Every Furnace, Top Grade

Moreover, Lin Fan was a Bone Tempering Realm expert. His five senses and control were inherently far superior to those of ordinary people. Even with the same level of Alchemy proficiency, the pills he refined were better than those made by others.

Lin Fan quickly separated a portion of Qi-Blood Pill ingredients taken from the herb rack and arranged them neatly on the wooden table beside him. Purpleblood Flower, Blazing Sun Fruit, Might Essence Root—several medicinal ingredients with violently potent properties were set apart individually, ready to be placed into the pill furnace in sequence.

Unlike the previous two furnaces of pills, Qi-Blood Pills were the hardest to refine because of their powerful effects, which could temporarily increase a martial artist's combat strength. The medicinal properties of its various ingredients clashed with one another; the slightest carelessness would cause the medicinal energies inside the furnace to conflict, resulting in an explosion and total ruin. Even veteran alchemists who refined this pill regularly had to focus with twelve parts of their spirit.

Lin Fan's gaze remained clear, without the slightest trace of impatience or slackness. Beneath the pill furnace, blazing charcoal flames licked at its base, while ingredients of every color within continuously melted and merged.

Just as Lin Fan was refining his third furnace of pills, the other veteran alchemists also successively completed their first furnaces. Aside from the alchemist who had previously refined a low-grade Blood-Reviving Pill, and the one who had been judged defeated because he was slower than Lin Fan at refining top-grade pills, the remaining three alchemists had refined one top-grade pill and two mid-grade pills in total.

Under normal circumstances, that result would have been quite impressive. But with Lin Fan's jade before them, everyone merely looked on with subdued expressions.

The veteran alchemists drew deep breaths and exchanged glances. The certainty of victory they had once possessed was nowhere to be seen; all their expressions had turned incomparably solemn. After regulating their breaths for a while, they successively began refining their second furnaces of pills.

Time trickled by.

At this moment, inside Lin Fan's pill furnace, the several ingredients of the Qi-Blood Pill whose medicinal properties should have clashed were melding together remarkably smoothly. Lin Fan continuously fine-tuned the strength of the charcoal fire beneath the furnace, sometimes stoking it fiercely, sometimes warming it gently, while employing numerous alchemical techniques. In the end, he gradually and swiftly kneaded the medicinal energies of the conflicting ingredients together, merging them into one.

Hummm—

Another deep furnace hum rang out. The lid of Lin Fan's pill furnace trembled lightly, and a rich, domineering medicinal aura burst from the furnace mouth and spread outward. The surrounding air instantly filled with medicinal fragrance. Lin Fan raised a hand and lifted the lid. At the bottom of the furnace lay pills of a deep reddish-gold color, round and full, their surfaces covered in fine, unbroken pill patterns. Their medicinal power was restrained yet weighty, without the slightest hint of violent leakage.

"Top-grade again!" A Su Family member responsible for judging pill quality hurried forward, took out a pill to inspect it, and cried out in astonishment, "Look at these pill patterns! Several conflicting medicinal properties have actually been fused so perfectly! The medicinal power is profound—once consumed, its explosive enhancement will definitely be astonishing!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Three furnaces in a row, every one top-grade!

One of the veteran alchemists, who had also chosen to refine Qi-Blood Pills for his second furnace, heard that Lin Fan had actually refined the notoriously difficult Qi-Blood Pill into a top-grade pill. He himself could normally only manage mid-grade at best. Qi-Blood Pills were exceptionally difficult to refine; for ordinary people, producing even a low-grade one was already remarkable. Realizing that his own furnace was bound to lose, his mind became unsteady. With one careless slip, his hand movements went slightly awry. The medicinal properties inside the furnace, already difficult to suppress and harmonize, instantly lost balance. With a muffled bang, black smoke surged from the furnace mouth. Medicinal dregs splattered everywhere, and the entire furnace of ingredients was ruined.

