Druid Fairy

Chapter 163 Alchemy Genius
Elder Zhao's majestic gaze swept across the entire arena, taking in the dejection on the faces of those eliminated and the relief on the faces of those who advanced.

He withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "The first round tested your extensive knowledge and meticulous attention to detail. This second round will test the true core of your alchemy skills—the ability to turn the rotten into the miraculous!"

He pointed to the table in front of everyone, his tone suddenly becoming stern: "The rules are simple: use these one hundred kinds of medicinal powder in front of you to refine a 'Qi Condensation Pill.' Bring your own alchemy furnace. The one who produces the highest-grade pill will be the champion of this round!"

"boom!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining students in the room erupted in uproar, their clamor even drowning out the sound of the alchemy furnace burning.

"What? Use these powders to refine pills?"

"What a joke! Several of the medicinal herbs in here are problematic! The powder of that 'Three-Leaf Soul-Entwining Flower' is mixed with deadly poison, how can you refine it?"

"Yes! And that bowl of 'Crimson Flame Fruit' powder, its spiritual energy is almost completely dissipated, it's basically an empty shell. If it's put into the furnace, the medicinal power will be unbalanced, it's no wonder the furnace will explode!"

"This is simply an impossible task!"

Complaints and doubts arose one after another.

Although the Qi Condensation Pill is only a mid-grade first-level pill and not particularly complicated, all the students present had refined it before and knew how high the requirements were for the balance of medicinal power.

Too much and it becomes agitated; too little and it becomes weak.

Nowadays, using a bunch of powders mixed with "counterfeit and shoddy products" and "inferior additives" to refine pills is like switching from normal mode to hell mode with a single click.

Even Chen Haoran, who had been relatively calm just moments before, was now pale and his palms were sweating.

This is no longer alchemy, this is playing with fire! The slightest mistake could destroy the elixir, explode the furnace, and kill you.

On the high platform, Wei Ling'er smiled smugly, as if she had the victory in her grasp.

She glanced at Li Mengze, who remained calm, and her disdain deepened.

'Keep pretending, let's see how long you can keep it up!'

Others might be afraid of the oven exploding, but she isn't.

With a wave of her hand, a crimson alchemy furnace, carved with exquisite phoenix patterns, landed steadily with a "boom".

This alchemy furnace is clearly no ordinary item; its body emits faint fluctuations of spiritual energy, indicating that it is a rare and superior magical artifact.

"Hmph, a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world."

Feeling the envious gazes around her, Wei Ling'er felt proud.

"So what if a few medicinal herbs were tampered with? Before my 'Crimson Phoenix Furnace,' even the most violent medicinal power will have to obediently submit to me!"

She had no intention of purifying and separating the ingredients as carefully as an ordinary alchemist would.

In her opinion, that was a stupid thing to do.

A true strongman should use absolute strength to crush everything!
"rise!"

She let out a delicate shout, and a ball of golden-red flame rose from her palm, instantly pouring into the alchemy furnace. The flame was so hot that even the surrounding air sizzled and twisted.

With a flick of his sleeve, he skillfully released a burst of energy, causing all one hundred porcelain bowls on the table to tilt simultaneously. The powdered medicinal herbs, like rivers flowing into the sea, all flew into the Crimson Phoenix Furnace!
"My God! Are you crazy?"

"Putting a hundred kinds of medicinal herbs into the furnace at once? Is she trying to refine pills or make a batch of explosives?"

Everyone was stunned and terrified.

Even Elder Zhao on the high platform frowned, a hint of disapproval flashing in his eyes. Such a brutal method was simply absurd!
Wei Ling'er ignored the exclamations around her and quickly cast a series of profound hand seals.

The Crimson Phoenix Furnace began to vibrate violently, emitting muffled sounds like thunder and lightning, clearly indicating that the medicinal power inside had reached its peak.

"Want to blow it up? Did I agree to that?"

Wei Ling'er seemed to have anticipated this.

A crystal-clear jade pendant on her chest suddenly emitted a bright light.

"Buzz!"

The moment the jade pendant touched the alchemy furnace, it emitted a clear chime, and a soft halo rippled outwards like water, instantly enveloping the raging furnace.

The Crimson Phoenix Furnace, which had been shaking violently, miraculously stabilized.

"It's a protective jade!"

A knowledgeable scion of a prominent family exclaimed in shock, "That's a second-tier defensive magic treasure, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator! She actually used it to stabilize her alchemy furnace?"

"What a waste! What a terrible waste!"

