Ye Chen blinked, momentarily surprised. Nangong Baixue’s body had vanished from sight.
In a flash, Pill Saint Yunyang’s gray robes billowed, his face a mask of murderous rage as he executed the Supreme Secret Art: Star Shift. A surge of spatial power enveloped the area, and Nangong Baixue materialized instantly in his arms.
Black blood streamed from Nangong Baixue’s eyes, nose, and ears, staining her elegant gown a horrifying crimson. “Master… Master,” she gasped, her voice barely a whisper, “kill Ye Chen, avenge our Supreme Profound Sect disciples…” She then succumbed to her injuries and fainted.
Pill Saint Yunyang pressed his hand to her forehead, his divine sense plunging inward. His expression turned grim. Nangong Baixue’s soul was critically wounded, her life force flickering like a dying candle. Without hesitation, Pill Saint Yunyang produced a stalk of Saint King Medicine, forcing the potent elixir into her body to seal her soul and flesh.
In the very next instant, Pill Saint Yunyang lunged at Ye Chen. “Ye Chen! You ruthless monster, pay with your life!” Boom! The terrifying aura of a Saint King Realm expert exploded from him, a tempest of power that shook the very air. Boundless spiritual energy and dazzling divine light condensed into a killing strike, vast and unstoppable, aimed directly at crushing Ye Chen.
Suddenly, the jade pendant on Ye Chen’s chest flashed. The terrifying might of the Quasi-Emperor Realm erupted!
An incomparably fierce power shot into the sky, manifesting a colossal, spectral figure, like a towering mountain or a falling star. The formidable might of the Saint King Realm was utterly insignificant before the power of a Quasi-Emperor Realm. Like a god swatting a fly, the supreme killing intent instantly obliterated Pill Saint Yunyang’s attack and slammed into his body. BOOM! Pill Saint Yunyang vomited a mouthful of essence blood, soaring backward thousands of feet like a broken kite. He was gravely wounded, yet still shielded Nangong Baixue in his arms.
But the force of Yao Yan’s Quasi-Emperor Realm power didn't stop there; the entire formation barrier shuddered. Rumble! Every genius alchemist present froze in stunned silence. The protective barrier, which had withstood the combined power of countless alchemists, instantly crumbled into dust, proving as fragile as tissue paper against the Quasi-Emperor Realm might. The entire venue fell into a deathly hush. Everyone stared at Ye Chen, their jaws slack with disbelief. Who could have predicted this outcome? Ye Chen had single-handedly caused the death of over a dozen Supreme Profound Sect prodigies! And when Pill Saint Yunyang struck, who could have foreseen that Ye Chen was protected by a Quasi-Emperor Realm expert? The shock was absolute.
Ye Chen suddenly cried out, “Gu Peak Master, please, save the Pill Peak disciples!” Hearing this, Gu Yuefang, the Sect Master, and the other elders immediately rushed down. On the ground, over a dozen Pill Peak disciples lay barely breathing. They had deployed their most powerful defensive artifacts, which had barely saved them from the terrifying force of the mass cauldron explosions. Ye Chen rushed over, his eyes red with genuine concern. “Senior Brothers, I apologize. This mess started because of me, and you were dragged into it.” The Pill Peak disciples managed weak smiles. “Junior Brother, it’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”
Just then, Gu Yuefang rose, his face glacial, and looked up at Pill Saint Yunyang hovering in the air. “Your Excellency, I demand an explanation.”
Pill Saint Yunyang slowly pulled himself up from the void, wiping the blood from his lips, and let out a savage laugh. “An explanation? This brat Ye Chen is a heartless fiend who slaughtered fifteen of my Supreme Profound Sect prodigies! And you demand an explanation from me?” Gu Yuefang sneered. “If Nangong Baixue hadn’t been the first to strike, would Ye Chen have retaliated? Your Supreme Profound Sect nearly killed my Pill Peak disciples! Tell me, are your disciples’ lives worth gold, while ours are just dirt?”
The figures of the Sect Master, Elder Mu, and the Cangxuan Old Ancestor materialized in the air above. Pill Saint Yunyang threw his head back and laughed, challenging the elders. “What is this? Are the Grand Dao Sect elders going to use their seniority to bully me?”
