“Qin Zhou, you’ve made up your mind to compete with me,” Qi Ruiming asked.

“Yes, let’s compete.”

Qi Ruiming gave him a deep look before addressing the crowd: “Then we shall have you all bear witness.”

“As a pill master, I naturally carry my spirit-forged pill furnace when traveling. Qin Zhou, where is your furnace?”

“I use the Qin family’s furnace.”

Qi Ruiming’s expression darkened at this suggestion.

The Qin family’s furnace?

The Qin family’s furnace was a lifeless object devoid of any spiritual energy. Did Qin Zhou dare challenge him using an ordinary furnace? Was he looking down on him? Utterly arrogant!

Qi Ruiming was displeased, but with Wen Jue watching, he had to suppress his resentment. He consoled himself that an ordinary furnace wasn’t necessarily bad—only a crushing defeat for Qin Zhou could restore his dignity.

Elder He Wenfeng witnessed this and found himself unable to intervene. This youth was impulsive. If Qin Zhou dared accept this challenge, even if he lagged behind Qi Ruiming in alchemy, he must have other tricks up his sleeve.

But if he stopped him now, Qi Ruiming would surely blame him later for cutting off his chance to soar to the heavens. Moreover, he might also offend this elder and the Qin family.

Best to simply observe how things unfolded.

He Wenfeng lowered his gaze, silent.

“Qin Zhou…” With numerous cultivators present, Qin Haishan maintained his composure, merely clearing his throat as a gentle reminder.

Are you really going to compete?

Qin Zhou nodded.

He really would compete.

Qin Haishan knew he couldn’t stop him. The son before him was steady and confident—he trusted him.

Most importantly… losing wouldn’t be the end of the world.

With that thought, Qin Haishan smiled. “I’ll have someone bring you the pill furnace from the shop.”

Qin Zhou: “Alright.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

While waiting for the furnace, Wen Jue couldn’t help but approach Qin Zhou and ask—

“What’s the wager?” His tone was laced with sarcasm, as if he weren’t asking about the stakes but rather questioning Qin Zhou’s sanity.

Qin Zhou: “We’ll discuss it after the duel.”

Wen Jue was flummoxed: “…”

Meanwhile, Lu Xiao and Jiang Huan, perched in the ginkgo tree, fell into deeper silence upon witnessing this scene.

“First time I’ve seen anyone talk to Uncle Wen like that and still be alive…” Lu Xiao muttered.

“Jiang Huan, I was right, weren’t I? Uncle Wen really has his eye on a pill refiner—one from the lower realms, and his cultivation is only Qi Condensation Stage 2.” Lu Xiao could hardly believe it.

Qi Condensation Stage 2! Rounding up, that’s still practically a mortal.

Jiang Huan replied dispassionately, “Master, not everything can be tied to romance. Senior Wen and Qin Zhou aren’t behaving intimately—they’re at most friends.”

“Tsk.”

Jiang Huan remained expressionless.

But inwardly, he thought: What’s there to talk about?

He truly couldn’t fathom why the esteemed Master of the Demon Sect was so preoccupied with love and romance.

The righteous sects had failed to overthrow the Demon Sect all these years—they really should reflect on themselves.

After a short wait, the Qin family’s alchemy furnace arrived.

Qi Ruiming’s furnace was also brought out. Unlike the Qin family’s lifeless furnace, his emitted a faint spiritual glow the moment it was unveiled.

“Ingredients… do we have them?” Qin Zhou asked.

Qi Ruiming paused, hesitating before nodding. “…Yes.”

“The Qin family has no more Spiritual Heart Fruits,” Qin Zhou stated. He had already refined them all.

“Your alchemical materials differ. How shall you compete?” Wen Jue narrowed his eyes. “I suggest…”

“Senior, I have the materials,” Qi Ruiming cut him off.

A vein throbbed on Wen Jue’s forehead.

