Martial Master

“Isn't it too early to make a decision since the competition isn't over yet?” Qin Chen smiled calmly, showing no signs of panic on his face.

Qinghong Dan Shi snorted coldly. With less than half an hour left, even if Qin Chen started refining now, it would already be too late. He had spent over half an hour just to successfully refine the Runmai Pill. Could Qin Chen really be faster than him?

“Since you say so, then let’s wait and see. I’m quite curious to know what abilities you have that could turn the tide,” Qinghong Dan Shi scoffed.

The others shook their heads in disbelief.

It was just a verbal spar, and everyone was convinced that it was impossible for Qin Chen to defeat Qinghong Dan Shi. With so little time left, even if Xuan Sheng, the Pavilion Master, took over the refining, it might not succeed.

At this moment, everyone sighed.

One had to admit that today’s competition had given them a tremendous shock. It was just a pity that Qin Chen faced an opponent like Qinghong Dan Shi. No matter how monstrous he was, he was still just in his twenties. How could he possibly compare to someone who had immersed themselves in the art of alchemy for a lifetime like Qinghong Dan Shi?

Amidst the sighs, Qin Chen, who had been inactive at the refining platform, finally made a move.

Whoosh!

A surge of dense flames suddenly erupted, the blue lotus demon fire he had previously been manipulating. The intense flames instantly enveloped the pill furnace in front of him.

The flames swirled violently, flowing rapidly around the black pill furnace, and the surface of the furnace sparkled, evidently being heated quickly.

Qin Chen actually hasn’t given up?

The crowd was astonished, with many even standing up in surprise, looking at Qin Chen in disbelief.

Did he think this was meaningful?

With only a third of an hour left until the end of the competition, it was exceedingly difficult to refine a seventh-grade Royal Pill in such a short time.

Kang Youming and the others sneered, “A dying struggle!” They felt unprecedented satisfaction at Qin Chen's seemingly reluctant actions.

On the high platform, Qin Chen ignored them completely. While heating the furnace, his right hand suddenly moved, and with a swish, like a phantom, he tapped onto a spirit herb on the refining table.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Wherever the phantom touched, the entire spirit herb instantly broke apart as if cut by a sharp blade, with neat and exceptionally smooth cuts.

“What?”

“Oh my, what did I just see?”

“This is... the Illusory Swift Splitting Technique.”

“This kid actually knows this move?”

The entire place was in an uproar, and everyone was left dumbstruck, staring blankly.

The Illusory Swift Splitting Technique was a powerful splitting skill that Qinghong Dan Shi had previously displayed. Who would have thought that Qin Chen also knew it? Was this a joke?

What shocked them even more was that Qin Chen's movements were faster and more agile. As his right hand flashed, the spirit herbs split apart in perfect unison, creating a pleasing sight. Compared to Qinghong Dan Shi's previous technique, it was clearly infused with more grace.

Everyone felt their scalps tingle, and goosebumps surged all over their bodies.

Just this move, the Illusory Swift Splitting Technique, made everyone acutely aware of Qin Chen’s terrifying prowess. He was a master no less formidable than Qinghong Dan Shi.

On the side, Qinghong Dan Shi's face turned ashen, his expression darkening to the point it seemed as if he could drip water.

Qin Chen had used the same technique as he did earlier, which was clearly a provocation. How could he not be furious? Yet he couldn’t comprehend when Qin Chen had mastered such a splitting technique. This skill was obtained by Qinghong Dan Shi over twenty years ago, and it took him twenty years of hard practice to reach mastery. Who would have imagined that Qin Chen could execute it seemingly even better? Did he start practicing right from the womb?

Facing the discussions around him, Qin Chen remained expressionless, completely immersed in refining the Runmai Pill.