Bing Qing was extremely worried. She advised, "Master, maybe we should wait longer. If we try to find some more Alchemy Masters, perhaps someone can pass the test."

The Tower Master shook his head. "It’s impossible. All the top Alchemy Masters of the Great Xia Country are here; the others simply won’t do. Searching further would just be a waste of time." After saying this, he waved his hand to motion for Bing Qing to step aside, then turned to Lin Xuan. "Young Master Lin, let’s begin!"

Lin Xuan nodded and walked forward, reassuring him, "Tower Master, you can rest easy. I have two Anomalous Fires that can significantly enhance your success rate."

Bing Qing despaired. Is Lin Xuan still boasting at a time like this? He’s so unreliable!

Hearing this, the Tower Master also shook his head. "Young Master Lin, say no more. Calm your mind and concentrate. Please assist me with all your strength. This time, I am attempting to refine a fifth-grade Elixir. This is a tier above our rank, so we must give it our all."

Lin Xuan nodded and stopped speaking, his expression turning serious.

Seeing Lin Xuan quickly adjust his state, the Tower Master nodded with satisfaction before waving his hand and tossing a Scroll to Lin Xuan. "This is a partial Pill Recipe for the Yin-Yang Xuan Ling Elixir," he said. "When the time comes, just follow the instructions recorded on it to perform the refinement."

Lin Xuan opened the Scroll and infused his Soul Power into it, inspecting the recorded contents. It was indeed a partial Pill Recipe. Lin Xuan quickly committed it to memory and soon put the Scroll away, having memorized everything.

The scroll contained a great deal of information, but it wasn’t complete; the key parts were missing. Most of it was just about the refinement of Medicinal Materials, while the most crucial fusion step was not recorded at all. But that makes sense. The Yin-Yang Xuan Ling Elixir is an extremely precious Elixir, so its Pill Recipe must be even more so. It’s impossible that the Tower Master would share the complete version with me. In a way, a Pill Recipe is an Alchemy Master’s lifeblood; no one would share it easily.

Lin Xuan sighed. Even this partial Pill Recipe was complex enough for him to feel the difficulty. There are so many Medicinal Materials to refine... just how complex would the complete Pill Recipe be? Is this what a fifth-grade Elixir entails? It’s even more difficult than I imagined. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Young Master Lin, have you memorized it?" the Master of the Pill Tower asked again.

Lin Xuan nodded. "I’ve memorized it all."

"Good. In that case, I will activate the Array."

The Master of the Pill Tower waved his hand, and the runes on the ground flickered to life once more. The Jiuyou Grand Array erupted with full power, encircling the center of the grand hall as a bone-chilling aura swept forth.

Upon feeling this aura, the surrounding Alchemy Masters retreated again and again.

The Master of the Pill Tower said, "Bing Qing, activate the Guardian Grand Array to prevent anyone from disturbing our alchemy."

"As you command." Bing Qing, who had been waiting at the side, immediately took out several small flags and waved them.

Around the great hall, several more Arrays appeared. They emitted a brilliant light, layering one upon another to completely envelop the Jiuyou Grand Array. After setting up these Arrays, Bing Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. With these Arrays in place, no one can interfere with the alchemy process.

Seeing that the defensive array was also active, the Master of the Pill Tower breathed a sigh of relief. He then announced, "Everyone, you may leave now. Of course, if you wish to stay and observe, you may do so, just refrain from disturbing me."

The dozen or so Alchemy Masters discussed this among themselves, but in the end, none of them left. They all chose to stay and witness the alchemy. This was a level-skipping refinement—the creation of a fifth-grade Elixir. It was a scene none of them had ever witnessed before.

Master Song did not leave either. In his view, Lin Xuan was sure to fail, and when the boy did, he would mock him relentlessly.

Meanwhile, the Master of the Pill Tower no longer bothered with the outside world. With a wave of his sleeve, an Alchemy Furnace emerged and slowly descended. The entire ground trembled slightly upon its landing. Simultaneously, the Master of the Pill Tower retrieved over a dozen large boxes from his Storage Ring. When opened, they revealed they were filled with Spirit Medicines—all the materials required for refining the Yin-Yang Xuan Ling Elixir.

So many? Lin Xuan was utterly shocked. There must be over a hundred stalks here.

Previously, Lin Xuan had only ever needed ten or so Spirit Medicines to refine Elixirs. Even now that he could refine fourth-grade Elixirs, he only required a few dozen stalks at most. He had never seen over a hundred stalks used for a single refinement.

The Master of the Pill Tower said, "Young Master Lin, these are all the materials for refining the Elixir. I only have one set, so we only have one chance.

