Reborn as Xu Xuan, Plundering Perks & Flooding the Mountain Ling

Chapter 8: A Pill to the Size of a Fist? Who Are You Trying to Fool?

“You, you, and you! You’re all lying through your teeth!”

Master Xuan Mu might be old, but he wasn’t stupid. From the very beginning, something felt off. And by now, he could clearly see what these three were scheming. Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Ming at least looked a little guilty, But Master Xuan Mo, with his thick skin, remained perfectly calm.

“Senior Brother, tell me—what exactly did we say that was wrong?”

Xuan Mu was about to respond, but he couldn’t find a flaw in their argument. Technically, the assessment wasn’t over yet. Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo were just making predictions. Frustrated, Xuan Mu could only huff, “Fine, I get why the Weapon Forging and the Combat sect want him, but why in the world does a Talisman master like you want to interfere?”

Master Xuan Mo chuckled.

“Who would turn down a good thing? If they’re all fighting over him, I might as well join in too! As for whether he’s worth it, I’ll decide after I get him.”

Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Ming both nodded in agreement, while Xuan Mu rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out.

T/N: lmaoo they really treat him like some impulse-shopping item

“Hmph! And what makes you so sure that Xu Xuan can’t refine this pill? What if he’s a once-in-a-millennia prodigy and gets it right on his first try?”

“Senior Brother… do you honestly believe that? If I recall correctly… You, a Master of Alchemy, first practised with Cooling Elixir, and even you took seven whole days to succeed. This Bone Restoration Pill is several times harder than that. Ha… Do you really believe he can do it?”

Xuan Mu fell silent, but internally, he was full of regret. Amidst all this chaos, Xu Xuan was refining the pill at his own pace, oblivious to the wildfire he ignited.

With [Master of Alchemy] as a support, he had already mastered the process for the Bone Restoration Pill. Adjusting the heat at just the right moments, and adding ingredients in the precise order and quantity—his movements were smooth and precise—he was steady as a veteran.

He had a natural talent for alchemy! Not only that—his Herculean strength and fire control skills…If Xuan Mu lost him, he’d regret it for the rest of his life! But thanks to his own big mouth, he had set the difficulty so high. If Xu Xuan failed the test, he’d be like a lamb thrown into a pack of wolves. Would he still be able to recruit him? Highly uncertain.

Ah… I was a fool, being impulsive at my age! No, I need to think of a way out! Even if he fails, I must take him in!

As time passed, the flames beneath the furnace began to die down. But the eyes of the audience only grew brighter.

“It’s over. It’s over. It’s over…”

“What’s over? Did Xu Xuan fail?”

“Not yet, but he might as well have! The fire has gone out, so the pill must be done.”

“But done and failed are basically the same thing.”

“You don’t think he succeeded, do you?”

With all eyes fixed on him, Xu Xuan slowly opened the first furnace. The moment he did, a wave of intense heat surged outward. Master Xuan Mu peered inside and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Although the heat was overwhelming and steam filled the air, Xuan Mu, a Golden Core master, could see clearly. And inside the furnace…There was no Bone Restoration Pill. Instead, there was only a lump of black medicinal paste.

“Sigh… This batch is a failure. Our only hope now is the second furnace.”

The other three masters shook their heads slightly, and soon, the news spread outside the hall.

“The first furnace failed! I heard it didn’t even form pills—just turned into a black paste!”

“What a shame. A real waste of talent. Now, everything depends on the second batch.”

Fan Rui, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear, as if he hadn’t been the first victim of Xu Xuan’s Drunken-Dream Powder.

“This was obvious from the start! What’s there to be sad about? Forget the first batch, I bet the second one is just as bad!”

Just as he spoke, Xu Xuan opened the second furnace. Master Xuan Mu ignored the heat and leaned in immediately. And then—his eyes widened in pure shock.

“This… This can’t be real?!”

“Xuan Mu, what’s going on?! Did something happen?!”

Xuan Mu’s expression was complicated. It was a mix of disbelief, astonishment, and utter confusion. Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo all rushed forward. Three more stunned faces appeared.

“This… How is this even possible?!”

Outside the hall, Fan Rui’s heart sank. A sudden bad premonition filled his mind.

No way. There’s no way he actually succeeded! It’s impossible! Absolutely impossible! I must be overthinking this!

As Fan Rui spiralled into doubt, Master Xuan Mu’s voice echoed from inside the hall, and his tone was thrilled yet strangely urgent.

“Xu Xuan has successfully refined the Bone Restoration Pill! He has passed the assessment! From this day forward, he is officially a disciple of the Alchemy Sect!”

The crowd of outer disciples froze in place. Every single one of them were in utter shock as if the words had struck them like lightning. Fan Rui felt like his entire world collapsed. He shook his head wildly as if trying to wake from a nightmare.

Impossible! This is impossible! He had never even seen Bone Restoration Pill before—how could he have refined it?! I got it! They’re covering for him!

Fan Rui stormed into the hall, marching straight to the furnace. He leaned forward, took a look—and then…burst into wild laughter.

“It’s all fake! It’s all a scam! I can’t believe the masters of Mount Longhu’s Heavenly Sect would stoop so low as to cheat for a servant disciple!”

A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.

“What?!”

“Has Fan Rui lost his mind?!”

“Is he seriously accusing the masters of fraud?!”

“So… what exactly did he see inside the furnace?”

Some inner disciples stepped forward to drag Fan Rui away, but Master Xuan Ming held up a hand to stop them.

“We need no explanations for fools like you. But Mount Longhu’s reputation must not be slandered! You claim we covered for him—what proof do you have?”

Fan Rui, true to his arrogance, showed no fear, even before a Golden Core master. Instead, he smirked even wider.

“Fine! You want proof? I’ll give you proof!”

Fan Rui thrust his hand into the scorching furnace, pulling out a round, white-grey pill. Instantly, his entire arm was covered in burns, blood blisters bursting across his skin. Despite the pain, he held up the pill triumphantly. And the moment everyone saw it…they froze in place. Because ordinary pills…were only as big as a dragon’s eye. But the one in Fan Rui’s hand was larger than a baby’s fist.