A wicked grin plastered on his face, Zhuo Fan seemed to have something special in store.
Yan Fu’s heart seized. He understood his master’s intention and wanted to advise against it, but Vicious Pill King shook his hand.
“Did the old fart turn senile?” Huangpu Qingyun sensed the situation spiraling into an undesirable direction and clenched his fists.
Lin Zitian wiped the cold sweat from his brows, his mind was on edge.
[Old coot! You’re vile and wicked, so why the hell are you doing the exact opposite at a crucial time like this? Cut the righteous act, both our lives are at stake here!]
Catching the eastern stand’s people’s reaction with a side glance, Zhuo Fan swiveled his eyes on Vicious Pill King, “Old man, I appreciate the thought, but there really is no need for that. It’s best you go ahead and refine.”
Vicious Pill King stared at Zhuo Fan in astonishment.
Zhuo Fan’s words were backed by unfaltering confidence. He did not propose to do it together and see who was stronger but directly urged Yan Song to go fist.
[Does he have an even stronger flame than Bone Soul Truefire?]
[He fears that his flame will affect my own.]
Vicious Pill King’s heart trembled, but he couldn’t find it in himself to believe that the world could house a stronger flame than the heaven and earth spirit flame.
“Ha-ha-ha! Youngster, don’t brag. Taking your age and background into account, the most you can afford is a 4th level beast flame. You think it’s enough to stand toe to toe with mine?”
Vicious Pill King was probing Zhuo Fan, who only smiled.
Such action only made Zhuo Fan look more mysterious that even the rest were at a loss for words. [You’re telling us that Grandmaster Song has a mystical flame that can stand against your Bone Soul Truefire?]
[This would make the final round more exciting.]
[Two grandmasters, two heaven and earth spirit flames, fighting toe to toe for the crown.]
In a blink, the crowd’s nervous eyes landed on Zhuo Fan, eagerly awaiting his answer. Chu Qingcheng and the overseers were especially nervous.
In terms of refining skills, Zhuo Fan was a cut above Yan Song. Coupled with a possible heaven and earth spirit flame, this could all work to compensate for his weak cultivation.
Only Xie Tianyang felt disdained as he laughed, “Don’t go and believe his hosh-posh people. That brat is up to his neck in faking again. He is in a battle of minds with the old man. I’ve seen this trick too many times to count.”
Long Jiu and the rest nodded.
With how deep and twisted the kid’s plans went, it was very much plausible to be a tactic of his to unnerve Yan Song.
Today’s events proved it. Yan Song himself suffered at Zhuo Fan’s schemes again and again, making him grow cautious.
After some careful thought, he laughed, “Kid, I am frank with you but yet you still use such petty tricks to mess with my head. The same tactic won’t work on me again.”
“What makes you think I am?” Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow.
“Humph, by no means do you have a heaven and earth spirit flame, perhaps not even a beast flame. You are only pretending so as to disturb my mind. You used these cheap tricks in the previous two rounds already, and you want to do it again?”
Shaking his head, Zhuo Fan sighed, “Vicious Pill King, you have such a low opinion of me. You take yours truly as nothing but a vicious and petty schemer whose plans only amount to lying about having a heaven and earth spirit flame to mess with your head? Is that what you think my plans amount to? I’m hurt!”
Pausing, Vicious Pill King realized it was indeed so.
Zhuo Fan may have sneezed and farted, nothing but petty tricks, but it hit right when it hurt him the most. Each and every time, his focus crumbled at the most crucial moment. If his mind was not as strong, he would’ve long devolved into chaos, unable to continue refining.
Compared to the last two times, Zhuo Fan’s words now were a bit disbelieving, but not enough to affect his mind.
This only threw Vicious Pill King into even deeper confusion.
In his eyes, Zhuo Fan had become an enigma, whose every gesture and random act were filled with intricate mysteries. Never had he encountered such a baffling opponent in his life.
[Damn it, who’d have thought picking a fight with this punk would end up becoming a torment.]
Vicious Pill King couldn’t come to a conclusion even after some long and hard thinking. He just gnashed his teeth in the end and howled, “Brat, no matter what flame you have, take it out. I want to have a fair match with you so stop jumping at every shadow!”
“It is because I have the same wish that I do not want to reveal it. I still insist on letting you go first.” Zhuo Fan sneered, “If I do take it out, you might lose your desire to even compete. Starting together would end in your loss, no doubt about it.”
