Yi Fengmian stroked his beard and mused, "That girl Lin Xiaowan seems like a decent sprout. If her subsequent performance is acceptable, taking her in as a registered disciple wouldn't be a bad idea."
At that moment, Lin Xiaowan's attention was entirely focused on the alchemy furnace in front of her. She was completely unaware that she had caught an elder's eye.
All of this was simply because her station was adjacent to Li Nanzhu's.
In the arena, Li Nanzhu continued to manipulate her flames at a steady pace.
Under the gentle embrace of the civil fire, the blood ginseng gradually dissolved, its medicinal properties perfectly preserved. She was completely immersed in the world of alchemy, oblivious to the evaluations from the outside world.
Time flowed silently, and an hour quickly passed.
Several direct disciples of the Shenmu Sect completed their refinements one after another, and the fragrance of tier 2 pills wafted from their furnaces.
Like the Water Moon Sect before them, they prioritized stability in the first round.
Right then, Li Nanzhu's alchemy furnace vibrated slightly. She cast the final pill-congealing mantra, and the lid opened—
Five crimson qi-recovery pills lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace. Their surfaces shimmered with a warm luster, emitting a pure medicinal fragrance.
"Only five?" Li Nanzhu was momentarily taken aback, a flicker of confusion crossing her eyes.
According to her estimates, there should have been at least ten pills. She was more than familiar with the proportions of these materials.
In the past, she could refine fifteen pills from such a batch.
"Could my state be off? Or is it because I switched furnaces?" she muttered softly to herself. However, she didn't dwell on it for long. Quickly collecting her thoughts, she began processing the next set of materials.
However, on the judges' bench, several elders sat up straight at the same time.
"This aura..." Elder Tan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Those are tier 1 extreme grade qi-recovery pills!"
Upon hearing this, the other elders also showed surprised expressions.
Tier 1 extreme grade pills weren't exactly unheard of; any alchemy master above tier 5 could refine them with ease. But because of that, no one was willing to waste time on them.
High-tier alchemists pursued higher-grade pills, while low-tier alchemists found it difficult to refine anything of extreme quality. This made tier 1 extreme grade pills some of the rarest items in existence.
Turning their heads, they realized that Li Nanzhu hadn't left the stage. Instead, she was continuing to refine, which left them all looking astonished.
Elder Tan raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes filled with a trace of confusion.
That one batch of extreme grade qi-recovery pills was already enough for her to easily advance. Why expend more effort?
"This..." The elder from the Water Moon Sect was the first to react, caught between laughter and tears. "This girl is trying to emulate her fourth senior brother by using up every bit of the materials!"
The other elders also broke into laughter.
Indeed, according to the rules, unused materials had to be returned, but refined pills could be taken away. Li Nanzhu was clearly intent on making the most of what she had.
Most other contestants had already stopped, with only a few disciples who felt they had performed poorly still attempting a second round of refinement.
Li Nanzhu was the only one who had already refined extreme grade pills but chose to continue.
"Interesting," Elder Tan smiled while stroking his beard. "This little girl certainly knows how to be pragmatic."
Elder Yi Fengmian couldn't help but shake his head. "Disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect truly never play by the rules."
Li Nanzhu was entirely unaware that she had become the center of attention again. She focused on processing the next set of materials, her movements even more composed than in the first round.
A look of marvel flashed in Elder Tan's eyes. This level of control did not look like someone using a standardized furnace for the first time.
Indeed, although Li Nanzhu was confused about the quantity of pills produced, her hands never wavered. Her powerful divine sense allowed her to precisely perceive every single change inside the furnace, and she soon adapted to the characteristics of the standardized furnace.
Another hour later, the second batch was opened. Six qi-recovery pills lay quietly at the bottom, their luster even warmer than the first batch.
The voice of the Hall of Discipline elder announced the result with a hint of pleasant surprise, but Li Nanzhu still didn't stop. She immediately began the third round of refinement.
By now, even the other contestants couldn't help but look her way.
The elders on the judges' bench exchanged bitter smiles, while Elder Tan's eyes showed a look of reminiscence.
When Li Nanzhu finished the final set of materials, three jade bottles were placed neatly in front of her, containing a total of seventeen tier 1 extreme grade qi-recovery pills. She looked at the last remaining set of materials, her fingertips tapping lightly on the edge of the furnace as she fell into thought.
Her points were already more than enough to advance. Perhaps she could try something different with this final set of materials.
She took a deep breath and changed her alchemy strategy.
This time, she no longer aimed for perfect tier 1 pills. Instead, she attempted to refine a tier 2 low-grade blood-qi pill—the most basic of the tier 2 pills she had encountered.
On the judges' bench, Elder Tan keenly noticed the change in Li Nanzhu's alchemy technique. He raised his brow slightly. "The girl is changing the pill recipe."
Yi Fengmian also showed a look of realization. "It seems her previous focus on tier 1 pills was merely to adapt to the furnace."
In the arena, Li Nanzhu's movements were noticeably more cautious than before.
Refining tier 2 pills was significantly more difficult. She had to focus her entire mind; the flame temperature required even more precise control, and the ratio of medicinal herbs had to be readjusted. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, yet she didn't dare to be distracted for a single second.
"Her technique is a bit unpolished," Elder Tan evaluated objectively. "But her foundation is very solid. She must have had some exposure to refining tier 2 pills before."
An hour later, just as the timing hourglass was about to run out, Li Nanzhu's furnace finally moved.
With a slight vibration, three pale-red blood-qi pills lay quietly at the bottom. Their luster was somewhat dim, but they were indeed genuine tier 2 low-grade pills.
"Success!" Li Nanzhu let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes flashing with joy.
Although the quality was only low-grade, successfully refining a tier 2 pill on her first try with a standardized furnace exceeded her expectations.
The Hall of Discipline elder announced the final results: "Li Nanzhu of the Five Elements Dao Sect. Seventeen tier 1 extreme grade qi-recovery pills from three batches, and three tier 2 low-grade blood-qi pills from one batch. Ranked eighteenth in total points, she advances to the next round!"
Li Nanzhu's eyes widened suddenly.
Extreme grade? She had refined extreme grade pills? No wonder the quantity was so much lower.
This result caused everyone present to look at the girl on the stage with disbelief.
Tier 1 extreme grade... even a tier 3 alchemy master might not be able to refine them, yet they were produced by a young girl who was a triple specialist.
This also proved just how staggering her talent in the Dao of alchemy was!
The Five Elements Dao Sect... were all their members truly such all-around geniuses?
On the judges' bench, several Shenmu Sect elders exchanged looks of regret. But they weren't like the Sword Heart Sect; they didn't have the thick skin required to poach disciples.
They could only secretly lament why they hadn't recruited this girl into their Shenmu Sect first.
Elder Tan sighed softly. "If this girl specialized in the Dao of alchemy, her achievements would surely not stop at this."
Yi Fengmian also nodded slightly. "It is always difficult to balance three paths. It's a waste of such talent."
Elder Tan's gaze unconsciously drifted toward Feng Yi on the spectator stands. His mind was already calculating how to negotiate with this Sovereign of the Five Elements Dao Sect.
If he could convince him to let Li Nanzhu focus solely on alchemy...
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out below the arena.
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