Boom!

The old man’s soul power shattered instantly. Every defense he possessed collapsed like paper before a raging inferno. His face turned pale.

A terrifying pressure crushed down upon him from all directions.

Bang!

Unable to resist even for a single breath, the old man was forced to his knees. The floor beneath him cracked. Sweat poured from his forehead. His robes became soaked within seconds.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably. The fury he had entered with vanished completely. In its place remained only disbelief and fear.

’What kind of monster is this?!’ The old man’s heart shook violently. He had spent millions of years cultivating his soul. Countless experts had praised the strength of his spiritual power.

Yet in front of Lin Feng, his soul felt like a candle facing the sun. The difference was so vast that resistance was laughable.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng calmly picked up another piece of food and placed it into his mouth. He chewed leisurely before speaking again.

"You should know that it’s rude to stare at people."

The entire restaurant remained silent. Nobody dared make a sound.

Everyone simply stared at the kneeling old man and wondered what terrifying existence had just forced such an expert into such a miserable state with nothing more than a glance.

"Who are you?" the old man’s voice was hoarse as he spoke.

He had lived for millions of years. Over that vast span of time, he had crossed countless battlefields, survived innumerable dangers, and met experts whose names had shaken entire eras.

Yet never and not even once had he been suppressed as effortlessly as he had just been. He was a cultivator at the peak of the Divine Tribulation Realm.

In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, he was practically a living legend. And yet, before Lin Feng, he had been as helpless as a child.

The difference between them was so absurd that it made him question everything he thought he knew about cultivation.

"Me?" Lin Feng pointed at himself.

"I’m nobody important." Then he smiled.

"But you are Pill King Duan Tieshou."

The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"You are the master of Gao Shan, the fellow who was causing trouble earlier. And you’ve come here seeking revenge on behalf of your disciple."

Lin Feng casually picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.

"My advice? Don’t."

The restaurant remained deathly silent. Everyone listened carefully.

"You’re not an evil man, Duan Tieshou. Your disciple was simply rotten to the core."

Lin Feng shrugged.

"The next time you decide to accept a disciple, make sure he deserves it. The Heavenly Dao is vast but follows a law and the human heart is small, yet it births a thousand chaotic hells."

With those words, Lin Feng withdrew his soul pressure. The crushing force that had weighed upon Duan Tieshou instantly disappeared. The old man finally felt his body relax.

However, instead of feeling relieved, he became even more cautious. Anyone capable of suppressing him so completely could have killed him at any moment.

The fact that Lin Feng had chosen not to do so spoke volumes. Duan Tieshou stood quietly for a moment before studying Lin Feng once more.

Unlike his disciple, he was not blinded by arrogance. In truth, he had always known about Gao Shan’s questionable methods.

The pills Gao Shan sold were effective. They granted power, accelerated cultivation, and tempted countless cultivators. The problem was the hidden price.

The side effects were often severe, sometimes even fatal. Duan Tieshou had been aware of this for years. However, in the cultivation world, power was everything.

Many cultivators would willingly sacrifice a limb, decades of their lifespan, or even their future potential if it meant becoming stronger. What Gao Shan lacked was not skill.

What he lacked was honesty. Had he openly revealed the consequences of his pills, fewer people would have died because of him.

Unfortunately, greed and deception had eventually caught up to him. Still, none of that interested Duan Tieshou right now. His attention was entirely focused on Lin Feng.

The fact that Lin Feng knew his identity instantly meant only one thing... Lin Feng was undoubtedly a hidden expert, possessing a cultivation realm and power far beyond his own.

The old pill king had spent most of his recent years secluded in cultivation and alchemy. He rarely concerned himself with worldly affairs.

As a result, he knew very little about the mysterious young man who had suddenly become famous throughout the continent.

But their brief confrontation had revealed something astonishing. Something that made his heart pound with excitement.

"Fellow Daoist..." Duan Tieshou’s tone became noticeably more respectful. He no longer spoke as a superior. Instead, he addressed Lin Feng as an equal.

"No." The old man shook his head.

"Perhaps I should call you Senior."

Lin Feng merely smiled and continued eating. Duan Tieshou took a deep breath.

"Your soul power is immense. Vast beyond anything I have ever encountered." His eyes shone with genuine admiration.

"In all my millions of years, I have never seen a soul so powerful." As a pill king, he understood better than most what such soul power represented. To an alchemist, soul power was everything.

It determined precision. Control. Perception. The ability to refine higher-quality pills. The ability to create miracles.

Looking at Lin Feng now, Duan Tieshou felt as though he were gazing upon a mountain so high that its peak disappeared beyond the heavens. A realm he could barely imagine.

"Tell me, Fellow Daoist..." His voice contained a trace of anticipation.

"Do you also practice alchemy?"

The entire restaurant fell silent once more. Every ear perked up.

After witnessing Lin Feng’s terrifying strength, they could not help but wonder how he would answer. Could a monster like him truly also be a pill master?

Or was that simply asking too much of heaven?

"Pill making?" Lin Feng paused for a moment and thought about it.

"To be honest, I’ve never really tried it."

Duan Tieshou blinked.

"I’ve never refined a pill before, nor have I created one. I simply haven’t had the opportunity."

Lin Feng casually grabbed another piece of food.

"But I can’t imagine it being that difficult."

The old pill king nearly choked on his own breath.