Chu Qingsong was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.
He sneered and said, "Heh, with a little brat like you, I don't even have the mood to utter threats. Fine, since your father wants you to court death, let's begin!"
The competition officially commenced.
Chu Luo, following the alchemy method Chen Xiao had taught him yesterday, began refining pills in an orderly fashion.
Chu Qingsong, however, did not rush to start. Instead, he stared at Chu Luo with a peculiar expression.
"What are you doing, kid? Do you even know how to refine pills?"
Chu Luo's lips curved upwards, and he said smugly, "You're just surprised by what you haven't seen!"
Chu Qingsong frowned and watched, arms crossed.
As a seasoned alchemist who had been immersed in the Dao of Alchemy for decades, he quickly noticed some clues and grasped the ingenuity of this refining method.
"Marvelous, marvelous!"
"Xiao Luo, where did you learn your alchemy? Who taught you?"
"It definitely wasn't your father. With his wooden head, he couldn't possibly come up with such a brilliant refining method!"
Chu Qingsong not only stopped refining himself but also started critiquing Chu Luo.
Jian Xiao, standing nearby, frowned impatiently and said, "What are you doing? Hurry up and finish this quickly!"
Chu Qingsong glared at him directly, "Are you telling me what to do?"
Jian Xiao's teeth itched with anger, but he ultimately remained silent.
Chu Qingsong let out a cold laugh, finally picked up the medicinal herbs, ignited the alchemy furnace, and began refining.
However, this scene shocked Chu Qingbai.
"My second brother, he actually dares to speak to a sect disciple like that? What is his status now?"
Chen Xiao silently observed Jian Xiao. This person's strength was slightly stronger than Tu Junhou, but not by much. He was likely also a cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage.
He wondered what position someone of this strength would hold within the Xuanjian Sect.
It probably wasn't too high, otherwise, he wouldn't be lectured by Chu Qingsong.
As for the alchemy competition, Chen Xiao didn't pay too much attention.
In his opinion, Chu Luo had already won. After all, the overwhelming advantage in alchemy skills couldn't be compensated for solely by experience.
Boom—
As the last trace of the Qilin Blazing Flame dissipated, Chu Luo's Sanhua Pill was successfully refined.
Chu Luo impatiently lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace, and a round, plump Sanhua Pill popped out!
Instantly, the scent of the pill filled the air, and a peculiar fragrance permeated the entire training ground.
Even Chu Qingsong, who was diligently refining his own pill, was somewhat distracted.
He frowned, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Chu Luo presented the Sanhua Pill to his father. Chu Qingbai praised it immensely after examining it.
"Perfect, this is simply a perfect Sanhua Pill. Smell the medicinal fragrance, look at the pill patterns, it's truly authentic!"
Chu Luo was speechless, thinking that his father rarely left Medicine King Valley, so where did he learn such a glib tongue?
The pressure was now on Chu Qingsong. Although he hadn't been distracted enough to see how perfect Chu Luo's Sanhua Pill was, the medicinal fragrance alone was enough to speak volumes.
A sense of powerlessness washed over him, and he thought to himself, "Did Xiao Luo really speak the truth? I couldn't defeat my elder brother before, and now I can't even defeat him?"
"No, I cannot lose!"
With that thought, Chu Qingsong gritted his teeth and signaled Jian Xiao.
Jian Xiao, understanding the signal, flicked his finger, and an invisible surge of energy shot into the alchemy furnace.
However, this move, while it might deceive others, could not escape Chen Xiao's eyes.
He smiled slightly and didn't rush to expose it. Since the other party was cheating, the competition was already over.
The outcome had lost its significance.
What Chen Xiao wanted to see now were the things behind the victory or defeat.
Chen Xiao knew Chu Qingsong was cheating, but Chu Qingbai did not. He suddenly looked up, staring at Chu Qingsong's alchemy furnace in disbelief.
"How is this possible? Why has the spiritual energy within the alchemy furnace suddenly increased so much?"
Chu Luo also noticed this, "This is impossible, Uncle must have cheated!"
Chu Qingbai rebuked, "Xiao Luo, don't talk nonsense. Your uncle has stayed in the Immortal Hidden Realm for so many years, perhaps he has mastered some advanced alchemy techniques."
"Father, at a time like this, you're still speaking up for him?"
Chu Luo asked, bewildered.
Chu Qingbai remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Chu Qingsong by the alchemy furnace.
Just as he had thought, Chu Qingsong's face showed a pained expression.
"What a brilliant psychological tactic!"
Chen Xiao was thoroughly impressed by Chu Qingbai. This man had mastered the art of manipulating people's hearts.
If Chu Qingbai had sided with Chu Luo and pointed out Chu Qingsong's cheating, Chu Qingsong would have undoubtedly become enraged.
But Chu Qingbai did not do that. Instead, he blamed Chu Luo.
This way, as long as Chu Qingsong had any conscience, he would feel guilty.
As it turned out, Chu Qingsong did feel guilty...
This also meant that the man still had a shred of conscience and had not fallen to a point of complete irredeemability.
"Oh no, it's the Pill Cloud!"
Just then, Zhu Xuanqing suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked up at the sky. The previously clear blue sky was now covered by a layer of dark clouds.
"Is Second Master's Sanhua Pill about to attract a pill lightning strike?"
"If so, the Young Master will be in danger!"
"If Second Master successfully forms the pill, the Young Master is doomed to lose!"
"Why are you still calling him Second Master? He's our new Valley Master!"
...
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Chen Xiao suddenly shouted, "Chu Qingsong, is this your path of alchemy?"
Simultaneously, a thunderous bolt descended from the sky, like a wildly dancing silver serpent, striking the alchemy furnace in front of Chu Qingsong.
Crack—
A crackling sound of thunder echoed, and a puff of white mist rose from the alchemy furnace!
The next second, the mist dissipated.
The crowd stared blankly, all eyes focused on the alchemy furnace before Chu Qingsong.
"Did it form the pill successfully?"
"Or did it fail?"
"The pill lightning struck the alchemy furnace, there's an eighty percent chance of failure."
"What a shame. If Second Master had acted a little faster... he wouldn't be Second Master."
...
A pill lightning strike on the alchemy furnace had a high probability of causing the refining process to fail.
However, if it did not fail, it would add a lightning pattern to the pill.
Pills with lightning patterns were the absolute pinnacle of quality.
As of now, no one knew whether Chu Qingsong had successfully formed the pill or failed.
At this moment, Jian Xiao said indifferently, "The outcome is decided. Congratulations, Jiansong, you have finally achieved your long-desired position as Valley Master."
"Hey, it's not certain whether the pill has formed yet. Isn't your statement a bit premature?"
Zhu Xuanqing said indignantly.
Jian Xiao sneered, "A mere pill lightning strike is nothing in front of our Xuanjian Sect's Pill Protection Talisman. Jiansong, why don't you quickly open the alchemy furnace and show them!"
The next moment, Chu Qingsong finally lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace.
Boom—
A cloud of black, dense smoke flew out...