Chapter 816: Three-time Champion Pinghu Little Blue Flower

"Mid-grade..."

Dong Ling stared blankly at the slightly weak young man in front of her, then took the pill and sniffed it gently. She was very familiar with the Throne Pill. In the entire Eastern Sky Royal City, the only person who could regularly supply Throne Pills was President Dong Ling of the Alchemist Association Headquarters. To refine this pill, one needed not only superb alchemy skills but also immense cultivation.

The pill in her hand still had the unique heat of something fresh out of the furnace. Dong Ling was certain that this was not a trick where Young Master Xu used other pills from his inventory as a substitute. But how could a normal young man possibly refine a Throne Pill?

"You... are you at the Throne cultivation level?" Dong Ling hesitated, asking a question that even she found absurd.

"That's not important," Xu Xiaoshou smiled, feeling the power in his body gradually balance and recover, his complexion returning to a healthier rosy hue. "What's important is, a mid-grade pill counts, right?"

Refining the Throne Pill was indeed mentally exhausting. At the moment the pill formed, it nearly drained all the power from his body. Xu Xiaoshou was certain that if any Grandmaster at the Heavenly Elephant realm were to refine this pill, they would instantly be completely depleted of all their internal power and faint due to insufficient strength. Protective measures were absolutely necessary!

Otherwise, even a Peak Grandmaster would face immense risk refining this pill! But he was different. Although he was at the Heavenly Elephant realm, all his passive endurance skills were at the Throne level. Just the "Full of Vigor" skill alone meant it was impossible for him to be drained to unconsciousness from refining a single batch of pills.

However, the greatest consumption when refining the Throne Pill was not even physical, but mental. At the moment of pill formation, Xu Xiaoshou was certain that without corresponding comprehension of the Dao realm, any alchemist would be drained into a state of idiocy by that mental drawing force. For a Grade Four pill, the risk of its formation was no less than that of a major battle!

Fortunately, he was already a Grandmaster of two Thrones, possessing basic comprehension of the Dao realm, so he wouldn't be tormented to the point of fainting by a mere pill. But after this refinement, Xu Xiaoshou finally understood why this pill was ranked as Grade Four. Even though the difficulty of refining the Throne Pill and the Small Body Restoration Pill was not significantly different, the requirements in other aspects made a world of difference between the two.

As a result, with this pill formation, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't even sure if it could truly be judged as a Grade Four pill. He could only vaguely discern that the Throne Pill he refined had reached mid-grade quality. It was barely a success. But it succeeded on the first attempt.

If this was truly a Throne Pill and not a poisonous one, then it meant he had achieved... Grandmaster of three Thrones!

Dong Ling remained silent for a long time. Under Young Master Xu's expectant gaze, she slowly nodded: "It is a Throne Pill, mid-grade quality. It's not poisonous, and it can be consumed." The heavy weight in Xu Xiaoshou's heart finally lifted. He had succeeded!

Dong Ling didn't ask further. Holding the pill bottle, she returned to the judges' table. She knew that no matter how many questions she asked Young Master Xu, she wouldn't get any answers in the end. But what kind of person would think a mid-grade Throne Pill couldn't be consumed? Even if this item were a low-grade pill, countless people would flock to it, wouldn't they?

Even if a low-grade pill had some toxicity, a Throne-level expert would no longer fear that tiny bit of pill poison. Putting the hope of achieving the Throne level alongside the cost of consuming a little pill poison, anyone would choose to consume it on the spot, right? Moreover, this pill wasn't low-grade, but mid-grade; it was the standard quality of her own regular pill formations...

This guy must be used to consuming top-grade pills, and he couldn't quickly adjust to whether a mid-grade pill was even edible! "Extremely wealthy..." Regarding Young Master Xu's question, Dong Ling could only offer this answer.

She returned to the judges' table somewhat woodenly, placed the pill bottle on the table, and numerous old presidents scrambled to snatch it. "A miracle!" "Heavens, the pill actually formed! How did he do it? He's so young..." "Even I wouldn't dare to easily refine a Throne Pill, yet he finished it and looks completely unharmed. Doesn't he need to rest?"

"Have you all forgotten? One of the requirements for refining a Throne Pill is Dao realm comprehension. So, Young Master Xu..." "Throne? Is he perhaps at the Throne cultivation level?"

A gleaming golden pill was passed back and forth among the old presidents, whose hands were covered with spiritual energy, each person fearing their sweat would contaminate this precious pill. Before long, everyone also thought of the cultivation level restriction.

"He's a Sword Grandmaster, isn't he? I remember he displayed his Sword Grandmaster cultivation during the Tianluo Battle." "Yes, that's right. But how can a Sword Grandmaster achieve Dao realm comprehension? A Grandmaster merely touches upon the Dao; only a Throne-level expert comprehends it. Unless..." "Unless his sword cultivation has reached the pinnacle of Grandmastery, just a step away from becoming a Sword Throne-level expert!" someone boldly speculated.

