Extracting all things: My attributes grow infinitely.

Meng Yangyu glanced at the two of them indifferently, seemingly able to see what they were thinking, but did not offer any answers.

He simply said, "After six months of observation, I have a good understanding of everyone's performance."

As soon as Meng Yangyu finished speaking, he raised his hand and gestured for the attendant standing behind him to come forward.

The young attendant held a jade scroll and respectfully unfurled it, his clear voice echoing throughout the hall.

"The Jiajiu Danfang underwent a six-month evaluation..."

"Master Song Qingchen has completed 1,217 commissioned items. Overdue items and items subject to complaints are rated as excellent according to regulations."

Song Qingchen nodded slightly, a hint of smugness on his face.

"Master Zhong Qiyu has completed 1,093 commissioned items. Overdue items and items subject to complaints are rated as excellent according to regulations."

Zhong Qiyu snorted coldly and glanced at Song Qingchen sideways.

Although the number of commissions she completed differed considerably.

But the quality of her finished product is higher.

This game is a draw.

The alchemist continued reading, "Master Lieyang, a total of 1,481 commissions have been completed..."

The hall fell silent.

One thousand four hundred and eighty-one commissions?!

This number is significantly more than Song Qingchen's!

Zhong Qiyu's smile froze for a moment.

But things quickly calmed down.

Of course she knew why Jiang Chuan was able to complete so many tasks.

because.

Many of them were secretly sent there by her.

The goal was to overwhelm Jiang Chuan with requests, causing a large number of commissions to exceed their deadlines, thereby dragging down his overall performance.

But I never expected it.

This guy actually managed to do it all!

However, even if it's completed, many of the commissions have likely exceeded their deadlines.

As expected, the boy continued, "One hundred and six items were overdue, and four complaints were received... As per usual, this is rated as excellent!"

A low murmur suddenly arose in the hall.

Zhong Qiyu's expression changed slightly. She immediately took half a step forward and questioned sharply, "One hundred and six items overdue? And there are complaints? May I ask, Teacher Meng, on what basis can such a result be rated as excellent?!"

Her followers immediately joined in the clamor.

"Exactly! Senior Brother Song didn't have a single item overdue, and Senior Sister Zhong didn't have a single item overdue either! Why is it that he, with over a hundred items overdue, can still get an award?"

"Could it be that Master Meng is biased?"

"That's against the rules!"

Jiang Chuan's face remained expressionless; he merely raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at the few alchemists who were shouting the loudest, and then lowered them again.

Despite the chorus of questions from the audience, Meng Yangyu's expression remained largely unchanged.

He gestured with his hands to calm everyone down before speaking slowly and deliberately: "Those four complaints were not due to the time limit."

Zhong Qiyu frowned: "What is that?"

Meng Yangyu glanced at her indifferently and said calmly, "It was the person who commissioned the pills who questioned their quality."

Zhong Qiyu was taken aback, then her sneer deepened: "The quality of the pills has been complained about? Isn't that even more concerning than being past its expiration date...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Meng Yangyu interrupted her.

"They suspect that our pill-making workshop is using high-grade pills to impersonate low-grade orders because the quality of the pills is too high."

The entire hall was completely silent.

Using inferior goods to pass off as superior ones?

How could someone do something like this?!

Wait, ...this can actually generate complaints?!

Zhong Qiyu looked astonished.

"As for those more than one hundred overdue orders," Meng Yangyu looked around at everyone, his tone tinged with emotion, "To make up for the delays, Master Lieyang delivered each order with a quality far exceeding the requirements of the order. Some of the orders for high-grade elixirs were even delivered as precious elixirs in the end."

"For this reason, many clients came to our door afterward, specifically asking Master Lieyang to place new orders, which really enhanced the reputation of our alchemy room."

His gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Jiang Chuan in the corner: "This is why, although his grades are not perfect, he was still rated as excellent."

This statement came out.

The people inside the hall looked at each other in bewilderment.

Using precious pills to replace elixirs? This is practically throwing real money into a hole in rubble!

Zhong Qiyu gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Jiang Chuan, her eyes seeming to say: You're ruthless, managing to get this competitive!

Meng Yangyu waved his hand, thus ending everyone's doubts: "This matter ends here, there's no need to discuss it further."

The second item on the list was the discarded elixir that had been nurtured.

The atmosphere in the hall became subtle once again.

Some looked calm, some avoided eye contact, and a few looked ashen, clearly unable to even get through this ordeal.

Zhong Qiyu and Song Qingchen showed no change in expression, but their eyes swept back and forth across each other's hands, as if trying to see through each other's secrets.

Meng Yangyu began to examine the quality of the discarded pills that everyone had nurtured.

When he reached Zhong Qiyu, he paused slightly, his gaze falling on the pill in her hand.

The waste pill, which was originally as black as charcoal, has now been transformed into a bright green pill with five clear golden pill patterns flowing on its surface.

The five-patterned waste pill was brought back to life.

This method can be described as ingenious and brilliant.

Meng Yangyu nodded slightly, then walked over to Song Qingchen, picked up the pill he was nurturing, and examined it for a while.

Song Qingchen's pill only reached the fourth level of its pattern, one level less than Zhong Qiyu's.

