262: Alchemy failure

Under Lin Jingyu's incomparably precise control of spiritual power, the flames were like docile sprites, evenly and obediently wrapping around the bottom of the Pill Furnace, emitting stable high heat.

After throwing in the three types of raw spiritual materials, which possessed different attributes and mottled Impurities, his hands and ten fingers began to dance like butterflies flitting through flowers.

He struck out complex and elegant Dharma Seals containing a unique rhythm, meticulously controlling every fraction of change in the heat.

The powerful sensory ability brought by the Spirit Refining Art allowed him to clearly “see” the subtle changes in the spiritual materials inside the furnace every minute and every second.

The Impurities were precisely eliminated and stripped away, while the essence was gently and efficiently extracted and condensed.

His movements were smooth and flowing, carrying a unique beauty and composure, forming a stark contrast to the hectic, anxious, and sweaty state of some Alchemists around him.

In less than half an incense stick's time, while other Alchemists were still struggling to purify the second type of spiritual liquid, in the three jade bottles before Lin Jingyu...

...were already filled with three types of highly pure spiritual liquid of pristine colors and abundant Spiritual Qi, showing hardly any Impurities.

He was the first to finish, sweeping his sleeve to conclude his work, standing quietly to the side, his expression as calm as water, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

On the judging panel, several senior Alchemists exchanged glances, all seeing a hint of surprise and admiration in the other's eyes, nodding slightly.

Gu Yue, in particular, kept his gaze almost entirely fixed on Lin Jingyu; his previously furrowed brow completely relaxed, and an uncontrollable, deep smile curved his lips as he thought to himself:

"This kid already had the attainment of a Second-Rank Alchemist in the Secret Realm. Participating in this competition is just a piece of cake.

Feng Xixi really found the right person."

The second round required refining the designated Medicinal Pill, the “Qi Condensation Pill,” demanding High Grade quality.

This is not a difficult type among first-tier High Grade Medicinal Pills, but the requirement for “High Grade quality” stumped many Alchemists whose skills were not refined enough.

Lin Jingyu easily completed the task again. When the furnace opened, the Pill Qi condensed without dispersing, and three smooth, plump Qi Condensation Pills, radiating Spiritual Qi and surrounded by a pill halo, flew out, having astonishingly reached Supreme Grade quality.

This drew an irrepressible chorus of hushed gasps from the audience below the stage.

Meanwhile, the sallow-faced Alchemist from Miaoling Pavilion also successfully refined a High Grade Qi Condensation Pill, but the pill's appearance was ordinary, and compared to Lin Jingyu's Supreme Grade Pill, the difference was immediately obvious.

After two rounds, the four teams with the lowest scores were ruthlessly eliminated. The remaining eight teams entered the most critical and exciting free Alchemy segment.

“The third round: free performance! Two hours limit! Victory will be determined by the rank, quality, and difficulty of the final Medicinal Pill produced!”

The voice of the Law Enforcement Elder carried a hint of excitement, igniting the final enthusiasm of the entire venue. “Attention! The final ranking is determined by adding the scores of the two Alchemists in the team! Begin now!”

The rule of “final scores added together” was newly revised for this Grand Competition, aimed at emphasizing the overall strength of the team and preventing one Alchemist's exceptional performance from masking a teammate's major mistake.

The atmosphere instantly tightened to the extreme! Teams successively displayed their most precious spiritual materials, and for a moment, spiritual light shone brightly on the high platform, accompanied by a faint medicinal fragrance.

The Alchemist from Shen Pill Pavilion opposite carefully took out a “Red Sun Flower” surrounded by blazing flames and emitting scorching heat waves.

The Alchemist from Daling Pavilion on the other side cautiously held out several “Thunderclap Fruits” that flashed with lightning and crackled.

Clearly, they all planned to challenge the refining of Second-tier Medicinal Pills, which have a higher difficulty! What they were using were also Supreme Grade Pill Furnaces that they had brought themselves, which had been nurtured for many years and were more compatible with their own Cultivation Technique.

