Nan Sinning only smiled without speaking in response to those discussions.
Attributing an opponent’s success to luck, others’ help, or good tools is simply a refusal to acknowledge one’s own shortcomings. It’s also a refusal to face failure. To put it bluntly, it’s cowardice.
Nan Sinning began to understand why Shen Tangyuan’s attitude shifted so drastically—from initially opposing the duel to later adding prizes in support of it.
After the first round ended, there was an intermission. Nan Sinning and Xiao Jingwen both sat down to adjust their breathing and recover their spiritual power.
Shen Tangyuan allowed them to take the restorative pills he had just refined, so the results of the first round could also affect the second.
This senior brother was indeed meticulous, making the lesson far more valuable.
About an hour later, the second round began.
Before Shen Tangyuan, the two contestants wrote down the pills they intended to refine.
When Shen Tangyuan saw Xiao Jingwen had chosen a third-grade Clear Heart Pill, he wasn’t surprised at all.
But when he saw what Nan Sinning wrote, he was taken aback. “You really want to refine this pill? Among its grade, this one is considered the most difficult.”
Nan Sinning nodded firmly. “I’ve already decided, Senior Brother Shen.”
Seeing her so resolute, and himself being only a temporary judge rather than her actual senior, Shen Tangyuan felt it wasn’t his place to dissuade her further. “Then I wish you good luck.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Shen.”
Their cryptic exchange stirred curiosity among the others—what exactly was Nan Sinning going to refine?
Hua Shengqing nudged Zhou Lixing. “Third Brother, what do you think Little Junior Sister will make?”
Zhou Lixing shook his head blankly. Though he had spent more than ten days with her, she had experimented with so many pill types—some he had never even heard of—that he had no idea what she might choose.
Disappointed, Hua Shengqing turned to Qin Sangyue, who said, “I can’t guess either. I’ve never seen her refine pills with my own eyes.”
After all, when Nan Sinning refined the Great Rejuvenation Pill, Qin Sangyue had been unconscious.
Hua Shengqing felt like ants were crawling all over her heart. She wasn’t worried about her junior sister losing—she was just too curious!
But unfortunately, until the result came out, no one could know. They could only wait patiently.
Others were also discussing. The disciples of Medicine King City could roughly guess Xiao Jingwen’s choice, but when it came to Nan Sinning, they were completely in the dark:
“Fifth Brother will definitely choose a third-grade pill to guarantee his win.”
“Tch… against Nan Sinning, is it worth using a third-grade pill?”
“Heh… she managed to refine a top-quality Spirit-Restoring Pill. Can you do that?”
“…No, I can’t. But Fifth Brother can!”
“There’s no need to speculate further. Fifth Brother will win for sure. Nan Sinning’s first-grade Spirit-Restoring Pill was impressive, but how long has she even been awake? When could she have learned to refine harder ones? That pill might have just come from necessity—since Sword Peak is poor, she had to practice herself. After enough attempts, she got good at it.”
This reasoning made sense and calmed many restless hearts.
Others secretly speculated that Nan Sinning had chosen something difficult purely out of an excessive desire to win, which might easily backfire.
Soon both sides began preparing their spirit herbs and heating their furnaces.
From Xiao Jingwen’s choice of herbs and his skilled movements, many quickly concluded: “Fifth Brother really is refining a third-grade Clear Heart Pill.”
“Fifth Brother is very adept with that pill. This round is secure.”
“Huh? Why can’t I tell what pill Junior Sister Nan is making?”
“Me neither.”
“How strange. I’ve memorized the entire pharmacopeia, but I can’t recall any pill that uses those herbs.”
“Her herbs all look like low-grade ones. It can’t be a third- or fourth-grade pill. She’s already behind Fifth Brother in grade.”
…
The Medicine King City disciples whispered among themselves, their attention drawn more and more toward Nan Sinning.
But under their scrutiny, Nan Sinning didn’t panic at all. She calmly followed her own rhythm, feeding herbs one by one into her shabby little furnace.
That furnace wobbled dangerously, as if about to collapse, making hearts clench with worry.
But everyone remembered: she had just used this rickety thing to refine a batch of top-grade Spirit-Restoring Pills!
Luo Qingyao grew increasingly irritated by the chatter around her.
These disciples were useless—they couldn’t even tell what pill Nan Sinning was refining!
Her gaze also shifted to Nan Sinning, and the longer she looked, the deeper her resentment grew.
Unlike in the first round, Nan Sinning now appeared extraordinarily calm and steady, as though everything was in her control. That sight made Luo Qingyao’s heart suddenly produce a terrifying thought: could Nan Sinning actually win against Xiao Jingwen?
Her first reaction was that the idea was absurd. How could a newcomer in pill-refining possibly defeat a second-tier alchemist like Xiao Jingwen?
But once the thought arose, it stuck fast in her mind, impossible to shake off.
Others might not know, but she was keenly aware—Nan Sinning was the protagonist, the child of fate in this world, someone who couldn’t be killed no matter what!
For someone like that, defeating a side character should be effortless. In a “Heaven-Favored Hero” type of world, isn’t it normal for the protagonist to fight above their level? No matter how unreasonable it looks, it will come true!
Thinking this, Luo Qingyao couldn’t help glancing at the prize pile beside Shen Tangyuan.
Xiao Jingwen had staked three spirit herbs and the Cloud-Sky Gold-Engraving Furnace, Shen Tangyuan had offered a bottle of fifth-grade pills, and she herself had put up her treasured jeweled hairpin.
