Chapter 434
**Chapter 482: Divine Power... Ointment?**
“Quick! Hold him down!”
“In broad daylight, carrying forbidden drugs and taking them out in public! At least have the decency to hide it! This is such a disrespect to our Tianshan Thirteen Protectors’ security profession.”
“Give it to me... please... I can’t take it anymore...”
In front of the gate of Tianshan Sword Manor, chaos erupted.
Today, thirteen swordsmen were responsible for security on-site. Three of them were at the sixth realm of the Law Body, while ten were from the outer scene, all hailing from Taiyue Hall, tasked with various event security duties.
Thus, they were collectively known as the Tianshan Thirteen Protectors.
During the last Forging Conference, someone had suspiciously brought forbidden drugs into the venue, so this time, they were particularly vigilant.
Just moments ago, they discovered a skinny, bony craftsman pulling out a packet of powder, tearing it open to prepare for consumption.
Not only was he about to take it, but he also wore an expression of obsession and desire.
The thirteen guards leaned back slightly.
Were they even human?
Without a second thought, they rushed forward and pinned the old man down.
“This color, this shape—there’s no doubt about it, this must be Divine Power Powder!”
“That old guy has some taste, eating Divine Power Powder with a side of dry noodles.”
“Huh? What’s Divine Power Powder? I don’t know! This is a misunderstanding!”
The frail old man looked bewildered, his face pale, staring intently at the cowhide paper bag that had been snatched away:
“Please, give it back to me... I really can’t take it anymore...”
Upon hearing this, the faces of the blacksmiths present changed slightly.
It was said that once someone consumed Divine Power Powder, they would become addicted, and thereafter, like a maggot on a corpse, they could never escape its grasp.
This old man must be suffering from withdrawal, which is why he took it out in public.
“Hmm?”
Li Mo glanced over, momentarily taken aback, feeling a sense of familiarity...
“This is Tianzun Sauce,” the skinny blacksmith cried out in protest.
The thirteen guards paused, puzzled. What was Tianzun Sauce?
They hesitantly released him, figuring he wouldn’t run away anyway.
“Tianzun Sauce comes in two packets: one is powder, and the other is sauce. I couldn’t find hot water, so the sauce wouldn’t dissolve, and I had to eat the powder instead.”
The blacksmith pulled out a pocket, placed a piece of flatbread inside, and poured in the powder.
After shaking it a few times, he took out a piece and ate it.
“Why are you making that weird face while eating? Just eat!”
“I’m in a hurry! I haven’t eaten in three days! Try going three days without food!”
“...”
Realizing it was a misunderstanding, the thirteen guards awkwardly inquired about where to buy such delicious Tianzun Sauce before letting him go.
Moreover, this skinny blacksmith was not an isolated case; recently, instant noodles and Tianzun Sauce seemed to be doing booming business in the imperial capital.
Many people carried them around, ready to eat during breaks.
A certain Tianzun Sauce: “...”
It seemed he had figured out where the inexplicable surge of life force had come from recently.
The Summoning Demon Sect had quite a wide market; they were even bringing instant noodles to the imperial capital.
Wait...
Since this was the Summoning Demon Sect’s business, then...
Was this really just an ordinary instant noodle seasoning business?
Li Mo expressed skepticism about the Summoning Demon Sect’s nature, gazing at the frail figure’s retreating back, the light of the Destiny Divine Eye shining upon him.
**[Name: Lu Zhuang.]**
**[Age: 52.]**
**[Root Bone: Barbaric Root Bone (Defective).]**
**[Realm: Five Apertures of Divine Observation.]**
**[Destiny: Gray.]**
**[Evaluation: Naturally robust root bones grant immense strength, with excellent innate potential. However, upon seeing others surpass him effortlessly, he harbored resentment and failed to cherish the good fortune bestowed upon him. After multiple uses of Divine Power Powder, the drug has seeped into his marrow, making further progress nearly impossible.]**
**[Recent Encounter: Brought a large quantity of Divine Power Powder hidden in Tianzun Sauce into the Forging Conference venue.]**
“...”
“Just as I thought.”
Li Mo rubbed his forehead, feeling a mix of emotions as he began to understand the situation.
Divine Power Powder was originally a medicinal powder, hence its name.
After acquiring the instant noodle seasoning formula, the Blood Refining Hall upgraded Divine Power Powder into an ointment!
