Magic Sect of Beauties: The Strongest Mage is in a Cultivation World

Huo Zirou clarified, "Just so we're clear, to impress me, an Apothecary Grandmaster, you'll need to either refine complex fourth-grade pills or any fifth-grade pills. Anything less is a tragic waste of my time."

"Could you please be quiet?" Yang Wei calmly told her. Then, he turned away, staring at the ceiling in deep contemplation.

Everyone was shocked by how easily those words left his mouth. However, they were all too scared to speak.

Who would dare tell Huo Zirou, a Nascent Soul cultivator, to shut her mouth? Apparently, this death-courting young man.

Huo Zirou's patience wore thin, her eyebrows slowly tightening and teeth grinding. She found everything about his personality absolutely disgusting.

Then, Wu Fengtian spoke up, catching her attention. "Um, Pill Master?"

Annoyed, Huo Zirou snapped, "What?" Truthfully, she'd almost forgotten that he was even here.

He nervously pleaded, "Could you please let me go? I-I... I didn't do anything wro—"

She'd had enough of this weasel of a student.

"I..."

Huo Zirou's hand shot out.

"Told..."

Her fingers curled as if she was grasping an invisible object.

"You to be..."

Instantly, Wu Fengtian felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs, choking him.

"Quiet!"

Huo Zirou's eyes flared as she used the Throat-Crushing Grasp that could only be used by mid-stage Core Formation cultivators. It was basically then exerting the strength of their cultivation base upon someone of a lower realm.

Gasping for breath, Wu Fengtian begged, "Master, please! You're—"

Huo Zirou tightened her grip, cutting off his words.

"Wu Fengtian?"

Struggling to speak, Wu Fengtian managed, "Yes, Master?"

Huo Zirou's voice was cold as ice. "Do you seek death?"

From nowhere, Yang Wei intervened, glaring at Huo Zirou. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mistreat my junior brother."

Relenting, Huo Zirou released her grip, clasping her arms behind her back. "My apologies."

Wu Fengtian collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

She wasn't the sort of woman to lose her composure, so even Yang Wei's disrespectful words wouldn't make her instantly want to kill him. And, she felt there would be no fun if she chose that alternative. Inside, she was burning up, however, she had to store her rage until Yang Wei failed to impress her.

Yang Wei's decisive clap cut through the tense atmosphere, drawing all eyes to him as if they had been waiting with bated breath for his next move.

"Alright, I know exactly what pill I'll be brewing."

"What is it?" Huo Zirou asked.

Yang Wei methodically listed the required ingredients on his fingers: "Dragon Blood Essence, Spirit Vine Root, Phoenix Feather Ash, Silver Moon Orchid Essence, Celestial Jade Elixir, and lastly..." He extended his other thumb, counting off the sixth ingredient, "Solar Heart Ember."

As Yang Wei outlined his recipe, the apothecary disciples grew increasingly disinterested; it was a rudimentary fourth-grade pill, hardly impressive.

However, their skepticism was soon replaced by astonishment—after he mentioned Solar Heart Ember.

Huo Zirou firmly folded her arms.

"From all the herbs you've mentioned, I'm more than certain you plan to concoct a Blood Strengthening Pill, yes?"

"Yes, that's it."

"The Blood Strengthening Pill is indeed potent, but it requires three days to brew and remains a basic fourth-grade pill. Most importantly..." Adjusting her straw hat to fix Yang Wei with a piercing glare, she continued, "you've read the manual and yet overlooked the final ingredient: the Moonlight Frost Crystal.

It's a crystalline plant harvested under the light of a full moon, it imparts a cold essence that tempers the blood cells, making them as resilient as steel."

"Huh?"

"In conclusion," Huo Zirou smiled smugly. "The Solar Heart Ember isn't a required herb."

Immediately, the gathered disciples laughed and ridiculed him.

"Who thought he'd be this stupid!"

"Star Disciple my ass! He can't even remember something he read a few minutes ago!"

"And he thinks he's suited to see in-between the Grandmaster's legs! Bahahah!"

"It's funny 'cause he thinks he's smart!"

Amidst the mockery, Liu Yan cast a concerned glance at Yang Wei, her worry veiled beneath a composed facade.

What're you doing for goodness sake...

Deng Rulan, noticing her unease, asked with a gentle smile, "Is everything alright?"

Maintaining her composure, Liu Yan reassured her, "Yes, everything's fine."

Meanwhile, Hu Meizhen simply reveled in laughter, finding amusement in Yang Wei's blunder. "He's such an idiot! Bahahahah!" she exclaimed between fits of giggles.

Laughter rippled through the crowd, but as the mirth faded, a curious sight unfolded: Yang Wei was laughing too.

Gradually, the chuckles dwindled until only Yang Wei's echoed in the hall.

Then, he silenced the residual laughter.

"Now that I have your undivided attention, I'm about to shake things up in two major ways today."

"What?" scoffed a skeptic from the crowd. "You're delusional!"

The jest sparked fresh waves of laughter, but Yang Wei remained unfazed, clapping along until the room quieted once more.

"Firstly," he continued, undeterred, "I'll brew the Blood Strengthening Pill in less than three minutes. And secondly, I'll correct the recipe's long-standing error."

His audacious declaration sent shockwaves through the assembly.

"He must be crazy!"

"That's a perfect recipe! What's he saying?!"

It even caught Huo Zirou off guard. "Are you out of your mind?" she exclaimed incredulously. "As a Grandmaster, I can barely refine it in under two days. What makes you, a novice in pill refinement, think you can do it in mere minutes after a cursory glance?"

Unfurling from a lazy stretch, Yang Wei faced her squarely. "Remember when I mentioned an error in the manual?" he countered. "Try to keep up."

Huo Zirou's skepticism hardened. "That recipe's been unchanged for 3,000 years," she retorted. "Are you suggesting you've spotted a flaw overlooked for millennia?"

With a confident hand resting on the pill furnace, Yang Wei sighed exasperatedly. "Does the title of Star Disciple mean nothing to you people?" he calmly said.

His words forced silence.

No one spoke.

They were all skeptical, however, it was clear he was dead serious about the alleged discrepancy, even if others deemed it plain dumbassery.

...

The disciples brought all the ingredients Yang Wei asked for.

He gathered the herbs and purified them with his water spiritual Qi, then drew a complex alchemy circle on the pill furnace with precise symbols and runes. This circle boosts the spiritual energy during refining.

Next, he layered the ingredients in the furnace just right, following the recipe to a tee for maximum fusion and power.

Sitting in a lotus position, he performed several double-handed mudras, then zapped the furnace with his fingers, igniting it with spiritual fire.

"Now, we wait..."

No one's eyes left the golden pill furnace.

In no time, a pillar of red fire shot out, and boom!

A Blood Strengthening Pill popped out.

Every disciple there was either holding their head in their hands or floored in shock.

"HE...!"

"HE...!!"

"HE CREATED A BLOOD STRENGTHENING PILL IN THREE MINUTES?!"

Yang Wei turned to take a good look at Huo Zirou...

"You look surprised... Pill Master."

"H... How did you...?" Huo Zirou's legs vibrated.

Yang Wei then pointed to her crotch, "Later, but I believe we... had an agreement, yes?"