Chapter 51: A Single Punch Opens

People looked at Bai Jing Tian's bright red, aging face with disbelief; they hadn't even considered such an outcome.

A fourth-rank alchemist refining a sixth-rank pill had actually caused the furnace to explode!

Bai Jing Tian himself stared wide-eyed at the pill furnace, utterly unable to comprehend what had happened. This kind of failure to control the medicinal properties, leading to them running wild and causing the furnace to explode, hadn't happened since his days as a child apprentice decades ago!

Why was this happening?!

Blame the medicinal materials? He had personally handled and selected them.

Blame the pill furnace? He had chosen that furnace.

Blame the earth fire? But there was no earth fire on the high platform; he was using his own flame technique!

Moreover, he truly didn't detect any issues with the pill furnace or the medicinal materials. So how could he suddenly lose control?

No one would have imagined that whether it was Lu Xing Zhou's "must produce top-grade" outcome or Bai Jing Tian's exploding furnace, it was all due to A Nuo. She could help Lu Xing Zhou soothe medicinal properties and also make others' medicinal properties go out of control.

In fact, Lu Xing Zhou's cultivation had not yet broken through to the sixth-rank. Refining a sixth-rank pill was possible but somewhat strenuous. Ultimately, his own flame temperature was insufficient, and his manipulation precision wasn't quite enough. Being able to guarantee successful refining was already very difficult; no matter how much of a genius he was, it would be impossible to consistently produce top-grade pills. But as long as A Nuo was by his side, it was certain to be top-grade.

This buff and destruction were silent and invisible. Among the people Lu Xing Zhou had encountered so far, aside from Yuan Mu Yu, there wasn't a second person who could detect it.

Amidst the widespread uproar, Lu Xing Zhou's gleeful laughter rang out from the side: "So... when will Elder Bai honor the bet?"

If there had been a crack in the ground, Bai Jing Tian estimated he would have drilled into it, but unfortunately, there wasn't.

The bet was impossible. Under everyone's gaze, even if he lost his elderly dignity, he could not publicly shame Fen Xiang Lou. Bai Jing Tian's lips trembled for a good while before he finally squeezed out a sentence: "This old man was not feeling well just now, I want to refine it again!"

In the field, everyone wore mocking expressions, secretly thinking this old man didn't even care about his reputation. People from Tian Xing Jian Zong even let out sneers, and Tang Yun Zhong said loudly: "So this is the demeanor of a fourth-rank alchemist, we've seen it!"

The guards of Fen Xiang Lou all lowered their heads with red faces, not daring to make a sound. Instead, Lu Xing Zhou spoke with a smile: "No problem, since Elder has this intention, then refine another furnace. Um... how many portions will be refined this time?"

Bai Jing Tian really wanted to refine only one portion, seeking stability. But in this situation, if he also refined only one portion, even if he refined it perfectly, it would effectively be no different from losing.

He suppressed his thoughts for a long time before unexpectedly managing to blurt out a sentence: "Two portions."

In the field, people couldn't hold back, and finally, laughter erupted.

Lu Xing Zhou, on the contrary, was the least bothered and was still smiling: "Good, A Nuo, prepare two more portions of medicinal materials for Elder. As for the pill furnace, just use mine."

This time, Shen Tang clearly understood what Lu Xing Zhou was doing.

Two alchemists exerting their full effort to release flames and precise manipulation was, in fact, an intense fight. The energy released by both sides had been absorbed by the spirit gathering array and transferred to the original chamber of commerce array core location. Including the pill from the exploded furnace, although it exploded, the pill's energy had not dissipated and was all absorbed into the array.

Even if a fourth-rank alchemist was pushed to his limits in actual combat, his energy ultimately met the standard and might even be stronger than A Nuo and Xiao Bai Mao, at least comparable. Lu Xing Zhou was eager for this old man to exert more effort, the more vigorous the better, to earn him merit for cracking the secret realm record.

