Translator: AnubisTL
Gu Feng's initial success marked the beginning of the pill-refining competition, as beams of mysterious light erupted from the pill furnace.
"Look, Bao Shaoqiong has finished refining her pills!"
"Seven... seven Qi Gathering Pills, all with nine patterns! My heavens, she has refined seven nine-patterned supreme Qi Gathering Pills!"
"This is incredible! She's going to win the championship. The Alchemist Guild has little chance left!"
"Only seven? I feel like the quality of her Qi Gathering Pills isn't as good as Gu Feng's."
"Damn it, you ignorant fool! Is Gu Feng even refining pills? He's just putting on a show. His Qi Gathering Pills are all flash and no substance. Once their efficacy is tested, the truth will be exposed!"
"Who are you calling a fool? I'm in the Postnatal Realm. I could slap you, a mere Qi Refining Realm trash, to death!"
"Sorry, big brother, my mistake, my mistake!"
"..."
As the most outstanding Mortal Grade Alchemist from a prestigious pill-refining family, Bao Shaoqiong had her pride and couldn't tolerate such ignorant remarks. She sneered at the comments from those who knew nothing.
"Hmph, don't compare my pills to those subpar products!" she said coldly, her chest puffed out with arrogance. Though she didn't name anyone, everyone knew she was referring to Gu Feng's Qi Gathering Pills.
All eyes turned to Gu Feng. Surprisingly, the usually sharp-tongued Gu Feng remained silent this time, wearing a faint smile as if he agreed with Bao Shaoqiong's words.
This reaction made Bao Shaoqiong's eyes flash with disdain. She tossed her hair and let out another heavy snort.
"Xu Qinghui from the Alchemist Guild has also finished refining his pills! Unfortunately, he only managed six nine-patterned supreme Mortal Pills, slightly inferior to Bao Shaoqiong. It seems the Bao family will take first place!"
"That's not necessarily true. The Alchemist Guild's strength lies in their balanced performance. If Xu Qinghui's teammates also refine six supreme Mortal Pills, their group's score won't be low. They still have a chance for first place!"
"Where did the Unwavering Sect find such a talented alchemist? They also refined six supreme Qi Gathering Pills!"
"The Unwavering Sect's group is quite strong. Both alchemists refined six supreme Mortal Pills. The Alchemist Guild and the Bao family are under pressure now."
"The Myriad Harmony Guild's group is also doing well. They have a chance to rank in the top five!"
"Yan Xixi has performed exceptionally well, refining five Qi Gathering Pills, including two with seven patterns, one with eight patterns, and two nine-patterned supreme pills!"
"My heavens, how old is she? Her pill-refining talent is unmatched in Cloud Prefecture for the past century!"
"..."
The pill-refining competition, originally scheduled to last eight hours, concluded in the seventh hour.
Some were happy, while others were disappointed!
As the host of this competition, the Sunset Glow Sect's three groups of alchemists performed below expectations.
Apart from Yan Xixi, who refined two nine-patterned supreme Qi Gathering Pills, the others only managed to refine seven or eight-patterned high-grade Mortal Pills. As for Gu Feng, people habitually excluded him from consideration.
Gu Feng couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly as he watched the poor performance of the Sunset Glow Sect's alchemists. Zhu Qingyan, who was with him, kept scolding them for their lack of effort.
"Senior Zhu, I think they did quite well. After all, your pill-refining skills as the founder of the Sunset Glow Sect aren't exactly stellar. They've inherited your talent perfectly," Gu Feng teased.
Elder Shen, the chief of the Outer Sect's Alchemy Hall, was relatively satisfied with the performance of the three groups participating in the competition. After all, none of their furnaces exploded. The only regret was having Gu Feng present.
"Our Unwavering Sect's alchemists didn't perform well either. Only two groups were somewhat satisfactory," the Unwavering Sect's Elder said, trying to show off.
Elder Shen pretended not to hear the Unwavering Sect Elder's boastful remarks. "You're really something. Two groups have a chance to compete for the top three, and you're still complaining."
"Alas, our Myriad Harmony Guild isn't very skilled in pill-refining," Yan Hanyun said expressionlessly, his tone tinged with regret.
"You fool! Didn't Xixi perform well? If you're not satisfied with her performance, go find another woman and have more children!" Su Qiu, on the other hand, was quite pleased. Yan Xixi had exceeded her expectations.
