Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two: Almost Believed It

The scene fell into a bizarre, profound silence once again.

Divine grade? But the furnace exploded, so it was barely "top-tier"? Was this even human language?

Many felt a stifling tightness in their chests, especially the alchemists, Gu Jia’er included. Although they didn't fully grasp the specific classification or power levels beyond the first grade, the descriptors—"top-tier," "divine-grade"—were enough to make anyone’s head spin. Good heavens! It sounded formidable just listening to it.

"Wait, he said he originally wanted to refine a divine-grade pill. Does that mean the Qiankun Rebirth Pill that triggered the pill tribulation during the alchemy competition was also divine-grade?" someone whispered after reflecting on Xu Zhe’s words.

"My god, a divine-grade pill? Isn't that the stuff of legends, said to be naturally gestated by the heavens and earth within this Divine Pill Grotto?"

"So, divine pills aren't just gifts from nature? We humans can refine them too?"

"I think the point we should be focusing on isn't that, but why Xu the Demon could refine a pill above the first grade even after his furnace exploded!"

"He called it a 'barely top-tier' grade?"

"This is absolutely absurd. Not only was he unharmed by the explosion, but the pill wasn't ruined—it was actually of such a high grade!"

Many alchemists were shaken; some even suffered a mental breakdown, cursing aloud to vent their frustration. Gu Jia’er felt the urge to curse as well. It was truly too ridiculous. How was this fair? They were all prodigies, and he had woken up years later than the rest of them, having been active for only a few dozen days. His cultivation was monstrous, his mastery of formations was god-like, and now, even his alchemy could rival the heavens themselves? Could a human really refine a divine pill?

"Your alchemy world... is likely going to be turned upside down again," Chu Xiaotong said to Gu Jia’er with a mocking smile, clearly relishing the spectacle.

"Uncle Xu is just too strong. Master, do you really come from the same place as him? Is everyone’s talent the same?" Qu Hongxiu asked, her wide, sparkling eyes filled with innocence and curiosity.

"Hmph, don't you dare be sarcastic. Your Uncle Xu still has to call me 'Brother Tong.' Don't you understand the hierarchy here?" Chu Xiaotong sneered.

"Ah, this..." Qu Hongxiu shivered instantly. *Wrong, wrong, Master, I was wrong.* She knew full well that if her master decided to discipline her, no matter how powerful Uncle Xu was, he would never protect her. *Unless... if Uncle Xu and Master are a couple, then Uncle Xu must be henpecked! No, Uncle Xu is mine! I was the first one to see him after he awakened!* Thinking this, Qu Hongxiu took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and stared straight at Chu Xiaotong.

However, Chu Xiaotong was no longer looking at her; her gaze had already drifted toward Xu Zhe.

"Here. Although I didn't reach the divine grade, this top-tier quality is sufficient. At the very least, they are pure and free of impurities. One pill a day, and you’ll be fully recovered in seven days," Xu Zhe said, placing the pills into a jade bottle and tossing it to Chu Xiaotong. He didn't forget to add, "By the way, eat fewer of those low-grade pills from now on. Unless it's an emergency, try to avoid even first-grade ones. They have impurities; eating too many isn't healthy."

"Alright!" Chu Xiaotong caught the bottle, smiling as she nodded.

Gu Jia’er: "???"

*Our four continents' highest-grade first-tier pills are treasures that are hard to come by, and you’re calling them unhealthy to eat? And what's worse, 'Big Sister Chu' actually agreed? I am thoroughly offended!*

"Shall we find a place to talk? I have a mountain of questions for you," Chu Xiaotong said to Xu Zhe.

"Fine," Xu Zhe agreed after a moment's thought. He had originally intended to refine a batch of "Infant Transformation Pills" for his own use, but with the furnace destroyed and Chu Xiaotong asking, he wasn't in a rush.

...

"Hey, wait! Master, Uncle Xu, where are you going? I’m coming too!" Qu Hongxiu panicked as she saw them leaving.

"Adults are talking; this doesn't concern you. Stay here with Auntie Gu," Chu Xiaotong said, walking forward without looking back, her voice tinged with laziness.

Qu Hongxiu pouted immediately. She knew that tone from her master meant she was being serious. Gu Jia’er stood where she was, her chest heaving with indignation. *Auntie Gu? That’s even worse than 'Big Sister Chu'!*

...

Soon, Xu Zhe followed Chu Xiaotong to the edge of the medicinal field, stopping in a vast, deserted area.

"Whoosh!"

Chu Xiaotong flicked a spell, and a massive surge of divine sense expanded, instantly forming a light barrier that enveloped them both. It was a shielding formation—a practical and effective method for a cultivator of her level. If anyone attempted to spy, she would know immediately.

"Being this cautious? I suppose this isn't just a casual chat," Xu Zhe laughed.

"Nonsense, would I come all the way out here for small talk?" Chu Xiaotong shot him a sideways glance. "Actually, this Divine Pill Grotto is quite safe. There shouldn't be any experts above the Integration Stage here this time."

Xu Zhe maintained his faint smile, catching the implication: it was safe enough to talk now, but that might not be true once they left. "So, what do you want to ask me?"

"What is going on? Your cultivation techniques, this formation, your alchemy—how did you do it?" Chu Xiaotong asked, her expression grave.

"Oh? You're asking about that?" Xu Zhe looked genuinely surprised. "These are all the fruits of my hard work, step by step, through diligent practice." He said it with such righteous, unyielding conviction that Chu Xiaotong almost believed him. But it still felt absurd; doing all this in a few dozen days felt fundamentally wrong.

