Chapter 70 The Champion of the Alchemy Gathering
Chapter 70 The Champion of the Alchemy Gathering
Chapter 70: Chapter 70 The Champion of the Alchemy Gathering
The competition grounds remained silent.
Nobody had recovered from the shock of witnessing Lin Ruyan refine a Rank 6 Ancient Grade Pill with nine pill veins.
Even the five judges, who had spent countless years studying alchemy, needed time to process what they had just witnessed.
Finally, President Shen Haotian took a deep breath.
He looked at the golden pill resting in Lin Ruyan’s hand.
Then he looked at the young girl herself.
"Lin Ruyan."
Lin Ruyan respectfully cupped her hands.
"President Shen."
Shen Haotian paused.
He had intended to ask several questions, but when he looked into her calm eyes, he suddenly found himself unsure where to begin.
After a moment, he finally asked, "May I examine the pill?"
"Of course."
Lin Ruyan gently handed it to him.
Shen Haotian carefully received the pill.
The instant it touched his palm, his expression changed again.
Although the pill had already completed its transformation, its medicinal energy remained astonishingly pure.
The nine pill veins flowed with a faint golden light.
Every vein appeared natural, as though it had existed within the pill from the very beginning.
Shen Haotian carefully examined its surface.
Then he released a strand of spiritual power to inspect its medicinal essence.
His eyes widened.
"This is incredible..."
Jin Tianming immediately approached.
"President Shen, what did you discover?"
Shen Haotian didn’t answer immediately.
He continued examining the pill before finally looking up.
"The medicinal essence is extraordinarily stable. There are almost no impurities, and the nine pill veins have formed perfectly."
He paused before adding solemnly, "This is not merely an Ancient Grade pill. Its medicinal quality is exceptional even among pills of the same grade."
The surrounding alchemists erupted into discussion.
"An Ancient Grade pill with nine veins..."
"How is that possible?"
"She’s only sixteen!"
"Wasn’t she already a Rank 5 Pill Master before this round?"
"Then what rank is she now?"
That final question immediately silenced several people.
They turned toward the judges.
Indeed.
What rank did a person capable of refining a Rank 6 Ancient Grade pill belong to?
Shen Haotian seemed to understand their thoughts.
He gently returned the pill to Lin Ruyan.
"According to the standards of the Pill Association, refining a Rank 6 pill demonstrates the ability to work with Rank 6 medicinal formulas."
He looked at Lin Ruyan seriously.
"However, the official assessment for a Rank 6 Pill Master involves more than producing a single pill. The candidate must demonstrate consistent control over the required medicinal formulas."
Lin Ruyan nodded.
She understood.
Refining one extraordinary pill did not necessarily mean she had completed every requirement for an official rank assessment.
Shen Haotian continued.
"Nevertheless, your achievement today is beyond dispute. You have successfully refined a Rank 6 Ancient Grade pill with nine pill veins."
His voice grew solemn.
"This is an extraordinary achievement in the history of alchemy."
Lin Ruyan respectfully bowed.
"Thank you, President Shen."
She showed neither excessive excitement nor arrogance.
It was as though refining such a pill was simply another step in her cultivation of alchemy.
That calmness left Shen Haotian even more impressed.
Such talent, such composure...
Who exactly has been teaching this girl?
His gaze unconsciously shifted toward the Lin Clan delegation.
Several young members of the Lin Clan were sitting together.
They looked proud, but none of them appeared particularly surprised anymore.
It was almost as though Lin Ruyan’s achievement was something they had expected her to accomplish eventually.
Shen Haotian’s heart stirred.
The Lin Clan...
He silently committed that name to memory.
But just as he was about to speak again—
A terrifying aura suddenly swept across the entire competition grounds.
The Spiritual Qi in the surrounding space trembled.
Every cultivator felt their heart tighten.
The five judges immediately turned toward the source of the pressure.
Shen Haotian’s expression changed dramatically.
Jin Tianming’s eyes widened.
Even the other judges, who had remained composed throughout the Pill Tribulation, couldn’t hide their shock.
A figure had appeared at the edge of the judges’ platform.
He wore a simple grey robe.
His long hair was tied loosely behind his back, and his face appeared that of a middle-aged man.
There was nothing particularly extravagant about his appearance.
Yet the moment he appeared, the atmosphere around the judges changed completely.
Shen Haotian immediately stood.
He straightened his robes and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Senior Gu!"
Jin Tianming followed at once.
"Greetings, Senior Gu!"
The other three judges hurriedly stood and bowed as well.
"Greetings, Senior!"
The surrounding alchemists stared at the scene in confusion.
Who was this man?
Why were the five judges treating him with such respect?
Even President Shen Haotian, the head of the Canglan Continent’s Pill Association, had addressed him as Senior Gu.
The man didn’t immediately respond.
His gaze was fixed on Lin Ruyan.
More precisely—
On the pill in her hand.
His breathing had become slightly uneven.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
He slowly approached Shen Haotian.
"Give me the pill."
His voice wasn’t loud.
But nobody dared to question him.
Shen Haotian immediately handed over the golden pill.
"Senior Gu, please examine it."
The man accepted it carefully.
Then he examined the nine pill veins.
One by one.
His expression grew increasingly serious.
He turned the pill around.
Inspected its medicinal essence.
Examined its internal structure with his spiritual sense.
Then he did it again.
And again.
The entire competition grounds remained silent.
Nobody dared interrupt him.
After a long time, the man finally raised his head.
