He Zhong’s final words had been enough to completely transform the atmosphere of the square. Those who, at the beginning of the evaluation, had looked at Yun Che with disdain now kept their eyes on him with a different kind of caution.
It was no longer curiosity. Yun Che had completely captured their attention.
Yun Che remained seated, his calm gaze fixed on the jade tablet. Around him, the other disciples tried to regain their concentration, but the atmosphere was no longer the same. Even the slightest movement seemed to attract attention.
He Zhong slowly raised his hand.
"First, I would like to congratulate everyone on their performance. Very good. Next, I hereby announce that the written question phase has ended."
A murmur spread across the square, breaking the previous silence. Some of the disciples breathed sighs of relief, while others immediately looked toward Yun Che.
He Zhong continued his announcement:
"But the evaluation is not over yet."
The murmuring died down.
The examiner took a larger jade tablet from the table and placed it on the spiritual formation. The white surface shone intensely, projecting an image in the center of the square.
It was a refinement furnace, with several spiritual ingredients represented around it. He Zhong looked at all the participants.
"The final stage will be conducted individually and will begin immediately."
The hearts of several disciples seemed to sink. Guo Han straightened his back, Su Meilin narrowed her eyes, and Zhao Ming slowly tightened his fingers.
He Zhong continued:
"An incomplete refinement process will be presented. There are hidden errors within the different stages."
He pointed toward the image.
"The participant must identify them, explain their consequences, and present the correct sequence."
Zhao Ming’s expression changed. This was much more difficult than answering questions. There were no alternatives or keywords. It would be necessary to understand the entire process.
He Zhong looked at the list of participants before saying:
"The first participant will be Yun Che."
The square fell silent again.
Several disciples immediately looked toward him. In turn, Yun Che stood up. The sound of his footsteps echoed against the stone as he walked toward the center of the platform.
Without haste or hesitation, when he arrived before the formation, he stood facing the enormous spiritual furnace projected in the air.
He Zhong made a gesture, and the first stage appeared.
"Ingredient preparation."
Yun Che observed it for only three seconds before answering. The silence began to become uncomfortable. Zhao Ming crossed his arms, pretending to remain calm, while a discreet smile appeared on his face.
"Finally, you’ve found something you can’t memorize. Now that the questions are practical and concern actual refinement, let’s see how someone who has never even properly refined a pill performs."
Several disciples heard him, but no one laughed.
Yun Che continued staring at the formation before finally opening his mouth.
"The first error has been identified."
He pointed toward one of the ingredients. He Zhong’s expression remained neutral.
"Which one?"
"The purification was performed before the spiritually incompatible parts were completely separated."
Some disciples frowned. Yun Che continued:
"That doesn’t mean the ingredient will become unusable. It simply means that part of the spiritual energy will become contaminated during the following stage, which clearly constitutes an error, in my humble opinion."
He Zhong did not respond. He simply changed the image, which slowly advanced to the second stage.
Purification.
Yun Che pointed again.
"The intensity of the flame is correct for purifying the outer layer, but it is excessive for the core."
He Zhong asked:
"What consequences could arise from this?"
"The spiritual energy within the core will be damaged."
Another change, and they were soon at the third stage of refinement.
Integration.
Yun Che observed it for several seconds.
"There’s another error."
This time, several disciples visually leaned closer to the formation. He pointed toward the sequence.
"The order is wrong."
Zhao Ming let out a small laugh.
"Again?"
Yun Che slightly turned his face.
"Yes."
Zhao Ming’s smile disappeared.
Yun Che returned his gaze to the formation.
"The stabilizing ingredient is being introduced too early."
He Zhong asked:
"And if we follow this exact method, what will happen?"
"The fusion will appear stable at first."
Yun Che paused.
"But when the energy begins to condense, the balance will be lost."
Some disciples began murmuring. Guo Han observed every word. He was no longer looking for a way to discredit Yun Che. He was mentally comparing the explanations with his own knowledge.
And he realized that they were coherent.
He Zhong advanced the image again.
Fourth stage.
Flame control.
Yun Che remained silent. This time, he stayed thoughtful for longer. He Zhong did not pressure him. The entire square waited until Yun Che finally spoke.
"The flame isn’t the problem."
He Zhong’s eyes narrowed.
"Then what is?"
"The amount of spiritual energy."
The expressions of several disciples changed. It was the same issue Yun Che had answered previously.
Yun Che explained:
"The flame is within the correct range. But the energy being used to fuel the process is not balanced with the amount of spiritual matter present."
He pointed toward the core.
"If this continues, the formation will attempt to absorb more energy than it can stabilize."
He Zhong remained silent.
Then he asked:
"And the result?"
"Collapse of the core."
The square became completely silent.
He Zhong made the image disappear, and for several seconds, no one spoke. Then the examiner turned toward the others.
"Does any participant disagree with the analysis and wish to challenge Brother Yun Che’s answers?"
No one answered.
Zhao Ming remained with his arms crossed, but his face no longer wore the same smile.
Guo Han slowly raised his hand.
He Zhong looked at him.
"You may challenge him."
"May I present a different analysis instead of simply challenging what Brother Yun Che presented?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
Guo Han stood and approached the formation.
He was tall and thin, and his dark blue robe remained perfectly arranged despite the hours of evaluation. His expression was serious, but not hostile.
"I agree with most of the points presented."
He looked at Yun Che.
"But I believe the second error would not necessarily cause the loss of the core’s energy."
Yun Che remained silent.
Guo Han explained:
"The temperature could be compensated for through more precise flame control during the following stage."
Several disciples nodded. It was a reasonable answer, and even He Zhong seemed to consider the possibility.
Yun Che, however, stepped closer to the formation.
"The point Senior Brother has raised is indeed perceptive and brilliant. If the following stage were performed immediately, then yes."
Guo Han frowned.
"But it isn’t."
Yun Che pointed toward the sequence.
"There is an interval between the two stages."
Guo Han’s expression changed.
Yun Che continued:
"During that interval, the energy accumulated within the core begins to decrease."
He pointed toward another point.
"When the flame is increased again, the alchemist needs to compensate for that loss."
He paused.
"And that compensation causes exactly the problem you mentioned, Senior Brother."