Shangguan Bei watched Qin Ke’er and Han Xiaoying quarrel jealously over Chu Feng, feeling sour with envy. His gaze towards Chu Feng turned even colder.
Han Xiaoying was the woman he desired, yet Chu Feng, like a toad lusting after swan’s meat, had won her over.
He was incredibly unwilling to accept this.
Shangguan Bei swore in his heart that he must turn Chu Feng into a dead dog during the year-end junior competition, and let Han Xiaoying understand that he, Shangguan Bei, is the true powerhouse.
"Chu Feng, here are the alchemy ingredients you requested!"
Just then, the shop assistant had prepared the ingredients Chu Feng needed and brought them to the counter.
"Alchemy? Even trash like you can perform alchemy?"
Shangguan Bei, who was just looking for an excuse to attack Chu Feng, suddenly felt energized upon seeing Chu Feng buying alchemy materials.
This fellow thinks he’s the best in the world, jumping around shamelessly.
He regards everyone as trash.
As for Chu Feng, who lacks even sword meridians, he’s even more like dregs among trash.
"Hehe, Elder Shoumei, you’re so adept at teaching disciples, surely you must have trained Chu Feng into an expert of the Alchemy Dao?" Elder Yang also sneered coldly, ready to mock and vent his previous frustrations.
Being publicly ridiculed by Chu Feng as a mediocre master, and yet being unable to retort.
This suffocation festered in his heart, unbearably uncomfortable. Now, he thought he saw a chance to unleash his frustrations.
"An expert, perhaps not, but he’s fairly passable!" Elder Shoumei knew well of Chu Feng’s alchemy skills. Able to craft the Golden Rune Killing Elixir, this disciple, not even a year into his apprenticeship, may not be the best in the entire sect.
But he’s certainly among the very best.
Elder Yang and Shangguan Bei using Chu Feng’s alchemy abilities to make a point is just asking for trouble.
Elder Shoumei, a man of mild temper and with the big picture in mind, didn’t take Elder Yang’s sarcasm too seriously.
But Elder Yang, insistently sticking to his point, thought he found Elder Shoumei’s Achilles’ heel, convinced that Chu Feng’s alchemy skills weren’t up to par, fearing Elder Shoumei would be embarrassed.
"How barely passable is it? Surely he can’t even properly craft the most ordinary First-grade Elixir, right?" Elder Yang aggressively raised his tone.
Now, even if Elder Shoumei wanted to keep the peace, Chu Feng wouldn’t allow it.
This Elder Yang was excessively offensive.
"Is Elder Yang questioning my alchemy level, or is he doubting my master’s teaching ability?"
"You keep asking how trash my alchemy skills are. Then I’d like to boldly ask, Elder Yang, among all your distinguished disciples, how strong is the one with the best alchemy capabilities?"
Chu Feng, head raised, swept his challenging gaze past the few disciples beside Elder Yang.
You’re arrogant, but I’m even more so.
In the realm of alchemy, Chu Feng was fully capable of overwhelming all of Elder Yang’s disciples in a blink.
"Haha... what an arrogant lad. A true frog in the well, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to compete with my top disciples! Pull out any one of them, and they would be ten times stronger than you!"
Elder Yang laughed furiously.
"Alright then, pick your best, and let’s have a comparison."
"But since it’s a contest, there should be stakes involved. The loser has to give fifty thousand taels of silver to the winner."
Chu Feng directly challenged them, his provocative gaze sweeping over all of Elder Yang’s disciples and then landing squarely on Elder Yang’s face.
"Just one question. Do these so-called top disciples of yours dare or not?"
Madness, sheer madness.
Chu Feng, an ordinary disciple, actually challenged all disciples under Elder Yang. Although it was just a competition of alchemy skills, it still changed the faces of Elder Yang and his disciples.
"Chu Feng, you, you are utterly arrogant! I will compete with you!" Shangguan Bei was the first to object.
"Sure, no problem, let’s set a bet first, to prevent you from denying it if you lose!" Chu Feng agreed very readily, which started to make Shangguan Bei and the others worry.
Shangguan Bei had already spoken his challenge and could not afford to back down.
He suddenly had an idea and loudly stated, "If we are to compete, it must be to concoct a Second Grade Flame Vein Pill! And it must be completed within one day!"
The Flame Vein Pill is a Second Grade ordinary elixir that can strengthen the Fire Element Sword Vein, and its effects are quite impressive. Among all sword meridians, the Fire Element Sword Vein and the Gold Element Sword Meridian are the most prone to rupture.
Thus, consuming the Flame Vein Pill to strengthen them is very necessary.
It is much inferior to the Solid Vein Elixir.
However, its concoction difficulty is still extremely high. Moreover, needing to complete it within one day only adds to the difficulty.
Shangguan Bei himself was not sure he could complete it in one day, setting such stringent conditions was merely an attempt to force Chu Feng to back down.
Little did he know, Chu Feng, upon hearing this, responded with a carefree smile, "One day is too long, let’s add another rule. Whoever finishes concocting first wins."
"Uh... this, this..." Cold sweat began to form on Shangguan Bei’s forehead, he truly set a trap for himself.
"What’s the matter? You, Shangguan Bei, are the most devilish genius of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect. Are you trying to openly back out and admit defeat to me, a mere waste?" Chu Feng’s words were sharp, pressing Shangguan Bei to the edge.
People want face, trees want bark. Shangguan Bei, a person who cared so much about face, now being pushed by Chu Feng, felt his blood rush to his head.
He harshly said, "Fine, let’s compete! When the time comes, don’t cry if you lose!"
The two set the bet on the spot, with Elder Yang and Elder Shoumei witnessing and publicly certifying it, then they took their materials and entered the Alchemy Room for an open competition.
The so-called open competition means that during the alchemy, the door of the Alchemy Room is not closed, and the alchemy is performed in front of everyone’s eyes.
Chu Feng entered the Alchemy Room casually with the materials, while Shangguan Bei was as sullen as a mute eating bitter herbs.
"Chu Feng, I will definitely be the first to successfully concoct the elixir!" Shangguan Bei rushed into the Alchemy Room, racing against time to gain an advantage.
Chu Feng, on the other hand, was neither hurried nor slow, adjusting the furnace fire, warming the furnace, placing the materials in order... systematically going about the alchemy process.
One was frantic and agitated, the other calm and composed. In fact, the better of the two was already clear.
Time slowly passed, Elder Shoumei, Elder Yang, and their disciples did not leave.
They even attracted a large crowd of onlookers.
The Alchemy Field was buzzing with unprecedented activity.
Two hours later, an intense fragrance wafted from Chu Feng’s Alchemy Room. He formed a gesture and softly uttered the word "Activate!" Everyone involuntarily fixed their eyes on Chu Feng’s Pill Furnace.
My God, this is a Second Grade Elixir, and he only took two hours to concoct it successfully.
And it was the extremely difficult-to-concoct Flame Vein Pill.
This is simply unimaginable.
From afar, Han Xiaoying and Lu’er both stared intently. Lu’er’s face was full of admiration, while Han Xiaoying, probably had most of her anger dissipate. She too was seriously watching Chu Feng concoct the elixir, filled with curiosity.
Behind Elder Shoumei, the lovely Qin Ke’er, witnessing her little junior brother’s alchemy skills for the first time.
Although Elder Shoumei had always praised Chu Feng’s prowess in front of them, without seeing it with their own eyes, there was always some disbelief. Now, having seen it firsthand, she was completely astounded by Chu Feng’s seemingly divine alchemy skills.