Chapter 41: How Do You Know I Can't Refine Elixirs?

Upon hearing Li Jiansan’s words, Xu Fu was not particularly surprised. Considering Li Jiansan’s previous display of soul power and his familiarity with medicinal herbs, it wasn’t impossible for him to produce a pill within half an hour. Xu Fu then gave the stage over to Li Jiansan, returning alone to the high platform.

Meanwhile, Yang Zishuo, who was busy refining medicine nearby, wore a look of arrogance upon hearing Li Jiansan’s declaration. In his view, if the contest was about alchemy, victory was already in his grasp. Feeling pleased with himself, he glanced toward Li Jiansan and sneered, “Boy, your soul talent may be extraordinary, but true alchemy requires years of accumulated experience. From what I can tell, you’ve probably never refined a pill in your life, have you? Are you sure you want to continue? If you make a mess of things, you’ll only embarrass yourself. So take my advice—don’t disgrace yourself here. Just leave the way you came. And I’ll be honest with you—even if you insist on continuing, it’s pointless. With me here, first place is mine! Besides, you’ve already lost most of your allotted time, and I’m nearly finished. There’s no way you can surpass me now!”

As Yang Zishuo spoke, those gathered around looked shocked. “What? That kid can’t even refine a pill?” Among the three masters present, one short-haired elder appeared visibly displeased. Since when had the Alchemist Guild allowed someone who couldn’t even refine pills to enter the finals? It was a disgrace beyond words.

Yang Zishuo hurried to explain, “Master Jin, this kid doesn’t know a thing about alchemy. He disappeared after the last round—I think he was trying to hide the fact that he can’t refine pills at all.” Master Jin was himself a renowned third-tier alchemist; if Yang Zishuo could turn him against Li Jiansan, it would be all to his benefit.

“You little brat, do you take the Alchemist Guild’s apprenticeship examination for a joke?” Master Jin glared at Li Jiansan, his anger barely contained. “Master Jin, allow me to explain…” Xu Fu interjected.

After Xu Fu finished, Master Jin’s expression softened a little. “Very well, I’ll let you continue the assessment.”

“Master Jin, please don’t waste any more time on him—he simply can’t refine pills!” Yang Zishuo protested.

Li Jiansan suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Ha! You say I can’t refine pills? Tell me, how do you know that? Are we close enough for you to know my every move? Or have you been following me around all day? If so, isn’t it rather odd for a grown man to be so interested in me? Or is it that you want to recognize me as your father? Surely not…”

As Li Jiansan finished speaking, laughter erupted from the crowd. Yang Zishuo’s face darkened at the commotion, but he had no retort.

Li Jiansan snorted. “It’s true you come from a family of alchemists, but I’ve yet to see much of your skill. What worries me more is your mind.”

Yang Zishuo retorted angrily, “Stop spouting nonsense.”

“Oh? Am I? Then how do you know I can’t refine pills? To make such a claim in front of Master Jin—could it be you’re hoping the masters will suppress me, giving you the opportunity to benefit? Is that your real motive? Surely not—surely no one could be so despicable?”

Sure enough, as Li Jiansan spoke, Master Jin’s expression grew stern as he looked at Yang Zishuo, while the other two masters shook their heads in disappointment. For an alchemist, character was paramount; without it, even the greatest talent was wasted.

Seeing their reaction, Yang Zishuo hurried to explain, “Master Jin, this is all nonsense—don’t believe a word he says. I would never take advantage of you; that’s pure fabrication. If you don’t believe me, just watch him—soon enough, you’ll see whether he can refine pills or not.”

After a pause, Master Jin said, “Let’s leave it at that for now.”

Master Jin gave Li Jiansan a sidelong glance. “But let me make myself clear: if you fail to produce a pill in the end, don’t blame me for being harsh!”

Despite Master Jin’s words, Yang Zishuo couldn’t quite rest easy. He could tell that after all this, the masters’ opinion of him had certainly diminished. “It seems I’ll have to win back their approval with my alchemy alone,” he thought, glaring at Li Jiansan. He had meant to use this opportunity to eliminate Li Jiansan, but hadn’t expected to end up ensnaring himself. Now the masters’ impression of him had worsened.

“Fine then, I’d like to see what you’ll manage to produce—don’t let it be nothing but a heap of dregs.” Yang Zishuo had wanted to seize the chance to strike at Li Jiansan, but he never imagined he’d end up implicated himself. Still, he wasn’t worried. He didn’t believe Li Jiansan could really refine a pill. After all, with such excellent scores, how could he simply walk away because of a few words? Even if Li Jiansan could refine pills, his skill couldn’t compare to mine. As long as I produce a perfectly formed pill, the three masters will surely be impressed and side with me. When that happens, I’ll fan the flames, and Li Jiansan will never make it out of the Alchemist Guild.

“This is already the final round of the assessment. Who do you think Master Mo will choose as his personal disciple in the end?”

“It’s hard to say. Look, that fellow has returned—he performed well in the earlier rounds. Maybe he’ll shine this time as well.”

“Who knows? Yang Zishuo comes from a family of alchemists—who here can match his skill?”

Yang Zishuo had been immersed in alchemy since childhood, and when it came to refining pills, likely no one present was his equal. As for Li Jiansan, though his earlier results were impressive, the Alchemist Guild valued pill-refining above all, making this final round especially crucial. Yet Li Jiansan had already lost more than half his time, and his skills couldn’t possibly compare to Yang Zishuo, who had spent his whole life around alchemy. If Li Jiansan failed in this round, his standing in Master Mo’s eyes would plummet instantly.

A short while later, a gleam shone from Yang Zishuo’s hands, as the pill within began to take shape…