He had barely managed to save the pills.
However, of the ten Pigu Pills that had originally been of standard quality, one was completely ruined, while the other nine had only reached the inferior-pill grade.
"Luckily, I had brought dozens of Spirit Grain seedlings with me for refining Qi Induction Pills. Otherwise, I really would have fallen flat on my face this time!"
Zhou Xun cried out in relief.
After calming himself slightly, Zhou Xun began to harbor a suspicion about the sudden eruption of the earth fire.
Recalling the look in Wei Shangyi's eyes, Zhou Xun roughly guessed the truth.
Yet there was still one thing he could not understand: how had Wei Shangyi guessed that he would draw this Alchemy Room?
Zhou Xun took a pouch from his robe and removed the Spirit Grain seedlings inside.
He then circulated the Ningshun Sutra, extracting their essence one by one and infusing it into the nine inferior Pigu Pills that had been ruined during refinement.
Visible to the naked eye, the quality of the Pigu Pills steadily rose after absorbing the Spirit Grain seedling essence, all the way to the standard grade.
In this manner, Zhou Xun elevated six Pigu Pills to standard quality.
The remaining three continued to retain their inferior-pill quality.
Based on Zhou Xun's understanding of the others, six standard pills were enough to place him among the upper ranks.
After tidying up the Alchemy Room and waiting a while longer to make sure someone had already left, Zhou Xun finally opened the door with his Pigu Pills.
The moment Zhou Xun emerged, a warden immediately came forward.
"Zhou Xun, right? Hand me the pills you refined. After Elder Lin personally appraises them, the rankings will be determined by pill quality. Go wait to the side first!"
"Yes, Warden Liu!" Zhou Xun bowed, then handed the medicine bottle containing the Pigu Pills to the middle-aged warden.
Afterward, he swept his gaze around the area.
He was not among the earliest to emerge. More than a dozen people had already completed their refinement and were waiting nearby.
"Brother Zhou, you finally came out! How many pills did you refine this time?"
The moment Wang Erniu saw Zhou Xun, he eagerly came over.
"Six standard pills, three inferior pills!" Zhou Xun told him everything without reservation.
"With results like that, Brother, a place in the top fifteen is definitely secure!" Wang Erniu clapped his hands happily.
Zhou Xun nodded and chatted with Wang Erniu in a desultory fashion.
Yet his gaze drifted toward Wei Shangyi's location—the Yi-17 Alchemy Room that had originally belonged to him.
Wei Shangyi patiently waited for half an hour before beginning to refine Pigu Pills.
He warmed the pill furnace and condensed the medicinal liquid.
Everything went smoothly.
Wei Shangyi was brimming with confidence.
"As long as I successfully refine the Pigu Pills this time, with Warden Lin smoothing the way, the apprentice position will be within arm's reach!"
To ensure that Wei Shangyi, the Lineage's future Pill Refinement Master, could grow smoothly, Wei Shangli sought out Lin Ruochang once again.
He promised lavish gifts.
In the end, he obtained Lin Ruochang's promise: as long as Wei Shangyi successfully refined Pigu Pills, he would use up the apprentice recommendation slot in his hands.
With a certain talent for pill refinement, spirit roots above the middle grade, and Wei Shangli's full support, securing a Pill Refinement Apprentice position was still possible.
Of course, it would be outside the fifteen positions available this time.
Wei Shangyi refined the pills in an orderly manner.
At the same time, Lin Hongjiu had also seen Lin Ruochang off.
He took out the Earth Fire Token and aimed it at the earth-fire light point of Wei Shangyi's Alchemy Room.
A set of Mystic Gestures struck out.
With almost no delay, the earth fire beneath Wei Shangyi's pill furnace erupted in an instant.
The Pigu Pill medicinal liquid that Wei Shangyi had yet to fuse could not withstand the fierce heat. In a flash, it scorched black, releasing a burnt smell.
As for Wei Shangyi, the instant the earth fire erupted, he realized what had happened.
Then he could only watch helplessly as the medicinal liquid inside the pill furnace was destroyed.
"Lin Hongjiu, I-I'll fuck your grandfather!"
He had clearly calculated everything perfectly, so why had it still ended like this?
His refinement had failed!
And it had failed at the third step!
With his skill, he should have been able to succeed!
"I hate this!"
Wei Shangyi gritted his teeth, his face pale with rage.
Such a result meant that he and the Pill Refinement Apprentice position were now strangers on opposite roads.
Even if Warden Lin recommended him with all his might, neither Lin Zhishan nor Grandmaster Yun Ku would agree.
Someone who could not even refine a basic pill properly was not qualified to serve as a Pill Refinement Apprentice at Danbao Pavilion.
"Could it be that I, Wei Shangyi, am truly going to become a Spiritual Qi menial servant?"
The moment he thought of the words "menial servant," Wei Shangyi found it impossible to accept.
He possessed extraordinary talent. He was destined to become a man above men, a noble Pill Refinement Master, to achieve Foundation Establishment, perhaps even attain True Dan!
"I refuse to accept this!"
Refining Pigu Pills was extremely simple. Generally speaking, one furnace could be completed in half an hour.
Even someone unfamiliar with the process could finish within an hour.
Thus, not long after Zhou Xun emerged, the remaining dozen or so people gradually finished their refinement as well.
In the end, only the door of the Yi-17 Alchemy Room remained tightly shut.
A quarter of an hour passed, yet the person inside still did not emerge.
Lin Zhishan walked over and asked the warden responsible for drawing the number plates:
"Who is inside? Why hasn't he come out yet?"
"Reporting to Elder Lin, Wei Shangyi is inside. This subordinate also does not know why he has yet to emerge!" The middle-aged warden answered respectfully.
"Call him out. It has been over an hour. If he still cannot refine it now, waiting longer will not change anything!" Lin Zhishan frowned.
"Yes, this subordinate will handle it at once!" The middle-aged warden answered, then roughly pounded on the Alchemy Room door.
"Wei Shangyi, come out at once! The assessment is over!"
Wei Shangyi was currently slumped on the floor of the Alchemy Room, his face full of despair.
Hearing the voice outside, Wei Shangyi sprang to his feet and muttered to himself:
"No, I still have a chance. Warden Lin is my elder brother's wife's uncle. I'll go back and find my brother—there must be a way!"
As he spoke, a trace of hopeful light appeared in his eyes.
Seeing that the door had taken so long to open, the middle-aged warden was somewhat displeased and said impatiently:
"What took you so long? Hand over your pills."
"The refinement failed!" Wei Shangyi said bitterly.
"I understand!" The middle-aged warden glanced at him and immediately understood that Wei Shangyi had not refined even a single Pigu Pill.
He then turned and went straight to report to Lin Zhishan.
At this point, all thirty prospective apprentices participating in the assessment had finished refining.
In roughly a quarter of an hour, Lin Zhishan finished appraising everyone's pills.
He then arranged the rankings according to the number of pills refined and their quality.
In the courtyard, Lin Zhishan stood at the front.
Zhou Xun and the other prospective apprentices stood together, waiting for Lin Zhishan to announce the results.
"The half-year cultivation assessment ends today."
"I personally appraised all of your pills, and I personally arranged the rankings. There can be no fraud."
"I will now announce the list of Pill Refinement Apprentices who passed the assessment."
"First place: Wang Erniu. Nine finished pills, all nine of standard quality!"
"Second place—"
It was not until seventh place that Zhou Xun heard his own name.
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