Chapter 45 (continued)

Grade One High Stage should be enough.

Fortunately, it didn't go directly to the Second Grade. It must be because the quality of this inferior pill was too poor. Even after a year of effort, it could only reach the Grade One High Stage.

Li Yang only managed to purify the essence at the last minute, so by the time she finished purifying, the time was up.

In just half an hour, the assessment room was filled with cries of agony.

Needless to say, the students who failed in their purification process were devastated, beating their chests in despair. One student, in particular, was cheated out of 50 merit points; his face turned as white as a sheet, and he had to be helped out of the room.

The students who successfully purified the pills weren't much better off; they had spent 10 merit points on the equipment package, and each of them lost an average of 10 merit points for destroying 5 pills.

200,000 to buy a minor spot in the Pill Department Refining Department...

How long will it take to earn this money back?!

Compared to the dismal performance of the other students, two stood out.

Xi Yu, who naturally possessed S-level talent in alchemy, still wore clean and crisp clothes, and his handsome face was free of dust from the exploding pills. At most, he was somewhat weak due to excessive depletion of his Power of Starlight.

The other one is Li Yang, a rising star with F-level talent. Not only was she not hit by the explosion, she didn't even look weak. She stood there quietly, as if nothing had happened.

Could nothing really have happened?

Did this F-level contestant simply forfeit?

The students present were no longer arrogant. After experiencing the purification of pills firsthand, they realized how difficult it was, especially the "pill affinity." Once rejected, it would immediately explode.

No matter how much Starlight you have, or how strong your control over Starlight is, if your affinity isn't enough, then the pills will become explosives, ready to explode at any moment.

Thinking about it this way, Li Yang was quite wise.

Why invite humiliation upon yourself?

Is this minor program absolutely necessary?

They've poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into this, only to end up looking disheveled and struggling to secure a spot, and they still might not be able to refine any finished pills...

Good heavens! Many people have realized it now.

If purification is this difficult, how difficult must alchemy be?

Is it possible that I'll never get my money back?

The teaching assistant from the Pill Department had her exquisite makeup and hair a bit messy, not from the explosion, but from making money. She probably got a lot of commission this time, otherwise she wouldn't be so eager to sell inferior pills.

Although her makeup and hair were messed up, the teaching assistant's smile was noticeably more genuine. She said, "Please wait a moment, everyone. We will be evaluating the pills shortly. As long as the pills don't explode, even if they are only slightly purified and don't reach the First Grade Realm, it doesn't matter..."

Before she could finish speaking, Professor Li Yaowan, with his afro and shifty eyes, gasped and exclaimed, "Grade One High Stage!"

Everyone present was stunned.

All eyes turned to Xi Yu, and the students couldn't contain their excitement, whispering among themselves, "Is this an S-rank talent? How terrifying!"

"Not only did it not explode, it was also refined into Grade One High Stage?"

"This lousy, low-quality pill, its normal resale value is at most 0.1 merit points, but after a little purification, it's worth 25 merit points for Grade One High Stage pill!"

"It can't be that casual, can it? I feel like he's already exhausted..."

"25 merit points! Even if you can only refine one per day, that's still a huge profit!"

"Looking at it this way, the Pill Department still has a promising future!"

"Worth it! A mere 30 merit points for a minor course spot, if I practice hard, I'll definitely be able to earn 25 merit points a day!"

Everyone stared intently at Xi Yu, as if they were seeing a living god of wealth, a moving money tree.

The professors also turned to look at Xi Yu, their gazes filled with surprise.

Talent ratings can sometimes be inflated, for example, an A-level talent might be rated as an S-level talent.

But there's no way the purification of this elixir could be wrong, especially with Old Man Li's sharp eyesight; he could see it clearly even from ten meters away.

If she says it's Grade One High Stage, then it must be Grade One High Stage.

Good heavens!

There are some real gems among this group of minor students!

The professors present were all pillars of the Pill Department; their hair had turned several shades white from years of anxiety.

Ever since a genius in the Pill Department emerged from the Star-Slaying Military Academy, the Central Capital Pill Department has been declining day by day for the past few decades.

The student body of the Zhongdu Military Academy is not bad every year, but most of the geniuses who have mastered Heavenly Chosen have chosen Star-Slaying Military Academy.

This led to the rapid growth of the Pill Department at the Star-Slaying Military Academy, while the Pill Department at the Zhongdu Military Academy faced a shortage of qualified personnel.

The older generation was capable of rivaling the Star-Slaying Military Academy, especially the genius Li Yaowan, who single-handedly supported half of the Central Capital Pill industry, preventing it from being completely crushed by the Jiang Family.

However, the future is not optimistic.

The Jiang Family's new generation is incredibly formidable; as they rise to prominence, the Central Capital Pill Department, on the other hand, is facing a lack of successors...

The Central Capital Pill Department is likely to end up like the Agronomy Department, with its student body dwindling and no one interested in it!

