"Master…"
Yan Fu's call echoed in everyone's ears, but Vicious Pill King seemed oblivious. His eyes fixed on one place only.
It happened even at Yan Fu's second call.
Following his sight, what lay at the end was the first spot where Zhuo Fan stood with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
In Vicious Pill King's eyes, this opponent was the only one who could light his competitive spirit.
Taking a deep breath, Vicious Pill King shouted, "Kid, don't you have any other special skills in store for this final round?"
Flashing his eyes open, Zhuo Fan shot him a look and snorted, "If yours truly has or not, what's it to you?"
"Quite a lot actually. I want to have a showdown with you, a fair competition. If you're still hiding your skills, then I shall be using the flame that had been with me for years to win. But if this is all you had to offer, I won't take advantage of your plight. Even keeping my flame hidden, I can still beat you just with a plain Yuan Qi flame."
[Such bold words!]
The people's hearts shivered, their faces gloomy.
If Vicious Pill King said this before, none would have anything to comment. Just who could beat the best alchemist in the empire?
But now, after losing to Zhuo Fan three times, his words were akin to an empty boast.
[Oh please, don't you recall how Grandmaster Song, pissed, sneezed and farted you out of the second spot? If not for wasting half of your shriveled life, you'd never even be in this round!]
[It happened just a few minutes ago. Did you go senile, you old coot?]
Not only Chu Qingcheng looked derisory at him, but the rest of the audience as well.
But Vicious Pill King only had eyes for Zhuo Fan. Anything else, even the despising glances directed to him, were of no consequence.
Zhuo Fan squinted and snorted, "Humph, then let yours truly enlighten you. I indeed have hidden one skill. Don't you worry your old little head about it and go all out. The title of Pill King will be mine regardless."
"Ha-ha-ha, alright. Then I shall rest easy. You are the first opponent in decades that can make me exert all my ability in alchemy. Please, after you."
Raising an eyebrow, Zhuo Fan asked, "Why do you want me to go first? Shouldn't we both do it at the same time?"
With an ambiguous smile, Vicious Pill King showed a proud expression, "Youngster, I'm not bragging when I say that even with your great refining skill, you won't finish that pill once I let out this old flame of mine. In hope that you can exert your best, I will start after you finish. It wouldn't matter if I finish a bit later. This round is based on the grade after all."
Zhuo Fan's mouth perked at one corner and almost laughed.
[The old coot has total confidence in his flame.] But so did he in regards to his azure flame, his secret weapon. Just that it got him wondering which was stronger, his azure flame or the old coot's?
[There is no doubt. Mine is better.] It was one of those treasures that the Demonic Emperor would covet.
Smiling, he said, "Since Elder Yan is so sure, by all means, take out your flame and let us all widen our horizons. While also letting me know if I should just give up right now."
"Yeah, master, just let them see your might!" Yan Fu cheered.
Laughing, Vicious Pill King never felt more excited as of this moment, "If you want to see it so much, then here it is."
With a cackling laughter, a white fire burned in Vicious Pill King's thin hand. Then, a wicked face appeared within the flame.
That cackling laughter actually came from it.
Its appearance snuffed out all the Yuan Qi flames around. Liu Yizhen, Yan Fu and Tao Danniang's beast flames acted as if something dreadful appeared and shrank to half their size, as if prostrating before their king.
Shock was an understatement, as even Zhuo Fan's eyelids trembled.
[Who knew this old guy was actually hiding something so valuable?]
"T-this…" Tao Danniang was scared out of her mind. Yan Fu raised his head in pride and laughed, "Do you see that? This is the flame master chanced upon a decade ago, the heaven and earth spirit flame, Bone Soul Truefire!"
[A heaven and earth spirit flame?]
Sss~
Those words evoked gasps of sheer amazement from all around. The people watched the evil face in Vicious Pill King's hand and their hearts sighed.
Even the alchemical disinclined knew that the heaven and earth spirit flame was made from gathered spiritual energy of heaven and earth that over millions of years and had gained spirituality. The flame was actually alive, a veritable king among flames.
The 5th and 6th level beast flames were nothing compared to it.
