Both of them were at the final stage of Pill Refinent.
The flas within both furnaces began to change.
Subtly at first, then more clearly.
The dicinal fragrance in the air thickened.
Richer!
Denser!
This was the final stage.
Pill formation.
Across the hall, Mu Linyue's expression was calm and focused.
Her hands moved in a precise rhythm.
Her Qi flowed like a steady current, guiding every reaction within the furnace.
The ingredients had long since fused.
What remained now was perfection.
Her flas intensified slightly.
Then softened.
Then stabilized.
Every transition was flawless.
This was the final step!
A faint glow began to gather within her furnace.
Golden.
Pure.
A sign of high-quality refinent.
Then, there was also Bai Zihan.
His furnace had reached the sa stage as her.
Which alone was shocking to everyone who was watching him.
"He actually made it this far?"
"No explosion?"
"No instability?"
"That's impossible..."
By now, many thought that because of random ingredients being put in the furnace, there should be an explosion.
After all, without compatibility between the ingredients, the chance of the furnace expldoing was very high.
But still there was none and Bai Zihan began to start the Pill Formation step.
Inside the furnace, energy surged violently.
The mixture trembled.
A few disciples' expressions changed.
"Here it cos!"
"Alas! It's going to fail."
"Too much energy-he can't control it!"
But Bai Zihan's expression didn't change and rather beca excited.
This is all the part of the step and knew what to do.
His hand pressed lightly against the furnace.
And, his Qi surged.
Not wildly.
But with absolute precision.
Like threads.
Countless invisible threads weaving through chaos.
Suppressing!
Guiding!
Forcing order upon disorder.
The trembling inside the furnace slowed.
Then it stabilized.
The disciples' eyes widened in disbelief.
The energy continued to compress.
Until, a soft sound echoed.
Hummm!
A glow burst forth.
Not the usual hue of Grade-3 pills.
Bai Zihan lifted his hand.
The flas died down instantly.
Silence fell!
Then, he opened the furnace.
A faint wisp of fragrant smoke rose into the air.
And within, a single pill rested.
Smooth.
Round.
Perfect.
Its surface carried faint patterns subtle yet profound.
He reached in calmly and picked it up.
And turned.
Holding it between his fingers.
For everyone to see.
Silence!
Complete silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
"This..."
"What is that?"
"That's not any Grade-3 pill I know..."
"I feel like this pill more stronger than Grade-3!"
Confusion spread rapidly.
Even the experienced disciples frowned deeply.
Trying to identify it.
But none could.
Then a voice broke the silence.
"Zihan'er!"
Mu Yuelan stepped forward.
Her expression was no longer calm.
Her eyes were fixed on the pill in his hand carefully and serious.
Almost disbelieving.
"...that pill..."
A slight pause.
Her spiritual sense brushed over it once more.
Confirming.
"...it's not Grade-3."
The words fell heavily.
Many thought that it was a failed pill or perhaps a low-tier product, which was
why they couldn't recognize it.
Mu Yuelan's words confird their suspicions-at least at first.
Mu Yuelan's voice lowered slightly.
"It has already stepped into Grade-4."
Silence!
Then-
An uproar. "Grade-4?! What?"
"That's impossible!"
"With those ingredients?!"
"No way-!"
Most couldn't believe it despite it coming out of Mu Yuelan's mouth.
After all, all the ingredients that Bai Zihan used were Grade-3 and below.
The ingredient doesn't have enough Qi to beco a Grade-4 pill. Not to nion, that it was Bai Zihan refining it. So, they didn't want to believe
that Bai Zihan was capable of refining Grade-4 pills.
Mu Yuelan looked directly at Bai Zihan.
Her voice carried a rare hint of urgency. "What kind of pill is it?"
All eyes turned to him.
Bai Zihan stood there calmly.
As if everything that had just happened was completely normal.
He glanced at the pill in his hand.
Then spoke.
"Spirit ridian Tempering Pill!"
The na echoed softly.
Unfamiliar.
Unknown.
He continued.
"It tempers and expands the ridians."
"A Grade-3 version can only slightly refine Qi pathways..."
A brief pause.
He lifted the pill slightly.
"But this one-"
His gaze was steady.
"-can directly strengthen ridians and increase Qi flow capacity."
Another pause.
"Useful for breaking bottlenecks below the Soul Formation Realm."
Silence!
Not because of the effect of the pill but because the pill that he was presenting
was indeed Grade-4.
Mu Yuelan stood still.
Her gaze locked on her son.
Shock!
Pride!
Confusion!
All mixed together.
She opened her mouth slightly-
But no words ca out.
She initially wanted to discourage Bai Zihan into the path of Alchemy but after
seeing this, what can she say?
He was already a Grade-4 Alchemist, that too before he was twenty. Saying he was a genius was understatent. The only one who could compete
with Bai Zihan might be Mu Linyue.
Silence lingered. Because what they had just witnessed-
Had completely shattered everything they thought they knew.
A Grade-4 pill. Refined... From Grade-3 ingredients.
And more importantly- Refined by Bai Zihan.
The sa Bai Zihan who, not long ago, couldn't even distinguish herbs properly.
Shock rippled through the crowd once more.
Only this ti, there was no ridicule left. Only disbelief.
"This... this is real, right?"
"I'm not dreaming?"
"A Grade-4 pill... he actually refined a Grade-4 pill..."
Voices trembled.
So disciples stared blankly.
Others rubbed their eyes.
As if hoping the scene before them would change.
But it didn't.
The pill still rested in Bai Zihan's fingers.
Yet carrying a presence none of them could deny.
Then soone suddenly rembered.
"There's still Senior Sister Linyue!" That single sentence snapped everyone back.
Countless gazes turned instantly.
Toward the other furnace.
Toward Mu Linyue.
Right.
This was a competition.
And Mu Linyue had yet to reveal her pill.
However, many thought that there was no need to wait. "Even if Senior Sister Linyue succeeds..."
"...it's still only a Grade-3 pill."
"At most, peak Grade-3."
"What's the point?"
...
Indeed, there was no competition nor suspense left. The mont Bai Zihan refined a Grade-4 pill, the result was already decided!
User Comments
0 comments from readers