Chapter 368: This Is Showing Off

Xiao Ruyan frowned but said nothing.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Learning requires insight. Your talent is too poor; you won't learn."

Qiu Zhi's face darkened. "Laugh, I hope you can still laugh later! If you can't refine it, just wait to be a pill slave for life!"

Ye Yuan couldn't be bothered to argue with him and went to the furnace.

In an instant, Ye Yuan's demeanor suddenly changed!

The slightly cynical youth from before now seemed deep as the ocean, as if nothing outside mattered anymore.

Though he stood not far away, it felt like two different worlds!

Xiao Ruyan's expression shifted, and she immediately dropped her contempt.

An expert's move reveals all. Xiao Ruyan admitted to herself that even she couldn't match Ye Yuan's level of focus when refining pills!

Moreover, Ye Yuan didn't enter meditation but started refining directly. Such ability was rare even among ten thousand alchemists.

Xiao Ruyan gestured for everyone to step back and not disturb Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan flicked his hand, and a flame rose from the furnace base, enveloping the entire cauldron!

Then, he formed hand seals, rapidly increasing the flame's temperature.

"Hmph, putting on airs! This flame control is just for show," Qiu Zhi said disdainfully.

"Exactly, just showing off, all style no substance!" another echoed.

They never thought that they themselves had been showing off earlier, only to fail quickly.

But Ye Yuan was already holding back; if he really showed off, even he would be scared.

Xiao Ruyan's face darkened slightly. "If you don't understand, shut up! Use your soul power to see that the temperature around the furnace is uniform, ensuring even heating! The most important thing in refining Jade Dragon Calming Pills is even heating!"

With Xiao Ruyan speaking, the others wisely shut up.

Xiao Ruyan herself was extremely surprised. Had Ji Qing refined Jade Dragon Calming Pills before? Otherwise, how could he know the key point?

Was it just coincidence?

As she spoke, Ye Yuan finished heating and beckoned, sending the pill base into the furnace.

Then, the dazzling display that left everyone dizzy truly began!

Streams of seals continuously struck the furnace; Ye Yuan's hands moved like shadows, mesmerizing the audience.

Even Qiu Zhi, who had been hostile, was drawn in and fell silent.

Ye Yuan had deliberately avoided entering the legendary state to avoid being too flashy; otherwise, it wouldn't have been just showing off.

A quarter of an hour passed in a flash. Ye Yuan lightly shouted "Condense," and the pill was formed!

Only then did everyone wake from their trance.

Shopkeeper Tong, being the strongest, came to first and murmured, "This is real showing off!"

Qiu Zhi and the others also came to, blushing with shame.

Except for cultivation level, Ye Yuan surpassed them in every other aspect!

Ye Yuan chuckled. "Exactly a quarter of an hour! Miss Ruyan, please inspect the pill!"

Xiao Ruyan took a deep breath and studied Ye Yuan, surprised.

"This is a top-grade tier-3 pill. After refining, you show no sign of soul power depletion?"

Xiao Ruyan herself felt exhausted every time she refined Jade Dragon Calming Pills. But Ye Yuan seemed perfectly fine!

Xiao Ruyan had clearly sensed that Ye Yuan had only just broken through to intermediate grand alchemist!

Ye Yuan laughed. "It's fine. With precise control, you don't need to expend so much soul power."

Everyone was frustrated. How precise must control be to consume so little soul power!

After refining, Qiu Zhi had felt drained. He was a veteran advanced grand alchemist, yet he struggled, while Ye Yuan, a newly promoted intermediate grand alchemist, managed so easily?

A little precise? How much is a little?

Qiu Zhi felt he couldn't stay any longer, but he was unwilling to leave without seeing if Ye Yuan had actually produced a pill.

Qiu Zhi mustered his courage and said, "Who knows if you're bluffing? Maybe you already ruined the pill!"

Ye Yuan grinned. "I knew you wouldn't give up until you hit a wall."

"Open!"

Ye Yuan pointed, and a pill flew out of the furnace into a jade dish.

Everyone eagerly looked at the pill and gasped.

"T-top-grade pill!" Qiu Zhi couldn't believe it.

Xiao Ruyan's beautiful eyes narrowed as she looked at Ye Yuan in disbelief.

She could also refine top-grade Jade Dragon Calming Pills, but the success rate was too low; most were medium-grade, and sometimes low-grade.

She never expected this youth to produce a top-grade pill on his first try.

"Y-you must have cheated!" Qiu Zhi pointed at Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan smiled. "Stop embarrassing yourself and get lost! With your skill, if you go to the Pill Competition, you won't just lose—you'll disgrace the Xiao family!"

Xiao Ruyan's patience was exhausted. She said sternly, "Get out! If you lack skill, don't slander others. With so many eyes watching, tell me, how could he cheat?"

Qiu Zhi's face turned green with anger. "Fine, I'll leave! There are plenty of places for me! Hmph!"

With that, Qiu Zhi flicked his sleeve and left.

Shopkeeper Tong's face darkened, and he looked at Xiao Ruyan, seeking her opinion on whether to deal with him.

Seeing Xiao Ruyan shake her head slightly, he dropped it.

After Qiu Zhi and his three companions left, Shopkeeper Tong asked, "Those men were so arrogant. Why did you let them go, miss?"

Xiao Ruyan sighed. "In the past, would I have tolerated such arrogance? Would they have dared to be arrogant before me? But they were publicly recruited. If something happened to them here, the Four Seas Pavilion would be even harder to sustain."

Shopkeeper Tong sighed softly and said nothing more.

Ye Yuan gathered from their conversation that the Xiao family was in a bad state, not daring to offend even these alchemists without background.

Logically, the Xiao family, though not a top power in the royal city, could easily deal with a few alchemists without connections.

But that wasn't his concern. His goal was to find out who the two slaves were.

At that moment, Xiao Ruyan snapped out of her pessimism and turned her attention back to Ye Yuan.

"Brother Ji, if I'm not mistaken, you've refined Jade Dragon Calming Pills before, haven't you?" Xiao Ruyan asked Ye Yuan with burning eyes.