Chapter 46: The Myriad Medicine Shop, Zhou Hao

Tianhai Secret Realm, the edge of the Endless Sea.

Several hundred warriors formed a semicircle, completely surrounding Zhang Lin and his wife, Li Yu. These warriors exuded a robust aura; even the weakest among them had late-stage Spirit Warrior cultivation, while most had reached the Xuanwu realm.

They wore matching uniforms, each embroidered with a small medicinal cauldron on the chest, clearly marking them as members of the same faction.

Zhang Lin knelt on the ground, his right arm unnaturally twisted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Li Yu was supported by two warriors, her face pale as paper, eyes full of terror. The wounds on their bodies were clear, evidence of inhumane torment since entering the secret realm.

“Hmph, Lingxiao Pharmacy? Nothing but a meddlesome clown,”

Zhou Hao stood at the center of the crowd, hands clasped behind his back, cold murderous intent flashing in his eyes. As a warrior on the cusp of the Earth Realm, a faint ripple of spiritual power surrounded him, making the air around him heavy with tension.

Just a month ago, he was one of the most respected guest elders of Wanyao Pharmacy, undergoing seclusion to break through to the Earth Realm.

But the emergence of Lingxiao Pharmacy had completely disrupted his plans.

“Sixteen low-grade spirit stones for a Spirit-Concentrating Pill?”

Zhou Hao recalled the furious expressions of the shopkeepers, a twitch at the corner of his mouth. “A mere small pharmacy dares to disrupt the pill market of Tianyun City?”

Wanyao Pharmacy, as the city’s second largest, held over fifty percent of the market share for Spirit-Concentrating Pills and at least one-third of the lower-grade pill market.

But ever since Lingxiao Pharmacy began selling Spirit-Concentrating Pills at a price twenty percent below the market, Wanyao’s sales were cut in half.

What was worse, many lower-tier warriors, upon seeing Lingxiao’s low-priced pills, assumed that Wanyao and other large pharmacies were profiteering, leading them to avoid purchasing any low-grade pills from Wanyao altogether.

Preliminary estimates put Wanyao Pharmacy’s losses at several million low-grade spirit stones within a month.

“It's all because of you!”

Zhou Hao suddenly kicked Zhang Lin hard in the back, sending him sprawling forward.

“You’ve even ruined my chance to break through to the Earth Realm!”

Zhang Lin groaned, struggling to prop himself up.

“Senior Zhou... we’re just selling pills... is it wrong to offer fair prices?”

“Fair?”

Zhou Hao sneered. “With your meager output, you’re not here to make money—you’re here to cause trouble!”

He grabbed Zhang Lin by the hair, forcing him to look up. “Speak! Where is the improved formula?”

Zhang Lin gritted his teeth. “I... I really don’t know...”

“Don’t know?”

A flash of murderous light sparked in Zhou Hao’s eyes. His right hand suddenly exerted force—

“Crack!”

Zhang Lin’s left arm snapped, and he let out a soul-wrenching scream, cold sweat instantly soaking his body.

“Stop!”

Li Yu struggled and cried out, “Please, spare him! We truly don’t know the formula!”

Zhou Hao released him, letting Zhang Lin collapse limply to the ground. “Don’t know? Then you’re worthless.”

He turned his gaze toward the entrance of the secret realm. “Let’s see if your Pill Master Zhang is just as stubborn.”

At that moment, a commotion arose in the distance.

Over a hundred warriors marched out from the entrance of the secret realm. Leading them was Zhang Yida, his face pale, steps unsteady, clearly deeply troubled.

“He’s here.”

A cruel smile curled on Zhou Hao’s lips. “Looks like your cousin cares about your lives after all.”

Zhang Yida stopped about thirty feet from Zhou Hao’s group, his voice trembling.

“Senior Zhou, I’ve brought the pill formula. Please release my cousin and his wife.”

Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes, scanning the warriors behind Zhang Yida.

“You think this ragtag bunch can rescue them?”

He sneered. “Pill Master Zhang, what I want is the formula, twenty million low-grade spirit stones, and you—not these useless trash.”

Zhang Yida paled further.

He had planned to use a fake formula to exchange for their release, then leverage the support of these warrior customers to escape. But now it seemed Zhou Hao’s forces far exceeded his expectations.

“I... I...”

Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Yida’s forehead. “The spirit stones need time to gather...”

“Ten breaths.”

Zhou Hao cut him off coldly. “Either you bring the formula and spirit stones to exchange for them, or...”

He grabbed Zhang Lin again, fingers tightening around his throat. “I’ll snap his neck.”

Zhang Yida trembled all over, a sharp pain erupting deep within his soul—that was the spiritual contract he had signed with Lin Chuan warning him not to reveal the pill formula’s secrets.

But his cousin and his wife’s lives...

“Five, four, three...”

Zhou Hao began counting down, his grip tightening, Zhang Lin’s face turning purple.

“I... I’m coming!”

Zhang Yida shouted desperately, stepping forward.

But the moment his foot touched the ground, the backlash of the spiritual contract exploded with a thunderous force.

Zhang Yida let out a heart-wrenching scream as he collapsed forward.

Zhou Hao was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, can’t even stand properly, and you want to save someone?”

Just as Zhang Yida was about to fall to the ground, a long, strong hand steadied his shoulder.

“Thank you for your efforts. I’ll take it from here.”

A clear voice sounded beside Zhang Yida’s ear. He struggled to raise his head and saw a familiar face—Lin Chuan!

Lin Chuan wore a simple green robe, his expression calm but his eyes chillingly cold.

He gently helped Zhang Yida up and handed him over to Wang Tiezhu behind him, then strode forward alone.

“Who are you?”

Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes, watching the suddenly appearing young man warily. Though his cultivation was only at the sixth level of Spirit Warrior, he exuded an inexplicable sense of danger.

Lin Chuan did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the severely injured Zhang Lin and Li Yu, a flicker of pain and anger crossing his eyes.

Then he raised his head and looked Zhou Hao directly in the eye.

“The true master of Lingxiao Pharmacy—Lin Chuan.”

Those few simple words instantly silenced the surrounding crowd.

The warriors of Wanyao Pharmacy exchanged glances, having already known that Zhang Lin and his wife, the managers of Lingxiao Pharmacy, were not the owners. But they never expected the true owner to be a mere youth!

Zhou Hao was momentarily stunned, then broke into a sinister grin.

“Ah, so the real boss finally shows up.”