76: Delivery task

Jiang Donghua stood in the center of the hall, his expression calm, as if the upcoming refinement of the third-grade pill was merely a trivial matter for him.

With a flick of his finger, a wisp of azure flame leaped into the cauldron. The tongues of fire licked the inner wall of the earth spirit cauldron, and the temperature instantly soared to a perfect state.

First refinement.

Medicinal ingredients flowed into the cauldron like water, each one precisely delivered to the optimal position for refinement.

"Hiss—"

The medicinal liquid churned in the flames, impurities were instantly removed, and the essence rapidly fused.

Pill formed!

A round, jade-like mysterious spirit pill flew out of the cauldron, its medicinal fragrance overflowing and drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.

Second refinement.

This time, Jiang Donghua's movements were even faster; the flames in his hand obeyed his every command, and the temperature changes were precise to an astonishing degree.

"Boom!"

The medicinal liquid inside the cauldron boiled, but just as it was about to spiral out of control, he forcibly stabilized it using his Soul Power, finally condensing the second pill.

Third refinement.

This time, he even slightly adjusted the sequence of ingredient placement, and the temperature of the flame naturally adjusted according to the changes in the medicinal properties, as if the flame itself had gained sentience.

"Buzz—"

The cauldron body trembled lightly, and the third mysterious spirit pill successfully emerged, bearing a faint pill pattern, its quality surpassing the previous two!

Fourth refinement.

Just when everyone thought he would continue his perfect performance, Jiang Donghua slightly slowed his rhythm, wanting to nourish the pill a bit longer, causing the flame temperature to fluctuate slightly.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound came from inside the cauldron; the medicinal liquid instantly charred, turning into a wisp of black smoke that dissipated.

Failure!

However, Jiang Donghua merely smiled faintly, seeming completely unconcerned.

Four refinements, three successes!

Such a terrifying success rate—even a Fourth-Grade Alchemist might not be able to achieve it!

Inside the hall, the numerous disciples were already mesmerized.

"Senior Brother Jiang's flame control is practically like the flame is breathing!"

"Every time he adjusted the temperature, it was perfectly timed right at the critical point of the medicinal properties changing. How terrifying must his Soul Perception be?!"

Many people even sat down cross-legged on the spot, closing their eyes in contemplation, as if they had grasped a trace of the true meaning of flame control from Jiang Donghua's pill refinement process—an enlightenment!

"So that's it! Flames are not meant to be 'controlled,' but 'guided'!"

A junior student muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with the light of realization.

Jiang Donghua lightly clapped his hands. The earth spirit cauldron transformed into a streak of light and was retrieved into his storage ring.

Casually placing the three mysterious spirit pills into a jade bottle, he turned and left under the reluctant gazes of the crowd.

"Ah! It's already over?"

A female student with a ponytail murmured, feeling a sense of loss.

"It felt like we just started watching."

The boy wearing glasses next to her adjusted his frames, his eyes still fixed on the spot where Jiang Donghua had stood moments before.

Sighs instantly rose and fell throughout the hall.

Many were still immersed in the smooth, flowing pill refinement process they had just witnessed, only now realizing with a start that more than an hour had passed!

"Strange, I felt like I only watched for less than fifteen minutes?"

A student wearing a gray Alchemist robe scratched his head, his face full of disbelief.

"This is the charisma of a high-level Alchemist."

"Watching Senior Brother Jiang refine pills is like watching an artistic performance; you completely lose track of time."

In the corner, several students were sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, faint Fighting Qi fluctuations emanating from their bodies.

Their faces held expressions of sudden understanding, clearly having gained an opportunity for a breakthrough from the observation just now.

"I think I understand why I kept failing to refine the qi burst pill last time."

A round-faced student suddenly opened his eyes, gesticulating excitedly.

"It turns out my pill collection technique was too hasty!"

"Me too!"

A tall, thin student next to him excitedly chimed in.

"I think I've grasped a bit of the trick behind Senior Brother Jiang's flame constriction technique when condensing the pill!"

Such sounds of enlightenment echoed throughout the hall.

