C18 Pill

Yang Huang grew up in a privileged household, yet he seldom felt any sense of superiority. He was an oddity from a young age—a genius whose intelligence made him stand out.

This very uniqueness subjected him to the scorn, mockery, and misunderstanding of others, including his own family.

Truth be told, Yang Guozhong always felt he had let his son down.

He had longed to make amends, but his efforts never bore fruit. He wanted to provide Yang Huang with a life of luxury, but that dream remained unfulfilled. He wished for his son to be the envy of the world, yet that too was not to be. He hoped Yang Huang would use his talents to overcome societal biases, but that aspiration also went unrealized.

It wasn't until Yang Huang left home to live on his own that the sense of debt solidified into an unspoken rift between father and son, a rift that eventually defined their relationship.

Despite the absence of animosity, Yang Huang continued to address Yang Guozhong as his father, and Yang Guozhong still referred to Yang Huang as his son. However, there was an intangible void in their bond.

These issues remained unresolved. But what Yang Guozhong could do was provide his physically frail son with ample protection.

As evidenced by the present moment, with everyone bowing down under his imposing presence, some of the youths even vomiting blood—all because they had insulted Yang Huang.

"Son, I've called you here today to discuss two important matters."

...

Stepping out of the mansion, Yang Huang clutched a wooden brocade box, once again escorted by the officer who had led him in.

Back at No.8 Hidden Corpse Hall, Yang Huang gazed at the brocade box in his hands, exhaling a soft sigh.

"My father has gone to great lengths to enable me to cultivate..."

Upon opening the box, a rich aroma wafted out, revealing a green pellet the size of a marble.

"This appears to be an unfinished Marrow Cleansing Pill. It's packed with ingredients, and I can sense they were concocted from resources found on Earth. But what I'm curious about is where my father managed to find a Pill Refining Master willing to undertake such an effort to craft this pill?" Yang Huang turned the Marrow Cleansing Pill over in his hands, pondering the intricacies of its creation.

"This must be why he summoned so many people today and handed me the pill in person," Yang Huang mused, shaking his head in resignation. He was well aware of Yang Guozhong's motives.

For years, Yang Guozhong had been exhaustively scheming to support his cultivation. The Marrow Cleansing Pill, crafted by an unknown Pill Master, was in fact an incomplete product. It required potent Bloodline Power to activate its medicinal properties, and its effects were merely half as potent as a fully-realized Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Yang Huang's public appearance today was orchestrated to announce that the Marrow Cleansing Pill was a gift from Yang Guozhong to his son. Moreover, he leveraged his formidable strength to overtly deter the family's relatives from openly harassing Yang Huang.

Since direct confrontation was off the table, covert actions were the only alternative, which played right into Yang Guozhong's hands. He anticipated that someone would clandestinely target Yang Huang, either to snatch the Marrow Cleansing Pill or, knowing it had been consumed, to kill Yang Huang and claim its power. After all, if Yang Huang ingested the pill, his blood would be infused with its potency, and drinking his blood soon after would grant the same Marrow Cleansing benefits.

Yang Guozhong's strategy served a dual purpose. First, since the Marrow Cleansing Pill was incomplete, it wouldn't radiate its medicinal power immediately upon consumption. He wanted Yang Huang to harness the Bloodline Power during a life-or-death crisis to fully absorb the pill's benefits. Second, he was curious to see which family members would dare to strike at Yang Huang.

These motives were transparent to Yang Huang. "I suspect my father's men have been shadowing me since I left the house," he said, sensing two exceptionally strong presences nearby.

Glancing at the brocade box in his hand, Yang Huang chuckled and shook his head. Inside, alongside the Marrow Cleansing Pill, lay another pill—a creamy white one brimming with overwhelming Spiritual Energy, even perceptible to Yang Huang.

"This pill could be a significant boost to my strength, and it's not just a prototype—it's the real deal. This is the bait my dad dangled in front of me," Yang Huang mused. He was aware that not everyone was bold enough to attempt to kill him for his Marrow Cleansing abilities, but everyone was certainly interested in increasing their own strength. Thus, this white pill was nothing short of a treasure in the eyes of Evolvers.

Yang Huang had no idea where Yang Guozhong had acquired such a pill, but its value to him was undeniable. It might even mark the beginning of his journey as a Pill Refining Master.

"Perhaps it's time to let my dad in on a few things. Mainly to inform the person behind him. It could turn out to be more beneficial than harmful to me. Besides, it's also a way to return the favor for the pills he's given me," Yang Huang contemplated as he sat cross-legged, fiddling with the two pills in his hands.

