Chapter Fifty-Four: Born for Alchemy

The Elegant Physician stared blankly at the pill in her hand. Indeed, it surpassed the quality of her own creations by an entire grade; the pill appraiser had not erred. Yet her heart was filled with bitter reluctance—after a lifetime spent crafting pills, to be bested by a child was a humiliation she could hardly endure. And that child was the disciple of Old Whitehead; to fail even against his pupil, how could she hope to contend with the master himself?

The ranks of pill masters were divided into four levels: First Rank, Second Rank, Third Rank, and Fourth Rank. Each corresponded with Yellow-grade, Profound-grade, Earth-grade, and Heaven-grade pills respectively. The gulf between each rank was immense; for instance, between First and Second Rank there existed an insurmountable chasm.

A First Rank pill master might possess cultivation above the Core Formation realm, or below it, but only those who had reached Core Formation could become Second Rank pill masters. This was because the crafting of Profound-grade pills required the internal pill flame of a high cultivator; without it, success was impossible. Ordinary earth or other flames lacked the heat necessary for Profound-grade pills, and their impurities would mar the purity of the product.

With such a daunting threshold, should one never attain the Core Formation realm, no amount of talent could carry them beyond First Rank. The Elegant Physician, a luminary of the Ji Prefecture pill world, knew this well. No matter how remarkable Garlan’s talent might be, she remained a First Rank pill master, able only to craft mid- to high-quality Yellow-grade pills. As for herself, with a stroke of luck, she might even produce a supreme Yellow-grade pill—a feat far from common. She refused to believe Garlan could achieve such a thing.

A supreme Yellow-grade pill represented the pinnacle of its class; some were as difficult to craft as Profound-grade pills. For many First Rank pill masters, such pills were formidable barriers. But the Elegant Physician, as a leader in the Ji Prefecture, had not yet despaired; she still had a fair chance of success.

Thinking thus, she rallied her spirits. The championship would be hers! Not only would she humiliate Old Whitehead, but she would also utterly destroy the Medicine Garden Pavilion—a lifelong knot in her heart.

Once the matter in Ji Prefecture was settled, she hoped to apply for the entry token to the Central Land Pill Pavilion. That was her lifelong ambition. Even with her proud demeanor, thoughts of the Pill Pavilion inspired a reverent awe—it was the holy ground of every pill master.

Garlan’s outstanding performance had dampened the audience’s faith in the remaining contestants. While some anticipation lingered, no one believed anyone else could surpass her. Clearly, if the champion was not Garlan, it would be the Elegant Physician, but Garlan’s acclaim was overwhelming; she was the dark horse of the competition.

As expected, after Garlan’s meteoric rise in the second round, the remaining contestants failed one after another—not a single exception. This only reinforced the belief that Garlan’s success stemmed from genuine ability, not luck. Otherwise, why had no one else managed to produce even a low-grade pill, let alone a divine one?

Finally, it was the turn of the last contestant—once again, Che Wuyou. The audience watched with curiosity and amusement; in the first round, he had finished alongside Garlan, sharing the same score. Yet now, watching Garlan soar as the competition’s greatest dark horse, they wondered what Che Wuyou might be feeling—perhaps a tinge of jealousy mixed with admiration.

Yang Jian and Lu Haitang observed Che Wuyou, whose expression was tense. Yang Jian looked serious, while Lu Haitang shook her head quietly. Of their five-member group, only their junior sister Liu Lanzhi had advanced, an unexpected but understandable outcome given her evident talent.

But as for their junior brother, his aptitude was equally well-known—known for its mediocrity. Clearly, Che Wuyou would falter at this hurdle; even Han Feng had failed, so how could he succeed?

Han Feng’s demeanor had improved somewhat, though his eyes remained red, betraying the blow he had suffered. Perhaps to distract himself from his pain, or to feign indifference, he remarked, “Senior brother Yang Jian, senior sister Lu Haitang, look at Che Wuyou putting on airs. Does he really think he’ll succeed? If the rest of us failed, how could he possibly manage it? And to think, he’s dragging out his turn again, just like last time, hoping for luck... If he’s going to fail, why not do it quickly? No need for all this hesitation; the result will be the same either way.”

Lu Haitang was somewhat displeased by Han Feng’s criticism, but she knew he spoke the truth. With no chance of success, there was no point in delaying—either way, the allotted time would run out. If failure was certain, why not face it boldly?

Though Lu Haitang understood this, she found Han Feng’s attitude strange. He had just made a scene, caused a major blunder, and now, so soon after, was criticizing others as if nothing had happened.

Che Wuyou nervously handed his pill to the appraiser, his face full of anticipation, fearing he would be told it was a waste pill.

The appraiser took the pill casually. The second round was much tougher than the first; so far, only four had succeeded. He glanced at the pill, then at Che Wuyou.

Che Wuyou’s heart leapt into his throat. Was it truly a waste pill? His confidence was gone; after all, this was his first attempt at a mid-grade Yellow pill, and the famed Return to Void Pill at that.

“Yellow-grade low-quality pill, Return to Void Pill, grade D,” the appraiser announced, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. Youngsters nowadays were truly remarkable—among the five who had advanced, three were still children. Rare indeed!

Most of the audience felt little surprise; after two outstanding young contestants, and one who produced a divine pill, Che Wuyou’s achievement seemed respectable but not shocking. They had grown numb to such feats.

But the people of Miao Village were astonished. When had that boy become so skilled? They still recalled his first attempt at pill-making—so clumsy, so lacking in insight. Yet in just a few short years, he had advanced so far...

Even Miao Shilin was stunned; Che Wuyou was indeed a wildcard. Despite his thoughts, his gaze remained complicated—if one looked closely, they would find a bitterness that could not be dispelled.

Han Feng, unable to vent his frustrations, was left speechless. Why did Che Wuyou succeed while he failed? Heaven was truly unjust—his own talent so remarkable, yet he had made such a fool of himself, while Che Wuyou, with no special merit, had passed.

“That boy’s luck is really something,” Han Feng said, feigning calm, though he could not hide the bitterness and envy in his voice. “But this should be his limit; no matter how extraordinary, he can’t surpass Garlan.”

Han Feng’s words stirred the thoughts of Miao Village’s members. Garlan’s victory was more than a championship—it meant Yang Jian’s very life, and the honor of Miao Village as a whole.

With more than half the pill sects of Ji Prefecture gathered here, a public defeat at the hands of Medicine Garden Pavilion would ruin Miao Village’s reputation. Their disciples would find it hard to hold their heads high, and the sect might never recover.

Although Che Wuyou and Liu Lanzhi had both advanced to the championship round, the atmosphere in Miao Village was heavier than ever, growing more oppressive as time passed.

Liu Lanzhi and Che Wuyou returned to their group, and seeing their senior brothers’ somber faces, slowly understood that even reaching the final round meant little. As Han Feng said, could they really defy fate and surpass Garlan? Even the Elegant Physician, a veteran of Ji Prefecture, regarded Garlan with utmost caution—how much less could they hope?

Che Wuyou couldn’t help but glance again at Garlan. For some reason, Garlan looked back at him; their gazes met in the air. Garlan gave him a shy, gentle smile before quickly turning away. Watching this pure-hearted girl, Che Wuyou felt she was born for pill-making. Perhaps in decades to come, she would become the most dazzling pill master in all of Southern Zhanbu Continent.