Pill Refining Competition

At that moment, a servant finally came to report, "Master Lei Yi, according to our informant inside the Chen Family, Yang Lingtian is still at Chen Manor."

"What? Really?" Master Lei Yi said, both excited and astonished.

"Yang Lingtian wasn't taken away? Then how could Lei Gang possibly let this go?"

"I don't know. According to the people inside, someone saw Yang Lingtian." The servant continued, "But only those present that day know what happened, and the Chen Family Patriarch ordered them not to spread it."

"All right. It seems the Chen Family reached some sort of agreement with Lei Gang." Master Lei Yi guessed.

"But this agreement must have made the Chen Family lose a lot of face and bleed heavily, which is why they won't let anyone talk about it."

After learning that Yang Lingtian was still at Chen Manor, Master Lei Yi also breathed a sigh of relief.

Three months had already passed, and he could no longer wait to obtain the Great Yellow Elixir Formula that would resolve the poison in his body.

He could not wait any longer. He directly told the servant, "Go to Chen Manor and say that I, Master Lei Yi, am inviting Young Master Yang to True Elixir Pavilion as a guest."

Before long, Yang Lingtian, who had been cultivating, received Master Lei Yi's invitation.

Only then did he remember that he had a three-month agreement with Master Lei Yi.

He was not the sort of person who broke his promises. After tidying himself up, he set off for True Elixir Pavilion.

Yang Lingtian had not gone out for several days, so everyone assumed that Lei Gang had captured him and taken him back.

Meanwhile, the Lei Family of Divine Crow Chen City had already been thrown into chaos.

After the Lei Family Patriarch, Lei Gang, went to Tianchen City, there had been no news of him for three days.

No one knew what had happened. The information the Lei Family had managed to obtain was that Lei Gang had entered the Chen Family and never come out.

This made the Lei Family feel that something was wrong.

The impact of Lei Gang's disappearance was still brewing, but Yang Lingtian was too lazy to pay attention to it.

At that moment, he was already swaggering down the street toward True Elixir Pavilion.

Many people were stunned when they saw Yang Lingtian.

They had thought Lei Gang had captured him, yet he had now appeared right on the street.

Soon, Yang Lingtian arrived at True Elixir Pavilion and received a warm welcome.

He was led into a secret chamber, where he met Master Lei Yi.

When Master Lei Yi saw Yang Lingtian, he said with a beaming smile, "It has been a long time, Young Friend Yang."

Yang Lingtian did not want to waste time exchanging pleasantries and said bluntly, "You wanted the Great Yellow Elixir Formula, right?"

"I said I would give it to you, so I certainly will. This is the Great Yellow Elixir Formula."

With that, a Great Yellow Elixir Formula he had written beforehand appeared in his hand.

When Master Lei Yi saw the formula, his eyes seemed to light up, and his expression grew visibly excited.

"Hahaha, good, good, good! Thank you, Young Friend Yang." Master Lei Yi took the formula and spoke excitedly.

Suddenly, a powerful aura came from outside.

It was the aura of a Golden Core expert.

Master Lei Yi's expression changed. He was very familiar with this aura—it belonged to the master of True Elixir Pavilion.

He hurriedly put away the formula and went outside to welcome him. Yang Lingtian followed as well.

The master of True Elixir Pavilion in Tianchen City was named Wu Xulong. He was an Early Golden Core expert and also a First-Rank Alchemist.

He rarely appeared before the public, so he had probably come this time for something important.

After Lei Yi and Yang Lingtian came out, a trace of wariness appeared in Wu Xulong's eyes as he looked at Yang Lingtian.

That was because he had been one of the Golden Core experts watching the show from the clouds a few days ago.

He had personally seen Yang Lingtian wield some unknown treasure and unleash a terrifying strike.

Wu Xulong looked at Yang Lingtian and smiled faintly. "You're the person who provided our True Elixir Pavilion with the Heavenly Spirit Elixir Formula, right?"

"That's right. Young Master Yang provided it, and I personally drew up the cooperation agreement with him." Lei Yi spoke first.

Yang Lingtian also cupped his hands slightly. "That was me. If you have important matters to discuss, I'll take my leave first?"

"No need. It isn't a secret, so you may stay." Wu Xulong waved his hand.

"You're now considered a partner of our True Elixir Pavilion as well."

Yang Lingtian smiled faintly and said nothing more.

"May I ask why the Pavilion Master has come?" Master Lei Yi returned to the main topic.

"Master Lei Yi, I came to notify you." Wu Xulong turned his gaze toward Master Lei Yi.

"Next month, the Pill Refining Competition held once every ten years will take place in Moon Shadow City, the capital of the Star-Moon Dynasty."

"This is the time recently confirmed by the main headquarters, so I came to inform you to make preparations."

Master Lei Yi looked troubled. "Pavilion Master, I've recently been trying to refine a Third-Order Spirit Pill."

"If I succeed, I'll become a Tier 3 Alchemist. Then our Tianchen City Branch won't come in last."

"But the schedule is too tight. We'll need half a month just to travel there. With the little time remaining, I can't break through to Tier 3."

Wu Xulong also sighed. "Alas, our Tianchen City Branch came in last place in the previous competition."

"If you can't become a Tier 3 Alchemist in time, Master Lei Yi, I'm afraid we'll come in last again this time!"

"If that happens again, I'll lose all face as the branch master."

Yang Lingtian listened to them and inserted a question. "Can't you just not participate?"

Wu Xulong shook his head. "Headquarters requires every branch to participate."

"I don't want to participate either, but this is no longer merely a matter of reputation."

