Ding!
Xiaoya shook the bell in her hand, earning everyone’s attention.
It seemed Zhuo Fan’s cocky attitude from before chilled even this lady. Being a judge of the Hundred Pill Meeting, held every few decades, was her arrogance, pride, and honor.
Then, Zhuo Fan showed up halfway, with his bag of devious tricks to throw everything in disarray. His endless smug attitude cut her glory down a few levels.
From honor, to a nobody! That was what she became.
A judge would’ve kicked out such an incompetent fool on the spot. Zhuo Fan’s logic made an irritating good point that left her speechless. She had to concede the first place to this silk pants.
His sloppy and conceited manner earned the rage of all alchemists and her hatred. But any other option, she could only reign it in, and work hard to calm down. She then announced the second round, to hurry up and get rid of this brat.
“The second round’s objective is a 3rd-grade pill!”
Xiaoya’s clear voice echoed and her eyes shined with splendor.
Talking about making a 3rd-grade pill when most of them here were 3rd-grade alchemists?
But just then, the Drifting Flowers Edifice disciples accompanying them presented a storage ring.
Xiao Ya spoke while they were in a stupor, “I ask that everyone refines with Drifting Flowers Edifice’s ingredients, as to avoid any cheating from occurring.”
“But they’re all 2nd grade ingredients. Is this some kind of a mistake?”
Someone already voiced his doubts, just as Xiao Ya finished. And once there was one, many followed.
Xiao Ya ignored them, “The main test of this round is pill quality, followed by speed. The first 50 will advance while the rest will be eliminated!”
“Hey, judge, all you gave me are ingredients for a 2nd-grade pill! How do you want me to refine a 3rd grade pill?”
While the back was complaining, the first 20 alchemists sneered as they ignited their Yuan Qi flame.
These morons still didn’t get what this round was about. It wasn’t testing their ability to make a 3rd grade pill, but their formulas.
Normally, a 3rd-grade pill could be made with the appropriate ingredients of the same grade. But that does not mean 3rd-grade pills could not be made with 2nd-grade pill ingredients. It was just that usual refining method most were used to would not work in such cases. For such a leap in grade, the refining of the ingredients needed to compliment one another. Boosting each of their effects to create a 3rd-grade pill.
This test was aimed at an alchemist’s formulas, how many one had.
Drifting Flowers Edifice gave a ring filled with 2nd-grade pill ingredients. It was only expected to be possible to refine 5 types of 3rd-grade pill from them.
After the ingredients were handed out, what mattered now was how they could extract their effects. To make the ingredients suitable for refining a 3rd-grade pill. The first 20 alchemists had such formulas aplenty. The back alchemists though, were pulling their hairs out in frustration, with some still barking at the Drifting Flowers Edifice.
Drifting Flowers Edifice’s disciples kept silent when receiving their rants but held disdain in their eyes.
Zhuo Fan was toying with the ring, thinking which formula to pick.
The others were vexed they knew too few formulas.
While Zhuo Fan was also vexed, it was for the opposite reason though. He had too many to choose from. Which to use to make that Vicious Pill King take the loss lying down?
“Young master Song…” Xiao Ya watched him in delight over his misfortune, “The others have already started. How is it that the first place hasn’t as well? You can’t mean you can’t even refine a 3rd-grade pill, right?”
“He-he-he, the kid’s skill might not be as awful as you think!”
It was Vicious Pill King who answered first, with his mockery, “He must be still doubting why you gave him such low ingredients. Ha-ha-ha…”
The other 20 alchemists laughed along with him. Tao Danniang shook her head, focusing on her own refining. [In the end, this bag of bones will be the one who will compete with Vicious Pill King.]
Yet, there was one man alone who wasn’t laughing. He was watching Zhuo Fan’s every move. It was Liu Yizhen.
He believed Zhuo Fan was more than he led others to believe.
Raising an eyebrow, Zhuo Fan smiled towards the crowd, “Ha-ha-ha, yours truly thought that as the winner, and in first place, it was poor manners from my part to pick on a bunch of newbies. But since you are so eager to lose to me, yours truly will open your horizon in the true field of alchemy.”
This remark only earned their glares!
[Where did this punk come from? Calling us newbies? Absurd!]
After that, they were all watching dumbstruck.
[Secret refining art, Ninth Heaven Roaring Dragon Claw!]
