"Ye Chen, whose words were those? Could you perhaps introduce us?"
Ye Chen smiled.
Hahaha! Is it finally time to vindicate Master?
Ye Chen adopted a mysterious air. "That expert is here, among us!"
At this declaration, Elder Cang Li, Dan Xiangzi, and the others immediately extended their spiritual senses, sweeping across the entire area.
The profound figure was right here?
Dan Xiangzi bowed deeply and declared, "Senior, please reveal yourself! We are profoundly shaken by your alchemy theory!"
Yao Baili also spoke with utmost respect. "Senior, we have a few questions we wish to ask for guidance."
Watching the scene unfold, Lu Xuan was completely dumbfounded.
What the hell? I just casually spouted those words! Why is this causing such a massive sensation?
Just then, Ye Chen smiled again. "Seniors, that expert is far away in the sky, yet close at hand!"
Dan Xiangzi and the others were momentarily stunned.
They looked utterly perplexed.
???
They hadn't detected the aura of any powerful expert!
Elder Cang Li glared at Ye Chen, angrily demanding, "Boy, tell me who it is! If you keep playing the riddle game, I'll have to beat it out of you!"
Ye Chen's face twitched. He pointed directly at Lu Xuan.
The crowd froze. They looked at Ye Chen. "Ye Chen, what are you implying?"
Ye Chen spoke with a serious, earnest expression. "Those words were all told to me by my master. That's right, the expert is my master, Lu Xuan!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire venue plunged into a deathly silence.
Lu Xuan?
How could that possibly be?
Lu Xuan was a known waste who couldn't even cultivate past the Qi Refining stage. You could tell him those profound words, and he probably wouldn't even remember them!
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, completely at ease. The gazes of the Heaven-tier Alchemists were fixed on Lu Xuan, yet he felt not a shred of pressure.
Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, the alchemists grew even more skeptical.
Elder Cang Li scoffed, "Look at Lu Xuan's deadbeat look. Could he possibly utter such profound theories?"
Hearing this, Lu Xuan was instantly annoyed.
What the hell? What do you mean, 'deadbeat look'? Can we keep the personal attacks out of this, please?
Lu Xuan looked at Elder Cang Li. "Senior, please watch your language."
Elder Cang Li sneered and didn't bother to reply.
Not on the same level! Speaking to Lu Xuan is beneath me!
Ye Chen's face was flushed with embarrassment, his toes curling in his boots.
What is going on? I've spelled it out for them, and still, no one believes Master! He was astonished! The key is that Master isn't even bothering to retaliate! Ye Chen looked at Lu Xuan, thinking internally, Master, why don't you just unleash your Emperor Realm peak strength and open their eyes?
But he knew Lu Xuan wouldn't make a move. Lu Xuan probably found the whole situation utterly boring.
At that moment, Cang Li fixed Ye Chen with a sinister glare. "Boy, are you trying to play a trick on this old man?"
Ye Chen was speechless.
I can't even argue! The truth is so unbelievable, no one accepts it!
Dan Xiangzi chuckled. "Lu Xuan, did those words truly come from you?"
Lu Xuan replied casually, "Yes, they did."
Hearing this, the faces of the alchemists twitched.
Cang Li let out a cold laugh. "If those words came from you, I will personally swallow ten pounds of shit right now!"
Lu Xuan: "..."
Ye Chen: "..."
Yao Yan: "..."
Elder Cang Li waved a hand, pointing at the pair. "This master and disciple duo... the disciple is a liar, and the master is utterly shameless. Truly, a perfect match!"
The surrounding cultivators couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Pfft!"
That sums it up perfectly!
Nangong Baixue, seeing Ye Chen humiliated, felt a surge of delight. She muttered inwardly, A waste is a waste! He stole someone else's profound words and tried to pass them off as his own! Now he's been exposed!
Then, Cang Li grabbed Ye Chen's hand and sniffed it deeply beneath his thick, hairy nose. A moment later, he flung Ye Chen's hand away and looked at Gu Yuefang. "This boy must have guidance from someone. I can smell the aura of spirit fire and spirit herbs on his hand. Gu Yuefang, are you secretly guiding Ye Chen in alchemy?"
Gu Yuefang frowned slightly. "No, I am not."
At this point, his mind was in chaos. When did Ye Chen start secretly practicing alchemy on Azure Mystery Peak? He felt that both Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao were far too mysterious! Who? Who is secretly guiding these two?
Just then, Yao Baili smiled faintly, easing the tension for Ye Chen. "Enough. Since Ye Chen is also an alchemist, the Younger Generation Alchemy Competition is tomorrow. We will be able to judge his true foundation then."
Hearing this, everyone nodded. They finally let Ye Chen and Lu Xuan off the hook.
Gu Yuefang stared intensely at Ye Chen. He was genuinely curious: Who has been guiding Ye Chen for the past three months?
After the crowd dispersed, Ye Chen looked at Lu Xuan with an apologetic expression. "Master, I apologize. It seems the misunderstanding about you has only deepened."
Lu Xuan replied nonchalantly, "I couldn't care less."
Ye Chen's heart swelled with reverence. As expected of Master! With such a state of mind, he has long stood at the peak of the Emperor Realm! Could any other person remain so utterly unperturbed?
Even now, many eyes were still fixed on Ye Chen. Who could have imagined that such a shocking alchemy theory would be heard at the Grand Dao Sect, and that the speaker would be Lu Xuan's disciple? It was simply preposterous! This was Lu Xuan, whose very name was completely contradictory to the Grand Dao Sect's reputation for excellence!
However, Ye Chen had certainly given them many surprises. With the alchemy competition scheduled for tomorrow, they were all intensely curious about how Ye Chen would perform.
