A Prodigal Son's Return Is Beyond Price

Yang Chen's words undoubtedly drew laughter from the entire audience. Many felt Yang Chen was merely seeking attention. This wasn't the first time Yang Chen had done something like this, but each time, the outcome had proven him to be nothing more than a clown.

Yang Heng, seated below, sneered repeatedly before sternly saying, "Yang Chen, Second Master's class is not a place for you to run wild. You are wasting our time and Second Master's time."

"Weren't you just wasting Second Master's time?" Yang Chen said slowly.

"How could we be like you!" Yang Heng retorted, "Everyone knows you lost three hundred spiritual stones to the Wang family. Haven't you been shamed enough?"

Yang Chen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So, you mean you also want everyone to know who you lost spiritual stones to?"

Hearing this, Yang Heng's expression changed drastically. "Yang Chen, don't you dare slander me!"

"I haven't even said how you lost the spiritual stones, why are you so nervous?" Yang Chen grinned happily.

Yang Heng's eyes widened into tiger-like saucers. "Yang Chen, fine, you have guts!"

Yang Chen twisted his neck. He wasn't afraid of Yang Heng's threats, nor did he take Yang Heng's words to heart. If Yang Heng truly wanted to cause trouble for him, he wouldn't mind revealing the matter of Yang Heng losing three hundred spiritual stones to him. He was curious how Yang Heng, having lost to him, could still be so boisterous.

Second Master Yang then said expressionlessly, "Yang Chen, while Yang Heng's words were a bit excessive, if you're truly banking on the 'blind cat catching a dead mouse' idea, then don't bother trying your luck."

It wasn't that he looked down on Yang Chen; Yang Chen's reputation was truly terrible, so bad that everyone in the Yang family knew about it.

Yang Chen bowed respectfully. "Second Master, when I observed you refining the pill earlier, you first placed the materials and then ignited the fire after about a minute. In that minute, you did many things within the pill furnace. I observed that you seemed to be arranging the materials within the furnace..."

"Yang Chen, what nonsense are you talking about? Arranging positions has nothing to do with refining pills..."

"Silence," Second Master Yang couldn't help but get angry at this point.

He looked at Yang Chen with surprise, his beard trembling. "Yang Chen, continue speaking. Everyone else, be quiet."

Strange, truly strange.

It wasn't that his emotions were so unusual because what Yang Chen said finally provided the answer he had been seeking. Wasn't he deliberately slowing down his process, hoping that those below would understand the details of his pill refining?

Yang Chen continued to speak neither subserviently nor arrogantly. "Yang Chen's understanding of pill refining knowledge is indeed shallow, so I don't know the profound intentions behind Second Master's actions. However, I saw Second Master deliberately maneuvering the fire in the center when controlling the flame. This indicates that the materials placed in the center of the pill furnace must be tempered with a strong fire, while those on the sides only require a small fire. This shows that although tempering and flame control are two separate steps, flame control is also part of tempering."

"Good!"

Second Master Yang was overjoyed and laughed heartily. "Yang Chen, you speak well, you have deeply comforted this old man. Yes, tempering and flame control are two separate steps and processes, but who could have realized that flame control is also a part of tempering? I just don't know how much of the subtle techniques of my pill refining process you have grasped."

"Yang Chen has thought about it and feels he has grasped about fifty percent," Yang Chen scratched his head. "I think if Second Master refines it again, I'll be able to fully comprehend it."

He said this against his true feelings, of course.

He understood the principle behind Second Master Yang's shallow refining technique after just one observation.

Because his starting point was too high, he was once known as the number one alchemy genius. Let alone the top alchemists in this rustic village, he didn't even put the alchemists of the entire North Mountain County in his eyes. If he couldn't even learn Second Master Yang's refining techniques, then he wouldn't be worthy of the title of alchemy genius.

Since he was called a genius, let alone Second Master Yang's refining techniques, even refining techniques a million times more profound, he could learn seventy to eighty percent after seeing them once.

Saying he had learned fifty percent was actually just to avoid shocking people too much.

However, he still underestimated the remoteness of the Great Wilderness and its hundred tribes. Even though he only claimed to have grasped fifty percent, Second Master Yang's eyes were still wide open, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Is that true?" Second Master Yang asked with great astonishment.

"Second Master, don't listen to his nonsense, he's just trying to get attention!" Yang Heng was unhappy when he saw Yang Chen stealing his thunder.

How could this be?

How could Yang Chen win Second Master Yang's favor?

"If you think I'm bragging, why don't you come up and try?" Yang Chen said expressionlessly.

Even a clay figurine has some temper. Yang Heng was playing with fire.

Hearing Yang Chen's words, Yang Heng immediately deflated, but it wasn't easy to let him off the hook. He gritted his teeth and said, "Second Master, Yang Chen was humiliated by the Wang family not long ago. He even lost his family's Purple Show Pill Furnace and almost hanged himself. How can such a good-for-nothing's words be believed?"

Don't hit someone in the face when fighting, don't expose someone's shortcomings.

Yang Heng had even exposed Yang Chen's shortcomings, clearly intending to break all ties.

This made Second Master Yang's expression gloomy, and he was very displeased with Yang Heng's narrow-mindedness.

Yang Chen also composed himself and cupped his hands. "Second Master, what Yang Heng said is indeed true. I, Yang Chen, was indeed humiliated by the Wang family and had despaired, wanting to die. But Yang Chen believes that in this world, no matter what happens, as a dignified man who acts uprightly and sits properly, it is never too late to repent. How can one judge a hero by their temporary failures?"

