Sensing that she’d gone, Meng Hao sighed in relief. A wry smile appeared on his face. Everything about the East Pill Division was good except for Chu Yuyan. With her here, he didn’t feel secure.
“If she keeps causing problems for me, I might have to think of some other method to deal with her….” His eyes shined with a cold light, but his face’s usual calm expression returned. He stopped thinking about Chu Yuyan. With the wave of a hand, the earthly fire within his Immortal’s Cave sprang to life. A pill furnace appeared to hover directly over the fire.
This particular furnace of Meng Hao’s had three cranes carved onto its surface. As the furnace began to glow red from the heat, the three cranes turned the color of blood. They looked like they might fly out from the surface of the furnace at any moment. It was a cowing sight.
Meng Hao had traded a large collection of medicinal pills and plants with a veteran master alchemist to acquire this Blood Crane furnace. Having used it for some time, he was very familiar with it.
The furnace quickly became bright red, but Meng Hao stood off to the side, paying it no attention. A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
“What type of pill should I concoct for the Pill Auction…” he thought. Hundreds of pill formulas flashed through his mind, but none of them caught his attention. Enough time passed for an incense stick to burn. The pill furnace was as red as blood, and its glow filled the entire Immortal’s cave, causing everything to look red. Meng Hao’s eyes suddenly flashed.
“I’ll concoct a poison pill!” Based on Meng Hao’s understanding of the Dao of alchemy, poison pills generally did not have recipes that were handed down. They were usually created spontaneously or from memory by the master alchemist. This prevented unauthorized pill formulas from being passed around.
Poison pills were somewhat of a taboo. However, most master alchemists would research and concoct them at some point. It was a way to prove not only a master alchemist’s skill in the Dao of alchemy, but rather, his understanding of plants and vegetation. One must have a thorough mastery of the variations of plants and vegetation to be able to concoct a poison pill uniquely classified as belonging to a given master alchemist.
A pill created by one person that ten thousand people couldn’t dispel. All master alchemists thirsted to create something like this.
Meng Hao took a deep breath, then sat down cross legged next to the pill furnace. He allowed the heat from it to fill his body, and then closed his eyes. He sat silently in meditation. Days passed. The fire continued to burn. The Blood Crane furnace showed no signs of degrading; it maintained its bright red appearance the entire time.
Seven days later, Meng Hao’s eyes suddenly opened. His eyes were filled with determination.
“This poison pill will not be a pill to give to enemies, but to oneself. Poison, but not poison. Medicine, but not medicine. This pill….” He thought back to the time in the State of Zhao when he had killed Shangguan Xiu, and of the pearl Little Tiger had given him. The pearl caused one’s Cultivation base to rise by one level. Thanks to the help of the pearl, Meng Hao had been able to open the ancient path which led to the tenth level of Qi Condensation. 1
The images from that day sprung clearly into his mind. The pearl had fearsome power, and had left a deep impression on Meng Hao.