Seeing the slightly grave expression on Shi Xuan's face, all those who had attended this grand gathering and had been heavily skeptical of Jiang Chen now found their emotions growing extraordinarily complicated.
None of them had ever imagined that once the wagering contest began, this young man from the Eternal Sacred Land would seize the upper hand right from the start?
Although it appeared that Grand Master Shi Xuan hadn't been significantly affected, the fact that this young man had gained the initiative in such a wager at least proved he was not to be underestimated. It proved that his provocation of Grand Master Shi Xuan had not been some reckless impulse.
It seemed this had all been carefully orchestrated.
Shi Xuan took the scroll of answers and studied it for a while, his brow furrowed deeply. To be honest, with his own mastery of the Dao of Pills, he still couldn't fully comprehend the Three-Nine Hero Gathering Configuration either. Even with the answer key in hand, there were certain pill formulas that he simply couldn't grasp in the short term.
"Kid, this scroll proves nothing. Who knows whether you fabricated it? If you want people to believe you, you'll need to produce something more substantial as proof."
Jiang Chen smiled. "I knew you'd say that. Tell me what proof you want — lay out your terms."
"Hmph. If these pill formulas are legitimate, then I should be able to pick any one of them at random and you ought to know how to refine it. I'll select three at random. If you can refine all three, then you pass the first round." Shi Xuan was not about to take Jiang Chen's word at face value.
Jiang Chen wore the expression of someone who had expected exactly this. He smiled calmly. "I know you can't afford to lose, but all this pettiness of yours is nothing more than a deathbed struggle. Go ahead and pick — pick anything you like. If you can stump me, I'll concede this round. No problem at all."
This air of complete nonchalance, paradoxically, made him even more convincing. For a moment, Shi Xuan hesitated. It took him a long while before he finally settled on three formulas.
"These three. Refine them on the spot. If you succeed, I'll count it as a pass."
Jiang Chen laughed aloud. "Shi Xuan, it really seems you can't afford to lose. Very well — I'll put your mind at ease. I'll show you that your own ignorance doesn't mean the Three-Nine Hero Gathering Configuration doesn't exist."
He prepared the materials and began refining right there on the spot.
Jiang Chen didn't hold back in the slightest. The entire purpose of this competition was to make a name for himself, so he made no effort whatsoever to conceal his mastery of the Dao of Pills. During the refinement process, he deliberately embellished his technique and showed off his skills, rendering the entire process extremely grand and sophisticated. The visual effect was nothing short of spectacular.
Truth be told, this dazzling display of showmanship won him a measure of support. Some alchemy powerhouses felt that flashy displays of skill had no place in the world of the Dao of Pills — but his technique was genuinely impressive, and try as they might, they couldn't find any fault with it.
The Three-Nine Hero Gathering Configuration was merely a novelty creation. While some of the pill formulas within it were rather obscure, none of them were particularly difficult to refine.
In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Jiang Chen had produced all three pills and presented them before the crowd.
"Everyone, please take a look. Have a close inspection of these three pills." As he spoke, Jiang Chen snapped his fingers. Yan Qingsang, beaming with satisfaction, stepped forward carrying a tray. He took the freshly refined pills and circulated them among the representatives of each faction for examination.
These pills, in and of themselves, were nothing particularly extraordinary. However, Jiang Chen's masterful handiwork had imbued them with an entirely different quality.
From a purely technical standpoint, these pills were absolutely flawless — masterpieces born of divine craftsmanship.
Many of the alchemy powerhouses examined them and clicked their tongues in admiration. "A small-scale production, yet refined with the touch of a grand master. Excellent, excellent! Young man, these pills are truly remarkable!"
"Might I have one as a keepsake?"
The world of alchemy did enjoy hierarchy and seniority, but when confronted with genuine skill, its practitioners still gave proper respect. Seeing the caliber of Jiang Chen's work, many abandoned their prejudice. That bias hadn't stemmed solely from his youth — it had also been because the Eternal Sacred Land's standing in the Dao of Pills was not particularly high.
Now, Jiang Chen had demonstrated absolute mastery of his craft, and that had earned him genuine respect.
In the wake of this, the thoughts of many shifted, almost imperceptibly. They no longer felt that this young man's challenge to Shi Xuan was an act of blind overconfidence.
At this level, even if he ultimately fell short against Shi Xuan, he would still leave an impression that Grand Master Shi Xuan would never forget for the rest of his life.
And if he happened to perform well — who knew? A miracle might truly occur.
The three pills were presented before Shi Xuan. His expression remained perfectly neutral as he said flatly, "Very well. I'll grant you a pass on this. But this is only the first round — I haven't issued my question yet. This is no time for you to celebrate."
The competition consisted of three rounds in total, with both sides posing questions to each other in each round. Jiang Chen had set a question and Shi Xuan had failed to answer it — that was all.
Now, if Shi Xuan posed his question and Jiang Chen couldn't answer either, then the first round would simply be a draw, with neither side gaining an advantage.
Shi Xuan was still very confident. Though he felt a twinge of regret at having failed to complete the other party's first question, he firmly believed that the first question he was about to pose would be absolutely beyond Jiang Chen's ability to answer as well.
With that thought, his composure returned.
With a casual wave of his hand, a scroll materialized in his grasp. With a flick of his right hand, the scroll unfurled. "This also concerns pill formulas. It is a modified formula. There are nine ingredients listed within, and several of them are false. Your task is to identify the counterfeit ingredients, correct them, and repair this formula."
As he spoke, Shi Xuan's arm gave a gentle shake, and the scroll flew toward Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen caught it smoothly in one hand.