"If we succeed, it will be a joyous occasion for all. You will also obtain one of the Yin-Yang Xuan Ling Elixirs.

"But if we fail, all this effort will have been for nothing."

His voice had become extremely grave by the end, a clear sign of his nervousness.

Lin Xuan, on the other hand, wasn’t too anxious. I have two Anomalous Fires, which is enough to significantly increase the success rate. As long as nothing unexpected happens, there shouldn’t be any problems.

"Then let’s begin." The Master of the Pill Tower waved his hand, and several boxes flew toward Lin Xuan. "Follow the Pill Recipe I gave you and begin melting and refining the medicinal liquid from these Spirit Medicines."

Lin Xuan nodded and got to work.

Alchemy generally consists of three steps: first, melting the Medicinal Materials; second, refining the medicinal liquid; and third, fusing the liquid to form an Elixir. Though it sounds like only three steps, there are a great many details to be mindful of.

The Master of the Pill Tower said, "You can start the refining process by yourself. When it’s time for the final fusion, use your Anomalous Fire to assist me."

After saying this, he paid Lin Xuan no further mind and began his own refinement. With a wave of his hand, a dozen or so Medicinal Materials flew into the Alchemy Furnace. He then spat out a plume of fire, and the flames inside the furnace flickered to life, enveloping the materials. In the fire, the Medicinal Materials slowly began to melt.

The distant Alchemy Masters quieted down upon seeing this, each staring wide-eyed. It was undeniable that the Master of the Pill Tower lived up to his title. His first move alone left them shocked. Although they were all fourth-grade Alchemy Masters, there was still a clear gap in skill. The strength displayed by the Tower Master far surpassed their own.

I wonder how that boy is doing? the crowd wondered, turning their gazes toward Lin Xuan. Previously, he had only demonstrated the power of his Anomalous Fire; they had no idea about his actual alchemy skills.

"Hmph, what could he possibly achieve? How formidable can a young lad be?" Master Song snorted coldly. "He only passed the test by relying on his Anomalous Fire. His personal skills must be lacking."

Bing Qing, however, explained, "There’s no need for concern, everyone. Young Master Lin is the champion of the Alchemy Competition. During the competition a year ago, he could already refine third-grade Elixirs. Now that a year has passed, I imagine he can even refine mid-tier third-grade Elixirs. Refining these Medicinal Materials should be no problem for him, though he might just be a bit slower."

Everyone nodded upon hearing this. A year ago, Lin Xuan was only sixteen years old and could already refine third-grade Elixirs. That was top-tier talent, to be sure. They certainly didn’t possess such skills at sixteen. As for being slow, that was perfectly normal. After all, Lin Xuan was only a third-grade Alchemy Master. It was impossible for him to refine over a dozen Medicinal Materials at once. He could probably handle three to five at most. It was even possible he’d have to refine them one by one. Considering how incredibly precious these Medicinal Materials were, he surely wouldn’t dare to be careless.

As they were pondering this, they turned to look at Lin Xuan, but in the next moment, they were all stunned.

Inside the Array, Lin Xuan also took out an Alchemy Furnace. He then grabbed more than a dozen Medicinal Materials from a box and tossed them inside. Lin Xuan’s current strength was formidable, no weaker than those Alchemy Masters—perhaps even stronger. Refining over a dozen Medicinal Materials at once posed no problem for him. But to everyone else, the scene was absolutely shocking.

Master Luo exclaimed, "Heavens, what is he doing?"

Master Zheng was dumbfounded. "Has he gone mad? That boy must be crazy!"

Master Zhou just shook his head. "Who gave this fellow the courage? How dare he do something like this!"

Bing Qing was on the verge of tears. "Young Master Lin, stop! Don’t be so reckless!" Those Medicinal Materials were gathered by the Pill Tower over five years of painstaking effort. If Lin Xuan wastes them all like this, we’ll cry ourselves to death!

"Hmph! What an idiot!" Master Song gloated. "It’s laughable that the Tower Master let someone like him assist."

Only a fourth-grade Alchemy Master could refine over a dozen Medicinal Materials simultaneously. How could a mere third-grade Alchemy Master like Lin Xuan dare to attempt the same? He’s courting death! Just watch, those Medicinal Materials will surely turn to ash. It seems the alchemy is doomed to fail before it’s even truly begun. Hmph, I knew all along that kid was unreliable! If he fails this quickly, the Tower Master will probably slap him dead. Hahaha, it serves him right!

Thinking of this, Master Song laughed gloatingly.