Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

175: First round of alchemy competitionThe Alchemist Association’s competition arena was bustling with noise, the atmosphere so fervent it almost seemed to lift the dome. The circular stands were packed, a dense crowd like a surging tide.

Various discussions, clamors, and shouts for bets intertwined, forming a massive wave of sound that echoed ceaselessly within the spacious venue.

Countless gazes focused on the two figures in the center of the arena, as if trying to see right through them.

This was also an invisible and intangible pressure acting upon them.

If one’s Heart-Nature was insufficient, they might only be able to perform at seventy or eighty percent of their true ability under such circumstances.

However, some people could rise to the challenge under pressure, even performing at one hundred and twenty percent of their strength.

Lin Jingyu took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, isolating the external clamor from his inner mind. His spiritual platform was clear, his Mental Energy highly concentrated.

Like a calm, waveless lake, it clearly reflected every subtle change in its surroundings, yet remained undisturbed by them.

He walked to the standard bronze Pill Furnace, extended his slender fingers, and lightly brushed the cool furnace wall.

The basic fire-gathering runes on the furnace wall were within reach, possessing a simple and unadorned texture.

He closed his eyes, a trace of spiritual power gently emitted from his fingertips, an extremely subtle stream of spiritual power probing into the interior of the Pill Furnace, carefully sensing every inch of its structure, the flow characteristics of each rune, and the uniform thickness of the furnace wall.

This was the ”Understanding the Tool” step emphasized in the Taihao Elixir Canon; for an unfamiliar Alchemy Pill Furnace, only by thoroughly understanding the tool at hand could one wield it as an extension of their arm and perform at their best.

He nodded in satisfaction. Though it was merely a standard Pill Furnace provided by the Alchemist Association,

its quality was truly excellent, more standardized than any Pill Furnaces he had seen before.

It had a full thirteen spiritual power channels.

If it were sold, it would be worth at least a thousand Spirit Stones.

Across from him, Liu Lili also took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her violently pounding heart and surging resentment.

She glanced at Lin Jingyu’s composed demeanor, as if he were performing a trivial task, and her heart burned with jealousy. She secretly vowed to utterly crush him beneath her feet.

She also placed her hand on the Pill Furnace, activating her spiritual power to test the spiritual power channels on it. Her perception remained superficial, far less meticulous than Lin Jingyu’s.

In the judges’ seating area, Shui Sheng rested her chin on one hand with interest, her gaze lingering on Lin Jingyu. Beside her was Elder Gu Yue, a Vice President of the Alchemist Association.

He was also the chief judge of this competition.

Gu Yue stroked his beard and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it clearly suppressed the noise in the arena:

”The first round: basic identification and processing. Time limit: one stick of incense. Scoring System: one point for each Medicinal Material identified, its basic function stated, and basic processing and separation performed!”

This Alchemy gamble was not simply about the quality of the Medicinal Pills to determine rank.

Instead, it was divided into several segments.

Of course, the final Medicinal Pill refinement would undoubtedly account for the largest portion of points.

As Gu Yue’s voice fell, two deacons of the association each carried a large jade plate forward, placing them on the stone platforms in front of Lin Jingyu and Liu Lili respectively.

Each jade plate was haphazardly piled with dozens of Spiritual Plants, Ore fragments, Yao Beast Materials, and more. They were diverse in type and varied in form; some were still stained with soil or streaked with blood, clearly in their unprocessed, raw state.

Among them were even several Spiritual Plants that looked extremely similar but had completely different medicinal properties, as well as several Materials that required special techniques to remove Impurities or toxicity.

This tested not only eyesight but also extensive knowledge and precise processing skills.

This particular segment primarily tested the solidity of one’s foundations.

”Begin!”

At the elder’s command, a slender stick of incense on the nearby incense table was lit, and wisps of blue smoke slowly rose.

A sharp glint flashed in Liu Lili’s eyes, and she immediately bent down, her hands swiftly sifting through the jade plate.

Her movements were swift, demonstrating solid basic skills. She quickly picked out several common Spiritual Plants and began using spiritual power to remove Impurities or a small knife to cut and process them.

She aimed to process these simple ones as quickly as possible.

Her technique was skilled, bearing a collegiate specification, clearly the result of systematic study. She prioritized speed, wanting to gain the upper hand immediately and give Lin Jingyu a warning.

The surrounding Cultivators watching also nodded, recognizing her skill.

However, Lin Jingyu’s actions were entirely different from hers.

He did not immediately begin. Instead, he stood quietly before the jade plate, his gaze like the most precise scanning Magical Artifact, slowly sweeping over all the Materials.

His eyes were focused and profound, as if able to penetrate the surface of the Materials and reach their essence.

He observed and memorized even the smallest details of each item.

With three thoughts working in concert, the vast, sea-like knowledge of the Taihao Elixir Canon rapidly circulated, compared, and confirmed in his mind.

He quickly decomposed and processed each Material in his mind.

By this time, one-third of the allotted time had already passed.

”What is that kid doing? Just staring blankly?”

”Could he be a good-for-nothing who doesn’t know how to process Medicinal Materials at all?”

”Miaoling Pavilion has really embarrassed itself this time. Letting such an idiot go up there to make a fool of himself, they might as well have just conceded!”

Qin Yue’s face turned a bit pale, and she couldn’t help but clench her hands.

Even if Lin Jingyu lacked Alchemy experience,

based on their previous conversations, he shouldn’t be stuck at this point.

Some of these Alchemy Materials were the most basic, common, and simple ones.

As the jeers from the surroundings continued, her heart also grew uneasy.

Yun Momo beside her, however, looked at Lin Jingyu with unwavering confidence.

Liu Lili, meanwhile, curled her lips into a sarcastic smile.

She thought he was so amazing!

Turns out he’s just a pretty face, a useless embroidered pillow.

Outwardly splendid but inwardly rotten, only good at talking big.

”See? This kid doesn’t know anything, he’s just a good-for-nothing. Tsk tsk, Miaoling Pavilion probably only has this much left now.

They don’t even have a single official Alchemist.

Haha... hurry up and go bankrupt!”

Li Duoduo’s vicious curses rang out wildly, striking Qin Yue’s heart one after another.

Facing the uproar outside the arena, Lin Jingyu remained unaffected.

Only after adjusting his state to its Peak did he extend his hand.

His movements were not fast, one could even say they were leisurely, but each action was precise to the extreme, filled with an indescribable sense of rhythm.

He picked up a ’Blood Vein Grass’ with finely serrated leaf edges and dark red soil clinging to its roots. A trace of spiritual power gently emitted from his fingertips, not crudely shattering the Impurities.

Instead, like the most nimble embroidery needle, it precisely peeled away the soil, while a wisp of extremely yin spiritual power gently brushed over the leaves, quietly neutralizing a faint fire poison that could easily cause internal heat during refinement.

This technique, seemingly effortless, demanded extremely high control over spiritual power. Without powerful Mental Energy and a thorough understanding of medicinal properties, it would be impossible to achieve.