The instant noodle seasoning comes in two packets: one is the regular seasoning powder, and the other is the upgraded version of Divine Power Powder—Divine Power Ointment!
Who came up with this? Who taught you to sell instant noodles like this?
Lu Zhuang was too wild!
“What’s wrong?”
Ying Bing observed Li Mo’s changing expressions for a while.
“I’ve discovered a little genius,” Li Mo replied, feeling somewhat conflicted.
This matter was, after all, related to him. He hadn’t anticipated that the Summoning Demon Sect’s Blood Refining Hall would choose such a method to conceal Divine Power Powder.
Of course, even without instant noodles, the Summoning Demon Sect would find other ways.
Passing through the gate of Tianshan Sword Manor, Li Mo made his way to the sword furnace with ease.
“Du Shengr, I’m glad you’re still here.”
Li Mo had thought he would be busy with the Forging Conference, but unexpectedly, the old man was still by the sword furnace in the inner courtyard.
“I’m conserving my energy,” Du Wufeng said, discreetly tucking away the album of “The Overbearing Empress Fell in Love with Me” into his sleeve. He cleared his throat and said, “Kid, what brings you here at this time?”
Li Mo’s expression turned serious as he lowered his voice:
“I have a private matter concerning the Forging Conference that I can’t make public...”
“Oh? You, with those thick eyebrows and big eyes, want me to give you a backdoor pass?!”
Du Wufeng looked at Li Mo with disappointment:
“I’m a man of integrity! I never thought you’d want me to engage in such underhanded dealings. Today, I shall sever ties with you!”
“?”
Li Mo was taken aback, then helplessly said:
“Please stop reciting lines from the album.”
Those lines were written by him for Ouyang.
“Speak up. Why are you looking for me at this time?”
Du Wufeng put away his playful demeanor and smiled as he asked.
He had long known that Li Mo wouldn’t come to him for anything shady.
However, Li Mo’s next words made him freeze in surprise.
“There’s a lot of Divine Power Powder... or rather, Divine Power Ointment, that has likely been brought into the venue.”
“?”
“The method involves instant noodle seasoning packets—two packets of seasoning, making it hard to guard against. Moreover, based on my observations, many people carrying instant noodles are normal, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.”
Li Mo had just used the Destiny Divine Eye on the way here.
Some people carried instant noodles that were indeed ordinary.
Only a small portion had the ‘special ingredient’ added.
“Who the hell invented this instant noodle?!”
Du Wufeng slammed the table, furious.
**Chapter 483: The Surreal Scene of the Imperial Capital**
“This is troublesome.”
After hearing the whole story, Du Wufeng fell into deep thought, letting out a heavy sigh:
“Now that the conference has begun, we can’t just arrest everyone carrying instant noodles.”
“I will report this to the manor master, but regardless, the normal proceedings of the conference cannot be interrupted. I will first send disciples to monitor discreetly.”
The Forging Conference initially had a small scale, but since it was linked with the Hidden Dragon Conference, it had increasingly attracted blacksmiths from all over the world.
Now, many eyes, including those of nobles and royals, were closely watching.
It was impossible to directly halt the conference; they could only investigate and settle accounts afterward.
Li Mo nodded: “The powder packets should all be normal, serving as a distraction. We need to focus on those who are directly consuming the sauce packets.”
“You’re quite perceptive.”
Du Wufeng raised an eyebrow.
“Just an ordinary bystander, but I think the powder packets mixed with crushed flatbread are fine, but no one could possibly eat the sauce packets raw.”
Li Mo maintained a cold, aloof demeanor.
“Alright, you go ahead and compete.”
Du Wufeng didn’t doubt his righteous expression.
“Because someone consumed forbidden drugs, the results of the preliminary round may not be accurate, but you should still qualify without issue. Go on.”
“Okay.”
Li Mo turned and exited the inner courtyard of the sword furnace, gazing at the sea of people outside, some of whom were eating instant noodles, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
It must be said that the Summoning Demon Sect was indeed moving quickly down the wrong path.
It hadn’t been long, and even the imperial capital had seen many people getting involved.
Currently, it was just some craftsmen looking for shortcuts, but what about later?
Those who used Divine Power Powder would almost certainly become useless in the future.
Could he, in the name of the Tianzun Immortal, make the Summoning Demon Sect back off? Clearly not. But why couldn’t they simply spread instant noodles normally, sending them to those in need, and still gain plenty of life force? Why did they have to take the crooked path?
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