Gavin White sensed her father watching her and quickly looked away, while Evan Yang withdrew his gaze in confusion and turned to the stage. After Old Sect Master Brandon White greeted everyone one by one, he smiled and said, "I trust everyone knows why we're here today, right?"
"Of course," everyone replied in unison.
"Good, then we'll have a fair duel. Let's see if both of you use the same refining method. Strange Alchemist, you must ensure you're using the method he taught you," Brandon White said.
"I’ll definitely use what he taught me. If I deviate even a bit, may Heaven strike me down," the Strange Alchemist declared.
Brandon White nodded, then had people prepare two sets of ingredients and two identical furnaces. Everything was exactly the same. The two of them stepped forward, and the Strange Alchemist shot Evan Yang a cold look and sneered, "Just wait for your doom."
"Let me show you what incompetence really means—blaming others when you can't learn anything yourself." Evan Yang shot back. Even before the duel started, the two were already at odds. Everyone around was familiar with Evan Yang; after all, he'd just won first place in pill refining, and now he was competing again. The crowd was eager to see if his skills were truly as miraculous as rumored.
Brandon White watched from the side, wanting to see what pill-refining techniques this so-called Saint Pill refiner possessed.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the two began step by step, everything exactly the same. The Strange Alchemist moved like Evan Yang’s mirror image, not making a single mistake.
But after several hours, when both finished, their processes seemed identical. To everyone present, it looked like the Strange Alchemist had learned Evan Yang’s pill-refining technique—though no one knew if the results would be the same.
Brandon White then had the cauldrons opened. Evan Yang’s contained over sixty top-grade pills, astonishing everyone. The Strange Alchemist frowned, and when his cauldron was opened, it held nothing but a pile of blackened, scorched, and burnt medicinal scraps.
"The result is obvious, isn't it? Did I cheat you? Everyone saw for themselves," Evan Yang said.
The Strange Alchemist had paid close attention to the whole process. Evan Yang really did use the same method as him, every step identical. But why did Evan succeed while he failed? The question nagged at him.
At this moment, Gavin White spoke up: "Everyone saw it for themselves. Strange Alchemist, do you have anything else to say?"
Brandon White smiled. "It’s a miracle—being able to refine so many top-grade pills with this method. It’s perfectly reasonable that the Strange Alchemist couldn’t manage it, so he can’t be blamed."
Now that he knew nothing he said would change the outcome, the Strange Alchemist could only accept defeat. He was furious inside, but forced himself to say, "Since that’s how it is, I have nothing more to add." Then he stormed off, but secretly sent a voice transmission to Evan Yang: "Kid, if you have the guts, stay holed up here forever. Otherwise, if you ever leave Medicine King Heaven, or if I get a chance, I’ll destroy you."
"This guy holds quite a grudge. If he ever finds out I was the one in disguise, he’ll be even angrier," Evan Yang thought to himself after hearing this.
With the Strange Alchemist leaving in anger, Brandon White smiled and said, "Everyone can go now. I’ll host a banquet later to celebrate."
"Thank you, Old Sect Master," everyone said, then departed. The haggard Poison Alchemist came over to Evan Yang and whispered, "If you have time, come find me—I’ve refined something good."
Then the Poison Alchemist left, and the hall quieted again, leaving only Evan Yang, Brandon White, and Gavin White.
Brandon White looked at Evan Yang, then at Gavin White, and asked, "Did you refine the Saint Pill?"
'Mhm,' Evan Yang responded.
'Who taught you all this? Or who is your master?' Brandon White asked curiously.
'Self-taught,' Evan Yang replied.
'Self-taught? What could you possibly learn on your own to reach this level?' Brandon White stared at Evan Yang in surprise.
Evan Yang had planned to ask about the Alchemy Canon, so he said, 'Senior, do you happen to know the Alchemy Canon?'
'Alchemy Canon?' Brandon White's eyes narrowed as he looked at Evan Yang and pressed, 'Are you saying everything you learned is from the Alchemy Canon?'
'Yes, the Alchemy Canon,' Evan Yang said.
'No wonder. This is a lost scripture, and you actually have it,' Brandon White said in disbelief, eager to see the Alchemy Canon for himself.
'I got it by chance. What makes the Alchemy Canon so special?' Evan Yang asked curiously.
Brandon White smiled and said, 'The Refining-Pill Divine Canon is divided into the Alchemy Canon Chapter, Poison Canon Chapter, and Divine Pill Chapter. All three are part of the Refining-Pill Divine Canon. The Saint Pill is just a single page from the Divine Pill Chapter. I got it by chance and eventually handed it to Gavin.'
'Three chapters?' Evan Yang was surprised to hear that the Refining-Pill Divine Canon had so many parts. He possessed the complete Alchemy Canon, the Poison Alchemist had a page from the Poison Canon, and Brandon White had a page from the Divine Pill Chapter. This meant all three chapters truly existed. Whoever obtained them all would be invincible in the pill-refining world.
