Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

Faced with the old fox's invitation, the alchemist who called himself Dragon Wanderer did not rush to accept. He simply replied, "I would never dare to refuse such an invitation from the Protector of the Nation. However, let's wait until after the conference. I still want to focus on alchemy and strive for a good result in the next round."

Long Youzi's words were tantamount to telling the old fox that if he wanted to invite him to join the City of Ten Thousand Demons, he would have to offer some benefits. At the very least, he would have to see what kind of rewards the conference could offer.

If they are all worthless items, then there is no need for him to stay here. If they are good items, then it means that the City of Ten Thousand Demons is generous, and there is a reason for him to stay.

The old fox naturally understood his implied meaning and didn't press the matter further, otherwise he would lose face. So he nodded and agreed: "Okay, let's talk about it after the conference."

Then came the second group.

Their main material is withered, lifeless leaves, which are leaves from a tree called the Silent Tree, naturally dried and fallen.

It has always been considered waste material and has never been used as a primary medicine.

Its only benefit is that the leaves have a faint fragrance, and some people like to place it in their caves.

The scent has a slightly calming effect.

The majority of the alchemists in this group were trying to revive the dead leaves by desperately pouring spiritual herbs rich in spiritual energy into them.

However, doing so is a waste of time. Many alchemists spend half a day refining pills, but the pills they produce are not even good enough.

Only one person had a different approach. He mainly used low-temperature baking to refine pills, and added several heat-resistant auxiliary materials to neutralize them.

In the end, several brownish-yellow pills were refined.

However, this pill is not for eating, but for burning as sandalwood.

Because it contains dried, dead leaves, and the auxiliary ingredients enhance the aroma, the fragrance of the dead leaves lasts longer.

Besides calming the mind, it can even help with sleep.

It can even be used during meditation and breath regulation, and it has good effects.

The alchemist who created this item was also a human cultivator, and he too was invited by the old fox.

Next is the third group, whose main ingredient is the "delusion grass" that causes mental confusion and disorder.

Ingesting this herb can easily cause mental instability, madness, and even more terrifying than the Bewitching Flower that Gou An drew.

Unsurprisingly, this group was almost completely wiped out.

Only one person's creation was slightly better, and he named it the Mad Demon Pill.

After consuming one, one will unleash tremendous power for a short period of time, but the downside is that one will lose their sanity.

The drug-testing slave, who had been respectfully and cautiously swallowing the pill, suddenly jumped up and slapped the old fox, leaving everyone stunned.

Originally only a fourth-tier demon beast, the Medicine Slave's strength skyrocketed to around the seventh tier after consuming the pill.

The old fox, far from being angry after being slapped, instead showed a look of excitement.

He reached out and grabbed the drug slave by the neck, but didn't kill him; he just restrained him and then observed him carefully.

Ultimately, the effects of the Mad Demon Pill lasted for about fifteen minutes. When the effects wore off, the drug slave collapsed to the ground, his face pale. He had clearly overdrawn his strength and his body was completely drained.

Despite its obvious side effects, this pill is still quite effective at instantly boosting combat power.

Naturally, this person became the winner of this group.

Like the previous two groups, he was also a personal alchemist.

Then came the fourth group, and the fifth group.

The results were all the same: those who stood out were mostly human alchemists, all of whom came from places outside the City of Ten Thousand Demons.

Among the first five groups, there were also many demon cultivators who were alchemists from the other two major alchemy halls, and they were all eliminated.

Then it was Gou An's turn.

The old fox replaced the drug-testing slave with a new one and stepped forward to examine each pill.

Of the ten alchemists, seven produced pills that were not of the required quality and were eliminated without even having the chance to test them.

Only Gou An and two other people remained to cultivate alchemy.

Then, three different pills were placed in front of the old fox and the three hall masters, and they began to study these pills.

"Let each of you introduce the pills you've refined!" The old fox looked at the first person, a pill refiner.

The man, a cultivator of alchemy, appeared to be at the Void Core stage, with white hair and beard.

In response to the old fox's question, he began to explain: "This pill is called the Pure Illusion and Firm Spirit Pill."

"The most harmful aspect of the Bewitching Flower is that its illusory poison disturbs the mind and damages the sea of ​​consciousness."

"But I discovered that the hallucinations were actually caused by the leaves and petals, not the roots."

"On the contrary, the root of the 'bewitching flower' can help people maintain clarity of mind when consumed."

"Therefore, I use calming lotus, soul-stabilizing grass, and other herbs to aid in the refining process, so that this elixir can stabilize the spirit and clear away distracting thoughts. When taken during cultivation, it can keep the mind from becoming chaotic and prevent one from going astray."

Faced with the old man's design, the old fox nodded slightly without saying anything, and then looked at the second human cultivator.

The second human cultivator was a slightly plump female cultivator, older than average, and also at the Void Core stage.

"The elixir I refine is called the Illusionary Enlightenment Pill."

"I discovered that the Enchanting Flower can illusory and disturb the mind, but it can also be used to gain wisdom amidst chaos."

"Therefore, I suppressed the malevolent nature within it, leaving only its power of illusion."