"Absurd! How old is that young man? Why don't you just say he's already a Sword Throne-level expert?" someone immediately retorted. All the elders fell silent.

After a long silence, Shi Ti quietly remarked, "Don't forget, everyone, he's not an ordinary alchemist. He's the successor of a Half-Saint power. It seems his spirit cultivation is his main focus, and alchemy is just a sideline." At this, everyone felt a headache.

Such powerful alchemy skill was merely Young Master Xu's secondary profession. Some people spent their entire lives and couldn't reach such a level in alchemy! "So, he actually came here to take the exam for a Grade Four Alchemist badge and incidentally win the championship, right? After all, normally, to go from Grade Ten to Grade Four in alchemy certification would take at least a decade or more."

These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, stunning all the old presidents into a daze on the spot. Lu Chenghui held the Throne Pill, gazing infatuatedly at the golden pill aura it emitted. He knew this was something that would require him ten days of recovery to refine. Yet the fellow in the arena did it effortlessly.

"President!" His expression brightened, and Lu Chenghui turned to Dong Ling: "I want to—" "No, you don't!" Dong Ling snapped, cutting him off, and snatched the Throne Pill back from his hand. At that moment, everyone wanted to invite Young Master Xu to become an honorary vice president in their respective organizations. No duties would be required, just his name.

But how could Dong Ling let these old foxes have their way? "The Alchemist Convention is solely about the Alchemist Convention. As for your individual schemes, you can go talk to him yourselves after this matter is concluded." "Here, we only do work related to the Alchemist Convention."

Dong Ling's gaze was intimidating. She swept it around, subduing all the presidents. Then she lowered her head and instructed the staff beside her: "Go, replace the Grade Five Alchemist badge we prepared earlier with a Grade Four one, and bring it to the site immediately. We'll proceed with the conferment of rank shortly."

"President Dong Ling! You—" The old presidents on one side were dumbfounded. Hadn't it been agreed that the Alchemist Convention would only deal with Convention-related matters? How did she suddenly steer it towards the conferment of rank?

"My Tian Yuan City can issue this Grade Four badge to Young Master Xu." "My Tian Yan City can too." "Tian Sang City also possesses this capability!" "Oh my..."

"Silence!" Dong Ling turned her head and rebuked them again, saying impatiently, "It's just a Grade Four badge, what's all the fuss about? I'm not recruiting him into the Alchemist Headquarters; I'm just issuing a badge. What's there to argue over?"

Lu Chenghui was provoked: "Fine, if you don't argue, I will! My Tian Yuan City will issue this badge!" "I will!" "I will!"

Shi Ti, remaining aloof from the fray, took a step back and withdrew from the chaotic scene, shaking his head silently as he watched. The alchemy world rarely saw such a young Grade Four Alchemist Throne. That's why these old fellows had gone mad.

Even if the issued badge only connected their managed association to the place of origin, these people would fight tooth and nail for this small bit of prestige. Seriously, don't they know anything about tolerance and magnanimity...? Shi Ti let out a heavy sigh, then suddenly, flushed red, rushed into the fray.

"All of you, be quiet! My Tian Sang City can also issue this badge. If you don't agree, let's fight!" "Come on! Let's fight!" "Old corpse, today it's either you or me! Watch out for the fire! Eyebrows on fire!" "Hiss, you old rascal! These are my white eyebrows, regrown with rare spiritual medicine, and they've only been alive for a few months! I'll kill you, ahhh—"

The judges' table had gone mad again. The audience outside watched the lively scene at the judges' table and found it amusing. But this was typical of old alchemists. Those who frequently visited the Alchemist Association were long accustomed to the arguments these old fellows had over academic and other issues.

"At this moment, they must also be discussing the feasibility of the Throne Pill refined by Young Master Xu, right?" "They truly are a group of adorable old seniors. Our path has become smooth sailing precisely because of their guidance." "Indeed, alchemists are truly noble, unlike us spirit refiners who often fight fiercely for a bit of fame and profit. Tsk, tsk, there's no comparison!"

On the judges' table, Dong Ling held a formation command token. With a squeeze, she instantly transformed the scene of old presidents pulling hair and tearing clothes into one of bowing in greeting and reciprocal academic exchange. Then she flew out, waved her hand, and the golden ranking list reappeared.

"One, Xu Deyi, 100 points, Grade Five Small Body Restoration Pill, top-grade." "Two, Zhu Yan, 98 points, Grade Five Heavenly Star Pill, mid-grade." "Three, Yu Chuchu, 95 points, Grade Six Grandmaster Pill, excellent-grade." Line after line of text appeared.

