Ming Heng's heart trembled as he watched Yun Jin's carefree attitude, growing even more anxious.
This…
Could this really work?
The crowd held their breaths, eyes locked onto the scene.
Yun Jin, however, wasn't nervous at all.
She hopped up, patted the cauldron like it was a well-behaved pet under everyone's stunned gazes. "Alright, you've done great," she said.
The flames beneath the furnace extinguished instantly. The spinning furnace stilled, quietly settling in place.
Ming Heng: "I—#%&@—"
His heart leaped into his throat.
Was she insane?!
Finalizing the pills was the most delicate step!
You were supposed to gradually sense the pill's state and slowly adjust the heat—not just turn it off like a stove!
If this revolutionary batch was ruined at the last second…
He was going to lose his mind!
"Biling Pills—success!" Yun Jin casually lifted the lid.
Ming Heng clutched his chest, too afraid to move.
Had… had it really worked?
He needed to check.
Just as he stepped forward—
BOOM!
A blinding golden light erupted from the cauldron, accompanied by an overwhelming medicinal fragrance.
Ming Heng froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Fragrance overflowing, golden light piercing the sky—
This was…
A Perfect-Grade pill!
Within the radiance, a phantom image of the pill spun, its surface marked by a single distinct line—the symbol of a first-grade pill.
Then, the light condensed back into the cauldron, and the fragrance vanished completely, sealed inside the pill.
Silence.
Absolute, eerie silence.
Ming Heng remained frozen, still clutching his heart.
Yun Jin blinked.
What was everyone's problem?
Was there something wrong with her pills?
No… right?
She grabbed a jade vial and started collecting the pills.
One batch of Biling Pills, ten in total. Every single one was intact. Each time she picked one out, the crowd's eyes followed in perfect unison. Once all ten pills were placed into the porcelain bottle, a collective sigh of relief passed through the crowd, as if some great tension had been lifted.
Someone who hadn't quite understood what had happened earlier asked, "That golden light just now... what was it? And isn't the Biling Pill supposed to be green? Why are these transparent? Is this a failure or a success?"
They weren't alone—many were just as confused. Chen Changrong, overhearing the murmurs, explained in a low voice, "That golden light signifies the formation of a perfect-grade pill. When a pill reaches this level, its medicinal essence fuses entirely into its body, rendering it transparent."
Perfect-grade?
The crowd erupted.
"She just threw stuff into the furnace, snacked on melon seeds, and ended up refining a perfect pill?"
"Isn't that supposed to be extremely difficult? Even Master Ming has never produced one!"
"Did I miss a step?"
"No way, I didn't blink once!"
"So all those complicated refining steps before were useless? Letting the furnace do the work is the real method?"
"I'm going to buy Biling Grass right now and try this myself!"
As the chatter exploded, Yun Jin's emotional values skyrocketed like a rocket!
Individually, these people provided less emotional value than Tianxing Sect disciples—but sheer numbers made up for it!
She was grinning so hard her face hurt.
This market was amazing.
She was definitely coming back to show off again!
"Grandmaster Ming, did I pass?" Yun Jin handed him the vial.
Ming Heng's hand trembled as he reached for it. After a long moment of hesitation, he carefully tipped one pill into his palm. The crystalline Biling Pill sat there, gleaming like glass. Ming Heng's heart trembled with it.
Perfect-grade. It truly was perfect-grade.
He inspected it over and over again, not daring to believe his first result. Only after countless examinations did he croak out, "Perfect-grade Biling Pill... You've passed the certification."
"Thank you!" Yun Jin beamed and happily reclaimed her pills.
Ming Heng stared after her, reluctant to part with them. He only looked away once all ten pills were back in the bottle.
Unable to hold back, he asked, "How exactly... did you manage this?"
Yun Jin's expression grew solemn.
Ming Heng, thinking she was about to share some profound technique, leaned in, ears pricked.
"It's simple," she declared. "I am a once-in-an-era alchemy prodigy! What takes you mortals lifetimes to grasp, I achieve effortlessly. That's the difference!"
Ming Heng: "..."
Crowd: "..."
Yue Zhao, who had been about to claim her as his junior sister, silently retreated.
Sticking with her would get him killed one day.
Yun Jin blinked innocently.
She was a humble person, really.
She hated showing off.
This was all the system's fault!
She was embarrassed by all this attention!
Truly!
Ming Heng took several deep breaths before producing a jade token.
"Imprint your aura into this. From now on, it will serve as your exclusive alchemist identification token. You'll need it when taking future advancement tests. All relevant information will automatically update within it."
Yun Jin eagerly accepted it.
She injected a wisp of spiritual power into the token, which shimmered briefly before returning to normal.
Curious, she played with it for a moment, then asked, "There's no need to register my real name?"
Ming Heng replied calmly, "No need. Cultivators change appearances and names often. Only their unique aura remains consistent. This token is now bound to you. Whether you choose to hide your identity or make it public is your own business. The Alchemy Pavilion won't interfere."
Nice and discreet. Yun Jin nodded.
Ming Heng had likely noticed her concealed appearance, but clearly didn't care.
"As a first-grade alchemist, you may freely enter the pavilion," he added. "Exchanging insights with others will help you improve faster."
Yun Jin tilted her head. "Do their cauldrons also refine by themselves?"
[+100 Emotional Value!]
She glanced at Ming Heng.
"Hmm. This third-grade alchemist's temper was fragile."
Ming Heng spoke through gritted teeth:
"Your method… differs from tradition. Perhaps it's a new path. I will… study it."
Wait—he wanted to research her "method"?
Yun Jin panicked.
"Grandmaster Ming, this technique only works for geniuses like me," she warned. "Don't waste your time!"
She meant it sincerely!
But Ming Heng just clenched his jaw.
"I have plenty of time."
Seeing she couldn't dissuade him, Yun Jin sighed.
"Alas, being too talented is a curse. Countless will chase my shadow, only to fail. Watching your suffering… breaks my heart."
The crowd: "..."
She just kept getting worse.
Seizing the moment, Yue Zhao grabbed Yun Jin and ran.
If they stayed any longer, someone was going to snap.