The tension in the air thickened, becoming almost palpable. Pill Saint Yunyang pointed a trembling finger at Nangong Baixue, his voice venomous. “Nangong Baixue is the fiancée of the Ancient Qin Family! She is near death, thanks entirely to Ye Chen! Mark my words, this incident is far from over!”
Gu Yuefang stepped forward, meeting Pill Saint Yunyang face-to-face. “My Pill Peak disciples were also lucky to cling to life! Yunyang, the instigator of this crime is Nangong Baixue. You will leave her here!” he demanded. “Furthermore, you, a Saint King Realm expert, have the gall to attack a Profound Sovereign cultivator?!” Gu Yuefang’s stance was rock-solid. They were on Grand Dao Sect territory; they would not tolerate being pushed around. The Grand Dao Sect might not look for a fight, but they certainly wouldn’t back down from one.
Pill Saint Yunyang’s face twisted into a snarl. “You want an explanation? Fine! Kill me! Go on! Kill me now!” he roared, daring them. Seeing the situation spiraling, Yao Baili and Dan Xiangzi immediately intervened, floating up to wave them down. “Fellow Daoist Gu Yuefang, this matter was truly unexpected. However, Ye Chen is unharmed, and the Pill Peak disciples are only injured. Perhaps we should reconsider?” they suggested. If Pill Saint Yunyang were to perish here, the Supreme Profound Sect and the Ancient Qin Family would undoubtedly launch a war against the Grand Dao Sect. This conflict would instantly escalate far beyond the scope of the Younger Generation Alchemy Competition.
Dan Xiangzi added, “At its core, this is a feud among the young. Let them settle their own grievances.”
At that moment, Ye Chen stepped forward. “Gu Peak Master, let Nangong Baixue go,” he said, his voice cold and resolute. “In the future, I will personally kill Nangong Baixue and avenge my Pill Peak Senior Brothers!”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor gave a curt nod. “Pill Saint Yunyang, you may depart.”
Pill Saint Yunyang sneered, clapped his hands, and a massive Ancient Spirit Boat materialized before him. He carried Nangong Baixue aboard and stepped inside. In the next moment, Pill Saint Yunyang tore open the void, and the spirit boat vanished into the spatial rift. From the depths of the void, Pill Saint Yunyang’s derisive voice echoed: “Heh. What a joke of a Pill Refining Exchange Conference! My Supreme Profound Sect is withdrawing immediately! We will never participate again!”
Dan Xiangzi, Yao Baili, and the others exchanged grim looks. They knew this incident, occurring on the Grand Dao Sect’s turf, meant the conference was likely ruined forever. This might very well be the swan song of the Pill Refining Exchange Conference. Everyone felt a heavy sense of complexity. Who could have imagined such chaos unfolding in just a few days?
Gu Yuefang’s expression was grave. He hesitated, wondering if the alchemy competition should even proceed. He looked at the other Heaven-tier alchemists. “Fellow Daoists, are your disciples still able to continue?”
Lu Xuan, who had been quietly observing, was startled. Don’t you dare stop! The competition had to continue, or his System quest to ensure Ye Chen won first place would fail! The other Heaven-tier alchemists nodded. “There may never be another Pill Refining Exchange Conference after this. We might as well finish what we started.” Lu Xuan let out an internal sigh of relief.
Ye Chen sent a spiritual sense transmission to Lu Xuan. “Master, I will reflect deeply on this when we return. My strategy was not meticulous enough! I never anticipated Nangong Baixue would resort to such a sudden, vicious attack.”
Lu Xuan simply nodded. “Just focus on the competition for now.”
Quickly, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor erected a new, powerful barrier. The genius alchemists stepped back inside and resumed the competition. Ye Chen remained the primary focus of attention. The recent chaos had done nothing to diminish the crowd’s desire to observe and comprehend Ye Chen’s profound alchemy technique.
Dan Xiangzi, Yao Baili, and the others sat cross-legged in the air, still observing Ye Chen’s movements. This time, however, they kept a portion of their divine sense alert, unwilling to fully immerse themselves in enlightenment as they had before.
