After all, in the cultivation world, there truly were those born with the seed of immortality!
Some were born with heavenly or earth spiritual roots, favorites of the Heavenly Dao, destined to become peerless talents.
Others were born destined to remain mortals, their ties to immortality severed from the outset.
After all, without spiritual roots, one truly could not cultivate!
"Heaven rewards diligence" might hold some truth, or perhaps it was better dismissed as a fool's dream, something that invited sneers.
But coming from Lin Changheng, those words gained a measure of credibility. After all, he really had spent eleven years as an apprentice, tending furnaces and watching fires, and now he had truly succeeded in becoming a Pill Master!
"I won't beat around the bush. Allow me to convey the family's decision."
"I'm all ears."
"In recognition of our Pill Masters rising early and retiring late, honing their Pill Dao, refining pills for the family, and making continual contributions, the family intends to grant Low-Grade Pill Masters capable of refining Premium Pills eligibility to receive the Mid-Grade Pill Dao Secret Transmission..."
Hearing the first half, Lin Changheng felt a surge of delight.
Though it was all grandiose official rhetoric, without so much as a mention of the family having lost a Mid-Grade Pill Master and needing to fill the vacancy.
The Xu Family wanted to conceal its actual circumstances and underlying purpose, presenting this as an act of pure generosity driven by no outside pressure.
After all, there was a vast difference between being forced to open access and voluntarily bestowing a favor.
Lin Changheng understood perfectly well, but did not expose it.
Yet the latter half left him taken aback.
Especially that final word: "eligibility."
Sure enough, Xu Hanji continued, "But to provide an incentive, the family has decided to select only the better candidate to receive the transmission."
At this point, she could not help shaking her head slightly, evidently unable to understand the decision herself.
"How many people are eligible?"
Lin Changheng had no interest in pondering Xu Hanji's thoughts or the calculations of the Xu Family High Council. He went straight to the heart of the matter.
"Two. You, Fellow Daoist Lin, and Pill Master Lü."
Xu Hanji was quite straightforward.
"Pill Master Lü..."
Lin Changheng instantly understood why the Xu Family had opened its secret transmission to outsiders.
Lü and Lin-neither was Xu!
If even one Low-Grade Pill Master surnamed Xu had been able to refine Premium Pills, they probably would never have offered the secret transmission at all, simply handing it to that person instead.
It was precisely because the family's old generation lacked successors that they had no choice but to select someone from outside.
A secret transmission indeed-kept secret from outsiders.
The Xu Family High Council's little calculations were all but plain to see.
"Will we compete? A pill-refining contest?"
Lin Changheng asked.
"That is exactly what the family intends."
Xu Hanji nodded, not having expected Pill Master Lin to be so perceptive.
Then, on behalf of the Xu Family, Xu Hanji offered a few words of encouragement and reassurance.
The gist was that he only needed to await word of the contest. The chief Pill Master would judge when the time came, without bias, so he could rest assured.
Half a month later.
A pill-refining contest was quietly held at the Returning Peak Dojo.
There was no grand fanfare.
The witnesses consisted only of a few members of the Xu Family High Council, several of its Pill Masters, and the two competing "Registered Guest Advisor" Pill Masters.
It was kept within a fairly small circle. Still, no deliberate measures were taken to prevent word from leaking, such as ordering everyone to keep silent. After all, the news would spread sooner or later.
Two pill furnaces were set up in the middle of the great hall. Lin Changheng and Pill Master Lü would refine pills directly under everyone's watchful eyes.
This was to prevent cheating methods such as "refining the pills beforehand" or "secretly swapping pills."
The competing Pill Master Lü was named Lü Bailian, and Lin Changheng had met him before.
He was only in his thirties, with a white beard, fair skin, and regular features.
According to Master Mo, his pill-refining skills were quite good, and he had long been capable of refining Premium Pills.
He had achieved this earlier than Lin Changheng and had spent longer honing his craft, earning considerable renown in the Xu Family.
Consequently, more of the Xu Family's senior members doubted Lin Changheng's chances.
