Chapter 379 Ye Yuan's Hint

"What? This... how is this possible?"

"The Star Abyss Sovereign actually said that this kid is right! Doesn't that mean all seven elders are wrong?"

"This is too颠覆ing! Did this kid get it right by sheer luck, or does he have real talent?"

"Well... I think it must be luck, right? Those seven elders are all Pill King level experts! Their understanding of medicinal herbs is far beyond what we can imagine! Maybe this kid stumbled upon some obscure knowledge somewhere that the elders just didn't know."

"True, after all, the elders aren't omniscient; there are always gaps in alchemical knowledge."

...

The Star Abyss Sovereign's words instantly set everyone abuzz—this kid was actually right.

And the so-called correct answer deduced by the seven elders together was actually wrong!

These seven elders were all old monsters who had been famous for centuries; each of them possessed unfathomable strength and alchemical knowledge beyond ordinary imagination.

And Ye Yuan?

He was just a sixteen-year-old boy, whose lifespan wasn't even a fraction of the elders', yet he had the audacity to point out their mistakes!

No one doubted the Star Abyss Sovereign's words, because in the alchemy world of the Central Royal City, he was the absolute authority!

If he said it was wrong, then the seven elders must be wrong—there was no need to question it.

Xiao Changfeng looked at Ye Yuan in disbelief and couldn't help swallowing.

He couldn't help recalling the look Ye Yuan had given him earlier—a look of utter disappointment. How could he not recognize it?

If Xiao Ruyan hadn't stepped in at the critical moment, Ye Yuan would have probably walked away by now, right?

Thinking about it now, Xiao Changfeng felt a wave of fear.

Ye Yuan had been sincerely helping the Xiao family, while he himself had been doubting him...

After saying that, the Star Abyss Sovereign closed his eyes again, as if he had fallen asleep.

As if the scene just now had been nothing but a sleepwalk.

Yang Xiu, of course, knew the Star Abyss Sovereign wasn't sleepwalking, but he still found it hard to believe.

He had thought the young man was just causing trouble, but it turned out he was actually right?

After the Alchemy Duel, he would have to verify whether what this kid said was true.

Even though he had been publicly embarrassed by a youth, the Alchemy Duel had to continue.

Yang Xiu had no choice but to announce, "Since Lord Star Abyss says this answer is wrong, the first round goes to Xiao Ruyan of the Xiao family!"

Tong Wenhui's expression darkened. They had clearly won, but this kid had ruined it.

He glared hatefully at Ye Yuan, feeling a murderous impulse.

"Second round: pill decomposition! Each of you will receive three pills, refined according to the Alchemist Guild's formulas, which are absolutely unavailable outside. You must identify the ingredients by sight, smell, and taste. The one with the most accurate analysis wins!" The quasi-Pill King led them directly into the second round.

Tong Wenhui had to focus and prepare for the second round.

Pill decomposition was a highly advanced skill requiring extreme familiarity with medicinal herbs, but accuracy was hard to guarantee.

Moreover, even if the ingredients were fully identified, replicating the pill was nearly impossible, so the Alchemist Guild felt safe providing the pills for decomposition.

Winning the first round boosted Xiao Ruyan's confidence!

In this second round, she identified eleven types of spiritual herbs from the three pills, while Tong Wenhui only identified nine.

Xiao Ruyan won another round!

However, the most crucial round was the third—alchemy!

As an alchemist, the most important skill was naturally alchemy, so it carried significant weight in the Alchemy Duel.

In the Alchemy Duel, each contestant had to complete all three rounds to determine the winner.

All the variables lay in this third round of alchemy!

Even if one lost the first two rounds, a complete victory in the third round could still secure overall victory!

A complete victory meant that one's pill completely surpassed the other in quality, or one successfully refined a pill while the other failed.

If the quality of the pills was similar, then the one who had won the previous two rounds would prevail.

In this process, the referee's role was actually important, which was why Wind Sovereign had appointed the neutral Alchemist Guild to preside.

Of course, the quality of the pills was visible to all. The referee's role only came into play when the difference was extremely subtle.

"The pill you two are to refine is... the third-grade top-grade pill, Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill," said the quasi-Pill King.

Among third-grade formulas, some were public and known to be extremely difficult to refine, and the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill was one of them.

Seeing this formula, Xiao Ruyan's expression changed.

The Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill was very difficult to refine, and Xiao Ruyan happened to be unskilled at it; she had at most a thirty percent chance of success.

On the other side, Tong Wenhui's face showed surprise and delight. Clearly, this pill suited his strengths!

Xiao Rufeng frowned and said, "Why this pill? The Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill isn't Ruyan's forte. This round... doesn't look good!"

Xiao Changfeng's expression was also grave. "The Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill requires high control over flame, which is Ruyan's weakness. This is really troublesome."

Xiao Ruyan approached the cauldron, took a deep breath, and unconsciously glanced at Ye Yuan, only to find him looking at her with a smile.

Suddenly, Ye Yuan's fingers moved slightly, forming a hand seal.

Xiao Ruyan was startled and thought, "Isn't that the hand seal he used when I refined the Hao Ling Peiyuan Pill? What does he mean?"

Xiao Ruyan suddenly recalled the feeling she had when refining the Hao Ling Peiyuan Pill that day. Though she had been extremely exhausted, the sensation was very subtle.

"Could he mean... for me to find that feeling from the day I refined the Hao Ling Peiyuan Pill? But... I tried several times afterward, but I could never achieve that state!" Xiao Ruyan thought.

Steeling herself, Xiao Ruyan finally began refining the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill.

Mixing the ingredients and preparing the pill base were not difficult for Xiao Ruyan.

In this step, she performed even better than Tong Wenhui!

What Xiao Ruyan worried about most was the refining itself; she really didn't have much confidence.

"I must refine the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill, even if it's just low-grade! Given Tong Wenhui's skill, even if he's good at this pill, he can probably only manage mid-grade at best. As long as my pill isn't too bad, I'm sure to win!" Xiao Ruyan gritted her teeth and made up her mind.

Xiao Ruyan guided with one hand, and the pill base flew into the cauldron.

Flames gradually rose, and Xiao Ruyan began refining the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill!