123 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 123 - Rampaging Dragon Maiden At this moment, Bai Fan had already entered the final round of the competition. Unlike the previous rounds that focused solely on alchemy, this stage required competitors to infuse their own ideas into the process. This particular twist threw Bai Fan for a loop. While others were already deep into their work, she found herself scratching her head over the alchemy formula. The spirit pill they needed to refine was a Coagulation Pill meant for those at the Golden Core stage. It required an abundance of different spirit herbs and would typically cost thousands of spirit stones to produce a single pill. Among them, several herbs with similar effects were not only redundant but also exceptionally costly. The formula seemed to waste a lot of precious materials. Unsure of how others approached the task, Bai Fan felt that, to her, one herb in particular—the Resuscitation Grass—was too extravagant. "Why not use something cheaper if the effects are similar?" With this thought, Bai Fan tried removing the costly herb from the formula and added more economical ones instead. She simplified the entire formula, managing to eliminate over a dozen types of herbs. Meanwhile, unlike Bai Fan, the other contestants focused on adding various rare and precious spirit herbs to the mix, aiming to enhance the pill’s quality several levels above expectations. When it was time to start refining, while others were busy adding herbs continuously, Bai Fan's fewer ingredients drew mockery from those around her. "Look at that female cultivator in the headscarf; she actually left out the Resuscitation Grass. This will surely degrade the quality of the Coagulation Pill immensely." "So foolish; it's nearly the same as forfeiting. I used to support her, but now I'm a bit disappointed." "Judging by her attire, she’s probably not from a distinguished sect and hesitates to use expensive ingredients." They guessed right. Bai Fan just couldn't see the point of using the Resuscitation Grass, which she perceived as wasteful. She had never learned how to optimize a recipe before, so her only approach was simplification, striving to make the Coagulation Pill more affordable. Moreover, she treated this challenge as her last, her mindset being far more relaxed than the others, allowing her to refine without reservations. As Bai Fan refined, she mused that, since it was her last time participating, she should at least do her best with this batch and not waste the herbs, aiming to fully harness the pill's potential. Refining the Coagulation Pill required intense heat, but too much heat could cause the medicinal properties to evaporate, thus compromising the pill’s quality. The Resuscitation Grass was ideal for preserving the potency and elevating the pill's spiritual energy. Attempting to avoid any loss of efficacy, Bai Fan opted for a mild flame, sticking out from her peers' methods, which caught puzzled glances from the other contestants. Not wanting the magic to dissipate, Bai Fan tried mild-fire alchemy, but such a method couldn't form a Coagulation Pill due to its inability to concentrate energy. After some thought and realizing it wasn’t viable, she switched methods, controlling the alchemy fire with one hand while emanating cold air with the other, wrapping the cauldron in frost. The cold air came from Bai Fan's sword core, now nestled within her, continuously emitting cold, making her shiver slightly. While Bai Fan carried out her operation—which appeared reckless to onlookers—she searched for a balance. The fierce flame rapidly condensed the essence into energy, while the cold swiftly solidified the energy into a pill, preserving almost all medicinal properties intact. Midway, others observed her approach, but after a glance, they noticed the cauldron cracking, hinting at its imminent rupture. A group began to shake their heads, convinced this alternating of hot and cold would inevitably lead to the cauldron's destruction, equating to failure in pill refining. “Good idea, but neglecting follow-through; what a pity,” Zhang Dan Shi remarked. Seeing the cracked cauldron, Bai Fan inhaled sharply. In her focus on refining, she’d forgotten that the cauldron could explode from the thermal fluctuation. Oddly enough, maybe due to the cold frost enveloping it, though continuously cracking, it didn’t explode, leaving everyone in suspense. "What is happening with her cauldron? It's on the verge of bursting, the cracks have me worried for her." The cracking noise, though alarming, had an oddly musical quality. Bai Fan herself, wide-eyed, continued her meticulous work, ensuring the slightest difference didn’t occur between