Lu Wei’s Shattered Pill

Lu Wei’s action of shattering her pill shocked everyone.

The crowd erupted into whispers:

“Is she crazy?”

“How could she lose her composure at this stage?”

“Is this a case of giving up because of overwhelming pressure?”

“I thought she might surprise us even if she wasn’t a dark horse, but it looks like I thought wrong.”

The elder with the long beard on the cloud almost pulled out his beard in shock and stared wide-eyed, “What is she doing? Is this some new alchemy method I’ve never seen before?”

The main issue was that her pill was gone.

The most composed and hopeful of Lu Wei was the elderly woman.

She observed carefully and then slowly sat back down.

“This must be a unique alchemy method. Look, the pill is shattered, but the alchemical fire is still there, and there are tiny white particles floating above the fire. Instead of destroying the pill, she’s just breaking it into powder and reconstituting it.”

“But others are already refining their pills. Shattering and then reconstituting the pill means she’s essentially destroyed half of her previous progress,” the burly man said flatly.

“Let’s put aside what this junior is thinking. The real issue is, why another special pill? Are special pills being mass-produced now? Or were the rumors true that the Qin and Fang families had a dispute over a divine alchemy manual in the Yingzhou secret realm?” The elder with the long beard speculated.

It seemed quite possible.

Otherwise, it’s hard to explain why no one else at the entire competition was making special pills, not even the Leng family junior, while the Qin and Fang families were.

The most likely explanation is that both families had access to the divine alchemy manual, and its contents had spread.

The Alchemy Association president, who had previously criticized Qin Ruqing for seeking attention, seemed quickly proven wrong.

His expression changed, but due to his dark complexion, it was hard to tell.

He didn’t stubbornly hold onto his opinion but felt embarrassed in front of his two old friends.

He couldn’t help but mentally scold the Fang family:

“You’re hogging resources without contributing anything! A lousy sword practitioner comes to refine pills, gets a divine alchemy manual, and hasn’t made any significant achievements in alchemy… If you had any sense, you’d have handed the manual over to the Alchemy Association. Then we would have guaranteed support for you, and the Qin family wouldn’t be involved. Instead, now you’ve made a mess in the city!”

Below, Qirong was slightly open-mouthed and didn’t understand Lu Wei’s actions at all.

But thinking back to her sister’s earlier smile and Qin Ruqing’s assurance that Lu Wei had a backup plan, she forced herself to stay calm.

Being cautious and careful has always been the hallmark of the third sister.

For her to break a pill like this, she must have her reasons.

Qin Ruoqing didn’t say anything, just slightly furrowing her brows as if deep in thought.

The buzzing crowd noise quieted a bit.

Many of those who could watch the alchemy competition until today were quite skilled, not to mention some of the family contestants who had just finished their own alchemy, possessing both strength and insight.

Sure enough, someone suggested that Fang Yuanxin and Qin Lu Wei might be using a special method to refine unique pills.

“Unique pills? I’ve only read about such rare things in alchemy books. I’ve never actually seen anyone make one.”

“So suddenly, we have two unique pills being refined at once. They can’t be the same, can they?”

“Definitely not, since the refining methods are different. But it’s quite a coincidence that both the Qin and Fang families are refining unique pills at the same time. It reminds me of that big uproar in the city before, when Fairy Ruqing questioned the Fang family… Could it be that the Fang family really obtained some divine alchemy manual in the Yingzhou secret realm?”

“That’s quite possible. Moreover, today’s scene almost confirms it. The divine alchemy manual was held by both the Fang and Qin ancestors. If what the Fang family claims is true—that they split up in the secret realm and the Qin ancestor never saw the manual—then how does the Qin family know about the unique pill formula now?”

“The Qin family of Nanling was formerly the Qin family of Yingzhou. They used to be a big family in Yingzhou, with ancestors who reached the Nascent Soul stage. It’s not surprising if they know a unique pill formula or two.”

“Ah, but there’s no evidence for this. It’s hard to say, hard to say!”

Qirong, overhearing their conversation, felt reassured.

So, his third sister was refining a unique pill.

He tilted his head towards Qin Ruoqing and sent a voice transmission:

“Sister, do we have that divine alchemy manual?”

Qin Ruoqing pursed her lips. “If only we did!” If the Qin family had that divine alchemy manual, they wouldn’t have fallen on hard times before.

According to the ancestor, the divine alchemy manual was with Ancestor Yingkun for only a short time.

He barely skimmed a few pill formulas before the Fang ancestor betrayed him.

So, besides a few extremely difficult formulas that the current Qin family couldn’t use, the divine alchemy manual was of no practical use and only brought disaster to the Qin family.

Qirong: “Could it really be in the Fang family’s possession?”

