Shen Yuan Ring

Ye Fan and Ji Daoyi, carrying the Qi-Nourishing Pills they had refined, walked step by step toward Dan Daozi.

Below the high platform, they all bowed to Dan Daozi.

Ye Fan was in an exceptionally cheerful mood throughout his journey, his joy evident in his words.

His already handsome face now shone with an unusual radiance due to his inner excitement, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, forming a big smile.

Anyone who glances at him can easily tell that the Qi-Nourishing Pill he has refined this time is definitely of high quality.

All these emotional changes naturally did not escape Ji Daoyi's sharp gaze.

He simply watched Ye Fan silently, taking in every move the other made. Ji Daoyi knew perfectly well that Ye Fan's elation stemmed from his confidence in the Qi-Nourishing Pill he had refined, and his belief that victory in this competition was already his for the taking.

Perhaps in Ye Fan's eyes, Ji Daoyi had absolutely no chance of defeating him.

That's why Ye Fan displayed such strong confidence without any scruples, leaving himself no way out.

However, Ji Daoyi did not show off too much, so that others could see anything.

Facts speak louder than words. Rather than being flamboyant, it's better to be reserved and give elders the impression of being composed and calm in the face of adversity. At the same time, it can also give all the onlookers an unexpected surprise.

However, Ye Fan was completely immersed in his own world at this moment. Ji Daoyi's silence and indifference were like a stagnant pool, without any ripples. This made Ye Fan subconsciously think that the quality of the Qi-Nourishing Pill he had refined was poor, which was why he was like this.

So when the two approached, Ye Fan made a gesture that seemed to indicate he had the upper hand. This provocation was like a gentle breeze on a lake to Ji Daoyi, causing no ripples. He remained calm and composed.

Seeing that Ji Daoyi remained unmoved, Ye Fan was like a deflated balloon, instantly becoming weak and powerless.

Ye Fan sneered inwardly: "Hmph, I hope you can remain so calm and composed after you know the outcome of this competition. I want to see how you will still have the face to stay in the Pill Hall."

"Ji Daoyi, thank you for gifting us brothers 500,000 gold stones. I also thank you for helping me improve my alchemy skills. Hahaha..." Ye Fan's extremely arrogant appearance seemed to be declaring to everyone that he was the one who would win this competition.

"Oh, really? We haven't even had a chance to compete with each other in terms of Qi-Nourishing Pills yet. How do you know you won't be the one who loses? Be careful not to let your joy turn into sorrow; you might not be able to bear the consequences."

Ye Fan pointed his right index finger at himself like a sword, and asked with a disdainful look, "I would lose?"

"Let me tell you, I refined a total of eight Qi-Nourishing Pills for this competition! Six of them are of high quality, and the remaining two are just a hair's breadth away from reaching the high quality."

Ye Fan's voice was as loud as a bell, and everyone present could hear it clearly.

"Tell me, what makes you think you can beat me?"

Ye Fan was as arrogant as a peacock, barking at Ji Daoyi.

"Although Ye Fan's arrogant demeanor makes people grit their teeth in hatred, it has to be said that with his achievements, he certainly has the right to be arrogant. Winning against this outsider is already a foregone conclusion!"

"Who can argue with that? His grades would be among the best of the inner disciples."

"Ye Fan is about to soar to the heavens and reach the clouds!"

"I should have placed a bet too! Oh, I've missed out on such a windfall, I really regret it!"

Hearing the compliments from those around him, Ye Fan was quite pleased, looking smug, and then he cast a provocative glance at Ji Daoyi.

Ji Daoyi fell silent again, looking at the jade bottle containing the Qi-Nourishing Pill in his hand.

Ye Fan wondered to himself, could it be that Ji Daoyi was so shocked by the quality of his Qi-Nourishing Pill that he dared not utter a sound?

He couldn't help but fan the flames again, saying, "What, are you so scared that you don't dare to reveal the Qi-Nourishing Pill you've refined?"

"If you don't have the guts, you can just admit defeat, crawl between my legs like a dog, and then yell at the top of your lungs that you're a piece of trash!"

As Ye Fan spoke, he placed his right foot firmly on the step, as if it were an insurmountable mountain, just waiting for Ji Daoyi to crawl between his legs.

Looking at the arrogant Ye Fan, and then at the steady Ji Daoyi, Dan Daozi thought to himself, "Ji Daoyi is definitely up to no good! Otherwise, why would he pretend to be weak and frail when he could have just shown his results and defeated Ye Fan directly?"

"Ye Fan is really in a bad situation! If he had restrained himself a little, even if Ji Daoyi had won the competition in the end, he wouldn't have fallen into such a bottomless abyss with his performance today!"

Although Dan Daozi saw through Ji Daoyi's scheme, he did not intervene to stop it from happening.

After all, as the notary in this contest, he must remain neutral, not favoring either side, and certainly not helping either of them!

In fact, that was exactly what Ji Daoyi was thinking at that moment. You have to understand, he was a person of great importance!

Although he was new to Zhongzhou, he was like a lone goose separated from its flock, all alone and without any help.

However, how could he remain indifferent after being humiliated like this by Ye Fan and his group? He had to retaliate appropriately no matter what!

He wasn't going to take the hits passively. He needed to fight back, but he couldn't be too aggressive in this unfamiliar place, because that would offend even more people.

The best approach is to show weakness.

If one or two people could speak up for him and criticize Ye Fan, then the mud he had thrown at Ji Daoyi would be washed away without any effort.

As expected, Ji Daoyi's capable teammate, Cheng Ke'er, was the first to step forward and speak up for him.

"Ye Fan, don't push your luck! The fight isn't over yet, and Ji Daoyi hasn't even revealed his Qi-Nourishing Pill. How do you know he's lost!"

"The elder has not yet spoken, so how dare you overstep your bounds? Do you not respect the elder as a witness?"

Cheng Ke'er's thunderous voice was like a sharp sword piercing Ye Fan's heart, making him tremble all over. Although he was arrogant, he was not arrogant enough to dare to offend an elder-level figure.

“Cheng Ke’er, don’t spout nonsense. When have I ever disregarded the elders? I was just reminding Ji Daoyi not to waste everyone’s time.”

"Ke'er, stop talking. I didn't want to make this a big deal, but since Ye Fan is being so aggressive, I have no choice but to fight back!"

After speaking, Ji Daoyi gently opened the jade bottle and poured out all the Peiyuan Pills as if pouring out fine wine, placing them on the tray.

"Elder, I was very lucky this time! I was blessed by the heavens and performed exceptionally well, managing to refine nine Qi-Nourishing Pills, each of which was of the highest quality."

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan was struck dumb, the bright light in his eyes vanished instantly, and he felt as if he had fallen from heaven into an abyss!