Sometimes, an Alchemist only lacks that one moment of sudden inspiration to raise their pill success rate by ten or twenty percent.

And Jiang Donghua's demonstration today provided them with exactly that opportunity.

"Sigh..."

A student wearing luxurious Alchemist robes suddenly let out a long sigh.

"If only I also had a Fifth-Grade Alchemist as a master!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a scoff immediately came from nearby.

"You? You can't even properly refine a second-grade medicinal pill, and you still dream of a Fifth-Grade Alchemist taking you as a disciple?"

"Exactly!"

Another student joined the mockery.

"Senior Brother Jiang's achievements today rely on genuine talent and hard work. Do you think just having a good master is enough?"

The student who was rebutted immediately flushed red, stammering and unable to speak.

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted around them, but everyone knew in their hearts.

How could they not envy Jiang Donghua's talent and opportunities?

Meanwhile, Jiang Donghua, who had already walked out of the Alchemy Department, was unaware of the discussion he had sparked.

He rubbed the jade bottle in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"It seems the effect was good."

The proficiency of the mysterious spirit pill on his afk system panel had still increased by a few points.

Jiang Donghua strode into the Mission Hall, and the previously noisy hall immediately quieted down somewhat.

"Senior Brother Jiang is here!"

"Look quickly, it's Senior Brother Jiang!"

Many students who were handing in or accepting missions quickly made way, their eyes filled with reverence and envy.

With Jiang Donghua's status as a Third-Grade Alchemist, he was no longer someone ordinary students could casually approach.

Seeing this, the deacons of the Mission Hall immediately put on smiles and proactively came forward to greet him.

"Student Jiang, are you here to hand in a mission?"

A deacon asked respectfully, his tone carrying a hint of deference.

Jiang Donghua nodded slightly and casually placed the jade bottle containing the mysterious spirit pills on the counter.

"Three mysterious spirit pills. Mission complete."

The deacon quickly took the bottle, carefully opened the stopper to inspect the contents, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately permeated the air.

"Hiss—"

"All three are high-grade?!"

A wave of gasps and exclamations arose from the surroundings.

One must know that even for a Third-Grade Alchemist, the success rate for refining the mysterious spirit pill is usually only about fifty percent. Yet, Jiang Donghua not only succeeded three times but also produced pills of such high quality!

"Student Jiang's pill refinement skills truly live up to his reputation!"

The deacon smiled broadly and quickly stamped the mission log for confirmation.

"Here are your contribution points; they have been credited to your name."

"As you requested, these are all the missions requiring pill refinement recently. Student Jiang, please take a look and see what you would like to refine?"

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow slightly.

A deacon who was a Peak Great Dou Shi was actually being so polite to him, a mere Four-Star Dou Shi?

But after a moment's thought, he understood the reason.

The status of a Third-Grade Alchemist was far more respected than that of a simple Great Dou Master!

On this Fighting Qi Continent, while strength is important, the connections and influence of a high-level Alchemist often command more awe than cultivation level.

Jiang Donghua smiled faintly and nodded.

"Deacon Chen is too kind. If there is a need, this student will naturally do his best."

Deacon Chen was immediately overjoyed and quickly said.

"Then thank you very much, Young Friend Jiang!"

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd was even more shocked.

Even a deacon had to be so polite to Senior Brother Jiang—was this the standing of an Alchemist?

In an instant, fervent light ignited in the eyes of many students, who secretly vowed to cultivate harder, striving to be as respected as Jiang Donghua someday!

Unfortunately, the path of an Alchemist was useless for most people; they could only strive to improve their own Fighting Qi cultivation.

Jiang Donghua, however, remained calm, pondering inwardly.

There was no need to use afk for these pills, and refining them would be quite taxing on his mind and energy.

He immediately shook his head and spoke to Deacon Chen.

"My apologies, I don't have much time recently. I'll take on some missions when I'm free. Thank you for your concern, Deacon."

Deacon Chen, knowing the eccentricities of Alchemists, nodded with an expression that said, 'I understand,' and replied.

"Alright. As long as I'm on duty in the Mission Hall, I will definitely let you choose the pill refinement missions."