“It was definitely with the Fang family for a while, but whether they still have it now is unknown.”

Qi Rong sighed. “Would the Fang family really give something like that away?”

Qin Ruqing vaguely replied, “Not necessarily.”

Director Feng and Fifth Lingyu had both hinted that someone was backing the Fang family, making it unwise to act rashly.

But this mysterious backer, whom even the Celestial Grade Family feared, couldn’t be someone the Fang family simply allied with.

There had to be some catch!

Mysteries of the Divine Alchemy Manual

It’s difficult to say whether the divine alchemy manual is still in the Fang family’s possession.

Qirong, a no-nonsense steel-man student, didn’t ask further.

Instead, he looked at the high platform on the left and asked, “What’s happening with Sister Luwei now?”

Qin Ruqing pondered and cautiously assessed, “She’s in a rather mystical state, but hasn’t fully entered it yet. It’s like she has one foot in the door. I guess once she fully enters this state, the pill she’s trying to make will be almost successful.”

Qin Ruqing was indeed very perceptive.

The “Unique Pill” is a special pill that Lu Wei is trying to refine.

To make this pill, reaching a certain state is crucial.

The Mystical State Pill has no grade, but its effects can be rated as Grade 4 or even Grade 3.

The ancestor mentioned that this pill is so extraordinary that even a master alchemist might not be able to make it. Yet, a talented beginner like Lu Wei might still have a chance.

“To make this pill, you must reach that state. When the state is achieved, the pill will be successful. If not, no matter how high the alchemist’s skill, it’s useless.”

That’s why the ancestor believed Lu Wei had a chance to compete with the well-established alchemists from prominent families.

Lu Wei was giving it her all but found the process very challenging. What does it mean to reach the state of “Mystical State”?

Lu Wei was using the Cleansing Heart Secret Method to try and keep her mind detached and calm, but she found she was still far from achieving the state of “Mystical.”

On the cloud, the black-faced president commented, “From what I see, Fang Yuanxin is making a special pill that requires blood sacrifice and periodic withdrawal of the alchemical fire. Other methods are hard to discern with the naked eye, but overall, his progress seems smooth. However, the Qin family girl seems to be facing some difficulties.”

The elderly woman nodded, her gaze sharp, “The special pill she’s making seems to require a specific state of mind.”

This made things significantly more challenging.

Achieving such a state is akin to enlightenment; it’s something that can’t be pursued deliberately and is often a matter of chance.

Few people experience enlightenment in their lifetime, and even master alchemists might fail when trying to make pills that require such a state.

The long-bearded elder marveled, “What’s going on with this generation of the Qin family? Why are their juniors so radical? The top-ranked combat is one thing—being a promising talent allows for some boldness.

But Lu Wei—why has she picked up this impulsive trait from her family?

An alchemist needs to be steady. If she had stabilized her previous pill, she could have easily secured third place. Isn’t that enough?”

The old woman sighed, “You think it’s enough because you’re judging her by your standards. She has different expectations for herself. Why shouldn’t she take a risk?”

The old woman didn’t think Qin Lu Wei was impulsive.

On the contrary, she believed that Lu Wei was one of the few alchemists of her age who truly embodied the word “steady.”

Another half-hour passed, and suddenly, there was movement from Leng Danqing at the center of the high platform.

Her alchemy flame suddenly flared up, completely enveloping the pill, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Not long after, the flame subsided, and a perfectly round pill, surrounded by a halo of spiritual energy, floated in mid-air.

Leng Danqing elegantly caught the pill with her hand and placed it into a top-grade jade bottle.

Then, she raised the jade bottle and calmly announced:

“The pill made by Leng Danqing is complete.”

There was a moment of silence from above the clouds, followed by a distant voice: “Please briefly state the name and function of the pill.”

“Spirit Gathering Pill. A fifth-grade pill that can increase the success rate of forming a golden core by 20% for those at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.”

She didn’t use lengthy descriptions to explain the pill’s function.

One concise sentence was enough to summarize everything.

A beam of golden light descended from above the clouds, quickly absorbing the jade bottle.

The ethereal voice said, “The evaluation will be given at the end of the competition.”

Leng Danqing nodded slightly, glanced around the stage, and knew that the other contestants would also complete their refinement within a day or two.

She then returned to her original spot, sat down, and began to meditate, waiting quietly.

Patience is a virtue for alchemists.

Before closing her eyes, she glanced in Lu Wei’s direction, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but then she closed her eyes and paid no further attention.

After Leng Danqing submitted her completed pill, two more alchemists finished their work.

Now, only two contestants remained in the alchemy competition.

Coincidentally, these two were from the Qin and Fang families, which had been embroiled in recent controversies, involving legends of a divine alchemy manual.

This heightened everyone’s expectations.