For years, if there was one entity the noble families loathed the most, it would undoubtedly be the Divine启 Academy.
Upon its inception, the Divine启 Academy, through absolute military might, monopolized the vast majority of cultivation resources. The eighteen noble families, who had always stood on equal footing with the imperial family, were forced to cede ground and even bow in submission.
The families detested the Academy for possessing resources, talent, reputation, and absolute status, yet they were still compelled to send their family scions to learn the most comprehensive and systematic cultivation methods, seeking ultimate opportunities.
Mei Shuying was one of them. Over the years, Mei Shuying had successfully climbed to the position of Elder on the Zhen Dan Peak. Despite enjoying the Academy's resources, he harbored a constant desire to further the Mei family's advancement.
Thus, when he learned of the existence of the Spirit Root Purification Pill, Mei Shuying knew that his and the Mei family's chance had arrived.
"Youngster! Just wait and watch the Divine启 Academy be ruined in your hands, becoming a sinner of the Academy!" Mei Shuying, having suffered such a humiliation, couldn't help but laugh now, with a sense of vengeful satisfaction.
He stared at Bai Shengyi like a venomous snake, his fingers having just wiped his lips, when suddenly he coughed and spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"Keep staring at her like that, and this Lord will dig out your eyes."
Qin Si stepped forward, standing by Bai Shengyi's side, presenting a clear stance as Bai Shengyi's backer.
"Vice Principal, does the Academy truly not want the Spirit Root Purification Pill?" Mei Shuying asked unyieldingly.
"A mere Spirit Root Purification Pill. You make it sound as if only you can refine it."
As soon as Bai Shengyi spoke, not only Mei Shuying and the Mei family head, but even the onlookers who were cautiously enjoying the spectacle, were astonished.
What did this young girl mean?
Could she also refine the Spirit Root Purification Pill?
More anxious to know this news than the bystanders were the members of the Mei family.
Disregarding the severe pain within his body, Mei Shuying stepped forward, intending to stop Bai Shengyi, "Stop right there! Youngster, what do you mean by that?"
Bai Shengyi turned her head, her red lips curving slightly, "It means you are finished."
This single sentence completely disrupted Mei Shuying's composure.
Mei Shuying remained in a daze until the start of the Pill Refining Competition.
"Shuying, don't take her words to heart. I've interacted with this young lady before. She's very arrogant for her age. She certainly has the aptitude of an alchemist, but she's only a little over ten years old."
The Mei family head consoled Mei Shuying, "What you need to do now is prepare well and strive to make a name for yourself in this competition. That way, our Mei family can also hold our heads high!"
Since the Mei family had prematurely disseminated the news of Mei Shuying's successful research into the Spirit Root Purification Pill, many families attending the competition came to inquire about the truth from the Mei family head.
The Mei family head could not always be by Mei Shuying's side. After giving a few instructions, he went to chat with the Tang family head and the Sun family head.
"Young Master, there's something I'm not sure if I should say," the guard who followed behind Mei Shuying said cautiously.
"Speak."
"Yesterday, when we went to acquire the Purple Ginseng, the last stalk of thousand-year-old Purple Ginseng was snatched by those two people."
Mei Shuying was greatly alarmed. After a moment of thought, he gritted his teeth and whispered into the guard's ear, "I remember we have an informant in the Feng family who was arranged by the Feng family to organize this competition this year, right? Go and..."
"Shengyi, I'm truly sorry. I didn't expect it to be so busy, and I didn't even have time to properly greet you. Have you been wronged? If the servants have failed to provide adequate care, you must tell me."
As the participants entered the Pill Refining Plaza, Bai Shengyi finally met Feng Wuya.
"It's alright, I understand. Besides, you've also sent people specifically to explain the procedures to me. There's no need to be so formal between friends," Bai Shengyi said with a smile.
What's more, Bai Shengyi understood that with the news of the Mei family refining the Spirit Root Purification Pill, the Feng family's pressure in hosting the competition had increased.
"The pill refining is grouped by age, with each thirty-year age bracket forming a group. You and I are in the same group."
Feng Wuya said this, then pinched his small handkerchief and sighed.