However, the color is extremely uniform, and the four red lines are evenly distributed.

flawless.

"good."

Meng Yangyu rarely uttered two words.

Zhong Qiyu's smile faded slightly. She snorted coldly and muttered under her breath, "Just four patterns. In the end, she's still a level below me."

When he arrived in front of Jiang Chuan, he glanced indifferently at the discarded pill that Jiang Chuan was holding in his palm.

Three stripes.

The quality is mediocre.

Meng Yangyu shook his head almost imperceptibly, clearly dissatisfied.

Jiang Chuan remained unfazed.

He deliberately stuck at the passing grade.

He wasn't aiming for first place, so there was no need to show off his true abilities in this kind of situation. If it weren't for the fact that submitting a blank paper would be too conspicuous, he wouldn't have bothered submitting this three-character grade.

After Meng Yangyu finished evaluating everyone's scores, his gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on Zhong Qiyu, a hint of approval on his face.

"Qiyu's progress in the past six months can be described as outstanding."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Qiyu's smug expression deepened.

Song Qingchen's expression remained unchanged, still gentle and refined, though his hands clenched slightly within his sleeves.

Meng Yangyu took in both of their reactions.

They didn't point it out.

But then he suddenly changed the subject: "However... after six months of observation, the three of you have all performed in your own way. Based on your current achievements, you are all roughly equal. It would be unfair for me to force a ranking."

A low murmur of discussion immediately arose in the hall.

Zhong Qiyu and Song Qingchen exchanged a glance, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes simultaneously.

Are they evenly matched?

That sounds nice, but there can only be one chief position. The fact that they are evenly matched means that neither of them has truly secured it yet.

as predicted.

What Meng Yangyu said next was the key point.

"Therefore, I have decided to add a final test."

"Whoever can complete this final test will not only obtain the chief position, but will also inherit my mantle of alchemy."

moment.

The hall seemed to erupt in chaos.

"The final assessment?!"

"The rumors were true after all!"

"Master Meng is actually going to choose a successor!"

Zhong Qiyu's eyes lit up instantly, revealing an almost greedy desire.

The top position is important, but in the end, it's just a title with a few extra resources.

But the inheritance of Meng Yangyu's mantle is a real and tangible benefit.

This even includes the Jiajiu Danfang!

She took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and felt as if her blood was boiling.

Song Qingchen's reaction was equally intense. He could no longer maintain his composure, and even his breathing became heavier.

Successor to the mantle!

He endured so many years of hardship at Yuanling Mountain for this position, wasn't it all for this day?!

"Master Meng, please tell me, what is the content of the final test?"

Song Qingchen spoke first, her voice filled with barely suppressed urgency.

Not to be outdone, Zhong Qiyu immediately chimed in, "Whatever the test may be, this disciple is willing to give it a try!"

The followers behind the two were even more excited, their faces flushed, as if their futures were tied to their respective masters, sharing both glory and honor.

Amidst the clamor of the hall, only one person harbored incredibly complex emotions.

Jiang Chuan stood in the corner, listening to the cheers and discussions around him, feeling a headache coming on.

The passing down of a mantle?

He did want to learn from others, that's true, but he learned secretly, not openly and honestly becoming a successor!

Once you become Meng Yangyu's successor, wouldn't that be like putting yourself in the spotlight and attracting everyone's attention?

At that time, his every move will be under the watchful eyes of others.

How can I secretly cultivate the Blood God Transformation Technique?

How can we secretly plot against each other?

trouble.

Too much trouble.

He now has only one thought in his mind: should he just give up?

No.

Meng Yangyu's words had already laid the competition among the three of them out in the open. If he were to back down in public now, there would only be two possibilities in the eyes of others:

Either they feel insecure and think they are not as skilled as others;

Either they have something to hide and dare not reveal their true feelings in front of others.

Whichever it is.

This will all lead to unnecessary suspicion and scrutiny.

Jiang Chuan sighed inwardly, but on his face he had to put on an excited expression, just like the other two, as if he was full of anticipation for the inheritance assessment.

But in his heart he was thinking: at worst, I'll just go in and do a half-hearted job, deliberately make a mistake, and be eliminated naturally.

Meng Yangyu took in the reactions of the three people.

He nodded in satisfaction.

He said no more, turned to face the back of the hall, and suddenly flicked his right sleeve.

Buzz...!

A deep humming sound suddenly arose, and the air rippled outwards like water, creating visible ripples.

The next moment, a light gate more than ten feet tall appeared out of thin air in the center of the hall.

Inside the portal, light shimmered and colors danced, while swirling, ethereal mists billowed and shifted.

It seemed to connect to another world.

Meng Yangyu said, "Go in. Behind this door is the final test. Whether you can reach the last stage depends on your fate."

Zhong Qiyu took the lead and strode towards the light gate.

Song Qingchen followed closely behind.

With the two main figures inside, everyone's gaze naturally fell on the last person.

Jiang Chuan took a deep breath, steeled himself, and with an expression that said "I'm so excited," stepped towards the portal.

As his figure disappeared into the misty light, the portal suddenly contracted, turning into a spot of light before vanishing completely.

The alchemists in the hall were left looking at each other and whispering among themselves.