Chapter 511

The moment the medicinal fragrance drifted out from Yuan Shengyao's furnace, the Li family clansmen at the scene all believed that Yuan Shengyao had won for sure.

Xiao Yan, fearing he knew he was no match, simply chose not to make a move.

Although logically this was somewhat hard to explain—if he wasn't going to make a move, why agree to the competition beforehand?

But they truly could not imagine how Lin Chen could win while trailing Yuan Shengyao by ten pills in one furnace.

Refine twenty pills in one furnace?

This is Xuan Po Dan, not some unknown low-tier pill.

The medicinal properties of the ingredients for Xuan Po Dan are intense and overbearing; the larger the quantity, the harder it is to control. Unless one has reached the Master level, very few people can manage more than ten pills in one furnace.

Yuan Shengyao refining ten pills in one furnace was already at a top-tier level.

But the moment Lin Chen truly acted, these Li family clansmen were dumbfounded.

Without a pill furnace, Lin Chen snapped his fingers, and a wisp of flame appeared between his fingers, then floated into the air, spreading continuously, and finally actually expanded into the shape of a fire furnace.

Transforming Xiantian Fire into a fire furnace!

The Li family clansmen gasped. It wasn't that they hadn't seen alchemists possessing Xiantian Fire—the Fourth Elder of the clan was a Master-level alchemist who possessed Xiantian Fire—but they had never seen anyone directly use Xiantian Fire as a pill furnace.

"Old Four, what do you think?"

In the main hall of the Li family, the gazes of the other elders all fell upon the Fourth Elder, Li Hong. On the scene, only Old Four had the most authority to speak.

"If this child can truly successfully refine Xuan Po Dan relying solely on Xiantian Fire, then reaching the top fifty in this alchemy grand tournament will be a breeze."

Li Hong gave his judgment, but everything still had to wait for Xiao Yan's result. Was he truly confident, or was he just here to grandstand?

The fire furnace condensed from Xiantian Fire attracted the attention of everyone on the scene; the entire scene was silent.

"Go!"

Lin Chen raised his right hand, and the medicinal ingredients placed to the side flew up, flying directly into the flames, and the quantity of ingredients was twice that of Yuan Shengyao's.

Waiting until Yuan Shengyao had finished refining a furnace of pills before acting—Lin Chen wasn't doing it to play a game of "build up to tear down" for a better showing-off effect; rather, he wanted to observe Yuan Shengyao's alchemy process to judge the most precise ratio of medicinal ingredients.

Relying on his spiritual sense, he perceived the changes in the medicinal ingredients in Yuan Shengyao's pill furnace with perfect clarity.

This is called "learning the enemy's superior techniques to defeat the enemy"!

"Refine!"

As the ingredients entered the fire furnace, Lin Chen's hands moved, and the entire fire furnace began to shrink continuously, tossing and changing with Lin Chen's gestures. One breath, two breaths...

The gazes of everyone on the scene shifted back and forth between Lin Chen and the mass of Xiantian Fire that had already taken shape in front of him. Yuan Shengyao stood to the side with a serious expression, having even stopped refining the next furnace.

There was no need for it. If this Xiao Yan succeeded, then even if he refined another furnace, he would still lose; if Xiao Yan failed, then he had already won this competition.

Li Kai's mood was the worst at this moment, yet on the surface, he still had to force a look of anticipation, because he knew that this competition must be under the observation of the elders' spiritual sense, especially after Xiao Yan used this method to refine pills.

From the perspective of the Li family's interests, if Xiao Yan succeeded in refining, it meant Xiao Yan's alchemy attainments were very high, and the higher Xiao Yan's alchemy attainments, the higher the profits brought to the Li family.

If he wore a bitter face at this time, hoping for Xiao Yan to fail, and it was perceived by the elders' spiritual sense, he would definitely face punishment from the elders.

Li Qin's beautiful eyes sparkled. Her firm choice of Xiao Yan stemmed from a kind of intuition. After learning from Shopkeeper Li that Xiao Yan had taken first place, and having met Xiao Yan in person, she felt that this Xiao Yan was no ordinary alchemist.

Including the conditions Xiao Yan proposed, as well as the events that happened later at the Fire-Hiding Tower, all made her even more convinced of this point.

And the scene before her eyes was the best proof; her intuition was not wrong!

Half an hour later, following Lin Chen's shout of "Collect," the Xiantian Fire dissipated into nothingness. Twenty Xuan Po Dan floated quietly in the air, each one emitting a rich medicinal fragrance, making anyone who smelled it have a great appetite.

