Taishang Laojun's Pill Stuns the World

After two waves of "experts" visited, both ending in their equipment being scrapped and their beliefs shattered, Lin Fan's small rented room undoubtedly saw its danger level and mystery rating quietly increase by several notches in the official surveillance files. Chen Jing looked at the report submitted by her subordinates, which detailed the entire process of the two "debunking" attempts and the unbelievable testing data. She remained silent for a long time before finally issuing the order: "Maintain the highest level of surveillance. No contact or provocation in any form unless absolutely necessary." She knew better than those experts that the "special existences" in the room were displaying power that truly surpassed current understanding, not some "high-tech trickery" or "fraud." Before their true nature and intentions were understood, any rash action could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Meanwhile, scattered discussions online about the "Clay Figurine Incident" and the "Smoking Equipment Event," though intentionally or unintentionally suppressed and failing to form a large-scale public opinion storm, had already turned Lin Fan's name and his residential area into a tempting and dangerous legend within certain niche circles interested in the supernatural or occult. This attracted the prying eyes of daring individuals or fervent enthusiasts. However, deterred by the tragic fate of the previous "expert team," no one dared to boldly venture to his place for "exploration" yet.

Compared to the turmoil outside, the rented room entered a period of relative calm. Perhaps Tong Tian's last unintentional leak of pressure had a deterrent effect. Even the constant feeling of being watched from outside the window seemed to have become more cautious and restrained.

Lin Fan welcomed the peace and focused even more on his cultivation. Nourished by the "Breath-Soil" and various Dao rhythm creations, he found practicing the Supreme Clarity Heart-Cleansing Mantra increasingly effortless. Although he still couldn't actively summon the mysterious "Innate Qi," the strengthening of his soul and the clarity of his mind became more apparent day by day. He could even vaguely perceive some blockages in his meridians through introspection, showing subtle signs of being cleared and regulated under the subtle influence of the Heart-Cleansing Mantra. This filled him with joy, like seeing a faint but firm glimmer of dawn in the darkness.

Tong Tian continued his silent struggle against the suppression of heavenly rules, honing his sword intent and refining his sword heart. His aura grew deeper and more restrained. Occasionally, when he opened his eyes, the profound depth within them, as if containing a universe of swords, made Lin Fan afraid to look directly.

Nuwa's "Creation" game entered a new phase. She was no longer satisfied with static sculptures and paintings. She began trying to combine different "scenes" according to some mysterious principles, seemingly simulating and deducing some miniature "heaven and earth patterns" or "formations." After she placed a half-dead pothos plant that Lin Fan bought from the flower market between her newly completed Sweet Rain Descends painting and a clay sculpture of a jade maiden holding a dew bottle, the pothos miraculously sprouted tender green shoots overnight. Its leaves became emerald green and vibrant, full of life! This miraculous transformation left Lin Fan dumbfounded. He gained a more direct understanding of Goddess Nuwa's creative power and became even more cautious in guarding the "secrets" within the room, fearing any further leakage.

Taishang Laojun seemed to have developed a strong interest in "dimensional reduction alchemy." Using ordinary medicinal herbs that Lin Fan procured, such as goji berries, astragalus, angelica, and licorice, he followed a mysterious principle of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide, along with precise timing and heat control (he used an induction cooker and a clay pot, calling it "conforming to the Dao of this world"). He actually managed to brew some medicinal liquid. Although these liquids lacked spiritual light or exotic fragrance, after Lin Fan tasted a mouthful, he felt a gentle warmth spread through his limbs, his fatigue vanished, and his spirit was refreshed. The effect far surpassed any health supplement on the market. Laojun seemed reasonably satisfied with this, stroking his beard and chuckling, "Although it's not even one ten-thousandth of true alchemy, by taking the properties of this world's common ingredients and combining them with the principles of creation and growth, it does offer some minor benefits."

Beneath this seemingly peaceful daily routine, another thread was brewing a new storm, all thanks to Taishang Laojun's "simplified version" of the "Yangyuan Pill."

Inside a luxuriously decorated but tacky office at the Black Tiger Gang headquarters.

