As the others listened to the conversation between Ye Chengkang and Qian Minghui, their eyes fell on Feng Yuqin.
This time, however, there was a hint of speculation in their looks.
Except for Song Jianming, who remained calm, for he knew Feng Yuqin was an excellent alchemist.
Gradually, the others finally noticed something amiss.
"Have you noticed? Feng Yuqin seemed to be making the pill haphazardly, but she didn't fail?"
"Right! I can't believe she's already in the final step!"
"Really? Others who started earlier than her have just reached the final step."
"Look at those people next to Feng Yuqin. Their techniques for forming the pill in the end seem a bit similar to hers, don't they?"
Everyone's eyes now shifted back and forth between Feng Yuqin and the others.
Li Muchuan and Wang Zexin from Tiancheng had just finished their pill - making. Hearing the discussions, they also turned their gazes towards Feng Yuqin and Yan Xiao.
"What on earth is going on? If it were just one person with a problematic alchemic technique, it could be an isolated case. But four others having the same final technique, there must be something wrong."
"I heard they're from a small place. Maybe this is just the alchemic technique used in their area?"
"If that's the case, it makes sense."
Moreover, Feng Yuqin was extremely fast at making pills. By the time others were almost done, she had already completed her work.
Feng Yuqin had successfully made her pills, and yet there was nothing wrong with her pill furnace. Mu Weizhu's face darkened.
She immediately turned to the secret guard beside her and asked, "What's going on? Didn't Ouyang Yuanwu arrange for someone to tamper with it? Why is Feng Yuqin still alive after making the pills?"
Hong Xiaoxiao hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
The main thing was that Feng Yuqin was incredibly fast at making pills.
While others were already halfway through, she had just started.
Now she had finished, while some people on the competition stage still hadn't.
"Weizhu, could it be that Ouyang Yuanwu is playing tricks on us?" Hong Xiaoxiao said with a gloomy face.
"Go and investigate," Mu Weizhu said to the secret guard beside her with a twisted expression.
"Yes, Miss," the secret guard knew this was a serious matter, so he immediately went to find out what was going on.
At this moment, Ouyang Yuanwu also looked very uncomfortable.
After all, he was the one who had someone arrange the pill furnace for Feng Yuqin, but now nothing had happened.
As for He Kai and the others, they looked extremely surprised.
"Did Feng Yuqin really succeed in making the pills?"
"Isn't this a bit too fast?" Yue Hongtu said.
"Could it be a trick?" Qian Minghui said.
A faint smile played on Song Jianming's lips. "Just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
As soon as he said this, the faces of the others turned unpleasant.
Because Song Jianming's words seemed to imply that they were ignorant.
Just as they were about to retort, Ye Chengkang also spoke up. "President Song is right. There are many things we haven't seen, but that doesn't mean they don't exist."
Now, the others didn't dare to say anything.
After all, to refute Song Jianming's words after Ye Chengkang had spoken would obviously be to oppose Ye Chengkang.
"Time's up," the person in charge of the competition announced.
It was almost certain that everyone would pass the first round. So when the special judges examined the pills made by everyone, there were no issues.
There were five judges this time.
Three of them specifically examined Feng Yuqin's pills, worried that she might be cheating.
After all, there were people from Ouyang Yuanwu among them.
However hard they tried to find something wrong with Feng Yuqin, they found nothing.
After hearing the announcement that everyone had advanced, Ke Ruxia and Sun Jian heaved a sigh of relief.
They hadn't let Elder Feng down.
As long as they passed the first round, their performance in the second round wouldn't affect Feng Yuqin.
From the second round on, it would be all about individual strength.
The contestants would advance as far as their abilities allowed.
"I told you guys you'd be fine," Yan Xiao said with a smile, seeing the relieved expressions on Ke Ruxia and Sun Jian's faces.
"Those who have been taught by our master and personally selected by her can't go wrong," Su Bing added.
Ke Ruxia and Sun Jian both smiled slightly.
Others thought Feng Yuqin must have been lucky.
After all, Feng Yuqin had seemed too flippant about the competition before.
Even the alchemists participating in the competition thought Feng Yuqin had just gotten lucky, perhaps because the pills they were making this time were exactly what she knew how to make.
That was why she had succeeded so quickly.
As the requirements of the following competitions got higher and higher, she wouldn't be so lucky.
Many of these people were just waiting to see Feng Yuqin make a fool of herself.
Just as the person in charge announced the start of the next round, Feng Yuqin stepped forward and said, "I have something to say."
As soon as Feng Yuqin said this, Ouyang Yuanwu had a bad feeling.
Everyone's attention shifted to Feng Yuqin.
Mu Weizhu and Hong Xiaoxiao also stared intently at Feng Yuqin.
"Weizhu, what do you think she wants to say?" Hong Xiaoxiao asked.
"Voluntarily withdraw?" Mu Weizhu replied.
"For what reason?" Hong Xiaoxiao asked again.
Before Mu Weizhu could answer, Feng Yuqin quickly provided the answer.
"There's something wrong with my pill furnace. I demand an explanation from the General Guild," Feng Yuqin said calmly, looking at the person in charge.
Hearing this, the person in charge was stunned.
Everyone on the scene was stunned.
They thought Feng Yuqin was incredibly bold to demand an explanation from the General Guild.
She was cutting off her own path.
After all, as an alchemist, the General Guild had the most complete collection of medicinal materials in several cities. How dare she confront the General Guild in public?
They didn't know whether to say she was brave or just stupid.
"Miss Feng, do you know what you're saying?" This person in charge was one of Ouyang Yuanwu's men and had picked up some of Ouyang Yuanwu's ways.
Now, hearing what Feng Yuqin said, his face immediately darkened.
"What? Is my words so hard to understand?" After Feng Yuqin said this, her eyes fell on the position where Ye Chengkang was sitting and she asked, "May I ask President Ye, is what I just said hard to understand?"
Ye Chengkang pondered for a moment and immediately ordered the person beside him, "Go and check her pill furnace."
"Yes, President," the person beside him immediately walked towards Feng Yuqin.
Feng Yuqin took a step back, making way for him.
In less than half a stick of incense, the result was out.
All the people who had done the inspection looked unhappy.
He looked at Ye Chengkang. With just one look, Ye Chengkang understood that there was indeed something wrong with the pill furnace.
He fixed his cold and menacing gaze on Ouyang Yuanwu and said, "If I remember correctly, you arranged for someone to personally inspect this pill furnace, didn't you?"