Chapter 81: Testing

## Chapter 81: The Test

Returning to the Spirit Pill Pavilion as dawn approached, Ye Chen, clutching his bulging storage pouch, settled beneath the alchemy furnace. He once again immersed himself in the intricate formula of the Soul Pill.

As the sky brightened, Xu Fu, clad in his robe emblazoned with the character "Dan," emerged from within.

"Elder Xu." Seeing Xu Fu, Ye Chen eagerly stepped forward, rubbing his hands with a hopeful smile. "When will you demonstrate the refining of the Soul Pill for me?"

"You gathered so many spirit herbs, you can just figure it out yourself!"

Ye Chen's mouth twitched. He thought, 'Those spirit herbs aren't yours! If I have to figure it out myself, who knows how many spirit herbs will be wasted, and how many detours I'll have to take.'

"I'm heading to the inner sect. We can talk when I return." With a flick of his sleeve, Xu Fu glided out, his steps light and airy.

After Xu Fu departed, Ye Chen couldn't help but inwardly curse.

However, he still retrieved the Dan formula. After calming his heart and condensing his Qi, he ignited his true fire within the alchemy furnace. He wasn't refining the Soul Pill yet, but the Return Profound Pill. He intended to hone his alchemy technique through the refinement of the Return Profound Pill.

With the prior success of refining four Return Profound Pills as a precedent, his technique had become more refined, and the instances of failure decreased accordingly.

Xu Fu was gone for the entire day, not returning until dusk began to fall.

During that time, Ye Chen had already refined three Return Profound Pills. Although their quality wasn't exceptionally high, it represented a significant improvement.

"Condense!"

As Ye Chen let out a light shout, the fourth Return Profound Pill was on the verge of completion.

However, perhaps due to a touch of impatience, his control over the true fire wavered slightly. The Return Profound Pill, which was about to solidify, exploded within the furnace.

*Buzz!*

Following the explosion was a trembling of the alchemy furnace, accompanied by a muffled roar emanating from within.

*Wah!*

Ye Chen was thrown back, stumbling. His mind buzzed with a sharp, stinging pain.

The commotion was perhaps too great, alarming Qi Yue, who was in secluded cultivation. She rushed out from the side hall.

"What are you doing?" Stepping forward, Qi Yue's voice was stern. Coupled with the lingering awkwardness of Xu Fu's previous attempt to matchmake her and Ye Chen, her tone carried a hint of coldness. Her gaze upon Ye Chen was also tinged with anger.

"I... I didn't do anything! I was just..."

"I warn you, you are here to do odd jobs. Don't touch things randomly," Qi Yue said coldly.

These words startled Ye Chen. He realized that Xu Fu hadn't revealed the true purpose of his arrival to Qi Yue, which was why she still believed him to be merely a disciple performing odd jobs.

If she didn't know, then so be it. He climbed up from the ground, too lazy to explain.

*Hmm?*

Subtly, Qi Yue's gaze fell upon a piece of green jade token hanging from Ye Chen's waist. The token bore the character "Dan." As the chief disciple of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, she recognized it as Xu Fu's token at a glance.

"Where did that token come from?" Qi Yue looked at Ye Chen coldly, her voice sharp.

"Elder Xu gave it to me."

"Lie." Qi Yue drew her spirit sword with a *zheng* and held it against Ye Chen's shoulder. "Master's token never leaves his body. Even to me, he would not casually give it. Why would he give it to you, an odd-job disciple?"

Hearing this, Ye Chen subconsciously rubbed his forehead.

"Speak, did you steal it from Master?" Qi Yue's spirit sword pointed directly at Ye Chen's throat.

"Moon child!" Just then, a deep voice echoed from outside. Xu Fu, who had gone to the inner sect, had returned.

"Master." Qi Yue hastily withdrew her spirit sword, first bowing respectfully, then glancing at Ye Chen behind her. "He was being sneaky by the alchemy furnace and stole your token."

"Sneaky? I was completely open and aboveboard!"

"Stop arguing. I saw everything."

"Enough." Xu Fu's voice deepened again. He looked at his disciple, Qi Yue. "The token was given by me."

