C13 Soul Power

Bang! Bang!

Two jarring explosions from the medicinal cauldrons echoed suddenly, signaling that Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin had completed their pill refining. The lids of their cauldrons shot up nearly two meters high—a sure sign the pills inside were of commendable quality.

"This! This... matches the quality of the pills refined by Wang Zeyu!" Yuu Lezhan exclaimed with delight. Recognizing the emergence of two more gifted individuals, he eagerly spun around and dashed toward Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin.

With confident grins, Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin retrieved the pills from their cauldrons, their faces beaming with uncontainable pride, reminiscent of students who had just aced an exam. They cast challenging glances at Yang Xiao.

However, just as they were about to flaunt their impressive achievements to Yuu Lezhan in Yang Xiao's presence—

Boom!

A thunderous noise filled the entire hall as Yang Xiao's medicinal cauldron was propelled an astonishing seven to eight meters into the air!

"Good heavens!"

Even the experienced Yuu Lezhan was startled by the spectacle. He halted mid-stride on his way to Ye Kaifeng and turned back to gaze at Yang Xiao, who maintained a composed demeanor, seemingly unfazed by the cauldron's eruption.

With a mix of astonishment and curiosity, Yuu Lezhan made his way toward Yang Xiao, pondering, "Could it be that this young man has crafted a Top Grade Pill of Grade One?"

The anticipation on Yuu Lezhan's face grew as he considered the implications. The higher the pill's quality, the more intense the resulting shockwave upon its completion, due to the Vital Spirit within the ingredients manifesting as the pill's power.

Previously, Wang Zeyu's cauldron had been sent flying two meters high, and the pill he produced was an exceptional Grade One pill. Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin's cauldrons had also been blasted about two meters high, slightly surpassing Wang Zeyu's, indicating an even superior pill quality.

By that logic, with Yang Xiao's cauldron explosion reaching seven or eight meters, the pill he had refined must be of an even higher tier, potentially exceeding all expectations!

Yuu Lezhan hastened his pace toward Yang Xiao, a sense of anticipation growing within him for the pill's potential.

Imagine if Yang Xiao could actually produce the ultimate Top Grade Pill; it would be a Grade One achievement. For a novice like him, that would be nothing short of remarkable. The Pill Refining Building would surely take notice.

"Good heavens! Look at that energy! Could this kid have really crafted a Top Grade Pill?"

"You're overthinking it, brother. Have you ever seen a Completed Pill cause such a stir? It's probably a botched pill, hence the huge uproar."

Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin exchanged glances, their expressions betraying more anxiety than anyone else's.

They couldn't bear the thought of Yang Xiao transforming from a nobody into a prodigy. It defied all logic. Yang Xiao was someone they could push around, but if he outshone them, that would be unforgivable. Jealousy breeds hatred.

With a couple of loud bangs, the medicinal cauldron that had been launched several meters into the air finally landed before Yang Xiao. He smiled as he lifted the lid and reached inside, pulling out a golden-red pill.

The pill was suffused with Vital Spirit Qi, its surface exceptionally smooth.

"It seems my technique is still a bit rusty after my rebirth! To only manage a Rank Seven pill," Yang Xiao mused, shaking his head while holding the pill, his satisfaction tinged with a hint of discontent.

If anyone else heard this, they'd likely be incensed, wanting to tear Yang Xiao apart and then flog him posthumously!

To refine a pill of such caliber on his first attempt and still be dissatisfied? That was surely infuriating.

Deep down, Yang Xiao was not content. To avoid drawing too much attention, he had deliberately held back when channeling the Vital Spirit Qi, aiming not to produce a pill of Rank One or Rank Ten. A Rank Eight or Rank Nine would have sufficed.

Yet, to his surprise, in the final phase of condensation, the lack of Vital Spirit Qi in his body, coupled with his unfamiliarity, caused the pill to solidify too slowly, resulting in a mere Rank Seven pill.

"Forget it! The difference between a Grade One Rank Seven and a Rank Eight pill isn't that significant. After all, records of Grade Ten Pills are scarce in today's world. Having successfully refined a Grade One Rank Seven Pill, I've passed the assessment. Given these results, the resources the Pill Refining Building allocates to me should be quite satisfactory."

Yang Xiao collected his thoughts and handed the pill to Yuu Lezhan with a smile, "Please examine the pill, Elder Yuu."

"Alright, alright."

Yuu Lezhan, eager and cautious, took the pill and scrutinized it closely.

"Wow!"

In just a moment, Yuu Lezhan, a Grade Three Pill Refining Master, couldn't contain his amazement. His gaze towards Yang Xiao was now filled with incredulity.

"Elder Yuu! What's the matter? What kind of pill has he refined?" Ye Kaifeng, who was nearby, couldn't contain his curiosity and asked.

The other examiners were equally eager, all ears for Yuu Lezhan's response.