Therefore, they have paid extra attention to geniuses in the Pill Department in recent years, and even spent a lot of money to develop this talent testing device, just to pick up those who slipped through the net.

Decades have passed, and this year we actually caught one.

The professors were all staring intently at her, making Xi Yu blush and feel so nervous that she was at a loss for what to do.

Xi Yu wasn't sure what quality the pill in front of him was, but he was the only S-grade pill present, and Professor Li Yaowan had been shouting in his direction. Who else could it be but him?

It couldn't possibly be that F-rank Tree Raider on the other side!

Thinking of this, Xi Yu was no longer so nervous. He remembered the appearance of the Star Magic Department Heavenly Chosen, and imitated them by raising his chin and giving Li Yang a faint sidelong glance.

Although he won against her in the Pill Department, it was still a form of revenge for the Star Magic Department!

At this moment, a professor surnamed Sun stepped forward, adjusted his glasses, and carefully examined the pill in front of Xi Yu. After looking at it for a while, he frowned and said, "Old Li... cough, Professor Li, you must be mistaken. This pill is at most First Grade Middle Stage."

Xi Yu: "?"

At that moment, Li Yaowan rushed to Li Yang's side, her small abacus jingling at her waist. Her small eyes blinked, and despite her rather lewd appearance, she managed to squeeze out a hint of sincerity. "Li Yang, join the Pill Department! The future of Central Capital Pill needs you!"

Everyone: "???"

What the heck!

What's gotten into this old man now?

The professors also realized what was happening, quickly turned around, and came to Li Yang, carefully examining the pills on her table.

Even the teaching assistant was curiously peeking in, wanting to see what was going on.

Professor Sun gasped in astonishment, exclaiming, "It is indeed Grade One High Stage!"

Another professor looked up at Li Yang and asked, "Li Yang, did you purify this?"

Li Yang: "..." Otherwise, this question made her very embarrassed.

Li Yaowan shoved aside his clueless, dim-witted colleague and looked at Li Yang, saying, "Join the Pill Department! I'll definitely train you well. With our combined efforts, we, master and disciple, will surely crush Star Slaying Pill and Jiang Family Pharmaceuticals, firmly grasping the lifeline of Huaxia pills in the hands of Central Capital Pill!"

The professors realized what was going on, and compared to Li Yaowan's wildly optimistic promises, their words were much more practical.

"Li Yang! If you become my disciple, I will give you a Fourth Grade High Stage alchemy furnace worth 1000 merit points!"

"Li Yang! I'm not only giving you a pill-refining furnace, I'm also covering your Starlight Carbon consumption for a year!" As if afraid Li Yang wouldn't know how much this was worth, he explained, "Your pill-refining experience is insufficient in the early stages, so your Starlight Carbon consumption is extremely high. In a year, it will consume at least a thousand merit points worth of Starlight Carbon!"

The last professor gritted his teeth and went all out. "Li Yang, I'll give you two thousand merit points as a scholarship every year!"

Two thousand meritorious service awards every year!

Twenty million Huaxia Currency!

If Li Yang hadn't been able to resist Shen Binghua's sweet talk, he would have knelt down and called him master by now.

The students nearby were practically drooling with envy.

Someone couldn't help but whisper, "But Li Yang's talent rating in alchemy is F..."

Li Yaowan immediately said, "The instrument is broken. I'll have it rebuilt tomorrow."

Everyone: "..."

Li Yang hadn't expected that refining just one Grade One High Stage pill would excite the professors in the Pill Department so much.

Is purification difficult?

Grade One High Stage is quite common.

The purification of elixirs is indeed not a very demanding field of alchemy; in a sense, it can be said that anyone can do it.

But it is precisely because something is something that everyone can do that it is most likely to showcase talent.

Even if the associate professors in the classroom refined this inferior pill, it would at most become Grade One High Stage.

What truly excited them was that Li Yang suffered almost no damage.

This is quite intriguing.

Li Yang is not only highly talented, but she may also have had a fortuitous encounter. She may very well have obtained a Heavenly Fortune inheritance of the Pill Department!

The students at lower levels don't understand, but these associate professors at the Sixth Grade Realm Peak understand it all too well.

Even if Li Yang's talent is truly F-rank, so what?

She is a "Pill Dao Heavenly Fortune Bearer".

Those five words alone were enough to drive them crazy!

Although Li Yang hadn't thought it through completely, she had heard her teacher mention "the Heavenly Fortune Bearer," and she vaguely guessed that these associate professors might have misunderstood.

"Dear teachers..." Li Yang began, her voice calm and polite, "Thank you for your consideration, but I have already entered the Agronomy Department, so it is impossible for me to enter the Pill Department, therefore..."

"The transfer procedure is very simple; you just need to sign it."

Li Yang shook her head and said seriously, "I am Dean Si's personal disciple, and I will not betray my sect."

The students, including the teaching assistant from the Pill Department, didn't understand the significance of that statement, but the associate professors present looked utterly disappointed.

Who is Si Kui?