Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

"Since that's the case, then I'll make a fool of myself in front of you seniors. With so many people here today, why don't you all help me appraise this pill!"

After saying that, Sheng Ziwen took out a bunch of medicinal herbs to demonstrate his alchemy skills, which is something that not everyone can do.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes now filled with a newfound respect for Sheng Ziwen. Sheng Ziwen certainly had the right to be arrogant. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips; his strength was indeed extraordinary, his alchemy speed incredibly fast, astonishing many. Yang Ling had initially thought Sheng Ziwen would make him look at him in a new light.

That's all the skill he has. There's nothing more to say. He's inferior to Yang Ling in every way, yet he dares to be so arrogant. He's utterly unremarkable. Sun Yao moved closer to Yang Ling.

"This man's strength is not as good as yours, young master. I don't know where he gets his confidence. He is not as good as you in any way!" she praised Yang Ling.

Yang Ling waved his hand, feeling there was no need to be so high-profile; it was better to keep a low profile. They chatted amongst themselves, praising Yang Ling more than anything else. They all believed that Sheng Ziwen would definitely be accepted, and that Sheng Ziwen's strength was indeed extraordinary, clearly not something an ordinary person could compare to. Who could possibly be better than Sheng Ziwen? The others also reached a consensus and expressed their agreement.

The moment Sheng Ziwen took out the pills, everyone's eyes widened. How long had it been? He was so fast! They were mostly envious, wishing they had half his skill.

"His strength is truly formidable. No wonder so many important figures are vying to come here. If it were me, I'd probably go crazy for it too!"

"Yeah, if it were me, I'd be crazy about him too!" they chattered, a smile playing on Sheng Ziwen's lips. The group immediately stood up, vying to take Sheng Ziwen as their disciple. Yang Ling found this scene somewhat laughable. What were these people doing? Fighting over a good-for-nothing?

They really are incredibly audacious; it's utterly ridiculous. In the end, Sheng Ziwen still chose someone, much to the dissatisfaction of the others, who hadn't expected him to make such a selection.

Yang Ling remained remarkably calm as he strode onto the stage. Seeing him go on stage, the crowd was puzzled; what was Yang Ling up to?
"You've already made a complete fool of yourself, and now you want to go on stage? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself even more?!"

"That's right, besides, your strength is only so-so, why be so persistent? You'll just be the one who gets slapped in the face later, won't you? Struggling now is pointless!" They were mostly offering advice to Yang Ling. A hint of disdain flashed in Yang Ling's eyes. How dare they say that to him?
"I'll repeat myself, my strength isn't what you think. To be honest, none of you here are any good fighters; your abilities are all quite average, no match for me!" Yang Ling said, each word deliberate, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination. Hearing Yang Ling's words, everyone was stunned. Who exactly was Yang Ling? How dare he be so bold? And Yang Ling was a complete stranger. If he were truly powerful, they would have recognized him long ago. The fact that they couldn't figure him out meant he was probably just a nobody.

"You're too arrogant! How dare you say such things? Haven't you considered the consequences? Do you know what your words mean, and what impact your actions behind the scenes will have?" he shouted, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.

This was not unexpected for him; it was pretty much what he had expected. Among these people, there was no need to think too much.

Looking at their expressions, Yang Ling knew they probably didn't believe him. Sheng Ziwen also looked down at Yang Ling, having been looking forward to a chance to impress his seniors. Now that Yang Ling had come to him, he was going to give him a good opportunity.

"Since you've made such a boast, why don't I have a match with you and see if you have the ability? I'm curious to know just how capable you really are!" he said directly to Yang Ling. Yang Ling's expression changed as he looked at him, and he simply replied:
"Of course, but there's something you need to think about carefully. You need to think this through and understand what you're doing!" Yang Ling deliberately kept everyone in suspense. Everyone watched the change in Yang Ling's eyes. Did Yang Ling have some other ideas?
"You must have seen my previous actions. Since that's the case, I'll be frank. What you did, including your behavior, was indeed extraordinary. However, your pills are far too weak compared to mine. I do know of a pill that can rapidly increase one's strength, granting extremely high talent in a short time, and it absolutely will not fail!" Yang Ling spoke with absolute certainty. Sheng Ziwen looked at him, thinking he was joking. That kind of pill-making technique was definitely not something an ordinary person could achieve. Could it be that Yang Ling wanted to refine the Fire Cloud Pill?

