Du Hongchen, who honored his bet and joined Eternal Sect, undoubtedly greatly enhanced overall abilities in pill medicine, since the former was no less skilled in Pill Dao than Feng Guichen.
Jun Changxiao wasn’t satisfied with the current state. He hoped to bring all the other six Chief Pill Refiners from the Pill Hall over, then with the eight as the core, create an old-established pill shop passed down through eternity.
To this end, he needed to take action.
Pill Hall headquarters, main hall.
The long-robed elder sitting in the head seat said: “My left eyelid has been twitching more and more violently.”
“Report!”
Just then, a subordinate hurried in and said: “News came from Lingyuan City—Chief Pill Refiner Du Hongchen has joined Eternal Sect.”
“What?”
The long-robed elder showed a surprised expression.
He had already learned that Feng Guichen joined Eternal Sect. Now another Chief Pill Refiner had joined, and they had irreconcilable conflicts with each other—this was simply bizarre.
“Strange.”
A high-ranking member said puzzled: “What special qualities does Eternal Sect have that would make both Feng Guichen and Du Hongchen willingly join?”
They all knew Jun Changxiao’s master was Profound Ancient True Person, but the Martial Dao and Pill Dao were two different things. Moreover, the sect had only just ascended to the Upper Realm. Even if they were outstanding in Pill Dao, how could they possibly be stronger than two Chief Pill Refiners?
“According to the message, Master Du competed in Pill Dao with Eternal Sect’s Sect Master and was completely defeated,” the subordinate said.
“Completely defeated?”
The long-robed elder and all the high-ranking members showed surprised expressions.
Complete defeat, from the literal meaning, meant losing extremely thoroughly.
“Tsk tsk.”
Someone said: “Could it be that Senior Profound Ancient’s disciple also has extremely high attainments in Pill Dao?”
“That’s not right.”
A high-ranking member said bewildered: “I’ve never heard that Senior Profound Ancient was involved in Pill Dao. How could he cultivate such a disciple?”
“Report!”
Just then, another subordinate came to see them and said: “Hall Master Feng sent word—before long, Eternal Sect’s Sect Master will personally visit the Pill Hall.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the long-robed elder’s left eyelid twitched even more violently, so he hastily inquired of the high-ranking members present.
“Hall Master!”
An elder smiled: “If I’m not mistaken, Eternal Sect’s Sect Master’s visit might bring fortune to the Pill Hall!”
“I think so too!”
Left eye twitches for wealth, right eye for disaster. When Jun Changxiao was mentioned, the Hall Master’s left eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching wildly—it must be related to him.
Moreover, Feng Guichen and Du Hongchen successively joined Eternal Sect, especially being defeated in Pill Dao, which indicated the other party’s attainments were extremely high. If both sides engaged in friendly discussion, they might benefit immensely from it.
“I hope so.” The long-robed elder said.
…
Eternal Sect.
Jun Changxiao publicly appointed Du Hongchen as Hall Master of the Pill Medicine Hall.
Wait?
Wasn’t Feng Guichen the hall master?
The two had conflicts. Making Du Hongchen a deputy hall master to follow his orders—he definitely wouldn’t be happy about it. So Jun Changxiao decided to make both of them hall masters with equal authority.
Hall Master was a position, true, but readers actually understood in their hearts—once you entered Eternal Sect, especially with abilities in pill refining, you were destined to become a laborer.
This was it.
The newly appointed Du Hongchen immediately received a task: in some time, go to another city to open a pill shop, be fully responsible for the shop’s pill refining and supply. As for manpower, that had already been arranged.
“Damn it!”
“Am I being used as a tool!”
“Hall Master Du.”
Just then, Li Qingyang came to see him: “The Sect Master wants you to go to the main hall.”
“…”
Although Du Hongchen was quite annoyed, he still set out.
