The discipline elder stared wide-eyed at the scene inside the alchemy furnace, and it took a long moment before he announced in disbelief.
"Li Nanzhu of the Five Elements Dao Sect, tier 2 high-grade spirit-melding pill, eight pills formed!"
This announcement was like a massive boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves. The audience was silent at first, then exploded into a deafening roar of discussion.
"Tier 2 high-grade?! And she successfully merged the heart-eroding grass?!"
"How is that possible? She's only fifteen!"
"Even the direct disciples of the Shenmu Sect could only refine tier 3 low-grade..."
Amidst the commotion, a familiar amplified voice rang out across the arena with exaggerated volume.
"Fellow Daoists! Seniors! Please open your eyes and look clearly!" Duan Xianxing had somehow appeared at the very front of the audience again, holding a lotus-shaped amplification magic tool. His voice was so loud it felt as if it might blow the roof off the stadium.
"This is our Five Elements Dao Sect's little junior sister, Li Nanzhu! At only fifteen years old, she can tame the most difficult heart-eroding grass until it's completely submissive!"
This time, Li Nanzhu did not run away. Although her cheeks remained flushed, her eyes sparkled with an irrepressible joy.
She looked up toward the stands and saw Duan Xianxing waving a fist in her direction, while her other senior brothers and sisters were all looking at her with smiles on their faces.
However, the final scoring did spark some controversy.
Although Li Nanzhu had only refined a tier 2 high-grade pill, the judges gave her an extremely high bonus for the fusion rate because she had perfectly integrated the notoriously difficult heart-eroding grass after a heated discussion.
Ultimately, her combined score allowed her to squeeze into the top twenty-eight, successfully advancing to the final round!
"Sister Nanzhu!" Lin Xiaowan rushed over and gave Li Nanzhu a big hug. "I advanced! I advanced! I only came in thirtieth, but I'm so happy!"
She twirled excitedly and added, "I drew the azure mist vine. It took some effort, but I made it! Unfortunately, Senior Brother Zhou suffered a furnace explosion, but Senior Sister Tao advanced too, ranking twenty-fifth!"
Li Nanzhu smiled and congratulated her. "I knew you could do it. Keep working hard."
As the two were chatting, Jiang Zhi approached with his arms crossed and a serious expression.
"Hmph, you just had a bit of luck and drew a material you're familiar with." He paused, then added, "But... to handle the heart-eroding grass like that, I suppose you're... barely qualified." Having said his piece, he immediately looked away and hurried off.
Wei Zhaoheng was even more exaggerated, letting out a cold huff. "Is a tier 2 pill worth being this happy about? Any outer sect disciple from our Shenmu Sect could..." Halfway through, he suddenly pulled a small notebook from his sleeve. "Of course, if you insist on sharing that refinement method, I could reluctantly give you a pointer or two."
Ye Zhiqiu’s behavior was the most awkward of all.
She stood three steps away with a stiff face, looking as if she disdained getting close, yet her eyes kept darting toward Li Nanzhu's alchemy furnace.
When Li Nanzhu looked over, she immediately tilted her chin up. "What are you looking at? A mere tier 2 pill..." Her voice grew smaller as she spoke. "...is refined quite perfectly, I suppose..."
The other direct disciples also struggled to hide their curiosity. On the surface, they acted as if they didn't care, but in reality, their eyes were practically glued to the pill bottle.
Lin Xiaowan covered her mouth and giggled from the side, whispering to Li Nanzhu, "Don't mind them, Sister Nanzhu. These direct disciples are always like this. They say it's nothing special, but they're actually impressed to death in their hearts!"
Li Nanzhu nodded with a smile.
She had noticed the change in their attitudes as well.
The innate pride of these direct disciples came from the fact that they rarely met their match among their peers. Now that they had encountered someone more proficient in certain aspects of the Dao of alchemy, that arrogance had naturally softened significantly.
Furthermore, their storage bags were still carrying the high-grade pills they had just bought from Li Nanzhu, and each of them was secretly planning to study them thoroughly once they returned.
Not far away, several people from the Sword Heart Sect watched from a distance, their expressions none too pleasant.
Pei Ji frowned. "How do the people from the Five Elements Dao Sect manage to be so unexpected every time? Wasn't it said that the heart-eroding grass is the most difficult interference material to handle?"
Li Nanyi also muttered under his breath, "The way she handled it looked like child's play... Surely the people from the Shenmu Sect won't be surpassed by her?"
Zhao Wufeng contemplated for a moment before speaking. "I will contact Duan Xianxing again to probe their background. The performance of the Five Elements Dao Sect this time is far too abnormal."
He looked at Li Nanzhu, who was surrounded by the crowd in the distance, and added, "You lot, do not act rashly for now. We will wait until the situation is clear."
The group nodded in agreement, with only Cang Dongqing remaining uncharacteristically silent.
She watched Li Nanzhu laughing and talking with everyone, a complex and unreadable emotion flashing through her eyes.
There was frustration, but more than that, there was doubt, and even a trace of confusion mixed in.
As Li Nanzhu walked out of the arena, she was immediately surrounded by her senior brothers and sisters.
Duan Xianxing was the first to rush up, excitedly slapping her shoulder. "Little Junior Sister, you were amazing! I knew you could do it!"
The others also joined in with constant praise.
Li Nanzhu realized that ever since they discovered she got shy when complimented, they had become even more generous with their praise, letting it flow one sentence after another.
She patted her warm cheeks and took seven jade bottles from her storage bag, each containing a radiant spirit-melding pill.
"I was only able to successfully refine these pills today thanks to the guidance you all give me on a daily basis."
Duan Xianxing was the first to take one, pleasantly surprised. "Little Junior Sister, you're too kind! I'm definitely going to treasure this pill!"
Zhu Yinxi carefully tucked her jade bottle away. "Little Junior Sister has been very thoughtful."
Feng Qingping nodded slightly and tucked the bottle into her robes. Mu Wenyan gave a warm thank you, while Jiang Yifan and Feng Weilan silently stored their bottles close to their persons.
Finally, Li Nanzhu walked up to Feng Yi, who had been standing quietly to the side, and presented the last jade bottle. "Master, this one is for you."
Feng Yi looked at her with surprise, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Oh? Even I get one?"
Hearing Feng Yi's words, Li Nanzhu immediately feigned a wronged expression. "What kind of thing is that to say, Master? Does Master really think I'm the type of disciple who would forget him?"
Amused by her act, the smile on Feng Yi's lips widened as he took the jade bottle. "Then I suppose I shall have to treasure it well."
Li Nanzhu immediately looked up, her face blooming into a brilliant smile. "As long as Master likes it!"
Watching the speed at which her expression changed, Feng Yi couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "You girl, you've certainly learned how to play little tricks."
He reached out and ruffled Li Nanzhu's hair. "Prepare well for the finals tomorrow. We will all be here."
Li Nanzhu nodded heavily, her eyes shining with the light of expectation.
Tomorrow would be the first step in reclaiming the name of the Qingming Pill Venerable!
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