'That's right, three chapters. You possess the complete Alchemy Canon, so you must be careful. Heavenly Dao has long sought the Alchemy Canon, causing bloodshed whenever it appears,' Brandon White said.
'I see. I'll be careful. Thank you, Senior,' Evan Yang said gratefully.
'Would you let me browse the Alchemy Canon? Just a quick look,' Brandon White asked, unable to resist. Evan Yang naturally agreed and handed him the Alchemy Canon.
When Brandon White looked at the opening, the rest was blurry and unreadable. He asked suspiciously, 'Why is the second half so blurry?'
'Is it? Let me check.' Evan Yang looked but didn't notice anything strange. He asked, 'I can see it clearly.'
'Could the Alchemy Canon really be a legendary divine book that recognizes its owner through Divine Sense?' Brandon White wondered after hearing Evan Yang's words.
'Is that possible?' Evan Yang asked, puzzled.
'Of course,' Brandon White replied, handing the Alchemy Canon back to Evan Yang.
(Skip: Webnovel navigation prompt, not part of the story.)
'No, it's nothing,' Gavin White replied, regaining her composure.
"Don't lie to me. Haven't you noticed your body has changed? Tell me, what happened between you two, and why do you have his aura inside you?" Brandon White had wanted to ask earlier, but only now, after seeing Evan Yang and recognizing his aura, did he finally ask Gavin White alone.
'Dad, you noticed?' Gavin White looked at Brandon White in panic, afraid he might go out and kill Evan Yang in a fit of anger.
"Do you like him?" Brandon White suddenly asked Gavin White. She hadn't expected the question and didn't know what to say, so she just stood there in a daze.
"You're my daughter; how could I not understand your feelings? You lost your mother young, had no friends, and could only stay in the rear hall, always disguised as a man outside. Now, you've finally met someone who moves your heart—and you're carrying his child." Brandon White laid bare Gavin White's feelings one by one.
Gavin White, after being so directly confronted, blushed deeply and said, 'He doesn't know.'
"He doesn't know? Then you two...?" Brandon White looked at Gavin White in surprise.
Gavin White told her only family member everything that happened. After Brandon White finished listening, he sighed, 'So that's how it happened. In the end, you gave yourself to him, but he has no idea you love him—and his aura remains inside you, causing the child to form.'
Gavin White nodded, her face still red, and whispered, 'I didn't want to leave him behind. At that moment, I just wanted to stay with him.'
Brandon White looked at his daughter, sighed deeply, and muttered, 'This bond... it's tangled, but perhaps it's fate.'
He stood up, walked over to Gavin White, and gently patted her shoulder. 'No matter what, you're still my daughter. As long as you're happy, that's enough.'
Gavin White bit her lip, her eyes misty, and nodded, 'Thank you, Dad.'
Brandon White smiled, 'Go rest. I'll take care of things here.'
Gavin White turned and left the rear hall, her heart still pounding with mixed emotions.
Brandon White sat back down, gazing at the stone chair, lost in thought about the future of Medicine King Heaven and his daughter's happiness.
Outside the hall, Evan Yang had already left Medicine King Heaven, his mind filled with thoughts of the Divine Pill Chapter and the path ahead.
He walked slowly through the mountain paths, the route map from Brandon White in hand, determined to seek out Lingku Cave and the Divine Pill Chapter.
The wind swept past, carrying the scent of herbs and the distant echoes of Medicine King Heaven's halls.
Evan Yang looked ahead, his resolve firm. The journey to Lingku Cave would not be easy, but he was ready for whatever awaited him.
He glanced back once, remembering Gavin White and Brandon White, then strode forward, his path set.
'No, it's nothing,' Gavin White replied, regaining her composure.
"Don't lie to me. Haven't you noticed your body has changed? Tell me, what happened between you two, and why do you have his aura inside you?" Brandon White had wanted to ask earlier, but only now, after seeing Evan Yang and recognizing his aura, did he finally ask Gavin White alone.
'Dad, you noticed?' Gavin White looked at Brandon White in panic, afraid he might go out and kill Evan Yang in a fit of anger.
"Do you like him?" Brandon White suddenly asked Gavin White. She hadn't expected the question and didn't know what to say, so she just stood there in a daze.
"You're my daughter; how could I not understand your feelings? You lost your mother young, had no friends, and could only stay in the rear hall, always disguised as a man outside. Now, you've finally met someone who moves your heart—and you're carrying his child." Brandon White laid bare Gavin White's feelings one by one.
Gavin White, after being so directly confronted, blushed deeply and said, 'He doesn't know.'
"He doesn't know? Then you two...?" Brandon White looked at Gavin White in surprise.
Gavin White told her only family member everything that happened. After Brandon White finished listening, he sighed, 'So that's how it happened. In the end, you gave yourself to him, but he has no idea you love him—and his aura remains inside you, causing the child to form.'