Chapter 171: The Unconventional Pill Formula

On the charming and alluring face, there was a slightly lost expression, with her eyes reflecting a very complex mix of emotions. 

There was envy, self-deprecation, bitterness, and even a hint of jealousy, among others...

Nalan Yanran sat lazily in a comfortable soft chair. The beautiful lines outlined by the loose moon-white dress she was wearing attracted quite a few sneaky glances from those behind her. 

At this moment, her gaze was also fixed tightly on the white figure of Xian'er. 

Beside her, the eldest princess Yao Ye was the same. 

Below, the little princess standing on the stone platform was also watching intently, mumbling something under her breath. 

Perhaps out of a sense of competition common among women, the four famous beauties of the imperial capital were silently focused on Xian'er. 

...

Vice President Chemier smiled and praised Wei Yang, "Miss Xian'er, trained personally by Mr. Wei, truly has an extraordinary alchemical skill that even I admire. In a previous internal test, she was able to purify the medicinal ingredients eight times with just a tier-five beast flame. This achievement is comparable to that of the Alchemy King, Gu He, back in his day."

Wei Yang heard this and couldn't help but smile slightly, responding without an ounce of humility, "Haha, Xian'er is indeed excellent; she's very serious about alchemy."

"Ha ha." Chemier laughed heartily.

"Hehe." The surrounding bigwigs also showed kindly smiles.

This behavior clearly showed that Wei Yang surely cherished this girl named Xian'er dearly. 

He was even too lazy to be modest, and when others praised Xian'er, he seemed to be particularly happy.

Some women couldn't help but show envious expressions. 

President Farma curiously asked, "Do you think Miss Xian'er could win the championship at this conference?"

"Can't say about winning the championship, but the top three is certain," Wei Yang answered casually.

Hearing this, everyone's eyebrows twitched.

By the looks of it, Miss Xian'er was clearly more than just a mere tier-three alchemist. 

...

Standing quietly on the smooth bluish stone platform, Xian'er was unfazed by the numerous gazes.

Her eyes swept over the platform and found two neatly placed sets of medicinal ingredients.

In front of the ingredients lay a thin piece of paper quietly.

Additionally, embedded in front of the bluish stone platform was a jade mirror, with faint azure and red light flickering.

Picking up the thin paper, Xian'er glanced over it, somewhat surprised to find it was actually a formula for a tier-two pill.

But what left her speechless was that the prescription was obviously just a casual transcription of the dosage and other information, not at all in line with the standard format of a legitimate pill formula.

A proper pill formula, whether it's a formula, a combat skill, or a technique, needs to be inscribed using soul power for both creation and reading, and it can only be read a limited number of times.

But only this way can the reader grasp the information quickly, noting any issues and elements of caution.

Things like the thin paper in front of her, which simply recorded the general refinement method without any detailed nuances, required the practitioner to handle it themselves. This type of record does not qualify as a formal pill formula.

Such pill formulas undoubtedly elevate the failure rate of concocting a pill to a frightening level.

Since many details and precautions need to be explored, thought of, discovered, and resolved independently during the refining process.

And frustratingly, the alchemy competition only provided two sets of ingredients.

This meant every participant only had two chances to fail, and if someone consumed both sets of ingredients without successfully refining the pill, they would undoubtedly fail completely.

The result of failure would naturally be elimination.

This kind of test is very challenging for an alchemist's experience, knowledge reserve, and on-the-spot adaptability.

"Truly worthy of being an eight-year grand alchemy tournament, such difficulty is indeed substantial," Xian'er remarked, holding the thin paper, feeling the pressure.

She had never encountered this kind of approach before, and though she had extensive knowledge, she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

Previously, she had always followed pill formulas' detailed records to methodically refine pills, never considering the reasoning behind the formula's construction.

Not only Xian'er, but many alchemists in the field appeared with bitter expressions on their faces.

However, Liu Ling and the little princess remained relatively calm.

There's no need to elaborate on the little princess; she grew up in the Alchemist Association within the royal family, receiving proper training from a young age.

Liu Ling was similarly privileged, receiving rigorous instruction and nurturing from the Alchemy King Gu He, so this kind of assessment wasn't their first and they had coping experience.

This is the difference between those who grow up within major powers' tutelage compared to those who came up through untraditional means.

On this point, not only many alchemists present, but even Xiao Yan, Xian'er, and Wei Yang were from untraditional backgrounds.

They weren't exposed to these things from the get-go but became alchemists in their teens, which means their foundational accumulation and heritage are lacking.

This difference isn't about knowledge or innate talent but about the experience with dealing with exams.

"Teacher," Xiao Yan called out in his heart.

However, Yao Lao seemed not to hear, not responding at all.

"Alright then," Xiao Yan sighed helplessly, realizing his teacher wanted him to face and solve the difficulty himself.

Xiao Yan looked over to where Xian'er was.

Sensing his gaze, Xian'er looked back at him.

The two exchanged a glance, feeling sympathetically anxious.

Then they both bowed their heads and carefully read the scant few refining attention points noted on the thin paper.

Hoping to find some pattern from it.

Observing the two of them silently, Liu Ling couldn't help but sneer, thinking, "The teacher was right; they lack experience... Hmph, how does excellent ingredient extraction matter? I've long said, the competition isn't just about those things, but a comprehensive test. Now let you see the gap between someone like me, who was cultivated through formal channels, compared to country bumpkins like you from untraditional backgrounds!"

...

In the high-platform VIP section, Wei Yang leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The problem Xian'er encountered was immediately evident to him.

To Wei Yang, such an issue was naturally no big deal.

Given his high rank, it was like a university student looking back at primary school questions; everything was clear at a glance, including any traps.

Upon reaching a certain level, one wouldn't care about minor issues such as those on a tier-two formula.

Yet Xian'er was different; she was merely a peak tier-four, unable to handle it as effortlessly as Wei Yang.

But she was slightly better off since she had about two more years of exposure to and learning about pharmacology than Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's significant problem was the brevity of his accumulation time, being less than three years in total.

And even within these three years, he barely had enough time for cultivation, so how much time could he spare to study pharmacology?

However, neither Wei Yang nor Yao Lao intended to cheat for the two of them, rather choosing to observe and let them figure things out.

"I say, senior, Xiao Yan has been involved in alchemy for such a short time and hasn't even reached three full years yet; aren't you worried he'll mess up?" Wei Yang said teasingly through a mental transmission. 

"Messes up then so be it, it's just a small contest, lose it and let it be, treat it as buying a lesson," Yao Lao replied indifferently, "Besides, a bit of setback will facilitate faster growth."

"True, and anyway, we have Xian'er as a fallback," Wei Yang laughed.

"Indeed, and even if both of them end up losing, it doesn't matter," Yao Lao chuckled, "You, being an honorary elder, could just ask for a look at that Fusion Spirit Pill formula in advance, couldn't you?"

"Sounds reasonable," Wei Yang agreed.

"You two..." Xiao Yan was dumbfounded.

Did they not realize that he could hear them as well?

"Go on, focus on your formula, do you have so much spare time now?" Wei Yang and Yao Lao almost spoke in unison.

"..." Xiao Yan.