Chapter 116: Runxue Pill

Even though the man before them had only pointed out flaws in the alchemy of three alchemists, the abilities he displayed struck fear and panic into everyone present.

Leaving everything else aside, consider Cheng Jiang's alchemy just moments ago. His movements were incredibly swift, and his alchemy duration was remarkably short. Yet, he managed to discern every single action, analyze the origin of each technique, and successfully deduce that Cheng Jiang had secretly learned techniques from others. Such keen insight and extensive knowledge were simply unparalleled.

“Three alchemists have conceded,” Zhang Xuan announced, scanning the silent crowd. “There are still seven. Who will go first?” He knew that for the Alchemy Debate to be deemed successful, all ten alchemists had to concede.

“This…” The remaining seven alchemists remained silent.

It was one thing for the man to possess such sharp eyes, but the fates of the three alchemists he had just spoken about were far more unsettling: one was publicly revealed to have been cuckolded, another was on the brink of death, and the last had his reputation completely shattered. They had merely come to participate in the Alchemy Debate; they certainly didn't wish to have their deepest secrets exposed for all to see! Given the man’s terrifying observational skills, capable of spotting even the slightest mental aberration, who among them would dare to step forward now?

Furthermore, one couldn't simply concede in an Alchemy Debate without even attempting it! Such an act would be considered collusion or cheating, and if discovered by the main guild, it would undoubtedly lead to the revocation of their alchemist qualifications. Consequently, none of the remaining seven alchemists dared to be the first to volunteer.

“Everyone, please hurry,” Ouyang Cheng urged, sensing the growing awkwardness. “We can’t just stand around like this all day!”

“I’ll do it!” After a moment of silence, Alchemist Du Man stood up.

He and Zhang Xuan were acquainted; in fact, Du Man had even made a bet with him. He had initially dismissed Zhang Xuan as an arrogant, ignorant young man, never imagining he possessed such keen insight and formidable abilities. Even Du Man himself was far inferior. Yet, there was no other option; they couldn’t simply wait forever.

“Alchemist Du Man, please wait; allow me,” an elder interjected just as Du Man was preparing to begin his alchemy, intending for Zhang Xuan to point out its flaws.

“It’s Alchemist Bai Ming!” someone exclaimed. “Zhang Xuan just exposed Cheng Jiang for secretly learning his Thousand Silk Illusionary Hand; Alchemist Bai Ming must be furious. Why is he stepping forward now?”

“I don’t know,” another replied. “Let’s just watch.”

The sight of the elder sent a ripple of apprehension through the crowd. Alchemist Bai Ming, though not the oldest or most senior among them, was undeniably the most prestigious. Not only was he a renowned alchemist, but he was also the de facto patriarch of the Bai family, one of the four great families in Tianxuan City, wielding considerable power and influence.

“Since Alchemist Bai is stepping forward, I’ll observe for now,” Alchemist Du Man said, taking his seat. Compared to Bai Ming, he was slightly inferior in both seniority and social standing.

“Zhang Xuan, your insight is indeed remarkable, and your analytical skills are impressive. However,” Bai Ming said, fixing his gaze on Zhang Xuan, his voice far from friendly, “you’re merely employing opportunistic tricks, not truly demonstrating a deep understanding of alchemy!”

It was no wonder Bai Ming was angry. His family’s secret manual had been stolen on his own grand birthday. While the thief deserved to die, the public exposure had caused Bai Ming to lose immense face. After all, for a prestigious family like the Bais to be unable to prevent an alchemist from stealing from them would be a profound humiliation if word got out.

“Opportunistic tricks?” Zhang Xuan asked, slightly taken aback. “Alchemist Bai, what makes you say that?”

“It’s simple,” Bai Ming scoffed. “The flaws you pointed out earlier, whether for Meng Yan, Chen Xiao, or Cheng Jiang, while seemingly accurate, could easily be the result of you having previously gathered information about their character flaws and recent life events, then simply using a reverse-deduction method to ‘deduce’ them!”

