Mu Qianjue’s peach-blossom eyes glimmered with a faint, elusive light. These judges might as well have written “targeting Qingyun Prefecture” right on their faces.
Chen Liu heard the judges’ words but said nothing.
Chen Liu looked up at Fang Cheng, a flicker of contempt passing through his eyes. You want to learn from me? Light the fire first.
With Master Baili’s strange fire right there, he’d like to see how Fang Cheng was going to refine pills.
When Fang Cheng was about to wash the spiritual herbs, he discovered that Feng Qingran had actually prepared spiritual spring water for him!
Even his own master was reluctant to use spiritual spring water to wash spiritual herbs—this Miss Feng was really way too generous!
Spiritual spring water was an extremely precious thing to alchemists, because spiritual herbs washed with it were easier to purify during the pill-refining process.
Chen Liu naturally sensed it too—the porcelain bottle in Fang Cheng’s hand contained spiritual spring water. His eyes trembled slightly. How does Fang Cheng have spiritual spring water?
And Fang Cheng’s spiritual spring water was clearly several grades better than his own!
Chen Liu was consumed with jealousy. He had wanted to use the Spirit-Melting Pill to suppress Fang Cheng, but he never expected that Fang Cheng had also prepared the spiritual herbs for a Spirit-Melting Pill…
And Fang Cheng’s technique for washing spiritual herbs was even more professional than his!
Fang Cheng didn’t care at all about Chen Liu’s burning gaze. After washing the spiritual herbs, he looked at the pill furnace and ran into trouble again.
Just then—
Mu Qianjue put away the recording stone in his hand and said to Fang Cheng, “Fang Cheng, focus on refining the pills. I’ll tend the fire for you.”
“Thank you, Brother Mu.” Fang Cheng was overjoyed.
Fang Cheng could see the confidence between Mu Qianjue’s brows.
That also indirectly proved that Mu Qianjue’s strange fire level must be higher than Baili Kesheng’s.
Fang Cheng stepped aside to give him room.
Whoosh!—
The Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone landed at the bottom of the pill furnace.
Fang Cheng: …
He had celebrated too soon!
Fang Cheng felt a little helpless. “Brother Mu, this is easy to extinguish.”
“It won’t be. I’ll control it for you.” Mu Qianjue walked over and fanned the bellows a few times.
Whoosh!—
The flames blazed up.
“How is it? This doesn’t get in the way of your pill refining now, does it?” Mu Qianjue said brightly.
If his little junior sister hadn’t told him to keep a low profile,
Mu Qianjue would absolutely never have borrowed the Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone to light a fire.
“Brother Mu, how did you do that?” Fang Cheng stared wide-eyed at the roaring Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone.
“Standard procedure. Just focus on refining the pills.” Mu Qianjue waved his hand indifferently.
Fang Cheng nodded and reached out to pull the bellows, wanting to control the heat. After several attempts, he found that none of them worked.
Fang Cheng stared at the bellows. Could it be broken?
Mu Qianjue slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that strange fire couldn’t be controlled by outsiders. “Brother Fang, just tell me what kind of heat you need, and I’ll work the bellows for you.”
Mu Qianjue abandoned the recliner and conjured a chair, sitting down beside the bellows.
Fang Cheng thought for a moment and didn’t overthink it. “Thank you, Brother Mu. I need seventy percent heat first.”
Mu Qianjue snapped his fingers, and the flame’s heat decreased quite a bit.
Fang Cheng’s mouth twitched. It was his first time seeing someone control a bellows like that. He decided not to think about anything else and focused on refining the pills.
——————
The moment the Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone ignited, Baili Kesheng stood up. His Heaven-and-Earth Crimson Flame was on the verge of extinguishing, as if suppressed by something.
He stared at the Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone, his divine sense sweeping over it, and a burning sensation came through his consciousness sea.
Baili Kesheng immediately withdrew his divine sense. He was certain that it wasn’t the Purple Pole Crimson Flame Stone, but a strange fire.
Baili Kesheng’s expression was less than pleasant. How could Qingyun Prefecture possibly have a higher-tier strange fire?
“Master, why did the fire stop?” Chen Liu asked cautiously, afraid of angering Baili Kesheng.
Chen Liu was at the critical moment of pill refining, but the strange fire had gone out. That meant all his previous efforts had been wasted.
Chen Liu looked at the tiny thumb-sized flame at the bottom of the pill furnace. It made no difference whether it was burning or not!
“A more powerful strange fire has appeared.” Baili Kesheng’s voice was slightly cold as he stared at the leisurely Mu Qianjue.
Someone who didn’t know how to refine pills had taken the stage—perhaps he was there to provide strange fire.
The two judges also stood up and asked respectfully, “Master Baili, is something the matter?”
Chen Liu knew the judges were on Haoling Prefecture’s side.
With nothing to fear, Chen Liu said, “Judges, I want to report that someone is maliciously suppressing me. Just as I reached the critical moment of pill refining, people from Qingyun Prefecture extinguished my fire and ruined all my spiritual herbs.”
“Such a thing actually happened?” One judge glared at Fang Cheng and Mu Qianjue and said sternly, “Disciples of Qingyun Prefecture, why do you repeatedly interfere with the Haoling Prefecture disciple’s pill refining?”
Mu Qianjue’s tone was mocking. “Judges, we don’t accept that accusation. We were focused on refining pills and never provoked anyone on our own initiative. How did we interfere with his pill refining?”
“You still say you didn’t? You extinguished my flame twice—isn’t that interference?” Chen Liu said furiously.
Hearing Chen Liu’s words, Yun Hai almost couldn’t hold back a laugh. A serious pill-refining competition had been turned into a joke by these people.
Yun Hai opened his cold eyes with an expression of watching a good show.
Yun Hai could see it clearly—Qingyun Prefecture had talented people in every generation. These little tricks were simply not enough to deal with Qingyun Prefecture’s disciples.
“Judges, my strange fire is simply higher-grade. Is that also our fault?” Mu Qianjue stood up, tall and elegant, with an imposing air. He gently waved his folding fan, unable to hide his noble, distinguished bearing.