"It's just that my uncle is quite unfortunate, running into Mei Shuying. Mei Shuying has already refined two seventh-tier pills. If he refines one more, he'll become a seventh-tier alchemist."
Bai Shengyi asked with confusion, "Is he going to refine a seventh-tier Spirit Root Purification Pill?"
"So they say." Feng Wuya sighed again, helplessly.
It felt like the Feng family was truly making wedding garments for the Mei family this time.
The Pill Refining Competition, a grand event held only once every five years for alchemists, was organized with great solemnity. All factions with any renown on the Divine启 Continent sent representatives to participate.
The Pill Refining Plaza, as the venue, was inscribed with high-level spatial formations by the most esteemed eighth-tier talisman master on the Divine启 Continent. From the ground to mid-air, layer upon layer, all served as competition grounds.
Each layer was divided into small cells like a honeycomb, with each position being self-contained, greatly ensuring that alchemists would not be disturbed during the refining process.
"So many people," Bai Shengyi muttered softly.
Her position and Feng Wuya's were not the same. She was on the first level, and at a glance, the surroundings and overhead were densely packed with people.
At the head of the plaza, Elder Feng Xun Guang was reading out the competition rules.
The so-called pill refining focused on the pill's quality and the pill's aura.
Pill quality referred to the grade of the spirit pill. Pill aura was the vapor cloud produced upon the completion of the pill, which was not greatly related to the alchemist's rank.
The more outstanding an alchemist, the more proficient they were in controlling the pill aura, and they could even use the pill aura generated by different elemental pills for combat.
It could be said that the true intention behind holding the Pill Refining Competition was the mastery of pill aura, allowing alchemists of different ranks to communicate and spar with each other.
The first round was to compete on pill quality within the same group. Only the top three could advance to the second round.
As Bai Shengyi, an alchemist of the fourth tier under the age of twenty, most of her peers in the same age bracket were second or third-tier alchemists. The only one who could contend with her was Feng Wuya.
However, her first attempt produced a top-grade product, while Feng Wuya's was a mid-grade fourth-tier. Therefore, she won this round without any suspense.
"A fourth-tier alchemist, and she refined the Rejuvenation Pill. It hasn't been long at all. My old eyes indeed did not mistake her. Young friend Bai possesses extraordinary talent in alchemy."
Seeing his grandson lose, Feng Xun Guang showed no displeasure. Instead, he stroked his beard and spoke to Qin Si with emotion.
He felt very fortunate that he had the foresight to recognize Bai Shengyi, this bright pearl, from the start.
"She is still young," Qin Si said with a slight smile, as if pondering something.
In the plaza, after completing her refinement, Bai Shengyi had been observing Mei Shuying's movements. She noticed that he had not refined the Spirit Root Purification Pill but a seventh-tier Rejuvenation Pill, matching the grade of Feng Wuya's uncle. The two were evenly matched, and both advanced to the second round.
After the entire first round of competition, fewer than thirty people advanced to the second round. The ruthlessness of the competition shocked Bai Shengyi.
No wonder Feng Wuya said it would take at most two days to finish. With this elimination rate, Bai Shengyi would even believe it if he said it would be finished in one day!
"The second round of the competition will be randomly drawn. Please proceed to your designated positions quickly. The pill aura competition will officially begin in a quarter of an hour!"
As soon as the announcement was made, Bai Shengyi saw her identification plate fly into the air towards the second level, accompanied by a spiritual light.
Coincidentally, Mei Shuying was to her left, and Feng Wuya's uncle, Feng Qian, was to her right.
"Damn it all!" Feng Wuya couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for Bai Shengyi. "Shengyi, what kind of terrible luck is this!"
Even if pill aura mastery was not significantly related to an alchemist's rank, would standing between the two most powerful alchemists in this competition not affect the performance of a fourth-tier alchemist?
Moreover, it was a free-for-all among twenty-seven people in the pill aura competition!
Feng Wuya's feelings could not be described by a simple expletive. Unfortunately, he was a participant. Otherwise, he would have gone to ask the person in charge of the draw if there had been any manipulation.