Jun Changxiao had been waiting for a while. When he saw him arrive, he unceremoniously tossed over a pill: “This is the sect’s exclusive pill, the Shape-Sculpting Pill.”
Du Hongchen immediately discovered from its form that wasn’t this the very pill refined during the competition?
“Sect Master.”
He placed it on the table and said: “Can I not eat it?”
“Afraid it’s poisoned?”
“…”
Jun Changxiao said: “All who enter the sect will be bestowed this kind of pill that strengthens flesh, meridians, soul, and other aspects. Whether you eat it or throw it away is your own business.”
Strengthens flesh, meridians, and soul?
“This miraculous?” Du Hongchen muttered inwardly.
“Swish!”
Jun Changxiao tossed over another manual: “This is the sect’s exclusive martial art that helps improve Pill Dao. When you have time, you can practice it.”
“Grand Thousand Shadow Division Art?”
Du Hongchen read it once and thought to himself: “Does the Sect Master not know that I focus on Pill Dao and rarely practice Martial Dao?”
“Prepare yourself.”
Jun Changxiao said: “In half a month, we depart for Luminous Moon City.”
Luminous Moon City was a city he valued. Its overall strength was greater than Lingyuan City’s, and due to its geographical location, it belonged to a transportation and trade hub area.
“Understood.”
Du Hongchen got up and left.
Because he lost the bet, he could only be forced to join. Actually, his current mindset was: you can get my person, but you’ll never get my heart.
“Can it really improve Pill Dao?”
After returning to his residence, Du Hongchen was really bored with nothing to do, so he flipped through the Grand Thousand Shadow Division Art. After reading the introduction, he blurted out without culture: “Holy crap, a divine technique!”
A few days later.
He successfully condensed a shadow division. After initially experiencing the benefits, he suddenly understood: “No wonder that guy improved so quickly in Pill Dao!”
“Swish!”
Du Hongchen then hurriedly took out the Shape-Sculpting Pill and thought: “Perhaps this thing is truly miraculous!”
“Gulp!”
After swallowing it down and feeling his meridians, blood, and even soul all improve, he couldn’t help but say: “One pill gathering the effects of multiple pills—simply too miraculous!”
At this moment, Du Hongchen’s mindset underwent a huge change, completely transforming to: you can get both my person and my heart. Even when seeing Jun Changxiao, he had to respectfully call him “Sect Master!”
Dai Lü expressed his view:
This person truly has no backbone whatsoever!
Speaking of the iron-boned, clanging Green Turban Brother, he’d been quite bored lately because there weren’t many prisoners in the jail, so he spent all day idle with cultivation as his main activity.
Er Ya and Zhao Doudou also wandered around the prison all day like two soulless salted fish.
“Don’t worry.”
Jun Changxiao consoled them: “Prisoners are coming soon.”
What made him say this?
Because the Fine Rain Hall had just sent intelligence—two years ago, Spirit Subtle True Sect had contact with Fuqian Sect’s Sect Master.
“Damn it!”
Jun Changxiao slapped the table and said angrily: “I knew this matter had something fishy!”
The matter of Spirit Subtle True Sect coming to cause trouble, though it ended with compensation, Dog Sheng would definitely investigate the cause and effect, investigating how they just happened to appear in the Profound Stone mine vein area. As expected, he really did find a flaw.
Li Luoqiu said: “This Sect Master Pei probably wasn’t happy that you obtained the Profound Stone mine vein, so he deliberately told Spirit Subtle True Sect the location to use the strategy of killing with a borrowed knife.”
“Pei Sili ah, Pei Sili.”
Jun Changxiao stood up, shook his head, his gaze gradually turning cold as he said: “This seat was magnanimous and spared you once, yet you still dared to play tricks with me. Then don’t blame the sect for becoming a Compensation Sect!”
“Sect Master.”
Li Luoqiu said: “This character is pronounced ‘fu’.”
“…”
Jun Changxiao slapped the table: “Then let him become a Payment Sect!”
—