He carefully read the contents of his jade tablet. There was a rather simple question.
Identify a spiritual herb through three characteristics.
He answered, and the tablet lit up, indicating that the answer was correct. The second question was also answered correctly.
The third and fourth were answered correctly as well. Around him, some disciples began answering, while others became stuck.
The difficulty increased rapidly. At the tenth question, Zhao Ming frowned. It was a herb that possessed two characteristics similar to those of another species.
The question had been designed to confuse the participants, so he answered to the best of his ability, and the tablet lit up, indicating that he was correct.
Zhao Ming smiled and decided to discreetly look at Yun Che. His tablet was glowing as well, indicating that he had also answered correctly. The smile on his face disappeared.
The fifteenth question appeared, followed immediately by the sixteenth, and then the seventeenth. The participants began displaying different expressions.
Some bit their lips, while others closed their eyes. Some ran their hands through their hair nervously, anxiety clearly visible on their faces.
One young man even tapped his fingers lightly against the table, clearly frustrated.
Su Meilin remained composed. So did Guo Han. Zhao Ming, however, began to grow restless.
Because Yun Che continued answering without hesitation and without consulting anyone. He showed no nervousness or discomfort.
When the first part ended, He Zhong raised his hand.
"Very well. Congratulations to everyone. The first stage is over."
The tablets went dark, and a list of results appeared in the air. The names began to appear.
First place.
Guo Han.
Second.
Su Meilin.
Third.
Zhao Ming.
Then the remaining names.
Yun Che appeared in the middle of the list. He was neither among the best nor among the last.
Zhao Ming looked at him.
"Not bad. It seems your luck hasn’t changed, but don’t think the next stage will be as easy as this one."
His tone was clearly provocative.
"For someone who has never refined a pill, you actually did quite well, I must admit."
Yun Che did not respond. The second stage began a few minutes later.
He Zhong placed three containers on the table.
"Now that the wheat has been separated from the chaff, the real assessment begins."
The lids were removed. Inside each container was a small amount of spiritual herbs.
"Question number one."
He pointed toward the first container.
"If this herb is used as the main ingredient, what purification method should be applied?"
One disciple answered, but the answer was incorrect.
Another tried.
Also incorrect.
Guo Han answered correctly, and points were awarded to him. The difficulty increased considerably.
The questions began to require genuine understanding.
"What is the function of the spiritual flame during fusion?"
"Why must certain herbs be purified separately?"
"What is the consequence of changing the order of integration?"
"Under what circumstances can a herb of a cold nature be combined with one of a hot nature?"
The answers were given according to the questions. Some were answered correctly, while others were answered incorrectly, much to the disappointment of most of the participants.
The atmosphere was now filled with growing tension, sweat running down the participants’ faces as they scratched their heads.
Until He Zhong raised his eyes.
"Next question."
The surroundings fell silent when a recipe was presented. The recipe appeared simple, yet something was wrong with it.
Yun Che immediately noticed it thanks to the assistance of the system. According to it, the order of integration had been reversed.
If followed as written, the pill could still form, but it would contain impurities. It was a very subtle mistake that few people would notice.
He Zhong asked:
"What is the problem with this recipe?"
Several disciples began analyzing it. Guo Han frowned, Su Meilin leaned slightly closer to her tablet, and Zhao Ming narrowed his eyes.
When Yun Che raised his hand, everyone looked at him. Even Qin Ruolan slightly raised her eyebrows.
He Zhong pointed toward Yun Che.
"If you are certain you can answer, then go ahead."
Yun Che stood up.
"There are two obvious and rather serious problems with this recipe."
As soon as he said those words, a murmur swept through the square.
Two?
He Zhong narrowed his eyes.
"Really? Then explain."
Yun Che pointed at the recipe.
"The first problem I detected is in the order of integration presented here."
Then he pointed at the second ingredient.
"The second, and even more alarming, is here."
Silence.
"Considering this herb’s volatile nature, it should not be purified in this manner."
Zhao Ming frowned.
Guo Han remained motionless.
Yun Che continued:
"If it is used at this temperature, part of its spiritual energy will be destroyed. The result will appear correct during formation, but the pill will become unstable after cooling."
He Zhong did not answer immediately. He looked deeply at the recipe and then at Yun Che. Finally, he nodded.
"Correct."
The entire square fell silent. Yun Che sat down again, and Zhao Ming clenched his teeth.
Guo Han looked at him for the first time with genuine interest. Su Meilin, on the other hand, let out a small smile. She was finally beginning to understand.
Yun Che was not simply memorizing names. He genuinely understood the structure behind alchemy, and that was far more dangerous.
He Zhong raised his voice.
"From this moment onward, the questions will be classified as advanced for your level."
The disciples took deep breaths. The pressure increased, but Yun Che remained motionless.
However, within his mind, the knowledge from hundreds of books began moving once again. Each question was like a piece of an enormous mechanism.
He Zhong raised the next tablet.
"Let’s continue."
The spiritual bell rang once again.
Dong!
The spiritual bell vibrated high above the square as the final note faded between the ancient stone pillars. For several seconds, no one dared to speak.
The morning air, previously filled with the disciples’ murmurs, suddenly seemed heavy, as if the entire Refining House were waiting to discover who would be the first to fall.
The twenty-four jade tablets remained suspended above the tables, casting a white light over the participants’ faces. Some hands still held brushes,
while others remained motionless against the surfaces of the tables. The initial enthusiasm of the assessment was gone; there was only concentration, anxiety, and the growing realization that the following questions would be very different.
At the center of the platform, Qin Ruolan remained seated with her back perfectly straight, her large breasts proudly lifted.
Her expression remained serene, but her eyes were fixed on Yun Che. From the moment he had entered the square, she had observed his every movement, looking for any sign of nervousness, any hesitation that might reveal that his confidence was merely a facade.
She found nothing.
Yun Che remained seated with one hand resting on the table, his expression calm and his eyes fixed on the jade tablet. He did not seem to be searching for courage.
He did not seem to be desperately trying to remember some piece of information. It was as if he were simply waiting for the next question.
Qin Ruolan narrowed her eyes slightly. That calmness was beginning to bother her.