Chapter 665: You Cheated!

Two figures vanished completely into the light curtain.

This array was crafted by Daoist Uncle Mu Yang; daring to present it before the various peak masters meant he was certain that unless someone intervened to break the array, even the Eldest Senior Brother would find it difficult to see through it with mere eyes.

The numerous disciples fell back into silence.

Among them, the third-generation disciples of the same generation as Ye Lan and Liu Ruifeng were the main crowd attending the ceremony today.

If one wishes to seize the position of Peak Master, how can one win the trust of the masses without demonstrating abilities that differ from the ordinary?

However, they had no objections to Uncle Uncle Mu Yang using an array to conceal the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy and perceptions; pill refining was never about watching a dull and tedious process, but rather witnessing the radiance of calamity power released after the pill was formed.

Anything could be faked, but this pill radiance could not be faked.

What truly interested them was Jiang Shijie Ye Lan's response.

The third-generation disciples had seen with their own eyes what the Sixth Peak had done in recent years; Ye Lan's act of leaving the Master Master Shenxu Mountain appeared to everyone as voluntarily relinquishing control of the Pill Peak.

But looking at the situation now, it was clearly not the case.

Even though the Sixth Peak had cultivated the Pill Peak for many years, when the father and son attempted to take the final step, Jiang Shijie Ye Lan still stood up.

It was just, was it still too late to stand up now?

The third-generation disciples did not hold high hopes for that newcomer young man; the reason was simple: given the personalities of the father and son of the Sixth Peak, unless they had sufficient understanding of this person, they would absolutely not have made the move of giving him half the medicinal materials.

The disciples' thoughts could actually roughly represent the minds of the various Peak Masters.

At this moment, Ye Lan stood straight at the peak's summit, lifting her head slightly; her Bai Xi and exquisite face still looked so proud, but in the eyes of the other elders, it was full of forced effort, even appearing somewhat pitiful.

Qianfeng and Daoist Master Jinxue, along with that old man with crane feathers and a child's face, were the three Peak Masters who had previously arrived at the Pill Peak to attend the disciple-acceptance ceremony; they could already be counted among those closest to Ye Lan, yet even so, they could not truly stand behind her to support her.

The four words "isolated and without help" were the best interpretation of Ye Lan's current situation.

Except for that new disciple she had just brought into the sect, there was nothing on the vast Master Master Shenxu Mountain that she could rely on.

It was well known that all her former supports were already dead.

And Ye Lan's act of coming up the mountain today could be considered throwing away her last shred of dignity; even if the elders were still willing to retain her title as Peak Master, she would likely find it difficult to continue sitting in that chair under the strange gazes of her peers.

"..."

Daoist Uncle Mu Yang silently lowered his eyelids and smiled without sound.

This unexpected joy today was something he had not anticipated.

Everything was ready; only the opening of the furnace remained.

"..."

Ye Lan was equally silent; of course she could feel those gazes falling on her intentionally or unintentionally, but ever since Shen Yi stepped into that light curtain, her gaze had never moved again.

At this point, apart from choosing to believe, she had no other way.

And within that light curtain woven from countless lines.

Liu Ruifeng adjusted his breathing, his fingertips rubbing those medicinal materials so familiar they could not be more familiar; his palm trembled slightly.

Pill refining was a slow task requiring a calm heart and settled qi; it could not be rushed.

Yet every time he thought of the vision of these past years, finally reaching the moment of realization today, he could not suppress the excitement in his heart.

"Once, and I'll crush you all."

Liu Ruifeng forcefully exhaled a breath, murmuring as he waved his sleeve; countless days and nights of bitter practice had made the process of refining the Void Origin Treasure Pill so familiar to him that it could not be more familiar.

These heavenly treasures and earthly gems, brimming with calamity power, floated up one by one, orderly entering the pill furnace amidst the suddenly surging furnace fire.

Regarding how to refine the essence of the medicinal materials while preserving the calamity power within as much as possible, he was quite experienced.

But his turbulent state of mind still affected this delicate process.

"Huff."

Liu Ruifeng's hand suddenly trembled twice; his complexion changed slightly as he raised his eyes to look at the calamity power overflowing from within the pill furnace.

The mistake in refining this main herb directly lowered the upper limit of the pill; even if no other problems arose afterwards, and with the help of this array, it could at most reach the level of six calamities upon completion.

His face looked much worse.

With this pill, winning against Shen Yi was naturally no problem, but even if the elders did not say it aloud, they would surely be laughing in their hearts; if he disappointed the Eldest Deng Shibo, then even without people like Ye and Shen, after this matter passed, the other party would likely want to find another pill master to replace him.

After all, the position of Peak Master was something where, once a precedent was set, if it could be changed once, it could be changed a second time.

Thinking of this, Liu Ruifeng quietly took out two additional sets of medicinal materials from his storage treasure.

This was his greatest confidence for today.

Three sets of materials to produce one pill; it would be hard to lose.