Bai Jing Tian was truly exerting all his strength. People could almost see him urging the flames, his old face even showing bulging veins.

A Nuo was toying with him. The medicinal properties would sometimes run wild, sometimes become quiet and soothed, forcing him to exert his full strength. Bai Jing Tian had never refined such a difficult sixth-rank pill before; this was simply more difficult than him trying to refine a third-rank pill!

A Nuo heard Lu Xing Zhou's voice transmission in her ear: "Make him suppress it until his brain is briefly congested and slightly dazed, then let him succeed. Can you control it that precisely?"

A Nuo once again revealed her neat row of white teeth: "Yes. His endurance is too poor, he hasn't been beaten before."

Bai Jing Tian was indeed suppressed until his brain was almost congested. He managed with great difficulty to soothe the medicinal power and fuse it into pills. Looking at the slightly shaking pill furnace, his old eyes were somewhat dazed.

Looking at the pills slowly floating up, Bai Jing Tian felt as if he had successfully refined his first pill decades ago; the complex feelings in his heart were indescribable.

Lu Xing Zhou's voice rang out: "A Nuo, take the two pills refined by Elder to everyone for verification."

"Okay!" A Nuo happily grabbed the pills in one go and scurried down from the high platform.

Bai Jing Tian never thought there could be any tricks under everyone's gaze, let alone that such a small child could do anything.

Until sighs came from the field: "Elder Bai is ultimately old, ah. Exploding one furnace was already like that, and refining two pills only yielded superior-grade... Although it's close to top-grade, being a little short is still being a little short. What a pity, what a pity."

The sighs grew louder, and many people, after looking, all expressed similar comments. Bai Jing Tian, listening to the chaotic noise, felt a wave of dizziness in his head before suddenly becoming alert: "Impossible!"

He turned his head to look, seeing countless people looking at him with sympathy. Besides sympathy, those gazes seemed to hold something else... mockery, contempt, not uniform.

In the cultivation world, weakness was the original sin.

Sheng Yuan Yao pinched A Nuo's face and whispered in her ear: "Although on the high platform, we couldn't see the quality of the original items, but since they passed through your hands, humph humph."

A Nuo said with a smiling face: "I already let you pinch..."

Sheng Yuan Yao coughed: "I in Zhen Mo Si speak of evidence. This time there's no evidence, so I'll let you off once."

Lu Xing Zhou once again stood on the stage and politely asked: "Elder, do you still want to try once more?"

"Impossible!" Bai Jing Tian suddenly stood up: "It's impossible that I only refined two superior-grade pills, you definitely switched them!"

From afar came a sigh: "Brother Bai, forget it. A five or six-year-old child, how could they swap the dragon for the phoenix under our gaze... You must not be in good condition today, it's better to rest first."

Bai Jing Tian turned his head to look and unexpectedly saw Wu Jian Chen, the sect master of Cang Shan Jian Pai, also a fourth-rank expert.

The alchemist in Cang Shan Jian Pai was also from their Fen Xiang Lou, and everyone's relationship was very close. Even Wu Jian Chen said so, so presumably it wasn't false. Bai Jing Tian was stunned for a long time, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted on the high platform.

Two guards hurriedly went forward to take him to his seat, not making a sound from beginning to end.

Fen Xiang Lou had truly lost a great deal of face today. Under everyone's attention, a fourth-rank alchemist lost to someone of the seventh rank. How could they make a sound... No, Lu Xing Zhou was not of the seventh rank, he was definitely of the sixth rank. The new version of the Group Heroes List had just come out and would have to be changed again... But whether he was of the sixth or seventh rank, Fen Xiang Lou's reputation was likely to plummet a thousand zhang after this battle.

That Wu Jian Chen looked towards Lu Xing Zhou, then looked at Shen Tang, and his eyes also added three points of caution.

