Li Qian’s eyes were fixed on Zhang Ergou’s next move.
When Zhang Ergou had finished selecting and then re-pairing the medicinal ingredients, Li Qian suddenly understood.
The person who had set the challenge had not tampered with it overtly, but in a far more concealed manner. Li Qian also opened the three sets of medicinal ingredients before him.
As expected, he discovered the source of the problem.
At the same time, Li Qian felt a growing sense of danger. The young man in the black robe was so familiar with medicinal ingredients; his alchemy talent was likely no less than his own.
Silently, Li Qian had already designated Zhang Ergou as his competitor.
The subsequent refining process became much smoother. After re-pairing the medicinal ingredients, Zhang Ergou proceeded step-by-step to refine the third-grade Soul Returning Pill.
For this pill refinement, he employed the same technique he had used when refining the Spirit Replenishing Pill previously.
Upon the formation of the pill, he did not immediately open the furnace to retrieve it. Instead, he made the pill furnace spin rapidly in the air, ensuring the formed pill received even heat.
When the pill furnace in front of him finally stopped steadily, he opened it and indeed saw nine nine-patterned pills lying quietly within.
Zhang Ergou knew then that his method was not wrong.
The reason for his lack of success before breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage was not that this method was unfeasible.
It was that his divine soul was too weak to support him in controlling the pill furnace to spin rapidly after completing the pill refinement, while also managing the spiritual fire.
After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, this shortcoming was quickly remedied.
Now, his divine soul was strong enough to be split into two. Simultaneously controlling the spiritual fire and the pill furnace was naturally not a problem for him.
With a relaxed expression, he placed the nine pills into a jade bottle and casually put it on the teleportation array.
Zhang Ergou then closed his eyes to rest, preparing for the subsequent assessment.
Having refined pills twice in succession, it was not a significant expenditure for him at present. However, as the assessment progressed, the grade of the pills refined would certainly increase.
This would require more divine soul power. With the remaining time, Zhang Ergou circulated his cultivation technique to replenish his divine soul.
Although his storage ring contained a large number of pills, including Soul Returning Pills to replenish the divine soul, cultivation could not only restore the divine soul.
It could also deepen his familiarity with this cultivation technique.
Each time he cultivated this technique, Zhang Ergou felt his spiritual sense become stronger than before.
This was far superior to simply consuming Soul Returning Pills.
After all, cultivating the divine soul for the enhancement of spiritual sense was permanent.
Zhang Ergou’s completion of the refinement was immediately noticed by Dan Feng and the others, as these prominent figures had been watching Zhang Ergou’s every move.
On the high platform, only about a dozen people remained, and every action they took was observed.
When Zhang Ergou once again became the first to refine a third-grade Soul Returning Pill so quickly, the square erupted in lively discussion.
Seeing Zhang Ergou place the pills on the teleportation array and then close his eyes to rest, Dan Feng nodded in approval.
“This kid has a good temperament, not arrogant, not impetuous. He’s a promising alchemy seedling.”
A peak master beside him clearly shared Dan Feng’s sentiment.
This time, almost none of the nine peak masters objected. Everyone had witnessed Zhang Ergou’s composure.
Steady and measured, he showed no arrogance despite his previous achievements.
Such a situation was rare in young people.
“So young, and yet more composed than this old man. Isn’t this little fellow’s cunning a bit too deep?”
Everyone was stunned and hastily turned their heads.
They naturally recognized the voice of the elder.
The elder’s tone was calm, even critical of Zhang Ergou’s performance.
This was not the alliance leader they knew. Although he rarely showed special attention to any young person, this was the first time they had heard him comment on a young person in such a way.
“Alliance Leader, what do you mean by that?”
Dan Feng frowned, looking at the elder in the center with some confusion.
The elder’s face showed no expression, neither happy nor sad, making it even more impossible for them to decipher the meaning behind his evaluation of Zhang Ergou.
“Hmph, have you all lived these past few hundred years in vain?”
The elder swept his gaze calmly over the nine peak masters, and each of them felt a chill.
The various peak masters involuntarily lowered their heads, not daring to meet the elder’s gaze.
However, Dan Feng still looked up at the elder.
“Do not be deceived by this brat. I ask you, what grade alchemist were you at your age?”
This question was clearly directed at Dan Feng.
Dan Feng answered without hesitation: “Reporting to the Alliance Leader, I was also only a fourth-grade alchemist at that time.”
Although his words carried humility, one could not help but detect a hint of pride in them.
“Look, at your age now, you are so impatient. Now look at that little fellow.”
The elder showed no mercy to Dan Feng, directly exposing the hidden pride in his words. Dan Feng’s face flushed.
However, he still followed the elder’s pointed finger and looked at Zhang Ergou.
“If it were you back then, could you have managed to remain so calm after refining a nine-patterned ultimate grade Spirit Replenishing Pill?”
The elder continued to ask.
“No.”
Dan Feng replied honestly.
Let alone being unable to do so in the past, even now, after refining a nine-patterned ultimate grade pill, he would be excited for a long time.
Of course, the grade of the nine-patterned ultimate grade pills he refined was naturally higher.
After all, he was an eighth-grade alchemist through and through.
“Then, have any of you ever seen such a calm young person?”
As he said this, the elder glanced at the other peak masters again.
The nine peak masters each furrowed their brows. It seemed their alliance leader was different today, as if he were subtly guiding them.
“Alliance Leader, are you saying that that little fellow is strange?” a peak master was the first to realize.
The elder cast a look of appreciation at him but said nothing further, allowing the nine peak masters to speculate amongst themselves.
The seed of doubt had been sown, and now it was left to grow.
Some things were better left unsaid outright.
As expected, after the peak master spoke, the other peak masters began to recall Zhang Ergou’s performance over the past few days.
Earlier, in the duels, Zhang Ergou had displayed extraordinary prowess beyond his years.
Moreover, he had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage before the age of thirty.
He was also a formidable alchemist. These achievements, for a young man, were almost impossible.
And with the elder’s subtle guidance, the peak masters now found Zhang Ergou’s composure to be somewhat excessive.
If any single one of these circumstances had appeared in a person, it would not have aroused particular suspicion.
However, when all these were superimposed onto one young man.
It was difficult not to feel a sense of doubt.
The peak masters exchanged glances, and a thought flashed through each of their minds: “Could this little fellow have been possessed by some old monster?”
The elder observed everyone’s expressions.
He said nothing more, but a faint smile played on his lips.