294: Chapter 294 Refining Pills on Behalf of Others?

Su Cheng tallied his output: all seventeen furnaces produced pills, totaling fifty-nine High Grade biling pills (some furnaces produced four or even five).

One hundred seventy-seven points, the highest in the entire competition.

His terrifying speed of pill production and one hundred percent High Grade rate allowed him to crush everyone aiming for supreme grade pills purely through quantity.

The second place in points was Lin Ruoshui. She followed the same path as Su Cheng, securing one hundred eight points with an eighty percent High Grade success rate and decent speed.

However, her speed was still much slower than Su Cheng's.

Third place was Wu Chen. In one day, he refined three supreme grade pills and twelve High Grade pills, totaling eighty-one points.

He refined many supreme grade pills, but his speed was dragged down.

Fourth place was Zhou Mingyuan, with two supreme grade pills and fifteen High Grade pills, totaling seventy-five points.

Fifth place was Shen Qing, with one supreme grade pill and eighteen High Grade pills, totaling sixty-nine points.

In terms of quality, Wu Chen, Zhou Mingyuan, and Shen Qing were undoubtedly in the strongest tier.

But under the rules of "two-day time limit and point-based system," their supreme grade pills did not translate into enough of a points advantage.

This was the reason Su Cheng chose to focus on quantity.

The rules are rigid, but people are flexible.

By the second day, everyone's pace had quickened because the point gap had already widened, and the Disciples who were too far behind began to catch up desperately.

Those aiming for supreme grade pills became even more aggressive, and those focusing on quantity became even faster.

Wu Chen adjusted his strategy. He no longer aimed for supreme grade pills in every furnace; instead, he changed to aiming for one in every three furnaces, while refining the other two at High Grade speed to balance quality and quantity.

Zhou Mingyuan remained as unhurried as before, but his pill production speed was about twenty percent faster than the day before.

Shen Qing's Breakthrough was the most obvious; he produced two supreme grade pills in a row on the morning of the second day, clearly showing that his performance the previous day was not his full effort.

Su Cheng maintained that maddening pace: one furnace per incense stick, three to four High Grade pills, bottle them, and then the next furnace.

By the early morning of the third day, when the Pill Hall Deacon struck the bronze bell to signal the end of refining, thirty-five jade bottles were neatly lined up on the table in front of Su Cheng.

Over two days, a total of thirty-five furnaces resulted in one hundred nine High Grade biling pills.

All were High Grade, not a single failed furnace, not a single Medium Grade pill, totaling three hundred twenty-seven points.

First place in the entire competition!!

Deputy Head Zhao Ming deep personally stepped down to count Su Cheng's Medicinal Pills. He scanned every single one with his Divine Sense, confirming they were all High Grade without error; not a single one was diluted.

"Three hundred twenty-seven points." Deputy Head Zhao Ming deep's voice spread throughout the venue.

The plaza fell into silence. One hundred nine pills.

Two days, all High Grade.

The silence lasted for three or four breaths before being drowned out by an uncontrollable uproar.

"One hundred nine pills?!"

"One hundred nine High Grade pills in two days? Is he human or has his Pill Furnace become a spirit?"

"This speed... even if a Golden Core Elder came to refine second-tier biling pills, they might not necessarily be this fast, right?"

Those voices that had previously mocked him for "only being fast" all disappeared.

Second place was Lin Ruoshui, with a two-day total of two hundred fifteen points.

A difference of over one hundred points.

Third place was Wu Chen with two hundred seven points. After adjusting his strategy on the second day, he gained quite a few points, but ultimately did not catch up.

Fourth place was Zhou Mingyuan with one hundred ninety-five points.

Fifth place was Shen Qing with one hundred seventy-six points.

Chen Yuan ranked thirty-seventh and advanced.

Relying purely on his solid techniques and the pharmacological foundation taught by his Revered Master, he fought his way into the top fifty out of two hundred seventy-two people, which was already very impressive.

The vast gap between first place and the rest forced everyone present to re-evaluate this Early Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple from Qingmu Peak named Su Cheng.

