Testing the Pill

Are there any regulations regarding the size of elixirs?

The answer is clearly yes.

The size of any kind of elixir can be large or small, but the degree of efficacy required for the human body, and the corresponding size of the pill to achieve that efficacy, were all determined through rigorous calculations and explorations by our predecessors before a consensus was finally reached.

This is similar to a craftsman forging a sword; all standard swords will be the same size, instead of one being longer than the other, and another sword being made so large that it is unusually large for people to use.

A sword made from eight catties of iron differs from one made from eighty catties of iron by eight times in material, but is a sword made from eighty catties of iron ten times more powerful than one made from eight catties of iron?

This is obviously easy to determine.

Not only would it not be ten times more powerful, but a normal person couldn't even wield an 80-pound longsword.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary people cannot take a longevity pill that is ten times its original weight, and its medicinal effects would be difficult to increase tenfold.

"But when you break it down, it's clearly ten longevity pills!"

"Yes, it's ten pills, but the effect isn't ten times stronger!"

Those who don't believe in superstition will always think that weight determines everything, but the internal reactions during drug formation obviously cannot be measured so simply.

The body's reaction to the medication will inevitably differ from that of taking ten longevity pills simultaneously.

Zou Bugui unclear about the extent of this difference.

But Tiger Strength Demon King will obviously provide an answer.

In the Xieluosi River Holy Land, the Goat Strength Demon King and the Demon King Luli are again seeking medicine.

Clearly, a longevity pill couldn't save Tiger Strength Demon King's life.

However, the exact number of longevity pills that Tiger Strength Demon King needs to consume is a question that not only Zou Bugui difficult to calculate, but even the Venerable One is unclear about.

Whether taking the Longevity Pill can cure the Tiger Strength Demon King is another matter entirely.

His Excellency remained silent for a long time.

He requested that Zou Bugui refine a large quantity of longevity pills; one or two pills were just a small fraction of the total, and even hundreds would be fine.

But the fact that His Excellency set this precedent will inevitably lead to other imitators.

A single Tiger Strength Demon King might ultimately require dozens or even hundreds of Longevity Pills, but what if other demons are severely injured?

Should we save the Goat Strength Demon King is seriously injured? Should we save the Deer Demon King Luli is seriously injured? Should we take the pill from Lu Baibai who is seriously injured? Should Feiyu be held responsible after being seriously injured...?

In the eyes of some, the Venerable One, as the lord of the Sacred Land, has an inescapable responsibility to heal the demon kings under his command.

But His Majesty has never heard of any emperor in a human dynasty who took on the responsibility of treating the injuries of his ministers and generals.

The royal family possessed hundreds upon hundreds of elixirs, yet none of them were ever seen being used by the royal family to give to the wounded soldiers who had fought valiantly.

This is a difficult problem to handle.

Improper handling could lead to the Demon King's alienation, but imitation could also cause potential troubles that the Venerable One could hardly bear.

The Venerable One had previously entrusted the matter of giving out pills to Zou Bugui, so let's see how many pills Zou Bugui will receive.

Zou Bugui was clearly mindful of his words.

Now it is His Excellency's turn to deal with the problem once again.

"Xiao Zhou, how many longevity pills do you think are needed to cure the Tiger Strength Demon King?"

The Lord did not grant the request from outside, but instead closed his eyes and entrusted the matter to Zou Bugui once again.

"Your Excellency, the Longevity Pill is not a medicine for healing injuries; it can only prolong life and cannot cure the Tiger Strength Demon King," Zou Bugui replied.

"How long can that keep Huli alive?"

"I haven't seen Tiger Strength Demon King's injuries, nor do I know how long he can be suspended!"

He was shot by an arrow from Li Guang!

Having survived an arrow from Li Guang, Tiger Strength Demon King's ability to escape back to the Sacred Land is truly remarkable.

The opponent possesses a powerful physical body and a vitality far surpassing that of ordinary great demons.

His Majesty breathed a sigh of relief, feeling for the first time that the power of Li Guang's arrow was somewhat weak, and that the Tiger Strength Demon King's vitality was too vigorous.

If the Tiger Strength Demon King were to die, the matter would be much easier to resolve.

"Damn Li Guang, he's always causing me trouble. If Huli keeps hanging on by a thread and can't recover, won't he devour me before other demon kings follow suit?"

His Excellency responded to Zou Bugui, but the complex thoughts in his heart were difficult to express.

He was curious to know how emperors of human dynasties dealt with this situation.

"The Heavenly Emperor... Alas, the Heavenly Emperor was not skilled in alchemy back then, and he couldn't even forge weapons!"

Although he had once been in the Heavenly Court, Zhu Jiuyin had never seen a similar case.

He shook his head slightly, waiting for Zou Bugui's reply.

"Your Excellency, I have just refined a great pill," Zou Bugui.

"Great Dane?"

"This giant pill is ten times the size of a regular pill, but its efficacy is hard to say whether it is ten times stronger, weaker, or more potent?"

"Oh?"

"It's inappropriate for Your Majesty to test medicine on someone of such high health, but it's not a problem for the Tiger Strength Demon King to take this specially made pill," Zou Bugui. "If this powerful pill can exert a stronger effect, it will be more convenient for Your Majesty to take it in the future!"

"Is it that little dumpling in your hand?"

"Yes!"

Zou Bugui raised the longevity pill, about the size of his fist, and accepted it.

If the test is successful, he can refine longevity pills that are twenty times larger, or even thirty times larger.

The task of producing tens of thousands of longevity pills will be quickly reduced, and can be completed by simply opening the furnace a few hundred or a hundred times.

"That sounds interesting!"

His Majesty nodded.

It was a good thing that Zou Bugui used the Tiger Strength Demon King to test the pills, and it was an even better thing that he gave the Tiger Strength Demon King specially made pills.

Anything specially made means it cannot be repeated and is difficult for other demon kings to easily imitate.

His Majesty felt as if a new perspective had been opened up in an instant, and he also roughly understood how human emperors might handle such situations.

"I don't want this secret place to be tainted by the aura of the dead. Take that pill outside and test it," the Venerable One said. "After you've tried it, tell me what you think!"

"Yes!"

The Zou Bugui to its source.

His face flushed slightly.

Having been locked up in the secret place by the Venerable One for so long, he finally had the chance to go outside and get some fresh air.

His gaze swept over the mouthpiece through which the Venerable One had spoken, then over the gate to the secret realm. As soon as he stepped out, his body shifted between the secret realm and the real world.

A gentle wave appeared beneath his feet, lifting him and Zhang Xuezhou, who was following beside him, out of the lake and towards the Demon King Luli who was seeking medicine on the lake shore.

"He's not dead enough!"

Looking at the bowl-sized hole in the Tiger Strength Demon King's right chest, with flesh and internal organs clearly visible, Zou Bugui but gasp.

Even a demon couldn't withstand such injuries.

Li Guang's arrows did not inflict ordinary penetrating damage; instead, they exploded upon impact, making them completely different from normal arrow wounds.

"That rate of fire is comparable to a bullet!"

This effect is easily produced when a bullet strikes the human body at high speed.

The bullet casing doesn't simply pass through human flesh and tissue; instead, it explodes, creating a bloody hole with a single shot.

Some large-caliber firearms are capable of producing headshots and similar effects.

Through the Tiger Strength Demon King's injuries, Zhang Xuezhou had already gained a preliminary understanding of the power of Li Guang's shooting.