The refining of the Cyan Spirit Pill failed again. This time, it wasn’t due to a fluctuation in the Earth Fire, but because Yang Chan had intentionally added a bit less water during the process.

He had been constantly watching the others as they finished. Some had succeeded, others had failed. He chose to emerge somewhere in the middle, at the most opportune moment. This was perfectly in line with his current identity.

He put on a suitably dejected expression, then took a deep breath to compose himself. Once he looked normal again, he walked out of the courtyard and returned to Yan Jinfeng’s side.

There happened to be people finishing just before and after him. One was looking up with a smile on his face, while the other, like Yang Chan, seemed somewhat crestfallen.

"This failure isn’t a big deal. For your second attempt, just add an extra half bowl of water."

"As for your first attempt, that was just an accident. Don’t worry too much about it for now. Once your Alchemy Ability improves, you can try to solve issues like fluctuations in the Earth Fire. There’s no rush. Take your time."

Yan Jinfeng’s expression didn’t change much as he saw Yang Chan approach. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He knew about Yang Chan’s history of refining the Cyan Spirit Pill at the Cyan Yuan Sect. His lack of success naturally meant his Alchemy Ability was still somewhat lacking.

Watching him today, he realized that Yang Chan wasn’t actually that far from successfully refining the Cyan Spirit Pill. His techniques were all standard; with a few more tries, he should be able to succeed.

For someone of Yang Chan’s age to have reached this stage was already quite impressive. His potential was outstanding.

Therefore, he only offered a few pointers to help Yang Chan gain more experience.

"Thank you, Elder Yan. I understand."

Yang Chan said, bowing in thanks.

He, of course, knew the real reason for his failure, but since Yan Jinfeng meant well, it was only right to thank him.

After thanking him, Yang Chan stood quietly to the side, watching the other Pharmacists at work.

The earlier fluctuation in the Earth Fire had affected many people, causing numerous Pharmacists to fail. A few, however, had managed to succeed. These individuals, who could succeed on their first attempt despite the disruption, were naturally held in higher regard. This was something only achievable once one’s Alchemy Ability reached a certain level.

An unexpected event like the Earth Fire fluctuation was, in fact, an excellent way to gauge a person’s true skill in refining Elixirs.

After all, the process of refining Elixirs was not set in stone; one often encountered unexpected problems. It was sometimes even necessary to perform alchemy under harsh conditions. Although such situations were rare, successfully creating an elixir under duress was a true testament to a person’s Alchemy Ability.

Before long, Yang Chan saw Xu Gaocen walk out with his head held high, a clear sign that he had succeeded in refining the Cyan Spirit Pill.

Aside from the small mishap during his first try, he had been much more serious and steady on the second. The refining process went smoothly, and he ultimately succeeded.

"Not bad. But be more mindful next time. While a fluctuation in the Earth Fire is an accident, it’s something you will inevitably encounter when refining Elixirs, even at the Cyan Yuan Sect. Don’t rely too much on external factors. Use your own judgment and be better prepared, then you won’t be affected by things like this."

When Xu Gaocen came over, Yan Jinfeng offered a word of praise before changing the subject to give some pointers.

Yan Jinfeng naturally had different expectations for different people.

He also said this to remind him not to get careless.

Once you’ve experienced something like this, you learn to be more vigilant.

The Earth Fire within the Pharmacist Alliance was stable most of the time, and instability was rare. However, that didn’t mean accidents couldn’t happen. One had to be prepared to avoid being caught off guard when they did.

He had watched Xu Gaocen’s attempts to salvage the situation and saw that his failure was due to a lack of preparation. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have failed, especially since he came so close to saving it. In the end, he was just shy of success.

When Xu Gaocen came over, Yang Chan offered his congratulations before turning his gaze back to the other Pharmacists who had yet to finish their refining.

A normal person on the stage wouldn’t be able to see the alchemy process in the courtyards clearly. However, Yang Chan’s Cultivation had reached the stage of Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, and all his senses, including his eyesight, were greatly enhanced.

He could see the general situation, and for those who were closer, he could watch their refining process with perfect clarity.

Yang Chan observed the others’ refining processes, silently calculating the timing of each step in his mind.

By watching their refining, he could learn from their experiences and get a rough estimate of their processes, which was somewhat helpful to him.

The process for refining the Cyan Spirit Pill was more difficult than that of the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill, which naturally eliminated many Pharmacists. Those who had managed to create a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill through sheer luck found it nearly impossible to refine a Cyan Spirit Pill. The sheer difficulty of the process weeded out a great number of people.

Many were eliminated this round, and Yang Chan, being one of them, was utterly inconspicuous.

Seeing this, even Xu Gaocen offered a few words of comfort, telling him to enjoy himself tonight and relax a bit.

He even told Yang Chan they were going to the Spring Pavilion Building tonight, one of the Capital City’s Twelve Floors.

The Spring Pavilion Building was backed by the Imperial Family and had intricate ties to the most famous establishment in White Jade City, the Imperial Music Bureau. Some daughters from official families would be sent to the Spring Pavilion Building. These were women whose families’ connections weren’t deep enough to protect them, yet they couldn’t simply be set free. As it was inappropriate to send them to the Imperial Music Bureau, they were all sent to the Spring Pavilion Building.

In other words, the Spring Pavilion Building was connected to the Imperial Family.

The Imperial Music Bureau in the Capital City was very famous, but entry was restricted to those holding official posts. As the Emperor himself had decreed, the daughters of officials were to serve only those who held office in the court.

Because of these strict requirements, the Imperial Music Bureau was not counted among the Capital City’s Twelve Floors, but its reputation was substantial nonetheless.

Its many restrictions, of course, only made it more desirable. Those who weren’t qualified to enter the Imperial Music Bureau naturally gravitated toward the Spring Pavilion Building, where they could enjoy a similar experience.

Thus, when Xu Gaocen mentioned it, a glint flashed in his eyes. He had clearly been looking forward to this for a long time.

In truth, an Intermediate Pharmacist like Xu Gaocen could have obtained a high-ranking official position if he had chosen to serve the Court. However, he had no intention of doing so.

First, there was the current state of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty to consider. Furthermore, his status within the Cyan Yuan Sect was already quite high. Few people outranked him, no one oppressed him, and his life was relatively leisurely and free.

Conversely, serving the Court would mean being exploited, suppressed by its high-ranking officials and nobles, and possibly suffering indignities at every turn. Naturally, he had no interest in such a life.

Besides, he had been nurtured by his Sect, and his loyalty to it was high. There was no need to join a power that would inevitably be suspicious of his motives.

Even if the Cyan Yuan Sect wanted to plant a spy, they wouldn’t choose someone like Xu Gaocen. His value was far greater than that of a mere spy.

Upon hearing this, the dejected look on Yang Chan’s face vanished, replaced by a timely expression of anticipation. He looked as if the failure in alchemy no longer bothered him in the slightest; instead, he seemed eager to relax, ready to go to the Spring Pavilion Building to listen to music and chat.