"Master, why would you..."

"I instructed him to take my token to the spirit herb garden to collect spirit herbs. As for him, he is not here to do odd jobs, but to assist me in refining pills. He is an alchemist."

"Refining... an alchemist?" Just as Ye Chen had suspected, Qi Yue's eyes widened in surprise. It was only at this moment that she realized Ye Chen wasn't here to perform odd jobs, but to refine pills.

Qi Yue's expression was difficult to read. She looked at Xu Fu, then sized up Ye Chen.

Good! The Spirit Pill Pavilion wasn't small, but it wasn't large either. Ye Chen had been refining pills here, and she hadn't known. Since she first saw Ye Chen, she had always thought he was merely an odd-job disciple.

At this moment, she somewhat understood why Xu Fu had wanted to matchmake her with Ye Chen.

Alchemists possessed a noble identity and were sought after by all sides. Although his current cultivation wasn't high, he was still young. In a few decades, he would undoubtedly be a prominent figure in Great Chu.

"Elder, your token." On his side, Ye Chen had already handed the token back to Xu Fu. He then rubbed his hands again, grinning. "When will you demonstrate the refining of the Soul Pill for me?"

Xu Fu raised an eyebrow, stroked his beard, and chuckled. "Demonstrating for you is not impossible, but the prerequisite is that you must pass my test."

"Test?" Ye Chen was startled, looking at Xu Fu in confusion.

"Defeat my disciple." Xu Fu said, glancing at Qi Yue beside him.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue's beautiful brows slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with confusion. She was a cultivator with one foot already in the True Yang Realm. There were few disciples in the outer sect who could make her wary, let alone a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator.

She vaguely felt that Xu Fu was making things difficult for Ye Chen. With such a test, Ye Chen had no possibility of passing.

"Elder, are your words true?" Unexpectedly, Ye Chen's eyes brightened.

"True."

"Good!" Ye Chen immediately retreated about four or five zhang, then twisted his body. The blood within him surged, and even before the battle began, his blood was already boiling.

"Senior Sister Qi, please!" Stretching his body, Ye Chen drew out the Chixiao Sword with a *zheng*.

"Master." Qi Yue looked at Xu Fu beside her, her brow slightly furrowed.

Xu Fu lightly stroked his beard, his smile deep with meaning. Although he didn't speak aloud, he secretly transmitted a message to Qi Yue: "Moon child, don't underestimate him."

'Alchemists are not skilled in combat, and he is only in the Qi Condensation Realm. Master, aren't you overestimating him?' Although Qi Yue didn't speak, the gaze in her beautiful eyes conveyed everything.

She also retreated four or five zhang and stood firm, looking at Ye Chen opposite her. She then raised three jade fingers, her voice cold. "Three moves. If you don't defeat me within three moves, I lose."

"Senior Sister, you have quite the confidence!"

"Because I possess that strength." Qi Yue's voice remained cold.

Before her words had even faded, she rapidly and skillfully formed a seal.

Suddenly, a whirlwind formed around Qi Yue. The wind condensed into flowers, followed by white snow, which then formed leaves. The wind and snow intertwined, the flowers and leaves scattered, and a shimmering light surrounded her, a truly magnificent sight.

Opposite her, Ye Chen's eyes narrowed.

With his eyesight, he naturally discerned the extraordinary nature of Qi Yue's secret technique.

"Wind Flower Snow Leaf." From the opposite side, a voice like the sound of heaven rang out. Qi Yue's jade hand pointed towards Ye Chen from a distance.

Soon, the mysterious secret technique of intertwined wind, flowers, snow, and leaves surged towards him.

*Zheng!*

Ye Chen immediately swung his Chixiao Sword, adding defense with the Tiangang Sword Array he had comprehended.

*Pound!*

*Pound!*

Although the Wind Flower Snow Leaf was gentle, it was exceptionally sharp. Upon contact with the Chixiao Sword, it actually produced sparks.

"This secret technique is indeed extraordinary." Ye Chen wielded the Chixiao Sword with extreme effort.

()