The veteran alchemist stared blankly at the pitch-black furnace mouth. It was as though all strength had been drained from his body in an instant, and his face was full of dejection. He had never expected that he would be so rattled that his mind became unstable. In the end, he had failed to refine even a low-grade pill. Before so many watching eyes, he had truly lost face beyond measure.

Seeing that the veteran alchemist refining Qi-Blood Pills had actually blown up his furnace, the Su Family judges exchanged glances and immediately announced in loud voices.

"In the Qi-Blood Pill round, Lin Fan wins and gains another point!"

Three battles, three victories.

The great courtyard fell deathly silent, then erupted into a buzzing wave of discussion.

"Three furnaces, all top-grade—this kind of alchemy is simply inconceivable!"

"Several master alchemists actually can't compare to a single youth. No wonder he is a guest elder who obtained a golden token!"

"That's right, that's right! And I heard Lin Fan's martial cultivation isn't low either. Miss Su Qingwei truly has a good eye, to invite such a formidable figure to become a guest elder of our Su Family!"

"At this rate, could he possibly take all fifteen rounds? Every furnace top-grade? Is he even human?"

Lin Fan refined pills very quickly. A single furnace took only ten to twenty minutes, less than half the time required by the other veteran alchemists. After refining the Qi-Blood Pill, Lin Fan consecutively refined another two or three furnaces of pills, and every one was still top-grade.

Meanwhile, the other veteran alchemists also successively completed their second furnaces. Aside from the alchemist whose furnace had just exploded, the remaining four refined two mid-grade pills and two top-grade pills in total. Yet compared with Lin Fan's every-furnace top-grade performance, they were clearly more than a notch behind.

After regulating their breaths for a moment and swallowing some pills to restore their mental and physical energy, the veteran alchemists exchanged bitter smiles. By now, they no longer held any hope of victory. They only hoped their side would not lose too miserably. For their final furnace of pills, they absolutely had to steady their minds. They could not blow up their furnaces like the alchemist who had refined Qi-Blood Pills just now. Otherwise, before so many Su Family members, they would have a hard time getting by in the Su Family from now on. Compared to the other alchemy halls in the small town, the Su Family's Pill Pavilion offered considerably better treatment.

While the veteran alchemists consumed pills and regulated their breaths, Lin Fan completed another furnace of pills, which was once again judged top-grade. Some pills had mild medicinal properties and were not only for those who cultivated martial arts. For example, the restorative pills the veteran alchemists were currently taking could also be consumed by ordinary people without cultivation. But the price was there, so ordinary people would absolutely not purchase them.

The emotions of the onlookers around the courtyard had already completely boiled over. At first, most of them had been waiting to see Lin Fan suffer a crushing defeat and make a fool of himself. Yet after the contest had continued this far, who would have thought that the youth would produce top-grade pills furnace after furnace, crushing five long-established Su Family alchemists through his own strength alone? The eyes of many people as they looked at Lin Fan were now filled with awe.

"Several furnaces have already all been top-grade. This youth is actually so proficient in Alchemy—did he start learning from the day he was born?"

"Five Pill Pavilion masters joining forces still can't surpass one youth. Who would dare believe it if word got out?"

"Do you think this youth will end up refining all fifteen furnaces into top-grade pills?"

Whispered discussions rose and fell without pause, while everyone's eyes remained firmly fixed on the six pill furnaces in the field, afraid of missing even the smallest detail.

Su Qingwei stood to one side of the crowd, her heart still faintly tense. Although Lin Fan had won all the way through, such continuous high-intensity refining must consume an unimaginable amount of mental energy. Furthermore, Lin Fan refined so quickly; some steps that could have been performed slowly were completed rapidly through his powerful control, which surely consumed even more of his focus.

Su Qingwei summoned a medicine boy, handed him a porcelain bottle from her sleeve, and instructed him to pass it to Lin Fan. Lin Fan was in the midst of refining pills, so it was inconvenient for the onlookers to approach. If someone maliciously stepped forward to interfere, it would inevitably affect the result of the refinement.