But Nan Sinning? She hadn’t wagered anything of true value—only the right to stay in a few superior guest rooms. That was basically something for nothing!
At last Luo Qingyao understood: all of this was part of Nan Sinning’s scheme.
If Nan Sinning won, she would walk away with all those treasures. If she lost, she’d merely move to slightly worse accommodations, suffering no real loss.
Moreover, since she had never studied alchemy formally, losing to Xiao Jingwen was completely expected. Her reputation wouldn’t take a hit either.
Nan Sinning had calculated everything perfectly. Truly cunning and shameless!
Luo Qingyao realized she had underestimated Nan Sinning’s nerve. To dare wager so little while aiming to take so much—this was the privilege of a protagonist who could do whatever she pleased!
Having “seen through” Nan Sinning’s plan, Luo Qingyao’s heart burned with anxiety and hatred. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Nan Sinning win and walk off with all the treasure.
So, with a thought, she quietly retrieved a magical tool from her storage ring.
Concealing it in her sleeve, she infused it with spiritual power. At once, a chilling gust swept toward Nan Sinning’s furnace.
She had always thought this trinket useless. Someone had gifted it to her just because it looked pretty and suited a girl. She never expected it would come in handy now.
Moments later, Nan Sinning felt a bone-piercing cold wind strike her. It felt as if she had been transported back to a frigid southern winter’s night. More importantly, the flame beneath her furnace flickered dangerously.
Her fire wasn’t a special flame—it couldn’t withstand such winds.
As the flame wavered, the medicinal liquid inside the furnace became unstable.
Nan Sinning focused her mind, exerting all her strength to steady the brew. But the fire dwindled smaller and smaller.
With weak fire, the herbs’ essences couldn’t be drawn out. She pushed harder, feeding more power to the flame, but it barely helped.
Then she noticed frost creeping along the ground near her furnace. Realization struck: it wasn’t her flame failing—someone was sabotaging her!
She abandoned futile struggle and immediately called out, “Senior Brother Shen! Please give me a wind-proof array plate!”
Without hesitation, Shen Tangyuan flicked his hand and threw out an array plate, covering both her and Xiao Jingwen.
Within moments, Nan Sinning’s fire grew steady again. The nearly ruined refinement process returned to order.
Relieved, she quickly refocused on her work.
Luo Qingyao, seeing Shen Tangyuan so casually toss out a fourth-grade array plate, knew her scheme was useless. Seething, she withdrew her tool, her gaze toward Nan Sinning darker than ever.
Only then did others realize something had gone wrong on her side.
Xiao Jingwen glanced up, noticed the lingering frost on the ground, and his face turned ugly.
Interfering with an opponent during a duel was a grave taboo in Medicine King City, punishable severely.
Just as Xiao Jingwen worried he might be blamed, Shen Tangyuan sent him a sound transmission: “Calm yourself. Focus on refining your pill.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jingwen understood his senior had matters under control. Relieved, he returned his full attention to his furnace.
Shen Tangyuan sighed inwardly. His junior brother was being overshadowed more and more.
Nan Sinning, the one attacked, had immediately and decisively sought his help, showing her quick mind. And after things were resolved, she returned straight to her work instead of wasting time hunting the culprit, showing she knew her priorities.
Even aside from her skill, just that composure and clarity marked her as extraordinary.
No wonder her fellow Sword Peak disciples doted on her so much.
Most people present, apart from Shen Tangyuan, Qin Sangyue, and a few stronger cultivators, didn’t understand what had happened. They only noticed she had suddenly requested a wind-proof array plate. Some sharp-eyed ones spotted frost on the ground, but no one guessed the truth. The disturbance quickly subsided.
Hidden in the crowd, Luo Qingyao exhaled slightly in relief, though bitterness gnawed at her.
But she knew: Shen Tangyuan’s array plate wasn’t just any wind-blocker. It was a fourth-grade defensive artifact, capable of blocking any interference.
He was really willing to spend that on Nan Sinning!
Her heart boiled with envy and resentment. Shen Tangyuan was curt even with her and his own junior brother, yet he treated Nan Sinning with such protection and care. Infuriating!
Why Nan Sinning? Just because she was the protagonist?
Grinding her teeth, Luo Qingyao glared at Nan Sinning’s impassive face.
The pill-making process was long, especially for higher-grade pills. Both Nan Sinning and Xiao Jingwen repeated the cycles of extracting essences and refining them, until even cultivators, who never needed sleep, were nearly yawning.
Their pace was evenly matched, neither pulling ahead. The longer it dragged on, the more impatient the crowd grew.
Finally, the crucial condensation stage arrived.
Both formed complex hand seals, striking their furnaces. Waves of energy rippled outward.
Protected by the array, the others weren’t affected.
But even now, no one could tell what pill Nan Sinning was refining.
Everyone held their breath, eyes wide, watching as the two reached this critical moment.
Suddenly, Nan Sinning’s furnace shook violently!
The alchemists’ hearts skipped a beat. Alarmed cries broke out: “Not good! It’s about to explode!”
Qin Sangyue and the others panicked, ready to rush forward and save their little junior sister.
The memory of her furnace explosion in the secret realm was still vivid and terrifying.
But Shen Tangyuan stopped them. “Do not panic. I probed with my divine sense—it doesn’t feel like an explosion. Don’t let your worry ruin her work.”