"Chairman Cui, please arrange for an Alchemy Room and act as our referee," Jiang Chen said.

Xiong Yingjie, who was standing to the side, nodded and said arrogantly, "Chairman Cui, when it comes to alchemy skill in Yulan Mansion, you’re the only one who’s even remotely presentable. I suppose you’ll have to do as the referee."

Cui Zheng’s expression turned grim.

A strong hint of displeasure appeared in his eyes as he looked at Xiong Yingjie. Taking a deep breath, he said, "This way, you two."

A short while later...

Cui Zheng led the two of them to an Alchemy Room large enough for them to perform Alchemy simultaneously.

The walls of this Alchemy Room were inscribed with all sorts of high-temperature Inscriptions. Once activated, they would absorb the Fire Spiritual Qi from the air and channel it into two three-meter-tall Medicine Cauldrons.

"Our Yulan Mansion’s Alchemy Rooms are built atop an earth vein. We extract the Earth Vein Fire from it to assist in Alchemy. You may each choose a Medicine Cauldron," Cui Zheng explained calmly.

The environment in this Alchemy Room was indeed quite good.

Furthermore, because it used Earth Vein Fire, the temperature was extremely high and stable.

Pills refined with it were purer and of higher quality than those refined with one’s own True Flame.

Jiang Chen nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Chairman Cui."

"Hmph, country bumpkin. You’ve clearly never seen the world. An Alchemy Room like this is mediocre at best. The Alchemy Rooms at our Imperial Capital Association all use guided Celestial Fire to assist with Alchemy." Xiong Yingjie snorted contemptuously and waved his hand dismissively. "Let’s hurry up and start. My time is very precious!"

"Then let’s begin."

Jiang Chen nodded as well.

Chairman Cui, standing to the side, glanced at them both and announced, "Since you are both ready, let the Pill Fighting begin! For this competition, you will both refine the First-Grade Advanced Cyan Spirit Pill. The time limit is three double-hours, and the final judgment will be based on the quality of the pill. You may begin!"

Beside Chairman Cui, two young women held up a tray.

On the tray were the Spiritual Medicines needed to refine the Cyan Spirit Pill.

In a Pill Fighting match between Alchemists, once the pills are successfully refined and a winner is declared...

The cost of the alchemical ingredients is borne by the loser!

That was why Chairman Cui had already prepared the ingredients for the Cyan Spirit Pill in advance...

"The Cyan Spirit Pill, hmm? I suppose that pill is suitable for a competition. Boy, don’t tell me you’ve never even heard of the Cyan Spirit Pill?" Xiong Yingjie sneered at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen glanced at him and said flatly, "You should worry about yourself."

"Hmph! Open your eyes and watch closely. This young master didn’t become Master Yu’s Direct Disciple for nothing!"

Xiong Yingjie snorted coldly.

He glanced at Xiong Li. Xiong Li nodded respectfully, took the tray, and presented it to Xiong Yingjie.

Meanwhile, Xiong Hex sat down before the Medicine Cauldron.

A brilliant True Essence Light surged from his body, and the temperature in the air rose sharply. He activated the Earth Vein Fire and began to heat the Medicine Cauldron. The entire cauldron turned red-hot as fiery Inscriptions lit up one by one, and the stable, scorching Earth Vein Fire began to bake the cauldron.

「A short while later...」

The Medicine Cauldron was glowing red-hot!

Xiong Hex said respectfully, "Young Master, the Medicine Cauldron is preheated!"

"Step aside."

Xiong Yingjie waved his hand. After Xiong Hex withdrew, he shot a cold smirk at Jiang Chen. "Boy, open your eyes and watch closely. *This* is what you call real Alchemy!"

SWOOSH—

With a wave of his arm, he tossed a total of three Spiritual Medicines into the Medicine Cauldron.

Xiong Yingjie waved both hands, forming Seal Techniques that he sent into the Medicine Cauldron. He manipulated the Earth Vein Fire inside to begin calcining the Spiritual Medicines and extracting their essence.

The essence of the three Spiritual Medicines was extracted completely, without the slightest bit of waste.

Immediately after, Xiong Yingjie tossed in another three Spiritual Medicines...

Cui Zheng, standing to the side, nodded to himself. ’As expected of Master Yu Dan’s disciple. To extract the essence of three Spiritual Medicines at once... his technique is truly brilliant!’