The gang leader, Zhao Black Tiger, a bald man around fifty years old, tall, with a face full of coarse flesh and fierce eyes, sat in a large leather executive chair. Standing before him was Wang Meng, whose face was distorted by a scar and who wore an expression of respect mixed with excitement.

"Mengzi, are you sure that medicine... is really that miraculous?" Zhao Black Tiger fiddled with the ancient jade bottle in his hand, which was the "Yangyuan Pill" Lin Fan had given to Wang Meng. The stopper had been opened, and only one pill, the size of a longan, with a warm luster and emitting a faint medicinal fragrance, remained inside.

"Brother Hu, it's absolutely true!" Wang Meng said excitedly. "I had three trusted brothers try it! One is an old brother who's been with me for many years. He has old injuries from chopping people when he was young, and it hurts badly on rainy days. After taking this medicine, he said he felt warm all over the next day, like his old injury was soothed with a hot towel, and he hasn't complained of pain since!"

He swallowed and continued, "The second is the toughest fighter in the club, a 'Red Pole.' He suffered some internal injuries a few days ago during a fight and has been coughing up blood. After taking this medicine, he stopped coughing that night, and his complexion improved significantly! Most importantly, the third is a new kid with a clean background. I had him take the medicine and then test his physical abilities! His grip strength, endurance, and reaction speed all improved by nearly ten percent! And he was so energetic it was scary; he didn't sleep all night and was still full of vigor!"

As Zhao Black Tiger listened to Wang Meng's report, terrifying glints erupted in his fierce eyes. At his position, money and women were no longer the ultimate pursuits. How to maintain his current status, how to expand his influence, and how to live longer and more comfortably were his primary concerns. And this small pill, with its demonstrated effects—healing old injuries, rapid recovery, and even enhancing physical abilities! Each of these struck at his vital points!

"Is this the only one left?" Zhao Black Tiger rubbed the jade bottle, his voice carrying a hint of greed.

"That kid said the 'life-saving pill' is only one, and it costs a hundred million. This 'Yangyuan Pill' is much less effective, but it's still good stuff," Wang Meng quickly said. "Brother Hu, I think that kid is very strange, not like an ordinary person. Last time at the teahouse, facing me and my brothers, he wasn't scared at all, as steady as a mountain. Also, I had people investigate him for a long time, and his background is as clean as a blank sheet of paper; he's just an ordinary laborer. But recently, he's been involved in some strange incidents, and it seems there are even stranger people living in his house..."

A flicker of apprehension crossed Zhao Black Tiger's eyes. He had managed to survive in Jiangcheng's underworld not just through ruthlessness but also through cautious assessment of the situation. Lin Fan's strangeness, along with this pill that defied common sense, made him hesitant to use force.

"A hundred million... to buy a life, or to buy a chance to turn the tables at a critical moment, it's not expensive," Zhao Black Tiger mused, calculation flashing in his eyes. "But what we want cannot be just one 'life-saving pill'! If we can get a large quantity of this 'Yangyuan Pill,' we can train a batch of elite thugs, or use it to establish connections with higher-ups..."

The more he thought about it, the more he realized the immense profit and value contained behind this pill.

"Mengzi, go find that kid again!" Zhao Black Tiger made up his mind. "I can give him the hundred million! But we need to talk about long-term cooperation! I want more of these 'Yangyuan Pills'! The price... can be negotiated! Also, find a way to probe his background and see who is backing him!"

"Yes, Brother Hu!" Excitement flashed in Wang Meng's eyes as he quickly agreed.

However, before Wang Meng could contact Lin Fan again, an accidental conflict caused the "Laojun's Pill" to enter the sight of more forces in an even more shocking way.

The incident was triggered by a minor leader under the Black Tiger Gang named A Biao, who was the direct subordinate of the Red Pole who had tested the medicine earlier. He had personally witnessed his boss's injuries rapidly heal after taking the "Yangyuan Pill" and becoming full of vigor. He was filled with desire and greed for this miraculous medicine. He knew Meng Ge had another one, reserved for Brother Hu, so he didn't dare to touch it. But from his boss's drunken ramblings, he vaguely heard that the medicine was obtained from a young man named Lin Fan, who lived in an old residential area in the west of the city.

