The Contention for the Secret Transmission

After all, in the world of cultivation, there truly exists the saying of being born with a celestial seed!

Some are born with heaven and earth spiritual roots, the darlings of the Heavenly Dao, destined to be prodigies.

Others are born destined to be mere mortals, their affinity for immortality severed from the start.

After all, without spiritual roots, it is truly impossible to cultivate!

The idea that "Heaven rewards the diligent" might exist, or perhaps it is merely the ramblings of a fool, destined to invite ridicule.

But when these words came from the mouth of Lin Changheng, they carried a measure of credibility. After all, he was truly an apprentice for eleven years, watching furnaces and tending fires, and now he had indeed succeeded as an alchemist!

"This young woman will not beat around the bush; I shall convey the decision of the clan on their behalf."

"Lin is all ears."

"Because the clan feels that all you alchemists have been rising early and retiring late, diligently refining your alchemy, and continuously contributing to the clan, they intend to open the qualification for the secret transmission of mid-grade alchemy specifically to those low-grade alchemists capable of refining fine-grade pills..."

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Lin Changheng felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Although it was full of high-sounding bureaucratic jargon, and there was not a single mention of the clan needing to fill the vacancy left by the demise of a mid-grade alchemist.

The Xu Family wanted to mask the true situation and their underlying purpose, framing it as an act of pure benevolence rather than one driven by external pressure.

After all, there is a vast difference between being forced to open up and bestowing a favor voluntarily.

Lin Changheng knew this clearly, yet he did not expose it.

But upon hearing the second half, he was stunned.

Especially the word "qualification" at the end.

As expected, Xu Hanji continued, "However, to serve as an incentive, the clan has decided to bestow this transmission upon only one of you, selected by merit."

Speaking to this point, she could not help but shake her head with a slight arc, clearly not understanding this decision herself.

"How many are qualified?"

Lin Changheng had no intention of speculating on the motives of Xu Hanji or the upper echelons of the Xu Family; he grasped the key point and asked.

"Two. You, Daoist Lin, and Alchemist Lv."

Xu Hanji was quite straightforward.

"Alchemist Lv..."

Lin Changheng instantly understood why the Xu Family was opening up their secret transmissions to outsiders.

Lv and Lin—neither were Xu!

If there had been a low-grade alchemist surnamed Xu capable of refining fine-grade pills, they likely would not have brought out this secret transmission at all, but simply handed it over.

It was precisely because the clan was facing a shortage of talent that they had to select from outside.

Indeed, secret transmissions are meant to be kept within the family.

The petty schemes of the Xu Family's upper echelons were practically written on their faces.

"Is there to be a competition? An alchemy duel?"

Lin Changheng asked.

"The clan has exactly that intention."

Xu Hanji nodded, not having expected this Alchemist Lin to be such a perceptive person.

Following this, Xu Hanji offered some encouragement and reassurance on behalf of the Xu Family.

The general gist was to wait for news of the competition, at which point the Chief Alchemist would act as judge, and he could rest assured that there would be no bias.

Half a month later.

An Alchemy Duel was quietly held within the Returning Peak Dojo.

It was not a grand or ostentatious affair.

The witnesses consisted only of a few high-ranking members of the Xu Family, some Xu Family alchemists, and the two competing "registered guest" alchemists.

It was kept within a small circle. However, there were no deliberate measures taken to seal lips or prevent leaks, as it would inevitably come out sooner or later.

Two alchemy furnaces were placed in the center of the main hall, and Lin Changheng and Alchemist Lv were to refine pills directly under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

This was to avoid any cheating methods such as "refining in advance" or "secretly swapping pills."

The competing Alchemist Lv was named Lv Bailian, whom Lin Changheng had met before.

He was only in his thirties, yet his beard and face were entirely white, and his features were upright.

According to Master Mo, his alchemy skills were quite good, and he had long been able to refine fine-grade pills.

He had achieved this earlier than Lin Changheng and had been immersed in the craft for longer, enjoying quite a reputation within the Xu Family.

Therefore, most of the high-ranking members of the Xu Family did not favor Lin Changheng.

