The Alarmed Yao Lao

Buzz!

The lid of the medicine cauldron before Wang Teng trembled lightly. Heat waves spilled from the gaps, carrying a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

The Combined-Strength Pill was complete!

Catching that scent, he took out a jade bottle. As the lid lifted, pill after pill flew out and landed inside.

Ten pills!

This batch of Combined-Strength Pills was perfect-grade!

Seeing the result, Wang Teng was delighted. In all his days of refining Blood Surge Pills, apart from the first time he had successfully produced perfect-grade pills, he had never managed to replicate it.

This is in the bag!

At this point, Wang Teng completely relaxed and looked with interest at Xiao Yan, who was still refining medicine.

Could Xiao Yan really refine a first-grade pill through his own ability in two months?

No, impossible. He was bound to an old grandpa, not a system. He had no way to directly instill relevant experience like Wang Teng could.

Curiosity flashed in Wang Teng's eyes. When would Yao Lao make his move?

At the same time.

On the judges' platform, Gu Ni saw that Wang Teng had finished refining and suddenly went wild.

"Ten! Ten! Wang Teng actually refined ten pills in one go! How is that possible?!" Gu Ni repeated.

"Miss Ya Fei, what's wrong with Master Gu Ni?" the City Lord asked.

Ya Fei was stunned as well. It was only after Ruo Lin, seated beside her, nudged her twice that she came back to her senses.

She repeated Gu Ni's earlier explanation about pill quality to the two of them.

"So Wang Teng refined perfect-quality pills." The City Lord looked calm, but inwardly he was shocked.

So young, yet his alchemy skills were already this high. Given time, he might become another Pill King Gu He.

"City Lord, are you familiar with this Wang Teng?" Ruo Lin asked.

"My apologies, Miss Ruo Lin. Wang Teng is not from Wu Tan City." The City Lord gave a bitter smile.

"Miss Ruo Lin, are you interested in Wang Teng? I happen to know some information about him. Once the competition is over, you can come find me at the auction house," Ya Fei said with a smile.

"Alright." Ruo Lin nodded with a smile.

Ya Fei then looked at Gu Ni. "Uncle Gu Ni, you said Wang Teng was especially skilled at refining Blood Surge Pills. Even if he can refine perfect-quality ones, there's no need to be this excited, right?"

"Blood Surge Pills? Who said Wang Teng refined Blood Surge Pills?" Gu Ni said in surprise. "That wasn't what he refined this time at all!"

I'm a second-grade alchemist. How could I fail to recognize the scent of a Blood Surge Pill?

"Not Blood Surge Pills?"

Gu Ni's answer completely confused Ya Fei, Ruo Lin, and the City Lord.

Beside them, Ao Ba Pa watched them eagerly, feeling somewhat superfluous sitting there.

I'm the patriarch of one of Wu Tan City's three great clans, a dignified Grand Battle Master. Why can't I understand anything you people are talking about?

"Uncle Gu Ni, do you mean Wang Teng has mastered the perfect-grade refining method for another first-grade pill?" Ya Fei asked in shock.

Gu Ni thought for a moment before answering, "The pill he refined this time was indeed not a Blood Surge Pill."

"But, but..." Ya Fei was at a loss. "You said that to raise one's mastery of a pill to perfection required spending a great deal of time and effort practicing."

"I did say that." Gu Ni smiled bitterly.

"Then how could he..." Ya Fei looked at that youthful figure and found herself speechless.

Gu Ni looked at Wang Teng with mixed feelings and sighed. "Perhaps he is a true alchemy genius."

Mastering the advanced and perfect refining methods for two first-grade pills at the same time was by no means an easy feat.

Since someone had accomplished it, and at such a young age—

That could only mean he was exceptionally gifted!

Ya Fei had not been idle these past few days. After hearing Gu Ni's explanation of pill quality, she had specifically looked into information on the subject.

Even Pill King Gu He, who was renowned throughout the Jia Ma Empire, had no more than a few recorded instances of refining perfect-quality pills.

Wang Teng did not notice the change in the gazes of the people on the judges' platform.

"It's about to condense." Watching Xiao Yan, he judged from the temperature and scent emitted by the medicine cauldron that Xiao Yan had reached the final step of refining.

Is Yao Lao still not making a move?

Wang Teng was puzzled.

Suddenly, Wang Teng felt the Soul-Eating Insect, which had remained quiet in his mind, stir.

Its transparent wings fluttered. The Soul-Eating Insect's figure briefly blurred, then a considerable amount of soul power turned into raindrops the size of beans and fell into his mind.

The whole process was swift, like a flash of lightning.

Wang Teng had no idea what had happened. The soul power he had expended while refining was instantly replenished, and his soul power even rose slightly.

For some unknown reason, Xiao Yan's face suddenly turned pale, and sweat poured from him.

"Teacher!" Xiao Yan panicked.

The refining process had reached its most crucial stage. He had even prepared to let Yao Lao take over his body.

However, the moment Yao Lao took over, he abruptly withdrew into the ring again. A faint, pained cry escaped him, as though he had encountered his natural enemy.

"Xiao Yan, something is wrong. Calm down as quickly as possible and listen to my instructions. There is still hope for the pill to be completed," Yao Lao said rapidly.

Xiao Yan asked in astonishment, "What happened?"

"I don't know. There is something nearby that targets souls. The instant I brought out my soul power, I was bitten," Yao Lao said.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Yan asked anxiously.

Yao Lao is my hope for growing stronger quickly. Nothing can happen to him.

"Don't worry about me. Focus on refining," Yao Lao said gravely.

Xiao Yan concentrated and, following Yao Lao's guidance, stabilized the violently fluctuating medicine cauldron, successfully preventing it from exploding.

"That was close. Xiao Yan nearly blew up the cauldron. He is still too young, and his inexperience has cost him here."

"Moreover, the cultivation technique he practices seems somewhat unsuitable. There is not much battle qi left in his body. Whether he can hold out until the pill condenses is still uncertain."

"Wang Teng, on the other hand, appears completely at ease. Based on these points alone, Wang Teng already holds the advantage. Whether Xiao Yan can secure victory for the Xiao Clan will depend on the pill he refines."

Gu Ni's impassioned voice rang across the plaza.

In the Xiao Clan's section, everyone's hearts rose and fell with the developments.

"Xiao Yan's alchemy level isn't all that high. If I'd known, we should never have agreed to his proposal," the Third Elder said with a curl of his lip.

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan shot him an angry glare.

"Xiao Zhan, Third Brother means nothing by it. He only hopes the clan can do better," the First Elder said.

Xiao Zhan snorted coldly. "If he truly cared about the clan, he should have taken practical action instead of making a junior step forward—and saying such things at a time like this."

"Anyway, I didn't agree to it back then," the Third Elder said.

Xiao Zhan glanced at the three elders, then calmed down. "No matter the outcome of this competition, I will step down as Clan Head."

"Xiao Zhan, the clansmen are all here. Don't say something so rash," the First Elder urged.

Xiao Zhan ignored him.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the trembling of the medicine cauldron before Xiao Yan gradually slowed, and a medicinal fragrance slowly seeped out.

"It's done." Seeing this, Xiao Yan finally let out the breath he had been holding.

The battle qi in his body had nearly been drained dry.

He lifted the lid of the medicine cauldron and looked at the two pills inside.

I have the pill formula provided by my teacher. As long as I successfully refine pills, I'll definitely defeat Wang Teng.

Not only will the Xiao Clan Market be saved, I'll win back two markets as well!

At last, I can leave Wu Tan City for training without worry.

Xiao Yan smiled and looked toward Wang Teng.