“Senior, since I proposed this contest, I shall provide Qin Zhou’s alchemical ingredients.” Qi Ruiming produced his own second-tier Spiritual Heart Fruit. “This second-tier Spiritual Heart Fruit can refine alchemical pills up to the second tier. Of course, there’s also the risk of furnace explosion. Qin Zhou, dare you refine it?”

Qin Zhou took it silently from his hand. “We can begin.”

Wen Jue couldn’t stop him. He simply couldn’t.

Qin Zhou would certainly not lose, yet Wen Jue sensed something off about him.

To anyone watching, this contest seemed childish.

Oh well…

Wen Jue thought, It’s just a token prize! If he wins, I’ll give him a treasure. Perfect timing—he still had ten Spirit Marrow stones tucked away. Giving them away now wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The alchemy contest finally commenced.

Both Qi Ruiming and Qin Zhou approached their tasks with utmost seriousness: mixing the formula, grinding the ingredients, and finally rolling the pills.

Though Qi Ruiming didn’t believe he’d lose, he remained intensely focused on impressing Wen Jue.

Qin Zhou was even more engrossed; once he got into his zone, he wouldn’t hear anyone calling him.

The courtyard gradually fell silent.

“Master, who will win?” The two perched in the tree chirped on.

“I don’t know,” Lu Xiao replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Judging by cultivation alone, Qi Ruiming has a slight edge. But I don’t know much about alchemy.”

“Master, we’re running out of time,” Jiang Huan reminded him.

The laws of the realms bound them—upper realm cultivators couldn’t linger too long in the lower realm. Having arrived unprepared, their divine souls were already severely depleted.

“Here.” Lu Xiao pulled a Core Stabilizing Pill from his robe and pressed it into Jiang Huan’s hand. “Uncle Wen gave it to me.”

Jiang Huan: “…”

Munching on the candy beans, Jiang Huan suddenly asked, “Who refined this Core Stabilizing Pill?”

Lu Xiao: “My Uncle Wen doesn’t know alchemy.”

Well then…

Both pairs of eyes turned toward Qin Zhou, who had begun lighting the fire beneath his alchemy furnace.

Qi Ruiming was completely absorbed in his own furnace, paying little attention to Qin Zhou. Instead, the standing elder of the Yaoyue Sect grew increasingly uneasy the longer he watched Qin Zhou.

Whether it was his pill-rolling technique or his control of the furnace’s heat, there seemed to be nothing to fault—it was even… near-perfect.

He Wenfeng couldn’t help but wonder inwardly: Could Qi Ruiming truly win?

Soon, one hour passed, then another.

The flames beneath Qi Ruiming’s furnace still burned fiercely, while Qin Zhou had already finished.

Noticing the commotion, Qi Ruiming’s eye twitched. He glanced over, expecting to see Qin Zhou’s furnace explode.

But alas.

A golden light burst forth from beneath the lid Qin Zhou had lifted, shooting straight into the sky—

The pill was complete.

Golden light—at least one was of rare quality.

A rich aura of spiritual energy wafted out from the alchemy furnace.

Qi Ruiming’s fingertips trembled beneath his wide sleeves. The fragrance of the Spirit Heart Fruit now flooding his nostrils felt like poison, seeping into his lungs and tearing his heart apart.

Unable to see the pills within Qin Zhou’s furnace, Qi Ruiming fixed his gaze intently on Qin Zhou’s face.

That face showed no ripple of emotion—no joy, no surprise, nothing. As if the pills’ success was merely an expected outcome for him.

That was a precious second-tier Spiritual Pill!

How could he remain unmoved?

Just as Qi Ruiming opened his mouth, Wen Jue’s gaze locked onto him. It seemed to ask: Did you win?

Qi Ruiming fell silent, slowly lowering his head.

He had lost.

In terms of alchemy furnaces, Qin Zhou’s was inferior to his. In terms of time, Qin Zhou produced pills earlier. In terms of pill quality… Qi Ruiming looked at his own furnace before him, his eyes darkening. He had never once refined a precious second-tier pill. “Ten precious second-tier spirit pills. “ Wen Jue counted the pills Qin Zhou had produced.

