Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

On the platform, the Black-Scaled Eagle and Sword-Horned Bear glanced sideways at each other before vying to show their affection for Ling Fei.

Normally, Demon Beasts that reached the Celestial Spirit Realm already possessed greater Spiritual Wisdom than common animals.

However, their vicious nature remained. They weren’t particularly intelligent and held an innate hostility toward the Human Race.

Now, after consuming Ling Fei’s Spirit Awakening Pill, they had cast off their ignorance, and their Spiritual Wisdom had begun to awaken.

With their newly awakened Spiritual Wisdom, they naturally understood that this young man was the source of this wonderful change.

As such, they grew more reliant on him.

So how could they possibly tolerate being one-upped now?

That was why the moment the Black-Scaled Eagle saw the Sword-Horned Bear beside Ling Fei, it immediately rushed over to curry favor as well.

But the Sword-Horned Bear was not about to be outdone.

And so, these two once-ferocious beasts now wore gentle expressions, nuzzling affectionately against Ling Fei.

How could such a transformation not be shocking?

"What... what in the world is going on?"

"Heavens! Both Demon Beasts are fawning over Ling the Pill Master! What’s happening?"

"Why do I get the feeling these two Demon Beasts are now full of Spirituality?"

As the Black-Scaled Eagle and Sword-Horned Bear continued to vie for Ling Fei’s attention, the crowd below could no longer remain calm. Gasps of shock and murmurs of disbelief rose in waves, sending the entire North Spirit Platform into an uproar.

"What’s going on?" Even Beiming Huahai looked utterly shocked.

A man as powerful as him could, of course, sense the change in the two Demon Beasts’ auras with even greater clarity.

The vicious auras of the Black-Scaled Eagle and Sword-Horned Bear were now contained. At a glance, one could hardly tell they were ferocious Demon Beasts.

"They’re practically on par with Spirit Beasts now!" many of the elders exclaimed.

"How could the change be so drastic?" Vice Sect Leader Jiang was also completely stunned.

He had been on the platform just a moment ago and had clearly felt the violent auras of the Black-Scaled Eagle and Sword-Horned Bear!

"Ling the Pill Master, is this the effect of your Elixir?" Vice Sect Leader Jiang asked, his expression a mask of disbelief.

The twenty-one elders beside him also turned to Ling Fei, their faces full of questions.

The turmoil in their hearts would not be quelled anytime soon.

Xu Zitao was completely dumbfounded.

Standing on the Alchemy Platform, he could clearly feel the change in the auras of the Black-Scaled Eagle and Sword-Horned Bear.

’Is this really the Elixir’s effect?’ As he stood there, dumbfounded, his eyes darted to the side.

Nearby were nineteen other Demon Beasts and Demon Birds.

All of them were still brimming with viciousness. The difference between them and the two beasts beside Ling Fei was clear at a glance.

After a single glance at these Demon Birds, Xu Zitao felt a knot of anguish tighten in his chest. He frowned, his gaze reluctantly shifting to Ling Fei.

He, too, was waiting for Ling Fei’s answer.

Although everyone was almost certain the change in the Demon Beasts was due to the Elixir, everyone present still held their breath, waiting for Ling Fei’s confirmation.

In that moment, the very air of the North Spirit Platform seemed to freeze.

"That’s right," Ling Fei said with a serious expression. "The Sword-Horned Bear and Black-Scaled Eagle were able to cast off their ignorance and have their minds opened precisely because they consumed my Spirit Pill."

"It’s true!" As he spoke, all the Cultivators in the audience let out a collective sigh of relief. At the same time, they could feel their blood beginning to boil with excitement.

A single Elixir could make a Fierce Beast like a Demon Bird shed its vicious nature and manifest Spiritual Qi.

What kind of heaven-defying Elixir was this?

"May I ask, Ling the Pill Master, what is this Elixir called, and what are its effects?" Vice Sect Leader Jiang asked from the platform, his tone deeply respectful.

At this moment, his tone and expression were as if he were addressing a true Alchemy Master.

The respect was genuine, coming straight from the heart.