Nangong Baixue looked toward Ye Chen and sent a secret spiritual sense transmission. "Ye Chen, since you're an alchemist, I will crush you tomorrow."
Ye Chen remained silent.
Nangong Baixue continued, her face smug. "Three months ago, when I visited the Ye Family, I could only refine Xuan-tier First-grade pills. Now, I can refine Xuan-tier Ninth-grade pills!"
Ye Chen couldn't help himself. "That's it? That's your level?"
A mere Xuan-tier Ninth-grade pill! Ye Chen had no idea where Nangong Baixue got her sense of superiority.
Nangong Baixue was stunned. She let out a cold huff. "I look forward to witnessing your waste-level alchemy skills. I hope you don't disappoint me too much."
Ye Chen stopped talking and simply blocked her spiritual sense transmission.
Not long after, the crowd left.
Lu Xuan and Ye Chen also returned to Azure Mystery Peak.
No sooner had they set foot on the peak than two divine lights shot toward them from afar.
Boom!
The Sect Master and Pill Peak Peak Master Gu Yuefang descended from the sky, landing on Azure Mystery Peak.
The Sect Master wore a satisfied smile. "Ye Chen, well done! Even the Cangxuan Old Ancestor was somewhat shaken by your words. The person behind you is truly extraordinary!"
Ye Chen pointed at Lu Xuan. "The person behind me is my master."
The Sect Master and Gu Yuefang exchanged knowing smiles. "Hahaha."
Ye Chen was still unwilling to reveal the identity of his backer. They decided not to press him further. Perhaps that powerful expert preferred to keep a low profile.
The Sect Master carefully examined Ye Chen. "In these three months, I didn't expect you to not only focus on alchemy but also keep up with your cultivation. It seems you tricked us all during the entrance exam; you must have been an alchemist all along, right?"
Ye Chen didn't know how to explain. The misunderstanding is only getting deeper!
The Sect Master looked at Lu Xuan, shaking his head faintly. The disciple brings honor to the master, but Lu Xuan... he has once again made a name for himself in front of all the Overlord-level Powers of the Southern Wilds.
The Southern Wilds will not remember any Qi Refining stage cultivator, except for Lu Xuan!
At this point, Gu Yuefang smiled at Ye Chen. "Don't feel too much pressure for tomorrow's alchemy competition. Our Grand Dao Sect's alchemy foundation is inherently inferior to the Pill Fragrance Sect and the Yao Family. Ye Chen, just do your best."
Ye Chen nodded.
Gu Yuefang's eyes shone brightly. "How about you join Pill Peak after this Pill Refining Exchange Conference?"
Ye Chen looked regretful. "I apologize, Peak Master Gu. I do not wish to leave my master."
Hearing this, the Sect Master and Gu Yuefang sighed deeply. Alas... he's already been brainwashed by Lu Xuan!
Not long after, the Sect Master and Gu Yuefang left Azure Mystery Peak and headed to a secluded area of the Grand Dao Sect to find the Cangxuan Old Ancestor.
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor was still sitting on a river, fishing for spirit fish.
The Sect Master reported, "I never expected that day, in front of the Talent Stone Tablet, we completely misjudged Ye Chen!"
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor smiled faintly. "Interesting, very interesting."
Gu Yuefang said respectfully, "Old Ancestor, there is one thing I don't understand. Ye Chen, like Ji Fuyao, is clearly connected to the Fuyao Dynasty. But three thousand years ago, the strongest person in the Fuyao Dynasty, Empress Fuyao, was only a One-star Great Emperor. Logically, the dynasty's foundation should not be that profound."
"Yet, the secrets surrounding Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao clearly exceed the level of a One-star Great Emperor!"
The Sect Master nodded. "Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao's cultivation speed is too fast! I suspect they possess supreme treasures, perhaps even Emperor-tier cultivation techniques?"
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor caught a spirit fish, then gently released it back into the river.
He spoke calmly. "This is a good thing for our Grand Dao Sect. It seems Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao have a backer, and that person is unfathomably profound!"
The Sect Master frowned slightly. "But we have not been able to detect the aura of any powerful expert on Azure Mystery Peak."
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor instructed, "Let this matter rest. You do not need to investigate further. It is quite good that Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao are currently on Azure Mystery Peak."
The Sect Master and Gu Yuefang replied, "As you command!"
...
The Grand Dao Sect under the night sky was incomparably magnificent. Countless Dao patterns flowed slowly, like the tracks of a star river, rendering the sect's firmament beautiful and dazzling. Divine radiance emanated from countless spirit peaks, soaring into the sky, reflecting the bright moon and stars.
"Caw!"
The cry of an auspicious beast echoed through the void, bringing clarity and peace to the hearts of all who heard it.
The elders and disciples who had descended from outside the sect traveled back and forth, making the atmosphere lively.
Everyone was discussing the day's events.
"Who would have thought that Ye Chen of Azure Mystery Peak could utter such astonishing words?"
"This Pill Refining Exchange Conference is sure to shock the entire Southern Wilds."
"To take the Heaven and Earth as Furnace, refining the stars—what immense ambition and spirit is that?"
"..."
As they discussed, everyone lamented why Ye Chen had chosen Lu Xuan as his master. Lu Xuan had long been infamous as a waste, and those who witnessed him today confirmed the rumors: he was lazy and utterly shameless.
If not for the Azure Mystery Saint, how could the Grand Dao Sect possibly keep Lu Xuan as a Peak Master?
What infuriated everyone the most was that Lu Xuan had actually fallen asleep and snored during the 'Discussing the Dao' session! It was simply too much! And then he had the audacity to claim that the profound alchemy theory came from his own mouth? They had never seen such a thick-skinned and shameless scoundrel!
Soon after, the news about Ye Chen and Nangong Baixue began to spread. The crowd gasped in surprise. They never expected such explosive gossip!