Qi Ruiming heard this and was stunned.

Ten pills…? From one furnace…?

Then, he gave a bitter laugh.

He really had underestimated his opponent.

”It seems this contest is over,” Wen Jue said.

“Not yet,” Qin Zhou countered. “Let’s wait for his pills.”

The entire courtyard fell deathly silent.

Any discerning observer could see Qin Zhou had won. There was no need to wait for Qi Ruiming to produce his pills.

Was Qin Zhou deliberately humiliating him? Wait for pills? Even if he produced them, they wouldn’t compare!

Qi Ruiming clenched his fists in fury. “I concede. There’s no need to open the furnace.”

“Senior, Qi Ruiming accepts defeat.” Bowing to Wen Jue, Qi Ruiming turned and walked away.

He Wenfeng froze at the sight, but ultimately didn’t pursue him.

Qi Ruiming could afford to throw a tantrum, but he couldn’t.

Watching Qi Ruiming storm off in a huff, Qin Zhou gazed at his retreating figure and remarked only, “The furnace hasn’t even been opened yet. How can you know your refinement isn’t of rare quality?”

“Without even the courage to open the furnace, how dare you claim to compete with me?” Qin Zhou shook his head disapprovingly, disliking the other’s youthful impulsiveness.

Of course, judging by age alone, the other wasn’t likely much older than him.

“Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality—if one cultivates only the body, not the heart, what kind of Dao can they possibly attain?”

Qin Zhou’s muttered words were not loud, yet they fell precisely into the ears of those present.

He Wenfeng couldn’t help but glance at him several times, then looked at the still-burning alchemy furnace Qi Ruiming had left behind.

Suddenly, he thought: both the Qin family in the future and this Qin Zhou lad would go further—far beyond the Yaoyue Sect.

This trip today has been well worth it.

“Qin Zhou, take over his furnace. Don’t let those alchemical materials go to waste,” Wen Jue suggested. He had just realized that Qin Zhou, currently at the second stage of Qi Condensation, would need second-tier Spiritual Pills for every breakthrough until he reached Foundation Establishment.

Since the materials were already used, there was no point in wasting them.

Qin Zhou shook his head. “No need to take over. The pill is already formed. Just extinguish the fire in half a quarter of an hour and have someone retrieve it.”

Indeed, that furnace contained precious-grade Spiritual Pills. Though the quantity was meager and insufficient for victory, refining such Pills was proof of a pill master’s skill.

It was a pity its pill master lacked the courage to wait for it, to open it.

“Father, take the elders of the Yaoyue Sect to the guest quarters. I’ll tidy up and join you shortly,” Qin Zhou said.

Qin Haishan was stunned by this series of events. Hearing his son’s words, he finally found his voice. “…Alright.”

Qin Haishan wondered inwardly why his son hadn’t introduced this person… ahem.

Well, it wasn’t urgent.

Qin Haishan left with He Wenfeng, and the courtyard suddenly felt empty again.

A few more leaves drifted down from the ginkgo tree.

Wen Jue approached Qin Zhou, clearing his throat. “Qin Zhou, since you won the contest, these ten Spirit Marrows are yours.” With that, Wen Jue pulled a small pouch from his robe.

The palm-sized pouch contained ten Spirit Marrow.

Qin Zhou stared at him, not reaching out to take it. “What brings you here today?”

“…Just wandering around.” Wen Jue pressed the pouch into his hand. “This is Spirit Marrow. A single piece can revitalize an entire mountain peak, sustaining its spiritual energy for a hundred years.”

“Change the wager.” Qin Zhou picked up the pouch but placed it back in Wen Jue’s hand.

For the first time, Wen Jue couldn’t get rid of a gift. His face immediately darkened. “You’re haggling? You dare haggle over the reward I’m offering you?”

