Chapter 4: The Sorrow of the Martial Artists

Ye Fan let out a faint sigh and slowly closed the divine book "Shang" that was being rapidly flipped through in his sea of consciousness

Ye Fan's insight is exceptionally sharp, and his perceptiveness is truly terrifying; anyone he looks at is bound to have misfortune befall them

He changed the topic and smiled gently at Cao Shanshan

Ye Fan slowly said, "When it comes to refining a 'Blood Supplement Pill', which is a low-level pill, the only factor that could lead to failure due to burning is incorrect heat control, resulting in a nearly one hundred percent success rate. Your success rate of less than fifty percent proves that your mind is not calm during the refining process, and you are distracted by matters outside of alchemy. With such a mindset, you still think about leveraging your relationship with Zhao Feiyang to join the Alchemist Guild? If you had a bit more patience and carefully observed the heat control in alchemy, you would eventually be able to join the Alchemist Guild. Do you really need to rely on connections?"

They looked at Ye Fan with even greater fear. Ye Fan's destructive power was terrifying; just a few words had ruined the futures of two individuals in the class

If the examiner from the Refining Equipment Department were to learn of this matter, he would undoubtedly give him an extremely poor evaluation. Moreover, the Refining Equipment Guild would certainly not accept such a refining apprentice with impaired finger nerves

The most terrifying aspect is that Wang Mei, Zhao Xing, Jiang Weiyun, and Cao Shanshan each have completely different cultivation directions, involving four of the nine major factions in the Divine Martial Continent: the Adventure faction, the Martial Arts faction, the Refining Tools faction, and the Alchemy faction

This is indeed caused by sulfur ore, but he was never aware that this type of ore has a slight toxicity, so he did not pay attention to it

However, the burnt smell on you is quite strong, and the fragrance is too weak; this is the consequence of a failed alchemy attempt. Clearly, your success rate in alchemy does not exceed 50 percent

This is the truth of everything

I finally understand that I should walk alone, rather than forcing myself to squeeze in with a group of petty individuals like you all

Even if she wants to break up with Ye Fan, there is no need to bring Zhao Feiyang into the conversation, as it only results in her gaining a bad reputation for being "vain"

Ye Fan had already reached the door of the classroom, paused, took one last look at Cao Shanshan, and with a hint of indifference at the corner of his mouth, spoke coldly

If he is considered useless, then what are we? Are we not even inferior to uselessness

You have changed! You have become so sharp-tongued and bitter, completely unlike the Ye Fan I once knew. How can you strike them down like this! They are our closest classmates from the past three years, don't you have any regard for our camaraderie? To ruin them like this!

A martial artist displayed a look of sorrow

Ye Fan surprisingly had a thorough understanding of each person's cultivation direction, their individual progress, and the issues that arose during their training, even more so than they understood themselves

However, you lacked a bit of patience, thinking about quickly refining the medicinal materials, and unconsciously added one or two more pieces of charcoal, resulting in the fire being too intense and burning the alchemical furnace

Cao Shanshan's expression was one of horror

Perhaps he is merely engaging in empty talk, speaking eloquently, yet when it comes to actual practice, he is utterly inept. He must have been secretly observing us all along, and now he emerges to boast and chatter!

The speed at which charcoal is added during the alchemical process, she herself would not carefully count

The group of young martial artists in the entire classroom fell into a state of panic-stricken silence as Ye Fan's gaze swept across them

You ... ...

She also did not know whether Ye Fan would say anything further, like Zhao Xingcao, Jiang Weiyun, and Shanshan, causing her to lose face in public and feel utterly ashamed.

They only know that after using the sulfur ore refining equipment, the refining instructor at the martial arts academy specifically instructs them to wash their hands thoroughly

After a while, she finally understood the reasoning behind it, and suddenly let out a "Wow," covering her face and bursting into tears

This classroom is too stuffy, making it difficult for him to breathe

Cao Shanshan is the goddess of the young people in the class. On ordinary days, the martial arts students would think of every possible way to please her, fearing that she might suffer even the slightest grievance.

What is it? Is there a weak neurotoxin in the sulfur mine

This implies that Ye Fan is likely to have a profound understanding of these four major factions, far surpassing that of his fellow martial students.

Ye Fan did not want to remain in the oppressive atmosphere of the classroom, so he stood up and left the classroom

Jiang Weiyun became the second unfortunate individual to collapse with a single blow from Ye Fan, following Zhao Xing

That feeling is akin to being publicly stripped of one's clothes in an instant, leaving not even a shred of underwear, and being completely exposed to the strange gazes of the crowd.

