Beneath the gaze of countless eyes, two figures stood tall and proud on the square, their bodies upright and exuding different auras. For a moment, it even caused the eyes of many girls in the inner courtyard to sparkle. Elder He, standing between Xiao Yan and Han Xue, wore simple clothes. Although his hair was already graying, his appearance was as tough as a young man’s. His slightly wrinkled face, although somewhat smiling due to the atmosphere, still had a hint of sternness in his sharp eyes. As if he were the strict elder that Lin Yan described. Clearing his throat once more, he spoke with a voice filled with profound Dou Qi, silencing the entire square. “I have always been very interested in alchemy. However, due to the harsh requirements to become an Alchemist, I could only give up with regret. Today, I am very happy to be able to officiate this rare alchemy competition in the inner courtyard. But, everyone knows my reputation, so please put aside any doubts about the fairness of the competition.”
Hearing Elder He’s words, the square immediately echoed with affirmations. It was clear that the elder’s reputation for fairness in the inner courtyard was well-known. “The questions for today’s competition were personally selected by me. Up until now, Xiao Yan and Han Xue have no idea what they need to refine.” The affirmations from the crowd made the smile on Elder He’s face widen a bit. Gently tapping the scroll, he turned to Xiao Yan and Han Xue, saying, “I will say this in advance, this question is quite difficult… I wonder if you two are brave enough to take it on?”
Upon hearing this, both Xiao Yan and Han Xue were momentarily stunned. Exchanging glances, Han Xue took the lead and clasped his hands, smiling, “Regardless of the question, I will do my best, Elder.” He was confident as a fourth-grade Alchemist, and occasionally, at his peak state, he could even attempt to refine a fifth-grade pill, though the success rate was quite low. Even if the elder’s question was extremely difficult, he was still confident that even if he lost, he would still be better than Xiao Yan.
Beside them, Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, not showing any reaction. “Very good, both of you are not lacking in courage. As the manager of the inner courtyard’s medicinal formula repository, I have the right to access these formulas. Today, as a token of gratitude for the two of you displaying such impressive alchemy skills, I shall give you this formula as a gift.”
Elder He stroked his beard and smiled, waving the scroll at the two. “Who wants to look first?” “Let Senior Han take a look first,” Xiao Yan said lightly. “Since that’s the case, thank you, Junior Xiao Yan,” Han Xue smiled faintly, accepting the scroll without hesitation. He slowly unrolled it, closing his eyes as his soul power penetrated the scroll, absorbing the complex alchemical information within.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, as the formula was imprinted in his mind, the smile on Han Xue’s face gradually faded, and by the end, there was even a hint of unease. The change in Han Xue’s expression caused a wave of murmurs in the square, and puzzled gazes filled the air. Clearly, they did not understand what was happening.
“Something seems off…” Hua Jia furrowed her brow and said to Xun Er and the others beside her. “Let’s see…” Xun Er’s heart also tightened, but she managed to smile calmly.
On the square, Xiao Yan’s brows also knitted together at the sight of Han Xue’s expression. It seemed the formula had some issues… Could it be as Elder He said, that the formula was extremely difficult? And even so difficult that a fourth-grade Alchemist like Han Xue was having trouble?
Under the gaze of countless puzzled eyes, after a while, Han Xue finally withdrew his soul power from the formula and handed it back to Elder He, forcing a smile. “The question you chose is indeed difficult, I can only do my best.”
“Young people should challenge their limits,” Elder He smiled, a trace of cunning in his smile, and handed the scroll to Xiao Yan. Taking the formula, Xiao Yan did not hesitate and quickly unrolled it, allowing his soul power to seep into it.
Seeing Xiao Yan take the formula, Han Xue’s eyes flickered with a cold smile. If even he was at a loss, how could Xiao Yan fare any better? Han Xue watched Xiao Yan with a hint of schadenfreude, waiting for him to show a similarly troubled expression. However, after two minutes, Xiao Yan’s face did not show the same unease, but rather a hint of seriousness and surprise.
“This kid is very shrewd, managing to hide his shock so well… but such a facade will crumble when he starts refining the pill,” Han Xue frowned, sneering inwardly.
“Seems like the situation isn’t too bad…” Seeing Xiao Yan’s serious expression, Xun Er let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Beside her, Hua Jia, Wu Hao, and Lin Xi all shrugged, knowing that until the final moment of the alchemy, nothing was certain.
After a few moments, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Yan also withdrew his soul power from the formula. Rubbing his slightly bloated head, he returned the formula to Elder He and said with a light smile, “Elder He, you really have set us a difficult task. A fifth-grade pill, even a general fifth-grade Alchemist wouldn’t have a high success rate.”
“A fifth-grade pill?” Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, the crowd was shocked. They now understood why Han Xue’s face had been so troubled. A fifth-grade pill was a grade that only a fifth-grade Alchemist could refine. Though Han Xue was a fourth-grade Alchemist, the failure rate for such a pill would be over seventy or eighty percent.
“Ha ha, since we’re competing, we might as well compete on a larger scale… This fifth-grade pill is indeed challenging, but if it fails, it just fails,” Elder He smiled. Xiao Yan was speechless. The formula recorded a fifth-grade pill called the “Dragon Strength Pill.” This pill could give the user an immensely powerful strength in a short time. This strength was not related to Dou Qi amplification but was instead a pure physical power. Thus, the “Dragon Strength Pill” was a type of pill that directly enhanced one’s strength, making it even more difficult to refine. Even Xiao Yan found it challenging, and he hadn’t expected Elder He to choose such a difficult question. Such a level of pill, even in the Alchemy Department, could only be successfully refined by a select few.
Elder He smiled faintly, ignoring the two’s expressions, and unrolled the scroll, reading out the details of the “Dragon Strength Pill.” The crowd, upon hearing the pill’s unique effect, couldn’t help but brighten. Indeed, it lived up to its fifth-grade status, with such extraordinary effects.
“Is this old man here to officiate or to cause trouble? Letting two juniors refine a fifth-grade pill…” One of the elders watching the competition muttered to himself.
“Since both of you know the question, let’s begin,” Elder He said, rolling up the scroll. With a wave of his hand, a gust of wind blew away the black cloth, revealing two stone platforms below, covered with various medicinal ingredients. “Each of you has three sets of ingredients, so each of you has three chances. Whoever succeeds in refining the pill first wins.”
“What if both fail? Will it be a tie?” Han Xue’s brow furrowed slightly.
For the so-called “Dragon Strength Pill,” he had little confidence. But if he failed, wouldn’t he be in the same boat as Xiao Yan? That would be unfair, at least in his opinion. “If neither succeeds, then there will be failed pills. From those, we can judge the skill levels,” Elder He said with a smile, his interest in alchemy making him well-versed in the process.
Hearing this, Han Xue relaxed. He was confident that even if he failed to refine a complete pill, his failure would be better than Xiao Yan’s.
“Xiao Yan, do you have any objections?” Elder He asked. Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head, exchanging a glance with Han Xue. Seeing the cold smile in Han Xue’s eyes, he raised an eyebrow and walked towards one of the stone platforms.
Han Xue, after bowing slightly to the audience, also walked briskly to the other platform. As he passed Xiao Yan, he paused, smirking, “Acting calm, I’m waiting for your failure.”
“The same to you,” Xiao Yan smiled, climbing onto the platform. Xiao Yan’s calm demeanor made Han Xue’s smirk deepen. Smirking, he no longer spoke and stepped onto the platform.
Seeing both of them ready, Elder He’s smile widened. Turning to the dense crowd, he loudly announced, “The competition begins now!”
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