"Impossible! Impossible! You're cheating!"
Huang Tao stared in disbelief at the nine Half-step Emperor-grade Huan Yan Pills floating before him, as the flames beneath the Feng Yue furnace turned the medicinal ingredients into a pile of ash.
Zi Linling sneered, "With your disgusting self, like a maggot, do you think I'd need to cheat?"
"In terms of speed, I'm a hundred thousand miles ahead of you. In terms of quality, I've refined Half-step Emperor-grade Huan Yan Pills. Can you do that?"
Huang Tao's face turned ashen.
He had lost! He had lost miserably.
This loss wasn't just about alchemy; it was about his life!
No! He absolutely refused to admit it!
He argued, "No! It's impossible! You couldn't have refined a furnace of pills in such a short time. You must have placed pre-refined pills in the furnace. Yes! That's it!"
Zi Linling chuckled coldly, "Impossible? Then open your eyes wide and watch carefully, lest you die with regrets later!"
With that, she casually grabbed another handful of medicinal ingredients and, without even looking, tossed them into the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron.
In just eight breaths, nine Half-step Emperor-grade Huan Yan Pills flew out of the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron once more.
"Now, what else do you have to say?" Zi Linling asked, her killing intent radiating towards Huang Tao.
"No! Impossible! Even my master couldn't refine a furnace of Half-step Emperor-grade pills in such a short time! You're cheating! Cheating!"
Zi Linling sneered, "Your master? A piece of trash like him, how could he possibly cultivate alchemy to the point of 'thought generates pill formation'?"
'Thought generates pill formation'!
As these four words were spoken, even Ouyang Yude's expression changed.
The so-called 'thought generates pill formation' was the ultimate state of alchemy, meaning that with a single thought, a pill would form.
That was a realm rumored to be achievable only by Pill Venerables.
"How could you possibly reach the realm of 'thought generates pill formation'?" Ouyang Yude asked Zi Linling on the stage with apprehension, unable to believe it.
Zi Linling scoffed, "Don't try to measure human intelligence with your pig-like IQ. If a Pill Venerable can reach that realm, why can't I?"
"As for you, you'll never have the chance. Someone who focuses on scheming and calculating against others will never understand the essence of alchemy. Even if he's already an Emperor-grade Alchemist, it's useless!"
Ouyang Yude said with a grim expression, "Hmph! Just a yellow-haired brat! I don't believe you've reached the realm of 'thought generates pill formation'! I want to have a pill duel with you!"
"Pill duel? Alright! But only after I collect my spoils!"
With that, Zi Linling's figure flashed, appearing before Huang Tao.
She said coldly, "Today, your evil deeds are complete. I should send you to hell!"
"No!" Huang Tao turned to jump off the stage.
But would Zi Linling give him that chance?
Of course not!
With a gentle wave of her hand, a chilling blade of light sliced across Huang Tao's nape.
"Thud!"
Huang Tao's body fell heavily to the ground, his head rolling to the side.
His face was filled with terror, as if he had seen a demon.
"Tao'er!"
An elder at the peak of the Great God realm rushed out of Xuanyuan City, directly onto the stage.
This elder was Huang Tao's father, Huang Laohu, the patriarch of the Huang family.
He had been there for a while, but he hadn't rushed out because he didn't believe his son would lose, nor did he expect anyone would dare to kill his son in front of everyone.
But what he hadn't expected was that Zi Linling would act so decisively. By the time he reacted, his son Huang Tao had already been beheaded. Huang Laohu rushed onto the stage, cradled Huang Tao's corpse, and wailed, "Tao'er! My Tao'er! Wake up! Open your eyes and look at your father..."
Zi Linling's eyes remained devoid of any emotion.
According to the information Su Lie had given her, there was no innocent person in the Huang family. Apart from the children, everyone's hands were stained with the lives of innocent people.
This was why she had killed Huang Tao without hesitation.
Zi Linling ignored the grieving Huang Laohu on the stage and turned her gaze to Ouyang Yude in the audience, saying, "Didn't you want to have a pill duel with me? Hurry up and come up!"
Ouyang Yude, still in shock, finally snapped back to reality. Trembling, he pointed at Zi Linling and said, "You! You actually... actually killed my disciple!"
Of course, his trembling was due to his anger. He hadn't expected Zi Linling to be so quick to act.
Zi Linling's gaze turned icy, and she said coldly, "Why are you so surprised? Didn't I say that anyone who steps onto this stage today will leave their life behind?"
"Good! Very good! I will verify whether you have truly reached the realm of 'thought generates pill formation'!"
With that, Ouyang Yude leaped onto the stage, placing a massive, fiery red pill furnace onto the platform.
"Crimson Fire Demonic Cauldron!"
Zi Linling looked at the fiery red pill furnace, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
The Crimson Fire Demonic Cauldron was the foremost among the Five Great Pill Furnaces.
The Five Great Pill Furnaces were alchemical furnaces infinitely close to divine artifacts, but compared to the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron, they were worlds apart.
The Five Great Pill Furnaces were distinguished by their attributes. The Crimson Fire Cauldron was the strongest, used for refining fire-element pills, and could achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Ouyang Yude sneered, "Brat, you have some knowledge! Today, I will refine the Emperor-grade Exploding Flame Pill. If you lose, you will pay with your life for my disciple!"
Before Zi Linling could speak, the spirit of the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron, Jiuji, scoffed, "A mere Crimson Fire Demonic Cauldron, where do you get the nerve to think you can defeat my master?"
Ouyang Yude paused for a moment before realizing that he had been looked down upon by a pill furnace.
But he couldn't refute it, as the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron was a divine artifact crafted by the matriarch Feng Lixi, not something comparable to the pseudo-divine artifact, the Crimson Fire Demonic Cauldron.
However, even a divine artifact is only as good as the person wielding it.
Therefore, he turned his attention to Zi Linling and said fiercely, "Brat, there's a world of difference between Half-step Emperor-grade pills and Emperor-grade pills. I'd like to see if your 'thought generates pill formation' realm works just as well for Emperor-grade pills."
As he finished speaking, a cluster of flames appeared beneath the Crimson Fire Demonic Cauldron. Although it was fire, it exuded a profound chill.
"Bone Spirit Ghost Flame!"
Zi Linling exclaimed in shock, "No wonder you can become an Emperor-grade Alchemist. It's because of the Earth Fire!"
Ouyang Yude taunted, "You have some knowledge. Are you scared?"
Zi Linling coldly replied, "To use Jiuji's words, where do you get your nerve?"
As her voice fell, the Phoenix True Fire reappeared beneath the Jiuji Qiankun Cauldron.
This time, the Phoenix True Fire was unleashed without any restraint, its formidable aura fully erupting.
Ouyang Yude was greatly alarmed, "This is... Phoenix True Fire?!"