With the powerful suppression of the Heart-Protecting Jade, Wei Ling'er no longer had any worries.

She channeled all her magical power into the alchemy furnace, forcefully mixing the hundred medicinal properties together in the most ruthless way.

'Li Mengze, did you see that?'

She looked at the figure with arrogance, a surge of pleasure rising in her heart.

'This is the difference between us! Faced with my absolute power and wealth, your petty cleverness is nothing but a joke!'

Compared to the earth-shattering scene on Wei Ling'er's side, Li Mengze's corner was unusually quiet.

He also took out a pill furnace, an ancient-style bronze furnace that looked ordinary and even a bit old. It was the pill furnace that his father had given him.

Its shabby appearance, compared to Wei Ling'er's magnificent Crimson Phoenix Furnace, is like the difference between a roadside stall and a luxury item.

"Pfft, this guy uses this broken furnace to refine pills?"

"I'm afraid the furnace will be destroyed by the medicinal effects before it even starts!"

Undisguised laughter erupted from all around.

Li Mengze, however, seemed not to hear, unlike Wei Ling'er who was eager for quick success.

He stretched out his finger and gently touched the rim of each of the hundred porcelain bowls, then closed his eyes.

In the world of perception, everything becomes different.

The "emotions" of each medicinal herb are clearly reflected in his heart.

The "Dragon Blood Vine" powder was gentle and full of vitality, the "Ice Soul Grass" powder was aloof and cold, while the "Three-Leaf Entangling Flower" powder mixed with poison exuded an unsettling and dark aura.

Alchemy is, in essence, a communication between humans and medicine.
These medicinal herbs are all spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, each possessing its own unique properties.

Forcibly combining them will only provoke fierce resistance. Only by respecting their nature and guiding them accordingly can they willingly merge into one, transforming into a miraculous elixir.

This was the "Druidic alchemy" that his father taught him, which originated from nature.

Opening my eyes, a pale blue flame rose in my palm, gentle and lively, like a leaping life.

Instead of throwing all the medicinal herbs in at once, he used his divine sense, like a skilled embroiderer, to guide the powdered herbs one by one and carefully add them into the alchemy furnace in a peculiar order. The first herbs added were the milder ones, using their aroma to create a gentle and inclusive "field" within the furnace.

Then, those potent and overpowering medicinal herbs are introduced, like inviting someone into a trap.

As for the few medicinal herbs that had been tampered with, he handled them with remarkable ease.

By drawing upon the last remaining trace of fire elemental power from the "Crimson Flame Fruit," which cleverly countered the cold energy of the "Ice Soul Grass," the two forces not only failed to annihilate each other but instead created a subtle hot-cold cycle within the furnace, like a miniature millstone, slowly purifying the impurities of the other medicinal herbs.

As for the most deadly "Three-Leaf Entangling Flower" powder, he didn't even touch it, but simply used a skillful force to separate it from the porcelain bowl and discard it.

"What is he doing? Why did he throw away the medicinal herbs?"

"Are you crazy! Without this key ingredient, how can this Qi Condensation Pill be formed?"

Everyone was completely baffled and couldn't understand Li Mengze's actions at all.

Only Li Mengze himself knew that the "Three-Leaf Soul-Entwining Flower" was actually the biggest "deception" set up by Elder Zhao.

This ingredient can be omitted when refining Qi Condensation Pills!

This tests not only the alchemist's purification and refinement abilities, but also their understanding of the elixir formula, and whether they will be confined to the "materials" at hand and forget the "essence" of alchemy.

Time passes bit by bit.

"Dan Cheng!"

Just as the incense was about to burn out, a delicate shout suddenly came from Wei Ling'er's side!
She slapped the alchemy furnace, and the lid flew up, instantly filling the air with a rich aroma of elixirs.

Three round, crimson pills, each the size of a longan, flew out and landed in the jade bottle she had prepared beforehand.

"It's a top-grade Qi Condensation Pill! And... it even has six pill patterns on it!" a student exclaimed in surprise.

Six Paths of Crimson Marks!

This is already an extremely high quality among first-tier pills!
For ordinary alchemists, producing three or four pill patterns is already their limit.

Wei Ling'er raised her snow-white chin high, like a proud peacock, holding a jade bottle, her gaze fixed on Li Mengze, the provocation unmistakable.

"Li Mengze, what makes you think you can compete with me?"

Elder Zhao also walked over, picked up a pill and examined it carefully. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and he nodded: "Not bad. Although the method is a bit rough, being able to refine a Six-Pattern Qi Condensation Pill with such materials shows that you have a solid foundation and profound magical power. You should be the champion in this round of trials."