Silence reigned like that of crows and sparrows

Cao Shanshan looked at Ye Fan with an expression of extreme disappointment

Many people, while shocked, breathed a sigh of relief, as many of them did not intend to specialize in the weaponry system

Ye Fan, has he not always been a little good-for-nothing? How does he know everything? Has he been hiding his true abilities?

Cao Shanshan appeared bewildered, her small mouth slightly agape, staring at the gradually disappearing figure of the young man, feeling as if she had missed something, her heart becoming as heavy as a thousand pounds

He must have known from the beginning that he was incapable, so with ulterior motives, he spent three years meticulously gathering their weaknesses and flaws, delivering a devastating blow to their confidence in the final crucial class exam. Thus, he dragged them all down with him, leading to their collective downfall

You must be envious that we are all stronger than you, which is why you have been secretly and meticulously collecting a large amount of information about us over the years. Furthermore, you deliberately chose to release it all on the eve of the crucial examination, aiming to undermine our confidence and cause us to fail the assessment, just like you, unable to gain admission to the Luyang Prefecture Academy, to vent your personal grievances

Ye Fan curled his lips into a cold smile, soon losing any interest in the group of young martial artists who looked terrified.

It is merely that her lack of confidence prevents her from concentrating on alchemy, which has led to her recent failures in potion-making. This, in turn, has further diminished her self-assurance, prompting her to seek assistance from Zhao Feiyang's influential family in order to join the Alchemist Guild

Although this blood-replenishing pill is of a low grade, it requires a precise control of the fire during the alchemical process. When refining a batch of blood-replenishing pills, only five pieces of charcoal should be evenly added to the furnace during the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and no more should be added

The young martial artists, who were in awe of Ye Fan, suddenly awakened from their fear and admiration for him, coming to a sudden realization

Moreover, I have recently sensed something amiss in my hands; the strength in my hands is neither too light nor too heavy, and I am unable to grasp accurately

This is simply terrifying

The martial artists all shouted loudly in condemnation

In simple terms, Cao Shanshan's talent for alchemy is sufficiently high

Ye Fan's icy gaze swept over anyone, causing them to feel a chill of fear and not daring to meet his eyes

Several young martial artists were filled with uncertainty, whispering among themselves

If she can enter the Alchemist Guild through her own abilities, her future will still be bright, so why should she agree to Zhao Feiyang's pursuit

Jiang Weiyun was terrified and at a loss, causing the chair to collapse under him as he fell to the ground. Suddenly, he let out a loud wail and began to cry uncontrollably, with tears and snot streaming down his face, his emotional defenses completely shattered, in a state even more disheveled than Zhao Xing.

Wang Mei opened her mouth as if to call out to Ye Fan, but she forcefully held it back.

He has thrown caution to the wind; after all, the significant flaw in his martial skills has long been publicly exposed, and he no longer cares about offending Ye Fan twice as much.

This ... ...

Before Ye Fan spoke these words, he had always believed that he would definitely become an apprentice in the art of weapon forging

How do you know this

Ye Fan said coldly, "Indeed, I have changed. I have come to realize what reality truly is. I have clearly seen what my position has been in your hearts over these three years. You all share a deep friendship as classmates, while I am merely a passerby"

Completed

Because they all have deliberately concealed weaknesses that they do not want outsiders to know about, and there are even some weaknesses that they are not aware of themselves, which they do not wish to be exposed in public

However, I never knew that there were actually weak neurotoxins within this ore

Snap

Indeed

Zhao Xingyue became increasingly excited, suddenly standing up, his hands clenched into iron fists. He pointed one hand at Ye Fan, who was walking out of the classroom, and shouted sternly

By the way, classmate Cao Shanshan, I can smell thirteen kinds of herbal scents on you, such as purple blood vine, cypress bark, and green beard grass. From this, I deduce that you must have been diligently practicing the method of refining the 'Blood Supplement Pill' recently

However, they sadly discovered that no matter how much they cursed and insulted, Ye Fan did not deign to look back at them even once

Cao Shanshan's complexion was somewhat pale, and she appeared a bit dazed and disheartened

See you in the examination room tomorrow

One by one, they looked at Ye Fan with fear, afraid of being called out by him

Bang

A very small number of young martial artists, feeling unwilling to accept their fate, whispered malicious slanders in low voices, yet dared not let Ye Fan hear them

He appeared expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the numerous martial students in the class

Tomorrow marks the joint examination of the top ten martial arts academies in Luyang Prefecture, which will lead to promotion to the prefectural academy. After this, he will no longer have to endure the expressions of these people.

They have transformed from initial disdain and contempt into fear, and many have even begun to show signs of admiration and reverence.

