The Great Showdown Between Two Medicine Halls

"Liu Yandong, what do you mean by this?"

During the on-site promotion, up to thirty orders could be finalized on the spot. Fewer than ten had been placed before he was interrupted. Murong Guang flew into a rage and shouted at Liu Yandong.

"What do I mean? Nothing." Liu Yandong actually widened his eyes innocently. "I just want to see which of the Murong Divine Pill Chamber and the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion, after fighting tooth and nail in advertisements these past two weeks, has the genuine brand of medicinal liquid, and which is a shoddy counterfeit."

When he said the words "shoddy counterfeit," Liu Yandong deliberately stressed them, while his sharp gaze swept toward Nie Zhengxu in the VIP seats.

Sure enough, paper could not cover fire. Liu Ding sighed inwardly. He had not told Liu Yandong about Nie Zhengxu selling the Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill formula, fearing that it would alert the enemy.

Nie Zhengxu kept a dark expression and said nothing.

At this point, the medicine merchants who had originally intended to follow the crowd and raise their signs quietly lowered their hands. Everyone thought the same thing: Why covet that tiny discount? The Du Ling Juice from the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion might be purer.

"Hmph, I'd like to see what's so remarkable about this thing that has one more ear than my Zhe Spirit Liquid."

Murong Guang spoke bitterly, but his words made many people in the venue struggle not to laugh. One of the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion's advertisements over the past half month had played on precisely those words.

The host of the investment fair stepped onto the stage at just the right moment and announced loudly, "After all this anticipation, let us welcome Miss Ximen Yaoji of the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion with a round of warm applause as she unveils the mysterious Du Ling Juice that has been bombarding our ears these past two weeks!"

Amid enthusiastic applause, Ximen Yaoji rose gracefully. "Thank you all for your support."

Her voice was soft and sweet, sending an involuntary shiver through Liu Ding's entire body. The scenes of their previous conversations surfaced in his mind. She had never been this enchantingly seductive before. No wonder the applause was so fervent. Sweeping his gaze across the venue, he saw countless burning stares. It was clear that many people had come for her.

The greatest beauty in Bleser City, Miss Yaoji of the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion, had captured countless gazes the moment she appeared.

Ximen Yaoji swayed elegantly toward the podium. She wore a custom-made gown that displayed her full, perfect curves to the fullest. Liu Ding could not help muttering, "With such a seductress managing the Spirit Herb Pavilion, how could it have nearly been beaten into submission by the Murong Divine Pill Chamber? Heaven truly has no eyes."

"Everyone, as the saying goes, it is not the lack of knowledge that is frightening, but the lack of comparison. Today, the Du Ling Juice introduced by our Spirit Herb Pavilion comes from a mysterious genius Pill Consecrator." As she spoke, her beautiful eyes seemed to intentionally yet casually glance in Liu Ding's direction.

"She actually knows I'm sitting here." Liu Ding gave a bitter smile. He was currently imitating General Jiang, wrapped in a large black cloak with his entire body tucked inside and his head lowered. Unless his grandfather Liu Yandong deliberately searched for him, he probably would not recognize him.

"Why do I call him a genius Pill Consecrator? Because the beast soul in this Du Ling Juice is that of the auspicious beast, the Qilin." Ximen Yaoji paused here and looked down at the audience with a smile.

Sure enough, the venue immediately erupted:

"The Du Ling Juice contains the beast soul of the auspicious Qilin? Impossible! Only the Liu Clan's unique Qilin Soul Forging Pill can refine it into a pill!"

"I wonder what relationship the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion's Du Ling Juice has with the Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill. The Zhe Spirit Liquid from the Murong Divine Pill Chamber earlier contained three ingredients from the Qilin Soul Forging Pill, and Liu Yandong, the Liu Clan Patriarch, angrily denounced it as a counterfeit."

Facing the various doubts, Ximen Yaoji maintained her smile. "The Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill is unique in the world. Even if you knew its formula, you still could not refine it. At most, you would produce a shoddy counterfeit."

