A Spirit Pill’s status among elixirs was akin to a Spiritual Artifact’s status among Profound Soldiers—they were exceedingly rare finds. Even a Pill King wouldn’t casually attempt to refine a Spirit Pill, as the failure rate was far too high.

A Pill King who managed to refine a Spirit Pill more than three times in their life would have enough to look down on the entire Pill Realm. In the current Azure Sky Realm, however, Pill Kings were virtually extinct. At least, no one in the Southern Domain had ever heard of anyone becoming a Pill King.

And now, someone was standing before the Ninth-Grade Alchemist Yur Piaoyun, claiming he could refine a Spirit Pill—and this person was a youth not yet twenty years of age.

’If I’m not dreaming, then this kid is insane.’

Yur Piaoyun’s dark, bearded face twisted with anger. He pointed a finger at Qin Ya and roared, "You brat, Qin Ya! How dare you mock us like this? Refine a Spirit Pill? Do you take us for three-year-olds?"

Even the normally composed Ancient King’s eyes grew cold upon hearing this. "Leave Liubo Island before I develop the intent to kill," he said, his voice frigid. "From this day forward, you are forbidden from ever setting foot here again. Otherwise, you will die!"

His patience with the young man had reached its absolute limit.

Ting Xiao, the sword at Qin Ya’s waist, trembled twice. The Sword Spirit’s voice immediately echoed in his mind, "Ha, it’s no wonder the two of them don’t believe it. Becoming a Pill King at your age would have been unthinkable even ten thousand years ago. If you hadn’t received the Pill Venerable’s legacy, I’d be skeptical too."

Indeed, countless people had thrown themselves into the Alchemy Dao, one after another, yet Alchemists who could reach the Realm of the Pill King were one in ten million. For someone of Qin Ya’s age, even reaching the level of a Tier Six or Seven Alchemist would have been an incredible feat.

But to claim to have reached the status of the King of Elixirs... Heh. Not only would no one believe you, they would think you were a lunatic.

’I saw this coming.’

Qin Ya smiled, but he was inwardly annoyed. In the world of the Alchemy Dao, he was a Venerable. He had come here to perform alchemy for the king, and the man dared to question him like this?

If not for the favor he owed the Ancient King, and the pack of Extraordinary Martial Artists outside watching him like vultures, he would have stormed out long ago.

"If you two do not believe me, I can prove it," Qin Ya said calmly.

"There is no need. Get off Liubo Island at once. This is not your sanctuary, and the Ancient King does not tolerate being made a fool of," the Ancient King said coldly.

Qin Ya suppressed the urge to storm off. A vein throbbed on his forehead as he took a deep breath, retrieved a bottle of pills from his Storage Ring, and said, "This elixir is called the Nourishing Spirit Pill. It is an Eighth-Grade, Upper Class pill, used specifically to restore one’s Divine Thought. However, the Ancient King’s Divine Thought is too severely damaged for this elixir to cure it completely."

"I will gift this elixir to the Ancient King. In return, I need him to prepare some Spiritual Medicines for me. I will prove that I can refine a Spirit Pill," Qin Ya stated.

With that, he tossed the Nourishing Spirit Pill to Yur Piaoyun. "With your skills as a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, you should be able to tell if this pill is real or fake. As for the ingredients, we can discuss them tomorrow. I’m tired today, so I’ll be taking my leave."

"Hey, Qin Ya! You rotten brat, get back here!"

Behind him, Yur Piaoyun was so furious his beard practically stood on end, but Qin Ya didn’t even glance back. He simply walked away, his figure gradually vanishing from their sight.

"And you just let him walk away," Yur Piaoyun grumbled.

The Ancient King stared deeply in the direction Qin Ya had disappeared, then turned to Yur Piaoyun. "My friend, first check if that Nourishing Spirit Pill is real."

"If it’s a fake, I will personally throw him off Liubo Island."

"Tch. The Nourishing Spirit Pill may be an Eighth-Grade Elixir, but its refining difficulty surpasses most Ninth-Grade Elixirs. Even I only have a three percent success rate. This so-called Nourishing Spirit Pill is probably..."

Yur Piaoyun opened the bottle as he spoke. Instantly, a pure fragrance permeated the entire hall. The Pill Fragrance wafted into their nostrils, seeping into their pores and acupoints, transforming into a cool, refreshing sensation that swept through their bodies. It was as if a basin of ice water had been dumped over their heads on a sweltering day; their minds felt instantly revitalized.

This was especially true for the Ancient King. He could feel his Divine Thought stirring, pulsing with an excited, joyful sensation he hadn’t experienced in twenty long years. In that moment, he felt as if he had been reborn.

Yur Piaoyun swallowed the rest of his words. He stared at the Nourishing Spirit Pill in his hand, his eyes wide with shock, and his voice trembled. "This... this really is a Nourishing Spirit Pill. And it’s of the highest quality! This is incredible!"

He immediately thrust the elixir at the Ancient King. "Quick, quick! You old coot, take this Nourishing Spirit Pill! It will be a tremendous help to your Divine Thought."

The Ancient King accepted the Nourishing Spirit Pill, a flicker of excitement in his eyes, but he quickly forced himself to remain calm. "This Nourishing Spirit Pill is real. It seems Qin Ya wasn’t lying to us. Let him stay on the island for the time being."

"My friend... do you think he can actually refine a Spirit Pill?"

For some reason, a thought that would seem preposterous to any ordinary person surfaced in the Ancient King’s mind. Yur Piaoyun froze for a moment, then, after a brief pause, shook his head with a wry smile. "That’s impossible. A Spirit Pill... it’s just too difficult."

He had dedicated over a century to the Alchemy Dao and had become a Ninth-Grade Alchemist twelve years ago. Yet for twelve years, he had remained stuck at that threshold, unable to advance a single inch. Only then did he truly understand that a Pill King and a Ninth-Grade Alchemist were fundamentally different. If a Pill King was a King, then all other alchemists were merely subjects.

How could he possibly believe that a mere boy could refine a Spirit Pill?

"Wait a minute. If he can just pull out one bottle of Nourishing Spirit Pills, he might have a second or even a third! No, I have to find him right now. See if I can buy them. If I can’t buy them... well, I’ll just have to take them."

With that, Yur Piaoyun rushed toward the palace exit. The Ancient King stepped forward to stop him. "Wait, my friend. Don’t be so hasty."

"Qin Ya is a proud man," the Ancient King said slowly. "After how we treated him, he must be furious, even if he didn’t show it. If you go to him now, you’ll likely just be asking for a snub. It would be better to wait until tomorrow."

"I’ll risk getting snubbed."

A wave of warmth flowed through the Ancient King as he looked at his stubborn friend. He smiled and said, "Relax, my friend. There are plenty of Martial Artists outside Liubo Island who are after him. He knows perfectly well that staying here is his safest option."

"Since he’s here, there’s no need to rush."

"Well... alright, then." Yur Piaoyun finally relented. Then, as if remembering something, he said hurriedly, "I almost forgot! There’s still some of the antidote for Li Fei and the other one left over. I need to get back and study it."

"It might give me some new insights for my own Alchemy Dao."

With that said, he scurried back to his Alchemy Room.

The Ancient King watched him go, a helpless smile touching his lips. His gaze then fell to the Nourishing Spirit Pill in his hand, and he sank into deep thought. ’Qin Ya... I truly cannot figure you out.’