With the pill in hand, Xiao Fan paid no further attention to the shattered medicine cauldron and nodded in satisfaction. He glanced at Xiao Yan and Han Xian, who were still refining their pills, but did not disturb them. Instead, he rose and walked toward Elder Hao.
"Thank you for accommodating me, Elder Hao!"
Xiao Fan bowed to Elder Hao and spoke respectfully.
"Hehe, I didn't do anything." Elder Hao stroked his beard, glanced at the jade bottle in Xiao Fan's hand, and said with a chuckle, "Your refinement has no bearing on their competition. I merely gave you an opportunity to refine a pill."
"I understand." Xiao Fan nodded at his words, then offered Elder Hao the jade bottle in his hand. "But you gave me the recipe and three sets of medicinal ingredients. I'd like to give you this first pill I refined, and I hope you'll accept it."
"Well..." Elder Hao glanced at the jade bottle Xiao Fan offered him, looking thoroughly surprised, then waved his hand. "Forget it, forget it. Who knows how many old fellows are watching from down there? If I really accepted your pill, they'd never let me hear the end of it."
Although he very much wanted the pill in Xiao Fan's hand, Elder Hao hesitated before waving his hand in refusal.
"What's the harm in that?" Xiao Fan ignored his refusal and pressed the pill directly into Elder Hao's arms, saying with a smile, "Today, I not only received a fifth-grade pill recipe, but also three sets of medicinal ingredients for free. If I'd only managed to refine one pill, I'd have kept it for myself. But now that I've succeeded on my first attempt, I've already gained an enormous benefit. Naturally, this first pill should go to you, Elder."
Elder