Chapter 96 - 95: The Fourth Round, Body Forging Pill
Chapter 96: Chapter 95: The Fourth Round, Body Forging Pill
’How did he finish refining so quickly? And he even formed six pills!’
’This! It’s definitely cheating!’
Hu Liang gritted his teeth and stared at Yu Changsheng, but he didn’t dare to shout his thoughts aloud. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath, finally managing to suppress his emotions and console himself.
’It’s fine. I passed this round. My master is hosting the next one. Gongsun Yang has no respect for the Alchemy Dao, so my master will surely give him a taste of his own medicine!’
Just as his expression began to relax, Gongsun Yang flew over to him. He glanced down at the contents of the Pill Furnace and stated impassively,
"Three Formed Pills, barely passable quality. I’ll give you nine points."
"And that’s only out of respect for your master."
Hu Liang’s mouth twitched, but he still cupped his hands in respect. "Thank you, Elder Gongsun."
Gongsun Yang nodded, then looked toward the other Alchemists and announced, "There is one hour left. Anyone who exceeds the time limit will be eliminated from this round of Alchemy."
Hearing this, Duan Ran and the others felt immense pressure.
The clock was ticking.
Outside the arena, the discussions grew louder and more numerous, with most of them revolving around Yu Changsheng.
At first, many disciples had looked down on the Alchemist from Beast Taming Peak, but now he was proving them all wrong, completely shattering their expectations.
"For an Alchemist from Beast Taming Peak to take first place is unheard of!"
"There are still two more Alchemy rounds. First place isn’t guaranteed to be his!"
"Heh, man, how do you expect to close a score gap that big?"
"That’s where you’re wrong. The one hosting the next Alchemy round is Hu Liang’s master. If the challenge is even slightly skewed in his favor, that score gap will disappear."
"That Yu Changsheng just got lucky this round. I heard his master is Gongsun Yang."
"Huh? No way. Then doesn’t that mean he’s..."
"Heh heh, how else do you think he was the first one to form his pills? It’s all about connections!"
Soon, unfavorable rumors began to spread among the disciples.
Yu Changsheng swept his Divine Sense over the crowd, hearing every single word they said, but he remained completely unfazed. After all, he had true skill to back it up.
"Success!"
The third person to successfully form pills was Mi Lifu. He possessed an extraordinary talent for Techniques, and by combining them with the Alchemy Dao, he found refining this particular type of Elixir much easier than the others did.
Mi Lifu let out a loud laugh, drawing the attention of many.
"Hmm, not bad. You just took a little long."
"Three Formed Pills, average quality. I’ll give you ten points."
Gongsun Yang’s scoring was quite fair. Hu Liang had received nine points because while he was fast, the quality of his elixirs was low. Mi Lifu, despite taking more time, had produced elixirs of better quality, thus earning him an extra point.
Hu Liang couldn’t really complain about this.
"Finalize!"
The last one to succeed in forming his pills was Duan Ran.
He knelt before the Pill Furnace, panting as he performed the hand seals to retract the flames, managing to form the pills just as the eight-hour time limit was about to expire.
He also produced three pills, but their quality was slightly worse than Mi Lifu’s, earning him seven points.
BANG!
Tao Le Xin, covered in dust, sighed in dejection. "To fail at the very last step."
This had been his last set of ingredients. He had gotten anxious at the end and retracted the flames too fiercely, causing the Pill Liquid inside to explode instead of condensing.
The gray smoke rising from the Pill Furnace was as bleak as his mood.
"The third round of Alchemy is over."
Gongsun Yang announced, "Four contestants have advanced. Next, Elder Xu will preside over the fourth round of Alchemy!"
After speaking, he gave Yu Changsheng a slight smile and took his seat in the viewing stands.
First Place: Yu Changsheng, sixty-nine points.
Second Place: Hu Liang, fifty points.
Third Place: Mi Lifu, fifty points.
Fourth Place: Duan Ran, thirty-three points.
The score gaps between the four remaining Alchemists were now quite large.
However, the later rounds were worth more points, so they still had a chance to stage a comeback.
As soon as one more person was eliminated, the top three would be determined. Each of them would then have the opportunity to choose a Spirit Grass below Tier Three from the sect’s collection.
As for first and second place, the rewards would be even more lavish.
Elder Xu walked out from the viewing stands, his figure hovering in mid-air.
Night had fallen, but the Alchemy Conference was still brightly lit and buzzing with excitement. The disciples gathered outside lingered, unwilling to leave. They all wanted to see which elixir would be the challenge for the fourth round!
Previous Alchemy Conferences had been lively, but never to this degree. The sheer scale of the event had sparked immense curiosity among many of the disciples.
"I am Xu Nian, and I will be presiding over the fourth round of Alchemy. The elixir you will be required to refine is one I believe many of you have heard of," Elder Xu said slowly.
As his voice fell, the four contestants on the platform looked up.
A look of joy spread across Duan Ran’s face. ’If it’s an elixir that many people have heard of, I’m sure to know how to refine it. I can definitely make up my score in this fourth round!’
Hu Liang wondered to himself, ’What kind of elixir could it be? Surely my master isn’t going to be completely impartial, is he?’
Mi Lifu’s expression was tense. ’If it’s a conventional elixir, my advantage might not be so great!’
Yu Changsheng quietly watched Xu Nian, waiting for him to continue.
He heard the Elder continue.
"This elixir is Tier Two Middle Grade. It is called the Body Forging Pill!"
"It was a cultivation elixir used by the Body Refining Cultivators of old. After thousands of years of evolution, it has become an elixir consumed by Foundation Establishment Cultivators."
"After a Foundation Establishment Cultivator consumes it, their physique will be enhanced, and their physical strength and regenerative abilities will increase, much like the Body Refining Cultivators of the past. Out in the world, such an elixir is exceedingly rare and difficult to find, not to mention incredibly difficult to refine."
"This Pill Formula is one of the treasured formulas of our Jade Cauldron Peak. As it is being used for this Alchemy Conference competition, all who see it will automatically have a Spiritual Mark placed upon them. You are forbidden from leaking the secrets of this formula."
After Xu Nian finished speaking, he distributed the Pill Formula and ingredients to the four stone platforms.
Whether it was the Alchemists in the stands or the disciples outside, everyone was dumbfounded. They never would have expected the challenge to be the Body Forging Pill!
Of course, everyone had heard of this famous elixir. It’s just that frail Qi Refining Cultivators like them couldn’t possibly consume it, otherwise they would risk their bodies exploding.
Only the Body Refining Cultivators of ancient times were able to consume it. It could also be used as an elixir for Demon Beasts; a single pill could increase their strength, but it would also cause immense damage to their bodies and could not be taken long-term.
’The Body Forging Pill... It really is an elixir everyone knows about. But he wants *us* to refine it?’
Duan Ran’s mouth twitched. As an extremely rare Body Refinement elixir, its refining requirements were far beyond those of any ordinary elixir!
For Tier Two Alchemists like them, refining other Tier Two Elixirs might be a simple matter, but this one... This was difficult. Incredibly difficult!
’The difficulty is on par with the Scattered Demon Essence Pill!’
’That guy, Hu Liang... Don’t tell me he...’
Duan Ran stole a glance at him and, sure enough, saw the corners of Hu Liang’s mouth curled up slightly, as if he were trying to suppress a smile!
’That bastard! He definitely knows how to refine the Body Forging Pill!’
’Of course he does. Xu Nian is his master, after all!’
’Damn it! Why don’t I have a master presiding over the conference!’
’It’s fixed! This whole thing is fixed!’
Duan Ran was so angry he wanted to cry.