Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

To Liu Yuchan's surprise, Ye Chen agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"That's right. I'll help you concoct the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill in exchange for your Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow. How about it?"

The moment he spoke, the entire Treasure Pavilion fell dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

After a long pause, a series of deliberately suppressed chuckles broke the silence.

The Shopkeeper sized up Ye Chen with an odd expression. "Sir, do you not know who Alchemist Liu is?"

"You dare claim you can help him concoct a pill that even Alchemist Liu himself can't create?"

Elder Chen, who had been about to leave, stopped in his tracks and turned to look back at Ye Chen, his gaze cold.

"Such shameless boasting."

Ye Chen's voice was young.

'In his eyes, this was just another arrogant youth, ignorant of the world's vastness. The words that came out of his mouth were utterly laughable.'

"You want to help me concoct the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill?"

Liu Yuchan looked equally astonished. He stared intently at Ye Chen. "Are you aware that even I have failed to concoct this Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill over a dozen times?"

"Three entire batches of medicinal ingredients have been completely exhausted, and I still haven't succeeded!"

Yet, Ye Chen replied in all seriousness, "That's only because your technique is far too crude."

"A pill like the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill isn't difficult to make. In fact, it's extremely easy to master. Once you grasp the basic method, you'd have to try to fail."

"The fact that you've failed a dozen times in a row... I can only suspect your technique is the problem."

At these words, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!"

"He is the personal disciple of the Pill Sect's Hongyu Pill Venerable! The number one prodigy of the Alchemy Dao in all of Lei Province, Liu Yuchan!"

"You should think long and hard about what you just said! Aren't your own words a slap in the face?"

Elder Chen's face darkened with anger. He had never seen such a brazen young man, daring to criticize Liu Yuchan's Alchemy Skill to his very face!

'Isn't this like teaching a fish to swim?'

Even the ever-smiling Shopkeeper couldn't help but wear a strange, mocking expression.

'Does this guy think the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill is a dime a dozen?'

'Even Liu Yuchan failed to concoct this pill so many times! He still hasn't succeeded to this day!'

'Where on earth did this kid get the confidence to say the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill isn't hard to make?'

"You're saying there's a problem with my technique?"

Liu Yuchan's face turned ashen with rage.

This was the first time he had been so brazenly questioned and disparaged by an outsider in his own field of expertise. For a moment, he found it impossible to remain composed.

"That's right."

Ye Chen nodded lightly. "If you are willing to learn, I could teach you the technique to concoct the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill."

"It will cost you the Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow, however."

"Fine... Fine!" At these words, Liu Yuchan laughed, seething with rage.

"In all of vast Lei Province, unless my own master were to come in person, the man who could instruct me—Liu Yuchan—in the Alchemy Skill has yet to be born!"

"I'd like to see just how you plan to teach me the Alchemy Skill!"

"It's only a bit of Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow. If you can actually impress me, what harm is there in simply gifting it to you?"

After speaking, as if afraid Ye Chen wouldn't believe him, Liu Yuchan directly retrieved the Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow from his Storage Ring.

It was a transparent bottle containing a milky-white liquid that filled it halfway, sloshing gently.

The liquid seemed to be Spiritual, periodically coalescing on its own before rapidly dispersing again.

As it dispersed, a crimson radiance would erupt from within the liquid, making it look exceptionally brilliant and magnificent.

'It really is Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow!'

Ye Chen recognized it with a single glance; the Spiritual Object in Liu Yuchan's hand was the very Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow he had been searching so desperately for!

'Once I get the Crimson Cloud Spirit Marrow, all that will be left is the Abyssal Sacred Orchid!'

'Ye Chen felt he was one step closer to successfully concocting the high-grade Five Elements Pill.'

"Just find me a place for Alchemy, and I can teach you the true Alchemy Skill right now."

Ye Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone indifferent.

This haughty attitude thoroughly irritated Liu Yuchan!

Even his own master, the Hongyu Pill Venerable, was full of praise for his talent in the Alchemy Dao.

'What right did this nobody have to lecture him?'

"Hmph! We have an alchemy chamber right here in the Treasure Pavilion, and all the ingredients are present. Why don't you give us a little demonstration right now?"

"But if you fail to concoct it, you will be barred from ever setting foot in the Treasure Pavilion again."

"The Treasure Pavilion does not welcome charlatans who only talk big and go around swindling people."

Elder Chen snorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I have no objection." Ye Chen nodded, his expression tranquil.

Soon, led by Elder Chen, the group arrived in a back room of the Treasure Pavilion.

An enormous alchemy cauldron stood there, with scorch marks on the floor beneath it.

"Kid, the ingredients are all here. I'm waiting for your little show."

Liu Yuchan's gaze was glacial. He stepped to the side, deciding not to interfere with Ye Chen.

Ye Chen said no more. He ignited the Flame, and the cauldron's temperature rose rapidly.

Then, he dumped all the ingredients into the cauldron at once.

"What?"

"The Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill has an extremely cold, yin-natured medicinal effect! Using a high flame is bad enough, but you actually dumped all the ingredients in at once?"

"How is that supposed to create the interlocking chain reaction needed to accumulate the yin-cold effect, condense the ultimate yin-cold energy, and allow the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill to form?"

Elder Chen's heart ached as he watched. "To think that such fine ingredients would be wasted just like that! Kid, you'll have to pay for this!"

Liu Yuchan, however, remained silent, his expression a mixture of shock and uncertainty.

As he watched Ye Chen's movements, which seemed to possess a deceptive, primal simplicity, a flash of understanding passed through his mind.

'His technique is certainly strange, completely different from the conventional method for concocting the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill.'

'But he couldn't bring himself to refute it in the slightest!'

'The man's technique was simply too fluid, too natural! Even though it defied all logic, it felt irrefutable!'

The glimmer of the Flame cast shadows on Ye Chen's figure, making the bamboo hat on his head seem all the more mysterious and dark.

From beneath the hat, a pair of profound eyes silently observed the scene.

"Pill complete!"

Finally, after an unknown amount of time had passed, Ye Chen gave a sharp cry.

A rich medicinal aroma suddenly filled the entire Treasure Pavilion, instantly drawing the gazes of Liu Yuchan and Elder Chen.

"This... This is..."

As Ye Chen lifted the cauldron's lid, an aura of ultimate yin and cold radiated from the batch of pills!

The wave of heat from beneath the cauldron was completely overwhelmed, leaving everyone utterly stunned.