Xu Qingtong calculated the time. There were still two days before he had to hand in his sect assignment, so he decided to visit his master. For one thing, he wanted to pay his respects; for another, he had some questions he wanted his master to help him with.
Xu Qingtong arrived outside his master's cave abode and called out clearly, "Master, your disciple Qingtong requests an audience."
He waited a long while, but there was no response. Afraid of disturbing his master, he did not dare call again and could only wait patiently.
About a quarter of an hour later, Yu Tiancheng's voice came from inside the cave abode. "Is that Qingtong? Come in!"
Xu Qingtong entered the cave abode and saw his master, Yu Tiancheng. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Master, I've refined some Essence-Nourishing Pills. I'd like you to take a look and see what I still haven't done right!"
"Mm, let me see the elixirs you refined," Yu Tiancheng said.
Xu Qingtong quickly took out a porcelain bottle and handed it to his master.
Yu Tiancheng poured out an elixir and held it in his hand, surprise and doubt showing in his eyes. "This is a Superior-Grade Essence-Nourishing Pill. You refined it?"
Xu Qingtong nodded.
"Well done, lad. To think you've only studied alchemy for a month and can already refine superior-grade elixirs. Even I wasn't as good as you back then."
He held the elixir before his eyes and examined it carefully, then brought it to his nose and sniffed it. Suddenly, he squeezed his fingers together, crushing a perfectly good superior-grade elixir.
Looking at the broken elixir, Yu Tiancheng knitted his brows. After thinking for a moment, he said slowly, "Qingtong, although this elixir is superior-grade, it still has flaws. Looking at these fragments,