the fire and cold. She knew any disruption would lead to immediate dismantling of the cauldron. While the vortex within slowly crystallized, the transformation of all ingredients into parts of the spirit pill commenced. Other contestants had finished, even displaying their pills, while only Bai Fan remained refining. With time dwindling, the hourglass showed just a pinch of sand left. In haste, Bai Fan intensified the alchemy fire, ensnaring the cauldron in an icy grip. Under such extreme conditions, the Coagulation Pill quickly finalized. Right then, a gong resonated. "Boom." "Time is up. Everyone, cease your work." Bai Fan had no choice but to withdraw the flame, retracting the cold, leaving the cauldron resembling a frozen sphere. "Place your pills on the table for the refiners to review." Everyone except Bai Fan promptly prepared, making it clear these words were for her benefit. Using her energy to melt the ice-encrusted cauldron, Bai Fan manipulated it. Without the cold's support, it suddenly shattered like hit by a bullet, scattering porcelain all over. A perfectly round Coagulation Pill emerged, a blue pill with a white halo exuding cold air. Exhaling deeply, Bai Fan felt relief that she had succeeded. The subsequent phase involved dan masters evaluating each contestant's spirit pill while recording scores in their booklets. Bai Fan's station was centrally located. From the first dan master onward, their examinations extended longer, expressions shifting to disbelief before giving her a hesitant look, then finally recording a score. Seeing their reactions, she grew hopeful that she indeed succeeded, yet puzzled by their conflicted expressions. Once all evaluations concluded, Bai Fan's name was announced as the winner. "The victor of this alchemy gathering is Bai Fan. Please, winner, step forward to receive your accolade." A surprise rippled through the audience; almost disbelief ensued, some suspecting foul play. “Who is Bai Fan?” “No idea.” Hearing her name, Bai Fan’s heart felt it skipped a beat. How could she be the winner? She paid little mind to subsequent places, focusing on her tremulous ascent. When Zhang Dan Shi handed her a set of yellow robes for dan masters, reality struck, albeit with a mystery only those dan masters could explain. The audience’s buzz was palpable; despite Bai Fan's unique methods, winning seemed improbable. In contrast, two disciples from Xuanji Palace, noted for their superior alchemy skills, had to settle behind Bai Fan with orange robes. Despite only slight color difference, their symbolic meanings diverged significantly. Wen Qiu Yue gracefully accepted the result, trusting Zhang Dan Shi's judgment, whereas Wen Bin displayed a dark expression, obscured entirely as he received the orange robes. Zhang Dan Shi approached and patted Bai Fan’s shoulder. "Although you didn't enhance the Coagulation Pill's potency further, you've significantly improved the recipe and technique. I've long thought that our widespread use of precious herbs in pill refinement is wasteful. Resources in the cultivation world are tight, and many low-level cultivators can't afford Coagulation Pills because they're too costly. By reducing the cost, you've done a service to many. This first place is well-deserved." Hearing the explanation, Bai Fan immediately understood and expressed her gratitude to Zhang Dan Shi with a bow. "Thank you." Zhang Dan Shi simply smiled modestly, not considering it a big deal. This Pill Appraisal Gathering was a regular event, with outstanding individuals emerging each year. Typically, if the first-place winner has no mentor, they're taken in by dan masters from major sects. Those with a master receive other rewards. Of course, these aspects were secondary. The primary prize was the dan master robe. Usually, obtaining one required numerous exams and training in various refining rooms. Under normal circumstances, achieving a red robe could take a century for most. Higher-tier robes, especially those above yellow, were even harder to attain and required notable contributions. Thus, Bai Fan's achievement was quite unexpected. After the competition, there were lectures from various dan masters, where attendees could ask questions, reminiscent of past Ascension Gatherings. However, this event focused purely on theoretical techniques. As Bai Fan attended several lectures, she felt enlightened, wishing she could stay and learn for ten days or more. Unfortunately, the lectures were only three days long, after which the dan masters would depart. Just as Bai Fan was preparing to leave, the host of the Pill Appraisal Gathering approached her directly. "Master Bai, the Supervisor requests your presence." "The Heavenly Dao Alliance?"