A voice suddenly broke through the air, bringing calm to the chaos: "I've finished refining!"
Everyone was stunned, including Wu Qigang and An Wen.
They all turned to look at the source of the voice, a very unremarkable young man.
Of course, no one knew this person was named Mo Qi.
"Finished refining what? Don't joke. You haven't even formed a pill," someone scoffed.
Mo Qi opened the alchemy furnace and took out five refined pills, which lay in his palm. They were red pills!
Everyone gasped. No way, their teachers hadn't finished yet, how could he have? Had he just randomly concocted a pill and passed it off as a Thunderbolt Pill?
Wu Qigang's face turned from green to white, his hands trembling.
If this young man had truly refined Thunderbolt Pills, where would he hide his old face?
Jin Xichuan immediately laughed, "This isn't a Thunderbolt Pill at all. Thunderbolt Pills are black."
The crowd burst into laughter as well. "I knew he was trying to pass off fakes!"
"There's no need for that. We're all new learners, why do you need to act so superior?"
"That's how you stand out from the crowd, how you get noticed."
Hearing the agreement, Jin Xichuan grew more smug. He looked at Mo Qi and said, "Got slapped in the face, didn't you? Does it hurt?"
Mo Qi ignored them and walked directly to An Wen, handing him one of the pills before pocketing the other four.
An Wen glanced at the pill but couldn't discern anything special about it.
Wu Qigang could no longer remain calm. He stopped refining, extinguished the flame, stood up, and walked over to An Wen, snatching the pill to examine it from all sides.
After a long look, he brought it to his nose to smell. His expression turned solemn!
Seeing his change in expression, An Wen's heart sank. "Is it really a Thunderbolt Pill?"
Wu Qigang shook his head. "It seems to be, yet... the ingredients are wrong!"
An Wen's eyes lit up, as if a realization had dawned. He slapped his forehead. "That's right, I remember. He never came up here. If I recall correctly, he didn't use any of these ingredients in front of me."
Mo Qi had intended to leave after giving the pill to An Wen, but seeing their confused expressions, he slowly said, "The elder's memory is indeed good. I did not use those ingredients because my formula is different from yours."
This statement was like a thunderclap, stirring up a clamor. "Who do you think you are? Daring to create your own pill formula?"
"Too arrogant!"
"Are you more skilled than the two elders?"
An Wen also laughed, "Is this guy perhaps insane?"
Wu Qigang remained solemn, but his words were laced with mockery. "We are old, and we naturally hope the younger generation surpasses us. But you, don't be so driven by ambition. If you work steadily, step by step, one day your achievements will surpass ours."
An Wen added, "I particularly dislike people who are cunning and vain."
Mo Qi listened to their sarcastic remarks, each one hitting him hard!
His heart burned with fury!
"Are there no more authoritative alchemists in this pill hall? Are they all just half-baked?" Mo Qi asked.
You show me no respect, and you can expect none from me!
The two elders were furious!
Wu Qigang rolled up his sleeves in anger. "What did you say? Say it again if you dare!"
Mo Qi thought to himself, if it comes to a fight, I'm not afraid of anyone.
He was about to repeat his words when an old man with white hair emerged from the inner chamber of the alchemy hall, followed by a young disciple.
His gaze was piercing, his expression stern, and he exuded an imposing aura without needing to show anger.
He swept his eyes across the hall, and everyone immediately fell silent.
Wu Qigang and An Wen bowed. "Supervisor Tong!"
Supervisor Tong waved his hand and looked at An Wen. "What's going on?"
An Wen pointed at Mo Qi. "This new disciple refined some Thunderbolt Pills using his own formula, and he's questioning the skill of everyone in the Pill Hall."
"Oh?" Supervisor Tong sized up Mo Qi, a displeased look on his face. "Is that truly what you think?"
Mo Qi shook his head, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly. "The Thunderbolt Pills I refined are not from my own formula, but from a very ancient one, verified by predecessors. Furthermore, I am not questioning the skill of the Pill Hall, only its judgment."