High above, the Sect Master looked at the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, still shaken. “Thank the heavens Ye Chen has a Quasi-Emperor Realm protector, or the consequences would have been unthinkable!” The Peak Master of Body Tempering Peak mused, “I never imagined Ye Chen was hiding his strength so profoundly.”
The Sect Master frowned. “I wonder if Lu Xuan is even aware of this?” The Peak Master of Ethereal Peak offered a wry smile. “Lu Xuan must know. I’m starting to think he has one redeeming quality: he’s excellent at keeping secrets.” The others were speechless.
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor sent a wisp of divine sense to probe Lu Xuan. A moment later, he was mildly astonished. Lu Xuan still emitted no discernible cultivation aura, yet something else was present! The Power of Destiny!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor said, “Look closely. Doesn’t Lu Xuan seem… different than before?” The Sect Master and the others immediately gasped in astonishment. “What the hell? Lu Xuan is actually radiating a dense Power of Destiny!” The Cangxuan Old Ancestor theorized, “This must be due to Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen. They are both true Children of Destiny, and their rising fortunes are passively changing Lu Xuan’s own fate.”
The Sect Master sighed in resignation. “It’s a shame that fellow Lu Xuan is so lazy and refuses to cultivate! If he had put in any effort over the years, he might have at least reached the Profound Emperor Realm by now, right?” The Cangxuan Old Ancestor waved a dismissive hand. “Forget it. Let him be. It’s out of our control.”
The Peak Master of Body Tempering Peak frowned. “Sect Master, how should we handle the fallout with Nangong Baixue?” The Sect Master nodded, gazing into the distance. “Let Ye Chen handle the Nangong Baixue matter himself. Naturally, if the heavy hitters from the Supreme Profound Sect or the Ancient Qin Family dare to intervene, we will step in to protect him!”
The matter was volatile. Everyone understood that Ye Chen’s rise made a confrontation with Qin Xiao inevitable. The Clash of Prodigies was coming, and no one could escape it. The question remained: would this generation produce a talent capable of suppressing all others?
The rest of the alchemy competition continued smoothly. Three days later, prodigies began successfully refining their pills. Inside the barrier, fragrant wisps of pill energy drifted out. A genius from the Pill Fragrance Sect smiled faintly. “I refined a Earth-tier third-grade Dragon Draw Pill. Once consumed, the bloodline surges, allowing for ten days and ten nights of… intimate activities without fatigue. Moreover, it completely improves the user’s physique.”
A prodigy from the Yao family announced, “What I refined is a Earth-tier fourth-grade Qi Supplementing Pill! I broke my personal limit this time, condensing three Pill Halos!”
Soon after, Yao Huanhuan, the Yao family’s top talent, opened her furnace. “Earth-tier fifth-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill!” Everyone rushed to check. There were eight pills in Yao Huanhuan’s furnace, all bearing Pill Halos, with the best one boasting five Pill Halos! Yao Baili smiled contentedly. “Quite acceptable.” Dan Xiangzi’s expression was envious. “Yao Huanhuan’s pill, both in grade and quality, completely crushes the competition. Even some of the ‘old geniuses’ under the 300-year age limit can’t compare!”
Inside the barrier, only Ye Chen had yet to open his furnace. Everyone watched him with bated breath. After a few dozen heartbeats, Ye Chen opened his furnace!
Countless eyes fixed on his cauldron. As light smoke drifted away, nine perfectly formed pills rested on the bottom. Dan Xiangzi gasped in shock. “The Earth Essence Pill! Nine pills!” The number of pills produced in a single batch indicates the efficiency of the spiritual herb utilization. Seven pills is considered excellent; nine is near perfection!
Yao Baili suddenly cried out, “Look closer! Every single pill has a Pill Halo! And one of them… actually has eight Pill Halos!”
At that moment, Ye Chen picked up the pill with eight Pill Halos and murmured, loud enough for the nearby alchemists to hear, “A slight miscalculation. It really should have condensed nine Pill Halos.”
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances. Seriously? This kid was really going to humble-brag after achieving such an impossible result?