Outside Azure Pill Valley, atop Little South Mountain.
Luo Chen sat in the Ink Lotus Garden pavilion, holding a book and reading with great relish.
Across from him, Shi Lan rested her chin on her hand, her eyes full of curiosity.
At last, she could not hold it in any longer.
"Senior Brother Luo, I never imagined your Pill Refinement Art would be so formidable."
"Just how did you acquire such extraordinary pill-refining skills?"
Luo Chen smiled but said nothing.
It was as if she had opened a floodgate.
Shi Lan spoke in an endless stream. "You have no idea—during the second round, the Direct Disciples from Ailao Mountain and Hundred Flowers Palace looked down on you from the very start."
"But after the three rounds ended, every last one of them was dumbfounded."
"There were even a few who privately gambled Spirit Stones. They all placed their bets on Danyangzi, but he only took fourth in the overall rankings for the second round. They lost until not even their shirts remained."
Luo Chen raised his head and casually asked,
"What about you? Did you lose or win?"
"I won! I earned more than twenty thousand Spirit Stones!" Shi Lan smiled smugly, lifting her little chin high.
For a young disciple who had only just established her foundation, it was truly an enormous sum.
Luo Chen was surprised, and his heart warmed slightly.
"I never thought you would support me so much."
"Uh..."
Seeing Shi Lan's embarrassed look, Luo Chen seemed to realize something.
"You did not bet on me to win?"
"Mhm."
"Then how did you win so many Spirit Stones?"
Shi Lan said as if it were only natural, "Because I was the one who opened the betting pool! They all lost, so naturally I won!"
Luo Chen