With everyone's attention on him, Yuu Lezhan, with a hint of reluctance, handed the Powerful Strength Pill back to Yang Xiao and announced solemnly, "Yang Xiao has refined a Grade One Rank Seven Powerful Strength Pill!"

The room erupted into a cacophony of gasps and incredulous murmurs.

"My goodness! Are my eyes deceiving me? Did someone really refine a Grade One Rank Seven pill during a Pill Refining Master's examination?"

"To refine a Grade One Rank Seven pill, this individual must be an unparalleled genius! A Grade One Rank Seven pill! This Powerful Strength Pill might even be more valuable than some Grade Two pills."

"Look at his expression! He's frowning, as if he's dissatisfied with the result! Could it be that he was aiming to refine an even higher-grade pill?"

As the crowd buzzed with astonishment and praise for Yang Xiao, Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin, who had not yet had their pills appraised, stood there stunned. The contrast was stark; they had thought their pill refining achievements would be the envy of all. Thankfully, they hadn't yet presented their pills for appraisal, or they would have been utterly embarrassed in their attempt to boast.

Ye Kaifeng held the pill in his hand with an awkwardness that was palpable. He couldn't decide whether to give it to Yuu Lezhan for appraisal or just stand there, doing nothing. The smirks on the faces of those around him seemed to mock his previous bravado against Yang Xiao.

Now, the results were undeniable. The pills they had crafted paled in comparison to Yang Xiao's; they were utterly outclassed.

"Damn it! Yang Xiao, this jerk has really made me furious today! I swear, he's going to pay!" Ye Kaifeng seethed internally.

"Wang Zeyu actually had the nerve to head up to the third floor first, leaving us here to embarrass ourselves! Damn!"

Zhao Lin and Ye Kaifeng were overwhelmed with frustration. Watching Yang Xiao's nonchalant demeanor only fueled their rage, their eyes flashing with malice.

Yet, Yang Xiao had ignored them the entire time, simply placing his pill down and waiting for Yuu Lezhan to declare the assessment results.

Yuu Lezhan, brimming with excitement, didn't rush to examine the other candidates' pills. Instead, he focused on Yang Xiao and announced, "An extraordinary achievement. Congratulations, Yang Xiao. You've successfully passed both rounds of the Pill Refining Building's assessment and have become a Grade One Pill Refining Master!"

"And there's more! Yang Xiao! Not only did you earn first place with your exceptional performance in the first round, but you've also crafted a Grade One Rank Seven pill in this second round. Your results undoubtedly secure you the top spot once again! Your pill refining talent is exceptional. As a Pill Refining Master, in addition to the resources provided by our Pill Refining Building, you have the opportunity to..."

Yuu Lezhan paused, his eyes gleaming as he continued in a steady tone, "Yang Xiao! You're not only entitled to observe the pill refining process at our Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron, but you can also choose one of the pills refined by our Grade Four Pill Refining Master, Sheh Cheng'an! If you prefer not to take a pill, you may select a mysterious pill refining technique inscribed on our Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron!"

"Hmm!"

This time, the entire inner hall was abuzz with astonishment. The examinees weren't the only ones; even the Pill Boys couldn't contain their shock upon hearing Yuu Lezhan's recent announcement.

"There was no mention of such a reward before the exam!"

"Damn! To actually witness the crafting of the Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron with one's own eyes is an incredible opportunity!"

"Indeed! We've been part of the Pill Refining Building for many years and have never seen the Treasured Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron with our own eyes. This fellow gets the chance just because he excelled in the exam. It's hard to say whether it's his skill or just good fortune!"

"While the Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron may not be a rare top-grade divine artifact, it's exceedingly uncommon. This artifact possesses a hint of spirituality, which not only significantly boosts the success rate of pill refining but also enhances the pill's quality!"

"But these aren't even the most impressive features of the Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron. What's most crucial are the legendary mysterious pill refining methods inscribed on it. Rumor has it that the true mysterious pill refining methods are etched onto another divine artifact, encompassing 72 techniques. Our Pill Refining Building's Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron bears eight of these. And yet, just these eight techniques alone are enough to transform novices in the art of pill refining into grandmasters in a remarkably short time!"

While some in the crowd were dismissive, not grasping the significance, those familiar with the Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron and the mysterious refining techniques were utterly astounded.

In this world, the hierarchy of treasures is categorized as iron, copper, gold, spirit, and divine.

The Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron is a gold-class artifact. Generally, it's a challenge for even the average Profound Intercommunity Stage experts to procure such a gold weapon, especially one designed for pill refining.

It's likely that only those with the prowess of the Bright Dao Stage could possess spirit-level weapons.

Thus, the value of such an item is immeasurable. Even the most prestigious families in Azure Connection City, like Ye Kaifeng and Zhao Lin, lack magical treasures beyond the gold tier, their strongest being merely copper.