Seeing his backer arrive, Wang Erma immediately felt emboldened. He hurriedly exaggerated the events and concluded with a pitiful plea, "Senior Brother Duan, you must stand up for me! If not, how can I maintain authority over the others in the future?"
Duan Huaming's face darkened. With a cold glance at Wang Bin, he snapped, "Distracted during work? If you damage any spirit herbs, not even your life could repay the loss. From now on, you are expelled from the Spirit Medicine Valley. Pack your things and leave at once."
"Senior Brother Duan, this man and I were merely catching up. Is such a severe punishment warranted for a brief conversation?" Xiao Chen's expression turned cold as he spoke calmly.
Duan Huaming sneered, his tone dismissive. "Junior Brother Xiao, it's not that I won't give you face, but as you know, our master entrusted me with managing the valley during his seclusion. If any mistakes occur, I'll be held responsible. My decision is final, and I suggest you drop the matter."
Feeling victorious, Duan Huaming couldn't help showing a smug expression.
"What if I disagree?" Xiao Chen replied, his tone flat and unyielding.
Duan Huaming's eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice now icy. "Junior Brother Xiao, I don't believe you're in a position to make such a challenge."
The atmosphere grew tense as the two stared each other down.
Suddenly, Xiao Chen broke into a faint smile. Turning to Wang Bin, he said, "Return to the outer sect for now and focus on your cultivation. I believe it won't be long before you're back."
Wang Bin, though doubtful about his chances of returning, nodded gratefully. Xiao Chen's efforts on his behalf had already exceeded his expectations. After Wang Bin left, the other outer disciples dispersed, leaving Xiao Chen, Duan Huaming, and Ji Yuewu alone.
Confident in his perceived victory, Duan Huaming couldn't resist flaunting himself before Ji Yuewu. With a chuckle, he asked, "Junior Brother Xiao, why aren't you in the medicine garden cultivating? What brings you back to the Spirit Medicine Valley today?"
Xiao Chen shot him a calm look. Though he wanted nothing more than to crush Duan Huaming, he chose restraint to avoid revealing his true strength. Instead, he said coolly, "I came to borrow a Foundation Establishment Pill from the alchemy room. Since you're here, I won't need to notify anyone else. Please assist me in retrieving it."
The Spirit Medicine Valley housed a dedicated alchemy room where Yaodaozi stored various pills for his disciples to study and practice their alchemy skills. Xiao Chen's goal was to analyze a Foundation Establishment Pill for its formula.
"Foundation Establishment Pill?" Duan Huaming's expression betrayed surprise.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was one of the most challenging second-grade pills to refine. It required thirteen ingredients, none particularly rare, but its low success rate made it notoriously difficult to produce. Even Yaodaozi himself had only a fifty percent success rate.
As Duan Huaming was among the most skilled alchemists in the Spirit Medicine Valley, he had long aspired to refine the pill but had repeatedly failed. Only recently, after breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refinement, had he gained new insights and decided to attempt it again. He had come to the alchemy room today to borrow a completed pill for reference.
The idea that Xiao Chen, a disciple without spiritual roots and no significant alchemy background, dared to aim for such an advanced pill seemed absurd.
A smirk crept onto Duan Huaming's face, and even Ji Yuewu looked momentarily surprised before regaining her composure.
"Junior Brother Xiao, you continue to surprise. Despite lacking spiritual roots, you seem to have a knack for alchemy. If you're confident enough to work on a Foundation Establishment Pill, I'm sure you'll shine at the sect's upcoming alchemy examination. However, your timing is unfortunate. Our master left three Foundation Establishment Pills for us to study. One was taken by Third Senior Brother Heishi, and the other two are now with me and Junior Sister Yuewu. I'm afraid you'll have to wait."
Xiao Chen frowned slightly. Without a sample, his plans for Foundation Establishment would face serious delays.
"If that's the case, I'll take my leave," he said, wasting no time. If the pills weren't available here, he would find another way.
"Wait," Ji Yuewu interjected calmly, ignoring Duan Huaming's displeased expression. She retrieved a pill from her storage pouch and tossed it to Xiao Chen. "If you need it urgently, you can use this one."
Catching the pill, Xiao Chen scanned it with his divine sense. A trace of delight flickered across his face. After a moment of hesitation, he cupped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Sister. I'll return this pill within three months."
With that, he turned and left without further delay.
"Junior Sister Yuewu, why give him the pill? Xiao Chen is just a rootless mortal. How could he possibly refine a Foundation Establishment Pill—"
"Senior Brother Duan," Ji Yuewu interrupted coolly, "I have other matters to attend to. Also, please address me as 'Junior Sister Ji' going forward." She walked away without sparing Duan Huaming another glance, leaving him seething with frustration.
In the secluded medicine garden, Xiao Chen held the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, immersing his divine sense in its structure. Refining this pill required an intricate interplay of thirteen ingredients, their interactions far surpassing the complexity of simpler pills like the Spirit Gathering Pill.
Hours passed as Xiao Chen painstakingly analyzed the formula, his head throbbing by the time he memorized the entire composition.
After swallowing several pills to restore his energy, Xiao Chen sat in meditation, mentally replaying the details to ensure nothing was overlooked. Once confident, he opened his eyes, his energy and spirit fully restored.
With a determined nod, he laid out the materials he had prepared beforehand.
Channeling spiritual energy into the furnace, Xiao Chen's expression turned solemn as he added the ingredients one by one. His divine sense carefully monitored the reactions, adjusting the process with meticulous precision.
As the hours passed, the furnace began to emit a rich medicinal aroma, signaling success was near.
Suddenly, an unexpected muffled explosion echoed from within the furnace. Xiao Chen sighed heavily. His first attempt had failed.