Chapter 380: Counterattack

Although she tried her utmost to refine the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill, not long after she started, Xiao Ruyan's rhythm became somewhat disordered.

Alchemy is a task that consumes a great deal of mental energy, requiring attention to countless aspects.

This was only refining a third-grade pill; when Ye Yuan had refined ninth-grade pills in his previous life, it was a colossal project—it was common for a single pill to take a month to refine.

But for Xiao Ruyan at present, the Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill was still a huge challenge.

Everyone present was an expert, and they could tell at a glance that Xiao Ruyan's state was off.

"Ruyan has talent, but she's still too young!" commented an elder alchemy king.

"Controlling the fire requires very delicate control of yuan power; this is not something achieved overnight. For Ruyan to have reached this point is already remarkable."

"Yes, there is no shortcut to fire control; only through extensive practice can one achieve subtlety. Tong Wenhui is a few years older than Ruyan, and he does better in this regard."

"It seems the outcome of this match is already decided."

Those elders clearly did not favor Xiao Ruyan, as signs of her defeat had already appeared.

After all, alchemy kings were alchemy kings; even if Ye Yuan had questioned them, their strength and insight were undeniable.

Xiao Ruyan felt herself growing increasingly strained, and the pill in the cauldron became more and more unstable, on the verge of becoming a waste pill at any moment.

But just then, she suddenly sensed a hand seal being struck into the cauldron, startling her!

In her panic, Xiao Ruyan nearly ruined the pill in the cauldron.

"Hmm? What's wrong with Ruyan? The yuan power fluctuation was so violent just now; she almost turned the pill into waste."

"Yes, it was close. But... even so, it's probably hard for her to salvage this pill, right? Ten to one, it will become a waste pill."

"I've seen this girl refine pills before; although her skill isn't mature enough, she shouldn't make such a mistake. Could it be due to psychological pressure?"

Xiao Ruyan's slip scared quite a few people.

Admittedly, everyone likes a beautiful woman.

Xiao Ruyan was not only beautiful but also highly talented in alchemy, so naturally, people favored her even more.

Although the Xiao family was weak, that didn't stop everyone from thinking highly of Xiao Ruyan.

The fact that these alchemy kings placed Xiao Ruyan on par with Tong Wenchang showed how much they thought of her.

So when they saw Xiao Ruyan make such a mistake, many sighed in regret.

However, Xiao Ruyan, who was in the midst of refining, showed no sign of regret; instead, she was so excited she almost cried out.

"This is the feeling! This is the feeling! I've found it! I've found it!" Xiao Ruyan rejoiced inwardly.

This feeling was exactly the same as when Ye Yuan had struck the hand seal while she was refining the Hao Ling Pei Yuan Pill!

Last time when she refined the Hao Ling Pei Yuan Pill, she had also been in a mess at the start, until Ye Yuan struck that hand seal, guiding her into a subtle rhythm.

Later, Xiao Ruyan had tried several times to find that subtle feeling of fire control, but failed each time.

It wasn't until Ye Yuan made that gesture to her just now that Xiao Ruyan finally confirmed that Ye Yuan's hand seal had been intentional!

Her successful refinement of the Hao Ling Pei Yuan Pill was no coincidence; Ye Yuan had been helping her refine the pill!

So from the very beginning, she had followed the path of that day's refinement, constantly trying to find that feeling.

Now, she had finally found it!

"Eh? Not only was Ruyan not affected by that mistake, but she's actually getting better and better!"

"Indeed! It seems she's found some trick; her fire control ability has taken a huge leap!"

"Hiss... The pill is about to take shape; she's actually going to succeed! Unbelievable!"

According to past experience, such a major mistake in alchemy could only result in a waste pill. Salvaging it in the later stages was nearly impossible.

Yet, Xiao Ruyan had done it!

"Condense!"

Xiao Ruyan gave a soft shout, and the pill was formed!

As a result, Xiao Ruyan finished even earlier than Tong Wenhui!

Xiao Rufeng could not contain his excitement and shouted, "Ruyan, well done!"

Although Xiao Changfeng did not speak, his expression showed that he was also very surprised and delighted by this outcome.

However, Xiao Ruyan did not look at them; instead, she looked at Ye Yuan beside him, her eyes full of gratitude.

Ye Yuan gave her a thumbs-up and returned a smile.

At this moment, Xiao Ruyan had lost her aloofness from a few days ago; she was like a young girl praised by her lover, her cheeks flushed red.

Seeing this, Xiao Changfeng frowned but said nothing.

Still, Xiao Changfeng was very puzzled: Could it be that Ruyan's successful refinement of this pill was also due to Ye Yuan?

This kid... just who is he?

Soon, Tong Wenhui also finished refining, and all that remained was the judgment of the seven alchemy kings.

The two pills were placed before the seven alchemy kings. After a brief discussion, Yang Xiu announced, "Tong Wenhui has refined a mid-grade Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill, while Xiao Ruyan's is low-grade. In the third round, Tong Wenhui wins."

At this point, everyone held their breath.

Now it depended on whether Tong Wenhui's pill could completely surpass Xiao Ruyan's. If it could achieve total dominance, he might still win.

Yang Xiu paused and then added, "However, Tong Wenhui's pill barely reaches the mid-grade level, while Xiao Ruyan's Jade Marrow Ice Clear Pill is infinitely close to mid-grade. Therefore, based on the combined results of the three rounds, Xiao Ruyan wins!"

"What? How is that possible? Xiao Ruyan made such a huge mistake in the middle, yet the pill she finally refined is infinitely close to mid-grade!" Tong Fangshuo blurted out.

Yang Xiu frowned, displeased, and said, "Patriarch Tong, are you also questioning us? If you don't trust me, you can come and see for yourself. You are also an alchemy king; surely you can distinguish the grade of a pill?"

Yang Xiu was quite irritated. Having been questioned repeatedly today, as an elder of the Alchemist Guild, when had he ever been treated like this?

But inwardly, Yang Xiu was also very surprised by Xiao Ruyan's performance.

Having made such a major mistake, not only did Xiao Ruyan not produce a waste pill, but she also elevated the pill's quality to such a level—truly incredible.

Tong Fangshuo looked embarrassed and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Elder Yang, you misunderstand. I am not questioning you几位; it's just... just..."

Yang Xiu flicked his sleeve, cutting him off, and said, "Someone, bring these two pills before Patriarch Tong and let him see for himself whether I am talking nonsense with my eyes wide open!"