These words were practically a slap in the face of the Murong Divine Pill Chamber. Many people looked toward Murong Guang and saw that his face had turned as dark as iron. If the investment fair did not have strict rules forbidding merchants from openly launching personal attacks against one another, he would probably have leaped out already.

"Our Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion guarantees on the honor of our family that not a single medicinal ingredient used to refine Du Ling Juice is the same as those in the Liu Clan's Qilin Soul Forging Pill. Moreover, anyone knowledgeable about pill refinement need only inspect it after receiving it to discover that the formula contains Jade Marrow Fungus and Yin Condensing Grass."

Ximen Yaoji knew she could not hide those two spiritual herbs. Since she could detect them, others certainly could as well. She might as well reveal them directly. Those two immortal herbs were exceedingly rare, and the sensation they would cause would certainly not be small.

Sure enough, many knowledgeable people in the venue sucked in cold breaths. "Jade Marrow Fungus and Yin Condensing Grass? Those are immortal herbs used in even higher-grade Dharma Soul Pills! I never expected the Spirit Herb Pavilion to be able to refine them into medicinal liquid for the Soul Forging Realm. This Du Ling Juice is no simple matter!"

"Hmph, what use is all that boasting? Your Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion has been hiding behind secrecy and empty advertisements. Tell me, how much can your Du Ling Juice increase the chances of a Five Dings Martial Apprentice advancing to the Six Cauldrons Realm?" Murong Guang finally could not hold back any longer and sneered coldly.

"That's right. Whether it's a mule or a horse, bring it out for a walk." Nie Zhengxu in the VIP seats also took the opportunity to shout.

"Hehe, I cannot say exactly how much it increases the chance of advancement." Ximen Yaoji deliberately paused. Sure enough, the entire venue was stunned. But she immediately smiled and said, "However, in our internal tests, every Five Dings Martial Apprentice who used Du Ling Juice successfully advanced to the Six Cauldrons Realm."

"No way! Doesn't that mean a perfect one hundred percent?" The entire venue was shocked, almost unable to believe their ears.

"Hmph, boasting that reaches the heavens will eventually burst." Murong Guang rolled his eyes repeatedly. "Don't be fooled, everyone. What does 'internal testing' even mean? It is obviously just a massive scam."

"That's right. Your Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion has made this Du Ling Juice so mysterious. Could it really be a scam?" Sure enough, many people in the venue began questioning it again. "Words alone prove nothing. Show us solid evidence!"

"You are right. Talking about data alone, holding up a booklet and reporting how many people tested it, then bringing out several Six Soulforging Cauldrons Martial Apprentices to make up the numbers and claiming whatever percentage chance of advancement—that truly cannot convince anyone." Ximen Yaoji nodded repeatedly.

The merchants in the venue were stunned for a moment, then immediately thought of this flaw in the Zhe Spirit Liquid's claims. Many secretly nodded. In truth, the Zhe Spirit Liquid had merely played games on paper; few had personally seen the actual results of people using it.

Murong Guang, seated among the merchants, was nearly driven mad with rage. He leaped to his feet and roared, "Ximen Yaoji, at least our Murong Divine Pill Chamber dares to offer the Zhe Spirit Liquid for trial use! Your Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion's Du Ling Juice does not even dare to show itself. What right do you have to challenge us?"

Ximen Yaoji's pretty face turned cold as well. "Murong Guang, this is an investment fair, not your family's medicine hall. Who are you shouting at? Do you know why we have not offered Du Ling Juice for private trials by cultivators? It is because our Spirit Herb Pavilion's Du Ling Juice possesses genuine strength."

Having said that, she faced the venue again and slowly declared, "Who is the shoddy counterfeit, and who is the genuine brand, will be revealed here. I announce that our Spirit Herb Pavilion has decided to conduct an on-site trial of Du Ling Juice. We will randomly select Five Soulforging Cauldrons Martial Apprentices from this venue to test what is real and what is false."

In an instant, the entire venue was shocked. It became so quiet that a needle dropping to the ground could have been heard.