The Old Beggar's words reassured everyone: Evan Yang had truly won, but Cao Pin refused to believe it.
Seeing the crowd remain silent, Cao Pin grew furious. Just as he was about to lose face, someone stepped forward—it was the Alchemy Saint Hand, whom most people here recognized, except those from the Fiend Realm.
"Saint Hand," Cao Pin greeted respectfully.
The Alchemy Saint Hand glanced at the scene and said to Cao Pin, "I watched the pill-refining just now from the back. He really didn't cheat."
"This..." Cao Pin hadn't expected the Alchemy Saint Hand to step out. No matter how he argued now, it was pointless.
The Alchemy Saint Hand spoke, "We lost this time. Kid, not bad." After assigning Cao Pin some tasks, his gaze shifted to the Old Beggar, but the Old Beggar ignored him.
With that, the Alchemy Saint Hand turned and left.
Evan Yang heard the 'not bad' and thought he was imagining things. But the Alchemy Saint Hand didn't look at him much, as if he'd just come out to make a statement and then left.
"Is this Alchemy Saint Hand really that good at refining pills?" Evan Yang wondered to himself.
Elder Shaw was already smiling as he collected the medicinal materials. He led Evan Yang and Faye Gale back to their lodgings, praised Evan Yang for a while, and then left. Faye Gale pressed him, "Kid, you really know how to refine pills?"
"Everyone says I just followed Elder Shaw's instructions," Evan Yang waved his hand.
"Elder Shaw? Kid, you've only been with Elder Shaw for a few days. How could you possibly refine a pseudo-Immortal pill, and do it so well?" Faye Gale said skeptically.
Evan Yang had no choice but to explain, and finally managed to push Faye Gale away. But then Elder Shaw returned.
"Elder Shaw, what's this?" Evan Yang asked, puzzled to see Elder Shaw come back.
"Did you tell Miss that I taught you pill refining?" Elder Shaw asked.
"No, I only said I did things according to your advice," Evan Yang explained.
"What advice did you follow?" Elder Shaw asked curiously.
"Of course, the method for refining the God-Illusion Pill was similar," Evan Yang replied with a smile.
"Looks like you're quite talented, able to draw inferences from one example to another," Elder Shaw commented.
"Thanks for the compliment," Evan Yang said with a smile.
"Stop pretending. You actually understand pill refining, we just didn't know it," Elder Shaw's expression suddenly changed.
"Elder Shaw—" Evan Yang was about to speak.
Elder Shaw laughed, "Don't worry. Knowing pill refining isn't a bad thing. Now everyone in the Human World knows you can refine pills, so it's nothing special."
Evan Yang gave an awkward smile, "I wasn't trying to hide it on purpose."
"Everyone has their own reasons. You didn't tell us you could refine pills, so you must have your difficulties. Don't worry, I won't pursue it. But this time, thank you so much—you let our Fiend Realm earn face twice." Elder Shaw smiled.
"Just lucky," Evan Yang replied with a smile.
"Even I can't easily refine four supreme-grade pseudo-Immortal pills, especially with an ordinary furnace and today's unexpected events," Elder Shaw laughed.
"You noticed?" Evan Yang didn't expect Elder Shaw to understand as well.
"I've never seen someone increase the flame at the end of pill refining. And that mist—obviously too much moisture in the herbs. So, tell me, what really happened?" Elder Shaw asked.
Evan Yang hadn't expected Elder Shaw to know so much. He thought Elder Shaw wouldn't ask, but it turned out he waited until Faye Gale left. So Evan Yang explained the situation to Elder Shaw in detail.
After hearing Yang Han's explanation, Elder Shaw sneered, "Those people tried to harm you, but they didn't expect you could handle the moisture separately."
"It took a lot of effort to clear out all that mist," Evan Yang said with a smile.
Elder Shaw nodded and laughed, "You must be an extraordinary alchemist."
"Elder Shaw, you're flattering me again," Evan Yang replied awkwardly.
"Alright, that's enough. Tomorrow I have to duel the Alchemy Saint Hand, so I need to prepare," Elder Shaw said with a smile.
After Elder Shaw left, Evan Yang finally had some peace. "Phew, at least he didn't pursue it," he thought.
Just as Yang Han sat down, he heard a voice outside, "Brother Mu, are you there?"
Evan Yang recognized the voice—it was the Old Beggar. He quickly opened the door and smiled at the kindly Old Beggar, "Senior."
"I thought you weren't here," the Old Beggar said with a smile.
Evan Yang replied, "I just happened to stay in."
"Care to chat with me?" the Old Beggar asked with a smile.
"Sure." Evan Yang was happy to oblige.
So the two of them strolled around Sacred Mountain, chatting as they went.
"You've done very well these past two days," the Old Beggar said with a smile.
"Senior, you noticed too?" Yang Han smiled.
"Senior, you noticed too?" Evan Yang smiled.