He picked up a main herb to use as a substitute and carefully threw it into the pill furnace.

Liu Ruifeng did not consider this cheating.

These two extra sets of medicinal materials were the rewards the father and son should have received for their hard work controlling the Pill Peak over the years; they had painstakingly saved them up and should use them today.

After successfully refining this great herb, a smile reappeared on Liu Ruifeng's face.

At the same time, within another light curtain.

Shen Yi stood with hands hanging by his sides before the pill furnace, with neatly divided medicinal materials before him.

There was no way; although he had used the panel to simulate that pill formula, these medicinal materials were truly the first time he had seen them.

Calamity power was not an issue; it could be supplemented with the lifespans of demons and monsters.

He just feared ruining the pill when the time came.

After all, there was only one set of these medicinal materials; there was no chance to start over.

After gaining experience in refining the Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill, Shen Yi obviously had a clearer understanding of his own level.

Only after making preparations did he flick his finger to ignite the furnace fire.

Time slowly passed; the gentle firelight reflected on the young man's handsome face as the medicinal materials were skillfully transformed into the purest medicinal liquids, gathering and blending together, gradually forming a pill that shimmered with silver light.

He preserved as much calamity power as possible.

After all, those demon and monster lifespans were fought for by Lady Qinghua with her life; if they could be saved, they should be saved.

Tsk, seems not bad.

Shen Yi raised his eyes slightly.

After all, last time was the first time he had encountered combining something as ethereal as calamity power with a tangible pill.

But this time, the situation was clearly much better.

If the pill were to take shape now, it would retain at least two calamities of power; certainly not high, but compared to the six hundred years of calamity power in the Azure Dragon Blood Jade Pill, this Great Void Treasure Pill before him could at least be called a Calamity Pill, rather than slag.

With the pill's prototype taking form, Shen Yi finally relaxed considerably.

He opened the panel and began using himself as a medium to carefully count the years of life from demons and monsters being poured into the medicine.

Dare not add too much, letting others profit from it.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

The disciples of the Eight Peaks still surrounded the peak's summit, but their expressions gradually changed.

Although a light curtain blocked the view, making the situation inside unclear, a quick calculation showed the time was about due.

Almost all gazes fell upon the patch of light curtain where Liu Ruifeng stood.

As a third-generation disciple, wanting to command a peak, one cannot simply rely on bullying a newcomer; that counts for no skill. At least one must produce something genuine to convince the crowd.

Qianfeng Daoist glanced sideways, seeing Uncle Mu Yang Daoist standing calmly in place, not a trace of nervousness on his refined face.

Seeing this state, he roughly knew the score in his heart.

He withdrew his gaze with little interest, too lazy to watch this father and son basking in their success any longer.

"When you return in the future, if you have time, feel free to visit my Artifact Peak; a quiet courtyard can always be kept for you."

Qianfeng Daoist did not lower his voice, addressing the Miss not far away directly.

Though his tone was normal, it clearly implied someone bullying a junior, refusing to let go even of the worthless things left by her master.

On the main seat, the half-dead old man opened his eyes, casting a cold glance at him; quarreling like this before the disciples of all peaks was somewhat too immature.

"..."

Ye Lan turned to look back, pressed her lips together, and then directed her gaze once more toward the light curtain where Shen Yi stood.

Her actions, seen by everyone, only highlighted the desolation of the Pill Peak, having to place all hope on a young junior.

Finally, the light curtain on the other side slowly faded away; the dense lines, like vines, shot out and quickly returned into the array disk.

And the moment the light curtain vanished, a faint Jin Guang replaced its presence, spreading like the morning dawn, entering the eyes of the Eight Peaks disciples.

Liu Ruifeng stood within the Jin Guang, his expression composed, as if he himself had become much more towering.

Before him, a Void Origin Treasure Pill slowly descended, and he caught it in a jade bottle.

"Eight calamities..."

Refining a Calamity Pill, retaining eight or nine out of ten, already counts as profound skill, reaching perfection.

At least, compared to the third-generation disciples of the Pill Peak in the past, he is no worse than anyone; though far from the peak master, considering his youth, it is understandable.

Moreover, it depends on who one compares with.

Compared to Ye Lan's alchemy level, Liu Ruifeng is clearly more qualified and capable to manage this Pill Peak.

The various peak masters had different thoughts, but under the glow of this faint golden light, none said much.

Sometimes, compared to reason, strength is what truly convinces the heart.

Liu Ruifeng glanced at the silent disciples of the Eight Peaks surrounding him, feeling those envious stares; the heartache from wasting three portions of medicinal materials earlier was now completely swept away.

He strove to maintain that image of composure and unflappability.

From now on, he would be different from these ordinary third-generation disciples; he would be the peak master in the true sense, continuing the lineage, and could be called the Ancestor.

Of course, besides the actual things, if he could also take the things on the title, that would be best.