"Are you crazy? If you can refine the Fire Cloud Pill, then I'll really think you're incredibly strong. We won't even need to talk about cultivation levels here; you'll be on par with everyone else!" Sheng Ziwen said.

As for Yang Ling, he didn't say anything more, but instead appeared very sincere. Sheng Ziwen looked at Yang Ling and knew what he was thinking.

"Since you've said it, let's wait and see!"

All eyes were focused on Yang Ling, trying to find some clues from him.

However, no matter how they looked at him, they still couldn't figure out who Yang Ling was.

It's astonishing that someone so young possesses such talent.

If they really had that kind of power, wouldn't they cause a huge uproar?
Their eyes were filled with shock as they looked at Yang Ling.

Yang Ling, with his hands behind his back, calmly said:

"Since that's the case, let's get started. You were so confident just now. If you can't refine the Fire Cloud Pill, you'll have to apologize to me personally, how about that?" As soon as he finished speaking, Sheng Ziwen clenched his fists. Clearly, Yang Ling didn't take him seriously at all.

Sheng Ziwen looked up and met Yang Ling's gaze, instantly realizing that something was amiss.

"How long will it take you to refine the Fire Cloud Pill?"

"It won't take long, an hour will be enough!"

Yang Ling spoke with absolute certainty and an extremely arrogant attitude. Upon hearing this, Sheng Ziwen burst into laughter.

"I have never seen such an arrogant person. No one has ever dared to say that they can refine the Fire Cloud Pill in a short time. Let alone you, even the most powerful expert would find it difficult to do so!" At this moment, someone suddenly interjected.

"To be honest, even for the most skilled sorcerers, refining the Fire Cloud Pill in a short period of time would be an incredibly difficult task. For you alone, it would be even more challenging!"

Faced with the crowd's doubts, Yang Ling sighed helplessly and slowly spoke:
"If you're too scared to compete, then forget it, I'll take that as a surrender. I just want to see what kind of talent you are, really!" Sheng Ziwen's anger flared up instantly, and he stared coldly at Yang Ling. He knew he couldn't do it, of course, but Yang Ling's contempt and complete disregard for him were unbearable. He would never let Yang Ling off easily. "Fine, I agree! If you can't finish it, I'll kill you in front of everyone. That's what happens when you offend me!"

Yang Ling didn't say anything and simply agreed.

"Let's gamble then, what's there to be afraid of?" The others exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with disbelief. Yang Ling had actually agreed? Had he gone mad?
After all, Yang Ling's origins are unknown, while Sheng Ziwen's talent is undeniable. No matter how you look at it, Sheng Ziwen has a better chance of winning.

Yang Ling did not take out the medicine cauldron, but instead conjured flames with his bare hands.

Everyone's pupils contracted sharply. This move looked so familiar, as if they had seen it somewhere before. Could it be that Yang Ling had some special experience? From beginning to end, Yang Ling remained completely calm.

As for them, although they could see that Yang Ling might not be able to successfully refine the Fire Cloud Pill, in terms of ability, Yang Ling was clearly a thousand times better than Sheng Ziwen.

Yang Ling is much younger than Sheng Ziwen, yet possesses such talent that Sheng Ziwen is simply no match for him. The crowd's expressions were complex, wondering how to win Yang Ling over. They had previously driven him away; what if they tried to win him over now and were embarrassed?
Time ticked by, and an hour was almost up. Suddenly, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted over, inspiring awe and leaving everyone stunned. In Yang Ling's hand was a Fire Cloud Pill.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, glancing around at himself.

"If any of you don't believe me, you're welcome to verify it yourselves. I wouldn't lie to you!"

The crowd looked solemn, for they were all quite capable and could tell at a glance that the Fire Cloud Pill was of superior quality.

This is going to be interesting, and everyone's attention turned to Sheng Ziwen. After all, Sheng Ziwen had been the one shouting the loudest earlier. If Yang Ling could refine the Fire Cloud Pill in a short time, that would be fine.

