Chương 77: Alchemy Assessment, First Showing of Brilliance (3)

"As long as I hold a finished product in my hand, refining anything below the fourth grade presents no difficulty at all." Reyn's lips curled into a faint, confident smile. His choice of the Grade 3 High-tier Ten-Thousand Swallows Returning Spring Pill was a calculated move. First, the recipe wasn't some forbidden secret; most sects archived it, and he had personally studied it in the Hundred Herb Valley's alchemy chambers.

Second, producing a Grade 3 High-tier pill would force the sect to acknowledge his value, granting him the leverage needed to seek a Foundation Establishment method. Most importantly, he already possessed a completed pill—a trophy looted from the storage bag of some fallen Golden Core eccentric. With these three factors aligned, there was no reason to choose anything else. Holding the Ten-Thousand Swallows Returning Spring Pill in his palm, Reyn submerged his Divine Sense into the Golden Seal.

He began to map the internal medicinal architecture of the pill, scanning the intricate web of its composition. As a Grade 3 High-tier medicine capable of the heaven-defying feat of extending one's lifespan, its combination of twenty-one different spirit herbs was intricate to the point of madness. Even with Reyn's current Divine Sense, it took nearly fifteen minutes of intense concentration to complete the scan.

He burned the patterns into his memory, ensuring every nuance was etched deep before tucking the pill back into its jade vial. With a flick of his sleeve, Reyn sent a surge of spiritual energy into the furnace. The etched arrays flared to life, drawing in ambient energy to stoke the flames. A wave of blistering heat rolled out from the cauldron. Reyn's eyes narrowed, his focus sharpening.

With a precise gesture, he cast the three primary ingredients—the Seven-Spirit Grass, the Undying Lotus, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Jade Vine—into the furnace simultaneously. They dissolved instantly into vibrant, essence-rich juices. Reyn didn't dare blink; his Divine Sense plunged into the heat, weaving the medicinal forces together according to the blueprint in his mind. Time trickled by. Inside the Great Hall of the Xuanxiao Sect's main peak, the spectators remained motionless.

For cultivators, a few days of meditation passed in the blink of an eye; their patience was as vast as the mountains. Suddenly, a low shout echoed from one of the restricted areas, followed by the rhythmic slapping of mudras. Moments later, a delicate, concentrated fragrance wafted through the air.

"The sign of completion! Someone has succeeded already!"

"A Grade 1 High-tier Minor Restoration Pill. It must be that girl, Liu Junru. To succeed on her first try... she's not far from becoming a Grade 2 Alchemist."

"The Xuanxiao Sect is indeed a cradle of talent. It's truly enviable." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The crowd buzzed with hushed discussions. As the restriction faded and the furnace cooled, Liu Junru stepped out, her face glowing with pride.

"Disciple has fortunately succeeded. Master, please evaluate," she said, bowing deeply. She revealed a milky-white, dragon-eye-sized pill resting in her palm. Dan Chenzi stroked his beard, nodding.

"Round, pure, and fragrant. Well done!" Liu Junru's face flushed with excitement, but in that moment, an even more potent medicinal aroma swept through the hall.

"Another one! Who is it?"

"To refine a pill on the first attempt... Dan Chenzi's disciples are truly extraordinary. Of course, that attention-seeking brat at the end is clearly the exception."

"It's done! A Grade 2 Low-tier Peiyuan Pill!" Li Zidu emerged from his station, holding a jade vial. He knelt respectfully.

"Grade 2 Low-tier Peiyuan Pill. Master, please inspect." Dan Chenzi and Qingxiaozi shared a look of satisfaction. Even before the Sect Grand Tournament had officially begun, these disciples were bringing immense glory to the Xuanxiao Sect. A Grade 2 Alchemist was a treasure even small sects would kill for. Moments later, it was Duan Zhonghua's turn. Low shouts and the sound of rapid mudras echoed from his station. The fragrance in the air grew increasingly dense.

"Pill, form!" Duan Zhonghua roared. A muffled thud echoed from within the restriction. For a second, the crowd froze, fearing a failure, but then a wave of medicinal aroma flooded the entire hall.

"A Grade 2 High-tier Foundation Establishment Pill! He succeeded!"

"As expected of Dan Chenzi's eldest disciple. He is no ordinary talent."

"It is now certain that the Xuanxiao Sect has gained another alchemist capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills. The sect is destined for greatness!" Feeling the envious gazes of the crowd, Duan Zhonghua felt a surge of triumph, though he maintained a mask of calm. He knelt and held the vial above his head.

"Disciple has refined nine Foundation Establishment Pills. Master, please inspect." In alchemy, different skill levels resulted in different Pill Formation Rates. While a novice might produce five pills from a set of ingredients, a master could produce over a dozen. For Duan Zhonghua to produce nine Foundation Establishment Pills from a single batch was an exceptional feat.

"Nine pills! Truly remarkable!"

"Indeed. The Grade 2 Alchemist in our Black Dragon Sect is lucky to get five pills per batch. I'd be thanking the heavens for that!" Dan Chenzi beamed, feeling the prestige of his lineage grow. He signaled for Duan Zhonghua to stand aside. Shortly after, Hei Shi finished his refinement, though he only produced four pills—a modest result compared to Duan Zhonghua. However, Hei Shi showed no sign of discouragement, standing silently with a thoughtful expression as he analyzed his performance.

"Roar!" Suddenly, the sound of a dragon and tiger's roar echoed through the hall, drawing every eye. Inside Ji Yueli's station, the mist swirled into the shapes of celestial beasts. A spicy, bitter scent began to permeate the air.

"A Grade 3 pill... the phenomenon of self-manifestation!"

"The Grade 3 Dragon-Tiger Pill! She actually refined it!"

"How is this possible? At her age, to refine a Grade 3 pill... even a genius shouldn't be this monstrous!"

"This girl... she is undoubtedly the number one young cultivator in the North Yue State's cultivation world!"