The Lucky General Arrives

A divine pill had emerged, and calamity descended from the heavens!

The sudden appearance of thunderclouds shook the entire Vast Heaven Sect.

Even the sect master, Gu Mingchao, stepped through the void from Haotian Palace.

Watching the lightning collide with the golden pill in the sky, even he felt a flicker of emotion!

Today was the alchemy contest between the Vast Heaven Sect and the Heavenly Medicine Palace. Gu Mingchao knew nothing about alchemy, and the Heavenly Medicine Palace's master hardly warranted the personal company of the Vast Heaven Sect's master.

So he had not come today.

But who could have imagined that a divine pill would emerge today and even summon heavenly lightning?

In the entire Vast Heaven Sect, only the grand elder had ever refined a divine-grade pill, back when he broke through to the peak of the ninth rank!

The heavenly lightning he summoned back then had shaken all directions.

And today's contest was between Chu Xinghe and that Luo Ying'er, wasn't it?

Chu Xinghe seemed to be a fifth-grade alchemist, and so was Luo Ying'er. Two fifth-grade alchemists had refined a divine-grade pill?

In a few strides, Gu Mingchao arrived above the Medicine King Palace. Through its blasted-open roof, he saw the divine-grade pill floating in midair and countless Vast Heaven Sect disciples jumping up and down in excitement.

At the sight, Gu Mingchao smiled.

It's that child Xinghe!

As expected of the Medicine Saint Inheritance!

Yesterday, he defeated the entire younger generation of Martial Emperor City single-handedly. Today, the inheritor of the Medicine Saint has brought forth a divine pill!

This child never fails to bring people incredible surprises!

Gu Mingchao was not the only one. The moment the heavenly lightning appeared, elders from every palace rushed over from all directions.

When they saw the golden divine pill and the cheering Vast Heaven Sect disciples, everyone realized what had happened!

"Heaven blesses Vast Heaven!"

Countless elders raised their voices in song!

Gu Mingchao stood in the void with his hands behind his back, his heart overflowing with joy!

Heaven blesses Vast Heaven!

There was nothing wrong with those words.

For four hundred years, the Vast Heaven Sect had produced countless geniuses, but never again had there been a supreme figure without equal under heaven like the tenth-generation Great Emperor Haotian.

Even Gu Mingchao himself, though called the strongest under heaven, knew that the world held many reclusive masters and old monsters who never showed themselves. He might not be invincible under heaven.

But today, the Vast Heaven Sect had finally produced someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the tenth-generation Great Emperor Haotian!

No! To be precise, Chu Xinghe has already surpassed Great Emperor Haotian back then. At this age, Great Emperor Haotian definitely hadn't achieved as much as Chu Xinghe!

Gu Mingchao knew that heaven truly blessed Vast Heaven. The Vast Heaven Sect was finally going to produce someone truly invincible in the world!

The thunderclouds dispersed, leaving a huge hole in the newly repaired Medicine King Palace. But no one felt distressed at the sight of it; they were excited instead.

This hole was proof of the divine pill's emergence, and of Junior Brother Xinghe's rise!

The grand elder soared into the air and plucked the divine pill from the sky.

The divine pill shone with dazzling golden light. The grand elder held it in both hands as though it were the greatest treasure under heaven and carried it around for everyone to admire.

Everyone who saw the divine pill had a gleam in their eyes. This was the divine pill of legend!

Finally, the grand elder brought the divine pill before Wu Qun.

"Palace Master Wu Qun, please give us your assessment..."

Wu Qun looked at the divine pill, his face full of bitterness.

"You jest, Grand Elder. I, Wu Qun, have never managed to refine a divine pill in my life. What right do I have to appraise one? After today's contest, my Heavenly Medicine Palace is utterly convinced. We overestimated ourselves and brought this humiliation upon ourselves today."

Hearing Wu Qun's words, the grand elder fought back his laughter and repeatedly assured him that was not the case. It was good for everyone to exchange pointers!

It really was good... Without this exchange, that child Xinghe would never have surpassed himself and refined a divine pill!

Wu Qun was filled with bitterness, but Chu Xinghe was just as bitter.