"Are you serious?" she asked suspiciously.

"Mm-hmm," Xu Zhe nodded.

"Don't lie to me. When I'm bored, I read some of those stories Lu Yangyun copies. Your situation is exactly like those overpowered protagonists in 'system' novels." Chu Xiaotong lowered her voice, sounding quite serious. "Come clean, do you have some 'elder in a ring' helping you?"

"Pfft, have you read yourself silly? Can you really trust those books? If there were an 'elder in a ring,' they’d just seize your body and be done with it," Xu Zhe laughed.

"I get it, it's a 'system' genre. Tell me, do you have a system too?" she persisted.

"No." Xu Zhe was torn between laughter and frustration, but he immediately caught something odd. "Wait, what do you mean, 'have a system too'? That word 'too' carries a lot of information!" He stared at her in astonishment.

Chu Xiaotong flashed a cryptic smile but said nothing.

"Alright, enough acting. Your acting is terrible..." Xu Zhe shook his head. If there was anyone who knew Chu Xiaotong, it was him. She was clearly putting on an act. Even if she did have a system, she’d been struggling with her damaged dantian for years—it didn't add up.

"Tch, boring," she said, dropping the act as expected. She scrutinized him carefully before sighing. "Is it true that gold shines wherever it’s placed? Do you really have to be this monstrous in the cultivation world?"

"I don't think so. I wasn't even that diligent..."

"Shut up."

"..."

"Last question: are these techniques and artifacts of yours safe?" she asked again. She had already seen the *Qiankun Lihuo Manual* that Qu Hongxiu had brought back. It was an incredibly profound technique; at its peak, it seemed even more powerful than her own Vermillion Bird innate fire. That Xu Zhe could pull out such a precious manual so casually left her not only astonished but deeply worried.

"I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, there are no hidden masterminds, no conspiracy theories. Some things... aren't suitable to be said right now, just like there are things you don't want to tell me," Xu Zhe said calmly.

"I don't have anything... that I can't tell you..." Chu Xiaotong's voice trailed off, her eyes shifting away, clearly feeling guilty.

"Alright, let's go. Hurry back and recover from your injuries. I have other things to discuss with you later," Xu Zhe said, ending the topic. He knew well that Li Chungang had warned him he was too weak; involving him in certain matters would only drag him into the abyss. He suspected Chu Xiaotong knew some of those things but had never mentioned them. He didn't want to pry; he would find out on his own. By the same token, he had kept some secrets from everyone, such as the affair of the Azure Heaven Domain—he wouldn't tell her that just yet. After all, the Azure Heaven Domain was a truly deep quagmire; compared to that, the troubles of the four continents were mere trifles.

...

Meanwhile, in the Northern Continent, in a secret underground chamber beneath the Bai family estate.

A few figures in black robes, led by a servant, navigated several tunnels and arrived outside a spacious room. The servant left as soon as he delivered them. The figures removed their hoods; the leader was none other than Mo Shanhai, the head of the nearly annihilated Mo family, accompanied by several elders above the Integration Stage.

The room was a well-furnished sitting area. The Mo family members sat in silence on the wooden chairs. Further down the tunnel lay another stone chamber, completely sealed by a formation barrier, devoid of sound or aura. Inside, a man and a woman were adjusting their disheveled clothing.

"Brother, the Mo family is finished. Why keep them around? Is it because of the 'guests from afar'..." The woman’s face was flushed, but her expression was cold as she looked at the handsome man beside her.

"Silence! I've told you how many times—do not mention those words, not even here!" The man exploded in anger, cutting her off.

"Yes, I understand," she lowered her head, looking aggrieved.

"This concerns the future of our Bai family. We must be cautious," the man said, his tone softening. "You guessed correctly. Keeping the Mo family is indeed at the request of our distant guests. However... after this last time, we can discard them entirely."

"The last time?" she asked, startled.

"The guests from afar are quite interested in Xu Zhe and the artifact he possesses. Xu Zhe destroyed the Mo family, and now they are seeking revenge—it's a perfectly logical sequence of events." A faint smile touched his lips.

"It seems the secrets Xu Zhe holds are truly significant if even those guests are interested..." the woman hinted.

The man reached out, gently stroking her face. "What a clever sister you are!" He then shook his head with a laugh. "But... I have no interest in his secrets. What I truly want to see is whether Lin Keyi will still be able to talk to me about 'devotion to the Dao' with that same calm expression when she sees Xu Zhe’s head."

"Hmph, that b*tch. If it weren't for your support, Brother, how could she have ever established the Yaochi Holy Land? And then she bit the hand that fed her, even daring to make a wager with you. She doesn't know her place..." Her face was filled with rage.

"You underestimate her. Even without me, she could have built Yaochi. But you're right; she is a b*tch. I did so much for her, yet I couldn't even touch her hand. Hahaha..." The man’s smile became twisted and cruel.

"Don't worry, Brother. The plan between our Bai family and those guests will succeed soon. When that happens... I will strip that woman bare and bring her here."

"No, no. She isn't the Lin Keyi of the past anymore. Now, I only want to personally bring her Xu Zhe’s head and settle that wager..." His eyes narrowed with anticipation. After a few moments, he regained his composure and said with a light smile, "Let's go. Time to see those old, useless fools from the Mo family."

"Brother, what about the people from the Shenhou Palace?"

"Tell them to be ready to coordinate with the Mo family. Within ten days, I want to see Xu Zhe kneeling here."

"Understood!"