qi Gathering Pill to it.
"Eat this pill!"
The test rat sniffed the pill, detecting a refreshing medicinal aroma, and its face showed a look of enjoyment.
"You'd better not eat it. My pills cause diarrhea, but hers might kill you!" Gu Feng coldly said.
The test rat looked at him with disdain, not believing a word. Such a good pill couldn't possibly be deadly.
So, under Zhu Qingyan's smug gaze, the test rat didn't hesitate and swallowed the Qi Gathering Pill.
"Get off the container. My pills will never cause diarrhea!" Zhu Qingyan said triumphantly, glancing at Gu Feng.
The test rat thought this made sense and immediately stood up from the container.
But the next moment, something completely unexpected happened. As soon as the test rat stood up and turned to close the container lid, its rear end happened to be facing Zhu Qingyan, who was acting all high and mighty with her nose in the air.
"Pfft—"
A clear stream, mixed with yellow particles and streaks of red, shot out like a fountain.
It happened so fast that Zhu Qingyan had no time to react and was completely drenched.
Her green leaves were now covered in yellow, foul-smelling filth.
Ugh—
She immediately backed away, squatting down and vomiting uncontrollably.
Gu Feng was stunned, staring at the test rat, whose rear end seemed to have turned into a fountain. His mind was buzzing.
What was going on? Why did eating Zhu Qingyan's Qi Gathering Pill cause even worse diarrhea?
(End of the Chapter)
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