Pill Formation

The onlookers' discussions did not affect Lin Ming in the slightest. He remained focused on refining his pill.

Although he had not refined pills for two months, the sensation of refinement etched deep into his mind awakened the moment he took out the medicinal cauldron and ignited the flames. It was like two close friends who had not seen each other for some time—their friendship had not diminished in the slightest, but had instead become even more precious.

Time passed bit by bit as Lin Ming refined his pill. The people watching outside had gradually shifted from hoping that Lin Ming could successfully refine a pill, while mostly doubting him, to believing that he truly could succeed.

Although he had yet to fuse the pill, after seeing Lin Ming extract the Medicinal Material Essence, they no longer doubted whether he was a Second-Grade Alchemist. Based on the purity of that essence alone, even Steward Yang, a Third-Grade Alchemist, felt inferior. Even if he were given the same flame as Lin Ming, he knew he could not achieve the purity of the Medicinal Material Essence Lin Ming had extracted.

While flames were a crucial part of extracting medicinal materials, other factors were even more important, such as control over timing, sensing the vitality of medicinal materials, and knowing when to alter the flame's temperature. These were things one could only find through refining countless pills.

Watching Lin Ming refine this pill now, they knew that he must have successfully refined pills many times before to reach such a nearly perfect level.

Thus, no one doubted Lin Ming's identity as a Second-Grade Alchemist anymore. Steward Yang was now struggling with how to express his apology to Lin Ming, how to completely resolve the conflict between them, and how to befriend him.

After considering many methods, he still felt none of them were good enough. Then he heard the spectators discussing things in extremely low voices, softer even than the buzzing of mosquitoes. Yet Steward Yang felt that their voices might affect Lin Ming's pill refining, so he directly drove them all out.

Those people were dumbfounded. Just now, weren't you the one shouting the loudest? Your voice had been so loud that it seemed you were afraid people carrying out missions outside the Academy would not hear you. Yet now, our voices are so quiet that only the two of us can hear them, while everyone else cannot hear a thing. Just because you saw our mouths move, you claim we disturbed Lin Ming while he was refining pills?

If you were not a Deacon, and if your alchemy level were not higher than ours, we would definitely beat you so badly that even all your fathers would not recognize you.

The Pill Refinement Room was quiet now. Apart from Lin Ming, who was refining pills, only Steward Yang remained inside. Everyone else had been driven out by Steward Yang.

Seeing that there were no outsiders left, Steward Yang nodded in satisfaction. He felt that when Lin Ming finished refining, he could humbly apologize, and no one besides Lin Ming would know about it.

Then, not only could he befriend this newly risen Alchemist who was only fifteen years old, capable of refining Second-Grade Pills, and possessed boundless potential, but he could also preserve his lofty image before others. It was killing several birds with one stone. If Lin Ming had not still been refining pills and thus could not be disturbed, he would have laughed aloud to show off his cleverness.

Just as he was still thinking about this, Lin Ming had begun fusing the various Medicinal Material Essences and forming the pill. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. A moment later, Lin Ming placed the essence extracted from the Wood Attribute Magic Core into the medicinal cauldron, carrying out the final step of Pill Formation.

As the Magic Core entered the medicinal cauldron, the pill's previously uneven surface rapidly smoothed out and gradually became rounder. At this stage, the pill had already been initially refined successfully. It only needed to be nurtured in the flames until it became completely round.

When Steward Yang saw this, he nearly congratulated Lin Ming aloud. But seeing that Lin Ming was still immersed in pill refining, he forcibly swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth.

After another half an hour, Lin Ming sensed that the pill inside the medicinal cauldron was nearly finished. He stopped supplying Dou Qi and pulled the pill out of the cauldron in one motion.

A bluish-white pill bearing fine Pill Patterns appeared in Lin Ming's hand.

Looking at the pill in his hand, Lin Ming smiled and held it up toward Steward Yang. "Steward Yang, do you need to inspect it and see whether I used some trick to produce this pill?"

"Brother Lin Ming, just now, I was short-sighted and failed to recognize greatness before me. I apologize to you here for my actions just now, and I hope you will not hold it against me." After speaking, Steward Yang directly bowed to Lin Ming in apology.

"Steward Yang, please don't. As a senior, you are taking this far too seriously." Lin Ming hurriedly helped Steward Yang straighten up as he spoke.

Lin Ming had not expected Steward Yang to pull this move! Although Steward Yang's words earlier had been somewhat unpleasant, there was no need to go this far! I'm not someone who holds grudges. A simple apology would have been enough. Doing this only makes me feel embarrassed instead.

"Brother Lin Ming, calling me Steward Yang now is too much for me. I am a few years older than you, so if you think highly of me, call me Brother Yang. Of course, you may also call me by my name, Yang Zhongjie." Steward Yang spoke with a sincere expression.

