Shui Liying looked towards Zhan Chen after extracting the essence of the 'Hundred year white fern'. She felt a little surprised because Zhan Chen was looking at her during the competetion. She spread her soul consciousness and found Zhan Chen had already extracted essence from two spirit herbs. His speed was less compared to her speed but he had already extracted the essence from most important 'Starlight orchid flower'.
"This brat really has some talent. But it is childish of him if he thinks, he can beat me in a contest of pill concoction", Shui Liying thought to herself.
She refocused her attention on refining the spirit herbs and ignored Zhan Chen. Zhan Chen was completely relaxed as he matched the speed of Shui Liying effortlessly.
After the shorting and herb refining stage, it was the stage of pill condensation. It was the most important stage as it determined how good a pill would be after the completion of pill concoction.
Shui Liying controlled the Earth fire carefully although she was concocting only a fourth grade pill. Her hands danced in the air as she used various seals to control the temperature.
The process of pill condensation lasted for almost forty minutes. "I am done", Shui Liying declared and looked towards Zhan Chen. Zhan Chen was still controlling the earth fire and Shui Liying nodded her head after seeing this. She didn't notice that Zhan Chen was merely puting up an act to hoodwink her.
"I have finished the pill condensation", Zhan Chen declared after ten minutes. There was a slightly tired look on his face as he looked towards Shui Liying.
"You have done well. You are still sitting comfortably despite such a burden on your spirit. Admirable", Shui Liying spoke. This time, she was not putting up an act as she praised Zhan Chen sincerely.
"Senior, you jest. I still have much to learn when it comes to alchemy", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Of course. It is good that you understand. The dao of alchemy is vast and we are just beginners", Shui Liying nodded her head.
"Lets see. What kind of pill you have concocted. Regardless of your result, you have to honour your promise. I want you to stop bothering Ningxi in the future", Shui Liying spoke. Zi Ningxi felt her heart becoming heavy after she heard her master's words. She couldn't understand why her master was so much against their relationship.
"Senior, I will definitely honour my promise if I lose. But for that, I have to see our results", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Well then, take out your pill. Let's compare it with mine", Shui Liying spoke. She opened the lid of her furnace and an intoxicating aroma of her pill wafted through the air. Her pill was completely glossy and lustrous. There was a look of pride on her face as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"It is a top tier pill! Master you are awesome", Zi Ningxi exclaimed. Suddenly a thought came to her mind and she became downhearted.
She was extremely happy about her master's acheivement but her heart became heavy when she thought about the implication. She knew Zhan Chen was talented but it was almost impossible for an eighteen year old young man to produce a top tier pill.
Pills are generally divided into three tiers. Low, middle and high. Some talented experts could produce extremely high grade pills which were called 'top tier' pills. Such pills were rare and very few in the Northern desert continent could produce it.
Shui Liying was known as one of the genius in the Alchemy path. Except the Medicine valley, no one could be compared to her in alchemy knowledge. So, it was no wonder that she produced a top tier Core strengthening pill. Zi Ningxi felt worried as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"Zhan Chen, are you convinced?", Shui Liying asked. She wore her usual indifferent expression on her face as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"Senior, you are indeed a good alchemist. I can say that much after seeing the top tier pill. But the result is yet to be decided. Let me present my pill before we draw any conclusion", Zhan Chen spoke. He removed the lid of the furnace and a strong aromatic smell wafted through the air.
The smell was invigorating. Zi Ningxi felt her mind and body clearing up just by inhaling the smell in the air. "Such a strong smell!", Shui Liying 's nose twitched a little. There was a surprised expression on her face as she looked towards the pill furnace of Zhan Chen.
She used her essence energy and picked up the pill that was resting inside Zhan Chen's pill furnace. The pill was completely glossy and lustrous like her own pill. There was still some difference between both of their pills as there was a faint vein like pattern itched on Zhan Chen's pill.
"Pill vein!", Shui Liying muttered with a look of shock on her face. Her phoenix eyes widened as she looked towards the pill hovering in the air.
"Pill vein! How is this possible?", she muttered again. She plucked the pill from the air and held it with both of her hands. Her mind was completely focused as she examined the pill that Zhan Chen had concocted.
"Wonderful! Really wonderful! I am actually holding a perfect tier pill in my hand", she muttered with a look of shock and exhilaration on her face. Her indifferent expression changed to one that of a smitten. Her appearance was almost like a mad cultivator who had finally acheived his goal.
Zhan Chen raised his eyebrow a little after seeing Shui Liying's condition. He had never expected such an intense reaction from her just by seeing a perfect grade pill.
"It will be more easy now. I don't know that she is so much interested towards alchemy ", Zhan Chen thought to himself. He didn't disturb her as she continued to examine the pill in her hand.
"Name your price. I am ready to give whatever you want in exchange of this pill", she spoke after a while. There was a maddened glint in her eyes as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"This woman is hopeless. It seems like she is completely possessed by the dao of alchemy", Zhan Chen thought to himself.
"Senior, you can keep it if you want. But I want to know whether I am the winner of not", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Ofcourse, I have lost. It is an insult if you compare the perfect tier pill will a top tier pill", Shui Liying spoke. She was slightly at ease after Zhan Chen promised her the perfect tier pill.
"Senior, I want to know whether you will keep your words or not. You have promised me a request that I can put forward at any time", Zhan Chen spoke.
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