Chapter 28: Sometimes Practice > Experience!

CRACK!

The tiny fracture across the medicinal pill widened slowly. Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed as the crack extended. Inside the cauldron, the compressed essence began trembling violently. The green medicinal sphere rotated faster and faster as unstable essence fluctuations leaked into the surroundings.

HISSSSS!!

The medicinal fragrance within the chamber suddenly became chaotic. The nearby disciples instinctively stepped backward.

"Lin Yuan," Chen Ming muttered nervously.

Lin Yuan immediately reduced the flame intensity, then increased it again. He was trying to stabilize the collapsing structure, but the instability had already spread through the entire pill. The compression balance was broken.

Dan Zhenren silently observed from the center of the hall, his expression remained calm and gentle, but his eyes were sharp and focused.

Lin Yuan’s beast essence slowly flowed toward the pill again, trying to heal the fracture carefully.

For a brief second the crack stabilized, but it is for a second—

BOOOOM!!

The medicinal sphere exploded vehemently inside the cauldron. Thick smoke and green essence burst outward, forming a cloud greenish-smoke. Lin Yuan calmly stepped backward before the smoke reached him. The entire hall became silent. Chen Ming froze, petrified.

’Failure,’ Lin Yuan stared quietly at the ruined cauldron.

His first pill refinement attempt failed, because the structure rejected excessive interference during the final phase. Lin Yuan’s mind instantly began analyzing the reason.

’The pressure synchronization timing was late, it is very slight, but enough to destroy the entire structure.’ Lin Yuan thought, clicking his tongue.

Around the chamber, the remaining disciples continued struggling desperately. Yun He’s medicinal pill trembled in her cauldron while sweat crawled down her forehead. Lian Nichang gritted his teeth while carefully maintaining compression. Ying Yue looked increasingly frustrated as her flames became unstable once again. Gu Shiyan remained calm, devoid of any emotion, his movements were cold and steady, but even his sphere showed faint signs of instability.

Dan Zhenren slowly folded his arms. The room temperature itself felt heavier now.

BOOM!!

Another explosion echoed across the hall. Ying Yue failed again. And a bit later, Yun He’s medicinal pill collapsed into burnt residue. Then, Lian Nichang’s structure destabilized halfway through compression.

BOOM!

One after another every disciple’s pill exploded due to instability, the disciples began failing consecutively. The entire hall slowly filled with smoke and scorched medicinal fragrance. Even Gu Shiyan’s expression finally changed slightly.

CRACK!!

A fracture appeared across his medicinal pill too. He immediately tried to stabilize the pill, but the compressed essence had already become chaotic enough to burst.

BOOM!!

His cauldron also exploded expeditiously. Every disciple had failed the second alchemy trial. Dan Zhenren slowly swept his gaze across the ruined cauldrons, his expression darkening gradually. The Flame Panther aura behind him opened its burning eyes sluggishly. A heavy pressure spread across the refinement hall. All the disciples lowered their heads immediately.

"Pathetic," Dan Zhenren slowly walked between the destroyed cauldrons. The sound of his footsteps echoed heavily throughout the hall, then he stopped. "Everyone failed!"

Dan Zhenren’s calm voice echoed across the chamber like cold water. But, nobody dared to respond. Dan Zhenren suddenly kicked one of the ruined cauldrons, a loud clatter echoed across the hall. The bronze furnace crashed, splattering across the floor.

"You people understand nothing." Dan Zhenren’s eyes slowly swept across them. The disciples quietly lowered their heads further. "You believe alchemy is flame control. No!! You believe alchemy is essence manipulation. No! Alchemy means understanding reaction."

His beast aura leaked faintly into the room. The chamber became silent again.

"You," Dan Zhenren pointed toward the ruined medicinal pill residue inside Lin Yuan’s cauldron. Lin Yuan calmly raised his head. "You stabilized the pill too much."

Lin Yuan’s eyes flicked once.

"You interfered with the structure again and again during final compression," Dan Zhenren continued coldly. "The pill was already stabilizing itself. You disrupted natural synchronization."

Lin Yuan remained silent, but he immediately understood. ’Too much correction becomes interference. Exactly like unstable magical structures in Noir’s previous world.’

"You hesitated during compression." Dan Zhenren then turned toward Yun He. "The moment fear enters refinement, the instability follows."

Yun He quietly clenched her fists.

"You forced beast essence aggressively," Dan Zhenren glanced toward Ying Yue next. "Trying to dominate the structure which is not refinement, It is stupidity."

"Compression does not mean force." Dan Zhenren continued walking, his robes fluttering against the deliberate wind. "It means balance. Pill refinement is a living thing. The ingredients, beast essence and the flame react naturally."

He suddenly stopped walking again. Then looked toward the entire chamber sharply. "Your role is merely guiding them."

The hall was filled with an eerie silence instantly. The disciples finally began understanding the difference. Potion refinement tolerated imperfection, but pill refinement should need perfection.

Dan Zhenren slowly exhaled. Then, unexpectedly his gaze landed on four disciples.

"Gu Shiyan, Lin Yuan, Yun He, Chen Ming." The four disciples immediately raised their heads. "You four."

"Repeat the refinement." Dan Zhenren narrowed his eyes slightly.

The other disciples widened their eyes instantly. ’A second attempt?’ Murmurs followed across the hall.