Seeing Steward Yang's serious expression, Lin Ming called out, "Brother Yang." Since the other man had put it that way, addressing him otherwise would mean he looked down on him. However, Lin Ming also told him not to call him Brother Lin Ming anymore and to simply call him by his name.

"Haha! Good, Lin Ming." Hearing Lin Ming call him Brother Yang, Steward Yang laughed heartily and addressed Lin Ming by name as well.

After laughing, Steward Yang spoke to Lin Ming.

"Lin Ming, did you come to the Alchemy Department today because you need its help with something? Tell your brother here, and I will definitely take care of it for you." Steward Yang patted his chest as he gave Lin Ming his word.

"Brother Yang, I did not come here today for anything major. I knew our Academy had an Alchemy Department, and since I am an Alchemist myself, I wanted to join it. Then I also wanted to see whether the Alchemy Department had any pills, Medicinal Formulas, or similar things suitable for my current stage." Lin Ming explained his purpose for coming today to Steward Yang.

"Your Brother Yang here is responsible for new members of the Alchemy Department. With your current status as a Second-Grade Alchemist, I can directly make you an internal core member. That way, you will have permission to directly purchase pills, pill formulas, and corresponding items below 4th Grade." Steward Yang told Lin Ming directly. This was the greatest authority he could grant from his position.

If it were anyone else instead of Lin Ming, they would not only need to become a Third-Grade Alchemist, but also complete the corresponding tasks before he would grant them the status of internal core member. Yet aside from refining a Second-Grade Pill, Lin Ming had done nothing else and was directly made an internal core member of the Alchemy Department.

Seeing that Lin Ming did not react, Steward Yang thought he felt the internal core member benefits were insufficient and quickly explained, "Lin Ming, the status of internal core member is already the highest authority I can decide on from my position. Anything higher requires the approval of Elder Huo, the First Elder of the Alchemy Department and a peak Tier 5 Alchemist. As it happens, Elder Huo is here today. I will go ask him to grant you greater authority. Wait here for me."

Watching Steward Yang run off to seek greater authority from Elder Huo for him as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ming did not even have time to open his mouth before the man vanished from sight.

It was not that Lin Ming felt Steward Yang had granted him too little authority. On the contrary, he felt it was far too much. He had only just arrived at the Alchemy Department and had not done anything yet, but the authority he had been granted was beyond what others who had joined the Alchemy Department years ago possessed.

It was like going to school, having just entered the campus, and being made vice president of a club on the first day you joined. Then, seeing that you remained stunned for a long time, they assumed you thought the position of vice president was too low and ran off to ask the student council president to make you president of that club.

Anyone would be completely bewildered by that!

Before long, Steward Yang returned to the Pill Refinement Room with an elderly man whose face was gaunt and whose beard was half gray.

"Lin Ming, this is Elder Huo. After I told Elder Huo about your situation, he said he wanted to meet you, so I brought him down directly." Steward Yang said to Lin Ming.

"Student Lin Ming greets Elder Huo!" Lin Ming bowed to the old man.

"I heard from Little Yang just now that you refined a Second-Grade Pill and possess a Beast Flame?" Elder Huo asked Lin Ming.

"Yes, Elder Huo. This student was fortunate enough to refine a Second-Grade Pill. As for the Beast Flame, my family helped obtain it and gave it to me to refine." Lin Ming replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Could you let this Old Man take a look at the pill you refined?"

Hearing the slight note of inquiry in Elder Huo's words, Lin Ming took out the Ice Heart Pill he had just refined, placed it on his palm, and extended it toward Elder Huo.

"Pill Patterns!" Elder Huo said in surprise.

Being able to refine a Second-Grade Pill at such an age was already astonishing. Elder Huo had originally thought Lin Ming had only refined the Second-Grade Pill by luck, but now it seemed that this was not luck at all. Lin Ming had clearly reached the pinnacle of this realm.

Even Little Yang beside him, a Third-Grade Alchemist, might not be able to refine a Second-Grade Pill with Pill Patterns. Even some 4th Grade Alchemists would not dare claim they could definitely produce Pill Patterns when refining Second-Grade Pills.

"Lin Ming, this Old Man wishes to ask one more question. How many years has it been since you began refining pills?" Elder Huo truly wanted to know at what age Lin Ming had started pill refining.

"This student formally began refining pills at the age of twelve, so it has been nearly three years now. However, before formally refining pills, I also studied medicinal theory for three years. So saying it has simply been three years would not be accurate." Lin Ming thought back on the time he had spent refining pills and answered Elder Huo.

"You started at twelve, and it has been less than three years!"

The same words, the same shock, came from two different mouths.