"Too unappreciative? It sounds as if you're saying this is all my fault... Forget it. I don't want to waste any more breath on you. You just think I'm not worthy of this little bottle of Snow Spirit Liquid, that I'd be wasting a precious treasure, right? Fine. If that's the case, do you dare to make a bet with ?" Chen Fei's lips curved into a faint, cold smile as he spoke.
"Insolence! How dare you speak to Grandmaster Yuee like that?"
The scruffy, bearded shopkeeper who had been standing to the side could no longer contain himself. He bellowed angrily, stepping forward as a powerful spiritual light swirled around him, revealing that he was at the peak of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer! His eyes, filled with rage and cold intent, were locked on Chen Fei. "You ignorant fool, apologize to Grandmaster Yuee this instant! Who do you think you are to speak to him like that—"
WHOOSH!
Before he could finish his threat, a hand resembling a withered claw shot out and stopped him.
Yuee Jinglou stared at Chen Fei, his expression cold. "Speak. What do you want to bet on?"
"Bet on what? What else could I possibly challenge you on? You think it's a waste of a precious treasure for to have this Snow Spirit Liquid, don't you? Very well. Do you have the guts to compete against in alchemy? I'd love to see who's truly wasting it—, or soone else!" Chen Fei's eyes were fixed on his opponent as he spoke with overwhelming force.
However, as soon as he finished, the hall erupted in an uproar once again, one far greater than before. Are we hearing things? Has that boy gone mad? Compete in alchemy?! Who does he think he is? Does he have any right to say such a thing in front of Grandmaster Yuee? What a joke!
"Such arrogance!" the scruffy shopkeeper sneered with disdain before turning his cold gaze back to Chen Fei. "Don't think spouting nonsense will divert our attention! Kowtow and apologize to Grandmaster Yuee imdiately, or you won't be leaving the Twin Rain Tower today!"
"I won't be leaving this building? My, what a grand threat," Chen Fei said with a cold laugh. His jet-black, glass-like eyes shifted to Yuee Jinglou. In a tone of utter indifference, he said, "It seems you only know how to bully the weak with your power and don't have the courage to compete in alchemy. Fine. Take the bottle of Snow Spirit Liquid. I, Chen Fei... concede."
With that, he turned and strode toward the main doors, completely ignoring the shopkeeper's threats. As long as Yuee Jinglou, a Qi Refining Ninth Layer expert, wasn't so shaless as to personally intervene, no one else here could possibly stop him.
"Stop right there!"
Yuee Jinglou's chilling command rang out, freezing Chen Fei's steps just as he was about to exit.
Everyone present shivered at the sound and turned to look. Yuee Jinglou's face was grim as he stared at Chen Fei's back. He then waved a hand at the scruffy shopkeeper. "Lin Ye," he said coldly, "go and prepare two sets of alchemy materials for the Yunmai Pill."
"Gasp!" Upon hearing this, everyone's pupils constricted slightly. They watched the unfolding scene with rapt attention.
The Yunmai Pill was the most common and easiest to concoct among Second Level Superior Pills. It had a wide range of uses, but it was still a genuine Second Level Superior Pill. Its ease of creation was only relative to other pills of the sa rank. Compared to a Second Level Low Grade Pill, or even a Top Grade First Level Pill... it was on a completely different level.
At this thought, the curiosity on the crowd's faces deepened. It looks like we're in for a real show. That kid actually managed to provoke Grandmaster Yuee into taking this seriously! Such a recklessly bold youth certainly has 'guts'. Hahaha...
"Since you wish to compete with , I will teach you what real alchemy is! The Yunmai Pill is the most common and easiest to create among Second Level Superior Pills. If you truly wish to compete, the Yunmai Pill is the absolute minimum standard," Yuee Jinglou said, his cold eyes piercing Chen Fei.
To him, Chen Fei's challenge was preposterous, ignorant, and utterly overconfident. Ordinarily, if he had encountered soone like this, he would have slapped them aside without a second thought. Why waste so many words? But this situation was different. He had been the one to hastily try and take the item first, so strictly speaking, he was slightly in the wrong. That was the only reason he had tolerated this until now.
But the more he tolerated it, the more the boy seed to push his luck. Challenging him, Yuee Jinglou, to an alchemy duel? Fine. If he really wanted to compete, then they would compete! He was actually curious to see what level of skill this boy possessed to be so brazenly arrogant in front of a proper Second Level Superior Alchemist like himself. Hmph!
