C137 Excellent Results

"Yan, you've completed your first batch as well, with four successful pills—that's quite impressive," Master Mo's voice chimed in.

He had heard the noise and, upon seeing the four Spirit Accumulating Pills on the Jade Plate in Mo Ruyan's hands, a smile crept onto his face as he offered his commendation.

Mo Ruyan, snapping out of her reverie, inhaled deeply, quelling the astonishment that threatened to overwhelm her, and steadied her emotions.

Her gaze towards Lin Xuan was fraught with complexity.

Upon receiving her grandfather's compliments, Mo Ruyan managed a strained smile. Under normal circumstances, her results would be deemed more than satisfactory, even exceptional.

But in light of Lin Xuan's performance, her achievements paled in comparison, appearing quite mundane.

Master Ren Yuan, too, regained his composure and addressed them, "Both of you have finished with the first set of materials. There are four more sets to go. Will you continue with the refining process?"

Lin Xuan, hearing this, shook his head, "No, I think these results should suffice for passing the assessment, shouldn't they?" He had no desire to press on.

Lin Xuan could tell by the masters' shifting demeanors that he had outperformed expectations. It was time to dial it back.

His abilities were not yet formidable enough to risk drawing undue attention. Delving into his secrets could spell danger.

He decided to postpone gathering energy points until he was back at his sect.

His reputation as a martial arts prodigy already shone brightly. Adding the title of a Pill Dao prodigy might prove too burdensome.

Without a significant backing, he relied solely on his own capabilities.

And if he couldn't have the Guild President's support, so be it. His alchemy talent was already sufficient to garner the resources needed for the Condensation Spin Stage and Spirit Opening Stage.

Meanwhile, Mo Ruyan murmured to herself, "I'll continue to refine, but I'll use this batch for the written exam."

Her demeanor had lost its earlier haughtiness; the cold arrogance was gone. Lin Xuan's display of Pill Dao prowess had left her with little to boast about.

Still, she was eager to assess the quality of Lin Xuan's ten pills. Despite the certainty of defeat, curiosity gnawed at her—she was intent on uncovering just how far the gap between them lay.

"Of course."

Master Ren Yuan nodded with a light chuckle:

"Fellow Lin, Yan, please bring over all the Spirit Accumulating Pills you've crafted."

Lin Xuan and Mo Ruyan then approached, each carrying a Jade Plate.

"We'll start by examining Yan's pills."

Master Mo interjected, hoping to spare Mo Ruyan any undue disappointment.

Master Ren Yuan gave an affirming nod, and Lin Xuan, of course, had no objections.

All eyes were drawn to the Jade Plate in Mo Ruyan's hands, where four fragrant, warm pills rolled about.

"Three with No Pattern and one with a First Pattern, quite good."

Master Ren Yuan offered his commendation.

"Per the Guild's standards, one First Pattern is worth two No Patterns. That means you've effectively crafted five Spirit pills.

Yan, congratulations on passing the assessment and achieving the rank of Spiritual Rank High-grade Alchemist. There's no need for you to continue refining."

Master Mo was visibly delighted.

His granddaughter had made numerous attempts and had finally triumphed. He felt a surge of joy for her.

Mo Ruyan's face lit up with surprise at the news.

However, her excitement quickly waned as she realized it wasn't as overwhelming as she had anticipated.

Her gaze involuntarily shifted towards Lin Xuan.

His achievements were remarkable, and he was even two years her junior.

Upon this comparison, the elation in her heart significantly diminished.

"Now, let's turn our attention to Fellow Lin."

After a moment, Master Ren Yuan prompted.

Once again, the crowd focused on the Jade Plate in Lin Xuan's hands.

A rich pill fragrance, far surpassing that of Mo Ruyan's, filled the air, invigorating everyone's senses.

They were inwardly astounded.

Setting aside other factors, the aroma alone indicated that Lin Xuan's performance far outshone Mo Ruyan's, both in the quantity and quality of the pills.

Upon hearing the reactions, Lin Xuan subtly manipulated the plate, causing the ten jade-like Spirit Accumulating Pills to roll about for easier viewing.

The onlookers' eyes were captivated by the sight of the pills in motion.

"Is that a Third Pattern?"

"One Third Pattern, three Second Patterns, and six First Patterns?"

"They're all Cloud Pattern Pills?"

"How can that be?"

Suddenly, the onlookers couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Their eyes were wide with disbelief.

Refining a Cloud Pattern Pill was already significantly more difficult than a No Pattern Pill.

And to think, every pill in the cauldron bore a Cloud Pattern!

Could even an Earth-ranked Alchemist achieve such a feat?

And it wasn't just First Pattern Pills; there were also several Two Pattern Pills.

Even a Three Pattern Pill was among them!

The complexity of crafting a Three Pattern Pill was more than tenfold!

How could they possibly believe what they were seeing?

For a moment, they were all rendered speechless, their minds struggling to process the sight.

It took several moments before they regained their composure, each drawing a sharp breath.

When they looked at Lin Xuan again, their gazes were filled with boundless astonishment.

Even Master Ren Yuan and Master Mo were taken aback.

The results Lin Xuan had produced were simply astounding!

Even they would find it challenging to match his level of skill.

Indeed, it seemed almost impossible for them to replicate such excellence!

Yet Lin Xuan, a mere sixteen-year-old, had succeeded in an incredibly short span of time.

This only served to highlight his exceptional alchemy talent.

His abilities had far surpassed anything they could have imagined!

How could they not be utterly astounded?

Meanwhile, Mo Ruyan was equally dumbfounded, her eyes fixed on the ten Spirit Accumulating Pills resting on the Jade Plate in Lin Xuan's hands.

Her pupils widened in extreme shock.

She had never anticipated Lin Xuan's performance to be this remarkable!

He had not only refined ten pills, but each one was a Cloud Pattern Pill.

Among them was even a Three Pattern Pill!

Lin Xuan had exceeded her by leaps and bounds.

Their skills were not even on the same level.

As Mo Ruyan collected herself, a bitter smile crept into her eyes.

She had been utterly defeated in this contest!

She recalled how she had proudly challenged him and deliberately provoked Lin Xuan.

Now, she wished she could just disappear into the woodwork.

The embarrassment was overwhelming.

Once again, she looked at Lin Xuan, with his handsome features and extraordinary aura.

His martial arts and Pill Dao talents were quite remarkable.

Lin Xuan possessed qualities that perfectly aligned with her criteria.

As Mo Ruyan pondered this, a flicker of fascination danced in her eyes, and a hint of color rose to her cheeks.

Regrettably, Lin Xuan failed to catch Mo Ruyan's reaction.

His focus was on the shifting expressions of Master Ren Yuan and Master Mo.

The sight made his heart lurch.

Had he perhaps performed too impressively this time?

After all, this was only his second attempt at pill refining; he was merely giving it his all.

A wry smile crossed Lin Xuan's mind.

Yet, he soon regained his composure.

The pill refining process was fraught with elements of chance and fortune.

If his performance slipped next time, this instance could be chalked up to good luck, easing any concerns the masters might have.

Besides, he was merely a Spiritual Rank alchemist—not truly a master—and he had no desire to draw undue attention.