BTTH: DISCIPLE CASHBACK SYSTEM

Chapter 375: The First Round is Over!

Chapter 375: The First Round is Over!

"What is this old man trying to do?"

Sensing Fa Ma’s soul power probing her, Xiao Yi Xian, under her black robe, frowned.

With her current cultivation and her status as the ruler of the Chu Yun Empire, even Fa Ma was no match for her. If she were truly provoked, no one present could stop her.

If it weren’t for the fact that Xiao Yi Xian had a task to complete for Gu He, she would have long lost her temper with this disrespectful old man.

On Fa Ma’s side, after failing to detect anything, he had no choice but to stop his probing. However, by now, he had marked Xiao Yi Xian as a person of interest to observe closely.

"Chelsea, give me all the information on this black-robed person!" Fa Ma ordered the person beside him.

"Yes, Lord Fa Ma!" The alchemist named Chelsea respectfully retreated from the platform after receiving Fa Ma's command.

Seeing the unusual expression on Fa Ma's face, Jia Xingtian asked, "What’s going on, old Fa?"

"Jia, that black-robed person is suspicious. Normally, even if someone is wearing a hood, I can still detect their face. However, when I used my soul power to probe, I found that I couldn't even breach the slightest defense," Fa Ma explained seriously.

Hearing Fa Ma’s assessment, Jia Xingtian began to focus on the black-robed figure standing in the corner of the square.

...

Time passed, and after both Liu Ling and Xiao Yi Xian had successfully refined their pills, Princess Yao Yue also completed her pill refinement.

After these three completed their pills, it was as if a chain reaction had been triggered across the vast square. One by one, cauldron lids were shot into the air as hundreds of pills of varying shapes were ejected from the cauldrons, flying into the sky, only to be eagerly caught by their owners.

As for Xiao Yan, because he had failed once, he was just now finishing extracting his second set of ingredients.

"Time is running out, and Mister Yan Xiao hasn’t even started merging the ingredients yet. It seems he won’t make it in time!"

"With Mister Yan Xiao's extraordinary alchemy skills, it would be such a pity if he failed in this round."

Watching Xiao Yan’s progress, Nalan Jie, Mu Chen, and the others began to grow anxious. After all, they had spoken highly of Xiao Yan before. If he failed to pass even the first round, it would be a great embarrassment for them.

At that moment, Xiao Yan made a surprising move. He decided to adopt the same method that Liu Ling had used earlier, intending to merge all the ingredients at once. This approach required immense control over one’s soul power, and even the slightest distraction could lead to failure, thereby losing the last opportunity.

Fa Ma, observing Xiao Yan’s situation, muttered, "He has no other choice but to take this risk. If he doesn't, there’s no way he can finish refining the pill in the time remaining."

As time continued to slip away, countless eyes in the square were drawn to Xiao Yan at the center, all watching the final grains of sand in the hourglass trickle down. Everyone wanted to know if this young man, standing in the most prominent position, could complete the challenge at the very last moment.

With only a few grains of sand left in the hourglass, a sigh of disappointment spread through the audience and the VIP seats as they anticipated failure.

"Bang!"

Just as the last grains of sand were about to fall, the young man, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. With a light tap on his cauldron, the lid flew off, and a perfectly round pill shot into the air at the final moment.

Looking up at the pill that had just been launched into the sky, Xiao Yan remained calm. With a simple gesture, he summoned it into his palm with a forceful pull.

At the exact moment the pill landed in his hand, the last grains of sand in the hourglass finally fell completely.

Immediately, across the vast square, hundreds of red lights lit up in front of the stone platforms of the alchemists who had failed to refine a finished product.

Instantly, across the vast square, hundreds of red lights lit up in front of the stone platforms of the alchemists who had failed to refine a complete pill.

Gazing at the flashing red lights in front of them, those alchemists could only shake their heads in disappointment, smiling bitterly. They collected their cauldrons, their faces full of dejection, and made their way out of the square.

Standing behind the stone platform, Xiao Yan watched as the participants gradually withdrew from the competition. Looking around, he was somewhat surprised to find that the first round of assessment had already eliminated nearly a third of the contestants. He couldn't help but be amazed at the strictness and rigor of the competition.

Toying with the pill in his hand, Xiao Yan turned his head and cast his gaze toward Liu Ling.

He noticed that the previously resting Liu Ling had now turned around, grinning as he looked in Xiao Yan's direction.

With a sly smile, Liu Ling flashed a row of white teeth and said, "Kid, your luck isn’t too bad. You managed to refine the pill just in time, avoiding elimination at the last second!"

Hearing Liu Ling’s comment, the joy Xiao Yan had felt from successfully refining his pill immediately faded. He shrugged casually and said, "As long as the pill is made, it counts as passing. Whether it’s the first moment or the last, it doesn’t really make a difference, does it?"

Liu Ling, hearing Xiao Yan’s retort, remained calm as he replied, "Haha, true, there’s no real difference. However, this level of selection does allow some unqualified people to slip through to the next round!"

"Heh, say whatever you like..."

Since there had been a significant difference in refining time, and Xiao Yan had ultimately borrowed Liu Ling’s method in the end, their conversation carried a hint of awkwardness for Xiao Yan.

"Whew!"

At that moment, in the VIP seats, Nalan Jie let out a heavy sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Turning to Mu Chen beside him, he said, "Luckily, he succeeded. Mister Yan Xiao's performance was truly astonishing!"

"Indeed, he managed to refine the pill just in time," Mu Chen nodded.

At this moment, Fa Ma stepped forward to the front of the stage, gazing down at the vast square. His eyes swept over the third of the contestants who had been eliminated, and with a light chuckle, he nodded in satisfaction. Raising both hands slightly, the bustling square gradually quieted down.

"Congratulations to all of you who are still standing in the square. You’ve successfully passed the general test of the first round. However, this is not the end just yet!"

Fa Ma smiled and continued, "As you all know, there are always some sly individuals who enjoy using dubious tricks. Some of them may have managed to refine pills that look perfectly round on the outside, but pills with no real healing properties are essentially worthless. So, next, we will test the 'Bone-Growth Pill' you’ve refined to see if it meets the required standards!"

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