Chapter 198: From Doubt to Shock (1)

[A/N: We are just a few more golden tickets away from reaching another milestone!!]

Taiyi Holy Land, Central Square.

The square today was a cacophony of voices, with Spiritual Qi rising in steam.

The annual Pill Refining Assembly was being held right here.

In the center of the square, hundreds of uniformly designed Alchemy Furnaces had already been arranged in neat rows, each connected to a stable earth fire vent below. The hazy waves of heat caused the air above the square to distort slightly.

This was the stage for the participating Disciples to showcase their skills.

The square was surrounded on all sides by Disciples who had come to observe, packing the area so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through.

Outer and Inner Sect Disciples looking for excitement whispered among themselves, their discussions making the atmosphere as heated as boiling water.

On the high platform sat several Elders with profound Auras and eyes as sharp as lightning.

They were the supervisors and judges for this assembly, and among them were many senior Elders of the Pill Hall.

"Have you heard? The reward for first place in this Pill Refining Assembly is a Holy Son King Rank Medicinal Pill," a Disciple said to his companion, his face full of longing.

"A Holy Son King Rank pill?" The companion sucked in a breath of cold air, a burning light instantly erupting in his eyes. "That’s a Divine Pill that can increase the chances of a breakthrough to the Saint King Realm! They’ve really gone all out this time!"

"Yeah, a pill like that is a heaven-defying fated Opportunity for us to change our destiny! Unfortunately, first place... sigh, it’ll likely still be Holy Son Gu’s for the taking."

At the mention of Gu Chen, the surrounding Disciples who overheard the conversation nodded one after another in agreement.

"Holy Son Gu was first in the last session, and his Alchemy skills have only improved over the past few years. It’s said that even some Elders of the Pill Hall feel inferior to him. Who else could take first place besides him?"

"That’s right. Holy Son Gu possesses the Spiritual Flame ’Ice Heart Cold Flame,’ which makes his Alchemy even more formidable. Among his peers, no one can surpass him."

The conversation naturally shifted from the rewards and Gu Chen to that new Inner Sect Disciple who didn’t know the heights of the heavens, Chen Chuan.

"Heh, speaking of Holy Son Gu, do you remember that kid named Chen Chuan? The guy who made a two-hundred-thousand Origin Stone bet with Holy Son Gu."

"Haha, how could I forget! Spirit Transformation Realm First Level, challenging Holy Son Gu’s Alchemy? That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all year."

"I think he’s gone mad trying to get famous, using this suicidal method to attract attention. Unfortunately, he’ll only end up a laughingstock."

"Just wait and see, it’s hard to say if he can even pass the first round. Two hundred thousand Origin Stones—I’m afraid he’s going to go bankrupt."

Almost all the discussions were filled with disdain and mockery for Chen Chuan; no one believed he had even the slightest chance.

In everyone’s eyes, this was nothing more than a farce of Gu Chen’s one-sided crushing and Chen Chuan’s self-inflicted humiliation.

In a corner of the square’s competition area, Chen Chuan and Su Mengxi stood side by side.

To play the role of Dao Companions to the fullest, Su Mengxi naturally reached out and tightly held Chen Chuan’s arm, her delicate body leaning slightly against him.

She tilted her beautiful face up, a sweet smile on her lips, as if she were in the happiest moment of her life.

In truth, she had long since fallen deeply for Chen Chuan. Such close contact brought her no psychological pressure; instead, she was secretly delighted.

The soft touch on his arm and the faint fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose made Chen Chuan feel a bit uneasy.

He moved his arm slightly, wanting to pull away inconspicuously, while whispering, "Senior Sister Su, under the watchful eyes of the public, isn’t this a bit too intimate?"

Su Mengxi held on even tighter, turning her face slightly and whispering in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Don’t move! Gu Chen is watching us. We have to play the part fully! Do you want him to see through the act?"

Hearing this, Chen Chuan subconsciously glanced not far away.

Sure enough, Gu Chen was surrounded by several Inner Sect Disciples with impressive Auras. He seemed to be chatting and laughing, but his gaze would coldly flicker over here from time to time.

Especially when his gaze lingered on Su Mengxi’s arm tightly clutching his, the jealousy and coldness in his eyes were almost tangible.

Chen Chuan sighed helplessly in his heart, knowing he couldn’t show weakness now. He stopped struggling and let Su Mengxi hold him, though his body remained somewhat stiff.

In the distance, Gu Chen took in their intimate posture. Jealousy flared in his chest, but he forced himself to maintain his poise.

The look he gave Chen Chuan was filled with more than just thick jealousy; it was mostly deep disdain and contempt.

"Senior Brother Gu, is that the Chen Chuan who was foolish enough to bet against you?"

An Inner Sect Disciple with sharp features followed Gu Chen’s gaze and asked in a fawning tone.

Gu Chen snorted coldly and didn’t answer, but his attitude was a silent confirmation.

Another Disciple immediately chimed in, mocking in an exaggerated tone, "Tsk tsk, a Spirit Transformation Realm First Level trash who just entered the Inner Sect, actually daring to talk big about Alchemy in front of Senior Brother Gu? Truly a frog in a well, not knowing the heights of the heavens!"

"Exactly! Senior Brother Gu possesses a Spiritual Flame and his Alchemy skills are supernatural. He is the number one Alchemy Genius of our Taiyi Holy Land!"

"What kind of thing is Chen Chuan to be compared with Senior Brother Gu? He’s probably not even fit to carry Senior Brother Gu’s shoes."

The group went back and forth, using every bit of flattery to put Gu Chen on a pedestal while belittling Chen Chuan as worthless.

Listening to these flattering words, the frost on Gu Chen’s face thawed slightly, and an arrogant curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He enjoyed being the center of attention, and the displeasure in his heart dissipated somewhat.

He said indifferently:

"Just a laughingstock, no need to pay him much mind."

"Once the pill refining begins, I will make him, and everyone else, understand exactly how vast the gap between us is."

"I’ll gladly accept those two hundred thousand Origin Stones."

His tone was filled with absolute confidence and arrogance, as if he could already see Chen Chuan’s crestfallen face after a crushing defeat.

Just then, on the high platform, a White-Robed Elder responsible for supervision stood up. His deep voice drowned out the noise of the crowd, clearly reaching everyone’s ears:

"Silence!"

The square instantly fell silent.

The White-Robed Elder’s gaze swept across the participating Disciples, and he announced loudly, "The Taiyi Holy Land Pill Refining Assembly now begins! The first round’s assessment: refine a ninth-grade pill, the Spirit Essence Pill!"

With a wave of his hand, he pointed to an area already prepared on one side of the square:

"The various medicinal herbs required to refine the Spirit Essence Pill have been prepared there, totaling thirty-seven types."

"However, to refine a true Spirit Essence Pill, only nine main herbs are needed, supplemented by several auxiliary herbs."

"The remaining herbs are either distractions or have conflicting attributes. You must identify and select them yourselves."

"The rules are as follows: First, go and select your herbs. There is no limit on type or quantity, but you only have one chance."

"Second, the quality of the refined ’Spirit Essence Pill’ must reach ninth-grade High Grade to be considered passing and advance to the next round."

"Third, the time limit is one hour. Now, begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the participating Disciples swarmed toward the herb area like a tide, beginning their tense selection.

Chen Chuan understood clearly.