"...Yes, I'll go prepare them right away. Please wait a mont, Grandmaster Yuee." The scruffy shopkeeper, Lin Ye, bowed hastily and scurried off. With Grandmaster Yuee Jinglou clearly furious, he didn't dare fan the flas.
"Wait!" But just then, our Young Master Chen suddenly spoke up.
"What, thinking of backing out now?" Yuee Jinglou frowned, his voice cold.
"Backing out? Don't mistake for certain other people. I just wanted to ask, is there a formula for that so-called Yunmai Pill of yours?" Chen Fei scoffed before speaking calmly.
"A formula? Lin Ye, get him a copy of the Yunmai Pill formula... also, prepare three sets of the alchemy materials," Yuee Jinglou said after a brief pause, realizing Chen Fei might not actually know the formula. He turned his head and spoke indifferently to the shopkeeper, Lin Ye.
He then looked back at Chen Fei and said coolly, "Don't accuse of bullying a junior. There will be three sets of Yunmai Pill alchemy materials. I will take one, you will take two. As long as you can successfully concoct a single complete pill, I, Yuee Jinglou, will admit defeat."
He wasn't being arrogant. A young man of Chen Fei's age, even if he had been studying alchemy since the womb, wouldn't have much experience. He likely hadn't spent even a third, or a quarter, of the ti Yuee Jinglou had dedicated to the Alchemy Dao. Under these circumstances, if Chen Fei could still concoct a complete Yunmai Pill, he would naturally accept defeat without complaint. But could such a thing possibly happen? A Second Level Superior Alchemist in his twenties? That's sothing you only see in dreams...
"Don't speak so definitively. It would be a sha if you couldn't take back your words later. Besides, I would feel it's an unfair victory," Chen Fei replied nonchalantly.
"An unfair victory?" Yuee Jinglou's eyebrows shot up. He stared at Chen Fei, his brow furrowed. "Young man, do you really think you can win?"
"It's not that I think I can win," Chen Fei corrected. "It's that I believe you were never a match for to begin with."
The crowd buzzed with commotion once more.
Strictly speaking, a Second Level Superior Alchemist was not a particularly high rank. Above it were Low Grade Third-Level, Mid-Grade Third-Level... Mid-Grade Fifth-Level, Top-Grade Fifth-Level, and even the legendary King Level Alchemists who could create King Level Pills and refine King Level Spiritual Liquids.
From the perspective of Canglan Island, however, this place was nothing but a backwater. In such a remote region, legendary King Level Alchemists were out of the question. The most powerful alchemist in the vicinity was the old ancestor of the Liu Family of Jinbao Pavilion, a Low Grade Third-Level Alchemist. And Grandmaster Yuee Jinglou was the second-strongest alchemist on all of Canglan Island, second only to him.
Therefore, when everyone heard Chen Fei so earnestly declare that Grandmaster Yuee 'was never a match for him', many couldn't help but burst into snickers, their faces contorted with mocking amusent. Is this kid trying to be a codian?
"...Hmph! Then I shall wait and see," Grandmaster Yuee retorted, understandably incensed. He gave a heavy snort, angrily flicked his sleeve, and closed his eyes to rest, no longer bothering to waste his breath on Chen Fei. He now wanted nothing more than to quickly concoct a furnace of Yunmai Pills and send this arrogant, worldly-ignorant brat packing. Dealing with such people was truly exhausting.
Chen Fei fell silent as well, but a flicker of mockery flashed through his pitch-black, lucid eyes. So people needed a harsh slap of reality to the face, lest they remain too narrow-minded and self-important.
A few monts later, the Twin Rain Tower's shopkeeper, Lin Ye, hurried back with three sets of Yunmai Pill alchemy materials and a copy of the formula. Seeing this, Grandmaster Yuee nonchalantly lifted his eyelids and said coldly, "Let's go. To the Alchemy Room."
Without a backward glance, he headed toward the courtyard behind the main hall. There was an Alchemy Room there that he sotis used. The shopkeeper Lin Ye imdiately followed, carrying the materials and the formula.
A faint light shimred in Chen Fei's eyes as he, too, followed them. This wasn't about anything else today; he had to fight for his dignity. Otherwise, what would that make him? So piece of trash that anyone could trample on?
Watching this unfold, Lin Moxin hesitated for a mont before gritting his teeth and following. An unsettling premonition crept into his heart. For so strange reason, I feel like... Chen Fei might win? Am I losing my mind? But how could a feeling be so outrageously wrong? How could Chen Fei possibly win? And how could Grandmaster Yuee Jinglou possibly lose?!
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