Yet, not a single person in the crowd thought he was being obsequious. Instead, they all shared his solemn respect, feeling it was entirely appropriate.

On the platform, Pill Masters like Wan Qianxiang and Jiang Chen also looked toward Ling Fei, their faces full of reverence.

It was as if they had discovered a new world, and they all waited for him to speak.

Down below, Yuan Huaitian’s brow relaxed, the previous solemn expression gone from his face.

Master Xuan Ji, Wan Liuxiang, and the others also looked much more relaxed.

An Elixir like this was more than enough to solidify Ling Fei’s status as an Elixir Master.

As for Xu Zitao, he was nothing more than a buffoon.

"This Pill can awaken Spiritual Wisdom and dispel ignorance," Ling Fei said after a moment’s thought. "As for its name... let’s call it the Spirit Awakening Pill."

"Awaken Spiritual Wisdom and dispel ignorance!"

"The Spirit Awakening Pill..." The crowd murmured the name, a thoughtful expression on their faces.

Then, their eyes turned to the Black-Scaled Eagle and the Sword-Horned Bear.

’The viciousness of these two Demon Beasts has indeed dissipated. This is clearly a sign of their ignorance being dispelled and their Spiritual Wisdom awakened, just as Ling the Pill Master described.’ Vice Sect Leader Jiang nodded to himself after a moment of observation. ’If not for the pill, how could they have changed so dramatically?’

"A Spirit Awakening Pill! Does such a Spirit Pill actually exist in this world?" On the platform and below it, every Alchemist narrowed their eyes in deep contemplation.

Even Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun took a sharp breath.

A Spirit Awakening Pill!

Capable of awakening a Demon Beast’s Spiritual Wisdom!

An Elixir like that was absolutely heaven-defying!

’But the alchemy methods left behind by my Yuan Clan ancestors contain no mention of a Spirit Awakening Pill!’ Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun thought, filled with suspicion.

He was a descendant of the Yuan Feng Pill King. He had read nearly every alchemy scripture in the Medicine Vein’s collection, but he had never come across such a Pill Formula.

’A Spirit Awakening Pill... A Spirit Awakening Pill... How could a Pill Formula like this possibly exist in the Southern Wilderness? In the Divine Wilderness, even Alchemy Grandmasters could only refine elixirs that helped a Demon Beast or a member of the Human Race achieve enlightenment on their own. They relied on heaven-defying ingredients and their own comprehension of the world to create a catalyst for understanding, but the final step of dispelling ignorance always came from within!’

On the platform, Xu Zitao’s face was pale. He was completely crestfallen, clearly unable to accept this reality.

His knowledge of Elixirs flashed through his mind.

’That’s right. Even with that kind of elixir, it’s not a guarantee. One can’t just consume it and instantly dispel ignorance. After all, a Demon Beast’s innate talent is limited!’

’A person who could truly achieve that would have to be standing at the very pinnacle of this world! But Ling Fei... he’s only in the Celestial Pill Realm! How could he possibly refine such a heaven-defying Elixir!’ Xu Zitao’s gaze flickered. As he looked at Ling Fei, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

There was jealousy, and there was utter disbelief.

He even had the urge to tear Ling Fei limb from limb just to see what kind of freak he really was.

"Dare I ask, Ling the Pill Master, was the Pill Formula for this Spirit Awakening Pill left behind by the Yuan Feng Pill King?" someone asked.

None of them had ever heard of such a method for Alchemy.

"That is a personal secret, so I’m afraid I can’t answer," Ling Fei said with a smile.

"Haha, of course, of course," Vice Sect Leader Jiang laughed. "For Ling the Pill Master to be able to refine Second Grade Spirit Pills at such a young age, and to also possess a Pill Formula for a Heaven and Earth Spirit Pill... this is truly a blessing for our Southern Wilderness! For this Alchemy competition, Ling the Pill Master is the undisputed champion of the Alchemy Dao. I trust no one has any objections?"

"Of course not! Ling the Pill Master’s talent for Alchemy is unparalleled in a thousand years. He is sure to become a legendary figure like the Yuan Feng Pill King in the future."