This was the soul's instinctive craving for that pill!

Many Li family clansmen couldn't help but swallow their saliva, but their gazes were fixed tightly on the figure in front. Not using a pill furnace to refine pills, and it being a high-tier pill like Xuan Po Dan—today they had truly witnessed an unheard-of scene.

The scene remained silent.

Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Lin Chen smiled slightly and looked at Li Qin: "I have not failed the mission."

"Many thanks, Master Xiao."

At this moment, Li Qin's form of address for Lin Chen changed. Li Kai calling Yuan Shengyao "Master Yuan" was done via voice transmission, because only a Master can be called "Master."

Li Kai calling him "Master Yuan" privately via voice transmission was flattery and sycophancy toward Yuan Shengyao, but if said in public, it would be a mockery of Yuan Shengyao.

Without Master-level attainments, yet being called "Master," one will invite ridicule.

But at Li Qin's "Master Xiao," not a single person on the scene mocked her. In the eyes of the Li family clansmen, Xiao Yan becoming a Master-level alchemist was only a matter of time.

Hearing Li Qin's change in address for him, Lin Chen smiled amusedly: "Let's go."

Li Qin nodded and left with Lin Chen. From beginning to end, neither of them asked whether Yuan Shengyao admitted defeat.

Because there was no need!

The Li family clansmen on the scene all watched Lin Chen leave with respectful faces, and at the same time, there was a sense of excitement on their faces. Today, they had not only witnessed an unprecedented alchemy competition but were also full of confidence for the upcoming alchemy grand tournament.

"Today's events are not allowed to be spread to anyone outside."

And just as many clansmen were thinking about going back and telling the people around them about the scene they had seen today, a voice full of majesty came.

The figure of the Third Elder, Li He, appeared in front of the building. Li He glanced at the somewhat dejected Yuan Shengyao; this Yuan Shengyao's alchemy attainments were not low, he could only say he had encountered an even stronger Xiao Yan.

"Send the guest to rest."

Li He instructed Li Kai. Before the grand tournament ends, the events that happened here cannot be leaked, lest someone target Xiao Yan.

"Fourth Elder!"

On the other side, Li Qin, who was taking Lin Chen to the guest courtyard, saw the old man in front and suddenly stopped her steps, hurriedly bowing respectfully.

The Fourth Elder is the family's only Master-level alchemist, and his status among the many elders is second only to the First Elder. However, Li Qin understood in her heart that this Fourth Elder had come for Xiao Yan.

"For you to visit my Li family, our Li family has been negligent these days. I, this old man, apologize to you on behalf of the Li family."

"Senior is too polite. The Li family has taken very good care of Xiao, and I have never been neglected."

Lin Chen returned the salute; for a Xiantian Fifth-Stage alchemy master, calling him "Senior" was not excessive.

"I have prepared fragrant tea in the courtyard. If you are free, why not join me for tea?"

"Very well."

In Li Hong's courtyard, medicinal fragrance wafted about.

Throughout the flower garden in the courtyard, many precious herbs were planted. In the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Li Qin was responsible for pouring tea on the side.

"To tell you the truth, when Qin'er reported back that you proposed the condition of entering the top ten of the grand tournament, I, this old man, did not take it to heart. It was I who underestimated you. I will use tea instead of wine to apologize to you."

"Senior need not be like this. Xiao is a nobody; anyone else would not have believed it either. If the Li family had believed it so easily, I would instead have to consider whether to continue cooperating with the Li family."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Li Hong was stunned, then burst into loud laughter: "Your words are also reasonable."

A nobody, having only taken first place in the preliminary round, claims to be able to enter the top ten of the grand tournament. If the Li family had easily believed it and agreed so readily, there would only be one possibility: the Li family had no intention of truly fulfilling the agreement, which is why they would agree so readily.

"I, this old man, represent the Li family here and solemnly promise you that as long as you can enter the top ten, we will prepare three top-tier soul cultivation techniques for you, and you may choose any two of them."

"Many thanks."

Lin Chen nodded; having one more top-tier technique to choose from was a good thing for him.

"I, this old man, have one thing I am quite curious about, but if you feel it is inconvenient to answer, that is fine."

Li Hong looked at Lin Chen with a smile. After receiving Lin Chen's consent, he asked: "I want to know how long you have been practicing alchemy."

A normal alchemist, after reaching a certain level, will undergo grading and star-testing, not only as proof of their own alchemy level, but once graded, they will also receive support from the Alchemy Guild.

Pill formulas, medicinal ingredients, alchemy notes...

Advancing within a certain number of years also brings extra rewards.