His words sounded even more cocksure than Vicious Pill King’s from before. They were so outrageous that none of the people there believed him.
[A flame that can cow the best alchemist in the empire to surrender just at the sight of it, does it even exist?]
Not even Vicious Pill King was that outrageous before pulling out his white flame.
[Dude, take a closer look. He holds the lord of the flames, a heaven and earth spirit flame. Even if you have the same kind of fire, it will only result in a tie.]
[Even if by some off chance it is stronger, how much could it actually be compared to Yan Song’s?]
[You’re saying your flame is so freakish that it can suppress a heaven and earth spirit flame just as the latter suppresses beast flames?]
[Did the world even have such a thing?]
“Humph, he’s clearly faking and bragging yet none of his words sound believable.” Xie Tianyang mocked.
Vicious Pill King laughed, “Kid, you take me for a three-year-old? The world does not have such a savage flame. If you can take it out, then I will directly kowtow three…”
Suddenly, his voice was choked with the appearance of an azure flame above two of Zhuo Fan’s fingers. It was as calm as candlelight, unimpressive in the slightest.
But this plain azure flame descended on the world like a monarch. Its invisible pressure befell like a mountain.
The cackling Bone Soul Truefire now seemed to have found its nemesis and scurried back into Vicious Pill King’s body, never to come out again.
Not even at Vicious Pill King’s incessant urgings.
If a heaven and earth spirit flame was so decisive, then Liu Yizhen’s, Yan Fu’s and Tao Danniang’s beast flames were even worse.
They had no spirituality but they nonetheless trembled under the azure fire’s pressure and died out.
When the monarch of flames descended, no common flame dared to burn!
All the fires died out in a blink, even the other alchemists’.
Only Zhuo Fan’s frail azure flame let out a soft glow.
The shock was incomprehensible. Even Vicious Pill King stared slackjawed.
“W-what is this? The heaven and earth spirit flame ran?” Vicious Pill King’s body was swaying. He was the owner of Bone Soul Truefire and could feel it shivering in fear, “What flame is that?”
Zhuo Fan looked at his azure flame with a smile, “Who knows? It’s been given to me anyway.”
His cheeks twitching, Vicious Pill King trembled.
[Why is it that I wasn’t lucky enough to have someone give me such a strong flame?]
When he chanced upon the Bone Soul Truefire, he’d been so thrilled he couldn’t sleep a wink for how much fortune smiled upon him. He could’ve died happy!
But here, now, in Zhuo Fan’s presence, his bit of luck was lackluster, to say the least.
“Now, do you still want to refine?” Zhuo Fan snickered, letting the azure flame sway in front of him.
Vicious Pill King’s eyes reddened from envy. How the hell could he still refine? His entire mind was set on that frail flame.
He was almost consumed by the desire to just seize it.
Zhuo Fan laughed, knowing perfectly well what Yan Song was thinking, “Now do you believe me? Well then, Vicious Pill King, let me ask you. Who’s the petty one?”
Vicious Pill King felt like crying.
[Goddamn it! This punk is unfathomable! Three rounds ago he spoke not a grain of truth and now he said the most unbelievable things yet it turns out to be the whole and unfurnished truth!]
[Curses! His plots are too sinister for me to unravel!]
Despite being filled with regret, Vicious Pill King still reddened as he admitted, “Pardon me, Grandmaster Song. I have wrongly mistaken a gentleman for being petty.”
“Ha-ha-ha, lighten up. It’s enough to know that I’m a perfect gentleman.”
Zhuo Fan laughed and not only made the old man redden harder from shame but even flaunted, “Then, wanna go ahead and refine? Or maybe, together?”
[You joking? Refine with you? How, when any and all flames were snuffed because of yours?]
[I get why this punk said there was no competition if both refined together!]
Vicious Pill King sighed and admitted it despite the humiliation it brought, “Pardons, Grandmaster Song. I was overconfident. I shall go ahead and refine first.”
“Alright. With my generous nature, I shall let you begin.”
Zhuo Fan smiled and took back his azure flame while crossing his arms. Even so, he couldn’t help himself from muttering, “Stingy, how unreasonable!”
His voice may have been soft, but all heard him.
Vicious Pill King staggered. He was truly pissed but felt more aggrieved than anything else.
[I rarely want a fair fight and what do I get? Humiliation. Being good is not all that cracked up to be.]
He was oblivious though that as he was feeling sorry for himself. Zhuo Fan nodded in his mind and his mouth widened into a broad and satisfied smile…