"If we rank among the bottom ten, we'll have to hand over fifty percent of the branch's annual profits."

"But if we can place in the top ten, not only will we be exempt from handing over the branch's profits, we'll also receive additional rewards."

Wu Xulong's expression turned solemn. After a pause, he continued.

"First place will receive a fifth-tier Spirit Pill, a Fourth-Grade Pill Formula, and a Third-Grade Pill Formula."

"Second place will receive five fourth-tier Spirit Elixirs and a Third-Grade Pill Formula."

"Third place will receive one fourth-tier Spirit Elixir and a Third-Grade Pill Formula."

"Fourth through tenth place will each receive a Third-Grade Pill Formula."

"Most importantly, those in the top ten won't need to hand over the Spirit Stones they earn to headquarters."

"The lower rankings will all have to hand over Spirit Stones to headquarters, with the proportion determined by their rank."

"The worst are the bottom ten. They'll all have to hand over fifty percent of their profits."

After hearing this, Yang Lingtian also felt that it was far too harsh. They actually had to hand over fifty percent of their profits.

But what does that have to do with me?

Although he was now proficient in pill refinement, he was too lazy to help their branch.

He would not do anything that offered him no benefit.

At that moment, the system suddenly issued a mission.

[Ding! As a powerhouse, one should make one's name known far and wide. A limited-time mission has been issued: help the Tianchen City True Elixir Pavilion Branch become first in the Pill Refining Competition.]

Yang Lingtian froze for a moment.

Since the system had issued a mission, then for the sake of becoming stronger and obtaining the reward, he could only accept it.

Yang Lingtian volunteered, "Pavilion Master, I can represent your Tianchen City Branch in the competition and guarantee that you'll take first place."

As soon as he said this, Master Lei Yi and the Pavilion Master both froze, thinking they had heard wrong.

"Young Master Yang, what did you say? You want to help us take first place?" Wu Xulong asked in astonishment.

"That's right." Yang Lingtian nodded.

"Could it be that Young Friend Yang also knows how to refine pills and is an alchemist?" Master Lei Yi asked in surprise.

"That's right. Otherwise, how could I have the Heavenly Spirit Elixir Formula?" Yang Lingtian replied with a faint smile.

Previously, Master Lei Yi had assumed that the formula had been obtained by the Chen Family by chance. He had never imagined that Yang Lingtian was an alchemist.

Moreover, Yang Lingtian was only eighteen. It was difficult for them to believe that an alchemist could be so young.

Thus, both Wu Xulong and Master Lei Yi were suspicious.

"What rank of alchemist are you now?" Master Lei Yi asked doubtfully.

"I don't know exactly, but I should be at least Tier 3." Yang Lingtian answered indifferently.

"Hahaha, Young Friend, don't joke around." Master Lei Yi clearly still did not believe him and laughed.

"I've spent most of my life studying pills, and I'm only a Second-Rank Alchemist now."

Wu Xulong also felt that Yang Lingtian was joking and chimed in.

"That's right, Young Master Yang. You may know how to refine some ordinary pills, but refining spirit pills is an entirely different matter."

Clearly, they would not believe him unless he displayed some genuine ability.

"How about this? I'll personally refine a Third-Order Spirit Pill, the Heavenly Spirit Elixir, for you to see." Yang Lingtian spoke without the slightest haste.

Wu Xulong and Master Lei Yi slightly furrowed their brows. Is he serious?

Although they had the Heavenly Spirit Elixir Formula, even Master Lei Yi could not refine it yet.

Yang Lingtian actually said he would refine the Third-Order Spirit Pill Heavenly Spirit Elixir. If he truly succeeded, then he would unquestionably be at least a Tier 3 Alchemist.

"Fine. Follow me." Although Master Lei Yi still did not quite believe him, he decided to give him a chance.

Before long, they arrived at the place where Master Lei Yi refined spirit pills.

The materials here were complete, and not a single spirit herb needed for refining the Heavenly Spirit Elixir was missing.

Yang Lingtian was decisive. He walked straight to the Alchemy Furnace and began refining the pill.

As soon as the furnace flames rose, he put all the required spirit herbs into the Alchemy Furnace.

This operation made Master Lei Yi's heart ache. These were precious spirit herbs!

Whenever he refined pills, he would normally put them in one by one, in a particular order. How could anyone dump them all in at once like Yang Lingtian?

In Master Lei Yi's eyes, Yang Lingtian was clearly an amateur.

Wu Xulong, a First-Rank Alchemist, also shook his head. He had originally been looking forward to Yang Lingtian surprising him.

Now, it was clearly a shock instead.

Yang Lingtian was obviously wasting precious medicinal materials!

But everything had already been put inside, so there was nothing they could say. They could only watch and wait.

At that moment, Yang Lingtian held his hands in a circle, and the Spiritual Power within his body slowly surged outward.

His hands moved sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, like butterflies dancing gracefully, coordinating with flawless precision.

The surrounding air seemed to be stirred by him, forming a faint whirlwind.

Wu Xulong and Master Lei Yi stared intently at Yang Lingtian's every movement.

Although they were both highly experienced, this sort of pill-refining technique was something they were seeing for the first time.

This only further confirmed in their minds that Yang Lingtian simply did not know how to refine pills.

As time passed, Yang Lingtian's movements grew faster and faster.

His hands were like dragons swimming out to sea, swift as lightning, leaving afterimages that streaked through the air.

Driven by his Spiritual Power, the flames in the Alchemy Furnace burned more and more fiercely, like a hidden beast roaring.

Yang Lingtian circulated the Spiritual Power within his body and sent it bit by bit into the Alchemy Furnace.