5: Top quality, but useless pill!

Watching the jade heart calming spirit pill gradually take shape, Ye Chen seemed to already imagine his smooth future, and a smile involuntarily curved at the corner of his mouth.

He performed the fire control technique with his hand, silently chanting “Condense!” in his heart, and the pills became even more round and smooth. Finally, the pill furnace opened, and Ye Chen, quick-witted, pulled out a jade bottle and put them all inside.

“Four top-grade jade heart calming spirit pills.”

Ye Chen raised his head and looked back. Sure enough, those who had mocked him earlier were dumbfounded, and the countless pairs of eyes looking over were filled with astonishment.

Ye Chen was extremely satisfied with this effect. He slowly walked out from in front of the pill furnace, came to the observation pavilion, bowed to the two Elders, and handed over the pills.

Then he looked at Shen Qing, or more accurately, at Ye Qinghe, who had been by Shen Qing’s side, “If you can change your mind now, it’s not that I can’t accept you.”

Ye Chen said indifferently.

With the alchemy talent he had displayed now, a normal person should know how to choose, right?

Slap!

Ye Chen’s cheek instantly turned red.

It wasn’t shyness, it wasn’t excitement, but because he was slapped.

There was a bright red palm print squarely on his left cheek.

“Clear Light Great Handprint?” Shen Qing looked at Ye Qinghe.

“I just learned it two days ago,” Ye Qinghe smiled sheepishly.

“Which hand did you use just now?”

“Left hand.”

The Clear Light Great Handprint, as the name suggests, is a spell specifically matched with a Clear Light Spirit Body. It condenses an invisible handprint to attack an opponent, characterized by its speed and sufficient concealment.

Ye Chen clutched his left cheek, unable to believe that these two could hit him and act as if nothing happened.

He was about to utter a harsh warning, telling Shen Qing not to be too arrogant and not to forget the bet, when suddenly another whooshing sound came.

Slap!

A palm print also appeared on his right cheek.

Ye Chen clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his nails digging deep into the flesh of his palm: “You…!”

“Hmm, one left, one right, just right,” Shen Qing retracted his right hand, then said to the two Elders, “Elders, you all saw it. Ye Chen insulted us first; we were merely retaliating.”

Elder Li waved his hand with a smile: “Young people, don’t act impulsively. Don’t let it happen again.”

Shen Qing: “Yes.”

Elder Zhao’s expression was not very good, but in the current situation, it was useless for him to step forward. He snorted coldly and opened the jade bottle Ye Chen had handed over.

Seeing only four pills poured out, his face became even uglier.

No!

Ye Chen and Shen Qing’s bet was lost, but I didn’t lose anything.

Instead, if I recommend such a person who can refine top-grade jade heart calming spirit pills at the First Heaven of Spirit Vein Realm to the Old Valley Master… one must know that discovering talented disciples is also considered a merit.

Ye Chen said indifferently: “Elder, announce the result.”

Although he had two palm prints on his face, his expression at this moment was incredibly confident.

His title of Pill Emperor in his previous life was not an empty one; how could a mere cultivator of the Purple Mansion Realm compare to him?

He was the one who decided on this competition to refine jade heart calming spirit pills. On one hand, he didn’t believe Shen Qing could refine top-grade pills, and on the other hand, he also used this to display his talent.

Elder Zhao looked at his expression and sighed: “Shen Qing wins.”

“What?!”

Ye Chen was incredulous.

How could this be!

Elder Zhao said: “His are also top-grade spirit pills, and he has one more pill than you.”

“This is impossible!” Ye Chen could no longer maintain his calm expression, “With his cultivation, how could he refine five top-grade jade heart calming spirit pills? Cheating! Shen Qing, you cheated, didn’t you?!”

One must know that even in his previous life, at the same realm, he couldn’t do it. Could it be that Shen Qing’s alchemy talent was stronger than his, the Azure Sun Pill Emperor’s?!

“Ye Chen, can you please stop embarrassing the Ye family?” Ye Qinghe said with disgust.

Elder Li said: “With us watching, no one can cheat. Or are you suggesting that you suspect we would shield Shen Qing?”

With those calm words, Ye Chen’s heart was anything but calm. He lowered his head: “I wouldn’t dare.”

His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he took deep breaths to calm himself.

A great man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Shen Qing merely took advantage of his realm. It’s fine to lose this time; at least my alchemy talent has been seen by the two Elders.

Although his obsession hasn’t been resolved and has even deepened, it’s not a complete loss yet. With the talent he has displayed, he will soon obtain more resources. At that time, it’s still uncertain who will win or lose.

Just then, Shen Qing asked casually, as if just making conversation: “Two Elders, why do Ye Chen’s pills seem a bit different from the ones I refined?”

“A bit different?” The two Elders each took one.

With their divine senses, they quickly discovered the anomaly.

Elder Zhao’s face was already wrinkled like a bitter gourd: “This…”

What’s wrong with this Ye Chen?!

Elder Li, with his white hair and benevolent expression, looked at Elder Zhao, then at Ye Chen: “Your pills are indeed top-grade, but why are they Waste Pill (waste pills)?”

Elder Zhao no longer cared about Ye Chen’s situation: “Top-grade waste pills, this is the first time I’ve encountered such a situation.”

Top-grade is top-grade, and waste pills are waste pills.

Top-grade represents the highest quality, while waste pills represent a clump of dregs, a pill without medicinal properties, too disgusting to even eat.

It was precisely because these pills achieved top-grade quality that they trusted their own judgment and didn’t confirm further, being deceived instantly.

But who would have thought that waste pills could also be of top-grade quality?

“Top-grade waste pills?” Ye Qinghe secretly asked Shen Qing: “What’s the difference from ordinary waste pills?”

Shen Qing replied: “Perhaps the aura is more intimidating. You see, even the two Elders were deceived.”

To be honest, if he hadn’t personally modified the script, Shen Qing himself wouldn’t have discovered that these were actually waste pills.

Elder Li stroked his white beard and chuckled: “I never thought there would be such a trick. I’m old, I’m old.”

As soon as these words were spoken, it effectively branded Ye Chen as having cheated.

Not to mention him, even Elder Zhao thought so.

He regretted getting involved with this Ye Chen. Now it’s good; if this Li fellow or Shen Qing reported this matter, he would inevitably suffer a loss.

The pills Ye Chen refined were handed to him and inspected by him, and he himself had some ties with the Ye family. Who would believe that he didn’t shield Ye Chen?

He believed it!

He originally thought it was a sure-fire deal. After the duel, he would introduce Ye Chen to the higher-ups and earn some merit. Now, not only is the merit gone, but he might even suffer a loss.

Elder Zhao was in unspeakable distress.

Ye Chen, with a pale face: “Two Elders, are you perhaps trying to trick me? What I refined are clearly top-grade spirit pills.”

Elder Zhao threw the jade bottle back to Ye Chen, letting him inspect it himself.

Ye Chen, refusing to believe, directly swallowed one.

Ptooey!

It tasted awful, Ye Chen almost threw up, and it was actually… ineffective!

He couldn’t feel a trace of medicinal power, not even pill poison. It was too small to even eat as a meal.

The disciples who had been shocked by Ye Chen’s alchemy talent earlier now started chattering.

“So it was cheating. I knew it, how could someone in the early Spirit Vein Realm refine jade heart calming spirit pills, and top-grade ones at that.”

“It’s a good thing Senior Brother Shen has such keen eyesight, otherwise this Ye Chen would have gotten away with it.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Cheating, how shameful!”

Listening to the voices around him, Ye Chen’s face grew paler, and the fabric on his back rose and fell with his rapid breathing.