Chapter Twelve: Reborn as the Eldest Daughter of an Immortal Sect
A brief intermission at halftime.
The second round, focused on the art of alchemy, began.
The competitors were Yunmeng Yunxin, Fu Nianheng from the Sword Spirit Sect, and Huaize from the Immortal Gate.
Aside from Bai Ruo, the second female participant, Yunxin, was a prodigy in alchemy. At fourteen, she had apprenticed under an elder of Yunmeng and developed her own unique perspective on the craft.
In terms of mastery, Yunxin far surpassed Huaize, and the Sword Spirit Sect was not even worth mentioning.
The challenge was simple: from a prepared pile of herbs, select the correct ingredients and refine them into a pill.
It sounded straightforward, but some herbs had been deliberately mixed with similar-looking plants. First, this tested their attentiveness; second, their knowledge of medicinal herbs.
Ultimately, the quality and appearance of the finished pill would decide the winner.
“The contest begins!”
All three disciples proceeded methodically, comparing similar herbs.
Perhaps because Bai Ruo’s spiritual sense was so strong, she noticed from afar that Yunxin and Huaize each took different herbs. Though the two plants looked alike, the tips of the grass Huaize held shimmered red under the sunlight.
The three judges looked back and forth between Yunxin and Huaize, shaking their heads and murmuring among themselves. Given Huaize’s expertise, it was impossible for him to mistake Ghost Needle Leaf for Red Needle Grass—unless they weren’t even attempting the same pill recipe.
Ghost Needle Leaf, with its cold properties, was the key ingredient in the Clear Heart Pill.
In contrast, Red Needle Grass was fiery—two extremes, yet similar in appearance. Without deep study, one could easily be misled.
Yunxin had gathered the ingredients for the Clear Heart Pill.
Huaize, however, shielded all his herbs behind his alchemy furnace, making his intentions a mystery.
Although the other disciples from Yunmeng and the Sword Spirit Sect kept quiet, their smirks betrayed their thoughts: they believed the Immortal Gate would surely come last in this round.
But would the Immortal Gate truly come in last?
Adding fire, processing the herbs, condensing the liquid, forming the pill—Yunxin’s actions were as fluid and elegant as ink flowing across a canvas, every movement pleasing to the eye.
A top-quality Clear Heart Pill, its color and texture superb.
Yunxin smiled and stepped aside, eager to see what Huaize planned to do with the Red Needle Grass.
She couldn’t believe that someone capable of competing with her would fail to distinguish such subtle differences between herbs.
As Yunxin’s results were announced, the Sword Spirit Sect’s disciple also completed his pill.
Fu Nianheng had refined the most ordinary Concentration Pill—common, yet its quality and appearance were both excellent.
Fu Nianheng, quietly pleased, thought this time he might not end up last.
Most of the allotted time had passed, leaving only Huaize still working.
Huaize ignored the outside world, fully immersed in his alchemy—a single-minded gamble for victory.
Carefully, he tossed the Red Needle Grass into the furnace. The flames flared, and the furnace let out a deep rumble.
“Hmmm…”
“Look! Senior Brother Huaize’s pill is ready!”
Everyone stretched their necks to peer up at the platform.
[Master! It’s a Scarlet Fire Pill! A pity—it’s rather useless. Hardly anyone makes this pill in this realm; most alchemists have forgotten the recipe…]
Bai Ruo’s lips curled into a smile—she knew Huaize had another plan.
“This round: Yunmeng first, Sword Spirit Sect second, Immortal Gate third.”
“Why?! You haven’t even checked Senior Brother Huaize’s pill!”
“Exactly!”
…
“He didn’t even distinguish the herbs properly—how could he make a good pill?”
Bai Ruo smiled slightly:
“Teacher, why not take a look? There might be a miracle.”
Unable to resist Bai Ruo’s suggestion, the judges finally decided to give Huaize a chance.
Huaize nodded gratefully to Bai Ruo, cradled his pill, and presented it to the three judges.
Their expressions shifted from indifference to one of swallowing a fly.
Yunxin, closest, leaned in curiously. When she caught sight of the pill, she was both bemused and amused.
“This… Immortal Gate’s Huaize, Scarlet Fire Pill, quality: excellent.”
It was the same judge who had just announced the results; his face was frozen.
“Scarlet Fire Pill? Have you heard of it?”
“Never…”
“I vaguely recall something, but the recipe was forgotten long ago!”
“Huh? Why was it forgotten?!”
“The pill’s effects are rather trivial—hardly anyone would ever need it.”
“…He’s an alchemist; he’s right.”
…
Seeing the tutors below with faces the color of pig liver, Huaize hurried to explain:
“Honestly, in this contest, I had a bit of an unfair advantage. When the master announced the tri-sect competition two days ago, worried about my skill, I researched every previous alchemy round. Ghost Needle Leaf and Red Needle Grass were tested three or four times. Coincidentally, my family has an uncle who collects pill recipes. Once, I saw the recipe and memorized it. It’s simple to make and uses few ingredients—I never expected it would be useful now.”
After finishing, Huaize scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
The judges’ faces relaxed somewhat after his explanation.
Though it was a stroke of luck, he had distinguished the two herbs and produced a top-quality pill—a true talent.
Bai Ruo below was barely able to contain her laughter. Reviewing past contest topics—wasn’t that almost like betting on the questions? Even more astonishing, he had guessed correctly!
A real genius!
After some deliberation, the alchemy rankings were: Immortal Gate and Sword Spirit Sect tied, Yunmeng gained an extra point.
When Yunxin stepped down, she glanced at Huaize, her smile only deepening.
Huaize, puzzled, scratched his head and jogged over to Bai Ruo:
“Senior sister, Yunxin’s alchemy skills are amazing!”
“Hmm… Who knows, maybe someday you two will study alchemy together.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it—really think!”
Huaize’s face wrinkled in confusion—what was this all about?