Even though Cui Zheng had been a First-Grade Advanced Alchemist for many years, he could only extract the essence of five Spiritual Medicines at once.

For someone as young as Xiong Yingjie to be able to extract the essence of three Spiritual Medicines simultaneously, and with such exquisite control, his talent for Alchemy was truly extraordinary!

In contrast, Jiang Chen still hadn’t made a move.

Xiong Li’s face twisted into a mocking grin as he sneered, "Boy, why are you just standing there like a block of wood? Don’t tell me you don’t know how to refine a Cyan Spirit Pill? I suggest you give up now and get on your knees to beg my Young Master for forgiveness! Let me tell you, that Ten Thousand Snakes Heart Devouring Pill is no joke. Once you take it, you’ll become a mindless puppet, a walking corpse!"

Xiong Hex, while controlling the Earth Vein Fire inside the Medicine Cauldron, said, "Boy, this isn’t my Young Master’s first time refining a Cyan Spirit Pill. You’re guaranteed to lose!"

The Cyan Spirit Pill requires a total of thirty-six Spiritual Medicines to be refined.

Xiong Yingjie had already begun extracting the essence of the twelfth Spiritual Medicine, while Jiang Chen hadn’t even extracted a single one.

The difference in their speeds was obvious at a glance.

The young woman from the Alchemist Guild nervously clasped her hands. "Chairman, can that young master win?"

Cui Zheng hesitated for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "He hasn’t even started extracting the Essence of Spiritual Medicine. At this rate, he won’t have enough time."

"So the young master is doomed to lose..." The young woman’s face fell with disappointment.

Cui Zheng shook his head. "He’s almost certainly lost, unless a miracle happens..."

Facing everyone’s mockery, Jiang Chen just smiled calmly. He gently patted the Black Emperor on his shoulder and said, "Little Black, go stand aside for a bit."

The Black Emperor nodded, flapped its wings, and flew up. "Jiang Chen, don’t you dare bring shame to the Venerable Emperor!"

"Don’t worry."

Jiang Chen waved his hand, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. "Extracting three Spiritual Medicines at once is fast? Xiong Yingjie, open your eyes and watch closely. This is what you call *real* extraction!"

Before his words had even faded.

Two clusters of golden True Flame erupted from Jiang Chen’s hands.

He activated the Demon Flame Technique, causing the golden True Flame to transform into two charging Blazing Fire lions that plunged violently into the Medicine Cauldron.

"Demon Flames Towering to Heaven!"

Jiang Chen snorted. The moment the two Blazing Fire lions entered the Medicine Cauldron, they immediately transformed into a vast sea of golden fire. It filled the entire cauldron, activating the Inscriptions within and causing the Earth Vein Fire to surge violently.

It had taken Xiong Hex a full ten minutes to preheat the cauldron.

Yet Jiang Chen had finished preheating it in just two minutes.

"So fast! This little fellow’s fire control technique is incredibly refined!" Cui Zheng’s eyes lit up as he clicked his tongue in admiration.

Xiong Li’s expression soured. He snorted contemptuously, "It’s just preheating. We’re competing on who can refine the pill, not who can preheat a cauldron faster!"

However...

In the very next second.

Xiong Li’s expression changed abruptly, as if he’d just been viciously slapped across the face several times.

With a wave of his hand, Jiang Chen had thrown all thirty-six Spiritual Medicines into the Medicine Cauldron at once.

At that moment... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Everyone was dumbfounded!

Cui Zheng’s eyes widened. ’Is this kid insane? Extracting so many Spiritual Medicines at once? Even a Second Grade Alchemist couldn’t do that, could they?’

"Hahaha! He’s clearly a layman who knows nothing about Alchemy. Putting aside the fact that the quality of the Essence of Spiritual Medicine would be impossibly low, the conflicting properties of so many Spiritual Medicines will be enough to ruin this entire batch!" Xiong Li roared with laughter.

Xiong Hex shook his head. "For the Young Master to engage in Pill Fighting with this amateur is simply an insult!"

Contempt and disappointment filled Xiong Yingjie’s eyes. ’I’ve won without even having to fight.’

Only the Black Emperor, squatting in the corner, curled its beak into a deep sneer of contempt after hearing everyone’s words. It chuckled coldly, "Amateur? In a little while... you’ll find out who the real amateur is!"