A full four hours later, the pill furnace before Du Wan suddenly began to hum and tremble, as though a living creature was trapped inside, desperate to burst free and escape.
Du Wan's expression grew exceedingly solemn. He formed the final spirit seals and channeled his True Yuan into the furnace for the final stage of refinement.
A moment later, he gave the furnace a gentle tap, and a snow-white pill the size of a fingernail shot out, resembling a tiny snowball.
Du Wan moved with practiced speed, producing a fine jade bottle and catching the pill within it before capping the mouth.
A rich pill fragrance wafted through the alchemy chamber.
Du Wan took a brief moment to assess the Saint Pill he had refined, then nodded with a smile of evident satisfaction.
Mina and Ye Xiong felt a surge of excitement upon witnessing this.
Of the five Saint Grade Low-Rank Alchemists who had begun refining simultaneously, Elder Du was the first to succeed. This spoke volumes—his mastery of alchemy truly ran deeper than the other four.
But no one made a sound. They simply watched in silence, waiting for the remaining four to finish.
Shortly after Du Wan, Kong Ruoyu completed her refinement, separated by no more than the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn. Her Saint Grade Low-Rank Liyun Pill was successfully formed and likewise stored away in a jade bottle.
Another half hour later, Chang Bao, He Feng, and Hong Fang finished one after another.
Five Saint Pills had emerged from the furnace. The chamber was now thick with a dense pill fragrance, and breathing it in brought a sense of refreshment to the mind and spirit.
All five masters looked somewhat exhausted. Especially the corpulent Chang Bao, who had been drenched in sweat throughout the refinement. Now his considerable flesh quivered as he wiped his brow in a sorry state, over and over again.
They exchanged glances and shared a knowing smile, but rather than rushing to compare the quality of their respective Saint Pills, each produced a restorative pill, consumed it, and settled into a cross-legged meditative posture on the ground.
It appeared they intended to regulate their breathing and recover for a time.
Refining Saint Pills was an endeavor that demanded tremendous energy and mental focus, even for them.
Only now did Mina and Ye Xiong dare to draw deep breaths, savoring everything they had just witnessed. Both felt they had gained enormously, eager to throw themselves into alchemy immediately so they could convert what they had seen into their own experience and knowledge.
"Yang Kai, which of the five masters do you think did the best?" Mina asked, her gaze fixed unblinkingly ahead.
She received no response.
Turning her head toward Yang Kai, she was startled to find him wearing a deep contemplative expression, his mind clearly wandering far away—he hadn't heard a word she'd said.
"Seems he gained quite a lot as well," Ye Xiong chuckled softly. "Better not disturb him. He probably absorbed even more than we did."
Yang Kai's demeanor was unmistakably that of someone who had entered a profound state of insight. Such a thing could only happen when one had reaped tremendous gains.
Ye Xiong couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
"Oh." Mina nodded quickly, breathing carefully and quietly as she waited for the masters to recover.
A moment later, just as Mina was relishing what she had just witnessed, the corner of her eye caught Yang Kai making a move.
Curious, she looked over and let out a soft sound of surprise.
She saw Yang Kai take out his own small alchemy furnace, followed by a number of saint-grade heaven and earth treasures which he arranged before him. Then, with focused concentration, he reached out to cover the furnace and began inscribing a spiritual formation within its interior.
Right at this moment, the five recovered masters had finally come to their senses. Hong Fang let out a hearty laugh and said, “The saint pills have been refined! Let’s have these judges taste them and see whose pills are more outstanding.”
“Sure,” Chang Bao chuckled. “I hope you lot haven’t let your alchemy skills slip over the years.”
“You should be worried about yourself,” Du Wan shook his head with a smile. “All these years, you’ve seemed more focused on indulging your own appetite.”
Chang Bao retorted with a pout, “But my alchemy hasn’t fallen behind.”
As they talked, they stood up and began walking towards where Yang Kai and the others were.
When they drew near and saw what Yang Kai was doing, they all couldn’t help but freeze in their tracks.
“Hey, you brat… Are you showing off your axe skills in front of the master carpenter?” He Feng said with a laugh. Though the words were teasing, there was no malice in them.
Du Wan frowned slightly, suddenly realizing something unusual. The only female alchemist, Kong Ruoyu, also looked grave. She raised her hand to signal everyone to stop, indicating they shouldn’t approach yet.
Mina and Ye Xiong quietly moved away from Yang Kai’s side and came before the five.
“Elder Du, Yang Kai has suddenly started refining pills. It seems he gained quite a bit and is now eager to verify it,” Mina said softly.
“Mm.” A trace of a smile hung on Elder Du’s face, his eyes filled with approval. “Don’t disturb him. He should be in a state of sudden enlightenment.”