9: Chapter 9 Please, Elder, show mercy.

Shen Biyao still wanted to explain, "Elder, I... it was he who harmed my Dao Companion, Xiao Cheng, first..."

"Silence!"

Elder Lu Chen shouted angrily, interrupting her. His voice was like a thunderclap, causing Shen Biyao's eardrums to ache.

"According to Sect rules, Disciples are forbidden from using poison against one another. Violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the Sect! As a Disciple of the Pill Pavilion, you should be even more aware of the dangers of Seven Absolutes Powder!"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became. With a wave of his hand, a terrifying Spiritual Qi enveloped Shen Biyao!

"Today, this old man shall cripple your cultivation to uphold the Sect rules!"

Shen Biyao's face turned deathly pale. Her knees went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground with a thud!

"Elder, please spare me! This Disciple was confused for a moment; I beg for the Elder's mercy!"

Her tears finally fell, and her body trembled like a sieve.

Elder Lu Chen remained unmoved. He raised his palm, and Spiritual Qi gathered in it, emitting a blinding light!

If this palm strike landed, all of the cultivation that Shen Biyao had painstakingly worked for over the years would be destroyed in an instant!

"Wait..."

A weak voice sounded.

Elder Lu Chen looked down and realized that Lin Yi had opened his eyes at some point.

Those eyes were bloodshot, and there was even black toxin seeping into the whites of his eyes.

Yet, his gaze remained clear, even carrying a hint of stubbornness.

"Elder, please... show mercy."

Elder Lu Chen furrowed his brows tightly.

He looked down at Lin Yi, a flash of confusion crossing his eyes.

"Kid, she is the one who poisoned you, yet you still wish to plead for her?"

Lin Yi struggled to pull at the corners of his mouth, revealing a forced smile.

That smile was very weak, as if it could disappear at any moment, but the determination within it was unquestionable.

"This Disciple has some history with her. She has merely strayed from the right path, she is not irredeemable... This Disciple is willing... to plead on her behalf, but this Disciple has a presumptuous request..."

"Speak."

"This Disciple requires a... breakthrough pill."

Upon hearing this, both Elder Lu Chen and Shen Biyao were stunned.

A breakthrough pill, as the name suggests, is a Medicinal Pill that helps a Cultivator achieve a Breakthrough in their Realm.

The grade of this Medicinal Pill is not low; even for an Elder of the Pill Pavilion to refine it, it requires a vast amount of precious medicinal ingredients.

Every breakthrough pill is worth a fortune, enough to bankrupt an ordinary Disciple.

Elder Lu Chen looked Lin Yi up and down.

"You want a breakthrough pill?"

"Yes," Lin Yi said, gasping for breath.

A flash of surprise crossed Elder Lu Chen's eyes. The aura exposed by Lin Yi before him was at most around the fifth or sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. Even accounting for the influence of the poison, in his judgment, this youth was at most at the Peak of the Qi Refining Realm. A breakthrough pill would only help him break through to the Qi Sea Realm... what use would that be for detoxifying?

He quickly furrowed his brows.

"With your cultivation, a breakthrough pill could indeed help you break through to the Qi Sea Realm. But you are currently afflicted by Seven Absolutes Powder, and the toxins have not been cleared. Consuming a breakthrough pill would only accelerate the spread of the toxins, and you would die even faster!"

"This Disciple knows." Lin Yi coughed twice, spitting out some black blood clots.

He had been suppressing his aura, and his current weak state served as a convenient cover. Xiao Cheng and Senior Sister Yun Lan were of low status and could not cause much trouble. However, Lin Yi really did not want to attract too much attention. The person before him was a big shot in the Sect; if he were to be targeted for having an overly high cultivation, it would likely not be a good thing... Therefore, even knowing he was being misunderstood, he did not explain.

"This Disciple has a way to detoxify, but I need the breakthrough pill... as an exchange," Lin Yi said.

Elder Lu Chen was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Lin Yi and Shen Biyao.

"Are you saying that you are willing to use your plea for Shen Biyao in exchange for a breakthrough pill?"

"That is correct."

"Do you know that, according to Sect rules, Shen Biyao's use of poison to harm others would result in her having her cultivation crippled at the very least, or even death at the most? If you plead for her, you are taking responsibility for her. If she commits an offense again in the future, you will also be implicated."

