Refining Elixirs was delicate work. Even though they were only refining the Fourth Grade Calm Spirit Pill, it was not something that could be completed in a day. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

By now, the entire Alchemy Room was filled with a swirling white mist. The temperature had risen due to the two performing Alchemy, and the heat brought a flush to Luo Xiaowen’s face, making her look quite alluring.

"It’s been three days. They should be coming out soon," Luo Xiaowen murmured, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Sure enough, just as Luo Xiaowen finished speaking, a sound echoed from one of the Alchemy Rooms before her. The door to Master Xing’s chamber slowly swung open, and he emerged.

Despite three days of Alchemy, Master Xing’s complexion was unchanged, and he still looked full of energy. This was to be expected. As a Fifth Grade Alchemist, he sometimes spent ten days or even half a month in an Alchemy Room when refining Fifth Grade Elixirs. Three days was mere child’s play to him.

"Miss Luo, I am pleased to report my success," Master Xing said as he emerged, extending a Jade Bottle toward Luo Xiaowen. Inside it, six lustrous, perfectly round Elixirs lay spinning gently.

A look of pride appeared on Master Xing’s face as he gazed at the six Elixirs. Four of them had reached the Top Grade, while the other two were Upper Grade. This could be considered his most successful refinement yet! 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

However, Luo Xiaowen didn’t take the six Elixirs Master Xing offered. She merely gave them a casual glance and a faint "oh," before her eyes shifted to Shen Haoran’s Alchemy Room.

Seeing his masterpiece so blatantly ignored, Master Xing’s face darkened. He shot Luo Xiaowen a displeased look. "Are you waiting for that brat, Miss Luo? He’s been in there so long, he’s probably passed out! Does he really think he can compete with me?"

"Tsk, tsk. I leave you alone for a second, old man, and you start badmouthing me in front of my dear Sister Xiaowen. Have you no shame?" The moment Master Xing finished speaking, a mocking voice drifted from Shen Haoran’s Alchemy Room.

Then, Shen Haoran’s figure emerged from the Alchemy Room. He looked poised and elegant amidst the white mist, with no change in his complexion. ’I have the Concentration Incense in this room to thank for that,’ he thought. ’Just smelling it wiped away three days of exhaustion from Alchemy. I feel even more energized now.’

’This Concentration Incense is amazing stuff. I have to ask Luo Xiaowen for some when this is over!’ Shen Haoran thought. ’But for now, I’d better deal with this arrogant old man first.’

"Hmph. I’m surprised you actually managed to walk out of there. So, how did your Elixirs turn out?" Master Xing said, stroking his beard and tilting his head back arrogantly.

Looking at the smug, supremely arrogant Master Xing, Shen Haoran retorted, "And how did your Elixirs turn out?"

At that, Master Xing brandished the six Elixirs and declared proudly, "Four Top Grade and two Upper Grade. This Calm Spirit Pill was far too easy to refine!"

Seeing the six Elixirs in Master Xing’s hand, a look of panic flashed across Shen Haoran’s face. He cried out in alarm, "You... you actually refined six Top Grade Elixirs!"

Elder Xing thoroughly enjoyed Shen Haoran’s astonished expression. He looked at him with disdain and said, "And what about you? Are you going to admit defeat right now, or..."

"Not so fast," Shen Haoran said. "I’m not as incredible as Master Xing, I couldn’t refine six Elixirs. But I did manage to make one. Aren’t you going to take a look, Elder Xing?"

"What? Are you asking for my guidance?" Master Xing said, tilting his head back arrogantly.

"Yes, please do, Master Xing. Guide me," Shen Haoran said, a strange smile playing on his lips as he held out the Elixir in his hand.

"Very well, then. I shall deign to offer you a word or two of guidance, so that you will be utterly convinced when you lose, and you’ll..." Master Xing began smugly, but before he could finish, an incredibly rich Pill Fragrance suddenly erupted, permeating the entire Alchemy Room.

’This Pill Fragrance... a Sixth Grade Elixir?’ Upon smelling it, Elder Xing closed his eyes to savor it more carefully.

But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that the rich Pill Fragrance was emanating from the Calm Spirit Pill in Shen Haoran’s hand.

"This... How can a Fourth Grade Elixir have such a dense Pill Fragrance?" Master Xing exclaimed, staring at the perfectly round Elixir in Shen Haoran’s hand.

Seeing Master Xing’s shocked expression, Shen Haoran chuckled. "You’re right. A Fourth Grade Elixir like the Calm Spirit Pill shouldn’t be able to emit such a dense Pill Fragrance. But what if it looked like this?"

With that, Shen Haoran grunted softly. A black flame suddenly flared up in his hand, enveloping the Calm Spirit Pill. A moment later, the flame dissipated, and the Elixir reappeared before Master Xing. This time, however, it was different. The Calm Spirit Pill was now wreathed in a faint mist, obscuring its appearance.

Seeing the mist swirling around the Calm Spirit Pill, the expressions on Luo Xiaowen and Master Xing’s faces changed instantly. They both looked as if they had seen something unbelievable.

"A Pill... A Pill Cloud!" After a long moment, Master Xing tremblingly forced out the two words. His eyes were glued to the Calm Spirit Pill in Shen Haoran’s hand, and he swallowed hard.

Luo Xiaowen was in a similar state. Completely disregarding her dignified image, her jaw dropped, and her eyes remained glued to Shen Haoran’s palm. That was a Pill Cloud, a legend in the Alchemy Realm.

Everyone knew that Elixirs were inanimate objects. The higher the tier, the more spirituality they possessed, but it was still just spirituality. At the end of the day, they were still lifeless. An Elixir that possessed a Pill Cloud, however, was different. It meant the Elixir had the potential to grow. Over time, the spirituality gathered by the Pill Cloud could transform into true Spiritual Wisdom. An Elixir with a Pill Cloud was tantamount to another form of life!

Moreover, the potency of an Elixir with a Pill Cloud was dozens of times greater than that of an ordinary one. However, as wondrous as a Pill Cloud was, creating one was considered fundamentally impossible. Throughout the entire Alchemy Realm, it was regarded as nothing more than a myth. To think that today, Shen Haoran had actually refined an Elixir that possessed one!

It didn’t matter that Shen Haoran had only produced a single Elixir. Even if he had refined a mere Tier One Elixir, as long as it had a Pill Cloud, its value would far surpass the six Elixirs in Master Xing’s hand!

"I... I’ve lost..." Seeing the Pill Cloud, Master Xing was unable to utter a single word of protest. He collapsed to the floor. ’A Pill Cloud... a genuine, bona fide Pill Cloud! That’s the legendary realm countless Alchemists strive for, and to think it was achieved by such a young man!’

[PS: Quick announcement for everyone. The author is heading back to school tomorrow and will be on a train all day, so I won’t be able to update. The update will be delayed until the evening. Thanks for your understanding!]