An hour later, an odd presence wafted into the No.8 Hidden Corpse Hall, signaling to Yang Huang that someone had arrived.

"It's surprising how impatient they are; they couldn't even wait and came straight here," Yang Huang thought. He had expected them to come under the cover of darkness, not brazenly during broad daylight.

"Maybe they think I'm an easy target."

The tap-tapping of leather shoes on the floor grew louder and closer, and it wasn't just a single set of footsteps.

Soon after, the door to Yang Huang's room swung open, revealing three tall men dressed in black suits and sporting black sunglasses.

Yang Huang didn't recognize any of the trio, but it was clear that they were sent by the Yang family at such a time.

"Yang Huang, you know why we're here, so please cooperate. Though we're following orders, we have no desire to harm you. After all, you are the son of Yang Guozhong," the central figure spoke, straightening his suit and maintaining a stoic face.

"I'm aware you don't want to harm me, but I'm quite keen on seeing you dead!" Yang Huang said, his voice laced with malice as he flashed a sinister smile. As he grinned, his right hand shot up, releasing three barely visible threads that glinted faintly in the sunlight. Unbeknownst to them, the threads pierced the foreheads of the three men in black.

"Laughable. What bizarre trick do you think you can use to save yourself? I must commend your naivety. Haven't you realized that in the face of absolute power, all tricks are utterly futile?" The man in the middle let out a cold laugh, clearly unconvinced that Yang Huang had the power to contend with them.

Although their power was meager compared to the current state of Earth, just barely meeting the standard, it was absolute in its dominance over ordinary people. Yet, the inconceivable occurred. Three seemingly insubstantial threads, precise as surgical scalpels, stripped the life from three men clad in black. To their dying breath, they couldn't fathom what had just transpired—why their bodies had abruptly turned cold, their blood ceased to flow, and their consciousness vanished into oblivion.

"Indeed, under absolute power, all methods seem utterly insignificant."

"I had no intention of intervening," Yang Huang stated, unmoving as he observed the three rigid corpses before him as though they were mere cucumbers. The threads that had slain the men in black were crafted from his Genuine Qi. Even a single thread was imbued with a Spiritual Force that far surpassed that of the three men.

He paid the men in black no mind, instead directing his focus to the two corners of the main hall on the first floor of the Hidden Corpse Hall, where two auras flickered in and out of existence. Though immensely powerful, these auras bore no malice.

Yang Huang understood that these individuals were sent by his father to ensure his safety. His act of killing was a demonstration for them.

"Their power exceeds the world's recognized strength levels. Their auras are neither those of Evolvers nor cultivators. Who are they?" Yang Huang mused, patiently awaiting their departure. He knew that once they recognized his strength, they wouldn't linger.

Yang Guozhong had long been troubled by his son's inability to become an Evolver, a fact that also served as the Yang family's greatest embarrassment. But now, a revolutionary truth stood before them, one that would undoubtedly astonish his two subordinates. If they were truly loyal to Yang Guozhong, they'd be itching to rush back to the central villa to relay this thrilling news.

Imagining their reaction upon learning he wasn't worthless, Yang Huang allowed himself a soft laugh. This was merely the first move in his strategy to achieve his next objective, with many more steps to follow.

Additionally, the two pills Yang Guozhong provided had sparked a significant epiphany. He pondered the possibility that biology and pill refining might not be entirely disconnected. Perhaps he could forge a unique path in pill refining.

He was aware that pill refining was not an endeavor for a mere Essence Refining Qi Transforming cultivator to undertake. To attempt such a feat would be to court certain death.

Having assimilated several cultivation techniques, Yang Huang understood that in the realm of cultivation, one must generate a wisp of flame within their body and cultivate it to refine pills. This was no ordinary flame, but a True Fire with temperatures soaring to tens of thousands of degrees or even higher.

Consider the notion of storing such a flame within the body—could an average person manage that? Yang Huang certainly hadn't reached that capability.

Yet, if he could take an unconventional approach to achieve this, even if the effectiveness was a mere one percent, it would be worthwhile.

Thus, he temporarily set aside other pursuits, eager to visit the laboratory. His research was not limited to pills; he was also keen to explore talismans, array formations, and the art of weapon refining.

In contrast, Yang Huang relegated the enhancement of his cultivation base to the lowest priority. This was due to the unique nature of the Grand Upper Essence Returning Divine One Qi. His decision to cultivate this mysterious technique was not a rash desire for quick success but was reasoned.

Although he intended to visit the laboratory, he first summoned Ding Yuhuan, as there were important matters he needed to entrust to her.