"If it weren't for Gu Feng, Xixi's performance would have been glorious!" Gu Santong still held a grudge against Gu Feng, feeling that he was there solely to drag them down.
"..."
At this moment, President Tong, standing on the high platform, rose to his feet with a smile.
"The level of this year's pill-refining competition participants far exceeds that of previous years... Your performance has been witnessed by all... In this competition, there are no losers..."
President Tong delivered a long speech of praise before shifting his tone: "But in any competition, there must be winners and losers. Judging by the pills is the fairest way!"
"Next, let's begin the scoring process!"
The scoring process was simple. Each participant would bring their refined pills to the high platform for ten senior alchemists to evaluate and comment on.
There were two rounds. In each round, only one member from each group could go on stage. After the first round, the second round would commence, with scores given on the spot, effectively eliminating the possibility of any underhanded dealings!
"So, who will be the first brave soul?"
After the ten judges took their seats on the high platform, President Tong turned to the competition arena and asked with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, several Postnatal Realm alchemists leaped onto the high platform.
Everyone noticed that the first few alchemists to rush onto the platform were brimming with confidence, as they had all refined at least six nine-patterned supreme Qi Gathering Pills. Among them were Bao Shaoqiong, members of the Alchemist Guild, and the talented alchemists from the Unwavering Sect.
"You go in the next round. I'll take the first round," Gu Feng whispered to Yan Xixi before stepping onto the platform with the grace of "Immortal by the River."
Everyone saw a streak of light flash by as Gu Feng, starting later, overtook the others and reached the high platform at an astonishing speed.
His speed was so fast that the alchemists who had rushed out first could only watch in awe.
"Gentlemen, you're too late. My apologies!" Gu Feng grinned as he respectfully presented his pills to President Tong.
Bao Shaoqiong and the others exchanged glances, their faces filled with unwillingness.
"Hmph, let's see what kind of pills you've refined!"
"Since Brother Gu is so confident, we'll let you have the first chance to be evaluated."
"Brother Gu truly lives up to his reputation as the top outer sect disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect. Your movement technique is admirable, but I wonder how your pills will fare!"
"..."
These self-proclaimed geniuses, who considered themselves on par with only a few others present, didn't take Gu Feng seriously at all.
His pill-refining technique was indeed eye-catching, but that was all. It might impress the ignorant, but in a pill-refining competition, it was just a show.
The Qi Gathering Pill had existed for over a century. Countless brilliant alchemists had tried to improve its formula, but all had failed.
They were certain that Gu Feng's pills were a joke.
Not only did Bao Shaoqiong and the others think so, but even the ten judges on the platform shared the same sentiment. However, due to their status and the occasion, they couldn't voice it out loud.
"Since Gu Feng dares to be the first brave soul, let's evaluate his pills," President Tong said with a kind smile. The other nine judges nodded in agreement.
"The appearance and color are good..."
"The nine patterns are clear and complete..."
"The pill's aroma is also pure and rich..."
"But the efficacy seems much weaker than that of a genuine Qi Gathering Pill."
President Tong held Gu Feng's Qi Gathering Pill between his fingers, examining it repeatedly. He couldn't find any flaws and was quite impressed by Gu Feng's skill. To fake it to this extent was unparalleled in the Great Chu Dynasty.
"Can everyone give their scores?" he asked the other judges with a smile. Seeing them all frowning, President Tong laughed, "I can't give a score either!"
"Then let's use an instrument to test it!"
With that, President Tong took out a silver compass, similar to the one used in the Sunset Glow Sect's Alchemy Hall to test pills.
He flicked his finger, and a pill fell into the compass's groove. The needle flickered before finally settling.
"The efficacy is only one-third of a normal Qi Gathering Pill. This is a neutered version of the Qi Gathering Pill!" President Tong said in a low voice. Just as he was about to give his score, a sudden voice interrupted.
"The instrument can only test efficacy, not the side effects. Why not use a test mouse to try it?" The speaker was none other than the Elder from the Unwavering Sect!
As he spoke, he gave Gu Feng a meaningful look, as if saying: "You think you can fool us? Forget it!"
Little did he know, this was exactly what Gu Feng wanted. If his pill was tested on a mouse, it would give him an excuse to have other alchemists follow suit.
