Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 50: I Know the Alchemy Dao Better Than You
Wen Qingye sat nonchalantly on a Purple Fragrant Wood chair. Xiaxia stood beside him, one moment bringing him water, the next serving him fruit.
Xia Heng watched from the side, feeling very uncomfortable. He had raised this daughter of his, and not only did she never serve him tea or water, but even getting a simple greeting out of her was a monumental task. Yet now, she was fawning over this boy before him.
Xia Heng glared at Wen Qingye, thinking resentfully, ’Just you wait, kid. I’ll make a fool out of you and expose your true colors to Xiaxia.’
Before long, Xiaxia’s third uncle, Xia Dong, walked in with an old man who looked to be in his seventies or eighties.
The old man’s back was stooped, and he frowned the moment he entered. "Xia Heng, what did you call me for? Don’t you know I’m researching a new Pill Formula?"
Xia Heng quickly forced a smile. "Elder Yuh, something has come up..."
"What is it? Spit it out. I’m busy," Elder Yuh said impatiently.
Zuo Yu, a mere Second-Grade Alchemist, was already revered in Phoenix City. Elder Yuh, a Third-Grade Alchemist on par with Zuo Yu’s master, Guo Weiyu, naturally held a noble status. Xia Heng only dared to curry favor with him, not offend him.
The only difference was that this Yuh Houjiang’s future prospects were dim due to his advanced age, whereas Zuo Yu still had some potential for improvement.
If the old woman from the dense forest were here, she would have surely sent Xia Heng flying with a single slap. She, a Seventh-Grade Pill Master, had to ingratiate herself with Wen Qingye, yet here was this man, ignoring Wen Qingye to instead suck up to a Third-Grade Alchemist.
At this moment, Xia Dong also spoke up with a smile. "Elder Yuh, Xiaxia has brought back a Pill Master. We were hoping you could gauge his skill level."
"Oh? And where is he?" Elder Yuh asked.
"My master is right here," Xiaxia called out.
Wen Qingye glanced at Elder Yuh and nodded, but he didn’t rise. Instead, he continued to sip the tea in his hand.
Seeing that Wen Qingye not only failed to stand but was also blatantly ignoring him, Elder Yuh felt a surge of anger. ’Wherever I go, I’m treated with respect!’ he thought. Burning with indignation, he strode over to Wen Qingye and sneered, "Are you joking, Xia Heng? This brat is a Pill Master? He looks more like a Pill Boy to me."
Xia Heng gave a dry laugh, though he was secretly delighted. "Elder Yuh, I’m at my wit’s end. This master that Xiaxia found claims he can refine Fourth-Grade Pills..."
Elder Yuh’s eyes widened. "Him? He hasn’t even finished growing his hair yet, and he can refine Fourth-Grade Pills?"
Wen Qingye smiled, then set down his teacup. "Am I not allowed to refine Fourth-Grade Pills just because I’m young?"
"Hmph!" Elder Yuh scoffed, looking Wen Qingye up and down. "With an attitude like yours, you just seem like an arrogant lunatic. I doubt you even know the first thing about alchemy."
Wen Qingye said nonchalantly, "I... know the Alchemy Dao better than you!"
BOOM!
Wen Qingye’s words were like a spark landing in a barrel of dynamite.
Elder Yuh’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected Wen Qingye’s tone to be so brazen.
Xia Heng couldn’t help but roar, "Kid, what nonsense are you spouting? Apologize to Elder Yuh at once!"
"Hold on." Elder Yuh held out a hand to stop Xia Heng, then fixed his gaze on Wen Qingye. "You know the Alchemy Dao better than me? I’d like to see just how much you know."
...
The group arrived at Elder Yuh’s Alchemy Room. A green Pill Furnace sat within, a raging Pill Fire churning inside it, looking as if it could surge out at any moment.
Elder Yuh looked at Wen Qingye with a cold smile. "Here are two identical sets of ingredients for refining the Third-Grade Pill, the Purple Cloud Pill. This pill can rapidly restore a person’s Primordial Qi. If you’re truly a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, you should be quite familiar with it, right?"
"It’s alright, I guess," Wen Qingye said with a nod.