"Me??" Chen Ming flabbergasted, his eyes widening.

"You stabilized fastest after panic." Dan Zhenren whispered calmly, his eyes flickered with intensity. "Your control is poor, but your adaptation is acceptable."

Chen Ming immediately straightened his posture proudly. Dan Zhenren ignored the reactions entirely. With a flick of his hand new ingredients floated before the four disciples. Fresh spirit herbs, beast core powder, crimson Heat Flowers, and another empty jade bottle.

"The rest of you." Dan Zhenren’s cold voice echoed through the hall. "Observe silently."

The atmosphere instantly became tense again. Lin Yuan slowly stood before the cauldron once more. This time, his eyes were calmer, and Lin Yuan’s memories continuously replayed the failed structure collapse. The mistake was obvious now. He treated instability as an enemy, but controlled instability itself was part of the reaction.

"Begin!" Dan Zhenren’s voice beamed once again.

WHOOSH!!

The flames reignited beneath the four cauldrons simultaneously. Gu Shiyan moved first, his movements remained cold and efficient. Yun He carefully began reducing her flame intensity compared to earlier. Chen Ming looked like he was trying not to explode mentally from nervousness.

Lin Yuan calmly crushed the Green Spirit Herb again. This time he observed longer. The medicinal liquid slowly formed naturally. He did not interfere immediately; he just simply watched. Meanwhile, Gu Shiyan had already reached the beast core integration stage smoothly.

The surrounding disciples quietly murmured.

"He’s fast..."

"Too stable..."

"His control is insane..."

Gu Shiyan ignored the surroundings entirely, his expression remained emotionless. The medicinal sphere inside his cauldron rotated smoothly without visible instability.

Dan Zhenren quietly observed him, then glanced toward Lin Yuan briefly. Lin Yuan remained slower than before, but calmer. Meanwhile, Chen Ming nearly failed immediately again.

"AHH—" Chen Ming scoffed, his eyes frowned. "Too much heat!"

"Reduce the lower flame," Lin Yuan calmly said without even turning.

Chen Ming hurriedly adjusted the fire. The structure stabilized barely. Yun He slowly reached the compression phase deliberately. Thin beads of sweat crawled down her forehead continuously. The pressure inside the chamber became increasingly heavy.

After a few minutes, Gu Shiyan began final compression. The medicinal sphere inside his cauldron swirled faster and faster. The concentrated medicinal fragrance spread outward instantly. The surrounding disciples widened their eyes.

’Stable... Very stable.’ Dan Zhenren’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Gu Shiyan calmly reduced flame intensity by a tiny margin, then allowed the structure to settle naturally. The medicinal sphere slowly condensed completely. A faint blue-green glow emerged from within the cauldron, then the pill stabilized. Gu Shiyan slowly extended his hand and lifted the medicinal pill from the cauldron calmly. The surrounding disciples immediately became a cacophony of murmurs.

"He succeeded!"

"A stabilization pill!"

"Damn..."

The pill emitted smooth medicinal fragrance while faint green patterns flowed across its surface.

"Eighty-seven percent purity," Dan Zhenren slowly nodded once.

The remaining disciples inhaled sharply. That level was already extremely high for beginner disciples. Gu Shiyan calmly placed the pill into the jade bottle, his expression never changed.

Dan Zhenren darted his eyes calmly. The shimmering Blue Essence Fruit slowly floated toward Gu Shiyan. "You win."

The blue fruit landed within Gu Shiyan’s hand calmly. A collective of envious gaze crept through Gu Shiyan’s spine. Chen Ming sighed dramatically.

"We’re finished..." Lin Yuan quietly stared at his own medicinal sphere. It was still unstable, but not stabilizing fully either. "I lost!"

Gu Shiyan won this trial, not because Gu Shiyan possessed a better understanding, but because Gu Shiyan trusted the structure earlier.

But, Lin Yuan still analyzed too much. Lin Yuan’s previous life habits from magic experimentation remained rooted within him. Magic required domination. Alchemy required guidance. The difference was subtle, but fatal. The medicinal sphere inside Lin Yuan’s cauldron slowly rotated while tiny cracks appeared once again.

This time, Lin Yuan did not interfere immediately. He simply observed. Allowing the structure to stabilize itself. The surrounding essence slowly calmed, and the medicinal sphere continued its unstable rotation inside the bronze cauldron while Lin Yuan silently stared at the sphere with meticulous concentration.

"Tsk... Come on..." Lin Yuan whispered, clicking his tongue in anger.

A pale-green shimmer emerged from within the cauldron, then the pill stabilized. But he was late. Gu Shiyan already won the trial.

"Ninety percent... Magnificient... Lin Yuan," Dan Zhenren appreciated, strolling toward him. "But you are a bit late... Better luck next time, Lin Yuan."

"Hahaha... its fine, master," Lin Yuan sneered, his eyes gleaming with a faint green glow from the cauldron. "I just wanted to learn it. Winning doesn’t matter. No one can win again and again, a person should learn to lose... Then one can understand life more meticulously, master."

Dan Zhenren stared at Lin Yuan’s calm, smiling face. "Okay! Today’s alchemy class is concluded. You may all return to the city. The academy will be closed for the next two days because there is an auction at the Thousand Lantern Auction House in the Green Hollow district. We need to claim some rare resources needed for the academy."