Chapter 388: After Today

The fragrance of the pill had already filled the entire hall, and everyone knew that the pill Ye Yuan had refined was bound to be extraordinary!

As for Tong Wenchang's threatening words, everyone simply ignored them; by now, no one cared about him at all.

“Elder Yang, reveal the answer quickly, I can't wait any longer!”

“Yes, even a Pill King might not guarantee a top-grade Explosive Flame Rising Dragon Pill every time, let alone a supreme-grade one.”

“I have a feeling this Explosive Flame Rising Dragon Pill might be more than just supreme-grade! My god, a transcendent-grade Explosive Flame Rising Dragon Pill—I can hardly believe my eyes!”

Tong Wenchang was completely bewildered, but hearing the crowd's words, he finally began to grasp the situation.

At least he knew he had been utterly ignored...

What had Ji Qing... done?

Yang Xiu examined Ye Yuan's pill from every angle, the more he looked, the more reluctant he was to part with it.

Finally, Yang Xiu let out a sigh of admiration and said, “You guessed right. Ji Qing's Explosive Flame Rising Dragon Pill is indeed transcendent-grade! For martial artists who cultivate fire-attributed techniques, this is practically a divine medicine!”

Tong Wenchang stood frozen, his mind echoing with only two words.

“Transcendent-grade... transcendent-grade...”

A transcendent-grade tier-3 superior pill, this...

“I misheard, I must have misheard! A mid-level Grand Alchemist refining a transcendent-grade tier-3 superior pill—is this an insult to my intelligence?” Tong Wenchang kept telling himself.

Still, no one paid him any attention; everyone's eyes were fixed on the pill Ye Yuan had refined.

“It really is transcendent-grade! It really is transcendent-grade! How many years has it been since a transcendent-grade tier-3 superior pill appeared in our royal city?”

“Yes, this is the pinnacle of tier-3 pills! At least among Grand Alchemists, no, among quasi-Pill Kings, no one could refine such a pill!”

“A legendary realm—transcendent-grade tier-3 superior pill! Today I have witnessed a miracle!”

Ye Yuan's masterpiece left everyone in awe.

Yang Xiu could hardly wait to end this Pill Duel Assembly; he wanted to have a good talk with this young man!

“The result is clear without further ado. The third round, the Xiao family...”

“Hold on!”

Yang Xiu was cut off mid-sentence by Tong Wenchang's rude interruption!

Yang Xiu frowned, his tone turning cold: “Do you have something to say?”

Tong Wenchang's face twisted with rage: “I think there's something fishy about this duel! That brat is just a mid-level Grand Alchemist—how could he refine a transcendent-grade Explosive Flame Rising Dragon Pill? And the previous two rounds, his answers were too bizarre!”

“Boom!”

Yang Xiu's Soul Sea realm aura exploded fully, an overwhelming pressure that left Tong Wenchang gasping for breath.

Clearly, Yang Xiu was truly enraged this time!

“Are you implying... that the Alchemist Guild colluded with the Xiao family to cheat in this Pill Duel Assembly?” Yang Xiu spoke slowly, but anyone could hear the anger in his voice.

Everyone was shocked; Tong Wenchang's words had stirred up a hornet's nest!

Although the royal city's Alchemist Guild headquarters was under the rule of the Wind Emperor, that didn't mean the Wind Emperor could arbitrarily command the Alchemist Guild.

In fact, the Alchemist Guild could completely ignore the Wind Emperor's orders!

It was only because, in the Windstorm Realm, the Wind Emperor was an extremely special existence—the unique supreme expert of this small world.

Out of respect, the Alchemist Guild was placed under the Wind Emperor's governance.

Although the Alchemist Guild had hosted every Pill Duel Assembly, it wasn't by the Wind Emperor's command; rather, the Wind Emperor had invited this neutral organization to do so.

In the lower realms, unless one was brain-dead, no one dared to provoke an organization like the Alchemist Guild!

Otherwise, given the Wind Emperor's power, he could have easily annexed the Alchemist Guild.

But did he dare?

Tong Fangshuo was startled by Tong Wenchang's words and quickly stepped forward to bow to Yang Xiu: “Elder Yang, please don't be angry. Wenchang was momentarily confused and spoke out of turn. The Alchemist Guild has hosted so many Pill Duel Assemblies with absolute impartiality—how could we dare to question it? Wenchang, apologize to Elder Yang at once!”

By the end, Tong Fangshuo's tone had become harsh!

But Tong Wenchang had completely lost his composure and couldn't listen to reason.

“Why should I apologize? Father, don't you find it suspicious? That brat combined so many pill formulas without even looking, and even decomposed all ten quasi-tier-4 pills! If he hadn't known the answers in advance, how could a mid-level Grand Alchemist...”

“Slap!”

Before Tong Wenchang could finish, Tong Fangshuo delivered a heavy slap that sent him flying!

When he scrambled back up, his face was swollen like a pig's head, covered in blood, looking utterly miserable.

“You unfilial wretch! Say one more word, and I'll cripple you! Guards, take this wretch back and keep him under strict watch! No one is to release him without my permission!” Tong Fangshuo's veins bulged with rage.

The Wind Emperor feared the Alchemist Guild only because of the power behind it. But for the Tong family in the alchemy world, the Alchemist Guild was an entity that must never be offended!

Tong Wenchang, in his madness, dared to defy Yang Xiu—this was no longer just a matter of losing a few percent of the pill market!

However, this harsh move was actually a good way to protect Tong Wenchang.

Taking him back and locking him up was an internal family matter; if Yang Xiu truly pursued the matter, whether Tong Wenchang could keep his life was uncertain.

How could Yang Xiu, an old fox who had lived for centuries, not understand Tong Fangshuo's intention?

But in this royal city, the Alchemist Guild had its own difficulties. Since Tong Fangshuo had gone this far, Yang Xiu couldn't press further.

“Alright, let's end it here today! Now I announce the result: in this Pill Duel Assembly, the Xiao family wins two to one! If the Tong family is dissatisfied with this outcome, they may appeal to His Majesty the Wind Emperor.” Yang Xiu said.

His words carried a clear note of displeasure.

Although Yang Xiu was not the sole authority in the Alchemist Guild, he was still a significant figure.

His words carried considerable weight.

Tong Fangshuo had a headache; this wasn't just Yang Xiu's displeasure. Tong Wenchang's words had offended everyone in the Alchemist Guild.

This rift would take immense effort to mend later.

In truth, Tong Fangshuo couldn't blame his son entirely. Anyone faced with such a situation would likely lose their composure.

What worried him now was, after today, would Tong Wenchang still have the confidence to stand before a cauldron and refine pills?

It takes ten years to grow a tree but a hundred years to nurture a person. Tong Wenchang, hailed as the Tong family's number one genius, had consumed resources no less than Xiao Rufeng's.

But after today...