His voice trembled slightly.
"Ancient Grade..."
He stared at the pill.
"Rank 6 Ancient Grade..."
His fingers tightened slightly around it.
"And nine pill veins."
He fell silent.
For someone of his status, even an ordinary Rank 6 Ancient Grade pill would have been worth examining carefully.
But this one was different.
The quality was exceptional.
The medicinal essence was remarkably stable.
And the nine pill veins were nearly flawless.
Most importantly, he had witnessed the heavenly tribulation with his own eyes.
He had seen the legendary Pill Tribulation descend.
He had seen the pill absorb the lightning.
And he had seen the young girl beneath the tribulation absorb the remaining heavenly lightning herself.
He had immediately rushed over the moment he sensed the tribulation.
Before that, he had been staying in the Pill Association’s pavilion in the Canglan Continent.
He hadn’t attended the gathering.
Why would he?
The gathering’s main participants were Rank 4 and Rank 5 Pill Masters.
To an ordinary alchemist, those ranks were impressive.
But to him, they weren’t enough to attract his attention.
He was a Chaos Pill Master.
One of the highest-level alchemists in the entire Mortal World.
He had traveled from the Pill Association Headquarters on the Eternal Dawn Continent to the Canglan Continent for other matters.
He had never expected that this journey would allow him to witness something that might not occur even once in several thousand years.
The legendary Pill Tribulation!
And the person who had triggered it was a sixteen-year-old girl.
A sixteen-year-old girl had refined a Rank 6 Ancient Grade Pill with nine pill veins!
For several moments, Gu Chenxiao couldn’t find the words to describe what he had witnessed.
He had seen countless geniuses.
He had encountered extraordinary alchemists.
He had even met people whose talent had astonished the entire Mortal World.
But Lin Ruyan’s achievement was beyond anything he had expected from someone so young.
He slowly turned toward her.
For the first time since arriving, his expression softened.
"Little friend."
The two words echoed across the silent competition grounds.
Little friend?
Everyone froze.
Shen Haotian stared at Gu Chenxiao.
Jin Tianming’s eyes widened.
The other judges looked at one another in disbelief.
A Chaos Pill Master had just addressed a sixteen-year-old girl as little friend.
He hadn’t called her a junior.
He hadn’t called her a young lady.
He had addressed her as an equal.
The surrounding alchemists could hardly believe their ears.
Who exactly was this Lin Ruyan?
Gu Chenxiao didn’t care about their reactions.
He stepped closer to Lin Ruyan, holding the golden pill carefully.
"Little friend, may I ask who taught you alchemy?"
Lin Ruyan calmly answered, "My teacher prefers to remain unknown."
Gu Chenxiao paused.
He didn’t press her for an answer.
Instead, his eyes grew brighter.
A mysterious teacher capable of guiding a sixteen-year-old girl to refine such a pill...
That alone was enough to make him curious.
But more importantly, Lin Ruyan had demonstrated extraordinary talent of her own.
Her control over the medicinal ingredients.
Her handling of the furnace.
Her response to the Pill Tribulation.
And her ability to absorb the heavenly lightning.
These weren’t achievements that could be explained by a teacher’s guidance alone.
She possessed exceptional talent.
Perhaps even talent that surpassed his own expectations of what an alchemist could become.
Gu Chenxiao took a deep breath.
Then, in front of every cultivator and alchemist present, he spoke.
"Little friend Lin Ruyan."
His voice was clear and solemn.
"I would like to take you as my personal disciple."
Silence.
The entire competition grounds fell utterly silent.
Shen Haotian’s eyes widened.
Jin Tianming froze.
The other judges stared at Gu Chenxiao as though they had misheard him.
A Chaos Pill Master was personally asking a sixteen-year-old girl to become his disciple!
The surrounding alchemists erupted into disbelief.
"Did I hear that correctly?"
"Senior Gu wants to take her as his disciple?"
"He’s a Chaos Pill Master!"
"How could anyone refuse such an opportunity?"
"With him as her master, her future in alchemy would be limitless!"
Even the Lin Clan youngsters stared at Lin Ruyan.
They knew she was extraordinary.
But being personally recruited by a Chaos Pill Master from the Pill Association Headquarters was something else entirely.
Lin Xin covered her mouth.
Lin Wan’er blinked repeatedly.
Lin Shiyu stared at the grey-robed man.
Meanwhile, Jin Ling’er stood frozen.
Her grandfather was a Pill Saint.
She had always believed that becoming his successor would give her an extraordinary future.
Yet now, a Chaos Pill Master had personally appeared and offered to teach Lin Ruyan.
The gap between them seemed even greater than before.
Everyone waited for Lin Ruyan’s answer.
Surely, she would accept.
Who would refuse an opportunity like this?
Gu Chenxiao himself waited patiently.
He had made the offer publicly because he genuinely wanted to accept Lin Ruyan as his disciple.
He was willing to teach her everything he knew.
He was even prepared to bring her to the Pill Association Headquarters on the Eternal Dawn Continent.
With her talent, she might one day reach heights that even he had never imagined.
Lin Ruyan looked at him calmly.
Then she gently shook her head.
"I’m sorry, Senior Gu."
Her voice was soft but clear.
"I cannot accept."
The entire competition grounds froze.
Lin Ruyan had refused a Chaos Pill Master.
In front of everyone.
And she had done so without hesitation.
Gu Chenxiao stared at her.
For the first time in a very long while—
He was completely speechless.
End of Chapter 70