You need not try to provoke me, Nie Kong. What kind of assistance are you proposing with that offer you just made?" You Li waved a dismissive hand toward Kui Yin and the others, her eyebrow arching slightly.

"Great Sect Master, I must ask you to allow me to keep that confidential for the time being."

Nie Kong chuckled mysteriously, "It won't take up much of your time—two months at most. Of course, if the Great Sect Master is willing to assist for a longer duration, I would be delighted to request it."

You Li nodded. "Since that is the case, a friendly contest between us is hardly out of the question."

Kui Yin and the other two looked somewhat helpless, but then You Li continued, "Nie Kong, since you managed to defeat both Yin Xu Yao Wang and Mu Chong Lou in succession, your alchemy skills must be exceptional. Eighth-Grade Spirit Pills require scarce materials, so how about this: we both refine a Seventh-Grade Spirit Pill this time. Regardless of the level of medicinal integration, we will only judge based on the speed of completion. The faster one wins. What do you think?"

Seeing Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai visibly relax as You Li spoke, Nie Kong inwardly smiled. It seemed You Li’s refining speed was indeed formidable, but what of it?

Nie Kong clapped his hands together. "I accept the terms, Great Sect Master!"

"Nie Kong, I shall not take advantage of you. You may choose any Seventh-Grade Spirit Pill you are most adept at refining. Although my Hunter Immortal Sect cannot compare to the wealth of Spirit Reign City, we have prepared the materials for most common Seventh-Grade Spirit Pills. I can prepare whatever you name," You Li offered.

Nie Kong smiled. "Thank you, Great Sect Master. This spar shall commence with you first."

Casting a faint glance at Nie Kong, You Li suddenly commanded in a deep voice, "Feng Chong, send the medicine cauldron and one set of 'Nine Refinements Divine Incense' materials to the front hall."

Nie Kong abruptly interjected, "Not one set, but two!"

"Hmm?"

You Li’s expression turned icy as she retorted, "Nie Kong, do you truly believe I will fail?"

Nie Kong shook his head with a placid smile. "No, Great Sect Master misunderstands. One set of materials is for you, and the other is for me."

You Li paused, and the three—Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai—exchanged bewildered looks.

After a moment, Lei He couldn't help but exclaim, a mocking tone in his voice, "Nie Kong, you intend to refine the exact same Seventh-Grade Spirit Pill as the Great Sect Master?"

You Li's tone sharpened as she frowned. "Nie Kong, have you refined the 'Nine Refinements Divine Incense' before?"

Nie Kong still shook his head. "No, this is the first time I’ve heard of it today."

You Li sounded distinctly displeased. "If that is the case, you still wish to refine the same Spirit Pill as I?" If she hadn't agreed to the contest, it would be one thing, but having agreed to spar with Nie Kong, this contest needed to maintain a basic level of fairness. Otherwise, even if she defeated him, there would be nothing worth boasting about.

Nie Kong stood tall, radiating confidence. "If I cannot defeat you in the area where you are most skilled, how can I possibly convince you to visit my Spirit Abode as a guest?"

"Insolent!"

"Preposterous!"

"Nie Kong, you are far too arrogant!"

Seeing Nie Kong treat their Great Sect Master with such disdain, Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai were once again incensed, their fury erupting. As they shouted their reproaches, a fierce, blazing aura began to spread wildly throughout the hall, and You Li’s eyes turned completely crimson.

Nie Kong remained seated, a faint smile playing on his lips, observing the four men quietly.

Soon, the first wave of intense heat passed, followed by a second, slightly weaker one, and then a third, even less intense... It wasn't until the ninth wave that the hall stabilized, and You Li’s rapidly rising chest finally settled. Her face was icy cold. "Nie Kong, you must not regret this?"

"I regret nothing!"

Nie Kong’s tone was utterly steady.

"Feng Chong, two sets of 'Nine Refinements Divine Incense'!" After staring intently at Nie Kong for several seconds, You Li parted her lips slightly and sent another voice toward the back hall.

Seeing this, Kui Yin and the others suppressed their anger. However, upon reflection, they realized this might not be a bad outcome. Since Nie Kong was so brazenly self-assured, let him taste the bitter fruit of his arrogance. Once he lost those three precious herbs, what more could he say?

With that thought, a cold sneer touched the faces of the three men.

In less than a minute, a middle-aged man entered from the back hall, carrying a wooden tray. On the tray rested a medicine cauldron, thirteen small wooden boxes, and a fist-sized jade bottle. After placing the tray before You Li, the man, Feng Chong, began systematically opening the small boxes.

Nie Kong smiled. "Great Sect Master, please begin."

"Feng Chong, start the timer!"

You Li shot Nie Kong a cold sidelong glance before giving the order, her expression suddenly becoming intensely focused. Feng Chong nodded slightly, pulled a red jade stone from his robes—a timer etched with Spiritual Runes—and lightly tapped it, sending a thread of spiritual energy into the stone. The lines on the jade twisted and shifted at incredible speed.

"Clang!"

The very instant the rune timer activated, You Li’s right palm gently rested on the cauldron body; the lid sprang open with a sharp sound. Her left hand flashed like lightning, sweeping across the wooden boxes. As the lid fell back into place, all thirteen ingredients, along with the small amount of medicinal liquid from the jade bottle, were deposited inside the cauldron—the speed was extreme.

The next moment—

You Li pressed her right palm lightly against the lid, and a dark red flame immediately erupted from her palm, dividing into four tendrils that snaked down the sides of the cauldron. In an instant, the flames crossed beneath the cauldron base and surged fiercely upward, enveloping both the medicine cauldron and You Li's right hand entirely within the blaze.

Nie Kong observed this scene with genuine fascination.

This method of fire control by You Li was something he had never witnessed before. After the initial novelty faded, a flicker of admiration appeared in Nie Kong’s eyes. This You Li was indeed a formidable expert who had achieved the rank of Medicine King for decades; the flames clearly contained immense heat, yet not a trace of it escaped.

After a dozen seconds.

"Oh?"

Nie Kong suddenly let out an impressed gasp. Although the mass of fire covering the cauldron remained visually unchanged, Nie Kong clearly sensed that the intensity of the heat had at least doubled. Another dozen seconds later, the heat surged again... In less than a minute, the heat had doubled four times consecutively.

Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai standing nearby did not understand alchemy and thus missed the difficulty, but Feng Chong, You Li’s disciple, though perhaps not as perceptive as Nie Kong, could guess what You Li was doing with the flame control, and his eyes were filled with reverence.

At this point, the intensity of the fire under You Li's palm continued to double.

"No wonder Great-Grand Ancestor repeatedly warned me not to underestimate any Medicine King!"

Seeing You Li’s eyes slightly closed and her expression solemn, Nie Kong felt a profound realization dawn upon him. "The so-called 'Nine Refinements Divine Incense' must require the heat to ascend in successive stages. After doubling nine times consecutively, considering how fierce the initial heat already was, how terrifying must the final temperature be?"

Approximately two minutes later, a look of astonishment flashed across Nie Kong's eyes.

The heat had surged nine times in unbroken succession. You Li's fair complexion had begun to flush red, clearly indicating she had reached her absolute limit. Nie Kong had a distinct feeling that if the heat contained within that flame were to lose control and erupt, it could potentially raze the entire Hunter Immortal Sect stronghold to the ground.

...

...RO