Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

Afterward, a few more Alchemists voiced their questions, and Ye Xuan held nothing back, addressing each one in turn.

Some of the Martial Artists present keenly observed that the atmosphere was shifting. It felt less like a dispute and more like a lecture, with Ye Xuan as the master and the other Alchemists as his dutiful students.

The sudden shift in mood was so jarring that many struggled to process it.

The testimony of the previous Alchemist further proved that Changyuan had not refined the Celestial Wolf Squad’s Miasma Origin Pills.

Even when different people practice the same Cultivation Technique, there are subtle variations. The difference between two flames of completely different colors was even more telling.

Sensing the change in the room, Hongde’s expression turned as black as charcoal. A heavy stone seemed to sink in his heart, weighing him down.

Ye Xuan’s proficiency in Alchemy was clearly no less than his own; in fact, he had the unsettling feeling that the young man might even surpass him.

The thought terrified Hongde.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. What truly unnerved him was Ye Xuan’s age...

’He can’t be more than twenty, yet his skill in Alchemy is a match for my own.’ A chill ran down his spine as the terrifying realization struck him.

’How could a prodigy like this end up at Xiuyi Pavilion? Even the great families of the Celestial Capital Prefecture might not have a genius this frightening. With Xiuyi Pavilion’s limited wealth and status, how could they possibly have recruited someone so formidable?’

’What is his background?’

The more Hongde dwelled on it, the heavier his heart became. A deep sense of regret began to swell within him. He realized he had stepped into a vortex, placing himself in grave danger.

"Everyone, did you all understand my explanation?" Ye Xuan asked with a smile from the center of the hall.

"Master, your skill is profound. We are in awe. We now believe the Miasma Origin Pills from the Celestial Wolf Squad were definitely not refined by Master Changyuan."

Zhen Tong and the others sighed in admiration. They were completely won over by Ye Xuan’s mastery of Alchemy.

Ye Xuan stared coldly at Hongde. "I wonder if you have anything else to say, Master? Even a young man like myself knows how to differentiate auras, yet the esteemed Seventh Grade Alchemy Master of the Ancient Pill Tower is somehow unaware. Heh, your expertise in Alchemy truly leaves us in awe."

"Hmph! I..." Hongde snorted, but the words caught in his throat. He didn’t know what to say. If he agreed, it would be an admission that his skill in Alchemy couldn’t even compare to this boy’s. If word of this spread, his reputation would be ruined.

"Why have you gone silent, Master?" Ye Xuan spat out the word "Master," his smile fading into an icy mask. "Or could it be that you knew perfectly well these Pills weren’t from Xiuyi Pavilion? That you intended to frame us all along? If so, what exactly is your goal, *Master*?"

A terrifying, inexplicable pressure radiated from Ye Xuan, so immense that Hongde found it difficult to breathe.

He snorted angrily. "What are you implying? I admit, I made a mistake earlier. But what does that have to do with me? The Celestial Wolf Squad brought these Pills here. I was merely asked to appraise them. At worst, my skills were simply not sharp enough."

Ye Xuan sneered. "Not sharp enough? You certainly have a talent for shirking all responsibility."

He didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he turned to Su Xiuyi. "Pavilion Master Su, I’ve done my part with the appraisal. The rest is up to you."

Su Xiuyi nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He crossed the floor in a few strides to stand before Xu Wenlin. "Xu Wenlin, speak," he said, his voice frigid. "Why did you bring fake Pills to my Xiuyi Pavilion to cause trouble? What was your true motive, and who put you up to this? Tell me the truth."

An astonishing killing intent erupted from him. The terrifying aura of a Martial Emperor enveloped the members of the Celestial Wolf Squad, so potent that it sent a chill through everyone in the hall.

Xu Wenlin’s face was deathly pale. He stammered in a panic, "Su Xiuyi, don’t make baseless accusations! Even if Changyuan didn’t refine these Pills, one of your other Alchemists at Xiuyi Pavilion must have! Are you trying to deny responsibility?"

"Hahaha." Su Xiuyi laughed coldly. "Still trying to argue at a time like this? Every single Miasma Origin Pill at Xiuyi Pavilion is refined by Master Changyuan. He is the only one who can make them. The serial numbers on the vials prove it."

Xu Wenlin retorted, "That still doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Miasma Origin Pills came from Xiuyi Pavilion."

"Hmph." Su Xiuyi snorted, his gaze turning grim. "Then you tell me. Xiuyi Pavilion has been in business for many years, and our reputation is well-known. Have we ever been accused of selling Poison Pills before? Why, of all people, would we sell them to you? And why would they coincidentally *not* be the ones refined by our chief Alchemist, Changyuan? Go on, tell me. What would be our motive for selling Poison Pills? Was it to poison your Celestial Wolf Squad? Or was it for a bit of money?"

"If we were after money, would Xiuyi Pavilion need to resort to such a disgusting scheme? A few Miasma Origin Pills are hardly worth anything."

"And if the goal was to kill you..." Su Xiuyi couldn’t help but scoff. "Pardon my bluntness, but for me, killing you would be as easy as swatting a fly. Would I really need to resort to using Poison Pills?"

The killing intent in Su Xiuyi’s voice was palpable, and his words struck a chord with the crowd. They all realized he was right; the idea of Xiuyi Pavilion selling Poison Pills was completely illogical.