Driven by greed, A Biao came up with a wicked plan. He gathered several equally audacious thugs and decided to "get" some medicine on their own, without informing their superiors. Even if they couldn't get the medicine, kidnapping the kid and forcing him to reveal the prescription or source would be a great achievement!

So, on a dark and windy night, A Biao led five thugs armed with clubs and daggers and quietly crept to the base of the apartment building where Lin Fan lived.

They thought their actions were stealthy, but they didn't realize that every move had already fallen into the eyes of the official surveillance points.

"Team Leader, we have a situation! Six unidentified suspicious individuals carrying equipment are approaching the target residence's unit door! Suspected members of the underworld!" The monitoring post immediately reported to Chen Jing.

Chen Jing watched the real-time footage in the command center, her brow furrowed. She recognized A Biao, the leader, as a minor figure in the Black Tiger Gang. "Black Tiger Gang? What are they trying to do? Force their way in?" She quickly ordered, "Team One and Team Two, pay close attention and monitor closely! If there is a violent intrusion, under the premise of ensuring the safety of target Lin Fan and the people inside, you can intervene to stop it depending on the situation! Note: The focus is on collecting reaction data from those two 'special existences'!"

She wanted to know how those two would react to this most direct violent threat.

Downstairs, A Biao and his group skillfully pried open the old apartment building door lock with tools and filed in, heading towards Lin Fan's floor.

Inside the rented room, almost the moment the apartment door was pried open, Master Tongtian opened his eyes, a chilling coldness intensifying in his gaze. This time, he clearly had no intention of tolerating it any further.

Lin Fan also sensed the movement downstairs and the faint malice emanating from it, his heart tightening. He looked at Tong Tian.

"Senior..."

"Ants seeking death." Tong Tian's voice was icy. He formed a sword with his fingers, about to strike from a distance. To him, killing these mortals was no different from crushing a few insects.

"Brother, wait a moment," Nuwa suddenly spoke, glancing at Taishang Laojun.

Taishang Laojun chuckled, putting down the pestle he was holding (he was grinding some ordinary medicinal herbs). He said to Tong Tian, "Junior Brother Tong Tian, why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? Such petty villains are perfect for testing my recently devised 'idle move'."

Saying this, he unhurriedly took out a small jade bottle from his sleeve (Lin Fan had never understood how much his sleeve could hold). It was even smaller than the previous one and had a more lustrous sheen. He poured out a small pill, the size of a soybean, deep purple in color, and unremarkable. He said to Lin Fan, "Young friend, just place this pill outside the door."

Lin Fan was stunned for a moment. Though he didn't understand, he took the small pill as instructed. It felt slightly cool to the touch and emitted no medicinal fragrance. He walked to the door and carefully pushed the pill under the door seam, out into the hallway. It landed right in the center of the corridor.

The moment the pill touched the ground, a drastic change occurred!

The small, deep purple pill, as if stimulated by an invisible force, suddenly emitted an extremely faint, yet seemingly soul-affecting, peculiar fluctuation! This fluctuation spread rapidly like ripples on water, instantly engulfing the entire hallway!

A Biao and the other six thugs, who had just reached the stairwell corner and were about to rush up, were swept by this invisible wave. Their movements instantly froze!

Their eyes became hollow, and the ferocity and greed on their faces were instantly replaced by extreme fear! As if they had seen the most terrifying sights in the world!

"Ghosts! There are ghosts!"

"Don't come near me! Don't kill me!"

"Mom! Save me!"

"My money! Why has my money turned into stones?!"

The six men, as if trapped in the most terrifying nightmare, let out ear-splitting screams and spoke gibberish. Some scrambled away in panic, others wildly swung their clubs at the air, and some were so scared they soiled themselves and collapsed to the ground, exhibiting utterly pathetic behavior. They had completely lost their minds, immersed in the illusions triggered by the pill, which struck directly at the most vulnerable parts of their hearts!