But this was of no concern to Lin Changheng.

He had no desire to slap faces, show off, or perform acts that would draw undue attention.

The ideal outcome would be to slightly edge out Alchemist Lv in the competition, secure the mid-grade alchemy secret manual, and yet remain unremarkable enough to avoid the spotlight.

Moreover, with Lin Changheng's current Fire Control skills and alchemy techniques, he was perfectly capable of precise, downward-adjusted scoring.

The rules were simple: ten pills per furnace, three furnaces each; whoever refined more high-quality pills would be the victor.

If the number of high-quality pills was equal, the quality of the remaining pills would be compared for a comprehensive evaluation.

And so, under the announcement of the Xu Family's chief, high-grade alchemist Xu Qianyan, the two began their refinement.

Compared to Lin Changheng's minimalist approach—saving every ounce of effort and standing as still as a stone statue whenever he was idle—Lv Bailian was the exact opposite. His techniques were flashy, his movements were grand, and when he performed complex sequences, there was even a sense of aesthetic beauty reminiscent of classical dance.

The extreme contrast caught the eyes of the crowd, and their expressions shifted accordingly.

Xu Hanji's gaze moved back and forth between the two, her expression thoughtful.

Time slipped away, and in the blink of an eye, most of the day had passed.

Since everyone present was a cultivator, they possessed the necessary patience, and the number of spectators had not dwindled.

"Clang!"

Suddenly, Lv Bailian slapped his furnace and cast a pill seal into it. A string of pills flew out in succession, which were then placed on a tray and handed to the chief alchemist.

"One high-quality pill; the remaining six are mid-high grade, and three are mid-mid grade."

As expected of a high-grade alchemist, his nose twitched slightly, and with a single sweep of his eyes, he delivered his verdict.

Lv Bailian's face immediately lit up with triumph.

The gazes cast upon him by the crowd flickered with admiration or hidden respect.

At this level, there was a significant probability that he could become a mid-grade alchemist.

Lv Bailian clearly relished such attention; he bowed to the crowd with high spirits before sitting cross-legged on the ground to rest.

The eyes of the audience then shifted to the black-robed figure standing before the other furnace.

He was still standing perfectly still.

"He..."

Because the contrast was so stark, someone whispered a word of doubt.

Immediately, Xu Hanji's cold, sharp gaze swept over. When their eyes met, the man realized his blunder—he shouldn't have spoken to disturb the process—and with a sheepish smile, he shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.

Lin Changheng finally moved at a leisurely pace. He did not slap the furnace, but instead cast his pill seal into it from a distance, completing the extraction with the same minimalist efficiency.

The pills were delivered before the chief alchemist, and at this moment, the meditating Lv Bailian felt something and lifted his gaze to watch.

"Hmm, one high-quality pill; seven are mid-high grade, and two are mid-mid grade."

As these words fell, everyone in the arena began to look at one another in confusion.

If they had heard correctly, Lin Changheng had managed to land exactly one mid-high grade pill ahead of the mid-mid grade, winning by a hair's breadth?

Lv Bailian also found it inconceivable. How could it be such a coincidence?

But he dared not voice his dissent or act presumptuously. Gritting his teeth, he immediately rose to his feet and began refining his third furnace.

Lin Changheng bowed slightly to the crowd and then proceeded to rest on his own.

At this point, a time gap began to emerge between the two alchemists.

Time flowed on.

Lv Bailian retrieved his pills once more, receiving the evaluation: "One high-quality pill, seven mid-high grade, two mid-mid grade."

Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Changheng maintained his standard, producing pills that were identical to his previous batch.

In this furnace, the two were tied.

For the third furnace, Lv Bailian steeled his resolve, becoming meticulous and grave, no longer showing off his techniques.

"Not bad. Alchemist Lv has refined one high-quality pill in this furnace, and the remaining nine are all mid-high grade."

Chief Alchemist Xu Qianyan, his eyes as aged and glowing as furnace coals, swept his gaze over the results and gave his verdict in a deep voice, even adding a rare subjective word of praise.

To achieve such a level was truly no small feat.