I'm invincible once I descend the mountain; the beautiful CEO is forcing me to get our marriage

Upon hearing this, the entire banquet hall fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone's breath caught in their throats for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, as if a ladle of cold water had been poured into boiling oil, the crowd erupted in chaos.

"Crimson cloud pattern? Did I hear that right? The legendary crimson cloud pattern?"

"Could the extraordinary phenomena of the past few days have been triggered by the birth of this elixir?"

"My God... if this is true, then the value of this pill..."

Just as everyone was discussing and being shocked, a shrill laugh broke the fervor.

Li Chengde suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with disdain and sarcasm:

"Dan Yunwen? Elder Jiang, you're getting old, your eyesight isn't what it used to be. Don't let some charlatan deceive you!"

He took a few steps forward, positioning himself so that everyone could see him, and raised his voice even higher, with a strong sense of inflammatory rhetoric.

"Dan Yun only exists in ancient books and legends; no one in this world could possibly refine it! It's nothing but a cheap trick!"

Li Chengde surveyed the entire scene, his gaze sweeping over the hesitant martial artists.

"Fellow practitioners, you are all outstanding members of various prestigious families and sects, with extensive knowledge and experience. Are you really going to be fooled by such crude tricks of the martial arts world?"

He pointed to Ye An, who was quietly drinking tea in the corner, his voice filled with jealousy and contempt:

"How could some unknown brat possibly refine the Divine Pill of the Cloud Realm, a feat even my Li family ancestors never witnessed?!"

His words were very effective.

Whispers began to circulate among the initially excited crowd.

"What Young Master Li said... seems to make sense."

"Yes, the Dan Yun pattern is too incredible. I have never heard of anyone in the world having seen it before."

"The Li family is a family of alchemists, so Young Master Li's words carry considerable weight."

The wind direction inside the venue began to become subtle.

Seeing that he had swayed people's hearts with just a few words, a confident smile appeared on Li Chengde's face.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

He wanted to trample that guy surnamed Ye underfoot in front of everyone, ensuring he would never be able to rise again.

"Today, I will show you all what true alchemy is!" Li Chengde announced proudly, his voice echoing throughout the banquet hall. "I will refine pills in front of everyone! This will expose those charlatans who hide their true colors!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several attendants behind him immediately carried up an ancient and heavy three-legged alchemy furnace.

The alchemy furnace was dark red all over, with intricate flame patterns engraved on it. As soon as it appeared, a wave of heat rushed out.

"It's the Li family's 'Mysterious Fire Heart-Refining Furnace'!"

Among the crowd, an elderly man with discerning eyes exclaimed in surprise, "It's rumored that this furnace can increase the success rate of pill refining by 30%; it's a rare and invaluable treasure for alchemy!"

"To be able to witness Young Master Li using the Mystic Fire Heart-Refining Furnace to refine pills is truly a great opportunity today!"

"That's right! This is far more valuable than auctioning any 'miracle pills' of dubious origin!"

Hearing the praise and exclamations from those around him, Li Chengde's vanity was greatly satisfied.

He glanced contemptuously at Ye An in the corner, his eyes seeming to say: See? This is true prestige! This is the orthodox way of alchemy!

"Young Master Li!"

A middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes and looking like a wealthy merchant suddenly stood up. He held up an exquisite jade box with both hands and said loudly with a fawning expression:

"I have a three-hundred-year-old snow lotus here, which I wish to offer to the young master for alchemy! I only ask that after the pill is completed, I may receive one of its blossoms!"

These words seemed to have flipped a switch.

"I'm willing to offer a hundred-year-old fire-repelling Ganoderma lucidum!"

"I have deep-sea pearls that can help Young Master Li stabilize his furnace fire, I only ask for a small portion of the elixir!"

"I have some here..."

In no time, there was a surge of responses.

Countless people, carrying their own treasures, rushed to Li Chengde, hoping to exchange their medicinal herbs for a chance to befriend the Li family and, incidentally, obtain a medicinal pill.

In the blink of an eye, Li Chengde was surrounded by all kinds of rare medicinal herbs and natural treasures, glittering with precious stones and overflowing with spiritual energy.

He stood in the center of the crowd, surrounded by admirers, enjoying unparalleled glory.

"Haha, as expected, my glory is ultimately superior."

This scene formed a stark and glaring contrast with Ye An, who was ignored in the corner.

Jiang Yu'er was a little nervous. She subconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes and looked at Ye An beside her.

Jiang Xiaotian remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. He simply looked at Ye An with a questioning gaze, as if waiting for his instructions.

Ye An, however, remained calm and composed.

He didn't even glance at Li Chengde, his gaze sweeping with interest over the rare and precious materials that everyone was praising, as if he were scrutinizing something.

Li Chengde selected several of the most precious medicinal herbs from a pile of treasures, cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, then took a deep breath and placed his palms on the alchemy furnace.

True Qi surged.

He began refining elixirs.

Ignition, temperature control, purification of the medicinal liquid, blending of medicinal properties...

His series of movements were skillful and fluid, drawing cheers from the lay martial artists, who all praised him as a worthy successor of a family of alchemists.

Flames rose within the alchemy furnace, and a medicinal fragrance began to permeate the banquet hall.

However, compared to the pure medicinal fragrance of the Peiyuan Pill that was refreshing and intoxicating, this smell seemed much more mixed and mundane.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Li Chengde's forehead. Clearly, controlling the Xuanhuo Mirror Heart Furnace and refining so many high-grade medicinal materials at the same time was quite taxing for him.

Time passed little by little.

"Freeze!"

Finally, with a loud shout from Li Chengde, he slammed his palm down on the alchemy furnace!

"Buzz—"

The furnace lid shot skyward, and a pill the size of a longan, entirely crimson, flew out of the furnace, accompanied by a wave of heat, spinning as it went.

A hint of joy flashed in Li Chengde's eyes. He reached out and caught the pill in his palm, holding it high.

His face was full of arrogance as he loudly proclaimed to the entire audience:

"Superior grade 'Crimson Sun Pill'! It can help martial artists at the Transformation Realm to improve their internal strength and solidify their foundation! This pill represents the pinnacle of alchemy in this era!"

"Excellent pill!"

"As expected of a descendant of the Li family! His technique is divine!"

Praises arose from all sides.

Li Chengde looked smugly at Ye An in the corner, his eyes filled with the utmost provocation.

However, amidst the chorus of praise, an elderly man with white hair and considerable prestige in the art of alchemy looked at the pill in Li Chengde's hand, gently shook his head, and let out a barely perceptible sigh.

"Unfortunately, it is only of high quality, still a long way from being a top-grade pill."

Although the sound was soft, it clearly reached the ears of several Celestial Realm experts nearby.

The smile on Li Chengde's face froze slightly because of those words.

At this moment, Ye An, who had been sitting quietly, finally put down his teacup.

He stood up.

A calm voice, yet it resounded clearly throughout the entire venue.

"Too many impurities, overcooked, and poor technique."

"So many rare medicinal herbs, and you've turned them into a worthless pill."

"What a waste of resources."