One by one, the elders on the platform voiced their agreement.

The look of respect they gave Ling Fei was like that reserved for a future Pill King.

"This... This is impossible! How could you refine a Heaven and Earth Spirit Pill?" Xu Zitao shouted, his face a mask of ugly disbelief.

His face was filled with doubt.

According to the information he possessed, this was not an Elixir an ordinary person could possibly refine.

Seeing Xu Zitao still voicing his doubts, the Cultivators on the platform looked embarrassed.

Even one of the elders from the Beiming Sword Sect felt he was losing face.

"Young Master Xu, the facts are before you. Do you still intend to question them?" Vice Sect Leader Jiang’s expression darkened as he turned to Xu Zitao.

"That’s right! I don’t believe it! I demand that he refine the Elixir again! I will find another Demon Bird to verify its effects," Xu Zitao declared.

He simply could not accept this reality.

It completely defied his understanding of the world.

"Verify it again?" The Cultivators below looked on with contempt.

"Does that Xu Zitao really think this is the Beiming Sword Sect’s private competition, where he can call all the shots?"

"Are the people from the Beiming Sword Sect such sore losers?" The members of the other sects looked on with disdain.

In all the years of the Southern Wilderness competition, they had never encountered someone like this!

"What, you don’t dare?" Xu Zitao ignored the murmurs, fixing his gaze on Ling Fei and speaking word by word.

He was utterly unreconciled to this defeat; his heart was filled with nothing but defiance.

"Heh, what a joke," Ling Fei said coldly. "A moment ago, you questioned that my Elixir’s effects were inferior to yours, so you demanded another test. Now, I have provided that test."

"If you can’t produce an Elixir superior to my Spirit Awakening Pill, then kindly shut your mouth. You tell me to refine a pill, and I’m supposed to just do it? Wouldn’t that make me lose a lot of face?"

Ling Fei showed Xu Zitao no mercy whatsoever.

"You..." Xu Zitao flew into a rage from the humiliation. "I bet your Elixir doesn’t have this effect at all! This was all a setup, wasn’t it?"

"If you can’t even handle a loss, how do you expect to survive in the Martial Arts World?"

Ling Fei shook his head and then said, "Of course, if you’re willing to pay the right price, I wouldn’t mind refining a Spirit Awakening Pill exclusively for you to test its effects."

"Refine one exclusively for me?" Xu Zitao’s brow furrowed, and he roared, "Are you insulting me?"

This Elixir was for awakening the Spiritual Wisdom of Demon Beasts.

By telling Xu Zitao to consume it for verification, what else could Ling Fei be doing but calling him an ignorant beast?

"Haha, Senior Brother Ling is right! Someone should refine a Spirit Awakening Pill for Xu Zitao. Otherwise, with an intellect like his, he’s just going to keep embarrassing himself!"

"That’s right, he really needs a Spirit Awakening Pill."

The comments immediately drew a wave of jeers from the crowd.

"Junior Brother Ling, I think this Xu Zitao is so pathetic. Why not refine a Spirit Awakening Pill for him free of charge and awaken his Spiritual Wisdom?" Yuan Chong said with a laugh.

...

Similar calls echoed through the crowd.

Hearing this, the people from the Beiming Sword Sect grew sullen. They lowered their heads one by one, feeling utterly disgraced.

"You all..." Xu Zitao, seething with humiliation, shot a murderous glare at the crowd.

"Zitao, victory and defeat are temporary. There’s no need to be so obstinate. Come down," Beiming Huahai said at that moment, his voice grim.

"Fine!" On the platform, the humiliated Xu Zitao finally suppressed the rage in his heart.

Then, his body flashed like a rainbow as he flew back to the Beiming Sword Sect’s area and sat down stiffly in a chair.

He no longer had the face to remain on the Alchemy Platform.

’Hmph. I’ll let you gloat for a few more days.’ He closed his eyes, reining in his surging murderous intent.

Only after Xu Zitao retreated from the Alchemy Platform did the clamor in the crowd gradually die down.