Seeing Shen Haoran agree, Yang Hao sneered.

"Hao’Er, are you confident?" Tyler stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"Don’t worry, Master. My Alchemy is unmatched among the younger generation in all of Luotian City. With your guidance, how could I possibly lose to some country bumpkin? Today, I’ll show him what true Alchemy is!" Yang Hao said, a cold, disdainful smile playing on his lips as he looked at Shen Haoran.

"Good. You must give this competition your all and win! Do you have any idea what that Han kid offered as a reward? A recipe for a Sixth Grade Elixir! With that recipe, my breakthrough to Sixth Grade Alchemist will be just around the corner. When that happens, I’ll be the Chairman of the Luotian City Alchemy Master Guild, and you will be my successor! So, there is no room for error!" Tyler said gravely.

’A recipe for a Sixth Grade Elixir! The successor to the Alchemy Master Guild!’ A flicker of greed flashed in Yang Hao’s eyes. In the Alchemy Realm, the allure of a High Level Elixir recipe to an Alchemist was like that of a naked woman to a lecher—impossible to refuse! Instantly, his disdainful gaze on Shen Haoran grew even stronger.

Seeing the absolute confidence on Yang Hao’s face, Tyler smiled in satisfaction. He knew his disciple well. Yang Hao had reached the level of a Fourth Grade Alchemist long ago. Shen Haoran, on the other hand, didn’t have the slightest trace of an Alchemist’s aura, which immediately put Tyler’s mind at ease.

"Alright, since you are both ready, let the competition begin!" Tyler announced.

The moment Tyler finished speaking, Yang Hao waved his hand, and a golden Pill Furnace flew out of his Storage Ring, landing before him. At the sight, Shen Haoran’s eye twitched. ’A golden Pill Furnace? It must be made of solid gold. How extravagant.’

However, Shen Haoran only spared it a single glance before looking away. A moment later, a crimson Pill Furnace appeared and landed before him. He had gotten this one from Elder Song of the Pill Hall. ’I may have found that pitch-black Pill Furnace in the Alchemy Room in the Secret Realm, but if I take a treasure like that out, it’s bound to attract greedy eyes. The trouble that would follow just isn’t worth it. Besides, if I’m going to be low-key, I might as well go all the way. No need to flash my wealth!’

When the crimson Pill Furnace appeared, both Yang Hao and Qin Mei’Er couldn’t help but laugh. Their gazes toward Shen Haoran filled with even more contempt. "Heh, what a hillbilly," Yang Hao sneered. "Look at that shabby Pill Furnace. Even the slop bucket at my house is higher quality than that piece of junk!"

"This is a competition of Alchemy, not Pill Furnaces. As long as I can beat you, that’s all that matters," Shen Haoran said calmly, completely unbothered by their taunts. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Beat me? Such arrogance! I’d like to see you try!" With that, Yang Hao gestured with one hand, and the Dragon Beard Grass held by the Maid flew into his Pill Furnace.

THUMP!

Following a muffled thud, a crimson flame ignited in Yang Hao’s palm! It was True Fire, one of his trump cards! Tyler had spent a fortune to acquire this flame. It was the Beast Fire from a Tier Five Spirit Beast, and Yang Hao had expended immense effort on its Refinement. It was because of this Beast Fire that his Alchemy had improved so dramatically, allowing him to reach the Fourth Grade.

After summoning the Beast Fire, Yang Hao ostentatiously toyed with it in his hand, shot a provocative glance at Shen Haoran, and only then tossed the flame into his Pill Furnace.

"Tch!" Shen Haoran shot Yang Hao a bored glance, then laid a hand on his Pill Furnace. Fire Spirit Black Obsidian quietly flowed inside.

However, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian didn’t immediately envelop the Dragon Beard Grass. Instead, it circled to the side, keeping its distance. For a long moment, there was no activity at all.

Seeing no activity in Shen Haoran’s Pill Furnace, Yang Hao couldn’t help but snort. His crimson Beast Fire engulfed the Dragon Beard Grass and began a frantic Refinement. But as the flames worked, the Dragon Beard Grass began to grow wildly, actually fighting back against the crimson Beast Fire. A faint Water Attribute energy radiated from it, resisting the intense heat.

In response, Yang Hao’s Spiritual Thought Power surged forth. Bolstered by his Spiritual Thought, the crimson Beast Fire’s temperature abruptly soared, causing the entire Pill Furnace to glow red-hot. Although the Dragon Beard Grass continued to resist, it was slowly being consumed. Droplets of pure Medicinal Power began to form and drip from the tips of its blades.

"Chairman Tai, will Brother Yang be alright?" Qin Mei’Er asked worriedly, seeing Yang Hao’s strained expression.

Hearing this, Tyler glanced at Shen Haoran’s completely inactive Pill Furnace and said dismissively, "Relax. Hao’Er has refined the essence of Dragon Beard Grass before. He managed a full seven refinements. Beating that kid will be child’s play."

Qin Mei’Er breathed a sigh of relief. ’Refining Dragon Beard Grass seven times... He truly is the number one of the younger generation in Luotian City’s Alchemy Realm. Even I, who am considered a prodigy, can only manage four refinements, and that’s pushing my absolute limit!’

Looking at the motionless Shen Haoran, Qin Mei’Er sneered. ’Once Brother Yang defeats you, we’ll see how you can keep up that arrogant act.’

Nearby, Han Xu was also watching Shen Haoran, completely baffled. ’What is this guy doing? There’s a time limit for this test—the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. It’s already half gone! If he keeps this up, he’s going to lose!’

Yet Shen Haoran, the man at the center of it all, wasn’t the least bit worried. He stared at the Dragon Beard Grass floating in his Pill Furnace and thought, ’Ugh, how many times should I refine this thing? I can’t do it too few times, or Han Xu will look down on me, and I’ll have to go to the Northern Domain alone. But I can’t do it too many times either, or my true strength will be exposed! Ugh... what a hassle. I’ll just aim for somewhere in the middle.’

If anyone else knew what Shen Haoran was thinking right now, they would surely want to strangle him. Everyone else put their all into refining this ingredient, yet he was content with just a casual attempt. Couldn’t you take this seriously for once, Shen Haoran? This is a competition, for crying out loud!

But Shen Haoran really was that nonchalant about it. With a flicker of his Spiritual Thought, the temperature of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian began to rise. Strangely, the temperature increased with extreme slowness. As it climbed, the Dragon Beard Grass showed no adverse reaction. In fact, it began to unfurl its coiled leaves, as if it were thoroughly enjoying the warmth.

Seeing the leaves of the Dragon Beard Grass slowly unfurl, Shen Haoran chuckled softly. ’Refining Dragon Beard Grass is actually quite simple. You just have to boil the frog slowly. Before it even realizes what’s happening, you can extract its essence. Of course, pulling that off is extraordinarily difficult. Dragon Beard Grass is extremely sensitive to temperature, so it requires immense control over the flame and powerful Spiritual Thought. For me, though, it’s a piece of cake.’