Harvest

Liu Tao was Liu Chengyuan's daughter, and Liu Chengyuan was Nie Zhengxu's man. Several transactions between Nie Zhengxu and the Murong Divine Pill Chamber had gone through Liu Chengyuan, so Murong Guang firmly believed that Liu Tao would certainly speak for him. Besides, she had indeed been using Zhe Spirit Liquid for the past half month, though she had failed to break through.

Now, everyone was waiting for Liu Tao to speak.

If she had successfully advanced to Six Soulforging Cauldrons after using Du Ling Juice following her use of Zhe Spirit Liquid, then the problem did not lie with Zhe Spirit Liquid but with Du Ling Juice. Even if the danger was only ten percent, no one would dare use Du Ling Juice rashly again.

No one dared gamble with their future and their life.

Though she was tightly wrapped in a large bath towel, being displayed before so many people still embarrassed Liu Tao so badly that she could not speak.

"Niece-granddaughter, tell us about your experiences using Zhe Spirit Liquid over the past half month." At that moment, Nie Zhengxu, who had been scowling all along, unexpectedly stood up and spoke to Liu Tao.

But how could a young girl possibly speak under such circumstances?

"I guarantee that my daughter really had been using Zhe Spirit Liquid since half a month ago." Suddenly, Liu Tao's mother's voice rang out from below the stage.

"Then did this girl's breakthrough to Six Soulforging Cauldrons come from Zhe Spirit Liquid or Du Ling Juice?" a merchant asked doubtfully.

"Of course it was Zhe Spirit Liquid's doing!" Murong Guang loudly cut in. "Could half a month of medicinal baths be worse than a bath lasting only a short while?"

"And you still have the nerve to mention medicinal baths? She failed to break through after half a month. If not for our Du Ling Juice, this young lady might never have broken through in her life." Naturally, Ximen Yaoji was unwilling to fall behind.

"Stop arguing, both of you." Watching Ximen Yaoji and Murong Guang quarrel, Liu Tao finally spoke. Biting her lip, she said, "I... I never used Zhe Spirit Liquid."

"What? Didn't you keep using Zhe Spirit Liquid for medicinal baths before?" Liu Tao's mother was deeply puzzled.

"I was afraid you would punish me, so I secretly replaced the Zhe Spirit Liquid. I heard Liu Ding say that it contained the soul qi of the Taotie ferocious beast, which would devour the soul qi of the Qilin auspicious beast. I-I didn't dare use it," Liu Tao said timidly.

"You actually dared listen to that brat Liu Ding? I'll slap you to death!" Liu Chengyuan flew into a rage, raising his arm from afar.

"Enough, you brainless fool! If Tao'er hadn't used Zhe Spirit Liquid, she would probably be crippled by now." Liu Tao's mother saw the situation clearly. "You should be celebrating already. Tao'er can directly advance into the top eight of the clan patriarch competition!"

"Hehehehe!" Ximen Yaoji laughed sweetly, drawing everyone's attention toward her. "Now, I believe everyone can clearly see which is the shoddy counterfeit and which is the genuine brand."

"Nonsense! Even if this girl did not use the Zhe Spirit Liquid from our Murong Divine Pill Chamber, it still doesn't prove that this accident was caused by our Zhe Spirit Liquid. Something went wrong during the use of your Du Ling Juice. You should bear the responsibility!" Murong Guang continued to argue.

"Fine. To convince everyone completely, I suggest we conduct another examination on the martial apprentices who used Zhe Spirit Liquid but failed to advance. There must be martial apprentices here who felt unwell after using Zhe Spirit Liquid. Stop gambling with your lives and futures. Come up and get examined at once!"

It had to be said, Ximen Yaoji's move

was extremely effective. Several martial apprentices immediately stepped forward from the crowd. After a round of examinations, the results left everyone dumbfounded. Their meridians had already suffered severe damage under the devouring conflict of the Taotie Soul Qi in the Zhe Spirit Liquid.

After another round of examinations, two of the martial apprentices who had failed to break through after trying Du Ling Juice on-site had previously used Zhe Spirit Liquid. The whole truth was revealed: the Taotie Soul Qi within Zhe Spirit Liquid devoured the beast soul qi corresponding to a martial apprentice's original realm. Only cultivation methods like those of the Murong Clan offered any chance of advancement.

"This Zhe Spirit Liquid is truly harmful beyond measure." The several Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons experts examining those unlucky martial apprentices all sighed, having analyzed the implications.

"Murong Divine Pill Chamber, you harmful scoundrels! Get out of Bleser City!"

All right, our Liu Ding gave a timely shout. Then he witnessed a most satisfying scene: the relatives of the martial apprentices who had been badly harmed by Zhe Spirit Liquid erupted in fury, rushing forward to smash the Murong Divine Pill Chamber's products to pieces and demand compensation.

The staff maintaining order at the venue escorted the Murong Divine Pill Chamber and the irrational victims out of the trade convention, letting them settle their dispute outside.

"I broke through!" Amid the noisy venue, the delighted cry of a martial apprentice who had resumed his medicinal bath suddenly rang out again.

By this point, twelve of the twenty martial apprentices at Five Soulforging Cauldrons had successfully advanced to Six Soulforging Cauldrons.

Although the few martial apprentices who returned to their medicinal baths failed to break through again, no abnormalities occurred either. Ximen Yaoji secretly wiped away a bead of fragrant sweat. She had truly taken too great a risk just now.

Still, she had the courage to take that risk. None of the martial apprentices returning to the medicinal baths were disciples of the Liu Clan. Though some had damaged meridians, they would not suffer Demonic Fire Affliction due to incompatibility with other beast souls, as happened with the Liu Clan's mysterious cultivation system.

At this trade convention, the Ximen Spirit Herb Pavilion became the greatest winner. Seeing the stacks of orders grow thicker and thicker, Ximen Yaoji finally set down the worry that had been hanging over her heart. Yet when she looked around with her beautiful eyes, she discovered that the remarkable young man from the Liu Clan had already quietly left.

With a sigh, Ximen Yaoji returned to work. At that moment, Liu Yandong suddenly appeared before her with a smile, lowered his head, and said softly, "Miss Yaoji, I said quite a few good words for you just now. Could you give me a few bottles of high-quality Du Ling Juice?"

Ximen Yaoji did not know whether to laugh or cry. The high-quality Du Ling Juice should all be with your own grandson, shouldn't it? However, she had promised to protect Liu Ding's secret, so she could only put on her charming professional smile. "Clan Patriarch Liu, what are you saying? Not only will I give you the best quality, I'll give it to you for free."

As she spoke, she casually grabbed several bottles of Du Ling Juice and handed them over. Liu Yandong hurriedly accepted them, but he still took out money and said, "Thank you very much, Miss Yaoji, but I must still pay. Cultivation is an act that defies the heavens; one cannot blindly take without giving."

When you came out to make a living, you would always have to pay it back.

On this point, Liu Ding's thoughts were the same as Liu Yandong's. After learning that the gold card Ximen Yaoji had given him contained a million gold coins, he firmly insisted that it be deducted from the share of the profits. With Du Ling Juice becoming such a huge success at this trade convention, the million gold coins on the card would surely be repaid soon.

Back in his room, Liu Ding was still somewhat depressed. Why did everyone else break through like mad after trying Du Ling Juice, while he remained so quiet? It felt as though there were a huge hole in his realm that could never be filled with soul qi.

He sighed. Thinking about how he would have to go to Everlasting Cave that night to absorb, devour, and refine that Yin Soul Qi, he threw himself onto the bed.