C4 I Won't Even Refine an Orange Grade Pill!

With my current abilities, why shouldn't I refine a purple-grade pill?

"I guess I'll need to invite your Sect Master to witness my pill refining. You lot probably wouldn't recognize its quality even if I succeeded," Su Ping'an stated icily.

The others scowled at his words.

"Quite the boastful claim!" Hee Wudao chuckled. "Do you even know who the Sect Master of the Pill Sect is? You dare to summon him to observe your pill crafting?"

Song Qingyuan burst into laughter as well.

"Then hand over some medicinal herbs, and I'll demonstrate the true art of pill refining."

Despite his tranquil facade, Su Ping'an was itching to wipe the smirk off the smug brat's face.

"These herbs are all top grade; you can't just handle them carelessly," Song Qingyuan said as he stepped forward, aiming to smack Su Ping'an on the head.

That was more than Su Ping'an could stand!

He swiftly clamped down on Song Qingyuan's hand, his sneer cutting through the tension. "What exactly are you attempting, Senior Brother Song?"

"You!" Song Qingyuan was suddenly paralyzed, his hand caught in an iron grip, unable to move in the slightest.

The room filled with a palpable tension. Hee Wudao scrutinized Su Ping'an from head to toe, wisely holding back from acting hastily.

"Will you provide the herbs, or shall I help myself?" Su Ping'an asked coolly.

"Do you even realize where you are? I'd think twice before acting if I were you," Hee Wudao retorted with a cold smirk.

"Junior Brother, I implore you, don't be rash!" The young junior sister beside him wore a look of grave concern.

The standoff lasted only moments.

"I'll give you the herbs. But if you fail, you're taking full responsibility for today's events."

It was then that Yang Xi, silent until now, made his way to the Pill Hall's cabinet.

"See? If you'd just agreed sooner, all this could have been avoided, right, Senior Brother?"

With a slight twist of Song Qingyuan's hand, Su Ping'an made his point. The force wasn't severe, but it was enough to cause a fracture.

"You... You little scoundrel!" Song Qingyuan, oblivious to his injury, could only spit out an insult.

"Golden Orchid, Bone Blood Flower, Three Insect Powder..." Su Ping'an gave a cursory glance at the medicinal herbs he had brought with him. These were the ingredients for the Orange Grade Blood Deblocking Pill.

"Are you trying to pull one over on us with this stuff? Orange grade? Not even dogs would bother refining that!"

"You little scoundrel! If you don't produce something today, let's see if you can even step foot out of the Pill Sect!" Song Qingyuan bellowed in anger.

Not even dogs would refine? How many in the entire Elite Wound Sect could actually craft Orange Grade pills? This was clearly an insult in disguise.

"If you're eager to witness my real skills, bring me Green Blood Grass, Golden Crow Wings, Three Cauldron Flower... Otherwise, I'm not even going to waste my time." Su Ping'an stated coolly.

"Heh, knowing you can't make a pill, now you're naming off irrelevant herbs..." Hee Wudao sarcastically clapped his hands.

"Such clever calculations, Junior Brother."

"What's the matter? A sect as grand as ours doesn't have these few herbs?"

Mid-sentence, the herbs arrayed before him soared into the air! A powerful surge of spiritual energy leaped like a dragon, then flowed like a babbling brook, gathering before Su Ping'an.

"What a farce! Refining without a cauldron is mere child's play!" Song Qingyuan scoffed upon seeing Su Ping'an forgo the cauldron.

"Who said I needed a cauldron to refine this?" Su Yang retorted with a cold laugh.

With a sizzling sound, the airborne herbs disintegrated. Su Ping'an made a slight gesture towards the void.

With a flick of his wrist, an orange pill materialized in his hand. Ancient alchemy was about natural harmony, about using the world itself as a cauldron!

So for Su Ping'an, as long as he had the herbs, crafting such a pill was as easy as rolling candy beans!

"Examine its quality. And while you're at it, if you could, hand over the Pill Sect's dog tags you wear at your waist."

Su Ping'an settled back down. The whole process had taken no more than a few breaths.

"No cauldron... refining without a cauldron..." Hee Wudao's voice trailed off, parched and disbelieving.

Senior Sister Yang Xi was equally stunned, silently holding the pill in her hand, too spellbound to utter a word.

"It's fake! Hmph! You think I can't see through your tricks?" Song Qingyuan scoffed and stepped forward, eager for a closer look at the pill, only to have Su Ping'an firmly grasp his arm once more.

"Senior Brother, you've been quick to call me a little bastard over and over. Do you really think I, Su Yang, am that easygoing?"

No sooner had he spoken than Su Ping'an struck with force, landing a palm on the youngster's hand with a resounding "Bam!"

A surge of power hit like a biting cold wind, and streams of Spiritual Energy invaded his body like venomous snakes.

"Puff!"

Song Qingyuan spat blood, glaring at Su Ping'an with venomous eyes.

"You dare... lay a hand on me?!"

"Speak another word, and I won't hesitate to send you off," Su Ping'an said with an icy smile.

Though they were Pill Sect disciples, their skills were no less than their peers. With just one move, Su Yang had made Song Qingyuan cough up blood, and Hee Wudao figured he'd likely fare no better...

Contemplating this, Hee Wudao sensed there was something peculiar about Su Ping'an and decided it was best not to provoke him.

"This is the Pill Sect's Pill Card. With this, you'll have free access throughout the Pill Sect, and no one will bar your way," Yang Xi said as she approached, offering her own card to Su Ping'an.

Her expression remained frosty, as if someone still owed her money.

"Much appreciated. Since Senior Sister has shown such respect, I'll consider the issue of Senior Brother's insults resolved!" Su Ping'an chuckled heartily.

The following day, Su Ping'an dutifully observed the sect's daily rituals. He began with morning prayers at the ancestral hall, spent the afternoon with the new disciples at the martial arts field, and concluded by meeting the current leader of the Elite Wound Sect, Yang Qingtian.

"My daughter has told me of your profound talent in alchemy. I now wish to take you on as my personal disciple. Do you accept?" Yang Qingtian said, fixing Su Ping'an with a look that brooked no argument at the grand assembly.

Do I even have a choice?

They call it being a closed-door disciple, but in truth, he's just eyeing my alchemy techniques.

Su Ping'an scoffed inwardly, yet outwardly, he accepted with feigned excitement.

This geezer seems to be at the early stages of the Other Shore level. If it came down to a fight, I wouldn't be the least bit scared.

The head of the Pill Sect is also the leader of the Elite Wound Sect, and his name is Yang. It's clear that after Yang Xi returns, she'll likely spin a tall tale.

But none of that matters.

What's crucial is securing the treasures from the herb garden in the days ahead, and while I'm at it, I need to find out what riches lie beneath Green Cloud Mountain.

With time on his hands, Su Ping'an spent an entire week scheming until one day, a knock at the door signaled he might have found his answer.

"Are you Su Ping'an?"

The man who arrived was towering and broad, nearly filling the doorway.

In the dim light, I could make out a face as stern as a thunder god's, with thick hair, resembling a wild man, glaring at me through flared nostrils.

Behind him, just outside in the yard, stood a familiar figure—Song Qingyuan.

Clearly, they were here to stir up trouble.