The mistakes made by participants in these zones came every three to four people—it was frequent enough that the elders didn't even consider investigating further.
After all, the process of alchemy is extremely precise, and occasional errors are considered normal as long as they fall within an acceptable range.
Boom!
Explosions continued to erupt from failed alchemy attempts as disciples lost control of their furnaces. The elders had long grown accustomed to the sight.
At this moment, Chen Jinshu had already placed all the ingredients for the Lingshen Pill into her cauldron and was now refining them into liquid form. Because every reference cauldron had formation arrays set up around them, the surrounding explosions couldn't be heard at all.
The Medicine King Hall, with its spatial isolation mode activated, was different from the Pill King Hall. Its floors weren't ordinary stone but made from a special material, ensuring that noise and disturbances from any individual cauldron couldn't affect others.
"This is definitely more peaceful than refining in the Pill King Hall."
Chen Jinshu was quite satisfied with her alchemy environment. At first, she had been worried it would be like the other hall, with the sound of furnaces exploding disrupting her process. But after activating the formation, she realized its soundproofing and barrier functions were exceptional. The flooring, too, was uniquely crafted—nothing leaked through.
With her mind now calm and at peace, her earlier tension melted away.
In Zone A, the peak master and supervising elders had their eyes fixed on Peng Qi, observing his every move. However, they didn't act rashly or interrupt his alchemy now that he had entered the refinement phase. They waited in silence for it to end.
"Looks like we'll need to strengthen the mental fortitude tests during future recruitments," the peak master muttered irritably. "If this keeps happening, our Medicine King Peak's reputation—built over countless years—will be ruined."
After glaring at Peng Qi in frustration, he turned and flew back to the central palace. His duty was to oversee and protect all competing disciples—he couldn't let one bad apple disturb the entire event. After coughing up a mouthful of blood, Peng Qi looked visibly paler, but his spirit had been greatly invigorated.
That blood had carried out the toxic buildup in his system. Now, he refined top-grade pills methodically and with clear focus. If not for that poisonous blood clogging his system, he wouldn't have gone to such extremes to disrupt other competitors.
Now that the poison was expelled, his chances of landing in the Top 20, which were previously 80%, had increased to a full 100%.
Watching from above, the elder couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
"Such a waste. A disciple with potential gave up their path for fleeting fame—was it truly worth it?"
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Back in Zone D, Chen Jinshu's entire process had been steady and confident. She had rehearsed this pill-refining method over a hundred times—it was second nature now.
"Most impurities have been removed. Time to form the pill."
As she reached the pill-condensation phase, she tensed slightly. While purifying impurities was crucial, the final step of condensing the pill still determined overall success and quality.
Any mistake now could still degrade the pill's grade.
"Condense!"
Chen Jinshu whispered, fingers forming a seal like blooming lotus petals, glowing with verdant spiritual energy.
Forty-five minutes passed.
Boom!
With her final hand seal complete, the cauldron rumbled softly.
A greenish fragrance of pills wafted from the furnace and quickly filled the air. Immediately, Chen Jinshu shifted her seals—transforming her condensation technique into a Pill-Locking Seal.
After waiting a quarter-hour, the scent in the air faded slightly, though no green mist remained visible. This scent was the leaking medicinal essence—if left uncontrolled, it would lower the pill's quality. Sealing it properly would ensure it maintained its grade.
"Just one more quarter-hour, and it'll be ready."
This time, she chose not to rush the final step. With no external disturbances like furnace explosions nearby, she could aim for the best quality possible.
Soon enough, the time passed.
Just then, an announcement came through from the peak master, signaling the end of the competition. Only then did Chen Jinshu look around. She noticed that not many had left midway due to failure—only five or six people.
However, if every zone had similar numbers, the total would be quite significant.
"Four pills formed! Three of top quality, one of medium quality! All that practice finally paid off."
She had already placed the pills in a jade bottle before the competition ended to preserve their potency. She was quite satisfied with the result. At least now, she had a fighting chance at the Top 20.
Still, she wasn't too confident. With so many participants, her Tier-1 Mid-grade pill could only be considered decent—at the level of a well-refined mid-grade. But it still fell short compared to Tier-1 Top-grade pills.
A high-level alchemist who can refine top-grade pills can easily make mid-grade ones. But a mid-grade alchemist cannot necessarily produce top-grade pills. That's the difference in tier.
"Present your pills for registration!" The proctor elder flew down and called to the disciples.
He soon reached Chen Jinshu.
She took out her pills.
"Tier-1 Mid-grade pill, Lingshen Pill. Top quality! Not bad at all! You must've worked hard to reach this level with your current cultivation," he said with a pleased smile.
This testing zone was meant for disciples at the mid-Stage Qi Condensation Realm, so there were limits to the pill grade and quality.To produce a top-quality pill under these conditions was impressive.
"I only did my duty. It's nothing worth boasting about," Chen Jinshu replied modestly.
"You're quite humble. But your chances of getting into the Top 20 are still slim."
"As long as I put in the effort, the result is already written by fate."
The elder was about to speak again when a voice from the peak master reached his ears.
He turned to the disciples in Zone D:
"Results will be announced in half an hour. Please wait."
With that, he flew toward the center where the peak master and other elders were gathered. There, dozens of elders were submitting results and performance reports for the disciples in their respective zones. From a distance, the competitors saw them discussing something—but couldn't hear anything. Even their lips were blurred. Clearly, an anti-eavesdropping formation was in place.
"Why does the peak master look so stern and angry?"
She recalled how, just two hours ago, the peak master had looked calm and approachable—a rational elder. But now, his expression was grim, as if holding back fury on the verge of eruption. The other elders' expressions also turned angry after hearing whatever it was he said.
"Did the disciples perform that poorly?" she wondered.
Following the elders' gaze, she spotted someone vaguely familiar— Peng Qi, the so-called prodigy alchemist.
"Looks like that genius will definitely secure one of the spots."