Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Top Grade
At first, after Wang Qian used the Pill Tempering Method, everyone took it for granted that he would be the final winner.

But as soon as Mu Ye made that strange move, their hearts started to shake again. Maybe Mu Ye really could work a miracle.

If Yu Zhao could have heard their thoughts, she would have told everyone without any doubt: [Mu Ye can.]

After a few more hours, the alchemy furnace spinning in front of Mu Ye finally came to a stop.

A thin layer of sweat covered her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright and clear.

Her state told everyone watching her that she had achieved exactly what she wanted.

The elders of Greenwood Sect felt as if cats were scratching at their hearts. They wished they could reveal the assessment results right away.

With a loud boom, one Alchemy Hall disciple’s furnace suddenly exploded.

People glanced over and then quickly looked away.

With the assessment coming to an end, furnace explosions had become common. Out of more than four hundred people on the alchemy platforms, fewer than two hundred were left.

Under everyone’s eager gazes, Elder Luo once again stepped onto the Sect Plaza.

He said: “The assessment time is over. All disciples, stop your alchemy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Luo flicked his sleeve. An invisible power spread across the sky over the plaza, and the Spirit Flames in the palms of the disciples who had not yet finished were put out by force.

Some people sighed. Some were feeling proud and high spirited.

Wang Qian had been focused on his alchemy the whole time, so he did not know that Mu Ye had also used a special alchemy method during the assessment. He glanced down at Mu Ye from head to toe and said in a lofty tone: “Mu Ye, when you see me in the future, remember to bow deeply and respectfully call me Young Sect Master.”

Mu Ye rolled her eyes. She had been refining pills nonstop for a full month without rest. Right now she did not want to speak at all, much less waste her energy on an idiot.

Wang Qian ground his teeth and said: “Mu Ye, I will let you be proud for another half hour. After that, you will not be able to laugh.”

Mu Ye said without expression: “If you are sick, go get treated. Do not come over here and act crazy at me.”

“You…”

Elder Luo’s sharp gaze swept over them as he said: “Silence.”

Wang Qian shut his mouth at once, but in his heart he cursed Old Man Luo for being biased.

He secretly swore to himself that once he became Sect Leader in the future, he would make that Old Man guard the sect gates every day.

Elder Luo turned toward the high platform and said: “Sect Master, elders, the Alchemy Hall disciple assessment is over. We will now begin the second part, the pill presentation and evaluation.”

A pill coming out of the furnace did not mean it was truly a success. Its color, smell, medicinal power, and many other things still had to be checked.

In the same way, successful pills were also divided into different grades, from lower all the way up to upper.

A skilled Alchemist did not even need to taste the pill. Just from its appearance, they could judge its quality.

So this evaluation was also a very important part of the assessment.

Elder Luo announced: “Number Three, Cheng Dao, step forward and present your pill.”

Number One and Number Two had both failed their alchemy for various reasons, so the first disciple to present a pill was the one on Alchemy Platform Number Three.

Cheng Dao placed the freshly made pills on a white jade tray, walked forward with measured steps, and lifted the tray slightly in front of him.

He said: “Sect Master, elders, please take a look. This is the Third-grade pill, Blood Replenishing Pill, that I refined.”

His hand trembled a little. The round pills rolled in the white jade tray and bumped against each other with soft clicks.

The elders on the high platform nodded silently.

Cheng Dao was nervous, but luckily it did not affect his performance. The way the Blood Replenishing Pills rolled smoothly in the tray proved in another way that the quality of his pills was decent. At the very least, there were no rough or misshapen pills among them.

After a short discussion through Voice Transmission, several Alchemy Hall elders gave their judgment: “Cheng Dao, your grade in this assessment is Upper-Middle Grade.”

“Thank you, elders.” Cheng Dao let out a long breath of relief.

He knew he could not compare to the gifted Junior Sister Mu and Junior Brother Wang. Being able to get an Upper-Middle Grade evaluation already made him very satisfied.