Xu Wenlin stammered, "I... How would I know what your motive is?"

Su Xiuyi sneered. "Still refusing to confess, even now? Fine. I’ll capture you first and interrogate you at my leisure. Xiuyi Pavilion may not be a major power, but we are not a place where just anyone can stir up trouble."

BOOM!

A terrifying pressure erupted from Su Xiuyi as he unleashed his Martial Emperor’s domain, completely enveloping Xu Wenlin and his men.

"You... Su Xiuyi, what are you doing? Attacking me in public? Aren’t you afraid of bringing the wrath of the City Lord’s Mansion down on you?" Xu Wenlin trembled under Su Xiuyi’s oppressive aura, struggling to speak.

Su Xiuyi scoffed. "How ridiculous. You were ready to tear my Xiuyi Pavilion apart just moments ago, and now you’re telling me I can’t touch you?"

Just then, Ye Xuan spoke up with a grin. "Xu Wenlin, if you don’t want to die, there’s a simple solution. I happen to have a Truth Elixir right here. Anyone who takes it is forced to speak the truth. All you have to do is swallow it and let us ask you a few questions. Since you’re so sure you bought the Miasma Origin Pills from Xiuyi Pavilion, I’m certain you won’t refuse, will you?"

As he spoke, Ye Xuan produced a Pill.

"Run!"

Xu Wenlin’s expression changed drastically at the sight. "Run!" he bellowed, and with his brothers from the Celestial Wolf Squad, he bolted for the exit.

’If they hadn’t run, if they’d stubbornly held their ground, I might have had some reservations. But by running, they’ve all but confirmed that Xiuyi Pavilion was framed.’ Watching them flee, Su Xiuyi finally felt a weight lift from his chest.

"Hmph. Trying to run? Do you think you can escape?"

Su Xiuyi sneered. His figure blurred, and in an instant, he appeared before Xu Wenlin. With a light push of his palms, a series of THUDS echoed as the dozen or so members of the Celestial Wolf Squad were sent flying back into the hall. They crashed to the floor in a miserable heap, all of them severely injured and coughing up blood.

"It’s just one Truth Elixir. Was such a dramatic reaction necessary? Or perhaps... you have something to hide?"

Ye Xuan jeered.

Su Xiuyi said nothing, simply reaching out a large hand to grab Xu Wenlin.

"Alchemy Master Hongde, save me..."

Xu Wenlin’s face was ashen with terror as he scrambled toward Hongde.

"Don’t you worry," Hongde snorted, stepping in front of Xu Wenlin. Then, abruptly, a cold light flashed in his eyes as he swung his hand back and struck Xu Wenlin’s head with his palm.

"You..."

Xu Wenlin stared, his eyes filled with disbelief. The next moment, CRACK! His head exploded, and his headless body collapsed to the floor.

With a wave of his hand, Hongde incinerated Xu Wenlin’s corpse, which scattered into ash.

"Hongde, what was that for?"

Su Xiuyi and the others were stunned, not having expected Hongde to make such a sudden move.

Hongde narrowed his eyes and said sternly, "Pavilion Master Su, Xu Wenlin was audacious enough to use fake Pills to cause trouble at Xiuyi Pavilion. My judgment was poor, and I was nearly deceived into becoming his accomplice. Thankfully, this young master here saw through his lies. Otherwise, I would have become a true sinner."

"Scum like him don’t deserve to live. As the chief Alchemist of the Ancient Pill Tower, I cannot abide those who use fake Pills to extort others. So, I took it upon myself to deliver justice for you, Pavilion Master Su."

Su Xiuyi’s gaze was glacial. "So, I should be thanking you, then?"

"Heh, there’s no need for that. I was nearly fooled by that man. If I offended you, Pavilion Master Su, I hope you will forgive me." With Xu Wenlin dead, Hongde visibly relaxed.

Ye Xuan sneered. "This Alchemy Master Hongde is truly something else. One moment you were thick as thieves with Xu Wenlin, and the next you kill him in the blink of an eye. To act so hastily... an uninformed observer might think you were trying to silence him."

Zhen Tong and the others began to murmur amongst themselves. Alchemy Master Hongde’s actions were indeed suspicious.

Hongde’s gaze turned cold. "What are you implying? I don’t understand. Are you suggesting I was the one who told Xu Wenlin to frame Xiuyi Pavilion?"

"You know very well whether you did or not."

"Hmph. Young man, watch what you say. Some words have consequences. I am the chief Alchemist of the Ancient Pill Tower. Are you trying to make an enemy of my Ancient Pill Tower on behalf of Xiuyi Pavilion?" Hongde scoffed. "If you suspect me, feel free to use your Truth Elixir. Test the remaining members of the Celestial Wolf Squad. See if they say I was the one who gave the orders."

’He was completely at ease. Within the Celestial Wolf Squad, only Xu Wenlin knew the whole story. Now that Xu Wenlin was dead, there was no one left to testify against him.’

Ye Xuan sneered. "A fraud like you managed to become the chief Alchemist of the Ancient Pill Tower? It seems the Ancient Pill Tower isn’t as impressive as they say. As for the Truth Elixir? Heh, I forgot to mention... this is just a Qi Gathering Pill. I was only trying to scare Xu Wenlin. Who knew the boy would be so easily frightened and expose himself immediately?"