Bitter Fig Ancestor smiled without a word. Then, he suddenly took an object from his sleeve and handed it over.
Zhao Sheng accepted it and saw that it was a fist-sized golden pill, smooth as a mirror.
At a glance, light flowed across the golden pill's surface as Golden Light pulsed endlessly, as though it had come alive.
"This is... Hm?"
Zhao Sheng suddenly gave a startled cry. Two streaks of divine light shot from his eyes as he stared directly at the golden pill's surface.
"Haha, Daoist Friend truly has a sharp eye! You saw at once that this pill is anything but ordinary."
Zhao Sheng praised, "What exquisite artifact-refining craftsmanship! Merely two damaged Treasure Seals were able to fuse the 'outer shell' into a seamless whole, yet eight 'loopholes' were deliberately left behind.
"It seems some expert used this item to test my skill."
Bitter Fig Ancestor smiled. "Daoist Friend is correct. The Proprietor personally placed this pill in my hands and instructed this old man to deliver it to you.
"Furthermore, the Proprietor repeatedly stressed that this pill has an astonishing origin. Daoist Friend must not take it lightly; you must fully unravel it.
"If you succeed, this may very well be a great opportunity for Daoist Friend Zhao."
Bitter Fig Ancestor spoke with grave earnestness, and Zhao Sheng could not help but grow curious upon hearing it.
He turned the mirror-smooth golden pill over in his hand. Suddenly, the five fingers of his right hand swept over its surface, and wherever his fingertips passed, a trail of sparks burst forth.
Crack!
A faint cracking sound suddenly came from the formerly mirror-smooth golden pill, and dense cracks immediately spread across its surface.
The next moment, a heap of golden fragments suddenly fell from the pill's surface. The