Inside this jade bottle were the three Qi Restoration Pills that Lin Xuan had refined earlier.
Master Ren Yuan took it and swept his gaze over it. Beside him, Master Mo also looked over. Then, both of them couldn’t help but exclaim:
“They’re real—all three have three cloud patterns!” “And they’re still warm, clearly just out of the furnace not long ago!”
Both masters were deeply shaken. Their gazes turned together to Lin Xuan, ignoring Sun Jingyun entirely.
“Junior Lin Xuan greets Master Ren Yuan and Master Mo!” Lin Xuan said with a respectful but unassuming bow.
“Young friend Lin, were these three Qi Restoration Pills refined by you?” Master Ren Yuan asked, his eyes filled with uncontrollable surprise.
“In response to Master Ren Yuan, they were indeed refined by this junior. May I ask if I can continue with the assessment for high-grade spirit-level alchemist?” Lin Xuan replied.
As his words fell, both Earth-grade alchemy masters froze, their pupils dilating, their eyes brimming with shock. Though they had heard Sun Jingyun mention it earlier, confirming it now was still immensely startling.
After all, these three pills were all three-cloud-pattern, the highest quality three-pattern Qi Restoration Pills. Qi Restoration Pills were only third-grade pills, and refining them was effortless for them. They could also produce three-pattern Qi Restoration Pills without much difficulty. But that still relied on luck. For third-grade and lower pills, one batch of materials could yield at most three pills. To achieve this—three pills from one batch, all of the highest three-pattern quality—even they, after refining a hundred furnaces, might not manage it.
Yet Lin Xuan, a novice who had clearly only recently delved into alchemy, had done it. How could they not be utterly astounded? Even as Earth-grade alchemists who had seen many so-called alchemy prodigies, they were still deeply shaken by Lin Xuan’s displayed talent.
Still, like Sun Jingyun, they leaned toward attributing it to luck rather than skill. After all, if this were true skill, Lin Xuan’s alchemy talent would be terrifying. Not even they, or even the guild leader, could compare, right? Without absolute, conclusive evidence, they subconsciously refused to believe it. But even as luck, it proved Lin Xuan’s exceptional aptitude in alchemy—perhaps surpassing their own.
“Of course you can,” Master Mo responded with a faint smile after recovering.
Master Ren Yuan also nodded with a light chuckle: “Young friend Lin, I didn’t expect you to possess such extraordinary alchemy talent. It’s likely that before long, you’ll become an Earth-grade alchemist, standing alongside us.”
“Thank you both for your kind words, masters. This junior is deeply honored!” Lin Xuan replied humbly.
The two masters were about to chat more with Lin Xuan when—
Bang!
An explosion rang out. Turning toward the sound, it was Mo Ruyan, who had been refining a pill, but her furnace had suddenly burst. Mo Ruyan controlled the alchemical flame, tossing the debris out of the furnace. Then, she glared at Lin Xuan with resentment and unwillingness: “You made me lose focus, and now the furnace exploded!”
It was hearing Master Ren Yuan mention Earth-grade alchemist that had distracted her, causing her to lose control of the heat and blow the furnace. But Mo Ruyan chose to blame Lin Xuan.
“Heh!” Lin Xuan let out a scornful laugh, too lazy to say more. The basics of alchemy clearly stated that pill refining was an extremely meticulous task requiring full concentration, undisturbed by external commotion. Mo Ruyan had failed to do this, leading to a failed refinement, yet she pinned the fault on him. How ridiculous.
“Yan’er, shut up! Pill refining demands focus, rigor, and shutting out external distractions. You got distracted and failed, and now you want to shift the blame? Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Apologize to young friend Lin at once, and when you get back, refine a few more furnaces of pills!” Master Mo immediately scolded.
Though he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, the evidence strongly suggested Lin Xuan’s alchemy talent was exceptional—likely far surpassing his own. He had no desire to offend Lin Xuan or let his granddaughter provoke him.
Mo Ruyan pouted and shot Lin Xuan a dissatisfied glance. She knew it was her fault, but what irked her was that it was the first time her grandfather had rebuked her for someone her age. Still, sensing her grandfather’s stern gaze, she muttered a quiet apology, barely audible like a mosquito’s buzz.
Then, her eyes darted, and she looked at Lin Xuan challengingly: “Lin Xuan, aren’t you also taking the high-grade spirit-level alchemist assessment? How about we compete to see who does better? Do you have the guts to try?”
Unfortunately, Mo Ruyan had been so focused on refining that she hadn’t heard the earlier conversation—only the mention of Earth-grade alchemist had disrupted her focus, causing the explosion. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to propose such a reckless contest.
“That sounds excellent!” “Indeed, the Alchemist Guild hasn’t had such a competition in a long time. Young friend Lin, why not give it a try?” Master Ren Yuan and Master Mo both urged, their gazes shifting between Lin Xuan and Mo Ruyan. They exchanged a glance, a meaningful smile flickering in their eyes.
Despite the evidence from Sun Jingyun and Lin Xuan’s own admission proving his alchemy talent, they hadn’t seen it firsthand and still harbored some doubt. This contest might stir Lin Xuan’s competitive spirit, prompting him to reveal more of his skill for confirmation. After all, though a genius, Lin Xuan was only a sixteen-year-old youth in the prime of youthful vigor. Additionally, the contest could help bridge the gap between the two—a young man and woman of similar age, both alchemy prodigies—perhaps even fostering a connection.
Lin Xuan remained calm: “Fine, I’ll trouble Master Ren Yuan.” Since Mo Ruyan wanted to compete, he would oblige. It was a chance to showcase some ability and draw the guild’s higher-ups closer. Then, he could replicate another wave of enhancement to boost his talent and potential.
Seeing Lin Xuan agree, the two masters smiled more warmly. Master Mo then addressed Lin Xuan: “For fairness, let’s refine the same pill. Yan’er is refining a sixth-grade lower-tier Spirit Nourishing Pill. Young friend Lin, how about you refine a Spirit Nourishing Pill as well?”
Lin Xuan paused briefly, then nodded: “No problem.” He hadn’t expected that just days ago, he had first witnessed the alchemy process at the Alchemy Hall, watching Zhang Chen refine a fifth-grade upper-tier Spirit Gathering Pill. Now, he was about to refine a higher-level sixth-grade lower-tier Spirit Nourishing Pill himself. The Spirit Nourishing Pill, a common pill for the Spirit Opening Realm, was far more difficult to refine than the Spirit Gathering Pill. Lin Xuan felt a wave of emotion.
But he was unafraid. Though this was only his second time refining pills, he possessed top-tier alchemy talent even among spirit-grade alchemists. By observing Mo Ruyan’s process and reviewing the recipe, he would have no trouble. He could refine it with ease. Such was the terror of exceptional talent.