"Young Master Ye dabbles in alchemy too?" Mu Yuqing asked curiously.
She had already observed that Ye Fan possessed no cultivation whatsoever. This was consistent with what Bu Wanxiao had said previously. It was possible for someone without cultivation to venture out if they had a powerful expert protecting them in secret. However, how could someone without cultivation refine pills?
"Just a little," Ye Fan replied humbly.
"Then does Young Master Ye think there's something wrong with this Ice Jade Pill?" Mu Yuqing asked casually. She was speaking out of respect for Liang Rujing and didn't truly believe Ye Fan understood alchemy. Moreover, this was an Ice Jade Pill of the fifth tier! Refining pills was far more difficult than traditional cultivation. The sheer amount of foundational knowledge was enough to overwhelm most people! Not to mention the countless failures and attempts that followed. Ye Fan appeared to be only in his early twenties. Even if he were a true alchemy prodigy and had started cultivating in the womb, it would be a miracle if he had merely gained a basic understanding by now. How could he possibly possess knowledge of advanced fifth-tier elixirs?!
"It's not just the refining technique that's flawed with this Ice Jade Pill," Ye Fan said, sniffing the air. "If I'm not mistaken, the refiner replaced the Ice Skin Grass, which should have been used, with Bloodthirsty Ginseng."
Hearing Ye Fan speak with such conviction, Mu Yuqing finally became serious. "What would happen if that were the case?"
"Apart from strengthening ice attributes, the greatest use of Ice Skin Grass is to neutralize the potent medicinal properties of other herbs in the Ice Jade Pill," Ye Fan explained. "Bloodthirsty Ginseng is inherently slow-acting, and in pill form, it wouldn't show any immediate abnormalities. But once ingested, the dissolved medicinal power would create severe conflict!" Ye Fan glanced at Liang Rujing as he spoke. "At best, it would cripple one's cultivation; at worst, it could be fatal!"
Ye Fan's words made Mu Yuqing hesitate. Although she didn't entirely believe him, what if it were true? Or perhaps Ye Fan didn't truly understand alchemy but had encountered it before? This matter concerned her precious disciple and the hope for the Clear Heart Sect's rise, and she couldn't afford to gamble carelessly! Yet, she was also unwilling to abandon the pill outright. After all, she had put a lot of effort into obtaining it, and she couldn't just discard it based on Ye Fan's few words. Thinking this, Mu Yuqing became conflicted...
"If the refiner was simply unskilled, that would be one thing," Ye Fan continued. "But if it was intentional..." He had said enough. The properties and appearance of Ice Skin Grass and Bloodthirsty Ginseng were worlds apart. Even the most careless alchemist wouldn't confuse them. He had every reason to suspect the ill intentions of the person who refined this Ice Jade Pill! If this had happened to someone else, he wouldn't have bothered. But now that it concerned Liang Rujing, it was a different story! Ye Fan had always regarded Liang Rujing as his granddaughter. How could he stand by and watch someone try to harm his granddaughter?
"Master, I believe Ye Fan!" Liang Rujing decisively sided with Ye Fan. "If he says there's a problem with this pill, then there must be a problem!"
"Then this Ice Jade Pill..." Mu Yuqing asked tentatively, "Does Young Master Ye know how to refine it?" If Ye Fan could indeed refine Ice Jade Pills, the situation would be much easier to handle. They could then have someone else test this pill, and the truth would be revealed.
"A little," Ye Fan replied with a smile.
"May I ask what medicinal ingredients are needed for the Ice Jade Pill?" Mu Yuqing inquired. "I'll prepare them right away!" At this point, it was pointless to consider anything else. They would simply gather the ingredients and let Ye Fan try. After all, they were just fifth-tier herbs, and the loss wouldn't be significant.
"Ice Skin Grass, Exquisite Heart, Seven Jade Knots..." Ye Fan listed the herbs one by one.
"Please wait a moment, Young Master," Mu Yuqing said apologetically and sent a message using her communication jade. Afterwards, she personally led Ye Fan and Liang Rujing to the sect's best alchemy room. By the time they arrived, the herbs had also been delivered.