The hallway instantly descended into chaos, with wails and screams echoing endlessly.

Inside the room, Lin Fan saw the bizarre scene through the peephole, so shocked he couldn't speak. A small pill, without even touching them, just placed there, could make six vicious thugs instantly suffer a mental breakdown?! What an inconceivable method!

Tong Tian glanced outside the door and snorted, "A petty trick to confuse the mind." He didn't seem to think much of Laojun's method, but he did retract the sword finger he was about to point.

Nüwa nodded slightly, "Senior Brother Taiqing's pill directly targets the mind, inciting inner demons. It doesn't involve killing, and it's quite ingenious."

Taishang Laojun stroked his beard and chuckled, "This pill is called the 'Soul-Startling Pill.' Its ingredients are derived from the essence of the Mandara flowers from this realm, combined with the paradoxical properties of the calming grass, refined with heart fire. It specifically attacks those with weak souls and crooked intentions. The illusions they see are all born from their own evil thoughts and fears; they have only themselves to blame."

Lin Fan listened, his heart filled with longing and a hint of chill. This pill was too terrifying, like a "demon-revealing mirror" combined with a "punishment device" tailor-made for scum!

The commotion downstairs naturally alerted Chen Jing's team at the monitoring post. Through hidden cameras installed in the corridor, they clearly saw the entire process. Although they couldn't hear Laojun's explanation, the sight of the six thugs collectively losing their minds after coming into contact with some unknown force (they detected a faint but peculiar energy fluctuation emanating from Lin Fan's doorway) sent shivers down everyone's spines!

"Report, Team Leader! Unknown energy reaction detected at the target's residence! All six intruders... lost their minds! Cause unknown!" The technician's voice trembled with disbelief.

Chen Jing stared at the thugs' crazed antics on the screen, her expression extremely grave. No physical contact, no sound or light effects, just a faint energy fluctuation, and six grown men were instantly plunged into the deepest layers of terrifying illusions! This method had surpassed supernatural abilities, psychological suggestion, or any known technology! It was more like... legendary sorcery! Or perhaps, a rule-based weapon operating on a spiritual level that they couldn't comprehend!

"That pill... is the key!" Chen Jing immediately grasped the crucial detail. "Analyze the data of that energy fluctuation immediately! Try to build a model! Also, notify the outer teams. Once those thugs are incapacitated, secretly apprehend them for comprehensive medical and psychological evaluation!"

She realized that the terrifying effect and the implications behind the pill Taishang Laojun casually produced were far more direct, impactful, and... dangerous than Nüwa's art pieces imbued with Dao rhythm!

"Laojun's pill shocks the world..." Chen Jing murmured to herself. She knew that once this latest surveillance report and data were submitted, it would cause a tremendous shockwave among the higher-ups. This was no longer just "observing the target"; it involved an unknown and powerful technology (or power) that could potentially overturn the existing social order and power structure!

And the instigator of all this, Taishang Laojun, acted as if he had merely done something trivial, continuing to fiddle with his ordinary medicinal herbs, researching his "dimension-reducing alchemy." To him, that "Soul-Startling Pill" was perhaps just a "casual move" to verify the properties of the local medicinal materials.

However, this "casual move" had stirred up massive waves in the underworld. Zhao Black Tiger of the Black Tiger Gang soon learned of A Biao and others' bizarre failure and collective mental breakdown. This did not deter him; instead, it pushed his apprehension and greed towards Lin Fan (or rather, the alchemist behind him) to their absolute peak!

The "Yangyuan Pill" that could instantly restore someone, and the "Soul-Startling Pill" that could instantly break someone... What kind of ancestral secret recipe was this? This was clearly the divine method of someone who held the power of life and death!

He had to obtain it! No matter the cost!

Meanwhile, on the official side, an emergency high-level meeting regarding how to redefine and approach the "Shelter" project, as well as the three "special existences" within it, had quietly begun due to this "Laojun's Pill."

Lin Fan's peaceful days were clearly coming to an end. The storm had arrived.