"This Disciple understands."

Elder Lu Chen stared at Lin Yi for a long time.

This young man dared to negotiate terms even while poisoned; he was either courageous or had a trump card.

And the composure he displayed did not seem to be faked.

After some thought, Elder Lu Chen nodded and said: "Very well. This old man agrees. As long as you do not pursue the matter of Shen Biyao using poison afterwards, this old man will gift you a breakthrough pill."

"Many thanks, Elder." Lin Yi let out a sigh of relief, his entire body collapsing onto the rubble.

Elder Lu Chen turned to look at Shen Biyao and said coldly: "Today, because this Disciple has pleaded for you, this old man will spare your life for now. However, while the death penalty is waived, punishment is unavoidable!"

He raised his hand and cast a spell, and a golden rune merged into Shen Biyao's body.

"From this day forth, you are confined for three years and may not step a single half-step outside the Pill Pavilion! If you dare to disobey, this old man will certainly execute you without mercy!"

Shen Biyao kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead striking the ground with a thudding sound.

"Many thanks for the Elder's mercy! Many thanks for the Elder's mercy!"

She stole a glance at Lin Yi, her eyes filled with complexity.

This man, even though he had been fed poison by her, actually pleaded for her?

Was he truly broad-minded, or did he have other motives?

Shen Biyao could not understand.

Elder Lu Chen paid her no more mind, bent down to help Lin Yi up, and pressed his palm against his back.

A stream of pure Spiritual Qi surged into Lin Yi's body, warm and gentle, like a hot spring flowing through a dried-up riverbed.

That Spiritual Qi circled through Lin Yi's body, gathering the toxins of the Seven Absolutes Powder together and wrapping them in a layer of faint light.

"This old man will first suppress the toxins for you; they will not flare up within seven days, but if you cannot detoxify after seven days, you will still undoubtedly die!" Elder Lu Chen said.

He was actually quite curious. Where did this unknown Outer Sect Disciple before him get the confidence to think that he could contend with the Seven Absolutes Powder, a strange poison of this world?

He had lived for four or five hundred years, and he was quite interested in seeing for himself.

Lin Yi nodded and said: "Seven days... is enough."

...

Elder Lu Chen took Lin Yi and left the ruins, arriving at a quiet room on the upper level of the Pill Pavilion.

The quiet room was not large, but it was decorated quite elegantly.

Several landscape paintings hung on the wall, filled with swirling Spiritual Qi, clearly the work of a Cultivator.

A bronze incense burner was placed in the corner, with curling smoke rising from it, emitting a refreshing and pleasant fragrance.

As the fragrance was inhaled into his lungs, Lin Yi felt his spirit lift, and even the pain caused by the toxins was alleviated by a few points.

"This is Soul-Calming Incense; it can stabilize the mind and alleviate pain," Elder Lu Chen explained.

Lin Yi nodded and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

Elder Lu Chen walked to the medicine cabinet on the side, opened three exquisite jade boxes, and placed them in front of Lin Yi.

"This old man promised to give you a breakthrough pill, but there are three types of breakthrough pills."

He opened the jade boxes one by one.

In the first jade box lay a golden Medicinal Pill.

The surface of the Medicinal Pill was wrapped in Dragon patterns and emitted a faint golden light.

The light was soft, but the Spiritual Qi contained within was extremely terrifying, and one could vaguely hear the sound of a Dragon's roar!

"This is the Golden Dragon breakthrough pill. Its medicinal properties are overbearing, suitable for those with superior Aptitude. After consuming it, there is a seventy percent chance of a Breakthrough, but it requires a strong Physical Body to withstand the impact of the medicinal power."

In the second jade box was a silver Medicinal Pill.

The surface of the Medicinal Pill had flickering starlights, like the stars in the night sky.

Every point of light was slowly rotating, as if containing some kind of profound truth of heaven and earth.

"This is the Starlight breakthrough pill. Its medicinal properties are gentle, suitable for those with average Aptitude. The chance of a Breakthrough is fifty percent; its advantage lies in being safe and stable, and it will not place a burden on the body."

In the third jade box was a drab, gray Medicinal Pill.

It was completely unremarkable, even somewhat ugly, looking just like a mud pellet.

It had no light and no unusual phenomena; if it were not placed in a jade box, Lin Yi would have even mistaken it for a pebble.