Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

176: Absolutely perfectIn almost the blink of an eye, Lin Jingyu finished processing this piece of Material and set it aside.

At the same time, he picked up a gray, inconspicuous fragment of “Sunken Iron Stone.”

Others might have thought this was just a byproduct of ordinary iron Ore. However, he gathered a trace of extremely sharp Gold Element Spiritual Energy at his fingertip, lightly drawing a line like a carving knife.

He peeled away the outer stone shell, revealing a small clump of “Stardust Sand” shimmering with faint starlight inside.

This auxiliary Material is extremely rare; it can slightly improve the quality of the Medicinal Pill Condensation. Without extensive knowledge, it would be impossible to identify, let alone extract it so delicately.

This was one of the most difficult Materials in this assessment competition.

Yet, he found and processed it with such ease and composure.

For Lin Jingyu, these items had no distinction of difficulty; they were all equally simple.

His movements were smooth and flowing, without the slightest redundancy. The processing method for every Material was perfect, as if he wasn’t completing a tense competition but engaging in an elegant artistic creation.

He even used special techniques to process several scraps that looked like waste, cleverly combining them into a neutralizing agent that could counteract the malevolent Qi of a certain Ore.

However, he did not display that here; merely processing the basic Materials well was sufficient.

Doing too much would be superfluous.

Compared to Liu Lili opposite him, the difference was immediately obvious!

On the judging panel, a white-haired old Alchemist slowly opened his half-closed eyes. A trace of surprise and admiration flashed within them. He nodded slightly and whispered to Gu Yue beside him:

“This boy... is quite interesting. His foundation is solid, his technique is seasoned, and his judgment is sharp—not what one would expect at this age.

He seems like a veteran who has been immersed in this Dao for decades. Especially his understanding of medicinal properties, which is highly unique.

Moreover, the Materials are processed almost perfectly, with virtually no waste whatsoever.

In contrast, that little girl wasted at least half a percent of the Materials.

They are simply not on the same Rank!”

His voice was filled with admiration.

He pondered Lin Jingyu’s background; anyone with this level of skill could not be ordinary.

He must be an Alchemist cultivated by some major Family or powerful force.

Could he be from the Family backing the Miaoling Pavilion?

Would they even care about a barren place like the Southeast Market Town?

Gu Yue curled his lips into an arc of curiosity, the interest in his eyes growing deeper:

“This kid is truly keeping his abilities hidden. His technique has the style of an Ancient Alchemist; perhaps he comes from some Hidden Family.

It seems this competition will be more interesting than expected.”

He was thinking much more deeply.

He was already planning how to get Lin Jingyu to join the Alchemist Association.

In the stands, some discerning Cultivators also understood what was happening and began discussing animatedly.

“Look at that kid! His technique is so strange, yet it feels incredibly powerful!”

“Is that how you process Blood-Pattern Grass? I’ve never seen anyone do it that way before!”

“He actually managed to peel Stardust Sand out of the Sunken Iron Stone? His eyesight is terrifyingly sharp!”

“Liu Lili is fast, but it feels... a bit rough.”

“There’s no need to compare anymore; they’re not on the same Rank. The people from Daling Pavilion aren’t up to par.”

These whispers faintly reached Liu Lili’s ears, making her even more agitated. Her movements involuntarily became chaotic, and the petals of a “Mist Concealment Flower” instantly became slightly scorched at the edges because her Spiritual Energy output was too fierce.

Startled, she frantically adjusted, sweat already beading on her temples. She secretly glanced at Lin Jingyu, seeing that he maintained his composed demeanor, as if he didn’t even notice her. This silent contempt nearly drove her mad.

Li Duoduo nervously clenched her fists in the front row of the stands, her nails practically digging into her flesh. She stared intently at Lin Jingyu’s terrifyingly steady hands, and for the first time, a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.

But she still spoke stubbornly, saying nonchalantly:

“Heh, what good is just knowing how to process Spiritual Plants? Even if he processes ordinary Materials beautifully, so what!

If he can’t perform Alchemy, it’s all useless.

I estimate this little bastard used to be just a Medicine Boy specializing in processing Medicinal Pills.”

Qin Yue’s eyes were wide, her palms sweating.

She never imagined Lin Jingyu would display such skill.

Even she fell short of this technique.

He was truly too strong.

As expected of someone taught by an old monster!

Yun Momo’s small mouth was slightly open, her large eyes staring unblinkingly at Lin Jingyu, filled with disbelief and ever-growing adoration.

His image in her heart grew taller and grander.

Even the Alchemist who taught her at home did not possess Lin Jingyu’s technique for processing medicinal herbs and Spiritual Plants.

As the last wisp of Sandalwood Incense burned out.

Lin Jingyu also set down the last Spiritual Plant in his hand.

Just as he had estimated, not a single error.

He finished processing all the Materials right as time expired.

A smile played on his lips, something outsiders wouldn’t know.

He could achieve this level of abnormal precision.

“Time’s up!”

Two Deacons stepped forward, collected the processed Materials from both participants, and presented them to the judging panel.

The white-haired old Alchemist and the other judges carefully examined them.

Most of the Materials processed by Liu Lili were handled adequately and met the standards.

However, there were a few minor flaws, such as the slightly scorched Mist Concealment Flower petal, and the root of a plant called “Ghost Face Vine,” where a tiny nick was left when removing the poisonous thorns, potentially affecting the medicinal power seepage.

Furthermore, several deeply hidden and extremely difficult-to-process Materials were left untouched.

For instance, the Stardust Sand hidden inside the stone was not found.

Ultimately, based on the quantity and completeness of the processed Materials, she was given a score of seventy-five points.

On the other side, the Materials processed by Lin Jingyu made them widen their eyes.

They couldn’t stop praising him, carefully examining the items held in their hands.

Not only did Lin Jingyu process all twenty types of Materials.

But every single one he processed was flawless. Some Materials even seemed to have superior medicinal efficacy after his handling compared to the standard processing method!

Even for the judges present, processing them to this extent would be extremely troublesome.

“Excellent, truly excellent. These Materials are processed perfectly; they are good enough to be displayed as specimens.”

“This boy is truly a talent. If he weren’t representing Miaoling Pavilion, I would want to take him as my Disciple.”

“With that technique, you might not even be capable of it. His Alchemy Legacy is far superior to what you possess. Why would he take you as a master.”

The old men started glaring at each other, puffing their beards.

Shui Sheng stared deeply at Lin Jingyu, filled with curiosity toward the young man.

Compared to the others, she knew more.

She also knew that Lin Jingyu had come to purchase a Spirit Gathering Array.

This indicated that Lin Jingyu was not the descendant of some major Family.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t need to worry about things like a Spirit Gathering Array at all.