Bai Shuying was exhausted from practicing alchemy the entire day. She made her way to the alchemy class. When she entered the class, disciples were already there, excitedly discussing a topic. Bai Shuying went to her previous seat.
She was approached by Xiao Yunxi, who spoke cheerfully. "Shuying, did you hear Ye Mingyue challenged someone to an alchemy duel?"
When Bai Shuying heard this, her lips twitched, and she responded in a low voice. "Yeah, I heard about it. Is it not happening today in class?"
So that sharp-eyed girl's name is Ye Mingyue.
Xiao Yunxi did not notice Bai Shuying's behavior and said, "Whoever was challenged by Ye Mingyue, I feel bad for them. She's not a good person; she gets very jealous of women who are prettier and more talented than her."
Bai Shuying curiously asked, "Other than that, do you have any other information about Ye Mingyue?"
Xiao Yunxi thought for a moment and said, "Well, she's the disciple of Elder Mo, who teaches the dual cultivation course and has a junior brother named Xiao Wuji."
After Xiao Yunxi finished speaking, Elder Lan walked in and said, "Okay, quiet down and take your seats."
All the disciples took their seats and waited for him to continue speaking.
Elder Lan continued, saying, "A disciple contacted me to be a referee in an alchemy duel, so I scheduled the duel to happen today in class."
Normally, a duel would need the consent of both parties, but Elder Lan's hands were tied behind his back. The person who issued the challenge was a personal disciple of an inner Elder at the late-stage nascent soul realm, while the challenged disciple was a new disciple of the sect. Elder Lan did not want trouble, so he did not care about it and wanted to get it over with.
Elder Lan prepared two cauldrons at the front and loudly said, "Ye Mingyue and Bai Shuying, come to the front."
Ye Mingyu walked to the front confidently, while Bai Shuying sighed and walked to the front. Xiao Yunxi's jaw dropped slightly, and she looked at Bai Shuying blankly.
Bai Shuying took her seat at the front facing the other disciples, but she did not focus on them. She waited for Elder Lan to speak.
Elder Lan calmly looked at the two girls, then faced the class and said, "For this duel, they would need to create a spirit grade pill. The kind of pill will be up to them. You may begin, you have an incense stick of time."
Ye Mingyue began to take out four ingredients from her spatial ring and confidently said, "I'll be refining the body supplement pill."
This impressed all the disciples while Xiao Yunxi looked worried. When she saw what Bai Shuying was doing, she became stunned.
Bai Shuying took out spiritual grass from her spatial ring and shyly said, "I'll be refining a qi replenishing pill."
The entire room fell into silence. Bai Shuying felt the gaze of everyone and looked down, opening the cauldron and placing her spiritual grass inside.
Elder Lan's eye twitched. "Cough, you two focus on refining, went the incense stick finish burning, the duel will end."
Elder Lan took his seat and waited like the other disciples.
Bai Shuying ignored everything around her and started to refine her pill. Ye Mingyue glanced at Bai Shuying and scoffed.
Hmph, what could she have learned in a day? I can just imagine her face twisting in sadness from losing. Hahahaha! Luckily, it will be done in front of everyone I need to make sure Su Meilin knows.
Ye Mingyue purposely challenged Bai Shuying because she knew Bai Shuying was a new disciple who had started learning alchemy. She could already imagine her victory.
Time went by, the incense was halfway finished the disciples and Elder Lan watched the two attentively. Most already knew Ye Mingyue, but they only knew a few things about Bai Shuying. Elder Lan was impressed by Bai Shuying, who had her eyes closed as if in extreme focus.
Look at that concentration, I wonder how good the pill she refined will be?
Ye Mingyue started to sweat a little, noticing how calm Bai Shuying was as she refined her pill.
Impossible! How can this newbie not feel anxious or worried?
Xiao Yunxi smiled and clenched her fist, cheering for Bai Shuying on the inside.
Come on! I know you can do it, Shuying!
Elder Lan looked at the incense stick that burned out and loudly said, "Time's up, present your pills."
Ye Mingyue opened her cauldron a faint purple mist was released. Using her qi, she levitated the pill into the air soon a small purple pill went to Elder Lan's hand. Elder Lan pinched the pill. He examined the outside, then, using his finger, he scraped a piece of the pill on his finger, then licked it with his tongue and smacked his lips.
After a moment, he said, "Good! A body supplement pill with 64% purity."
The disciples started to clamor with amazement. Ye Mingyue puffed her chest with pride.
Elder Lan looked at Bai Shuying and said, "Disciple Bai, please present your pill."
Bai Shuying showed no movement. Elder Lan raised an eyebrow and went close to her. Soon, he heard the faint even breathing of Bai Shuying, and his eyebrow twitched.
Don't tell me?!
The others all waited with anticipation. Elder Lan looked around, clenched his fist to his mouth using qi, he performed a fake cough. "Cough!"
Bai Shuying felt a bell go off, stood up in attention, and loudly said, "Yes!"
The room became silent. Bai Shuying looked around drowsily and remembered she was in an alchemy duel.
Ye Mingyue was stunned.
What composure?! She was just asleep.
Xiao Yunxi shook her head, trying to suppress her laughter.