Who didn't like to offend powerful alchemists? The more alchemists, the more opportunities... But as a sword sect master, his conflict with Tian Xing Jian Zong was more direct than Fen Xiang Lou's. Therefore, while other families sent elders or vice leaders to assess the situation, he was personally present as the sect master.

Seeing his gaze, Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Sect Master Wu, do you have any advice?"

Wu Jian Chen said solemnly: "Not much... I just wanted to ask, besides the pill industry, does your sect have other plans?"

"We are all sword sects. Sect Master Wu is very clear that the ways sword sects establish themselves are limited to those few. We do indeed plan to get involved in flying sword refining," Shen Tang replied very calmly. "I know your sect also has this industry, and currently most of Xia State's flying swords are products from your side. However, the flying swords your sect sells to Xia State are all lower three ranks. We have no intention of competing for this market and will only refine high-rank flying swords in small quantities for auction. Perhaps there will be no conflict with your sect."

Wu Jian Chen was stunned for a moment: "Selling high-rank flying swords in Xia State?"

Xia State's spiritual energy was thin, and cultivation was generally widespread. Sixth-rank was already very few, and fifth-rank was even rarer, like phoenix feathers, capable of being city lords. Among them, Dao cultivators accounted for half, and there were only a few martial cultivators? Among martial cultivators, how many were sword cultivators? Selling high-rank flying swords here, what could they sell? They would likely be saturated after selling two or three...

Shen Tang said lightly: "We know the market is small. Being newly arrived, we still need the support of fellow Daoists. We have also racked our brains, unwilling to offend too many... But from the look of it now, it seems fellow Daoists want to go against our sect. This seat is establishing a sect, the ceremony is not finished, and Elder Bai was domineering, followed closely by Sect Master Wu. Are you truly bullying our Tian Xing Jian Zong because there is no one, or are you bullying Shen Tang because I am young!"

As she spoke, she waved her slender hand, and an ancient, simple flying sword was suspended in front of her, emanating a solemn sword energy.

Being caught off guard by her, Wu Jian Chen's momentum first dropped three points, and he heavily retreated half a step: "Sect Master Shen, what is the meaning of this?"

"This is a fifth-rank flying sword just refined by our sect's Casting Sword Hall Hall Master, named Duan Yue. Why not invite Sect Master Wu to appraise it for everyone?" Shen Tang pinched a sword formula, and the Duan Yue sword suddenly flew and stabbed towards Wu Jian Chen.

The people of Xia State were dumbfounded.

On one hand, you say you are newly arrived and need the support of fellow Daoists, and on the other hand, you are striking left and right, hitting Fen Xiang Lou on the left and beating Cang Shan Jian Pai on the right. You are actively inviting battle! Tian Xing Jian Zong, are you trying to ascend to heaven?!

Only a few discerning people understood in their hearts that most of the people who came to attend the ceremony at this moment wanted to cause trouble for Tian Xing Jian Zong. The best strategy was to deliver one punch to open the door and avoid a hundred punches from coming. Precisely by borrowing the emperor's "support," even if Tian Xing Jian Zong offended people, it would not lead to any siege or extermination. If they didn't take advantage of this time to establish their prestige, when would they wait?

No wonder Lu Xing Zhou actively provoked people to compare alchemy with him as soon as he opened his mouth, seemingly eager to stir up trouble. This Shen Tang was even more relentless; she simply challenged them to a public sword fight... From beginning to end, they had not planned to hold a proper ceremony; they were just waiting to start a war, even saving the cost of wine.

One had to admire these two young people's courage and decisiveness. But the premise was that you had to win...

Look at those uninvited guests, Dong Jiang Bang, Ling Yun Men... the battles wouldn't just be this one. As long as they lost once, all the momentum they had built would be in vain.

Just based on this one, Shen Tang was fourth-rank, and Wu Jian Chen was also fourth-rank. But Shen Tang was using a fifth-rank flying sword that had just been forged and not even tempered... Could she win?