Xiaxia’s second uncle, Xia Yuan, observed Wen Qingye’s nonchalant attitude and turned to Xiaxia. "Xiaxia, is this master of yours really a Fourth-Grade Alchemist?"
Xiaxia bit her lip. "I... I don’t know either."
Of course Xiaxia didn’t know. Wen Qingye’s alchemy proficiency was far beyond her comprehension. Never mind a Fourth-Grade Pill; Wen Qingye had even refined a Sixth-Grade Pill, the Ice Fire Pill.
"You don’t know either?" Xia Yuan stared at Xiaxia in surprise. "Then why did you let him compete in alchemy with Elder Yuh? Don’t you know that Elder Yuh is a Third-Grade Alchemist?"
Xiaxia puffed out her chest, looking full of confidence, and said with a smile, "It’s fine! My master can refine Sixth-Grade Pills. A Third-Grade Pill is nothing to him."
Xia Yuan looked at Xiaxia and thought to himself, ’This is bad. Xiaxia’s definitely been tricked. If she’d said he was a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, it might have been a tiny bit believable. But a Sixth-Grade Pill? Impossible! That would make him a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, a famous and powerful figure throughout the entire Celestial Martial Country. How could it be this young brat? He doesn’t look much older than Xiaxia herself.’
Xiaxia’s third uncle, Xia Dong, couldn’t help but add, "Xiaxia, you must have been deceived. How could he possibly refine a Sixth-Grade Pill? No one in all of Lianshan County can refine a Sixth-Grade Pill."
Xiaxia pouted unhappily at her third uncle Xia Dong’s skepticism, but since Xia Dong had always doted on her the most since she was a child, she didn’t say anything more.
"The two of us will use the same set of ingredients to refine a pill. If you are truly a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, the Purple Cloud Pill you produce should be considerably better than mine, I presume," Elder Yuh said, his eyes narrowed to slits.
Wen Qingye ignored Elder Yuh’s provocation and simply nodded. "Fine. You can go first."
Elder Yuh’s disdain for Wen Qingye grew. "Fine, I’ll go first," he said coldly. "Watch carefully, kid. Don’t let your legs get wobbly when it’s your turn to perform the alchemy." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
After speaking, Elder Yuh walked to the Pill Furnace.
"Rise!"
Elder Yuh’s cultivation was at the Refining Essence Fourth Layer Heaven. The Primordial Qi he slowly channeled from his hands was thin and felt unstable. Spurred by the Primordial Qi, the Pill Fire burned even more fiercely.
The moment Wen Qingye saw Elder Yuh’s Primordial Qi, he knew. The elder must have relied on consuming pills over a long period to forcibly raise his cultivation. As a result, his foundation was unstable, his Primordial Qi was thin, and it appeared quite weak.
The green Pill Furnace gradually grew scorching hot. The raging flames raised the surrounding temperature, but Wen Qingye’s expression remained indifferent, his eyes perfectly calm.
Elder Yuh began to add the medicinal herbs from the side. He followed a specific sequence. As soon as the herbs entered the furnace, they were instantly incinerated by his Pill Fire and reduced to their essences.
Wen Qingye turned to Xiaxia beside him and said, "Watch carefully. Later, when you see my process, compare the two and draw your own conclusions. When we get back, I will teach you how to truly practice alchemy."
Upon hearing this, Xiaxia said joyfully, "Yes, Master!"
Nearby, Xia Heng ground his teeth, staring daggers at Wen Qingye. He felt like his lungs were about to explode with rage. ’Go on, keep up the act. You’ll make a fool of yourself soon enough.’
After a while, sweat began to bead on Elder Yuh’s forehead. The Purple Cloud Pill was a Third-Grade Pill, but it was one of the finest among them. Typically, Elder Yuh only refined Second-Grade Pills for the Xia Family to sell.
The three brothers—Xia Heng, Xia Yuan, and Xia Dong—also knew this was a critical moment and kept their eyes glued to Elder Yuh.
The flames burned steadily, and the temperature of the Pill Furnace slowly rose.
THUD!
As the Pill Furnace finally settled, Elder Yuh let out a sigh of relief. The top of the furnace opened, and the clean fragrance of a pill wafted out.