But that was of no concern to Lin Changheng.
He had no desire to show off, slap anyone in the face, or draw attention to himself.
Ideally, he would edge out Pill Master Lü in the contest and win the Mid-Grade Pill Dao Secret Transmission without shining too brightly. That would be the best outcome.
Moreover, with his current Fire Control and pill-refining skills, Lin Changheng could precisely rein in his results to the level he wanted.
The rules were simple: ten pills per batch, three batches each. Whoever refined more Premium Pills would win.
If they produced the same number of Premium Pills, the quality of the remaining pills would determine the winner through an overall assessment.
Thus, at the announcement of Xu Qianyan, the Xu Family's chief Pill Master and a High-Grade Pill Master, the two began refining pills.
Lin Changheng used an utterly minimalist method, cutting out every movement he could, and stood motionless as a stone figure whenever he had nothing to do.
Lü Bailian was his complete opposite. His technique was flashy, his movements broader, and his rapid sequences even possessed the beauty of a classical dance.
As this stark contrast unfolded before the onlookers, their expressions immediately varied.
Xu Hanji's gaze shifted back and forth between the two, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Time slipped by, and most of the day passed in a flash.
Everyone present was a cultivator and had at least this much patience. Not one spectator left.
Clang!
Suddenly, Lü Bailian struck his pill furnace and sent Pill Formula Hand Seals into it. Pills promptly emerged in a string, and once he had arranged them on a tray, he handed them to the chief Pill Master.
"One Premium Pill. Of the remainder, six are upper-middle quality, and three are mid-middle quality."
True to his standing as a High-Grade Pill Master, a slight twitch of his nose and a single glance were all he needed to render his judgment.
Lü Bailian's face immediately filled with pride.
Some of the gazes directed at him flashed with appreciation; others held admiration.
With skills like these, he stood a fair chance of becoming a Mid-Grade Pill Master.
Lü Bailian basked in those looks. In high spirits, he immediately cupped his hands to everyone, then sat down on the floor to meditate and rest.
The gazes in the hall shifted to the black-robed figure before the other pill furnace.
He was still standing motionless.
"He..."
With the contrast so clear, someone voiced a quiet doubt.
Xu Hanji's cool gaze immediately swept toward him. Their eyes met, and, realizing he had misspoken and should not have disturbed the proceedings, the man gave an awkward smile and shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
Lin Changheng finally began moving at a leisurely pace as well. Rather than striking the Pill Furnace, he sent Pill Formula Hand Seals into it from a distance, then collected his pills with the same minimalist technique.
The pills were brought before the chief Pill Master. At that moment, Lü Bailian seemed to sense something as he meditated and raised his eyes to look.
"Mm. One Premium Pill. Of the remainder, seven are upper-middle quality, and two are mid-middle quality."
As soon as these words fell, everyone in the hall exchanged looks.
If they had heard correctly, Lin Changheng seemed to have edged ahead by exactly one upper-middle-quality pill in place of a mid-middle-quality one?
Lü Bailian found it unbelievable as well. How could it be such a coincidence?
Yet he dared not question the judgment or act out of line. Gritting his teeth, he immediately rose and began another batch.
Lin Changheng merely cupped his hands slightly to everyone, then rested on his own.
Now a gap had opened up between their refining schedules as well.
Time passed.
Lü Bailian collected his pills again, receiving the assessment, "One Premium Pill, seven upper-middle quality, and two mid-middle quality."
Half a quarter-hour later, Lin Changheng maintained his standard, producing pills of exactly the same quality.
They tied on this batch.
For the third batch, Lü Bailian focused even harder. Meticulous and solemn-faced, he no longer showed off his technique.
"Not bad. In this batch, Pill Master Lü has refined one Premium Pill, with all nine remaining pills of upper-middle quality."
Xu Qianyan, the chief Pill Master, swept his aged eyes, bright as furnace flames, over the pills and delivered his judgment in a deep voice. He even included a rare subjective remark.
Reaching this level was already an exceptional feat.