Beast Power Pill Trial: A Dou Zhe Takes on a Dou Master!

"What kind of pill did you even refine, Lu Heng?"

Gu Ni stared wide-eyed, his voice full of disbelief.

"This doesn't look like an ordinary Force Accumulation Pill!"

Lu Heng had already prepared his explanation.

He blinked and put on an expression as though it were perfectly natural.

"Master Gu Ni, I studied the formula for the Force Accumulation Pill. I felt that while it could increase strength, its effects were ordinary and didn't last long. So I thought, since magical beasts are so powerful, why couldn't we borrow their strength?"

"So, I added the essence of a first-tier magical beast's Magic Core to the original formula and replaced the original main ingredient with Ironwood Root."

At that, Lu Heng pointed at the dark red pill.

"Ironwood Root is as tough as iron and can greatly strengthen the body's defenses, making it perfect for withstanding the impact of a magical beast's strength.

That way, not only is the strength boost greater than that of a Force Accumulation Pill, but the defense also improves. And because the body is tough enough, once the effects wear off, you won't be bedridden for ten days or half a month like after taking a forbidden drug."

Lu Heng said all this casually, as if he had merely changed a seasoning in a recipe.

But to Gu Ni, it was no different from a thunderbolt.

"Ironwood Root!"

Gu Ni's voice suddenly rose, and he nearly dropped the pill in his hand. His face was filled with disbelief.

"You're saying that, with the strength of a one-star Dou Zhe, you refined Ironwood Root?

That thing is extremely fire-resistant. Even I have to put in tremendous effort, and when merging the medicinal liquids, I have to be careful not to blow up the furnace!"

"And..."

Gu Ni stared fixedly at Lu Heng as though he were looking at a monster.

"Nine years old, improving a pill formula, and even balancing the medicinal properties? How is that possible?!"

Every pill formula had been finalized by predecessors after countless experiments.

Even changing a single auxiliary ingredient could cause the refinement to fail or turn the pill into poison. Yet this boy had actually replaced the main ingredient?

Though Ya Fei did not understand the details of pill refinement, Gu Ni's ghost-struck expression told her just how astonishing Lu Heng's achievement was.

She was proud, but also somewhat frightened afterward.

"Little brother Lu Heng."

Ya Fei casually set the dirty handkerchief on the table, then cupped Lu Heng's cheeks with both hands. Her tone was stern.

"Your idea is far too dangerous. Even many high-tier alchemists wouldn't dare casually attempt to improve a pill formula.

What if the furnace exploded and injured you?

Big sister doesn't want to see you pushing yourself so hard just to refine pills. You're only nine years old. We have plenty of time; there's no need to rush like this."

Feeling the cool warmth of her palms against his cheeks, Lu Heng's heart warmed.

He knew that Ya Fei truly cared about him as a person, not merely his talent.

"Don't worry, Sister Ya Fei. I know what I'm doing."

Lu Heng caught Ya Fei's wrist and lightly rubbed against it, his eyes clear and bright.

"I want to grow stronger sooner, so I can become someone Sister Ya Fei can rely on!"

Ya Fei's heart trembled. The lecture she had prepared instantly caught in her throat, eventually turning into a helpless yet sweet sigh.

"You little rascal..."

Watching this deeply affectionate brother-and-sister scene from the side, Gu Ni only felt utterly superfluous.

He cleared his throat and brought the conversation back on track.

"Ahem. Miss, Lu Heng's talent truly is... monstrous. But since this pill has already been refined, talking alone is useless."

Gu Ni looked at the pill in his hand, his eyes growing fiery.

"If it truly works as Lu Heng says, then it can absolutely replace the Force Accumulation Pill and Qi Boosting Powder, becoming a life-saving miracle medicine for mercenaries! This is an enormous business opportunity."

"Lu Heng, do you dare test the medicine?" Gu Ni asked.

"Of course." Lu Heng was brimming with confidence.

"Good!" Gu Ni decided at once.

"Then we'll find someone to test it! Let's see just how overbearing this Beast Power Pill is!"

Inside the training grounds behind the Miteer Auction House.

This was normally where the family guards trained. The ground was paved with hard bluestone slabs, and weapon racks were arranged around the edges.

At that moment, the center of the training grounds had already been cleared.

Ya Fei stood on the viewing platform, while Gu Ni beside her wore a solemn expression.

Lu Heng, meanwhile, sat in a nearby chair, still gnawing on a meat bun Ya Fei had just ordered someone to bring him. After refining pills for several days, he really was starving.

Two people stood in the arena.

The one on the left was tall and powerfully built, his muscles knotted. His name was Zhao Hu, a guard of the auction house with the cultivation of an eight-star Dou Zhe.

The one on the right was lean and capable-looking. His name was Sun Li, the captain of a guard squad, and his cultivation had reached seven-star Dou Master.

On the Dou Qi Continent, there was a vast gulf between a Dou Zhe and a Dou Master.

A Dou Master could already protect their body with a Dou Qi Veil. Whether in defense or attack power, they were far beyond a Dou Zhe, who could only condense a Qi Vortex.

Under normal circumstances, even a one-star Dou Master could easily crush five or six nine-star Dou Zhes without using any Dou Skills.

Ordinary people could not challenge opponents above their level!

"Zhao Hu, take this pill."

With a wave of Gu Ni's hand, the dark red Beast Power Pill flew toward Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu caught the pill and looked at its strange color, his throat bobbing.

If the chief auctioneer and Master Gu Ni had not personally ordered it, he truly would not have dared swallow it carelessly.

"Yes!"

Zhao Hu gritted his teeth, tipped back his head, and swallowed the pill.

Boom!

Within three breaths of the pill entering his stomach, Zhao Hu's originally dark face instantly flushed bright red.

His eyes flew open, and veins bulged across his neck.

Roar!

A low, beast-like growl squeezed out from Zhao Hu's throat.

Then, a scalp-numbing sight unfolded.

The exposed skin on Zhao Hu's arms took on a grayish-black sheen like raw iron. His already exaggerated muscles swelled another round, stretching his training clothes until they let out tearing sounds.

A violent, ferocious aura erupted from his body.

"This..."

Sun Li's eyelid twitched as he felt an inexplicable pressure.

Was this still a Dou Zhe?

That presence was almost comparable to a peak first-tier magical beast!

"The spar begins!"

Ya Fei's cool voice rang out.

Sun Li did not dare let his guard down. Dou Qi surged through his body, and a pale cyan Dou Qi Veil instantly covered him.

He kicked off the ground and shot toward Zhao Hu like the wind. The long blade in his hand carried a sharp gust as it slashed straight at Zhao Hu's shoulder.

He had held back with this strike. It was only a spar, after all, and he feared injuring his fellow guard.

Yet, facing a Dou Master's attack, Zhao Hu neither dodged nor retreated!

At that moment, his mind was filled with the urge to vent his strength. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Sun Li as he raised the arm gleaming like iron and smashed it directly into the blade!

Clang!

A piercing metallic clash rang across the entire arena.

Sun Li felt his wrist go numb. His blade seemed to have struck an iron block, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Yet Zhao Hu's arm had only a faint white mark on it!

"What?!" Sun Li's expression changed drastically.

A slash enhanced by a Dou Qi Veil could not even break through a Dou Zhe's defense?