The flame was the body while the wicked face was the spirit of the Bone Soul Truefire. It not only could refine any kind of ingredient but also amplify their effects and raise the grade of the pill. It was every alchemist's dream to have one.
Vicious Pill King was the best alchemist in Tianyu for a reason after all. Now, no matter what secret refining skill Zhuo Fan used it, would be of no importance.
Did you not see how the Yuan Qi flames got snuffed, they couldn't stand its power. Even those beast flames were shirking away.
Three things were of most importance to an alchemist, cultivation, refining skills, and flame. When the flame was wilted from the pressure of another, winning was impossible!
Sighing, the people turned to Zhuo Fan, shaking their heads in pity.
[How sad, an extraordinary alchemist was so close to beating the best alchemist in Tianyu but under the flame's suppression, failure is imminent. If he fails here, we will lose another genius. The Heavens must be truly jealous of geniuses.]
The thought didn't even cross their mind if Zhuo Fan, with how young he was, and his background, had a flame that could counter Vicious Pill King's heaven and earth spirit flame.
Since not even the seven houses could pass along such flames. This old guy's luck had to be off the charts to stumble upon the Bone Soul Truefire.
Sensing everyone's fear and awe of it, the white flame's face cackled madly in excitement. The laughter was jarring to the ear and filled with boundless despise. Just like a ruler who won andlorded over his enemies.
He-he-he…
Tao Danniang sighed and closed her eyes. If she knew the old man to have such a spirit item, she wouldn't have wasted her energy and just gave up.
Then again, now that she recalled, the one who won three times against Vicious Pill King was none other than him.
Tao Danniang turned to Zhuo Fan and shook her head.
[Not even the brat can get out of this one…]
Chu Qingcheng frowned in worry. She was looking at Zhuo in hope he had a way to turn it all around. But Zhuo Fan's face never wavered. He was always calm, as if he was in deep thought.
The overseers were beside themselves in worry. Only Long Jiu's group was unphased. According to Zhuo Fan's plan, winning wasn't a must. At worst he'd just bolt.
On the eastern stand, Huangpu Qingyun's group had long since started laughing.
"The old man actually had such a treasure hidden. Losing now is impossible, ha-ha-ha…" Huangpu Qingyun laughed, "Vicious Pill King is definitely worthy of his title!"
The others nodded, with the happiest being Lin Zitian.
At some point, he tied his fate with Vicious Pill King over a reason not he was sure of. But now that Vicious Pill King was at an advantage, the second young master was excited and he was basking in the glory nearby.
"Elder Lin!" Huangpu Qingyun smiled.
Lin Zitian rushed next to him, "Yes!"
"The moment the kid loses, rush over, and take his head. Understandd?"
Startled, Lin Zitian said, "Why me? Isn't Elder Yan supposed to do this?"
Squinting, Huangpu Qingyun snorted, "If he were to move, Qingcheng would be sure to block him. I do not wish to further alienate her from me. Your Merry Woods is focusing on speed, so taking the kid's head in an instant is easy. Qingcheng would be enraged but would not dare to make everything worse over a dead man."
Realizing what he meant, Lin Zitian gave a thumbs up, "Nice, second young master is truly wise!"
The other men felt their stomachs churning as they secretly cursed him for being shameless.
Huangpu Qingyun's smile seemed to say everything was dancing in his palm.
But just then, the crowd froze in shock seeing Vicious Pill King's flame swayed around Zhuo as he laughed, "Ha-ha-ha, brat, now you know why I told you to go first? Even if you have a beast flame, it won't do you any good with my Bone Soul Truefire out."
"Didn't you want to get your hands on the Bodhi Root?" Zhuo Fan was still calm.
Taking a deep breath, Vicious Pill King seemed to recall something and laughed, "Yes, I indeed want it. But what I want more is to win against you fair and square. To see who among us shall be the best alchemist in Tianyu. Defeating you because of the flame's power is not something I will ever accept."
Zhuo Fan looked long at him.
[He may be shameless and despicable, cunning and vicious, but when all is said and done he is a tough grandmaster alchemist. It's kind of a pity for him to be in the Pill King Hall.]