“What reward? Isn’t that for the challenger to decide? If he says you can be his Pill Apprentice, you agree. But when I suggest changing the reward, that’s unacceptable?” Qin Zhou looked at him.

The mosaic still glared at him.

But that didn’t stop his gaze from piercing through all illusions, straight into Wen Jue’s eyes—

It was the first time Wen Jue had seen such an aggressive look in Qin Zhou’s eyes.

Determined, cold, intensely aggressive. Like a hawk in the sky, leaving him nowhere to hide under that sharp gaze.

But Wen Jue wasn’t just anyone.

His caution stemmed from Qin Zhou’s secrets.

But beyond that, what was one Qin Zhou?

Wen Jue’s gaze grew icy. Just as he opened his mouth, a hand landed beside his face.

The sudden proximity instantly shattered the chill Wen Jue had just gathered around himself.

“What are you doing?” Wen Jue cursed inwardly. He had truly let his guard down around this Qin Zhou brat!

“Claiming my prize,” Qin Zhou said, his hand now fully pressed against Wen Jue’s cheek.

Wen Jue flinched slightly.

He hadn’t dodged at first, and later, he couldn’t find another chance to escape.

Carrying the scorching heat from Qin Zhou’s palm, fingers with thin calluses slowly traced his right cheek, awkwardly gliding past the narrow corner of his eye, touching his brow, then moving to his straight, handsome nose.

A faint tingling sensation spread from the tip of his nose, burrowing deep into his heart.

Finally, the fingertip came to rest precisely between his lips.

Qin Zhou had never studied bone-reading. Even with this simple touch, he couldn’t imagine Wen Jue’s appearance.

But he knew the face beneath the mosaic must be beautiful—so beautiful it would make the world pale in comparison.

“Why can’t I see it?” Qin Zhou seized the moment to ask.

Wen Jue snapped back to reality and abruptly slapped his hand away. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

Qin Zhou lowered his hand.

He didn’t believe it.

It was impossible that Wen Jue was unaware of the mosaic’s existence.

He’d assumed the illusion on Wen Jue’s face affected everyone, but it turned out to be targeted solely at him.

That’s why he’d chosen to touch it directly.

Even if it meant risking a slap from Wen Jue—the kind that would send him coughing up blood.

Qin Zhou stood waiting for a moment, but instead of Wen Xianjun’s slap, he only saw her back as she stormed off in a huff.

Of course, before leaving, Wen Jue didn’t forget to toss the pouch containing the Spirit Marrow at him, smacking it hard against his head.

Qin Zhou didn’t dodge and took the blow.

It hurt.

Picking up the fallen Spirit Marrow and tucking it into his robe, Qin Zhou suddenly felt an inexplicable emotion well up inside him.

The wind brushed his face, bringing a hint of clarity.

“I’ve lost my mind, too.”

“Competing over pills? Utterly childish.”

He said it.

But he felt not a shred of regret.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

At that moment, both figures atop the ginkgo tree were utterly dumbfounded.

Qin Zhou touched Wen Jue’s face!

What was the difference between that and petting a tiger’s rear?

And he was standing there completely unscathed!

“Jiang Huan, I told you…” Lu Xiao’s face was aglow with excitement. His intuition hadn’t failed him.

“Master Sect Leader, stop. Otherwise, we’d better start thinking about how we’ll die once Senior Wen snaps out of it and realizes we saw that scene.”

Lu Xiao’s excitement vanished instantly.

“…For my father’s sake…” Lu Xiao trailed off, unsure if his father would intervene this time.

They truly hadn’t wanted to see it.

They truly didn’t want to.

Watching Qin Zhou’s figure slowly retreat into the house, Jiang Huan felt a weight settle in his heart.

He never imagined Lu Xiao’s words would prove so accurate this time.

A man like Wen Jue—he actually had a weakness.

Though hard to believe, but…

This time, when the righteous path faced the Demon Sect, perhaps they might stand a chance.