Nine Yang Alchemy Emperor

"Hehe, that's not necessarily the case. As the saying goes, you can't tell if it's a mule or a horse until you take it out for a walk. Who knows? It might just be a giant sack of straw with no substance?"

"Quit the nonsense, let's begin!"

Both pill furnaces were brought over by the Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion.

Including the medicinal herbs, all were provided by the Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion. As the leading authority, it naturally needed to showcase its financial strength and impressive resources.

Upon receiving the medicinal herbs, Chu Feng also carefully checked them over. There was no tampering whatsoever.

This was exactly where the Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion showed its cunning.

If they had meddled with the medicinal herbs and got caught, wouldn't it be like slapping their own face? On this point, they were absolutely upright and aboveboard, unwilling to give anyone a handle against them.

Since the competition was on the street, naturally, there was no earth fire available.

However, both competitors were only refining first-grade elixirs, which don't require high temperatures. Ordinary charcoal fire would suffice.

In alchemy, the furnace fire is key.

Chu Feng personally ignited and adjusted the furnace fire, making it grow gradually stronger. He then asked the stunning beauty Li Shishi to come over and operate the bellows for him. In fact, this device didn't differ much from bellows used in iron smelting.

At least the principle behind them was the same.

To maintain the vigorous fire in the most labor-saving way.

Both Chu Feng and Hu Lai were racing against time to refine their elixirs. Since they were only refining first-grade elixirs, by the rules, their alchemy battle should not exceed one hour.

Someone had already lit a stick of incense beside them.

The burn time of a stick of incense was approximately half an hour.

As Chu Feng had chosen fewer types of medicinal herbs, he had plenty of time. He warmed up the furnace at a leisurely pace before beginning the alchemy process.

On the other hand, Hu Lai, despite being a sixth-grade alchemist, appeared somewhat flustered due to his greed for a greater variety of medicinal herbs.

Not to mention anything else, just in terms of staying calm and composed, Hu Lai was already far inferior to Chu Feng.

What Chu Feng displayed was the demeanor of a grandmaster, whereas Hu Lai seemed more like a bumbling novice.

...

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.

"Open!"

As Chu Feng's alchemy process neared its end, with his low shout, the pill furnace was opened.

Instantly, the rich and substantial fragrance of elixirs diffused in all directions.

"Amazing, he's refined it so quickly!"

The onlookers today were in for a real treat, witnessing the complete process of an alchemist refining a batch of elixirs.

Chu Feng was the first to successfully complete the alchemy. He placed the poison pills from the furnace into a jade box and set them on the table, waiting for the proud and haughty Hu Lai.

Hu Lai, who was still refining, was already drenched in sweat.

For him, using sixteen types of medicinal herbs to refine a first-grade poison pill was extremely challenging. When he noticed that Chu Feng had already succeeded, his heart tightened. After thinking it over, he decided to reduce some of the herbs on the spot.

Otherwise, if the refinement failed, it would be terribly embarrassing.

When the second stick of incense burned down near the base, Hu Lai finally achieved success in his alchemy.

"Open the furnace!"

Hu Lai, paying no mind to his sweat-soaked hair, sternly uttered the command to open the pill furnace. A pungent odor immediately made the surrounding spectators cover their mouths and noses. After inhaling a couple of breaths, they felt dizzy and headachy.

"My goodness, just the scent emitted by these poison pills is giving me symptoms of poisoning. It's indeed refined from over a dozen kinds of herbs. It's far more powerful than the poison pills from the Longevity Hall's Alchemist Chu, by more than a hundred times."

Hu Lai put on deerskin gloves, carefully picked out two black first-grade poison pills from the furnace.

"Is that all?"

The Pill Masters present couldn't help feeling surprised and somewhat disappointed. Only two elixirs were produced.

Compared with the poison pill refined by Chu Feng, it was like the difference between righteousness and evil.

Chu Feng's poison pill had a pure luster and a full shape. The fragrance that overwhelmed the senses didn't cause any signs of poisoning. Instead, it made one feel completely relaxed and comfortable.

Upon seeing it, no one would suspect it to be a poison pill at all.

Whereas the poison pill made by Hu Lai, be it the appearance or the piercing smell it emitted, was enough to make one shudder and keep their distance.

"Alchemist Hu truly lives up to his reputation as an elite of Pang Ancestor Alchemy Pavilion, truly formidable! His poison pill could instantly kill Alchemist Chu of Longevity Hall!"

"Exactly, exactly. The poison pill made by Alchemist Hu uses up to sixteen medicinal ingredients for its refinement! Need we speak of its potency?"

After hearing this, not an ounce of embarrassment crossed Hu Lai's face.

Although he chose sixteen medicinal ingredients, he actually used only eleven. A full five less.

Outsiders couldn't see through it and were blindly singing his praises. But the Pill Masters present and he himself were very clear about it.

"Hehe, thank you all for the compliments! However, saying that I can easily overpower that youngster from Longevity Hall, that is indeed not me boasting—I truly have that capability!"

As he spoke, Alchemist Hu Lai looked down towards Chu Feng with a condescending gaze.

"Kid, you still have time to kneel and beg for mercy!" Alchemist Hu Lai arrogantly addressed Chu Feng.

It was a posture of a winner who looked down from above, as if giving Chu Feng a chance to beg for mercy was an act of his mercy.

"Beg for mercy? Haha, when the time comes, it is still uncertain who will be the one begging for mercy! Let's each exchange a poison pill and then start refining the detoxification pills!" Chu Feng said with a cold sneer.

Alchemist Hu Lai, this Sixth-grade Alchemist, was somewhat bluffing. To refine a batch of First-grade poison pills and ending up with only two successful ones, the rest all ruined, and still have the nerve to swagger around here.

It's like having a myopic view without knowing and still brazenly howling at the sky, boasting and bragging about oneself.

Self-proclaimed as the number one in the world.

After exchanging poison pills, both started to focus on analyzing the components of each other's poison pills and then formulate the detoxification pills.

Since the medicinal ingredients for refining the poison pills were well known, formulating the corresponding detoxification pills was not a difficult task.

Time was limited, so both quickly went all out in refining the detoxification pills.

This time, Alchemist Hu Lai took the lead and successfully created a detoxification pill. Chu Feng followed closely behind.

"Alright, the detoxification pills have been refined. Let's start testing the pills!" Manager Pang couldn't wait any longer.

But these were poison pills, so who would be the tester?

Wherever Manager Pang's gaze went, it immediately caused the crowd in that area to turn pale, and they quickly looked away, ducking their heads. No one wanted to be Shennong, testing the poison pills refined by the two.

"If no one tests the pills, we cannot know their effects! How about we each swallow the other's poison pill?"

Chu Feng suggested with a smile.

The color drained from Alchemist Hu Lai's face, he, such a distinguished figure, would definitely not want to personally try a poison pill.

"What, is Alchemist Hu not completely confident in his Alchemy Dao skills? Are you afraid now?" Chu Feng deliberately goaded him.

"Nonsense! Who's afraid?"

"I'll take it!"

Having said that, Alchemist Hu Lai gritted his teeth and picked up a poison pill refined by Chu Feng, swallowing it down.

Immediately after, he took a detoxification pill that he had refined himself and swallowed it on the spot.

Chu Feng did the same.

After taking the poison and detoxification pills, both sat cross-legged on the ground silently, waiting for the effects.