But if Sheng Ziwen loses, what he will face will be something he absolutely cannot bear. Yang Ling looked Sheng Ziwen up and down; was this guy trying to cheat?
Sheng Ziwen's face was flushed red, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill Yang Ling, and he could no longer hide this feeling. The old man who had previously wanted to take him as a disciple naturally knew what he was thinking, and now they were caught in the middle, unable to move forward or backward.

The old man spoke first:
"Since you've already demonstrated your strength, why don't we just let this matter drop? Give me some face, and I'll definitely come to thank you in person another day!" Making a scene in front of so many people wouldn't do him any good for his reputation. They could only try to resolve the situation, but Yang Ling wouldn't listen to them.

Why are you pretending to be a good person? Do you think he's stupid?
"What did you all say about me being a show-off before? Now that you've lost in front of so many people, don't you still want to admit it?" Yang Ling looked at Sheng Ziwen, who awkwardly touched his nose, unsure how to respond.

"Since that's the case, then please keep your promise and apologize to me!" Yang Ling said sternly. Sheng Ziwen, unwilling to accept this, roared:
"You've gone too far!" He was already young, and had attracted the attention of many forces. A proud man like him naturally couldn't tolerate being trampled on like this by Yang Ling. Yang Ling couldn't help but smile as he played with the Fire Cloud Pill in his hand.

"I originally thought you were a chosen one, and naturally wouldn't do anything unbecoming of your status. I never expected you to behave like this; you've truly disappointed me!" Yang Ling couldn't help but click his tongue, his words full of sarcasm. Sheng Ziwen wanted to get rid of Yang Ling, but with so many people watching him, what would outsiders think of him if he made a move now?

He clenched his teeth, preparing to leave. Seeing this, the old man also wanted to leave with Sheng Ziwen. He glanced at Yang Ling, knowing in his heart that Yang Ling's talent was far superior. If he had the chance to choose again, he would definitely choose Yang Ling, but unfortunately, he had missed a great opportunity.

The old man sighed and left with Sheng Ziwen. Yang Ling watched the old man's retreating figure, inwardly sighing, "So much for a strongman! He runs away like a coward at the first sign of trouble." But since that was the case, there was no need for him to pursue him relentlessly. As the saying goes, "Don't chase a cornered enemy."

Besides, those people had always regarded Sheng Ziwen as a master, and now that he'd run away, his future wouldn't be easy. The remaining people took a deep breath, wanting to win over Yang Ling, but they didn't know where to begin. Even if they offered the highest terms, what could they possibly give Yang Ling? After all, Yang Ling's talent far surpassed theirs.

Then, as if he had just thought of something, one of them asked:
"Who exactly did you learn your alchemy techniques from?"

"Your technique is quite remarkable, and it's very similar to that of an old friend of mine. Could it be that you knew him before?" Yang Ling pretended not to understand when he heard his words.

"I don't quite understand. This technique was something I stumbled upon by chance years ago. It was recorded in a book, and I learned it out of curiosity. I don't know much about what you're talking about!" This man had originally wanted to get information out of Yang Ling, but Yang Ling wouldn't say anything, so he couldn't do anything about it.

He had no choice but to turn around and leave, fuming.

Just as Yang Ling was about to leave, someone suddenly called out to him.

"Young master, please wait!"

Yang Ling turned his head at the sound, his eyes filled with confusion. Then, the man handed Yang Ling a token and said:
"Take this; it represents your identity. In my opinion, we are not qualified to give you a rating yet, but with this token, if you come to me in the future, I can sell you pills at a low price."

His eyes darted around, and he thought this was a good opportunity, so he took it without saying a word.

"Then thank you very much, senior!"

"By the way, would you be interested in visiting my home? All that was a misunderstanding before. Why don't you come to my house as a guest, so we can exchange visits and strengthen our relationship?" Yang Ling waved his hand; he had finished his business and it was time for him to leave. The crowd looked at Yang Ling with envy. So young, yet a genius rarely seen in a century, unmatched by anyone.

The man who had spoken earlier stepped forward and asked cautiously:
"I was blind before, failing to recognize your abilities, and even did those foolish things. Please don't take it to heart. May I ask your honorable name, young master?" Yang Ling smiled. This person had just helped him, and he would naturally remember this favor, so he didn't hide anything. (End of Chapter)