Feng San felt certain his guess was spot on, and the more he thought about it, the funnier Song Wanníng became in his eyes. He was just waiting to watch how Song Wanníng would embarrass herself.
Song Wanníng sensed the malicious look he threw her way, but she didn't spare him even a glance. There were idiots everywhere. Talent and cultivation had nothing to do with a person's nature. Some things came with birth, and they were almost impossible to change.
She stood beside the pill furnace, her mind spinning over how to use her cultivation technique to keep supplying energy to her Primordial Soul. She'd already noticed the problem during the earlier refining process. If she only circulated immortal energy while her Primordial Soul ran dry, wouldn't that be dangerous?
It seemed she'd need to study this technique more carefully. Maybe she'd uncover something unexpected.
…
Once the final disciple finished refining, the second round of the competition finally ended.
After announcing the conclusion, the presiding elder began checking each furnace one by one.
Unsurprisingly, many disciples failed.
The moment anyone made the slightest mistake in removing the impurities from the Burst Break Pill, the result was a ruined batch.
Even so, some disciples managed to succeed.
"Feng San, one high-grade Burst Break Pill!"
The presiding elder glanced at Feng San with a smile, clearly impressed.
"Not bad. I remember he could only refine mid-grade Burst Break Pills before."
Everyone looked at Feng San with open admiration.
Feng San straightened his back and struggled to hold down the grin tugging at his lips. His talent for alchemy was something not just anyone could compare to.
But the moment he heard that Lan Yue had also refined a high-grade Burst Break Pill, his smile froze, and fiery battle intent flashed through his eyes.
Lan Yue had always been his strongest rival. He never expected it to be her again.
The other results were announced as well, and Situ Yue successfully advanced with a low-grade Burst Break Pill.
The presiding elder intentionally left Song Wanníng for last. He knew everyone cared about her result, so he purposely let the suspense build.
"Next, let's take a look at Song Wanníng's result."
He walked toward her furnace.
Mu Zixu looked indifferent on the surface, but his eyes were glued to the furnace.
Dao Qing stared fixedly at him, not wanting to miss a single flicker of shock or fury.
Soon, the presiding elder raised his hand and lifted the lid. The moment he looked inside, his expression tightened. His gaze filled with disbelief.
The sight immediately stirred a wave of murmurs through the crowd.
Feng San and the others snapped to attention, staring at Song Wanníng's furnace with burning anticipation.
The presiding elder took a long breath, looked at Song Wanníng with visible astonishment, then declared loudly, "Song Wanníng, two supreme-grade Burst Break Pills!"
Silence lasted only an instant before the hall erupted.
Mu Zixu's expression changed instantly, and he almost shot to his feet out of shock. He'd watched the entire refining process clearly. Song Wanníng actually produced two supreme-grade Burst Break Pills?
That was a grandmaster-level result, but she'd only just started learning alchemy…
Mu Zixu sank back into his seat, his expression dark and complicated. At that moment, regret stabbed through him. He should've picked Song Wanníng as his successor instead of that little girl.
If he'd chosen Song Wanníng, he wouldn't have had so much trouble, and he'd have gained an unbelievably exceptional disciple. She would've brought him endless prestige in the future.
But now, it was too late for everything.
His gaze turned vacant, and Dao Qing was thrilled to see it.
It was the first time he'd ever seen Mu Zixu look so lost.
Anyone who witnessed Song Wanníng's talent would start doubting themselves. That was the crushing power of absolute talent, and Mu Zixu probably wouldn't recover from Song Wanníng's shadow for a long time.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
The moment Feng San heard the announcement, he exploded again. His face flushed red as he yelled, "Song Wanníng, you cheated! These materials can only make one pill! How could you possibly produce two? You must've cheated!"
He turned to the presiding elder. "Elder, Song Wanníng cheated. There's something wrong with her furnace! I demand her qualification be revoked!"
Feng San was practically spitting in anger as he stared at Song Wanníng, sneering inside.
Song Wanníng really dared to pretend? She was taking it too far.
She must've used some trick. The result couldn't be real.
His accusations set off another round of murmurs. Some believed Song Wanníng relied on true ability, while others agreed with Feng San.
After all, the amount of material really wasn't enough.
Wu Wang didn't scold his junior this time. Even he felt something was off. mMaybe Song Wanníng hadn't understood the rules and cheated too boldly…
"Feng San, what nonsense are you spouting? Every step was done under everyone's eyes. You lost fair and square, so why accuse her without evidence?"
Lan Yue's expression darkened as she stepped beside Song Wanníng.
"I'm telling you, you not being able to do it doesn't mean someone else can't. Fix your own shortcomings first."
She spoke from her dantian, every word echoing through the crowd.
Song Wanníng glanced at her, a faint smile flashing in her eyes.
Lan Yue smiled back. "I believe you."
Her gaze was steady, free of jealousy, filled only with trust and concern.
Song Wanníng returned a warm smile, quietly storing away the sentiment. Several senior brothers walked over as well, firmly expressing their trust in her. Their united stance once again set them against Mu Zixu's faction.
The presiding elder felt a headache coming on. He couldn't afford to offend either side.
As he hesitated, the silent Song Wanníng suddenly spoke.
A teasing smile lifted her lips as she said to Feng San, "If you want to know whether the same materials can produce two pills, you should ask your master. Martial Uncle Mu, what do you think?"
Song Wanníng turned, her gaze locking onto Mu Zixu's with fierce intensity.
Mu Zixu clenched his teeth, his anger building.
"Master, do you think Song Wanníng cheated?" Feng San called out loudly, unable to read his expression.
"You didn't know the situation before accusing her, and now you're panicking because you embarrassed yourself?"
He looked down on Song Wanníng, assuming she'd simply overestimated herself. He'd studied Burst Break Pills for so long, and he'd never seen anyone make two pills from one set of materials. Song Wanníng definitely cheated.
Everyone turned to Mu Zixu.
Even the sect master was curious.
Dao Qing nearly burst out laughing as he said, gloating, "They're asking you, Junior Brother Mu. Well? Can it be done or not?"
Mu Zixu's face turned even darker. He took a deep breath, wishing more than anything that he could slap Feng San unconscious right then and there.