"When I was contemplating ending my life, I had a profound realization and even grasped many philosophies that I hadn't understood before. I secretly vowed in my heart never to live a dissolute life like before. But Yang Heng is always aggressive. I ask, if we are to judge a hero by their temporary failures, then who among those present has never made a mistake? Should everyone be judged by their past mistakes for their entire lives?"

Yang Chen did not reveal the matter of Yang Heng losing three hundred spiritual stones.

Ultimately, he simply didn't want to bully Yang Heng.

Moreover, if he were to expose Yang Heng's past now, it would inevitably make Second Master Yang look down on him.

His words were perfectly timed, undoubtedly making Second Master Yang extremely pleased. He suddenly slammed the table, the sound echoing loudly and powerfully. "Yang Chen, you speak well. Not judging a hero by their temporary failures. Good, good. I know a little about your past, but I see that you truly have a heart of repentance today. A prodigal son returning has a bright future. Yang Heng, on the other hand, you are also a member of the Yang family, yet you are so aggressive. What kind of conduct is this?"

"In my day in the Yang family, I wasn't the most outstanding alchemist. There were many stronger than me. But now? I am the alchemy signboard of the Yang family. Who in the Yang family dares to say their alchemy is better than mine? Yang Heng, you are indeed the number one alchemist in the Yang family now, but with your current mindset, how can you achieve great things? You need to learn more from Yang Chen in this regard."

Second Master Yang's reprimand undoubtedly sent Yang Heng from heaven to hell.

His body trembled, and his gaze towards Yang Chen was filled with venom, with the seeds of hatred sown in his heart.

Yang Chen completely disregarded Yang Heng's hatred and simply said, "It is truly gratifying that Second Master can understand Yang Chen."

"Yang Chen, you are too polite. I had reservations about you earlier and made you stand to listen to my lecture. After hearing your words, your Second Grandfather feels ashamed. Please sit down with them and listen to the lesson. I will refine another Clear Fire Pill for you. If you can fully comprehend it, I will grant you whatever you ask for!" Second Master Yang promised generously.

This made Yang Chen's heart leap with joy. All the young disciples of the Yang family yearned for Second Master Yang's favor, and wasn't this exactly what he had come here to achieve today?

He quickly bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Second Grandfather. Yang Chen will not fail your expectations!"

Many people watching Yang Chen on the side felt both envy and jealousy. They wondered what kind of incredible luck Yang Chen had. Could it be that being humiliated by the Wang family had somehow opened up his mind?

Most importantly, Second Master Yang had made his intentions clear.

"I will refine a Clear Fire Pill for 'you' once more."

Yes, it was specifically for Yang Chen, not for them!

The meaning was simple: Second Master Yang hadn't planned to refine a second Clear Fire Pill, but he was making an exception for Yang Chen.

What incredible luck.

The crowd was filled with resentment and jealousy, but they didn't dare to voice it directly, only casting cold glances at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen had long anticipated becoming the target of everyone's resentment, but he paid it no mind, continuing to carefully observe Second Master Yang's refining techniques.

This time, Second Master Yang slowed his pace even further, so that Yang Chen could learn properly. After nearly half an hour, the refining process concluded. This time, Second Master Yang refined with a sense of joy, and the number of pills produced was an astonishing three.

This delighted Second Master Yang immensely, and he attributed the success of producing three Clear Fire Pills entirely to Yang Chen. If he hadn't seen such a promising talent in Yang Chen, why would he have refined with such joy? If his heart had been devoid of joy and filled with other emotions, the number of pills produced would have been at most two.

Indeed, the success of alchemy was, to a large extent, related to the alchemist's emotions.

At this moment, Second Master Yang, holding the three Clear Fire Pills, said with his hands behind his back, "Yang Chen, how much have you grasped this time?"

Yang Chen immediately stood up and respectfully replied, "I have not failed your expectations. Yang Chen believes that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I have fully grasped your refining techniques and details."

"Oh? Good, tell me about it," Second Master Yang said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Yang Chen recounted Second Master Yang's refining steps and techniques one by one. He infused his own understanding into the explanation, trying his best not to appear too astonishing, yet still aiming to satisfy Second Master Yang.

As he listened to Yang Chen, Second Master Yang's joy grew, his beard twitching with excitement, as if he were about to jump.

He clenched his fist and said excitedly, "Good, good, well said! Yang Chen, from now on, my alchemy room will be your home. Others can only come when I hold a public lecture, but you are different. You can come to this alchemy room whenever you wish from now on. I will teach you personally."

It was no joke.

The Great Wilderness was a remote place. Although there were many tribes, compared to the geniuses outside the Great Wilderness, the so-called geniuses of the Great Wilderness tribes were practically useless. He had once visited a prosperous city outside the Great Wilderness and knew that there were alchemists there who could grasp techniques after observing an alchemist refine only three to five times.

Those astonishing techniques had already deeply impressed him, making him realize how far behind the tribes of the Great Wilderness were in comparison.

But Yang Chen?

He had completely grasped it after just two attempts. He had even further analyzed the principles behind his refining techniques. Such an alchemical genius had actually appeared in their Yang Family.

It was a pity that no one had ever discovered Yang Chen's talent due to his previously dissolute life.

If Yang Chen had understood the true meaning of life earlier, how could his current achievements be any less than Yang Heng's?

Of course!

A prodigal son returning is more precious than gold; it's not too late, not too late!