Looking at the entire venue, almost no one used the standardized Pill Furnace provided by the Alchemist Association. Only one person was the exception: Lin Jingyu, who still stood calmly before the blue standardized Pill Furnace.

Just then, the sallow-faced Alchemist suddenly took a deep breath, as if having made a massive decision, and turned to speak to Fellow Daoist Lin, his voice hoarse but carrying a hint of desperation:

“Fellow Daoist Lin, I... want to refine the Second-tier Low Grade ‘Jade Blood Pill’! May I ask what Medicinal Pill you intend to refine?”

Given his Alchemy skill level, the Jade Blood Pill was already his limit.

The chance of success was only about thirty percent.

Lin Jingyu's gaze lightly swept over the determined opponents on the stage who were using all their methods, and then looked at Feng Xixi's expectant eyes below the stage.

He spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone nearby: “Second-tier Medium Grade, Origin Spirit Pill.”

As he spoke, he took out several spiritual materials from his Storage Pouch. Among them were several Origin Spirit Grasses whose leaves were crystal clear like jade and emitted pure Origin Qi.

And a fruit the size of a longan, clear like glazed glass, inside which seemed to flow wisps of misty Qi—the Pure Origin Fruit, emitting refreshing Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

These rare Spiritual Plants were naturally provided wholeheartedly by Miaoling Pavilion.

“Origin Spirit Pill?”

Several Alchemists nearby also cast surprised looks.

This pill is extremely difficult to control, and the failure rate is very high. Even a senior Second-Rank Alchemist would find it hard to guarantee a success rate above fifty or sixty percent. How dare such a young Cultivator challenge it in the finals?

However, Lin Jingyu's expression was as usual; in his black eyes, there was only absolute calmness and confidence.

With the Legacy he obtained from the Taihao Elixir Canon, the precise control provided by the Spirit Refining Art, and his own Comprehension Ability, he had absolute confidence in refining this pill, with a success rate close to one hundred percent.

He said no more, held his breath, concentrated his spirit, and began processing the spiritual materials.

His movements were focused and steady, spiritual light flowing at his fingertips. The cutting, grinding, and extraction of every auxiliary ingredient were precise to the millimeter, and his anticipation and control of the heat were exquisitely perfect.

The entire process was smooth and flowing, carrying a unique aesthetic, as if he were not participating in an important competition, but rather engaging in an artistic creation, a sacred ritual of communication with the spiritual objects of heaven and earth.

Time quietly slipped away amidst the suffocating tension.

On the high platform, Spiritual Qi fluctuations and unusual fragrances caused by successful pill formation, or the dull roar and burnt smell from exploding Pill Furnaces, occasionally drifted out. The atmosphere was turbulent, tugging at the heartstrings of every audience member below the stage.

Shen Pill Pavilion successfully refined a High Grade Red Sun Pill, and hot waves surged when the pill was formed.

Daling Pavilion also successfully refined a Medium Grade Thunderclap Pill. A flash of lightning occurred upon its release, drawing continuous admiration from the audience below.

Suddenly, a muffled sound of “Bang!” mixed with a pungent burnt smell, violently erupted from the neighboring position.

The sallow-faced Alchemist from Miaoling Pavilion saw his Pill Furnace vibrate violently, with thick black smoke billowing out from the seams of the lid.

His all-out effort to refine the Second-tier Low Grade Jade Blood Pill had completely failed.

“Pfft!”

He himself suffered a severe backlash, violently spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turning pale as ash, staggering back several steps.

Slumping onto the ground, he stared blankly at the smoking Pill Furnace, then cupped his hands toward Feng Xixi below the stage and said:

“I apologize, Shopkeeper Feng, I have failed Miaoling Pavilion's expectations.”

Originally, Miaoling Pavilion had placed their hopes on Elder Liu, and he was only meant to be a supplement, needing only to refine a batch of first-tier High Grade Medicinal Pills.

But Elder Liu was injured, and out of necessity, he was forced to refine a Second-tier Medicinal Pill, which, as expected, resulted in failure.