Zi Yan!

Two hours later, under Gu He's control, the four portions of medicinal liquid gradually formed the prototype of a black pill with a somewhat pitted surface.

"It's done!"

Not long after, Elder Huo's eyes gleamed as he excitedly watched the smooth, round black pill gradually take shape within the pill flame.

At the same time, an intense fluctuation spread from Gu He's palm, rapidly radiating in all directions. A refreshing pill fragrance began to emanate from around the pill.

"What is this?"

"It seems someone is refining a pill!"

"A Fifth-Grade Pill shouldn't cause such a commotion, should it? Could it be a Sixth-Grade Pill?"

Sensing the fluctuation, countless Inner Academy disciples of Jia Nan Academy, along with several elders, hurried toward the source in astonishment.

Just then, an exceptionally deep and powerful voice rang out through the air.

"Listen carefully, everyone. Do not approach the place where the pill fragrance is coming from."

"That's the Grand Elder's voice!" Upon hearing that imposing voice from the air, everyone halted in their tracks.

"I have fulfilled my mission."

Gu He handed the Sixth-Grade Pill to Elder Huo, looking entirely relaxed, without the slightest sign of fatigue from refining a pill.

"Elder Gu, your pill-refining skill is truly the greatest I have ever seen in my life!" Elder Huo said with immense admiration as he looked at the pill in his hand.

"You flatter me, Elder Huo." Gu He replied with a faint smile.

At this point, Elder Huo no longer gave any thought to the two extra portions of medicinal ingredients he had provided. Having witnessed Gu He's pill-refining process with his own eyes, he instead felt that he had gained an enormous advantage.

Elder Huo was not the only one reacting so strongly. Grand Elder Su Qian, who stood beside Gu He, was equally overwhelmed with shock.

Although Su Qian did not know much about the art of pill refinement, he had clearly seen the astonishment in Elder Huo's eyes. Moreover, Gu He's pill-refining speed was simply breathtaking.

In less than half a day, a Sixth-Grade Pill had been successfully refined—and with a one hundred percent success rate.

At that moment, Su Qian felt Gu He's importance as an alchemist more keenly than ever.

If they did not properly win over such a gifted alchemist, he might leave Jia Nan Academy one day.

With that thought, a warm smile appeared on Su Qian's face. A white jade token appeared in his hand as he said to Gu He, "Elder Gu He, this jade token will grant you access to every storeroom in the academy's medicinal ingredient repository. You may take any medicinal ingredients inside that you need."

"That may not be appropriate. I have only just joined Jia Nan Academy, yet I am already receiving such treatment. I fear it may invite criticism."

Gu He was also taken aback as he looked at the jade token Su Qian was offering him.

He had not expected that merely refining a Sixth-Grade Pill on a whim would cause the Grand Elder of Jia Nan Academy to further elevate his treatment.

"You worry too much, Elder Gu. Since ancient times, treasures have belonged to those capable of possessing them." Su Qian's outstretched hand holding the jade token remained suspended before Gu He.

Seeing Gu He hesitate, the impatient Elder Huo also urged him from the side, "Elder Gu He, accept it quickly. Although no one in the academy can refine Sixth-Grade Pills, we have quite a few medicinal ingredients for them. We even have some of the ingredients listed in Seventh-Grade Pill formulas!"

"Since that is the case, I shall no longer refuse." Seeing how insistent they were, Gu He accepted the jade token Su Qian offered with a troubled expression.

"That's more like it!"

When Gu He accepted the jade token, both Su Qian and Elder Huo let out sighs of relief. They were now afraid that Gu He would refuse.

The next moment, Elder Huo turned to Su Qian and said, "Elder Gu has only just arrived and is not yet familiar with the academy's surroundings. I'll lead the way."

Before long, Gu He and Elder Huo arrived at Jia Nan Academy's medicinal ingredient repository.

"Old Huo, why are you here again? Didn't you come to collect medicinal ingredients not long ago?"

At the entrance to the repository, an elderly man in plain robes appeared upon seeing Elder Huo.

"Haha, Elder Hao, I'm not here to collect spiritual herbs this time." Elder Huo chuckled and explained, "This is Elder Gu He, who has just joined the academy. He has a jade token from the Grand Elder granting him access to the storerooms!"

"I am Gu He." As he greeted him, the jade token Su Qian had given him appeared in Gu He's hand.

"Elder Gu He?"

Clearly, because Elder Hao was stationed at the medicinal ingredient repository, he did not yet know of Gu He's existence.

However, he recognized the jade token Gu He held in his hand.

"Since you have a jade token from the Grand Elder, take whichever spiritual herbs here catch your eye!" Elder Hao said helplessly.

"Thank you." Gu He replied calmly before stepping inside.

"Hey, only one person can enter with a jade token. Why are you following him?"

"I'm naturally going in to guide Elder Gu He!"

"I know you too well. No matter what you say today, you are not going in..."

After Gu He entered, the sounds of Elder Huo and Elder Hao arguing came from behind him.

Hearing their conversation, Gu He shook his head with a quiet laugh. Looking at the faint energy barrier at the end of the corridor, he slowly inserted the jade token in his hand into a groove.

As the jade token was inserted, the light on the energy barrier gradually faded away.

Beyond it was a spacious chamber enveloped in a faint fluorescent glow. As Gu He slowly walked inside and glanced around, a look of amazement gradually surfaced on his face. The entire room's inner walls were covered in milky-white jade, and even the floor beneath his feet was seamlessly pieced together from neat blocks of white jade. The faint glow was emitted by this white jade.

"Jia Nan Academy certainly knows how to make an impression." Gu He clicked his tongue in admiration. This white jade was quite valuable, but it was exceptionally effective for preserving medicinal ingredients. In such a sealed space, precious medicinal ingredients would suffer almost no loss of potency, and their storage time could be greatly extended. Such an arrangement was far beyond what could be achieved by storing them in a Storage Ring.

Several corridors had been built within the spacious chamber wrapped in white jade. Tall counters, likewise made entirely from white jade, stood on both sides of the corridors. Gu He casually entered one corridor and glanced into the counters. Immediately, all kinds of strangely shaped medicinal ingredients, exceedingly rare outside, stood quietly within them, while faint medicinal fragrances of varying scents drifted out.

Although these medicinal ingredients were precious, few of them truly caught Gu He's interest. He casually collected several auxiliary ingredients needed to refine ordinary Sixth-Grade Pills, then continued onward.

Suddenly, Gu He sensed that there was actually someone else inside this medicinal ingredient repository.