The primary ingredient of the Ailment-Clearing Pill was Ice Marrow, so the finished pill naturally possessed ice-attribute properties. Thus, the ethereal spirit beast stepping out of the void amid the glowing clouds carried wisps of biting cold, dispersing the residual heat lingering within the pill furnace.
The clear cry of a deer echoed across the square as the deep blue ice deer trod upon the void. It floated down to Shi Yu's side, lowering its head slightly to brush its illusory antlers against her cheek before slowly fading away along with the glowing clouds.
Shi Yu felt a surge of cool, pure spiritual energy flow into her body at the touch of the ice deer's antlers. Like a babbling spring, it soothed her meridians, easing the burning pain inside her quite a bit.
Her eyelashes fluttered. Steadying herself against the pill furnace, she summoned her very last ounce of strength to lift the lid.
Four translucent, azure pills—resembling delicate ice sculptures—lay quietly within. A rich, crisp pill fragrance wafted forth; with just a gentle whiff, even long-standing ailments in one's body felt on the verge of dissolving.
Around the pills, a faint blue halo bloomed like gauze and mist—a true pill halo.
Shi Yu's gaze swept across the slack-jawed spectators below the stage, past Pei Yanji, whose face looked as dark as thunder, and over Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu, who both averted their eyes...
Finally, her eyes settled on the pills inside. Calmly, she spoke: “This pill is called the Ailment-Clearing Pill, ranked as a Tier-4 pill. Consuming it can dissolve pill toxicity, purge blockages, and dispel fiendish aura.”
Though none had heard of this Ailment-Clearing Pill before, no one doubted her words; the phenomenon just now was proof enough.
That iridescent clouds and a spirit beast phantom had appeared together meant this pill was undoubtedly of exceptionally high caliber even among Tier-4 pills, reaching high grade in quality. Whether judged by the pill's inherent rank or its finished quality, the outcome was beyond dispute.
No one expected that two distinct Tier-4 pills would appear back-to-back in this grand competition. The honor that had almost been stolen away by an evil cultivator from Wanchou Prefecture was violently snatched back amidst such perilous twists.
In all previous competitions, big or small, refining a Tier-3 pill was usually enough to comfortably claim first place. When had things ever been this intense?
It was a dramatic turn of events, a spectacle beyond compare.
“This exchange conference will surely leave a magnificent mark in the history of all Changyuan Prefecture,” someone thought silently, feeling immensely honored to have witnessed such a monumental event with their own eyes.
Amidst the dead silence, Qin Yu and Yin Shixiu flew onto the high platform together. Looking around, they glanced meaningfully at Pei Yanji. “Please present your pill.”
Now, victory and defeat rested solely between these two. On the massive platform, everyone else faded into the background, leaving only these two protagonists.
In truth, there was no real need for Pei Yanji to present his pill. Once the phenomenon appeared, the outcome was already sealed.
However, aside from first place, the remaining rankings still needed to be decided and rewards distributed accordingly... so going through the motions was necessary.
All eyes fell upon Pei Yanji.
Pei Yanji's face was dark, but then, as if realizing something, his expression suddenly relaxed, and he casually lifted his furnace lid.
Inside lay two Tier-4 pills. Their fragrance was rich, but without any pill halo surrounding them, making them merely medium-grade pills.
In both quantity and quality, he was outmatched by Shi Yu. The result was clear.
Yin Shixiu showed no surprise. His gaze lingered on the two pills for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly, before he raised his head to look at the spectator stands.
Infused with spiritual energy, his voice resounded across the entire square: “The winner of first place in this grand competition has been decided! It is none other than Shi Yu, representing the Lingtai Prefecture Alchemist Association!”
Having claimed first place in all three rounds, there was no need to calculate the total scores—first place belonged solely to her.
Deserved beyond measure, undisputed by all.
The moment Yin Shixiu's voice faded, thunderous cheers erupted from the stands as countless people cheered enthusiastically for the young alchemist.
They had just witnessed an unprecedented alchemy war, seeing an unknown junior from a remote region soar to the top and claim first place in a single bound.
Admiration, envy, shock, and worship filled the hearts of the spectators. Intertwined together, their deafening shouts nearly shook the entire main city.
The sound-isolation array on the high platform had been removed the moment Shi Yu finished refining her pill. Now, every cheer from below flooded into the ears of the competing alchemists.
Pei Yanji watched all this coldly, thinking to himself, In any case, I didn't come here for first place; I came for the Yanyang Xuancang Flame... As long as I can enter the Yanyang Spiritual Realm, there isn't much difference between first and second place.