Ye Fan took a deep breath, gazing up at the vast sky outside the classroom. His lonely figure faced them, speaking with a tone of disdain as if they were mere weeds, lightly mocking in an indifferent manner

Jiang Weiyun has finished

The various martial arts students in the classroom, upon seeing Ye Fan walk out, secretly raised their heads and gazed at his back with mixed feelings.

Mingming is merely an unremarkable and mediocre martial artist, yet in the final class before graduation, he suddenly erupted with a dazzling brilliance, akin to the blazing sun at noon, making it difficult for others to look directly at him, and causing all his peers among the young martial artists to pale in comparison

She does not dare to take such risks

She still feels a sense of confusion within her heart

Once these words were spoken

Jiang Weiyun's face suddenly turned pale, devoid of any color.

What a terrifying insight Ye Fan possesses, to be able to discern their fatal flaws with just a casual glance. It is simply beyond description, characterized by meticulousness.

Our fate has come to an end, everything stops here, and there will be no further entanglements

The young people cast sympathetic glances at Jiang Weiyun, their hearts filled with empathy

The sky after the heavy rain is bright and sunny, with clear skies stretching for miles

Tomorrow's joint examination of the ten institutes, I will expose your true form and revert you to your original state

Ye Fan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, his expression turning extremely indifferent. He turned to look at Cao Shanshan and said, "Is it too cruel, or is it too heartless? What is it that leaves you dissatisfied?"

This is the first time in his life that he proudly stands with his chest out, looking down disdainfully at the fellow martial arts students he once revered.

If it is merely strong insight, it cannot be considered frightening

Is that so

This likely means that after graduating from the Junior Nancheng Martial Arts Academy, he will become an ordinary person, no longer able to rise further.

A profound sense of humility, to the extent that I do not even dare to speak more than a single word to them

No one wishes to experience this terrifying feeling of humiliation

Using the vast knowledge within, as abundant as the stars, to deal with a few young martial artists like Zhao Xing, Jiang Weiyun, and Cao Shanshan is akin to an elephant stepping on an ant—an outright crushing defeat

The reason she resolutely decided to break up with Ye Fan and agreed to Zhao Feiyang's pursuit was that she intended to leverage Zhao Feiyang's family connections to gain entry into the local alchemist guild.

This possibility is very high

At this moment, Wang Mei felt lost in her heart

How could Ye Fan, being so incompetent, suddenly become powerful

Finished! Everything is over for me, no, it can't be, this isn't real!

Ye Fan, I am deeply disappointed in you. I never expected that not only are you weak in strength, but you also lack the ambition to improve! To secretly gather the weaknesses of our classmates and expose them publicly, undermining everyone's confidence, is such a despicable act! I truly misjudged you before. From now on, I will sever all ties with you! I will never associate with someone as heartless and indifferent to the feelings of classmates as you are

However, upon careful reflection, it seems that the charcoal she added while burning the stove was a bit too much. In the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, it appears there were about six or seven pieces.

The skin on his fingers indeed has a slight yellowish tint

Even her confidence in the adventure specialization she had devoted decades to was shaken

Is this chronic neurotoxicity?

She has taught at the Southern Chen Martial Arts Academy for several years and has never encountered a student like this before

The unusual gazes here caused Ye Fan to feel a sharp pain

Jiang Weiyun was taken aback upon hearing this, looking at his own hands with a sense of fear and trepidation

The young martial artists lowered their heads in fear, not daring to meet his gaze

Suddenly, Zhao Xing was taken aback by the words, snapping out of his dejection. His eyes brightened, and he slammed his palm on the table, exclaiming, "Ye Fan, you despicable scoundrel!"

Yet now, she is crying so sorrowfully, but no one dares to stand up and speak a word for her

I finally understand that people like you, who are hypocritical, have never been on the same path as me

I understand!

What is wrong with me

Now, seeing them bowing their heads in fear, it is nothing more than this

Cao Shanshan lifted her head from her tears, startled by Zhao Xing's words. With a pair of beautiful eyes filled with disappointment, she looked at Ye Fan, revealing deep sorrow, and called out loudly to Ye Fan, who had already reached the classroom door.

In the past, I could only look up to them

The entire class of martial artists was left dumbfounded, enveloped in a profound silence

You treacherous and cunning bastard, unable to pass the examination for the government office yourself, resorting only to such despicable tactics in an attempt to drag us down with you

But now, his fate has collapsed in an instant

Cao Shanshan saw Zhao Xing and Jiang Weiyun both succumbing to mental breakdowns, and could not help but feel a sense of compassion. She turned to Ye Fan and reproached, "Ye Fan, how could you do this!"