"Then I'll trouble Young Master," Mu Yuqing said politely and left with Liang Rujing. Alchemy required a quiet environment, and their presence would be a distraction.
Inside the alchemy room. Ye Fan glanced at the Clear Heart Sect's cauldron and decisively took out his own refined one. It wasn't for any other reason than the Clear Heart Sect's cauldron was too inferior... The difficulty of a fifth-tier Ice Jade Pill was like a simple 1+1 calculation for Ye Fan. In less than fifteen minutes, a batch of Ice Jade Pills was freshly produced.
"This is the best I can do for now..." After placing the Ice Jade Pills into a porcelain bottle, Ye Fan sighed. The most suitable pill for the Ice Heart Condensing Jade Body constitution was actually another elixir – the Ice Soul Heart. The Ice Jade Pill could only accelerate the cultivation speed of those with the Ice Heart Condensing Jade Body by about five percent. While five percent might not sound like much, it was incredibly significant for cultivators! However, the Ice Jade Pill could only go so far. The Ice Soul Heart, on the other hand, fundamentally altered the Ice Heart Condensing Jade Body constitution! Strictly speaking, the Ice Heart Condensing Jade Body was a mutated physique with inherent flaws. In the early stages, there were no apparent problems. But as the cultivator's realm increased, the amount of cold energy stored within their body would also increase! Eventually, the cultivator could be frozen to death by this internal cold! The Ice Soul Heart's effect was to fundamentally perfect this physique, completely eliminating its drawbacks. Furthermore, the Ice Soul Heart's effect on cultivation speed was far superior to the Ice Jade Pill, boosting it by an astounding thirty percent! Unfortunately, even the lowest-grade ingredients for refining the Ice Soul Heart were of the thirteenth tier, which was clearly out of reach at the moment. They could only hope to encounter it in the future. If all else failed, Liang Rujing might have to give up cultivation. However, Ye Fan felt that it wouldn't be a major issue. By the time Liang Rujing reached that level, it would be centuries or even millennia later. He had ample time.
Outside the alchemy room. "My precious disciple, you never mentioned it to me," Mu Yuqing asked slyly, "How is Ye Fan's alchemy skill?" Although Liang Rujing often spoke of Ye Fan, it was usually about trivial matters. Previously, she had assumed Liang Rujing and Ye Fan were a couple, and Liang Rujing's praise was the innocent admiration of a young girl for her lover. But after meeting him, she realized that didn't seem to be the case. Although Liang Rujing and Ye Fan appeared affectionate, there was no romantic connection. Liang Rujing's reliance on Ye Fan was more akin to that of a family member. As for Ye Fan's gaze towards Liang Rujing... Mu Yuqing wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but it felt like he looked at her with pure paternal love... like an elder looking at a junior...
"I don't know," Liang Rujing replied truthfully. "I've never seen him refine pills."
"Then why do you trust him so much?" Mu Yuqing sounded surprised.
"Mhm," Liang Rujing nodded. "I believe Ye Fan wouldn't harm me!"
"You silly girl..." Mu Yuqing sighed helplessly. As they were talking, the alchemy room door opened.
"Young Master Ye?" Mu Yuqing hurried forward. "Why are you out so soon?"
"It's finished, so I came out," Ye Fan said as he handed the small porcelain bottle to Liang Rujing. "Here, your Ice Jade Pill."
"Thank you." Liang Rujing happily accepted the small bottle, opened the cap, and took out a pill. Mu Yuqing looked closely and saw that it was indeed an Ice Jade Pill. Although she didn't understand alchemy, she knew some basic methods of identification. Just by looking at the appearance, the difference was evident. The Ice Jade Pill she had previously possessed, though also azure blue, was somewhat murky. It looked as if a layer of dust had settled on the pill's surface. However, the Ice Jade Pill refined by Ye Fan looked crystal clear. Through its surface, one could see a swirling mist within! This was one of the hallmarks of a top-grade pill! The difference was stark! Mu Yuqing was deeply shocked! Ye Fan, barely twenty years old, had actually refined an Ice Jade Pill! This was clearly impossible! How... how had he managed it...?