Chapter 11 - The Black Lotus in hell

The Tiger Skin orchid is a treasure the Alchemy Association has cultivated for many years and its value is immeasurable. However, in the face of the guild’s crisis, he still offers it up with heartache.

The vice-president says, “If you can help the Alchemy Association win this competition the Tiger Skin orchid will be yours."

"That won’t be difficult." Kong Wuying is a little satisfied. When he was selecting the materials for the test, he took a fancy to this plant. It’s one of the essential medicinal materials for a life array.

And the life array is necessary for making soul puppets.

Seeing that no one else talks about conditions, Yuan Ruo impatiently interrupts, “Let’s start."

There’s already a vast range of supplies available because of the test, so the competition officially begins. Xiao Yue looks on with some heartache.

"Let me tell you first, the pill I want to refine is the second level Red Enchantment pill." Yuan Ruo quickly selects the equipment she needs and sneers at Kong Wuying.

The Red Enchantment pill is one of the most difficult pills to refine among the second level pills. It’s another animal vessel type of pill but it is different from the Tiger Vessel pill, which can increase the durability of the flesh and skin of martial artists.

The main material of the Red Enchantment pill is from the Red Enchantment rabbit. Although the rabbit itself is weak, it’s gifted with power and is proficient in magic. The refined Red Enchantment pill can enhance those who work with illusions. It’s very useful.

Of course, it’s also very difficult.

Yuan Ruo says her choice with absolute confidence. All the pill masters present have serious expressions - they know the power of the Red Enchantment pill. This woman looks so young, but her strength must be amazing!

Of course, if it's Mr. Ning, there should be no problem.

Kong Wuying responds by poking his system. "The mission is completed, give me the second level recipes."

The system grumbles, “You haven't gotten your identity badge yet. The mission isn’t finished."

Kong Wuying turns to the vice president instead. "I passed the pill master examination, right? Where's my badge?"

Wan Qian has to mentally switch tracks as he wasn’t expecting the question. “You can rest assured that I have ordered my staff to speed up the production and update your information. When you get the badge, you can enjoy various benefits in any of our Alchemy Associations. It’ll be done in three days!”

There’s a trace of pride on Wan Qian’s face. The alchemy level of their guild isn’t the best, but their speed at making badges is very fast.

Kong Wuying pauses for a moment and then just asks, "Vice President Wan, do you have a suitable second grade prescription on hand? Let me have a look.”

Wan Qian does a double take, along with most of the room.

Ning Zhao doesn’t know a single second level pill recipe? This competition clearly isn’t fair! We all had such faith in you before, and you lied to us by looking so confident. Are we gifting that Danta guild our face?

(^ face = pride/honour/dignity)

Didn't you call yourself a third division pill master on the Master’s Oath table? Although you are only seventeen, we’re laying the honour of the association at your feet. You should have warned us first!

It's over! It's all over.

Everyone stares off into the distance listlessly.

Xiao Yue is also a bit helpless, he originally believed in Ning Zhao's strength, but the man doesn’t know a second level pill recipe. Although Ning Zhao is gifted, Yuan Ruo is also a genius. As a matter of fact, she can also refine twin pills too, which was why she despised Ning Zhao's Alchemy.

At this time, Yuan Ruo has already found all the herbs needed and has started to make pills. Alchemy needs concentration so Yuan Ruo is shut off to the outside world otherwise she would be mocking Kong Wuying.

It can't be helped, Vice President Wan will personally pick a pill recipe for Kong Wuying.

The second level Explosive Power pill, after being swallowed, can quickly push past the body’s normal limits and double the strength of a second division martial arts master for fifteen minutes.

Of course, there will be backlash when those fifteen minutes end. Although it’s also a powerful pill, it can’t be compared with the Red Enchantment pill in terms of rarity.

Fortunately, the competition is judged on the grade quality of the pill, but the thought that Ning Zhao has never made the Explosive Power pill before makes Wan Qian worry.

Kong Wuying doesn't know that everyone is despairing. Kong Wuying takes the pill recipe, scans the method of refining and then begins to select the materials needed.

Yunxiang Wind grass, Paulownia, Red Gold wood, and the unshakable Hundred Flowers Honey.

Kong Wuying dumps them into the furnace, repeats the high-five technique on the furnace, and then opens the lid to check his completed pills only half a minute later.

Twelve purple pills are neatly placed in the furnace. The pills are evenly dyed with three golden stripes, which glitters beautifully.

It’s an instant refining and produced golden stripes, but there’s no wave of shock in the audience. Actually, it’s a little disappointing that there’s no living pills that pop out.

