"I declare—"
---
The verdict hung in the air as the Deputy Pavilion Master paused.
---
And then—
"The winner of the bet is—"
"Lin Feng…"
"BOOM!"
Immediately after his words, the entire hall erupted into an uproar.
"How is that possible?!"
"How could it be Lin Feng?!"
"But their pill grades are similar! How did he do it?!"
Hearing the crowd, Ouyang Jun could no longer bear it and walked forward.
"Lord Deputy Pavilion Master, how could he possibly be the winner?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Hm? Are you questioning my decision?" the deputy said in a voice cold enough to freeze hell itself.
The voice was like a bucket of cold water poured over Ouyang Jun's head, instantly sobering him. He quickly corrected his tone, but for the sake of his pride, he still could not let it go.
"Lord Deputy misunderstood. This junior does not dare question you, but was merely impulsive because of his curiosity."
"The junior only wishes to know how he lost."
"The Alchemist Association is known for its fairness, so if I am dismissed without an explanation, it would be difficult to convince everyone regarding today's matter."
The crowd nodded at his words. Even the Deputy Pavilion Master could not help but agree slightly.
"Forget it. Since you wish to know how you lost, I shall satisfy your curiosity."
"You both refined mid-grade tier-two pills, correct?" he asked, and Ouyang Jun nodded.
"And according to the rules proposed by you, pill quality comes first, then time," he continued.
"Yes, Lord Deputy. And according to that, we both refined the same grade, while I was much faster. How could I still lose?" Ouyang Jun asked, looking confused.
The Deputy Pavilion Master shook his head.
"You seem to misunderstand something. Pill quality is not determined solely by the grade of the elixir."
"What?!" Ouyang Jun's eyes widened in disbelief.
The words stunned everyone except Lin Feng, who stood calmly, watching as though it had nothing to do with him.
The Deputy Pavilion Master nodded, clearly satisfied by the effect of his words, then continued, this time lecturing the entire hall.
"Do you know why the Great Blood Coagulation Pill is labeled as a high-grade tier-one pill and is more expensive than certain high-grade tier-two pills, despite using the same formula as the low-grade version?"
"No," they replied.
"Well, it is because the purity contained within the elixir is high enough to rival high-grade pills."
"As for purity, it refers to the amount of impurities removed from the medicinal materials during the refinement process."
"You see, when refining an elixir, flames are used to burn away impurities. But how could impurities be so easy to remove?"
"Those impurities you see burning away are, in fact, only ten percent of the total impurities—or sometimes even less. The true impurities are fused deep within the medicinal properties of the herbs themselves."
"Removing them from ordinary elixirs requires exceptional flame control, soul control, and concentration—things ordinary alchemists find extremely difficult to achieve."
"Once those hidden impurities are removed, what remains is an extremely pure medicinal essence. After combination, it forms a pill of astonishing potency."
"A highly pure mixture can transform an ordinary pill into a miraculous one, making it incredibly valuable."
After his explanation, the entire hall fell silent, digesting the massive amount of information they had just received.
After a while, Ouyang Jun took a deep breath, having finally processed everything.
"So the Vice Pavilion Master means that this pill possesses a high purity grade?" he asked, looking at Lin Feng's nearly cracked pill in horror.
"Haha, yes, it does. If you do not believe me, I can prove it."
"No, no—" Ouyang Jun hurriedly waved his hands, refusing.
But he was interrupted by the Deputy Pavilion Master, who ordered Elder Lu to bring a device from the back room. Everyone could not help but grow curious.
A few breaths later, Elder Lu returned holding a device that looked to Lin Feng like a traditional weighing scale from his previous life. The only difference was the circular formation at its center.
After presenting the device, Elder Lu stepped back while the Deputy Pavilion Master placed both pills onto the weighing pans.
Suddenly, the formation began to spin, lighting up with a white glow.
After a few moments, both the light and the spinning stopped.
Then, beneath each pan, a set of glowing words appeared.
The pan containing Ouyang Jun's pill read:
"Pill: Mid-grade Tier 2
Quality: Low-grade Tier 2"
While beneath Lin Feng's pill, it read:
"Pill: Mid-grade Tier 2
Quality: High-grade Tier 2"
"WOW!"
The results sparked another wave of heated discussion throughout the hall.
Meanwhile, upon seeing the results, Ouyang Jun no longer held onto any delusions of luck or coincidence. He walked toward Lin Feng and took out the jade slip.
His actions surprised both Lin Feng and the Deputy Pavilion Master.
Lin Feng had initially assumed the other party would be reluctant to hand it over, but unexpectedly, Ouyang Jun gave it willingly.
Lin Feng accepted the slip, looking calm on the surface but ecstatic in his heart.
Afterward, Ouyang Jun turned around and walked toward the exit, no longer caring about his original mission, nor even paying attention to his lackeys.
Just before leaving, he turned and gave Lin Feng a deep look before speaking.
"Lin Feng, don't get cocky. The next time we meet, I will challenge you again…"
"And I will definitely win."
"Haha, okay. I'll be waiting for you. I just hope that next time we meet, you won't be too discouraged by your next defeat."
"Hmph. You need not worry about that."
He bowed respectfully toward the elders before turning around and leaving the hall.
This time, his voice was no longer filled with malice, but with endless fighting spirit.
Lin Feng even felt that the other party was not truly bad—just overly proud.
The Deputy Pavilion Master, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, smiled and nodded approvingly.
"Alright, everyone disperse except little friend Lin Feng."
Hearing the dismissal order, the crowd bowed respectfully toward him and left the hall, leaving only Lin Feng and the elders behind.
"Deputy Master, is there anything I can do for you?" Lin Feng asked curiously.
"What Deputy Master? My name is Xu Li. Just call me Old Xu."
Lin Feng was slightly surprised by this, but did not think too much about it and addressed him accordingly.
Xu Li smiled, seemingly pleased.
"Well, the reason I asked you to stay was to inform you that your second-tier alchemist robe will be ready in four days. Since they are specially made, they require approval and preparation."
"Oh, then thank you, Old Xu," Lin Feng said gratefully.
After saying goodbye, he walked out of the room and out of the building.
Returning to the ever-bustling marketplace, he looked down the path toward the Martial Pavilion building and decided to pay a visit to the Pavilion Master.