One hundred nine High Grade biling pills, two days, zero mistakes.

This cannot be explained by talent alone; this is something only possible after having a thorough, internalized mastery of the entire refining process for biling pills.

But the question is, how many years has Su Cheng been in the Sect?

When did he refine biling pills to this level? No one could answer this question.

After reading the list, Su Cheng put away his Jade Slip and continued to sit cross-legged in meditation.

He was leading the second place by one hundred twelve points.

Setting other things aside, one point was very clear: when it came to refining clear spirit pill, at least at the level of Foundation Establishment Disciples, no one could surpass him in both speed and stability.

Of course, those contestants on the field who were aiming for supreme grade pills might not be convinced.

They would think they were limited by the rules; if the second round only compared quality and not quantity, any single supreme grade pill they produced could crush Su Cheng's High Grade pills.

This way of thinking is not wrong, but it was their own choice. There are gains and losses; after all, they did stand out.

Moreover, how could there be mediocre people in the Danding Sect? Every Disciple sitting here was a talented individual; a slight moment of carelessness would lead to being caught up by others.

Besides his own Genius, Wu Chen also relied on his family background. Zhou Mingyuan relied on his own hard work. Shen Qing had a higher starting line by birth. Others were more or less the same...

As for Su Cheng, there was really no reasoning with him; he had a cheat.

However, the third round was where the real winner would be decided: a brand new Pill Formula, five sets of Materials, and a three-month time limit.

Everyone would return to the same starting line, and quality and quantity would determine the ranking.

At that time, Su Cheng's fifty-five percent supreme grade rate would truly come in handy, along with the affinity with vegetation talent brought by the creation furnace and the Creation Art, as well as the unreasonable power of the Qi of Creation.

The third day after the second round ended, which was the first day before the third round started, trouble came.

Just past the hour of Mao, Su Cheng was in his Immortal Cave nourishing his Sea of Consciousness with the Qi of Creation when the Formation outside his Immortal Cave was triggered.

The visitor was not Chen Yuan.

After opening the door, a young Cultivator at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage wearing the standard robes of the Giant Spirit Sect stood outside, followed by two Junior Brothers at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage.

"Fellow Daoist Su, sorry to disturb you." The visitor bowed, "I am Fan Xiu, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Giant Spirit Sect. I have come to visit under the orders of Elder Zhao from my Sect."

He handed over a brocade box: "A small gift, please do not take offense."

Su Cheng took the brocade box and scanned it with his Divine Sense. Inside was a third-tier fire-elemental spirit ore, worth about twenty or thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. This was a generous gesture.

"I wonder what instructions Elder Zhao of your Sect has?"

Fan Xiu smiled and said, "Elder Zhao said that your talent in Alchemy is world-shaking, and he was full of praise after watching yesterday's competition. I wonder if you might have some spare energy in the future to refine a batch of biling pills for our Giant Spirit Sect? The price is negotiable."

Alchemy on behalf of others?

Su Cheng did not answer immediately.

The Giant Spirit Sect is one of the four major Nascent Soul Sects in Tianlan Province, famous for its Body Cultivators. Its Alchemy has always been weak, and it has long relied on the Danding Sect for supplies.

They came to ask him for Alchemy, probably because they valued his speed and success rate, and... they probably wanted to secure a friendly relationship before he became completely famous.

"I am honored by Elder Zhao's regard." Su Cheng pushed the brocade box back, "The Grand Competition has not yet ended, so it is inconvenient for this Disciple to agree to matters outside the Sect. After the Grand Competition is over, please ask Senior Brother Fan to convey to Elder Zhao that Su Cheng will visit to express his gratitude."

The smile on Fan Xiu's face stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal: "Naturally, naturally. Junior Brother Su, please attend to your important matters first; Elder Zhao is not in a hurry. Please accept this small gift, Junior Brother, just as a gesture of friendship."

Since he was already calling him Junior Brother, Su Cheng did not refuse again, accepted the brocade box, and saw Fan Xiu off.

An hour later, the second group of people arrived.