Chapter 38

Everyone was stunned. They had originally thought that Shen Xiang was very likely to turn the stone purple, but now he had shattered the stone with a single punch. This kind of violent force was so powerful that even the strength-measuring stone could not withstand it.

Those who had turned the strength-measuring stone blue or purple were considered the best among the younger generation, but now that Shen Xiang could shatter the stone, it was clear that his strength far exceeded that of the previous people!

Shen Xiang had not expected this result. Now he had broken their strength-measuring stone, and he was worried that the Yao family would demand compensation.

"Um... Did I pass? I didn't mean to break it. I just wanted to test my strongest force, and I didn't expect to be so lucky and break it right away!" Shen Xiang scratched his head and laughed foolishly.

Everyone looked at him with disdain. Breaking the stone by luck, only an idiot would believe his nonsense.

"You passed!" the person in charge of the test said. If this didn't count as passing, no one would be able to pass.

Another stamp was added to Shen Xiang's paper, indicating that he could participate in the martial arts competition in the capital. He was relieved that the Yao family did not demand compensation for the damage to the strength-measuring stone.

Of course, the strength Shen Xiang tested was not his full strength. He had only used fire and wood true qi, and there were still three other types of true qi he had not used. If all five types of true qi were fused together, his strength would be even more powerful!

After many days of cultivation, Shen Xiang could perfectly fuse his fire and wood true qi, complementing each other to form a more powerful true qi, making his strength even more formidable. This was also the reason why he was hard to match among those of the same level!

After registering, Shen Xiang started refining pills again. Despite his young age, the pills he refined were more numerous than those refined by some old pill masters, as Shen Lu Zong had said.

Shen Xiang had learned many pill-refining techniques and insights from Su Mei Yao, and he was happy to share them with Shen Lu Zong, which greatly benefited Shen Lu Zong. Shen Lu Zong believed that these insights were Shen Xiang's own realizations, and he admired his great-grandson even more.

After about ten days, six golden fruits appeared on the golden spirit fruit tree in Shen Xiang's small courtyard. They were about the size of a fist, shimmering in the sunlight, and looked very beautiful. If you got close, you could feel the strong spiritual energy emitted by the golden spirit fruits.

"This is a high-grade mystic spirit fruit! I really want to taste one!" Shen Xiang swallowed hard. If the old pill masters knew he had this thought, they would beat him up. Using such a golden spirit fruit for eating was simply a waste of a precious resource.

Shen Xiang carefully picked the six golden spirit fruits and put them in his storage bag. Then he hurriedly left the shop and went to a place next to the Pill Fragrance Medicine Shop where people posted notices to find pill masters to help refine pills. He posted the notice he had prepared in advance.

"Shen Family Pill King Pavilion is hiring three pill masters who can refine high-grade ordinary pills. The reward is golden spirit fruits..."

The notice also included an address and his name. Although Shen Xiang had six golden spirit fruits, he wanted to keep some for himself, as the golden spirit fruits were very useful for refining foundation-establishing pills.

Shen Xiang returned to the shop and waited patiently. He knew that pill masters would soon come, as golden spirit fruits were high-grade mystic spirit fruits, extremely precious, and something every pill master desired. They would surely attract many pill masters.

Shen Xiang didn't have to wait long before someone arrived. To his surprise, it wasn't a pill master, but the owner of the Pill Fragrance Medicine Shop, Hua Yue Yun!

Shen Lu Zong was also very puzzled. He didn't know that Shen Xiang was using golden spirit fruits to hire pill masters, or he would have been jumping up and down.

Hua Yue Yun got off the carriage and rushed into the shop. This time, she wasn't wearing a veil and was dressed in a snow-white dress, looking elegant and noble.

Shen Xiang looked at her beautiful face, which was filled with a hint of resentment, and asked, "President Hua, is there something you need?"

Hua Yue Yun let out a light hum and asked seriously, "Did you really use golden spirit fruits as a reward to hire pill masters?"

Shen Lu Zong was stunned and quickly looked at Shen Xiang, who nodded and shrugged, saying, "Is there a problem? Is it not allowed?"

Shen Lu Zong was so shocked that he let out a strange cry and shouted, "You brat, you actually have golden spirit fruits, and you're using them as a reward for pill masters? Are you crazy?"

Golden spirit fruits were rare and hard to come by. People who obtained them usually kept them for themselves, only selling the skin and core.

Shen Xiang coughed and took out two golden fruits, placing them on the table. A strange spiritual energy immediately spread out, shocking Shen Lu Zong and Hua Yue Yun!

They didn't expect Shen Xiang to have two.

"You... you... you..." Shen Lu Zong pointed at Shen Xiang, speechless.

Hua Yue Yun let out a light sigh. After all, she came from a major sect and had seen many things, but she still found it incredible that a young man like Shen Xiang could possess so many treasures.

Qianwen Fruit, Hell Lingzhi, Thousand-Year Beast Pill, and now golden spirit fruits—any one of these was extremely precious.

At this moment, Shen Xiang took out another golden spirit fruit, shocking Shen Lu Zong and Hua Yue Yun again. Shen Xiang chuckled, "Great-uncle, I know you are a person of great depth. I'll entrust these three golden spirit fruits to you. One is for you, and the other two are for hiring pill masters. When the pill masters come, you can be the one to vet them."

Hua Yue Yun looked at the three golden fruits on the table, her lips slightly pursed, her face showing a complex expression. In her view, Shen Xiang was a rare and talented pill master, with a great chance of reaching the True Martial Realm, but she couldn't tempt him to join the Pill Fragrance Peach Garden!

Shen Lu Zong's hands trembled as he carefully put away the three golden spirit fruits, then suppressed his excitement and asked, "Where did you get these?"

Shen Xiang casually replied, "I found them last night while practicing in a hidden place in the wilderness. I moved the tree back."

"Golden spirit fruit trees usually produce five fruits. It seems you are really swimming in wealth now!" Hua Yue Yun's alluring eyes blinked at Shen Xiang, incredibly seductive.

Shen Xiang turned his head to avoid her gaze and asked, "President Hua, what brings you here?"

Hua Yue Yun huffed, "I just wanted to see if you really had golden spirit fruits. But your approach is too high-profile, which will cause trouble. The Yao family didn't take your Shen Family Pill King Pavilion seriously before, but now that you're using golden spirit fruits to attract pill masters, they won't let you open smoothly."

"Whoever dares to stop me, I'll destroy them!" Shen Lu Zong shouted loudly, his voice full of authority. He had now obtained the golden spirit fruits, and with time, he could refine pills to help him break through his bottleneck.