75: Chapter 75 Charge! Charge!

Since becoming an Alchemist, Huo Lingzi had never personally seen a Medicinal Pill with a Naturally Formed Dao Rhyme; he had even once suspected that such a claim was merely an exaggeration by the ancients.

At this moment, that purple-gold Medicinal Pill was placed right before his eyes. Its Pill Patterns were flowing and its Dao Rhyme was pervasive, leaving him no choice but to believe.

Daoist Xuandan propped both hands on the appraisal table and leaned forward, his face almost pressed against the pill.

His breathing was rapid, his face flushed, and his voice trembled: "These Pill Patterns... the flow of these Pill Patterns is perfectly consistent with the fluctuations of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi!"

He was an Advanced Earth Rank Alchemist, and his perception of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi far exceeded that of ordinary Cultivators.

He could clearly feel that every time the patterns on the pill's surface completed a cycle, a trace of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was drawn in and integrated into the pill.

This meant that even after leaving the Pill Furnace, this pill was still continuously absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, refining itself, and sublimating.

A trace of undeniable shock surfaced on Yun Yin's cold face. She murmured to herself, as if asking herself or perhaps asking the heavens: "Early Nascent Soul Stage, Naturally Formed Dao Rhyme—how is this possible?"

Yang Danzi fell into a rare silence. Holding his wine gourd, his gaze landed on the pill. The usual laziness in his eyes was gone, replaced by an indescribably complex expression.

Among the seven Earth Rank Alchemists, he was the most unkempt, yet even he had put away his cynical attitude at this moment.

Yao Li stared fixedly at the pill.

He had watched Zhou Tianchen grow up. In the past, Zhou Tianchen was obsessed with the Dao of Alchemy and had achieved some success under his guidance, but it had never reached this level.

Half a year—only half a year.

The young man who used to follow behind him seeking advice with an open mind had already refined a pill that even he could not hope to match.

Dan Qingzi held the pill and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an inexpressible solemnity.

"This pill... I must appraise it carefully before I can reach a conclusion."

He did not directly announce the rank.

It wasn't because he couldn't tell, but because the significance of this pill was too great; he needed to treat it with the utmost solemnity.

Dan Qingzi gently placed the pill on the Jade Plate in the center of the appraisal table. That Jade Plate was a pill-appraising treasure passed down through generations in the Medicine King Valley.

It was said to have been personally refined by an ancient Alchemy Revered Master. It could accurately detect the rank and efficacy of any pill without error.

Dan Qingzi raised his hand and struck a beam of spiritual light into the Jade Plate.

The Jade Plate suddenly lit up, and a soft white light enveloped the pill.

On the edge of the Jade Plate, scales lit up one after another, climbing from Yellow Rank to Profound Rank, and then from Profound Rank to Earth Rank.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on those scales.

Low Grade Yellow Rank, Medium Grade Yellow Rank, High Grade Yellow Rank...

The scales did not pause for a moment, breaking through the Profound Rank and heading straight for the Earth Rank.

Low Grade Profound Rank, Medium Grade Profound Rank, High Grade Profound Rank.

The climb finally slowed down. At the boundary line between High Grade Profound Rank and Low Grade Earth Rank, it trembled slightly, as if hesitating, or perhaps gathering strength.

In the Hundred Herbs Altar, hundreds of gazes fell upon that trembling scale on the edge of the Jade Plate. Everyone held their breath.

"Charge up, charge up, charge up!"

Someone whispered it, and then the sound spread through the crowd. More and more people joined in, whispering the same phrase.

Dan Qingzi did not make a sound, his eyes fixed on the scale.

The scale on the edge of the Jade Plate suddenly jumped.

From High Grade Profound Rank, it jumped to Low Grade Earth Rank.

"It passed!"

An uncontrollable cheer erupted from the crowd.

But before the cheers could die down, an even more startling scene occurred.

The scale did not stop at Low Grade Earth Rank but continued to climb upward.

Low Grade Earth Rank, Low Grade! Low Grade Earth Rank, Medium Grade! Low Grade Earth Rank, High Grade!

The scale stopped at the position of High Grade Low Grade Earth Rank, trembled twice, and finally ceased moving.

The entire venue fell into a dead silence.

Everyone stared blankly at the Jade Plate, at the position where the scale had stopped. Their minds were completely blank.

High Grade Low Grade Earth Rank.

It wasn't an ordinary Low Grade Earth Rank, but a High Grade one.

Only one step away from Medium Grade Earth Rank.

If the crowd had only been shocked before, they were now completely speechless.

Refining a Low Grade Earth Rank pill at the Early Nascent Soul Stage was unheard of, let alone a High Grade one?

Dan Qingzi took a deep breath, suppressing the stormy waves surging in his heart.

He turned around, his gaze landing on Zhou Tianchen. His clouded eyes were full of complexity.

There was shock, admiration, and an inexpressible sense of wonder.

"Zhou Tianchen, Early Nascent Soul Stage, refined a High Grade Low Grade Earth Rank pill."

Dan Qingzi's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"I have appraised countless pills, and I have never seen a Low Grade Earth Rank pill of this quality. Its Dao Rhyme is naturally formed and its medicinal power is profound, far exceeding any Low Grade Earth Rank pill on the market."

He paused, his gaze scanning everyone present, his voice solemn and steady.

"I judge this pill to be the winner of this Alchemy competition."

As his words fell, the Earth Rank Alchemists on the appraisal table looked at each other; no one spoke up in opposition.

They had personally witnessed the phenomenon of this pill's creation, felt its aura with their own hands, and seen the Jade Plate's test results with their own eyes.

Dan Qingzi's judgment was beyond reproach.

Huo Lingzi opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

He had just called Zhou Tianchen greedy, and now this pill had directly slapped his face, and it had done so in a way that left him utterly convinced.

Beichen Feng stood by his Alchemy platform, his expression calm, but his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Tianchen.

In the previous session, a Zhang Xiaoting appeared; in this session, there was Zhou Tianchen.

He looked at the High Grade Low Grade Earth Rank pill detected by the Jade Plate, then at his own three High Grade High Grade Profound Rank pills, and remained silent for a long time.

Beichen Feng said nothing; he simply turned around and silently packed up his Pill Furnace and Spirit Medicines.

Shen Cihui stood by his Alchemy platform, watching Zhou Tianchen's figure surrounded by the crowd, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He had watched Zhou Tianchen reach this point step by step, from the royal scion obsessed with the Dao of Alchemy to the rising star standing in the center of the Hundred Herbs Altar, being watched by six Earth Rank Alchemists.

Shen Cihui took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

From this day forward, he would exert all his effort to catch up to Zhou Tianchen.

Zhou Tianchen stood before the appraisal table, his face pale and his body trembling slightly.

Listening to Dan Qingzi's judgment and seeing the scale on the Jade Plate stop at High Grade Low Grade Earth Rank, an inexpressible complexity surged in his heart.

He had succeeded; he had refined a Low Grade Earth Rank Xuanyuan Barrier-Breaking Pill.

He instinctively turned around, his gaze passing through the crowd to land on the white-clad figure in the spectator stands.

Jiang Changge was still leaning back in his seat, his expression indifferent, with a slight smile as he nodded toward him.

A warmth filled Zhou Tianchen's heart.

He bowed deeply in Jiang Changge's direction.

"Revered Master, your Disciple has not disappointed you."

Jiang Changge looked at the figure bowing in respect, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"Not bad."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached Zhou Tianchen's ears.