In the crowd, voices quietly rose: “Senior Brother Cheng actually got Upper-Middle Grade. That is enough to cover his Spirit Herb allowance for the whole next year.” “Senior Brother Cheng has always been strong. He only messed up before because he was too nervous.” “Senior Brother Cheng is amazing.” “…”

The Alchemy Hall disciples who had failed to complete the assessment all looked at Cheng Dao with envy.

Their assessment results were directly tied to the treatment they received in the sect.

For disciples like them who had not finished the assessment, their Spirit Herb allowance for the next year and the amount of time they were allowed to rent an alchemy room would both be reduced.

Elder Luo kept reading out names and results as he said: “Qi Miao Miao, Lower-Middle Grade.” “Bai Zhou, Lower Grade.” “Lin Lang, Lowest Grade.” “…”

One Alchemy Hall disciple after another stepped forward to show their pills. The number of disciples still standing on the alchemy platforms grew smaller and smaller, and the atmosphere in the plaza began to subtly change.

Elder Wang really wanted to lift the corners of his mouth and pretend to be relaxed, but as long as he saw Mu Ye standing on the same line as Wang Qian, he could not feel happy.

Just what was Mu Ye up to?

Would her little tricks pose a threat to Qian’er?

Elder Luo finally called out: “Number Four Hundred Thirty Eight, Wang Qian, step forward and present your pill.”

At last, it was time. Everyone’s spirits lifted, and their eyes shone as they watched Wang Qian.

Wang Qian gave a wicked smile, slapped his alchemy furnace with his right hand, and a single full and round pill with a glossy shell flew out, landing steadily on the tray in his left hand.

Everyone stared wide eyed.

The other Alchemy Hall disciples had refined seven or eight pills at the least, and more than ten or twenty at most. None of them had ever seen a furnace full of Spirit Herbs turn into just one single pill.

The elders on the high platform reacted much more strongly.

It was rare to get only one pill, but not unheard of.

Usually, a single pill like that gathered the essence of all the Spirit Pills in the furnace, and its medicinal value would at least double.

On top of that, Wang Qian’s Fire-Toxin Purging Pill had been tempered a second time, so its effect was even more shocking.

Before Wang Qian could even open his mouth to introduce it, an impatient elder scooped up his pill with a hand of Spirit Power and held it in front of him to study it carefully.

The other elders also crowded closer, looks of amazement on their faces.

The medicinal fragrance was strong. The pill was full and round, with a special pill light flashing around it. This was without a doubt a High Grade Fire-Toxin Purging Pill.

With the current strength of the elders, refining a pill at this level was not difficult for them, but this one had been made by Wang Qian, who was only at Late Foundation Establishment and whose performance earlier had even been a bit weaker. That made it mean something very different.

One elder said slowly: “I think Wang Qian’s grade this time can be set as Top Grade.”

Several elders answered one after another, saying: “I agree.” “I agree.”

Elder Wang wanted to laugh but also did not want to look too proud, so the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

The last time a Top Grade assessment appeared had been one hundred and twenty years ago.

Now that Qian’er had received a Top Grade evaluation, who in the sect would still dare say he was not as good as Mu Ye?

Someone asked: “Elder Lian, what do you think?”

Elder Lian sighed inwardly and said: “I have no objections.”

Wang Qian’s performance was clear for all to see. Even if Mu Ye lost, it would not be unjust.

Another elder turned to the Sect Master and asked: “Sect Master, what do you think?”

Since this concerned the Young Sect Master Position, none of the elders dared to make the decision on their own.

Sect Master Wu Sang gave a faint smile and nodded in agreement, though his smile did not reach his eyes.

Elder Luo announced: “Wang Qian, your grade in this assessment is Top Grade.”

The entire plaza erupted.

Tian Han and Guo Ming En hugged each other in excitement.

By a strange twist of fate, they had really managed to grab onto the thigh of the future Sect Master.

Their good days were about to begin.