BXBX NOVEL Chapter 36 - 36: Self-Abandonment?
Upon hearing Fang Lin’s words, Lu Jiuhe almost spat a mouthful of blood onto his Green Rock Cauldron.
Fang Lin looked at Lu Jiuhe’s ashen face, feeling smug inside. He continued, “The workmanship is mediocre, yet your Green Rock Cauldron doesn’t look too bad, Lu. I wonder how it compares to my Golden Flame Cauldron?”
Lu Jiuhe chose not to speak. Disgruntled and envious feelings were all that remained in him.
Elder Zhou, unable to bear it, coughed and said, “Enough. Please, don’t waste time. The competition has already started.”
With that, the necessary herbs were brought over to both of them.
Suppressing his anger, Lu Jiuhe was intent on venting his fury through the competition. He began the pill refining process without further ado.
Underneath the Green Rock Cauldron, a grand blaze broke out. Before the Pill Furnace got heated, he separated the herbs according to their ratios, placing them aside for later use.
The audience turned their attention towards Fang Lin, becoming somewhat puzzled.
They saw Fang Lin sitting quietly without showing any signs of starting his process, even closing his eyes slightly.
“What’s Fang Lin up to? There’s only six hours, and the Blood Coagulation Pill isn’t easy to refine.”
“Maybe, he doesn’t know how. He probably feels anxious right now.”
“Elder Brother Lu has already prepared his herbs. The outcome of this competition is already clear.”
Lu Jiuhe glanced at Fang Lin, expecting him to be unnerved by his own impatient pace, and was surprised to see that Fang Lin hadn’t even started. A cold smile formed on his face, boosted his morale.
“Although the Blood Coagulation Pill isn’t top-tier, it’s one of the more challenging pills among the lower-tier ones to refine. I don’t believe you, Fang Lin, could compete with me.” Lu Jiuhe thought with growing confidence. As his Pill Furnace heated thoroughly, he moved the first herb into the Pill Furnace.
Fang Lin remained quiet, appearing as if he was deep in meditation.
Elder Zhou on the stone platform was a bit puzzled. What exactly was Fang Lin up to? Six hours was a seemingly short time. If Fang Lin lagged behind, he was afraid that there might not be enough time for him to refine the pill.
Before they knew it, two hours had elapsed, and Fang Lin hadn’t made a move. Many were starting to think that Fang Lin had fallen asleep.
Meng Wuyou and Mu Yan, who stood in the distance, exchanged worried looks. Meng Wuyou’s face was grim, as if he was itching to push Fang Lin into action. “What’s he up to? Is he still in this or not?” voiced Meng Wuyou, dripping with anxiety.
Mu Yan slightly furrowed her eyebrows. “He might have his own plans. Let’s just wait and see. He doesn’t seem to be panicking.”
Meng Wuyou was so flustered that he was almost hopping on one foot, saying,
“Two hours have passed. If he doesn’t start now, it will genuinely be too late.”
Mu Yan shook her head, signaling Meng Wuyou to calm down. Now, Fang Lin was all they could rely on.
Lu Jiuhe had already dumped all of his herbs into his Pill Furnace. As he closed the lid, and the flames roared, wisps of white smoke billowed from the furnace.
Lu Jiuhe’s face was filled with happiness. Watching Fang Lin sitting still made him exceptionally pleased.
In the crowd, Lu Xiaoqing had her small fists tightly clenched, silently worrying for Fang Lin.
Kang Lu and a few official disciples stood together. Although their wounds was still fresh, their eyes were filled with resentment. “I’m done watching. This is pointless.”
“Seriously, Fang Lin is just making a fool out of himself.”
“For someone incompetent, he loves showing off. He’s making a spectacle of himself.”
One by one, people began to leave. At this moment, Fang Lin finally opened his eyes.
“It’s about time,” Fang Lin muttered, standing up casually, his gaze burning with composure.
“Look, Fang Lin is finally moving.”
“Four hours have already passed by now. It’s probably too late.”
“What was he doing earlier? Was he really sleeping?”
Seeing Fang Lin getting ready to make a move, those who were about to leave halted and decided to watch a bit longer.
With a scornful smile on his face, Lu Jiuhe remained confident. Given the circumstances, it was practically impossible for Fang Lin to make a move.
Elder Zhou sighed slightly. Despite his high hopes for Fang Lin, he had to admit the situation did not look favorable.
Unless he was a top-ranked pill refiner, there was merely a fifty percent chance of him being able to refine the pill within the remaining time.
Under the attentive gaze of the crowd, Fang Lin stretched lazily, as if he had just woken up from a good nap.
The crowd was speechless. Had Fang Lin genuinely been sleeping earlier?
Lu Jiuhe’s grin spread wider. He was on the verge of bursting into laughter.
After warming up, Fang Lin opened his pill furnace. Then, he did something that left everyone dumbstruck.
They saw Fang Lin directly pour all his herbs into the Pill Furnace without lighting a fire or distributing the herbs according to their ratios.
All were stunned. Was Fang Lin out of his mind or had he given up?
Even pill apprentices who had never refined pills were shocked. Was this really how you refined pills? Without starting a fire or measuring the herb proportions?
Lu Jiuhe burst into roaring laughter, displaying pure contempt on his face. In his opinion, Fang Lin looked like a complete amateur who knew nothing about-pill refining. Who dumped all the herbs into the furnace right from the
Elder Zhou coughed a couple of times. Fang Lin’s wild behavior stunned him, catching him completely off guard.
“Has this lad given up on himself?” From afar, Meng Wuyou’s face was filled with disappointment as he sighed.
Mu Yan didn’t utter a word. She was unable to make sense of what Fang Lin was doing. It seemed that he had indeed given up.
“Such a shame, a genius who turned out to be so fragile.”
“What a waste. Although he lost to Lu Jiuhe, if he had persevered for a few more years, he would have been successful.”
“Fang Lin is simply ridiculous.”
Ambient derisive remarks and laughter reached a crescendo.
Fang Lin ignored them all. He slapped the Furnace lightly, and flames sprouted from beneath the furnace.
No sooner had the flames appeared than Fang Lin sat on the ground, quietly waiting once again.
Blissfully unaware, six hours flew by. A fragrant smell emanated from Lu Jiuhe’s direction indicating his pill was almost completed, while Fang Lin’s furnace emitted an odd scent.
“Elder Brother Lu’s pill is almost ready.”
“The fragrance is so rich. It is likely to be of medium quality.”
“Given the reputation of Elder Brother Lu, medium quality should be expected.”
As everyone was praising Lu Jiuhe, Fang Lin stood up again, his eyes fixed on the Pill Furnace.
Bang!!!
Suddenly, Fang Lin threw a palm forcefully onto the top of the Golden Flame Cauldron with extreme precision.
As soon as the first palm landed, the second one followed and then a third one! Three continuous palms hit the same spot. The blazing flames surged as a strange wave emanated from inside the furnace..