Yang Han's heart skipped a beat. "Senior, what do you mean?"
Evan Yang's heart skipped a beat. "Senior, what do you mean?"
"Senior, are you saying he'll make a move against me?" Yang Han asked doubtfully.
"Senior, are you saying he'll make a move against me?" Evan Yang asked doubtfully.
After thinking for a while, Yang Han asked, "Senior, you've dueled with the person behind Sacred Mountain. Is he very powerful?"
After thinking for a while, Evan Yang asked, "Senior, you've dueled with the person behind Sacred Mountain. Is he very powerful?"
"What do you mean, Senior?" Yang Han sensed something was off and asked suspiciously.
"What do you mean, Senior?" Evan Yang sensed something was off and asked suspiciously.
"Is that really possible?" Yang Han hadn't expected Sacred Mountain to have such authority.
"Is that really possible?" Evan Yang hadn't expected Sacred Mountain to have such authority.
"Have you ever thought about challenging him again, to reclaim the leadership of alchemy in the Human World?" Yang Han asked curiously.
"Have you ever thought about challenging him again, to reclaim the leadership of alchemy in the Human World?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"So winning the challenge gives you a chance to control Sacred Mountain?" Yang Han asked skeptically.
"So winning the challenge gives you a chance to control Sacred Mountain?" Evan Yang asked skeptically.
"So it's all just empty talk? He says one thing, but doesn't let anyone actually have the ability to challenge him?" Yang Han sneered after understanding.
"You're right. He just wants to rule the alchemy world, and doesn't want any alchemist outside his control," the Old Beggar replied.
"Strange, what's the point of ruling the alchemy world?" Yang Han asked, puzzled.
"That, I don't know," the Old Beggar sighed.
"I'll try to learn more if I get the chance," Yang Han murmured to himself.
"Although you're from the Fiend Realm, not the Human World, if you work hard for a while, you'll have a chance to challenge him," the Old Beggar said with a smile.
"You really believe in me?" Yang Han smiled.
"I'm rarely wrong about people. You're the second person I've thought had the ability," the Old Beggar said with a smile.
"Who was the first?" Yang Han asked curiously.
"Someone I trained in the past. I don't know where he is now," the Old Beggar sighed. After Evan Yang refined the pseudo-Immortal pill, the Old Beggar believed Evan Yang was the first person with the ability to challenge that man, but now Evan Yang's whereabouts are unknown.
"He'll come back soon, I think," Yang Han said with a smile.
"I don't know," the Old Beggar replied helplessly.
"Let's not talk about that, Senior. I want to ask you something," Yang Han didn't like such sentimental topics, afraid he'd slip up, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Go ahead," the Old Beggar said.
"What's in the Sacred Mountain forbidden area?" Yang Han asked suspiciously.
"The Sacred Mountain forbidden area? You mean the one at the back?" the Old Beggar asked.
"Yes," Yang Han nodded.
"It's a mysterious place. I've tried to investigate a few times—went into a cave, but after only a few steps, I sensed a terrifying aura and left right away," the Old Beggar replied.
"You sensed a terrifying aura?" Yang Han asked in surprise.
"Yes, it felt very scary inside, but I don't know what it is," the Old Beggar shook his head helplessly.
Yang Han had gone there with Faye Gale that day, and felt the spiritual energy was dense. Besides that, his own ice and fire reacted strangely.
"So it's really that mysterious," Evan Yang muttered.
"I don't know either. I've asked around, but nobody knows—even those in Sacred Mountain are forbidden to enter," the Old Beggar replied.
Just as Evan Yang was about to speak, two people approached them. "Those two again," he thought.
"Yes, that's right," the Old Beggar replied.
"Are you planning to make a move?" Evan Yang asked with a smile.
The Old Beggar noticed too. Cao Pin and Cao Yue walked over, and Cao Pin glared at Yang Han, "Kid, I'll settle the score for these three times with you."
"Then stop wasting words," Evan Yang snorted.
"Do you think I'm that stupid?" Cao Pin sneered.
"That's only because Senior can't be bothered to deal with people like you—he'd lose his dignity," Evan Yang sneered.
"You've got a big mouth, kid. Be careful you don't end up like this Old Beggar—banned from refining pills, taking disciples, or fighting back, left to be bullied," Cao Pin sneered.
"Didn't you lose enough already?" Evan Yang sneered.
"Watch your mouth, kid. I'm here to tell you—if you've got guts, let's have another match the day after tomorrow," Cao Pin sneered.
"Who's your uncle?" Evan Yang asked suspiciously.
"It's not me this time—it's my uncle who wants to compete," Cao Pin said with a smile.
Evan Yang had no idea the Saint Hand had a junior brother, so he looked at the Old Beggar in confusion.
"The Saint Hand's junior brother," Cao Pin said with a broad smile.
Yang Han had no idea the Saint Hand had a junior brother, so he looked at the Old Beggar in confusion.