How did a divine pill come out? What happened to the furnace explosion... I fucking just wanted the furnace to explode... I even threw in the sea-blue stone. Wasn't an explosion only natural? What the hell is this divine pill supposed to mean?

Vermilion Bird Furnace, you're getting back at me... I only bullied you a little back then... Did you have to go this far?

Chu Xinghe still wore a bewildered expression.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, I, Luo Ying'er, am utterly convinced today. Your mastery of alchemy is enough for me to spend a lifetime learning from. After mastering Qilin True Fire, I thought I could stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Only today did I realize that the gap between us is as vast as that between clouds and mud. It isn't just our alchemy; the difference between our dispositions is as great as the distance between heaven and earth..."

As Luo Ying'er spoke, she nearly burst into tears.

"Senior Brother Xinghe proposed an additional condition, and I actually thought he had some scheme. He chose an herb like plantain for me, yet I maliciously chose sea-blue stone for him... But Senior Brother Xinghe's abilities are extraordinary. Luo Ying'er admires you immensely!"

Luo Ying'er spoke with tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain, and many of the senior and junior brothers felt their hearts ache for her.

But Chu Xinghe did not feel sorry for her at all... This Little Squirrel!

You bear an inescapable share of the responsibility for what happened today. If you hadn't chosen that damned sea-blue stone, could I have refined a divine pill? Could I have won?

I'm the little prince of furnace explosions. Why is it so hard to just blow up a furnace?!

But at this point, Chu Xinghe was utterly helpless. The divine pill had already appeared. What else could he do?

He could only comfort the Little Squirrel before him.

Like Martial Emperor City, the Heavenly Medicine Palace had suffered a crushing defeat. Wu Qun did not stay any longer at the Vast Heaven Sect and instead left with Little Squirrel.

But as Little Squirrel left, she kept looking back, gazing at Chu Xinghe with admiration as she asked whether she could come and seek Senior Brother Xinghe's guidance again...

With a smile, Chu Xinghe said... she was more than welcome!

In truth, he was thinking... To hell with you... It'd be best if you never came back in this lifetime. Better yet, no squirrels should ever show up at the Vast Heaven Sect.

Chu Xinghe felt a little better only after watching Junior Sister Wan Lin, her eyes brimming with tears, see Little Squirrel all the way beyond the mountain gate... Come on, come on, Little Squirrel. You have no idea that the senior sisters in the Vast Heaven Sect are even scarier than the senior brothers!

The grand elder issued an order concerning the hole the heavenly lightning had blasted in the Medicine King Palace: no one was allowed to repair it!

It was a sign of the Medicine King Palace's rise and a symbol of Chu Xinghe's glory.

So Feng Fei waved his hand and had high-grade spirit stones fitted over it like glass. They not only kept out the rain but also shone, letting every disciple who entered the Medicine King Palace in the future see Junior Brother Xinghe's former glory!

The Heavenly Medicine Palace had been arrogant and conceited, and Qilin True Fire had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Vermilion Bird Spirit Fire!

Naturally, the news of the divine pill's emergence could not be kept secret. Once word spread, the talk was much as Chu Xinghe had imagined, except the roles had been reversed.

The Vast Heaven Sect had only just crushed Martial Emperor City's prestige before dealing the Heavenly Medicine Palace the same blow. Even more terrifying was that the same person had accomplished it all.

Only yesterday, people had said that Chu Xinghe was probably the strongest of the younger generation. Today, they discovered that strength was not all: Chu Xinghe was also the foremost of the younger generation in alchemy.

Who knew how many sect masters of major sects stamped their feet and beat their chests!

Why did such an outstanding disciple have to join the Vast Heaven Sect? Our sect is pretty good too!

It would be one thing for a person to be powerful, but his alchemy is outstanding as well. Why is the gap between people so enormous?

That day, who knew how many young disciples were ordered by their sects to increase their training, or how many suffered unspeakably as a result?

The Spirit Crane Palace, however, was decked with lanterns and decorations. There was no ban on wine there tonight!

The banquet did not extend to the entire Vast Heaven Sect, but it filled the Spirit Crane Palace.

