170: Recruiting Princess Yaoyue

Extracting the ironwood spirit leaf, the key lies in “toughness” and “purity.”

Its woody fibers are extremely tough, and impurities are deeply embedded within them like tree sap. This requires a continuous, stable, medium-to-high temperature flame, combined with precise Soul Power vibrations, to gradually soften, separate, and burn them away.

If the temperature is too high, it is prone to instant carbonization.

If the temperature is too low, the efficiency will be low, and the impurities cannot be shaken off.

If the Soul Power control is unstable, it is easy to damage the essence meridians of the medicinal material itself.

Only the whooshing sound of flames burning and the faint crackling of medicinal materials in the flames remained in the hall.

More than ten contestants were fully focused, with fine beads of sweat seeping from their foreheads.

The fine sand in the hourglass flowed silently and ruthlessly.

Vice President Chemier, Frank, Otto, and several other guild elders served as judges, quietly standing on the sidelines to observe.

Their gazes were like hawks, capturing every detail of each contestant's flame control, the strength of their Soul Power fluctuations, and the color and purity of the final medicinal liquid.

Time passed bit by bit.

One hour, not too long, not too short.

Most of the sand in the upper part of the hourglass had already flowed away.

Finally, someone finished first!

It was Liu Ling!

He reined in the flame in his palm, and a drop of medicinal liquid, about the size of a thumb, appearing a pure dark green, as clear and translucent as jade, floated before him, emitting a refined wood-attribute energy fluctuation.

He had a confident smile on his face as he looked at the hourglass; there was still nearly a quarter of the time left.

Clearly, he not only completed it but also completed it quite easily and perfectly.

Immediately after, Princess Yao Yue also let out a delicate cry and completed the extraction.

The medicinal liquid in front of her appeared a bright yellow-green, slightly smaller in volume than Liu Ling's, but its purity was also extremely high. Clearly, as Vice President Chemier's disciple, her fundamentals were extremely solid.

She panted slightly, a hint of pride on her small face, and cast a provocative glance at Mo Yuhan, who was still extracting.

Yan Xiao (Xiao Yan) also finished his extraction almost at the same time Princess Yao Yue did.

The medicinal liquid in front of him appeared a deep dark green, not large in volume, but exceptionally condensed, giving one a feeling of profound inner strength. His expression was calm, showing no joy or anger.

Mo Yuhan was the fourth to finish.

His movements were neither fast nor slow, and when only one-tenth of the hourglass remained, the flame in his palm extinguished.

A drop of viscous medicinal liquid, reddish with specks of golden light, about the size of a pinky finger, floated before him.

The color of the medicinal liquid was not as verdant as Liu Ling's, not as bright as Princess Yao Yue's, nor as deep as Yan Xiao's, appearing somewhat “ordinary,” but the energy fluctuations it emitted were exceptionally stable and pure, with no signs of impurities escaping.

Afterward, two or three more contestants barely completed it at the last moment, but judging by their pale faces and the slightly turbid state of their medicinal liquid, they clearly just barely met the standard.

However, most of those present completed the task, so it wasn't as if the majority would be eliminated; even if there were eliminations, it would only be a small portion of people.

Vice President Vice President Chemier waved his hand expressionlessly, and immediately, deacons stepped forward, carefully collecting the extracted medicinal liquid essence from each contestant with specially made jade bottles.

“Rest in place and await the results.”

Vice President Chemier's voice rang out.

Several judges walked to a temporary judging stand set up to the side and began to examine the medicinal liquids one by one.

They used specialized tools and Soul Power to meticulously probe the purity, energy content, and essence retention rate of each drop of medicinal liquid.

Liu Ling's medicinal liquid was the first to be tested.

Several judges exchanged glances, and approval showed in their eyes. Vice President Chemier nodded slightly: “Liu Ling, extraction attempts: six times. Purity: top-tier. Energy retention: sixty-two percent. Seven points.”

The full score was ten points, and seven points was already good. Liu Ling's face showed a matter-of-fact smile.

Next was Princess Yao Yue's medicinal liquid.

“Princess Yao Yue, extraction attempts: five times. Purity: high-tier. Energy retention: sixty percent. Six point five points.”

Vice President Chemier announced.

Princess Princess Yao Yue pouted slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with this score, but she said nothing.

It was Yan Xiao's (Xiao Yan's) medicinal liquid's turn.

The judges took a little longer to examine it, seemingly scrutinizing it carefully.

“Yan Xiao, extraction attempts: eight times. Purity: high-tier, close to top-tier. Energy retention: eighty-one percent. Nine points.”

This score made Princess Yao Yue look at Yan Xiao in surprise, and Liu Ling was even more shocked.

Finally, it was Mo Yuhan's turn for that reddish medicinal liquid with golden specks.

The judges placed it under a special detection crystal.

The crystal light flowed, reflecting the internal view of the medicinal liquid. Frank and Otto both watched nervously.

Vice President Chemier personally picked it up, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed it with his powerful Soul Power.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a hint of undetectable surprise flashing within them.

The other judges also nodded in agreement.

“Mo Yuhan,” Vice President Chemier's voice clearly rang out, “extraction attempts: ten times.”

“Ten times?” This number made both Princess Yao Yue and Liu Ling slightly stunned.

The recognized limit for extracting ironwood spirit leaf was around nine times. What did ten times mean?

It meant that his control over flame and Soul Power had reached an extremely subtle level, operating on the edge of the limit, removing even the last trace of elusive, stubborn impurities.

This required a profound understanding of the medicinal material's characteristics and exceptionally strong control!

“Purity,” Vice President Chemier continued, “top-tier. Energy retention… ninety-five percent!”

“Ninety-five percent?!”

This time, even Liu Ling, who had remained calm, couldn't help but narrow his pupils! An energy retention rate of ninety-five percent.

This meant that during the ten high-intensity extraction processes, Mo Yuhan minimized the damage to the medicinal material's essence.

This was more difficult than simply pursuing high purity! It required unparalleled precise control over flame and Soul Power, where every vibration and every burning was just right, without harming the core.

“Overall score: Ten points!”

Vice President Chemier finally announced, with a hint of affirmation in his tone.

Mo Yuhan, ten points! First place overall, and in some aspects, such as extraction attempts and energy retention, even surpassing Vice President Chemier himself!

This result was beyond most people's expectations.

Princess Yao Yue's small mouth was agape, her gaze at Mo Yuhan filled with disbelief.

Liu Ling's gaze at Mo Yuhan, for the first time, carried seriousness and a hint of solemnity.

Yan Xiao's (Xiao Yan's) eyes, hidden beneath his ordinary face, also flickered slightly, as if he was considering whether to re-evaluate the strength of this “fellow townsman.”

Even Yao Lao, hidden within his body, couldn't help but sigh.

If only Mo Yuhan were his disciple.

Frank and Otto, on the other hand, were beaming with joy, almost laughing out loud on the spot, barely managing to maintain their composure.

“Hmph! Just good luck. We'll see real skill at the Convention!” Princess Yao Yue grumbled softly, unwilling to accept it, but her confidence was clearly lacking.

Vice President Chemier's gaze swept over everyone: “The test is over. Mo Yuhan, Liu Ling, Yan Xiao, Princess Yao Yue… (he read out the names of the qualifiers) The thirteen of you have qualified to participate.

Go back and prepare well. In three days, the Alchemist Convention will officially begin! You may all disperse.”

Everyone dispersed, each with their own thoughts.