Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the night sky. Liu Xi raised his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. With his powerful Spiritual Power, he could clearly perceive the presence hidden within the thunderclouds.
"Young Master, the incoming one's strength isn't much. Should I go and drag him down now?" Xiao Yixian leaned gracefully against Liu Xi's side, her jade hand holding a delicate jade wine pot as she poured him another cup. Her tone was casual and indifferent, not taking the intruder seriously in the slightest. Around them, figures like Ye Lingyun had already been stunned speechless—the roaring thunderclouds above were far beyond anything they could withstand.
boom!
A silver-white bolt of lightning tore through the sky and slammed into the center of the banquet hall. Terrified screams echoed as the dancing girls scattered, their silken sleeves fluttering like frightened butterflies.
When the thunderlight faded, a tall figure stood at the center of the hall. He appeared around forty or fifty years old, wearing a long silver robe embroidered with countless lightning patterns that shimmered and flowed like living serpents of thunder.
"I am Venerable Lei," the man's voice boomed like rolling thunder. "You are Liu Xi? I heard you've managed to refine an 8th Tier Pill?"
The faint arrogance on his face was impossible to miss. His tone carried a kind of condescending majesty—something that instantly made Liu Xi narrow his eyes slightly.
'An early-stage Dou Zun dares to speak to me like this? Who gave him that courage?'
Liu Xi said nothing. He merely reached over, took Xiao Yixian's delicate hand into his palm, and gently rubbed it, as if the man before him was invisible.
Xiao Yixian immediately understood his intent. Her cold gaze swept across Venerable Lei, and her soft, slender waist straightened slightly. In an instant, the gentle and docile white lotus turned into the dreadful Woeful Poison Body.
An endless, bone-chilling aura burst forth like a tidal wave, locking directly onto Venerable Lei.
His expression changed drastically. His back bent slightly under the pressure, his face turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He stared wide-eyed at the woman before him—this gentle attendant-like woman—and his mind trembled.
'How could… how could this aura be so terrifying?!'
He had indeed heard rumors that Liu Xi was accompanied by a Dou Zun expert, but to think that such a terrifying being would act as a "maid" beside him… something felt deeply wrong.
From that icy aura alone, he could sense how utterly powerless he was. If she acted, he would be dead within a hundred moves—no, perhaps even less.
Danger!
It was as if a massive, blood-red "danger" character flashed above his head.
"Hehe… a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding! Liu Xi, this old man merely came to request your help in refining a pill, that's all, haha…"
Venerable Lei's former arrogance vanished completely. Though he wasn't groveling, his voice carried unmistakable humility.
Liu Xi's expression softened a little. He smiled faintly and said, "Ah, so that's all it was. When Venerable Lei came crashing down from the sky, I thought perhaps I had somehow offended you and you'd come to demand justice."
As Liu Xi spoke in a leisurely tone, Xiao Yixian retracted her poisonous aura. Still, the oppressive cold she had unleashed lingered faintly, and Venerable Lei's heart continued to pound.
He cursed silently at his own impatience—he had rushed here the moment he heard about the 8th Tier Pill, and now he'd made a complete fool of himself.
"It's a misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding…" he said awkwardly with a forced smile.
He had originally planned to assert some dominance as a Dou Zun before negotiating, but now it was painfully clear who held the upper hand. Who would have imagined that the 'servant girl' beside him would be a terrifying Dou Zun!
Liu Xi's calm voice cut through his thoughts: "Since it's a misunderstanding, let's leave it at that. We're having a banquet tonight—Venerable Lei, take a seat. We can drink and talk at the same time."
It wasn't in Liu Xi's nature to kick a man when he was down. He was now an 8th Tier Alchemist—a true Pill Master—and dignity was something he no longer needed to prove.
'But since you've come to beg for a pill,' he thought inwardly with a faint smile, 'I'll make sure you pay dearly for it.'
Seeing that Liu Xi seemed at ease, Ye Lingyun quickly stepped forward. Though Venerable Lei was being polite now, everyone knew his temper—if any of them dared to offend him, Lingyun Gate might vanish from the Northern Region overnight.
"Venerable Lei, please take the upper seat," Ye Lingyun said respectfully, then turned to bark orders at the servants. "What are you all staring at? Replace the wine, the dishes, the fruits—everything! Music! Dancers! Quickly!"
Venerable Lei nodded slightly, satisfied with his tact. He walked forward unhurriedly and took a seat at the table.
The servants scrambled to clear and replace the banquet setup. The soft notes of zithers and flutes rose again, though the air felt far heavier than before. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Venerable Lei raised his refilled cup, sighing. "I heard that Master Liu refined an 8th Tier Pill today capable of drawing a Three-Colored Pill Lightning. I rushed here immediately, afraid that you might have already left. An 8th Tier Alchemist is a rare treasure even in Central Plains—if I missed this chance, I'd regret it for life."
Liu Xi smiled faintly. "So, what kind of pill does Venerable Lei wish to request from me?"
Venerable Lei glanced at him solemnly. "Since breaking through to Dou Zun, my Dou Qi cultivation has stagnated. I was hoping, Master Liu, that you could refine a pill to help me advance my strength."
"Oh?" Liu Xi chuckled. "As it happens, the pill I refined today—the Zun Shi Pill—can raise a Dou Zun's strength by an entire star level."
A collective hiss rippled through the hall.
To improve a Dou Zun's power by even a single star—such a pill was priceless. Even Venerable Lei's eyes lit up instantly, his breathing growing heavier.
"Master Liu!" he said, unable to suppress his excitement. "Please, sell me that pill! I'm willing to pay any price for it!"
Liu Xi merely smiled and shook his head. "That pill was refined specifically for Xian'er. No matter what price you offer, I won't part with it."
At that, Xiao Yixian smiled sweetly. She gently peeled a grape and held it to Liu Xi's lips. "Young Master, open your mouth."
Liu Xi smirked and leaned forward, catching the grape between his teeth. "Mm. Sweet."
Her lips curved playfully. "Is it?"
'You're sweeter than the grape,' he thought silently, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Catching his meaning, Xiao Yixian's cheeks turned a lovely shade of crimson, and she shot him a coquettish glare.
All around them, the gathered powerhouses were left dumbstruck.
So much for an awe-inspiring alchemist and his Dou Zun companion—at this moment, they were like a pair of lovebirds feeding each other under the moonlight.
Venerable Lei sat stiffly, face twitching slightly. Watching the two flirt openly while the Zun Shi Pill he coveted was being "fed" to someone else… it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his heart.
'Not a bad trade, I suppose,' he thought bitterly. 'A pill for a woman like that… who wouldn't?'
He sighed quietly to himself, lifting his gaze toward the heavens. "The human world… truly isn't fair."
(End of Chapter)
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