However... Pei Yanji turned to look at the pale, frail Shi Yu, who looked as though a gust of wind could blow her away. Her talent poses too great a threat to leave unchecked. Once we enter the spiritual realm... I must find an opportunity to eliminate her as soon as possible.
Afterward, Yin Shixiu and the association elders began evaluating the pills produced by the remaining alchemists, scoring each one before calculating the final tally to announce the rankings in order.
Leaning against the furnace, Shi Yu forced herself to remain standing. Her vision blurred, and the surrounding voices drifted away into a haze.
She could vaguely hear Yin Shixiu's voice announcing:
“The top ten participants may enter the Yanyang Spiritual Realm. First place may remain inside the spiritual realm for a full month...”
“In addition, a Tier-4 technique jade slip, three rare spiritual plants... medium-grade spirit stones...”
The voice grew increasingly distant. Finally, dark spots filled Shi Yu's vision, and her body slowly went limp as she collapsed backward.
Before blacking out, she heard the anxious shouts of President Song, Master Ji, and the others: “Little Yu!”
...
On the platform, proctors and association elders began distributing rewards according to the rankings.
Yin Shixiu and Qin Yu stepped aside.
Watching President Song and the others rush forward to take Shi Yu away for medical treatment, Yin Shixiu remarked, “Although she relied on pills to temporarily enter the Foundation Establishment Realm to refine such a pill... the fact that she succeeded shows she has already mastered the key principles. Once she officially reaches Foundation Establishment, refining it again will be as natural as smooth sailing.”
“Such talent is something I have never seen before in my life.” Qin Yu kept his gaze fixed on the unconscious young woman as she was carried away, letting out a sigh. “Even when compared to those prodigies in the Central Continent, she likely doesn't fall short.”
“The Central Continent is immensely far away, and we only know scraps about it,” Yin Shixiu said calmly. “Setting aside distant matters and focusing on what's before us, Miss Shi's future achievements certainly won't be inferior to ours. In our vast East Continent, she will sooner or later secure a place of her own.”
Qin Yu noncommittally smiled. “Perhaps that would have been true originally. But... youngsters who fail to restrain their sharp edges, who are overly headstrong and act recklessly without considering the consequences, must pay the price.”
By now, Qin Qingmu and Yin Wenzhou had finished receiving their rewards and walked over.
One had placed third and the other fourth—far from the rankings they had envisioned—and their faces were filled with gloom.
Qin Qingmu called softly, “Father.”
Looking ashamed, Yin Wenzhou stepped behind Yin Shixiu. “Master.”
Qin Yu gave a slight nod and gestured for Qin Qingmu to approach. When she came near, he gently patted the back of his daughter's hand to comfort her before continuing to Yin Shixiu:
“You saw her condition earlier as well. She consumed two of those unknown pills, burning up all her essence blood and damaging her divine soul. As a fellow Golden Core cultivator, can you really not see that she has severely damaged her foundation this time?”
Yin Shixiu remained silent for a moment before sighing softly. “She was indeed far too impulsive. With damage like that, it's hard to say whether her Dao Foundation can even be saved.”
They were not the only ones who saw this; the figures from grand forces in the spectator stands surely noticed it as well.
That was why earlier, when Shi Yu first revealed her talent, an endless stream of people had swarmed the Lingtai Prefecture Alchemist Association to recruit her. Now that Shi Yu had actually won first place, hardly anyone stepped forward, as each had their own calculations.
Hearing their conversation, Qin Qingmu and Yin Wenzhou exchanged a glance. Their eyes held complex emotions—sympathy, regret, and a secret sense of relief.
Stroking his beard, Qin Yu shook his head and chuckled softly. “With her path damaged, this young woman is no longer a threat.”
Yin Shixiu frowned slightly, his thoughts difficult to fathom. Only after a long silence did he murmur, “A shame, indeed.”
When he had watched Shi Yu refine the pill earlier, he had genuinely felt admiration for her. But since Shi Yu belonged to another prefecture's alchemist association, if she could not be brought into his own fold, she would inevitably become an object of apprehension.
So right now... although it was a shame, it was perhaps an ideal outcome.
Qin Yu raised his eyes again, glancing in the direction where the people from the Lingtai Prefecture Alchemist Association had departed. “Allowing her to claim first place this time is actually a good thing.”
“It prevented an evil cultivator from Wanchou Prefecture from stealing first place and humiliating our prefecture. Furthermore... judging by her current state, whether she can even wake up when the Yanyang Spiritual Realm opens remains uncertain. Even if she barely recovers enough to enter, she will hardly achieve anything in such a condition and poses no threat to Qingmu or your disciple.”
Yin Shixiu nodded gently. “Indeed.”
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