This is already extremely high praise.

Wei Ling'er smiled smugly, as if she could already see the look of shock and defeat on Li Mengze's calm face.

Too bad she was disappointed.

Li Mengze remained unhurried, and the blue flame inside the alchemy furnace continued to flicker gently.

He seemed completely absorbed in his own world.

"Playing tricks!" Wei Ling'er looked at that fresh and handsome face and sneered inwardly, but for some reason, a strange sense of irritation rose up.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
Li Mengze's ordinary bronze alchemy furnace suddenly emitted a clear and melodious hum, like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix, which resounded throughout the entire venue!

A dazzling azure light burst forth from the crack in the alchemy furnace, soaring into the sky and even dyeing the clouds above the martial arts arena a deep azure!
An indescribable, fresh scent of herbs and trees instantly overwhelmed the fragrance of the pills emanating from Wei Ling'er's side. Everyone who took a whiff felt refreshed and their internal magical energy became more vibrant.

"What...what kind of fragrance is this?"

"Heavens! Elixir Qi transforming into a rainbow! This is elixir qi transforming into a rainbow! Only legendary elixirs of the highest quality could trigger such a celestial phenomenon!"

Elder Zhao could no longer remain calm. He suddenly stood up from the high platform and rushed to Li Mengze in one stride. Staring at the bronze alchemy furnace, his breathing became rapid.

"I lost? That's impossible!"

Wei Ling'er's smile froze on her face as she stared blankly at the soaring rosy light, then looked down at the dull-looking Six-Pattern Qi Condensation Pill in her hand, momentarily lost in thought.

Li Mengze looked at the pill that was quietly floating inside the furnace, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He gently tapped the alchemy furnace.

"Ding!"

With a crisp sound, a pill that was entirely green, crystal clear, and carved from jade slowly flew out and hovered in his palm.

There was not a trace of fire on that pill; there was only an extremely pure life force.

On the surface of that emerald green pill, nine incredibly profound golden patterns flowed!
The patterns are like dragons and snakes dancing, like clouds formed by nature, as if they contain the ultimate truth of heaven and earth. Just one glance is enough to make one's heart sway.

Nine...nine cinnabar patterns!
The entire room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in place.

"Nine-patterned... Divine Pill..."

First-tier pills, with nine patterns being the most prestigious!

That's no longer a pill; that's a legend!
It is the ultimate goal that alchemy can achieve!

"Hahaha! Okay! Okay! Okay!"

Elder Zhao suddenly raised his head, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Li Mengze changed once again.

"A prodigy! A true prodigy! The future of alchemy in Songling Prefecture, no, in the Great Yu Dynasty, rests on this boy!"

His face flushed with excitement, and he grabbed Li Mengze's shoulder, bursting into laughter: "Li Mengze! From this day forward, you are the designated core disciple of my royal family's alchemy academy! No! I will personally write a petition to appoint you as the 'Chief Alchemist among the Royal Family's Young Disciples'!"

Elder Zhao's exclamation of "monster" made Wei Ling'er's face turn pale and then red. Her fingers, gripping the jade bottle, turned slightly white from the force, and her knuckles made a "crackling" sound.

His gaze was fixed on Li Mengze, and his phoenix eyes were no longer filled with arrogance and amusement, but with shock, humiliation, and a burning anger ignited by resentment.

Why?
Born into royalty, she was a favored daughter of heaven from a young age. The alchemy furnace she used was a second-grade superior "Crimson Phoenix Furnace". The furnace was stabilized by a heart-protecting jade that even Foundation Establishment cultivators coveted. The elixirs she ate and the medicinal materials she used were all top-notch.
But today, right here in front of everyone, her prized alchemy skills were defeated by a poor boy who appeared out of nowhere, crushed beyond recognition with a broken bronze furnace!

That azure light and those nine dazzling divine runes were like resounding slaps to her face, burning with pain.

"You wait for me!"

Wei Ling'er squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, unable to stay any longer. She stomped her foot and stormed off amidst a crowd of onlookers.

Feeling that gaze that seemed to want to devour him alive, Li Mengze's expression was somewhat amused and exasperated.

You can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth.

He wanted to keep a low profile, but reality wouldn't allow it; however, Li Mengze was not afraid.

No surprises, no life.

Throughout history, no immortal or sage has ever had a life where everything went smoothly; they all had to brave the storms and waves.

(End of this chapter)