Even the sect master came by for a cup of wine and instructed Chu Xinghe not to become the least bit conceited because of today's achievement, but to remain humble and keep moving forward.

Chu Xinghe responded with a bitter smile. Me, arrogant and conceited... I fucking want to die right now!

The Spirit Crane Palace held a grand feast, and people came from every palace to offer congratulations.

At the feast, everyone was talking about Chu Xinghe's performance that day.

"You have no idea... When I saw Junior Brother Xinghe get the sea-blue stone, I thought he was finished! Thinking back on it now, he proposed that additional condition because he truly is benevolent and righteous!"

"That's right! Junior Brother Xinghe didn't want to bully that little girl. She mastered Qilin True Fire and thought she was bigger than heaven itself! Even with sea-blue stone, Junior Brother Xinghe could still crush her with ease!"

"Junior Brother Xinghe just doesn't like bullying people. He's truly benevolent and righteous. He could have defeated her easily, but he was afraid outsiders would say our Vast Heaven Sect was bullying her, so he added that condition. But even so, what of it? In the face of absolute strength, who can stand against him?"

"Didn't you see? When that little girl left the sect, her eyes lit up when she looked at Junior Brother Xinghe."

"She isn't worthy of Junior Brother Xinghe!"

"Right, right! What kind of person is Junior Brother Xinghe? How could she possibly be worthy of him?"

"Come, come! A toast to Junior Brother Xinghe!"

Chu Xinghe did not get drunk today. A few senior brothers had told him that after getting drunk, he had shouted that he only wanted to fail, and the news had frightened him into a cold sweat.

Fortunately, the story his senior brothers had imagined had resolved everything perfectly for him, and luckily, he had not said anything more outrageous.

Still, he really should drink less from now on. Otherwise, what if he got drunk one day and shouted that he only wanted to destroy his own sect...?

It was not that he looked down on his senior and junior brothers, but that would be rather hard for them to explain away.

The Spirit Crane Palace's banquet continued into the latter half of the night. Although Chu Xinghe had not drunk much, he pretended to be tipsy and returned to his room with Senior Brother Feng Fei, utterly miserable.

Lying in bed, Chu Xinghe made sure Senior Brother Feng Fei was sleeping like a dead dog, and tears began to fall.

First I defeated Martial Emperor City, then I cut down the Heavenly Medicine Palace. What the fuck have I done?!

What happened to the failure I was promised?

But on closer thought, could he fucking be blamed? His opponents were simply too weak!

Zheng Yu, oh Zheng Yu, honestly, couldn't you have just fought properly? Why use the Star Shifting Technique? You shifted yourself right out of the fight!

And Little Squirrel too. Of all the things you could have chosen, you picked sea-blue stone. You're setting me up, you know that?

Full of endless resentment, Chu Xinghe finally fell asleep.

He slept without dreaming. Early the next morning, Senior Brother Feng woke Chu Xinghe, and after breakfast, another senior brother brought him news.

The grand elder wanted to give him extra training!

At the news, Chu Xinghe's brain practically spasmed.

See... the bad news has finally come. Once the divine pill appeared, the grand elder got as worked up as if he'd been injected with chicken blood. Before, failing to refine a supreme-grade pill counted as failure. From now on, he won't set me the ultimate goal of refining a divine pill and count anything less as failure, will he...?

Alchemy, my ass... I'm fucking sick of it.

But sick of it or not, he still had to go. When he reached the Medicine King Palace, however, he found that the grand elder was not waiting for him. After asking around, he learned that the grand elder had gone to Haotian Palace?

Apparently, a branch president of the Vast Heaven Chamber of Commerce named Qin Xiangqian had reported something very important, and the sect master had summoned the heads of every palace and the grand elder to Haotian Palace?

At the name Qin Xiangqian, Chu Xinghe's eyes lit up!

Lucky General Qin Xiangqian, the only true lucky general who never screws me over! He's nothing like that heartless, treacherous fake lucky general Ma Liang. What news has Qin Xiangqian brought this time, to make the sect master summon the grand elder and the palace heads to discuss it together?

Could something have happened to the sect?!

Chu Xinghe suddenly grew excited!