“Reverse-deduction?” someone murmured.

“That’s right, now that Alchemist Bai mentions it, I realize it too!” another exclaimed.

“Indeed,” a third chimed in, “take Meng Yan for instance. If one knew beforehand that he had killed his concubine that morning and was filled with murderous intent and rage, it would be simple to conclude his Clarity Pill would be ineffective! The same applies to Alchemist Chen Xiao; knowing he was terminally ill and wouldn't live long, it’s natural to infer problems with his pill. The Clarity Pill reflects one’s state of mind; with prior knowledge of these facts, even a fool could tell the pill was flawed! Now that you all explain it this way, I also understand. If he prepared in advance and knew Cheng Jiang had secretly learned techniques from all of us, it would be simple to guess which ones he had adapted!” A wave of understanding swept through the crowd.

Their previous terror stemmed from an inability to comprehend how Zhang Xuan had discerned those flaws. Now that they understood the ‘reasoning’ behind it, their fear completely vanished.

Truth be told, if they had been privy to such information, they too would have been able to identify the flaws in the alchemists’ work and pinpoint the issues beforehand.

“Oh? Reverse-deduction? That’s an interesting theory!” Zhang Xuan said with a faint smile, surprised by Alchemist Bai Ming’s rather imaginative interpretation. “My methods are irrelevant; what matters is whether I can point out the flaws in your alchemy!”

“Indeed, if you can point out the flaws in my alchemy, you win,” Alchemist Bai Ming stated. “However, I wish to modify the rules slightly.”

“Oh?”

“You will still observe my alchemy and point out my flaws,” Bai Ming declared with a snort, “but I require you to identify only genuine deficiencies in the alchemy process itself—such as techniques, furnace fire control, or medicinal herb compatibility—and not incorporate emotions or trivial matters, thus preventing you from using a reverse-deduction based on prior knowledge!”

“This is good!” voices rose from the crowd.

“This way, he can’t exploit emotions or personal details!”

“With this rule, even if he had prior information, he wouldn’t be able to use it for reverse-deduction!”

“Exactly, this is how you truly point out flaws…”

Truth be told, everyone was genuinely intimidated by Zhang Xuan’s ability to pinpoint weaknesses. As cultivators who had risen from obscurity among millions, who didn’t harbor one or two unsavory secrets? If this young man were to expose them publicly, it would be utterly humiliating. Thus, the moment Alchemist Bai Ming proposed the new rule, it immediately garnered widespread approval.

Zhang Xuan would only be allowed to discuss flaws in the alchemy process, not delve into matters like murder or impending death. Even as alchemists, they simply couldn't tolerate that kind of shock!

“Are you certain?” Zhang Xuan asked, a faint smile playing on his lips, fully aware of their intentions behind the new stipulation.

“Of course!” Alchemist Bai Ming declared, flicking his sleeve. “The question is whether you dare to accept!”

“Begin,” Zhang Xuan said, wasting no time.

“Good!” Alchemist Bai Ming replied, letting out a sigh of relief upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s agreement. After a brief contemplation, he gathered his medicinal herbs and approached the alchemy cauldron. Flames roared to life, and the process of alchemy began.

Before long, the furnace flames subsided, the alchemy cauldron opened, and three perfectly round pills were extracted. These were Grade-1 Meridian Nourishing Pills, specifically formulated for cultivators at the sixth stage of martial arts, designed to nourish acupoints and enable further progress in the Acupoint Opening realm. Elder Shang Chen had once paid a considerable sum to acquire one for Shang Bin, who later offered it to the Blazefire Beast as a reward for teaching Zhang Xuan a lesson. Despite this, the Blazefire Beast still defected, leaving Shang Bin utterly frustrated. Regardless, the Meridian Nourishing Pill was considered a respectable Grade-1 pill, far surpassing the Clarity Pill in quality.