Chapter 2

Elder Starfall was also momentarily stunned, as if he had heard an utterly unbelievable joke. His expression was both absurd and amused: "What did you say? You can refine Qi-Gathering Pills?"

He had thought that Su Chen would come up with some good reason to defend himself.

But after all this, it turned out to be such a preposterous claim.

Su Chen can refine Qi-Gathering Pills?

Impossible. Elder Starfall would bet his entire fortune that Su Chen hadn't even touched a pill furnace since entering the Orthodox Sect.

As for before he entered the Orthodox Sect, Su Chen was only twelve years old at the time. Even if he had learned alchemy, how many days could he have studied?

Refining Qi-Gathering Pills isn't that simple!

"Bring him a pill furnace! I want to see how he can casually refine Qi-Gathering Pills!" Elder Starfall said coldly. In his view, Su Chen's words were a complete insult to the profession of alchemists.

A person who might not have even touched a pill furnace claiming he can refine Qi-Gathering Pills?

He wanted to see how Su Chen would refine them.

Following Elder Starfall's order, two servants soon carried a large bronze pill furnace, as tall as a person, into the grand hall.

Additionally, Elder Starfall had someone prepare the materials needed to refine Qi-Gathering Pills for Su Chen.

Under normal circumstances, these materials would be worth a fortune. At this moment, Elder Starfall, in order to expose Su Chen on the spot, did not hesitate to provide them, showing his determination.

"Since you claim you can refine Qi-Gathering Pills, then refine them here in the grand hall. Let everyone see just how skilled you are," Elder Starfall said with a cold, mocking tone.

He thought Su Chen would back down.

But at this moment, Su Chen's face was calm, showing no sign of retreating. He just looked at Elder Starfall indifferently.

The coldness in his gaze made Elder Starfall pause, feeling an involuntary chill in his heart.

He didn't know why he felt intimidated by a mere disciple!

Su Chen calmly retracted his gaze and then extended his right palm, striking the pill furnace.

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The next moment!

The bronze pill furnace shook violently, and the lid, along with the residue inside, flew high into the air.

This scene made Elder Starfall's eyes twitch.

How could Elder Starfall not know that Su Chen's move was called "clearing the furnace," using the hidden strength in his body to directly clear the residue from the previous refinement.

If these residues were not completely removed, they would severely affect the next refinement, causing the next batch of pills to contain impurities, leading to failure or a decrease in quality.

However, ordinary alchemists usually use special tools to clear the furnace, and very few can do it without external assistance, using only hidden strength.

But Su Chen had done it!

Elder Starfall narrowed his eyes, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Could it be that Su Chen really can refine Qi-Gathering Pills?

No, that's impossible!

The clearing of the furnace just now must have been a coincidence.

Compared to Elder Starfall's complex mindset, the majority of the disciples present had a much simpler reaction. They didn't understand what Su Chen was doing with the clearing of the furnace.

"What is Su Chen doing?"

"Playing a trick? Hahaha..."

But Su Chen's next move immediately made them stop laughing.

Su Chen flicked his finger, and a flame shot out from between his fingers, igniting a fierce fire below the pill furnace!

This step is called "igniting the fire"!

If they didn't understand the clearing of the furnace, then this step, where Su Chen's skilled ignition technique, undoubtedly shocked them.

Even Elder Starfall showed a look of astonishment. If the clearing of the furnace could be considered a coincidence, then the ignition step was undoubtedly a genuine alchemist's skill.

When did Su Chen become an alchemist?

Without giving Elder Starfall time to think, Su Chen waved his hand and sent the prepared materials into the furnace.

Refining Qi-Gathering Pills requires six types of materials, each with a specific order and temperature. Otherwise, it could easily fail.

However, Su Chen directly threw all the materials in, completely disregarding the order!

Refinement!

Purification!

Formation of the pill!

All done in one smooth motion!

The entire process took less than two incense sticks.

Even though Su Chen had been reborn into a fifteen-year-old body, his memory was still that of a generation's alchemy emperor. Refining a low-level first-grade pill like the Qi-Gathering Pill was as easy as eating or drinking.

When everyone was still staring with open mouths, a dense white mist began to rise from the pill furnace, accompanied by the fragrant aroma of the pills.

This was a sign that the pills were complete!

Su Chen calmly extended his right palm and gently tapped the pill furnace again. The lid flew up automatically, and white jade-like pills flew out of the furnace.

The completed Qi-Gathering Pills were each the size of a longan, clear and adorable.

Su Chen casually picked up a porcelain plate to catch them. The pills fell onto the plate one by one, making a pleasant, crisp sound.

In contrast to this pleasant sound, Elder Starfall and Lu Yuan's faces were extremely ugly.

They never thought Su Chen would actually refine Qi-Gathering Pills.

"Impossible, right?"

"When did Su Chen learn to refine pills?"

The disciples present were also shocked!

They thought Su Chen was going to embarrass himself by refining pills on the spot, but he actually refined Qi-Gathering Pills.

"Let me verify it!" Elder Starfall strode forward and grabbed a few pills from the porcelain plate.

He didn't believe that Su Chen could really refine genuine Qi-Gathering Pills!

However, when he held the pills and sniffed them, Elder Starfall's face turned even darker.

With his keen eye, how could he not recognize that these were indeed Qi-Gathering Pills? Moreover, these pills were each full of color, uniform, and inviting, clearly of superior quality!

In less than two incense sticks, Su Chen had refined a batch of superior Qi-Gathering Pills!

This undoubtedly overturned all of Elder Starfall and Lu Yuan's accusations.

As Su Chen had said, if someone could casually refine Qi-Gathering Pills, why would they need to go to great lengths to steal them?

After all, the raw materials for Qi-Gathering Pills are not precious; what is precious is the skill to refine them.

"What's going on? Su Chen really refined Qi-Gathering Pills. Could he actually be a hidden alchemy genius?"

"If he can refine them so easily, it seems he indeed had no need to take such great risks to steal them?"

"Could it be that Elder Starfall really wronged him?"

Elder Starfall's face was dark. Today, he had been confident that he could destroy Su Chen's future and expel him from the sect.

But he never expected that Su Chen would refine Qi-Gathering Pills on the spot, foiling all his plans!

"How about it, Elder Starfall, are you still unwilling to admit that you and Lu Yuan were framing me?" Su Chen said calmly.

Would Elder Starfall admit it?

After all, Su Chen had no evidence to prove he was framed, and as a respected elder of the Orthodox Sect, his position could not be easily shaken by a mere disciple.

At that moment, Elder Starfall laughed coldly: "Su Chen, there are indeed some doubts about your theft of the pills. I will investigate this matter clearly! The punishment of destroying your dantian and expelling you from the sect is temporarily suspended."

"However, you have publicly defied your seniors and shown no respect. As your elder, I must still give you a small punishment! From today on, you will go down the mountain and serve as a miscellaneous disciple for one year, during which you are not allowed to practice!"