Scratching her cheek, she opened her cauldron; unlike Ye Mingyue, nothing special happened. Bai Shuying picked up a green pill and handed it to Elder Lan.
Elder Lan took the pill and repeated what he had done previously to test the pill. After a moment, he said, "Qi replenishing pill 40% purity."
When Xiao Yunxi heard this, she deflated, and Ye Mingyue beamed with joy. The rest of the disciples whispered.
"See told you Ye Mingyue was going to win."
"I wanted her to lose."
Elder Lan loudly said, "The winner of this alchemy duel is…"
Before he could finish, Bai Shuying interrupted him timidly.
"Hmm, Elder…Lan, I have another…pill."
Elder Lan stopped and looked at Bai Shuying, who picked up another pill from her cauldron and presented it to him.
The room became silent again.
Elder Lan's eyes widened, and he asked, "Did you produce two pills?"
Bai Shuying nodded her head.
Elder Lan continued, "With one stalk of spiritual grass?"
Bai Shuying nodded her head again and said, "I had some leftover and I didn't want to waste it, so I made two pills."
Elder Lan did not know what to say and grabbed the green pill, repeating his testing method.
Elder Lan's eyes widened in shock, and his hands twitched as he held the pill, speaking in a hesitating voice. "Qi-Qi replenishing pill 9…90% purity!"
Gasps of shock spread throughout the room. Xiao Yunxi covered her mouth with her hand while Ye Mingyue's jaw dropped in disbelief.
She pointed at Bai Shuying and urgently said, "Elder Lan, she must have cheated, there's no way a newbie could refine such a pill!"
Bai Shuying innocently looked around, not understanding what was happening.
Elder Lan took a moment to collect himself and said, "No, there was no cheating. Disciple Bai must have used most of the spiritual grass to refine this pill, while the previous one was the residue left over."
Elder Lan, with a complicated look on his face, looked at Bai Shuying and announced, "The winner of the alchemy duel is Bai Shuying!"
The room resounded with applause.
Bai Shuying did not understand what was so shocking, but smiled brightly at her victory. She expressed her gratitude to Elder Lan for being a referee and judge.
"Thank you, Elder Lan."
Elder Lan smiled at her politeness. Bai Shuying turned to the confused Ye Mingyue and stuck out her hand, saying, "It was a good match."
Ye Mingyue's face soured, feeling she was mocked, she slapped Bai Shuying's hand and said, "You must have cheated! This isn't over."
She stormed off.
Bai Shuying rubbed her sore hand and sat next to Xiao Yunxi.
Xiao Yunxi said with concern, "Is your hand okay?"
Bai Shuying smiled and replied. "It's fine."
Xiao Yunxi could not help but ask, "How did you offend Ye Mingyue?"
Bai Shuying sighed, "I don't even know how I offended her. I didn't even know her name until now."
Xiao Yunxi was stunned, then laughed for a while. Seeing this, Bai Shuying pouted.
Xiao Yunxi smiled and thought for a moment and said, "It could be cause you are close with Senior Sister Su."
Bai Shuying was surprised. "Huh?"
Xiao Yunxi explained. "Well, Ye Mingyue is jealous of women who look better than her and are more talented."
Bai Shuying felt annoyed. "Just because of that, she made a huge fuss."
Xiao Yunxi scratched her cheek and said, "Well, it could also be due to her master."
Curious Bai Shuying asked, "Oh, why is that?"
Xiao Yunxi was surprised. "You don't know?"
Bai Shuying innocently shook her head.
Xiao Yunxi explained. "Her master was a candidate to be the sect leader, but lost to the current sect leader, Senior Sister Su's master."
Bai Shuying replied, "What? So that was it."
Bai Shuying felt disappointed since that was the reason. She wanted something more interesting.
…
The outcome of the alchemy duel, Ye Mingyue's loss, spread through the Yin-Yang Sect. Ye Mingyue stayed in her residence, biting the nail on her thumb, frustrated at her loss.
"How did I lose? How could she win?"
The door to her room opened, and when Ye Mingyue saw the person who opened it, she froze.
Mo Xingyu was frustrated by her failed attempts to find Xiao Bai was walking around until she heard the whispers of the disciples around her.
"Hey, did you hear? Ye Mingyue challenged someone to an alchemy duel and lost."
"No way! She lost."
"To top it off, it was a new disciple who was a beginner in alchemy."
The disciples chatted and laughed. Their laughter grated on Mo Xingyu's nerves, making her more annoyed.
She snorted and walked towards Ye Mingyue's room. When she opened the door, she coldly looked at the haggard girl biting her nail. She coldly said, "Useless!"
Ye Mingyue shivered at her master's words and tried to defend herself. "M-master, that girl cheated!"
Mo Xingyu did not care and coldly said, "Does it matter if she cheated or not? You lost!"
Ye Mingyue was stunned.
Mo Xingyu did not bother about her and said, "Who cares about this little girl? I need you to do something for me."
Ye Mingyue felt bitter inside at her master's attitude, but still nodded her head. Mo Xingyu tossed her a book and said, "Find me the author of this book."
Ye Mingyue looked at the book Love in the Ashes and curiously asked, "Master, why do you want to find the author?"
Mo Xingyu turned around, only leaving a few words behind. "Stop asking questions and just do it."