Otherwise, proposing it out of the blue might seem like questioning the judges' competence, needlessly offending people and possibly not achieving the desired result.
The Unwavering Sect Elder seemed prepared. In just a few breaths, he brought over a test mouse.
All eyes in the venue focused intently on the mouse that had eaten Gu Feng's pill.
When a "poof~~~" sound was heard, the venue erupted.
"Hahaha, I knew it! Brother Gu wouldn't disappoint us. He's refined another diarrhea pill!"
"Brother Gu, will this pill be mass-produced? Can I pre-order a bottle?"
"Brother Gu's diarrhea pills are a masterpiece. Everyone loves them."
"Hurry up and refine more. I've rented a toilet cultivation chamber for six months. I need to make full use of it."
"Brother Gu has lived up to expectations and achieved glory once again!"
"..."
The outer sect disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect burst into laughter. Their laughter wasn't malicious; instead, they were incredibly excited about Gu Feng's new invention.
Who cares about diarrhea? The more you have, the stronger you become. Where else can you find such an amazing pill?
Despite the foul smell, Elder Tong demonstrated the qualities of an excellent alchemist. Not only did he not show any disgust, but he also closely examined the mouse's condition.
"Alright, take it away!"
After a while, he waved his hand, having gained a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the efficacy of Gu Feng's pill.
"This pill's efficacy is only one-third of a genuine Qi Gathering Pill. Nine pills were refined, all with nine patterns. Although it causes diarrhea, it's harmless... However, due to the modified formula, it shows innovation... My final score is 63!" After President Tong gave his final score, the other judges also provided their respective scores.
Their scores were all similar to President Tong's, except for the Elder from the Unwavering Sect, who smiled slightly and gave a score of zero.
"This pill-refining competition is about refining Qi Gathering Pills. Gu Feng modified the formula, which is off-topic. Plus, the diarrhea attribute makes it impossible to give a high score. Zero is not too low!" After saying this, he gave Gu Feng a challenging look.
"Final score: 55!"
Gu Feng didn't seem to care about the low score. As long as he had a score, he could win. Whether it was one point or a hundred, it made no difference.
After all, a pill that could kill someone wouldn't receive any score.
"Elder Shen, I must say, banning someone like Gu Feng from the Alchemy Room was a brilliant decision! Your Sunset Glow Sect..."
After giving Gu Feng a zero, the Unwavering Sect Elder didn't miss the chance to mock both Gu Feng and Elder Shen, even taking a jab at the Sunset Glow Sect.
Hearing this, Gu Feng, who was about to leave, suddenly turned back. Seeing Elder Shen's grim expression, Gu Feng's lips curled into a smile.
"My pills may not be great, but they only cause diarrhea. They won't kill anyone. One-third efficacy isn't bad, and the modified formula significantly reduces refining time...
Overall, it's a very useful pill."
"But the pills refined by your Unwavering Sect's alchemists might not be so harmless!
Who knows? Maybe they'll cause more than just diarrhea. Maybe they'll kill people!"
Hearing this, the Unwavering Sect Elder's smile froze. His eyes narrowed as he said sharply, "What a joke! Do you think our Unwavering Sect's alchemists are like you, only capable of refining diarrhea pills?"
"Who knows?" Gu Feng said nonchalantly, picking his ear with his little finger.
"You dare slander our Unwavering Sect? I... I..." The Unwavering Sect Elder was so angry that his lips trembled. "Fine, very well. You'll be responsible for your words. If our Unwavering Sect's pills are fine, I want you to eat the pill furnace you just used!"
"Deal. If not, you eat the furnace!" Gu Feng said without looking back, walking off the platform.
His nonchalant, dismissive attitude infuriated the Unwavering Sect Elder, making his face flush with anger. "Yin Xiushan, bring your refined pills up for evaluation! I want this kid to eat the pill furnace in front of everyone."
"Yes, Elder!"
The alchemist named Yin Xiushan walked up to the judges and said respectfully, "I only refined six supreme Qi Gathering Pills, fewer than Gu Feng's nine. Please don't disdain my limited skills and evaluate them for me!"
As he spoke, Yin Xiushan glanced at Gu Feng with a look of superiority, his challenge unmistakable.
(End of the Chapter)
📚 Read [FD] on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c208. [+4.9k Words]
☕ Support me to keep this going.
🎯 Translated [1] Novel [400k+] Words and counting!