Chapter 122: Rushing to Be First

"I asked you to answer my question and identify the flaws in my Pulse-Expanding Pill refinement, but instead, you insulted my concubine by saying she's not a human. What do you mean by that?"

Even with Lin Mo's usual good temper, he was somewhat displeased.

Not only did his face darken, but everyone else also had strange expressions. What was happening? Why did the conversation suddenly turn into an insult?

"Master Lin, there's no need to be anxious!" Zhang Xuan seemed to anticipate his reaction, looking over with an amused smile. "Recently, Master, have you been...?"

"Uh..." Hearing the question, Lin Mo's face reddened, looking a little embarrassed. "My recently married concubine... perhaps... perhaps..."

Being an old man with a young wife, and having married a beautiful girl under eighteen, Lin Mo naturally doted on her immensely.

"Haha!"

"Master Lin, I didn't realize you had such a taste!"

"Indeed... an old man's youthful exuberance!"

"Impressive, I must say!"

The other alchemists couldn't help but laugh upon hearing their conversation. Taking a wife and concubines was something any man would do, but taking a concubine under eighteen... Master Lin certainly had a unique "interest."

Hearing the laughter of his old friends, Master Alchemist Lin Mo was filled with embarrassment. He looked at Zhang Xuan, "This... there shouldn't be anything wrong with that, right? It shouldn't have much of an impact, should it?"

It's not uncommon for ordinary people either.

"Purely on its own, there's nothing wrong with that, but... Master Lin, have you been taking any inappropriate medications?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This..." Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. The other party was right; although his cultivation wasn't weak, his age was certainly a factor, and he wasn't as strong as before. He had indeed been taking some medicine recently.

"Those medicines were probably suggested by your concubine, weren't they?" Zhang Xuan continued.

"Uh... yes!" Lin Mo nodded.

As an alchemist, he naturally knew that all medicine has some toxicity and he generally preferred not to take any lightly. However, he couldn't resist his concubine's persistence and had to take them. The medicine was also provided by her, and after taking it, indeed...

"Your alchemy techniques, sequence, and every other aspect are correct, yet you can't refine the Pulse-Expanding Pill!" Zhang Xuan walked around Master Alchemist Lin Mo with his hands behind his back, no longer pursuing the topic of the concubine. Instead, he continued speaking about alchemy: "I observed for a while, and at first I couldn't find the reason. I was wondering if it was a problem with the pill furnace or something else, when I suddenly recalled a passage from a book!"

"The book is called 'Minor Analysis of Pill Formation,' left by Senior Mu Yang, a Third-Grade Alchemist. It's in the elementary library and lists hundreds of reasons why pills fail to form. One entry, verbatim, states: 'If one's vital essence is depleted and not fully restored, even with flawless technique, the elixir will be difficult to complete.' The meaning is simple: if one's vital essence is depleted and cannot be fully restored, even if the technique is correct, it's hard to form the pill. This 'pill formation' refers specifically to the Pulse-Expanding Pill!"

"Thinking of this, I came closer to you and indeed smelled the distinct fragrance of a young woman's body and cosmetics on you, which is why I asked about the concubine! Actually, simply marrying a concubine wouldn't cause such a depletion of vital essence that pill formation becomes difficult. The key is... you've fundamentally damaged yourself!"

"Fundamentally damaged myself?" Lin Mo was stunned.

"That's right. Humans have a fundamental essence, and depleting it brings misfortune. Any alchemist should have heard of this. With your strength at Martial Artist Sixth-layer Acupoint Opening realm, it's true that a minor depletion wouldn't be significant; you could recover completely with half a day of meditation. But the crucial point is that you shouldn't have taken the 'tonic' medicine she gave you. These drugs are actually a type of hallucinogenic poison that stimulates the mind, giving you a temporary boost... but their toxicity then spreads throughout your body, causing fundamental damage!"

"As time goes on, your body will progressively weaken until death! Outwardly, it will look no different from normal aging, and even the most skilled alchemist wouldn't be able to detect it! If I'm not mistaken, if you continue taking these, you'll age significantly within six months and surely die within a year—no divine intervention could save you!"

"The Pulse-Expanding Pill expands the meridians of cultivators and is a highly invigorating elixir. With your fundamental essence depleted and your vital essence, qi, and spirit unable to concentrate, it's naturally impossible to sustain the refinement of such a pill. Its failure is perfectly normal!"

Zhang Xuan paused after saying this. "Such a medicine, capable of deceiving even an alchemist like yourself, must be incredibly rare and valuable. If your concubine claimed ignorance... I would find it hard to believe. That's why I said she was 'not a thing.' If I offended you, please forgive me!"

"This... this..." Lin Mo's body trembled, and he stumbled back several steps. The other party's words were logical, incisive, and sounded as if he had witnessed everything firsthand.

He had thought it was his own doing... but he was actually drugged! Despicable! Utterly despicable!

"That vixen! I doted on her so much, and all this time she was secretly trying to harm me..." Clenching his fists, Lin Mo's eyes turned red.

"Alright, Master Lin, if you think I'm wrong, there should be a way to prove it! This question, consider it answered by me!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"What you said is completely correct. I, Lin Mo, have learned a valuable lesson. For this Pill Debate, I concede defeat!" Master Alchemist Lin Mo surrendered without the slightest hesitation.

What the other party said was incisive and his analysis perfectly logical, without any error. It was impossible not to be convinced.

Crucially, he had also recently noticed his body gradually declining and had thought it was due to age. He never imagined his concubine was behind it.

Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and paid no further attention.

It was the other person's family matter, and he couldn't be bothered to interfere.

Then, he looked at the three remaining alchemists. "It's just you three left. Ask whatever questions you have all at once!"

Seven of the ten alchemists had already conceded. If these three also surrendered, it would mean he had passed the Pill Debate and would become a formal alchemist.

"Brother Zhang Xuan, you're truly brilliant! As it happens, I have a question I'd like to ask!" An alchemist stood up.

"Brother Lu, don't rush. By age, it should be my turn now. I've also just thought of a question!" Another alchemist stood up.

"Don't scramble, you two. If anyone's asking, it should be me first. After all, I became an alchemist before both of you..." The last elder also quickly rose.

"Huh?" Zhang Xuan's face was filled with a strange expression. Just moments ago, these people had shunned him like a viper, and despite his repeated invitations, no one dared to ask a question. Now, they were falling over each other, eager to ask.

Had they... each taken the wrong medicine?