"Taking this pill can clear one's mind in a short period of time, which is beneficial for enlightenment and can make one achieve twice the result with half the effort."

The old fox nodded after hearing this, seemingly agreeing with it.

Then his gaze fell on Gou An: "And you?"

Gou An then began his introduction: "The elixir I've refined is called the Illusionary Brightness Demon-Slaying Pill!"

Before Gou An could even begin to explain, many of the other alchemists watching around him showed expressions of disdain.

Because all the demon cultivators and alchemists before them had been wiped out, and their overall skill level was far too low.

Therefore, almost no one believed that Gou An could win.

Ignoring the murmurs around him, Gou An continued slowly:

"The Bewitching Flower is regarded as poison by the world, simply because the illusions it creates are uncontrollable, recklessly impacting the sea of ​​consciousness and harming the soul."

"Therefore, the pill I refined makes the illusion controllable, so it will not damage the brain."

"Those who take this pill will fall into a controllable dream, in which the illusion reflects the user's own memories, obsessions, and even hidden inner demons."

"It may be a return to the old place to relive past regrets, or a direct confrontation with the inner demons that one dares not face. Within the illusion, the user can confront their inner demons and uncover the hidden dangers in their own cultivation."

"After waking from the dream, one's Dao heart is tempered and refined."

"This pill does not help one's cultivation level increase rapidly, nor does it help one quickly deduce cultivation techniques. But it can give a cultivator an opportunity to confront their true self."

"If the inner demons are not eliminated, there will always be hidden dangers on the path of cultivation. This pill is used to eliminate these hidden dangers."

Hearing Gou An's seemingly mystical explanation, the old fox was clearly somewhat skeptical.

However, the pills at this time were all described orally by the three alchemists, and the specific effects could only be known by testing. So, the three drug slaves who were to test the pills began to test them one by one.

The first person to test the medicine was the old man. He claimed that the pills he refined could dispel illusions, so the old fox first had the medicine slave eat the Bewitching Flower.

When the drug slave began to hallucinate and his thoughts became disordered, he then took the pills that the old man had made.

Everyone waited patiently until the medicine took effect. The dazed drug slave became more alert, but his condition was still very poor, and he did not improve much even after a long wait.

Upon seeing this, Master Wenxu reported to the old fox: "Reporting to the Protector of the Nation, although this pill has the effect of dispelling illusions, its effect is not particularly outstanding; it is barely usable."

The old fox nodded, then sent out a second drug slave.

It was said that this pill would make one's mind clear after taking it, but the drug slave had no reaction at all after taking it.

"How is it?" the old fox asked. "Are you feeling any clearer-headed?"

The drug slave gave an awkward smile, scratched his head, and replied, "Maybe a little!"

Clearly, the drug slave didn't feel anything.

Upon seeing this, the female cultivator immediately explained, "The medicine's effects will take time to take hold."

But no matter how long they waited, the drug slave still didn't react at all.

He even became more nervous because so many people were watching him.

Seeing that the medicine slave was too foolish, the old fox picked up a pill and handed it to the True Man Wenxu: "Why don't you give it a try?"

Master Wenxu smiled awkwardly, but dared not refuse. So he picked up a pill, swallowed it, and then closed his eyes to carefully feel it.

Just then, he made eye contact with Gou An, and Master Wenxu smiled slightly, as if to tell Gou An, "Don't worry, watch me."

Then Master Xu said, "Perhaps the medicine has been neutralized too much, so it has no effect at all. It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away."

As expected, upon hearing this assessment, the old fox waved his hand dismissively, giving the female cultivator no chance to explain: "Next!"

It was Gou An's turn.

The old fox picked up a pill, smelled it, and then handed it to the drug slave who was testing it.

The drug slave dared not refuse and immediately swallowed it in one gulp.

As the pill entered his stomach, the drug slave who was testing it immediately became dazed.

Unlike other people suffering from hallucinations, this person actually had a beautiful smile on their face.

Seeing the demon slave's expression of enjoyment, the old fox tapped his forehead with two fingers, immediately dispelling the illusion in his mind.

"Don't grin like an idiot, what's going on?" the old fox asked.

The drug slave realized he was back in reality, and then his smile vanished: "Reporting to the Protector of the Nation, I just saw myself as a child before I took human form."

"Why are you laughing so happily?" the old fox asked again.

"Because I saw my mother, brothers, and friends!" The medicine slave lowered his head, suddenly feeling a little sad: "Later, my tribe was suddenly wiped out, and I didn't even get to see them one last time. This pill has fulfilled one of my wishes."

Seeing the pill's remarkable effects, the old fox immediately became interested.

So he picked up a pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes and remained motionless.

Those around them saw this and dared not speak, but simply waited quietly.

It was unclear whether the medicine had any effect, but the old fox, with his primordial spirit cultivation, showed no emotion whatsoever.

This continued for a long time before the old fox slowly opened his eyes, but his eyes were actually a little wet, as if he had seen some memories that moved him.

He looked at Gou An and said, "This pill is excellent; you've passed!"