"Two rounds of martial combat, one victory each — it's a tie. The final round is up to you two to decide amongst yourselves." Wu Zhengqi looked left and right. This had been prearranged, and it was also an unwritten rule among the Pill Masters of the Mysterious Pill Gate — neither Yang Kai nor Wei Cheng would object.
Moreover, the final round concerned alchemy, which wasn't something Wu Zhengqi, a pure martial artist, could interfere with.
On the Dueling Stage, Yang Kai spoke up. "Pill Master Wei, I'm new here and unfamiliar with the sect's rules. Why don't you set the terms for this last round? I have no objections either way."
Wei Cheng let out a cold snort. "Pill Master Yang certainly sounds confident. What if I say we contest Pill Fires — would you accept that too?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the assembled Pill Masters below erupted in commotion. Even Wu Zhengqi hastily raised his hand. "You two mustn't!"
Yang Kai looked curious. "What's a Pill Fire contest?" Judging by their reactions, it sounded like something extremely serious.
Wei Cheng stared at him blankly. "How can you not even know about this? Where on earth did you crawl out from?"
Wu Zhengqi explained from the side. "Pill Master Yang, all Pill Masters possess their own Pill Fire, and Pill Fires vary in strength. You visited the Sacred Fire Cave recently, so you should have some understanding of this — a powerful Pill Fire can devour a weaker one and use it to advance in rank! That's how Pill Fire contests came about. However, such duels are extraordinarily dangerous. They typically end only when one side's Pill Fire is completely consumed. Once a Pill Fire is devoured, the Pill Master is bound to suffer a certain degree of backlash. That's why, barring some deep grudge, Pill Masters generally never contest Pill Fires!"
After explaining this to Yang Kai, he turned to look at Wei Cheng. "Pill Master Wei, you and Pill Master Yang are both pillars of our Mysterious Pill Gate. Today's duel here is over nothing that can't be resolved. If it were a contest of ordinary methods, that would be one thing — but if you insist on a Pill Fire contest, don't blame me for immediately reporting the matter to the Elder Council and letting them intervene."
Wei Cheng pursed his lips. "I was merely speaking off the cuff. How could I not know how dangerous Pill Fire contests are? Deputy Hall Master Wu, there's no need to take it seriously!"
Wu Zhengqi nodded. "Good!"
Wei Cheng turned his gaze back to Yang Kai. "If we're not doing a Pill Fire contest, then a full pill-refining competition would take too long. Why don't we compare our ability to refine medicinal liquid? Same herb — whoever can extract a higher concentration in the shortest time wins. It's simpler and won't take much time."
Yang Kai naturally had no issue with that and nodded immediately. "Fine!"
Wei Cheng had clearly prepared in advance. He clapped his hands, and the Heaven Grade warrior who'd previously been pushed off the Dueling Stage by Yang Kai's palm immediately scurried up carrying two boxes.
Wei Cheng clasped his hands behind his back. "These are two Star Blossoms. They're virtually identical in both age and size. Pill Master Yang, feel free to inspect them and pick one. Today we won't use a Pill Furnace — we'll refine the medicinal liquid using only our own Pill Fires, and see who's truly superior!"
As he spoke, the Heaven Grade warrior had already carried the two boxes over to Yang Kai for inspection.
The Pill Masters watching below buzzed with whispered discussion.
"Star Blossoms — Pill Master Wei actually chose to refine Star Blossoms. That's no simple task."
"Indeed. Among all Heaven Grade herbs, Star Blossoms may not be the most precious, but they're one of the hardest to refine. The best Heaven Grade Pill Masters in our Mysterious Pill Gate can only extract just over seventy percent of the medicinal potency, I believe."
"Never mind Heaven Grade Pill Masters — I've heard that even the Spirit Grade Pill Masters on the Elder Council can extract at most just under ninety percent!"
"Still, this will really showcase a Pill Master's fundamentals. Interesting…"
…
The clamor of voices came from every direction. Yang Kai gazed at the two boxes before him. Just as Wei Cheng had described, they contained two identical herbs — the same size, virtually indistinguishable. They looked like a flower, about the span of a palm, with eight petals. Upon those petals were dense clusters of silver dots that emitted a soft glow, like a sky full of stars.
Yang Kai had never seen one of these before. He had a vague feeling that this was probably a specialty of the Divine Weapon World.
Wei Cheng extended his hand. "Pill Master Yang, please!"
Yang Kai gave a slight nod and casually chose one. The guard carried the other box over to Wei Cheng. Wei Cheng took the Star Blossom in hand and allowed himself a small smile. "Pill Master Yang, when it comes to refining Star Blossoms, I have particularly unique expertise. This round — you've already lost."
If he weren't confident in himself, he wouldn't have proposed this challenge, nor would he have prepared the Star Blossoms in advance.
Yang Kai offered no comment.
Wu Zhengqi's voice rang out. "Whenever you're both ready, you may begin at any time!"
"Pill Master Yang, please!" Wei Cheng barked the words while simultaneously channeling his spiritual power. In the same instant, a ball of orange-yellow flame bloomed into view on his palm. The flame was luminous and translucent — clearly a Heavenly Fire of no common caliber, though Yang Kai couldn't identify which specific variety it was. The Heavenly Fire enveloped the Star Blossom, its blaze swelling and shrinking under Wei Cheng's control as he began refining the herb's medicinal liquid.