In the final round of alchemy, everyone's scores were quite close. If pill quality was the only judging criterion, even a Grade Seven Stardust Pill could achieve a minimum score of 85 points. "It's out!"

The audience was extremely excited. When they saw Young Master Xu still at the top of the list with a perfect score, bursts of cheers erupted from the crowd. "As expected, Young Master Xu got a perfect score again! Triple Crown winner! Unstoppable at the Alchemist Convention!" "How do you stop him? Tell me how! He even refined a Grade Four Throne Pill. Against others, isn't it like he just casually slaps them and they shatter?"

"He's truly terrifying..." "By the way, what about those two from the Central Region who were refining Grade Five pills? How come they didn't make it into the top three? Miss Yu even managed to get third place." "Not everyone can attempt Grade Five. It's already good that Zhu Yan succeeded. Those two eventually changed their pills, and one even ran out of time and only produced a low-grade Grandmaster Pill." "Hilarious, you probably had all your attention on Young Master Xu's alchemy, didn't you?"

The outer field was filled with joy. In the final round, what sane person would still be watching others refine pills? Once the Throne Pill appeared, everyone else's thunder was completely stolen. "It's just a pity that the Throne Pill's refinement exceeded the time limit and couldn't be included in the final score. Otherwise... uh, otherwise Young Master Xu would still have a perfect score. This... how annoying! Is this what a genius is like?"

Someone sighed emotionally. Then they suddenly realized there was no need to sigh at all. Young Master Xu had already secured a perfect score with just the Small Body Restoration Pill; he didn't even need to refine the Throne Pill. That was truly demoralizing. The sky was growing dark.

High in the sky, President Dong Ling pressed down with her hand, quelling the commotion. "Everyone, the Alchemist Convention has now successfully concluded. I believe you are all anticipating something..." She paused, a smile appearing on her face, and with a flick of her hand, produced a pill bottle. "That's right, you didn't see wrong. The champion of this Alchemist Competition, Xu De... Young Master Xu, he indeed refined a Grade Four Throne Pill." "After appraisal by the judging panel, the pill's quality reached mid-grade, with no issues whatsoever!"

With a roar, the venue once again erupted in waves of cheers. This time, the leaders of major powers on the viewing platform could no longer sit still. A Grade Four Alchemist! They would go to any lengths to recruit such a person into their own forces, let alone a young man with limitless potential.

But then they had a second thought. Young Master Xu was a Half-Saint successor and had his own Heavenly First Tower. Why would he join them? Many people instantly felt deflated and returned to their seats.

However, most people were still excited. As long as they established relations with Heavenly First Tower, they would effectively have a young Alchemist Throne-level guest elder. Who didn't know about Heavenly First Tower, this emerging power? Previously, no one paid them much attention because they didn't care.

But precisely because they didn't care, no one had established contact with this force before. So even if it wasn't providing timely help in a crisis, but rather adding splendor to perfection, the first force to establish relations with Heavenly First Tower would gain significant advantages.

High in the sky, Dong Ling paid no heed to these thoughts; she slowly descended. "Let us congratulate Young Master Xu!" As she spoke, accompanied by the thunderous applause of the audience, she pulled an azure lantern from her ring. The lantern was made of bamboo, with eight azure lamp posts radiating profound sacred power. Within the lamp posts, a captivating azure flower was bound.

Although the flower was in bloom, it had no solid form. It bloomed in cycles, its petals undulating, and each time it blossomed, it unfurled starlight-speckled azure fiery blossoms. "Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake!" The contestants on the field instantly grew envious. This small heavenly flame was the dream of all alchemists. Unfortunately, it belonged only to the sole champion of this competition.

Dong Ling walked directly to Young Master Xu, smiling as she handed him the lantern. This face-to-face encounter, any unpleasantness from the Ling Que Trade Fair was completely cast from her mind. "Congratulations," Dong Ling said with a smile. "This is your reward. Does the association need to assist you in consuming the small heavenly flame?"

Xu Xiaoshou gazed in some astonishment at the lantern trapping the small heavenly flame. The power of the Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake was somewhat beyond his imagination. Even through the lamp posts, he could already sense a wisp of calamity power no weaker than the Three-Day Frost Calamity or the Cinder Illumination Origin Seed. This was terrifying! This was completely unexpected!

"Is this the 'Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake'? It clearly has the word 'Small' in its name, yet it's still so powerful?" "Then what level is the true 'Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake'?" "A heavenly flame born from the Nine Great Ancestral Trees... Right, I should have realized earlier. That thing must be Saint-grade, so what's surprising about this small heavenly flame, born from a Saint-grade one, possessing power comparable to the Three-Day Frost Calamity?"