After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

He paused, then continued:

"I certainly don't have any three-patterned items. The ones I refine are all at least four-patterned."

After saying this, he raised the jade plate high and showed it to everyone.

Everyone stared intently at it.

The twelve pills were all plump and round, with a white and lustrous color like jade.

Each one is clearly engraved with four red patterns!

And the very center one, surprisingly, revealed a faint hint of blue amidst its pure white color!

That's... the color of cinnabar and azurite!

"Five-Patterned Elixir!"

A cultivator exclaimed in surprise!

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that there were five clear pill patterns on the pill!

Beyond the five Dan patterns, there was an even fainter pattern, barely visible!

It was so close to becoming a six-patterned elixir!

The entire room fell silent!

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, as if they had seen a ghost!

Five-Patterned Elixir!

That can only be refined by a near-second-tier alchemy master!

And this young man in front of me, who looks to be no more than twenty years old, has actually refined a five-patterned pill!

"Impossible...this is impossible!"

Bai Chen's face turned deathly pale. He staggered back two steps, his face filled with disbelief!

He stared intently at the cinnabar-blue pill, his lips trembling.

"How could you... how could you possibly refine a five-pattern pill! You were just looking at the pill formula! You started later than me!"

Lin Fengmian looked at him and chuckled softly:

"Who says that looking at a pill formula means you can't refine it?"

He paused, his tone remaining calm:

"As for speed... what's the point of all your fancy techniques besides wasting time?"

Bai Chen was choked and speechless, his face turning pale and then red.

Yun Caiyue, standing to the side, also looked incredulous.

As a second-tier alchemist, she knew the difficulty of alchemy better than anyone else.

Under my grandfather's guidance since childhood, I have practiced diligently for many years and only managed to reach the second level a few years ago.

How could that be...?

She raised her head and looked at the figure in the blue robe, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and admiration.

Brother Fengmian... is actually this amazing!

After a moment, she came to her senses, cleared her throat, and announced loudly:

"The winner of this bet on the elixir is—Lin Fengmian!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in cheers!

"Holy crap! We actually won!"

"A five-patterned pill! This is the work of a near-second-tier alchemy master!"

"Such a young near-Second-Order Master! My God!"

"Master Lin! Master Lin!"

Exclamations and exclamations of admiration rose and fell among the cultivators who had previously mocked Lin Fengmian.

At this moment, their faces turned red, and they wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Those independent cultivators who had initially been observing now looked at Lin Fengmian with newfound respect.

It was already filled with awe and fawning.

Lin Fengmian ignored the commotion and simply turned to look at Bai Chen.

That gaze was calm, yet it sent a shiver down Bai Chen's spine.

"Young Master Bai Chen, you are willing to accept defeat."

He extended his hand, his tone indifferent:

"Give me this Foundation Establishment item."

Bai Chen's face was deathly pale, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

It's over...it's all over...

This Foundation Establishment spiritual object is none other than my master's.

Hand it over to him personally, so he can use it to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

His master had high hopes for him, which is why he bestowed such a treasure upon him.

If his master found out that he had lost this treasure in a moment of anger...

Bai Chen dared not think any further.

He instinctively took a step back, his eyes darting around, trying to slip away in the chaos.

however--

The densely packed cultivators all around him were staring at him.

Those gazes included pity, schadenfreude, and those who wanted to see a good show, but without exception, they were all fixed on him.

As soon as he moved, he noticed that the crowd unconsciously tightened their grip a bit.

Bai Chen's face turned even paler.

He then turned to look at Yun Caiyue.

The usually gentle and charming fairy in colorful clothes was now looking at him with her eyes narrowed.

Her beautiful eyes curved into two crescent moons, and there was even a faint smile on her lips.

But Bai Chen sensed a chilling coldness from that smile.

This woman... is warning me!

Bai Chen gritted his teeth, feeling extremely unwilling, but he also knew that he couldn't keep this treasure today.

In the State of Zhao, no one dared to break the rules regarding the bet on elixir.

If I dare to renege on my debt, the news will spread throughout the entire cultivation world tomorrow.

When the time comes, Master will be the first to not let him off the hook.

Bai Chen took a deep breath and, with a livid expression, took out an exquisite jade box from his bosom.

The jade box was pure white and exuded a spiritual aura; it was clearly no ordinary item.

He gripped the jade box tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Here...for you!"

He almost gritted his teeth as he handed over the jade box.

Lin Fengmian didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to take it.

Bai Chen still wanted to make a final struggle, his grip on the jade box tight and refusing to let go.

But the next moment-

A tremendous force emanated from the jade box!

Bai Chen felt a strong force coming at him, and he was pulled forward and stumbled. He tripped over something and almost fell to the ground!

What incredible strength!

Bai Chen was startled, staggered to his feet, raised his head, and looked at Lin Fengmian with disbelief.

This person... isn't this person in the Qi Refining stage? How can they have such great strength?!

At this moment, the jade box was already firmly in Lin Fengmian's hands.

Lin Fengmian glanced down at the jade box, then looked at Bai Chen's disheveled appearance, and chuckled softly:

"Thank you for the Foundation Establishment item, Young Master Bai. I will accept it."

After saying that, he weighed the jade box in his hand, his face full of sincere gratitude.

"you--!"

Bai Chen felt a rush of blood to his head, his vision went black, and he swayed.

next moment--

"Bang!"

His eyes rolled back, and he fell straight to the ground, having fainted from anger.

All around was silent.

Immediately, a deafening burst of laughter erupted!

"Hahaha! Young Master Bai Chen has fainted!"

"I'm dying of laughter! I'm so angry I could faint!"

"Help! Young Master Bai Chen has fainted! Does anyone have any incense? Please let him smell it!"

Amidst laughter, several disciples of the Heavenly Pill Pavilion rushed forward and hurriedly carried Bai Chen away.

Lin Fengmian glanced at Bai Chen being carried away, shook his head, and put the jade box into his pocket.

……

The inner room of the alchemy workshop.

Yun Caiyue held Lin Fengmian's hand, her beautiful eyes filled with admiration and reluctance.

"Brother Fengmian, are you sure you don't need me to ask Grandpa to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill for you?"

She asked softly, her voice gentle and sweet.

Lin Fengmian felt a warmth in his heart when he saw her concerned expression, and reached out to pat her head.

"Thank you for your kindness, Caiyue. However, I would like to refine it myself."

Upon hearing this, Yun Caiyue did not offer any further advice.

She knew that Lin Fengmian must have his own confidence if he said that.

Moreover, the batch of medicinal herbs he just produced has already proven his strength.

"Alright then." Yun Caiyue nodded, then added, "If Brother Fengmian needs any elixirs, feel free to come to me."

Lin Fengmian smiled and agreed.

After chatting with Yun Caiyue for a while at the pill shop, Lin Fengmian got up to take his leave.

……

After leaving the pill shop, Lin Fengmian did not return directly to his sect.