Who made that cheap woman give the chance?

Thinking of this, Liu Ruifeng took a step, approaching Ye Lan with an extremely humble posture, and extended the jade bottle in his palm: "Please, Jiang Shijie, take a look and offer some comments."

These seemingly gentle words could no longer be called provocation; they were more akin to humiliation.

Everyone knew what Ye Lan's level actually was; what could she possibly comment on?

"Huff."

Ye Lan exhaled lightly, lowered her eyes to glance at the jade bottle, and said nothing.

At the same time, Liu Ruifeng also directed his gaze toward the remaining half portion of medicinal materials in the arena, pretending to be kind-hearted: "That Senior Brother Shen has not emerged for so long; could something have gone wrong? Young people always care about face. Jiang Shijie, you might as well send the remaining materials over. Anyway, do not waste precious treasure medicines; at least form a pill first."

His step-by-step pressing manner clearly aimed to make Ye Lan feel ashamed and voluntarily resign from the position of peak master.

Among the peak masters, someone furrowed their brows, disliking his aggressive manner.

But the half-dead old man watched the scene quietly; with him presiding, where would the others dare to stand up first?

Some things, once done, must bear the consequences.

This face was not trampled by others; it was Ye Lan who chose to lose it herself.

"So."

Ye Lan's gaze moved upward, landing on Liu Ruifeng's face: "Has it ended?"

"This..."

Liu Ruifeng was stunned for a moment, then looked around, smiling helplessly: "Is there a difference?"

On the faces of the onlooking disciples, identical helpless smiles appeared.

To know, the formula for the Void Origin Treasure Pill was only taken by Jiang Shijie Ye from the Secret Scripture Pavilion last night; in one night's time, honestly, for that newly entered junior to actually turn that pile of materials into a pill would already be enough to surprise people; as for the calamity power within...

Just then, behind Ye Lan's lonely figure, bursts of mighty Jin Guang suddenly erupted, as if a brilliant sun was rising from behind her!

This radiance flowed wildly like molten gold, rudely bursting into everyone's vision, making the smiles on their faces instantly stiffen!

The various peak masters suddenly turned their gaze toward the place where the golden light surged.

The half-dead old man finally opened his eyelids completely for the first time, his pair of cloudy eyes staring straight at that spot.

There, within the Great Sun, the youth in black robes stood quietly before the alchemy furnace, casually flicking his sleeve to sweep that pill into the jade bottle.

This scene was extremely similar to what had happened several days ago.

Such thick alchemical radiance could only be emitted by a flawless Tribulation Pill.

First-time alchemy, yet perfect, with the power of ten tribulations!

Amidst the dense figures in the surrounding sky, even with the First Senior Brother presiding, a roar of uproar suddenly erupted.

"..."

The corners of Mu Yang Daoist's slightly upturned lips suddenly twitched violently; he stared fixedly at the jade bottle in the youth's hand, and rage suddenly surged in his eyes.

However, a figure had already rushed out before him.

Liu Ruifeng, his expression filled with fear, ran to the alchemy furnace, staring straight at the jade bottle, his breathing heavy like a broken gong; only after a long while did he erupt into a roar: "You cheated!"

In the midst of his low roar, he reached out to forcibly snatch the medicine bottle, and the mighty immortal power of a Sixth-Rank Heavenly Immortal at the peak realm suddenly swept out!

This matter is absolutely impossible.

If nine or ten out of ten are preserved, it can be called consummate skill.

With not a single drop spilling, it could be called reaching the pinnacle!

Yet the opponent had clearly only seen the formula for the Void Origin Treasure Pill for the first time, and had only just come into contact with this pill.

Liu Ruifeng recalled the incident last time; this brat had also used alchemical radiance to intimidate everyone, but who had actually seen that Green Dragon Blood Jade Pill with their own eyes?

It must have been some deceitful trick to deceive the eyes and ears, creating this sky-filling, false alchemical radiance!

"Give it to me! Let me see this pill!"

Liu Ruifeng's face was distorted, but before his words had finished, a slender palm had already pressed down on the back of his head.

In an instant, there was a loud Boom.

His entire body was forcibly slammed onto the alchemy furnace; half his body sank into it, crushing the furnace walls until they shattered inch by inch.

Liu Ruifeng struggled with all his might, but it was utterly useless; he could only endure the burning of the scorching furnace fire, while the opponent, using only one hand, pinned him firmly inside!

"..."

Shen Yi looked down indifferently at the youth in his hand, who was like a dead dog.

He had no desire to ask how the other had refined the pill; in that case, the other would have no business asking what methods he had used.

Of course, if they were unwilling to compete properly in alchemy, he himself was also somewhat proficient in fist and foot techniques.

Not far away.

Ye Lan stared blankly at this scene, her rosy lips suddenly trembling uncontrollably.

Before so many elders and fellow disciples, the body that had been forcibly tensed until now finally quietly relaxed.

(End of this chapter)