The Supreme Martial King Shocking All Realms Chapter 4 - 3: Willing to Accept Defeat in a Bet?_1

Nothing fueled Yang Chen's self-assurance more than the art of alchemy. During his previous incarnation, he was celebrated as the Peerless Genius of the Dan Dao, possessing a talent for concocting pills that eclipsed everyone else in the realm. Only a handful of ancient immortals in the alchemical world could even hope to stand on equal footing with him.

To someone of his caliber, facing a First-Order Intermediate Dan Master was no different than picking on a helpless infant.

In truth, he was indeed bullying Yang Heng at this moment, though Yang Heng remained blissfully unaware, convinced that Yang Chen was merely seeking his own destruction.

“As for the rules of our duel, we shall follow the standard procedures for an alchemy showdown,” Yang Heng remarked with an air of indifference. He then gestured to his side, “Xiao Hui, you explain the details.”

Receiving his master's command like a prized reward, the servant Xiao Hui stepped forward and declared loudly, “In a formal alchemy duel, the victor is determined by three factors: the quality, the quantity, and the physical appearance of the produced elixirs.”

“Did you catch all 그?at?” Yang Heng asked, looking at Yang Chen as if he were worried the boy couldn't grasp simple instructions. “Since there is a wager involved, let’s do this properly. I won’t take advantage of you. We will refine the ‘Reverting Bone Pill,’ which is the most basic of all First-Rank Elixirs. The winner will be decided by the final count, grade, and luster of the pills!”

“That is fine with me,” Yang Chen replied, agreeing without the slightest hesitation.

The Reverting Bone Pill was indeed the simplest First-Rank Elixir to craft. A single pill allowed a martial artist in the Body Refining Realm to feel mentally sharp and refreshed. It was common practice for those in the Body Refining Realm to consume one before a battle to ensure their focus and efficiency were at their peak.

The Body Refining Realm served as the foundational stage of martial cultivation. It was categorized into nine distinct levels, with a significant gap in strength between each one.

Currently, Yang Chen had not even reached the first level of the Body Refining Realm.

Conversely, Yang Heng had already attained the second level of the Body Refining Realm despite his youth, marking him as a premier genius among those who had not yet reached adulthood.

Yang Chen held total confidence in refining a basic Reverting Bone Pill. Turning to Gu Mingyue, he asked, “Mingyue, where is my pill furnace?”

“You... Young Master, did you forget? You lost your ancestral ‘Purple Elegance Dan Furnace’ in a bet with the Wang family,” Gu Mingyue whispered, her fair face flushing with embarrassment as she spoke.

A wave of mocking laughter erupted from the surrounding crowd upon hearing her words.

Yang Chen’s eyebrows twitched as he searched his memories, realizing that this shameful incident had indeed occurred.

Shrugging it off, Yang Chen said, “In 그?at case, a standard pill furnace will suffice.”

Though Gu Mingyue was reluctant to see Yang Chen compete, she had no choice but to retrieve a very common pill furnace from her storage ring and hand it over.

“I must say, Yang Chen, you’ve already gambled away your family’s Purple Elegance Dan Furnace, and now you intend to challenge me with that piece of junk? What are your odds of winning?” Yang Heng sneered. “However, this Young Master won’t bully you. Since you are using a common furnace, I shall use an ordinary one as well to keep the match fair.”

His gesture wasn't born of pity; rather, he was certain that even with identical equipment, Yang Chen stood no chance of victory.

“Suit yourself,” Yang Chen replied nonchalantly.

As soon as the words left his lips, he gripped the furnace lightly and balanced it upon his palm.

Typically, a mediocre alchemist or a novice would utilize a small, palm-sized furnace, as they lacked the skill to manage anything larger.

“A single set of ingredients for the Reverting Bone Pill will be used. The winner will be judged on quantity, quality, and appearance. Let the duel begin!” Yang Heng’s servant shouted at the top of his lungs.

Despite his current poverty, Yang Chen still possessed enough basic resources to provide a single set of materials for the pill.

He dug through his low-grade storage ring, pulled out the necessary herbs for the Reverting Bone Pill, and tossed them into the furnace with a swift motion.

“He’s throwing in the ingredients before even starting the fire? What a complete amateur,” several servants mocked. Having witnessed their master refine pills countless times, they found Yang Chen’s technique laughable.

Ignoring the jeers, Yang Chen finished placing the materials and then used ‘Fire Control Wood’ to spark the flames.

‘I grew so accustomed to using my own innate spirit flame in my past life that adjusting to this Fire Control Wood is proving to be a bit of a nuisance,’ Yang Chen mused while carefully regulating the temperature.

Mastery over the flame was the most vital aspect of alchemy.

To put it simply, it was the art of heat management.

The final grade and number of elixirs produced were inextricably linked to how well the heat was maintained.

Beyond heat control, one had to meticulously adjust the proportions of the melting materials as the elixir began to take shape. This stage was equally vital; any mistake would lead to a drastic drop in the pill's potency and quality. It was a process that demanded extreme attention to detail.

Because of this, the path of an alchemist was heavily dependent on innate talent and mental clarity.

However, these intricate steps were burned into Yang Chen’s soul.

His manipulation of the fire and his adjustments to the mixture were performed with flawless precision.

Gu Mingyue, who had seen Yang Chen fail at alchemy many times before, stared with wide, blinking eyes, her expression a mix of shock and anxiety.

She could see that the Young Master was no longer being careless. His movements and the sequence of his refining appeared far more sophisticated than ever before. The way he controlled the flames and his intense focus while balancing the ingredients were entirely different from his past attempts.

‘Is it possible that the Young Master achieved some sort of alchemical enlightenment after his suicide attempt?’ Gu Mingyue wondered as she watched him closely.