"The pills I refine are all of top-grade quality. The two elders failed to recognize their worth, calling me opportunistic, cunning, and vain. You can question me as a person, but you cannot question my pills."
Supervisor Tong took the pill from An Wen and examined it closely, then brought it to his nose to smell.
Then, a displeased expression crossed his face. He turned to the young cultivator accompanying him. "Find Bao Shuping and have him take this child away. Stop him from making unreasonable accusations and disrupting everyone's alchemy."
Xiao Wen took his leave.
It seemed Supervisor Tong also lacked discernment. The flicker of warmth Mo Qi had felt was extinguished!
He couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "May I ask, Supervisor Tong, do you represent the highest authority of the Sun Moon Sect's Pill Hall?"
Supervisor Tong replied dismissively, "Whether I represent the Sun Moon Sect's Pill Hall is not important, nor is it your concern."
He then turned to An Wen and Wu Qigang. "Continue your teaching of alchemy." With that, he turned to leave.
Mo Qi shook his head. "Fine if you don't recognize it. I don't care. No need to find Bao Shuping, I'll leave myself."
Saying this, he also prepared to exit.
At that moment, a voice boomed through the air, shaking the very building. "I'd like to see what kind of hidden master is challenging the Sun Moon Sect's Pill Hall's highest authority."
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice. A man dressed as a scholar, of middle age, strode in with an imposing presence.
Supervisor Tong, An Wen, and Wu Qigang all bowed to him. "Hall Master Zhao!"
Hall Master Zhao glanced at Supervisor Tong. "In such situations, one must have patience. Let's give him some time and examine his formula."
Supervisor Tong nodded. "Yes!"
Hall Master Zhao looked at Mo Qi. "May I see your formula?"
Mo Qi shook his head. "I don't have it written down. My formulas are all in my head. If you need it, I can write it out for you."
Hall Master Zhao produced the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone he had prepared and handed them to Mo Qi.
Mo Qi's brush moved with divine skill, and he quickly wrote out a formula, handing it to Hall Master Zhao.
Hall Master Zhao glanced at it. He found the formula simple, extremely simple.
How could such a formula possibly refine any good pills?
This was truly a colossal joke!
He was indeed just a troublemaker, and he had thought he might have encountered an alchemy prodigy!
He just hoped the boy wasn't a madman.
With this thought, Hall Master Zhao returned the formula to Mo Qi and said, "You may leave now!"
Although he didn't say it explicitly, his expression and tone clearly indicated that this formula could not refine good Thunderbolt Pills.
Mo Qi hadn't intended to argue with them, but these people, one by one, looked down on him, which was quite frustrating.
"How about this? Let Elder Wu finish refining his pill, and then we can compare the potency of his pill with mine. That will show whether my pill is effective or not," Mo Qi suggested.
"I think it's completely unnecessary," Hall Master Zhao waved his hand.
His tone and demeanor suggested that Mo Qi's pills and formula were mere dog feces!
But their expressions and attitudes had indeed angered him. It had been a long time since anyone had questioned his pills and formulas, and he was unaccustomed to it.
"Hmph," Mo Qi snorted coldly, "I hope you won't come begging me later. If that time comes, I will make you kneel and beg me."
Hall Master Zhao gave him a contemptuous look, thinking the boy was talking nonsense. He continued coldly, "Go dream about it back home. For now, please leave."
At that moment, Bao Shuping, led by Xiao Wen, walked in.
Hearing Hall Master Zhao's words, Bao Shuping stepped forward to take Mo Qi's arm. "Come, let's go out first."
Mo Qi, annoyed, yanked his arm away violently. Bao Shuping was sent flying out of the hall and landed on the ground.
After a moment of dead silence in the hall, it erupted into an uproar. Was this rebellion?
Jin Xichuan immediately stood up. "Rebellion! Rebellion! Kill him!"
The crowd was incensed and easily incited!
"Kill him! Kill him!"
Jin Xichuan even charged forward, intending to attack Mo Qi.