Everyone turns to watch Yuan Ruo next. However, the three golden stripes is the peak of any pill, unless it’s living. Unless the Danta alchemist also gets those three gold stripes, she can win by virtue of the rarity of the pill. But is it possible for her to reach the gold?

Kong Wuying habitually picked up a pill to taste it.

His casual eating scared everyone around him. Big brother, is that something you can eat?

People usually eat it to protect their lives at an important moment. Why are you eating it? Is the taste that important? The backlash is going to hurt.

Kong Wuying chews and thinks that the taste is okay this time. Sure enough, the amount of Hundred Flowers honey should still be increased. Maybe just a little more.

Yuan Ruo, who is standing beside Kong Wuying at her own furnace, concentrating on refining pills, suddenly hears the sound of chewing and automatically turns to look.

Kong Wuying has finished refining and is now eating the pills. Yuan Ruo gapes. What the hell? How long has it been? Has it even been a minute?

She only arrived after Kong Wuying finished his test, so she saw the twin pills but didn’t see the instant refining. Yuan Ruo is also a genius. If she uses up all of her wood spirit, she can refine something like the Explosive Power pill in an hour.

But is an hour and a minute comparable? Yuan Ruo looks around and no one else seems surprised by this. Apparently it’s just a thing this guy can do?

She thinks about it and concludes that there’s a flaw in her perfect control. She needs to practice harder.

She quickly stabilizes her mind and continues to refine her pills. Anyway, it's the grade of the pills that’s being judged, not the refining time.

Kong Wuying wasn’t confused about Yuan Ruo taking so long, because he’s had the experience of comparing his refining with Huang Xun. He moves a bench over and sits down to watch Yuan Ruo make pills.

Yuan Ruo's strength is far ahead of other pill masters here. Her technique is superb and her concentration absolute. There’s a feeling of reaching perfection.

Everyone holds their breath and watches her refine quietly. They can't see or understand Ning Zhao's alchemy so it’s much more helpful to watch Yuan Ruo.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Time slips past and soon an hour goes by.

Yuan Ruo has a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her refining is reaching an end soon, which is why she’s getting anxious.

She knows that Kong Wuying has three golden stripes and her pill, although not living, is also three golden stripes. But she can’t win through just having a more complex pill recipe, she needs to teach Kong Wuying by having an overwhelming victory.

She bites her lip deeply. This is the only way.

Yuan Ruo’s forehead glows with a red light, the energy condensing down until it forms a peony.

With the appearance of the peony, the audience feels a suffocating force emerge as the woman’s refining speed doubles!

Xiao Yue abruptly stands up. “Ruoruo, you can’t!”

(^ doubling the name = nickname)

This is a unique secret of the Yuan family, which can increase the level of pill through increasing wood spirit for a short burst. However, the problem is that Yuan Ruo is young and lacks strength. If she uses the technique rashly, there will be more backlash than she can handle.

And the consequence of this could include her meridians, which hold the wood spirit, breaking open and Yuan Ruo no longer being able to use wood spirit at all!

Sure enough, the secret technique soon stutters. Yuan Ruo stutters with it, gasping as her body trembles. Her face flushes red and her skin swells up, as if she’s about to explode.

"Ruoruo, stop it, quickly!" Xiao Yue cries impatiently.

Yuan Ruo wants to stop, but at this time, she’s lost control of her body and can’t move her muscles at all.

Seeing Yuan Ruo start to bleed from her pores, Xiao Yue starts to rush towards her.

“Young master!” The closest pills master reaches out and grabs Xiao Yue. “You can’t, interrupting it now will hurt you as well.”

Yuan Ruo crumples to her knees but her hand is still stuck to the furnace.

“I know,” Xiao Yue says and shakes off the hand, stepping forward.

Kong Wuying walks past, grabs Yuan Ruo with one hand and shoves the furnace away with the other.

The pill furnace stuck to Yuan Ruo’s hand tips over with a sad whine and then topples to the ground and sits there.

Xiao Yue shouldn’t be surprised at this point but somehow, he’s still shocked.

"You..." Yuan Ruo is also very shocked, but when she finds out who’s holding her, she can't help but get angry. “What are you doing? Don't think that because you saved me, I’ll be grateful. I didn't ask you to save me at all - ah!"

Yuan Ruo drops onto the ground after Kong Wuying lets go of her.

"How dare you!” Yuan Ruo begins and then falls quiet.

Because Kong Wuying stepped forward and grabbed her chin.

Yuan Ruo stares up at him and seems to see the black lotus in hell, in full bloom.

(^ The black lotus is in the Buddhist hell and it is known for its blistering cold, enough to crack open the frozen skin and then ice over the organs inside.)