Admittedly, Yun Di was blindly overconfident in Ye Lanshan. But Ye Lanshan was indeed formidable—at the very least, she had refined a divine pill. While part of the credit went to the Shennong Cauldron, her skill was undeniable. So no matter the contest or opponent in this place, she could hold her ground. Of course, this didn’t include competing in mystical arts, since her own strength was still somewhat lacking.
“Are you really Sikong Kuang’s disciple?” Sikong Yanguang suddenly stared at Ye Lanshan with great seriousness. The corner of Ye Lanshan’s mouth twitched. She truly regretted bringing Yun Di along now; she never expected him to blurt out something so shocking.
Yet she had no choice but to grit her teeth and answer, “Yes.”
“Since you’ve inherited his legacy, your alchemy must be exceptional. But if you want to compete with me, I’m afraid you’ll still fall short. However, if your alchemy reaches the sixth grade, I’ll pass the position of Medicine Valley’s Valley Master to you.”
Sikong Yanguang’s tone softened considerably, and even the bitter, resentful look on his face relaxed, making him seem far less unpleasant than before.
Neither Ye Lanshan nor Yun Di had expected Sikong Yanguang to take this attitude. It was far too strange.
“Since you have so little faith in my alchemy, I’ll demonstrate it for you right here. Everyone outside knows I’ve come to challenge you. If you refuse to accept, won’t you be making me lose face?”
Ye Lanshan’s tone was exceedingly arrogant. She summoned the Shennong Cauldron from her space, and though her words were bold, they also served as a reminder to Sikong Yanguang: if she disappeared, the outside world would surely believe he had killed her.
With a loud bang, a simple yet majestic alchemy furnace, exuding a heavy, mysterious aura, completely captured Sikong Yanguang’s attention.
The furnace appeared plain, but it held hidden intricacies within. One glance told him it was no ordinary furnace—its grade was likely above that of a divine artifact.
His own furnace was a divine artifact, yet it couldn’t compare to the awe-inspiring presence of Ye Lanshan’s.
Someone with such a furnace must have a deep background. But even if they didn’t, with him around, he could certainly protect them.
The only troublesome one was that old fool Sikong Cheng. Still, it didn’t matter much. If he claimed this person as his disciple, with his own influence, this person could surely secure the position of Medicine Valley’s Valley Master.
Ye Lanshan had no idea that, based solely on the furnace, Sikong Yanguang had already decided to pass the Valley Master position to her. Even if she had known, she might have suspected it was some scheme of his.
After all, from Yun Di’s description, this version of Yanguang was one of those who had betrayed Sikong Kuang and was fiercely loyal to Sikong Cheng.
But Ye Lanshan had no time to dwell on such thoughts. She had poured her entire focus into alchemy. Her process was like an art—a fluid, graceful beauty that transformed the tedious task into something captivating.
With a thunderous roar, the pill was complete. Dark clouds swiftly gathered in the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck straight down onto the Shennong Cauldron. Yet the cauldron remained completely unharmed.
“A d-divine pill,” the young attendant stammered, eyes wide. Even Sikong Yanguang was stunned into stillness.
Across the land, aside from Sikong Kuang, another alchemist capable of refining a divine pill had emerged—and at such a young age. How could this not be shocking?
“Shanluo Gongzi, may I ask how old you are?” Sikong Yanguang asked, barely containing his excitement.
“Probably nineteen,” Ye Lanshan replied, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, but it didn’t lessen the shock to Sikong Yanguang.
He had imagined this young man was youthful, but he never expected him to be this young—barely an adult. To already refine a divine pill at this age… the heights he could reach in the future were unimaginable.
Yet after the shock came a wave of concern. Though his alchemy talent was unprecedented, unrivaled in the world, without strength, he might only become a tool for others to refine pills.
The unusual gathering of dark clouds quickly drew the attention of the Medicine Valley’s alchemists. Unaware of what had transpired in the courtyard, they assumed Sikong Yanguang had refined a divine pill and become a divine-grade alchemist. They hurried over to offer their congratulations.
Of course, those who snorted disdainfully and continued meditating with closed eyes were Sikong Kuang’s loyal followers. Though they outwardly accepted Sikong Yanguang as Valley Master, they completely ignored his commands.
The commotion outside interrupted Sikong Yanguang’s thoughts. His brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a mosquito. “Cangzhu, go see what all the noise is about.”
The young attendant bowed respectfully and headed for the door.
But the noise only grew louder, escalating into a clamor.
Finally, chaotic footsteps reached his door, and the attendant couldn’t hold them back.
“Congratulations, Valley Master, on becoming a divine-grade alchemist!” Sycophantic voices rang out as the door was pushed open. Alchemists filed in one after another, completely ignoring Sikong Yanguang’s dark expression.
“Who allowed you to enter?” A furious roar silenced them instantly. They didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. These alchemists, usually so arrogant they’d turn their noses to the sky, now stood trembling like timid brides.
“Are these the alchemists of your Medicine Valley? How disappointing.” Ye Lanshan’s eyes indeed showed disappointment. These alchemists lacked even the backbone befitting their craft. She wondered how they had ever joined the Medicine Valley.
“Who are you? A mere brat dares to insult our Medicine Valley? Do you have a death wish?” The alchemist who had been fawning moments ago now pointed at Ye Lanshan arrogantly, shouting loudly.
“Did I give you permission to speak?” Sikong Yanguang’s face showed impatience. He truly disliked dealing with these turncoats.
“Hmph, that divine pill was refined by the ‘mere brat’ you’re talking about,” the young attendant said angrily. He had often endured their bullying in silence, but now he could finally vent his frustration.
“Wh-what?” All the alchemists wore expressions of utter disbelief. The divine pill hadn’t been refined by the Valley Master, but by this extremely young brat?
No one wanted to believe it. Even the former Medicine Valley Master, Sikong Kuang, had only refined a divine pill in his middle age. How could this absurdly young brat have done it?
Among them, a seemingly young alchemist disciple, who appeared to have just come to watch the excitement, forced a smile uglier than tears and looked at Sikong Yanguang with hope. “Valley Master, this isn’t true, right? Cangzhu is just talking nonsense, isn’t he?”
“This divine pill was indeed refined by Shanluo Gongzi.” Now that even Sikong Yanguang had confirmed it, there was no room for doubt.
They were utterly stunned, frozen, petrified.
Ye Lanshan could only shrug, indicating she hadn’t meant to cause such a stir.