"Clan Master, you're the one who invited Alchemist Zhen—do you really dare let him play? This is a life-or-death wager. Don't tell me you can't afford to lose?" Wei Tiantong said with a smile, putting on a tone of false benevolence.
Wei Tianxiao glanced at Jiang Chen and saw him give a subtle nod. Emboldened, he laughed and said, "Old Five, the only one I'm worried about not being able to afford the stakes is you."
Wei Tiantong laughed heartily. "There's never been a time when I, Wei Tiantong, couldn't afford to play. Pill King Yu, I'm counting on you to save face for me today."
Alchemist Yu gave a faint, cold smile, a trace of malice glinting in his eyes as he looked toward Jiang Chen.
"Kid, this place is too cramped to properly show our skills, and I wouldn't want to hurt any bystanders. How about we find somewhere open?"
Alchemist Yu nodded at Jiang Chen with a provocative look.
Jiang Chen rose unhurriedly and walked toward the exit.
"Let's go—everyone, come watch." Wei Tianxiao said with a carefree laugh, leading the way outside.
Seeing Wei Tianxiao putting on such a calm front, Wei Tiantong found it amusing. He secretly sneered, thinking: You, Wei Tianxiao, are the type who won't turn back until you hit the wall. Enjoy yourself now—soon enough you'll be crying!
Wei Tiantong was certain he had Wei Tianxiao cornered, and naturally refused to appear any less imposing. He clapped his hands and said, "Let's go watch—wouldn't want to miss such a spectacle."
The Wei clan's rear courtyard was vast beyond measure.
Alchemist Yu and Jiang Chen each took a position on opposite sides, east and west.
Alchemist Yu's thin, cruel eyebrows rose as he said in a sinister tone, "Kid, you have ten breaths to finish your setup. Can you manage? If not, say so now—I'll be generous and give you a handicap."
Jiang Chen scoffed. "Ten breaths? What are you, a snail? If you can't finish in three breaths, scram. Spending ten breaths on a single formation—and you call yourself a Pill King? I'm really starting to doubt that."
Everyone on Wei Tianxiao's side burst into laughter.
Alchemist Yu had been put in his place, but inwardly he grew wary. Three breaths? Was this kid just boasting, or did he actually have real skill?
For a moment, Alchemist Yu found himself uncertain.
Jiang Chen calmly looked toward the Wei clan's side. "Ladies and gentlemen, who'd like to call 'start'? Who's keeping time?"
Elder Feng suddenly spoke up. "I'll do it."
Elder Feng was nominally a neutral party, so his serving as referee satisfied both sides.
"Ready? Start!" Elder Feng was nothing if not decisive.
Three breaths, truth be told, was extremely fast. Though the unit of time measurement in the martial world differed from that of mortals—a single breath here was not the same as a mortal's breath—three breaths was still not a long time.
Before setting out, Jiang Chen had clearly anticipated a fierce battle today, so he had made some preparations beforehand.
At Elder Feng's signal, Jiang Chen's hands moved with practiced ease, swiftly setting up a small formation around him.
Jiang Chen's formation techniques had improved greatly over time. In no time, a small formation was complete.
Within this formation, Jiang Chen had incorporated at least four types of poison.
The first was the Wood of the Dream God, which induced drowsiness.
The second was the Spirit-Locking True Essence Powder, seized from Wei Qing of the Carefree Sect in the Myriad Phenomena Region—it had played a crucial role in the fight against Gong Wuji and his group.
The third was a poison Jiang Chen had mixed himself. It wasn't particularly potent, but it was the most visually obvious one—used purely to confuse the opponent.
The fourth was a poison refined from Bewildering Spirit Miasma. This was the truly lethal one, hidden within the formation. Unless one was a highly skilled Pill King, there was no way to see through it.
These four poison arrays—some overt, some concealed—were brilliantly conceived, forming quadruple insurance.
And all of this, Jiang Chen accomplished with ease within three breaths.
In comparison, Alchemist Yu's setup was rather cramped. He had originally proposed ten breaths, thinking his own speed was already impressive enough to use that limit to pressure Jiang Chen. Never did he expect to be outmaneuvered, leaving himself scrambling.
After three breaths, Alchemist Yu's formation could only be called barely adequate.
Jiang Chen, utterly composed, smiled and said, "Alchemist Yu, it seems your training is rather lacking. Three breaths is too much for you. How about I give you seven more breaths to prepare properly? Wouldn't want you to be a sore loser."
Though Alchemist Yu desperately wanted more time to refine his setup, under everyone's gaze, he clearly couldn't afford to lose face. He gave a cold snort. "Kid, all you've got is a big mouth. Let's see if you're still smiling after this."
With that, Alchemist Yu stepped out of his own formation, and the two walked toward each other's setups.