Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 343: The Tri-Academy Exchange Arc (Part-35)

Black Rock Wood looked like nothing more than a piece of darkened timber, yet its true nature was closer to stone. Its outer shell was incomparably hard, so resistant that even fierce flames needed a long time to make any headway.

Zora was unhurried.

She patiently controlled the temperature, neither rushing nor slackening, letting the flames gnaw at the Black Rock Wood bit by bit. Every adjustment was precise, every fluctuation deliberate.

On the high platform, the six Alchemists appeared almost motionless. Aside from the faint rise and fall of flames within the cauldrons, there was little to indicate that intense refinement was taking place.

Though many spectators did not truly understand what they were seeing, their interest remained undiminished.

Opportunities to watch an alchemy assessment were rare, and today allowed them a glimpse into the mysterious world of Alchemists.

Among the three judges, Mariette’s gaze swept across the six competitors before finally settling on Zora.

To be honest, she had initially believed this young girl to be nothing more than half-trained.

Even in the first round, when Zora had guided Sylvandria to the solution, Mariette had attributed it to nothing more than luck.

That test had only examined attentiveness and familiarity with medicinal materials. It was not particularly difficult, and it was not strange for someone sharp-eyed to succeed.

However, as she now observed the refinement of Black Rock Wood in Zora’s cauldron, Mariette began to sense something different.

This young girl was not as simple as she had assumed.

Noticing Mariette’s focused gaze, Lionel asked curiously, "Mariette, what do you think of this Zora’s level?"

He, too, had been paying attention to Zora. According to what Gerrad had said earlier, Sylvandria was supposed to be the only Alchemist from the Academy.

By all accounts, Zora had stepped in at the last moment. Logically, her alchemy should not be impressive. Yet what she had shown so far did not align with that assumption.

"I think this little girl may be stronger than we expected," Mariette replied slowly.

Having spent decades in the Alchemists Association, she had seen countless young talents. One could often judge much from a person’s composure and technique alone.

"That’s not impossible," Tancred added thoughtfully. "Even though Sylvandria is an Alchemist, her cultivation isn’t weak either."

"It’s just a pity," Mariette sighed softly. "This girl has invested most of her energy into cultivation. Otherwise, she could have become an outstanding Alchemist."

"In terms of refining talent alone, she may not surpass Sylvandria," Lionel said with a mild smile. "And I’ve heard Reynard is also a second-rank Alchemist, quite remarkable."

Mariette nodded. "This younger generation truly is impressive."

Not far away, Gerrad listened to their discussion, an inscrutable smile appearing on his face.

It seemed these old fellows were finally starting to notice.

He himself had only learned of Zora’s true alchemy level after she participated in the Alchemists Association’s assessment. Otherwise, even he would not have known how deep her attainments ran.

Meanwhile, Black and White were unusually quiet. Once Zora began refining Black Rock Wood, they knew better than to disturb her.

This was not a moment that allowed for distraction. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Time slowly passed.

Within the cauldron, Zora sensed a subtle change.

The outer shell of the Black Rock Wood, once stubbornly rigid, was finally beginning to soften.

Just then, a sudden sound cut through the silence.

"Hiss!"

It was not loud, yet on the eerily quiet alchemy platform, it sounded especially sharp.

Wymond’s face instantly turned ugly.

He had finally burned through the outer shell of the Black Rock Wood, but his control over the flames had been a fraction too late. The fire surged, and in that brief instant, the delicate essence inside was scorched into nothingness.

A failure.

Sylvandria and the others were still refining steadily without incident, which only made Wymond’s expression grow darker. He had always been confident in his alchemy. To be the first one to make a mistake in such a crucial assessment was a blow to both his pride and reputation.

Rowena let out a soft sigh when she saw Wymond fail. Yet in that fleeting moment of distraction, a familiar sound rang out again.

"Hiss!"

A faint scorched smell spread through the air.

Rowena’s face stiffened.

Her lapse in concentration had cost her as well. Regret surged through her heart. If she had known, she would never have let her attention wander, even for a moment. But regret now was useless.

Seeing Rowena suffer the same fate, Wymond’s gloomy mood eased slightly. At least he was not alone.

Without hesitation, Wymond picked up a second piece of Black Rock Wood and placed it into his cauldron. There was still time. As long as he succeeded before the limit, he would not be eliminated.

Rowena’s gaze unconsciously shifted toward Zora.

By all logic, Zora should have failed by now. Yet until this moment, there had been no sound, no sign of error from her cauldron.

Could it be... that Zora had not even burned through the outer shell yet?

As soon as the thought surfaced, Rowena convinced herself it must be true. There was no other explanation. Surely Zora was simply slower.

Below the platform, the crowd grew restless.

Both Wymond and Rowena had failed once, yet Zora remained steady. The spectators could not help but feel a strange sense of surprise. Had they underestimated her?

"Could it be that Zora is actually good at alchemy? She hasn’t failed even once so far."

"That’s impossible. Maybe she’s just been lucky."

"I heard refining Black Rock Wood is extremely difficult. At this level, luck alone shouldn’t be enough."

What was meant to be a contest among Alchemists had turned into a spectacle centered on Zora.

Many people were secretly betting on when she would be eliminated. Compared to the other five, she was the one they thought they understood best.

At that moment, a faint sound came from inside Zora’s cauldron.

Crack.

The moment she heard it, her eyes sharpened.

That was the sound of the Black Rock Wood’s shell splitting.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately reduced the flames, preventing the fragile essence from being burned away.

The fire weakened in an instant.

Zora continued refining with measured calm, gently roasting the exposed essence. Impurities still lingered within it, and only careful, patient flame control could drive them out completely.

Her movements were steady, unhurried, and precise, as though every change had already been rehearsed countless times.

Compared with burning away the outer shell of Black Rock Wood, purifying the essence inside was far more treacherous. The impurities were tangled and stubborn, demanding exquisitely precise control over the flames. A single lapse, and the fragile essence would be reduced to ash.

Yet if the heat was even slightly insufficient, the impurities would remain, rendering the refinement a failure all the same.

It was precisely because of this razor-thin margin that Black Rock Wood was considered the ultimate test of an Alchemist’s control.

"Hiss!"

Another sharp sound rang out.

Jocelyn’s face darkened instantly. His refinement had been nearly complete, yet in a moment of anxious haste, the flames flared out of control, and the essence vanished.

A suffocating sense of frustration flooded his chest.

After losing in the first round, he had been determined to redeem himself here, to seize victory with speed and reclaim lost ground. Instead, he had failed just like Wymond.

With that mistake, it was impossible for them to be the first to finish this round.

At this point, the slowest ones were Wymond and Rowena, both hampered by earlier failures. Jocelyn glanced at the hourglass and felt a chill. There was no room for hesitation now. If he delayed any longer, even passing the round would become uncertain.

Sylvandria closed her eyes, shutting out all distractions, devoting her entire focus to the cauldron before her.

For a time, only three cauldrons continued steadily.

Sylvandria.

Zora.

Reynard.

Reynard was genuinely surprised. Zora had lasted far longer than he had expected, defying all his assumptions.

Could it be... that this woman truly had some skill in alchemy?

Refining Black Rock Wood was no simple feat. Without real ability, it was impossible to persist to this stage.

From his perspective, Zora’s calm could not be an act.

His gaze shifted to Sylvandria. She was his real target. Beating her was his goal from the beginning. The sudden appearance of Zora had already disrupted his plans.

Sensing Reynard’s stare, Zora slowly opened her eyes.

She met his gaze with cool indifference.

Her brows lifted slightly, and a faint, mocking curve appeared at her lips with a silent provocation.