57: Refining second-grade pills

Elder Mo Xuan's beard trembled slightly, and he secretly glanced at Jiang Donghua from the corner of his eye, his heart already filled with turmoil.

How much time had passed?

Barely half a month!

When he himself advanced from First-Grade Alchemist to Second-Grade Alchemist back then, he had spent a full three years, and even then his master had praised his exceptional talent!

Yet this kid managed to figure it out all by himself?!

The Alchemy Department disciples had previously muttered that Jiang Donghua spent all day in the library, flipping pages faster than he changed expressions. Could it be that he really comprehended some secret from those ancient texts?

A monster!

Absolutely a monster!

This kid must be deliberately pulling his leg.

The pride of being an Elder made him stubbornly stiffen his neck, deliberately snort coldly, and turn his head away.

"Hmph! This old man doesn't believe it!"

"Unless you refine it for me right here and now!"

After speaking, he secretly observed Jiang Donghua's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Sure enough, the young man paused, seeming stumped.

Mo Xuan immediately felt a bit relieved. Just as he was about to put on the air of a senior and lecture him, he saw Jiang Donghua helplessly spread his hands.

"I don't have the ingredients."

"If you could provide the medicinal ingredients..."

Before he finished speaking, Elder Mo Xuan "whooshed" to his feet, his wide sleeves whipping up a breeze, and he immediately grabbed Jiang Donghua and rushed downstairs.

"Get down here!"

"Medicinal ingredients? That's the one thing the Alchemy Department has in abundance!"

The disciples organizing medicinal ingredients in the corridor only saw a gray shadow flash past. When they realized it was Elder Mo Xuan dragging Senior Brother Jiang, they were so startled that they almost dropped the baskets in their hands.

"What is the Elder doing~"

"Hurry, follow them and see!"

In the center of the Grand Alchemy Hall, Elder Mo Xuan waved his large hand, and several medicine cabinets opened immediately.

crimson flame fruit, Violent Bear Gall, wind spirit grass... All the medicinal ingredients needed to refine the qi burst pill floated neatly in the air.

"Refine it!"

"Refine it right now!"

"This old man wants to see if you brat are bluffing!"

Jiang Donghua watched the old man whose beard was bristling with anger, and his shoulders shook as he tried to suppress his laughter.

He slowly rolled up his sleeves, and the earth spirit cauldron landed with a "thud" in the center of the hall.

"Then this disciple will show his meager skills."

As he lightly flicked his fingertip, a cluster of cyan flame leaped into the cauldron.

All the disciples of the Alchemy Department held their breath, countless eyes fixed intently on the Medicine Cauldron.

Elder Mo Xuan's hands, clasped behind his back, unconsciously clenched tighter.

This kid couldn't really be about to create a miracle in public, could he?

Inside the entire Grand Alchemy Hall, the air seemed to solidify.

All the students stared intently at the earth spirit cauldron in the center, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Entering the Second-Grade Alchemist realm in half a year?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Even though Jiang Donghua had already created too many miracles before, at this moment, they still couldn't believe it.

The gap between a second-grade medicinal pill and a first-grade elixir was like a natural chasm!

How many Alchemists were stuck at the peak of the First-Grade for their entire lives, unable to advance even an inch!

Yet Jiang Donghua had only been studying for half a year!

However, just as everyone was filled with uncertainty, more than ten minutes quietly passed.

"Buzz—!"

The earth spirit cauldron trembled slightly, and a wisp of crimson elixir vapor overflowed from the mouth of the cauldron, lingering in the air.

"Open!"

Jiang Donghua raised his palm, the cauldron lid opened, and a completely crimson medicinal pill flew out, its surface clearly wrapped with two distinct pill patterns!

Second-Grade qi burst pill, double-pattern quality!

"Hiss—"

A collective gasp instantly echoed throughout the entire hall.

Everyone widened their eyes, staring intently at the medicinal pill, as if they had seen a ghost.

He really refined it?

And it was double-patterned!

What kind of monstrous genius is this?!

The entire Alchemy Department was silent, everyone too shocked to speak.

Only Elder Mo Xuan's eyes shone brightly. He slapped Jiang Donghua's shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Truly worthy of being the personal disciple I selected!"

His voice was loud, filled with pride, as if the person who had just "refused to believe" was not him at all.

Jiang Donghua's mouth twitched slightly, and he gave his teacher a helpless look.

This old man changes expressions faster than flipping a book... Meanwhile, the surrounding Alchemy Department students finally woke up as if from a dream, their faces complicated, showing shock, awe, and a deep sense of defeat.

"It's over, we really can't compete now."

"Second-Grade in half a year? Have we been wasting our lives all these years?"

"A monstrous talent! This is absolutely a monstrous talent!"

Jiang Donghua put away the medicinal pill, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and suddenly flashed a grin.

"Junior Brothers, keep up the good work."

"Otherwise..."

"The next time we meet, I might already be Third-Grade."

Everyone.

"..."

That's truly killing someone by attacking their heart!!!

The news that Jiang Donghua had successfully stepped into the Second-Grade Alchemist realm swept through the entire Jia Nan Academy like a fierce hurricane.

But this time, no one dared to show even a trace of jealousy.

The gap between them was simply too enormous—so enormous that the feeling of jealousy seemed ridiculous and insignificant.

Every time the Alchemy Department students gathered, the topic would inevitably focus on Jiang Donghua.

"Did you hear? Senior Brother Jiang has already started studying third-grade pill recipe."

"That speed is too astonishing! It took me two full years just to learn how to identify the medicinal ingredients."

"Do you think it's possible for him to attempt to reach the Third-Grade Alchemist realm in just one year?"

As they spoke these words, their eyes no longer held resentment or jealousy, replaced instead by envy and deep reverence.

As for Liu Qingya, who had once been Jiang Donghua's fierce rival, he had now completely disappeared.

Some busybodies specifically went to visit him, and when they returned, everyone's expression was exceedingly strange.

"Senior Brother Liu, he..."

"He locks himself in his room all day now, and whenever he sees someone, he mutters about the 'green flame cauldron'!"

"I once saw him personally making pill refining gestures toward the air, but there wasn't even a Medicine Cauldron in front of him."

That once high-and-mighty, infinitely glorious direct descendant of the Liu family now had vacant eyes and messy clothes. Where was the slightest trace of his former arrogance?

That thrilling pill refining duel not only ruthlessly took away his Medicine Cauldron but also completely shattered his Dao Heart.

After Elder Mo Xuan learned about this, he only commented faintly.

"His ambition was higher than the heavens, but his fate was thinner than paper."

At this moment, Jiang Donghua stood steadily on the top floor terrace of the Alchemy Department, overlooking the entire academy.

The breeze gently blew his robes.

"Liu Qingya ~"

He softly murmured the name, his eyes holding no trace of pity, only a deep indifference.

On this difficult and dangerous cultivation path, the cruel law of the winner takes all has always applied.

If it had been Jiang Donghua who was defeated in that duel that day, then his fate would likely have been even more tragic than this.