Zhuo Fan spoke in his heart, then his eyes flashed. His finger beckoned tens of ingredients into the air as a Yuan Qi flame ignited in his palm.
A roar echoed as the flame took the shape of a dragon and sped towards the ingredients.
It opened its maw and swallowed the first ingredient. The item was refined in an instant, becoming pure medicinal liquid.
The shock was palpable as everyone watched amazed, even the alchemists around.
[What goddamned refining skill is this that can refine an ingredient in an instant?]
Even the great Vicious Pill King, despite his fastest speed, could only do it after minding every step. The least he could do was make it visible how the ingredients were refined.
But Zhuo Fan’s action seemed to go against all alchemical laws, refining the ingredient in a blink of an eye. While others were hard at work in their refining, he had refined them all.
Roar!
With another yell, the blazing dragon turned the ingredients into a paste. It then turned into a fire tornado and revolved in Zhuo Fan’s palm. The dozens of ingredients ebbed calmly among the flames, separated from each other.
All that Zhuo Fan had to do was put them together and finish the pill.
He was in no hurry, apparently, watching over the others coldly, “Newbies, yours truly’s refining hasn’t devolved to your mime show. You have still much to learn to reach my level!”
He was as obnoxious as before, but this time, his words struck their core.
Before, they mocked him for boasting and his immoral character. Now, he was the one reprimanding them as a superior alchemist.
They had no room to refute.
Even Vicious Pill King was stupefied.
This reckless brat possessed a miraculous refining skill. A skill not even the best in the empire could fathom.
“Master, w-what is this skill?” Yan Fu stammered.
Vicious Pill King tried many times to speak but settled to rebuke him and hide in humiliation instead, “Mind your pill. Don’t ask so many questions!”
Yet his heart felt like bleeding and, for the first time, he turned serious when he saw Zhuo Fan, hiding a hint of killing intent in his eyes.
This time, Zhuo Fan had become a real threat to him as the best alchemist in the empire.
Zhuo Fan noticed everything but wasn’t of a mind to care. He kept on belittling Vicious Pill King as he pointed at the firestorm in his palm, “Elder Yan, if you don’t hurry up, yours truly will get the first place again.”
Flushed, Vicious Pill King’s beard began to quaiver. His chest moved with ragged breaths but he didn’t utter a word.
He was truly and utterly speechless. He could not accept it, but he knew it was the truth!
In the host terrace, Chu Qingcheng was shocked silly! Zhuo Fan made it possible to even leave the Vicious Pill King without words of reprisal.
The fact the Vicious Pill King was now solemn against Zhuo Fan’s challenge meant that he admitted in his heart that what Zhuo Fan said was true; despite not voicing it out.
“Amazing, Darling is the best!” Xiao Dandan’s delicate face was red as she danced in joy.
Iris Overseer was still lost, finding it hard to believe, “Am I dreaming? Did that brat outshined the Vicious Pill King?”
“Yeah. We never took him seriously.” Peony Overseer blinked then sighed at the Iris Overseer, “Senior sister, pinch me. I think I’m still dreaming. How is he able to do this?”
Shaking her head, Iris Overseer turned to Chu Qingcheng, “Qingcheng, did you know of this? Is that why you chose him as your husband? How can our great Edifice Lord marry a third rate clan young master otherwise?”
Chu Qingcheng’s cheeks turned pink, and rolled her eyes, “Senior sister, don’t tease me. I was so saddened at the time, thinking only about living and dying with Drifting Flowers Edifice. I could not trust anyone. But then I met him. He was so similar to Qingtian, and I threw all my faith to him. I saw his miraculous refining skill once, but never thought for a second he could shut the grand Vicious Pill King up!”
The overseers were shocked.
“This kid is truly unpredictable.” Sighing, Iris Overseer looked around, “At the least, the Drifting Flowers Edifice’s survival can be entrusted to someone. I hope he and Aunt Tao can dispel the imminent disaster facing the Drifting Flowers Edifice.”
Chu Qingcheng and Peony Overseer nodded. Watching Zhuo Fan’s smug face, for some odd reason, Chu Qingcheng felt at peace, a foreign feeling over the last few years.
[Perhaps this is what it means to lean on someone!]
Chu Qingcheng’s gaze on Zhuo Fan grew even warmer…