A heavy, unnatural silence settled over the room, so still that no one spoke or even seemed to breathe. The quiet lasted only a few heartbeats before it shattered completely.
"Master, are you joking?" Su Lan blurted out, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Master, this can’t be true, right?" Su Wan asked as well, her composure finally cracking.
Lin Shan looked at the two sisters with a solemn expression and said, "Do I look like someone who would joke about a matter like this?"
Seeing the seriousness on his face, both sisters understood that their master was speaking the truth. Yet no matter how hard they tried, they could not comprehend how Li Yun had refined excellent-grade Body Tempering Pills. It was not just one or two pills, but an entire set refined with flawless success.
Their understanding of alchemy was completely overturned. If they had once believed themselves to be geniuses on the path of alchemy, then this moment made them realize how long and arduous that path truly was, and how little they had actually traversed. Only someone like Li Yun could genuinely be called a genius in the Dao of alchemy.
Even so, Su Lan still could not accept it. How could Li Yun, someone from a small city, surpass her when she had been personally taught by a master all this time?
"You must have cheated!" Su Lan accused sharply. "Otherwise, how could you refine excellent-grade Body Tempering Pills with a one hundred percent success rate, something even Master cannot do?"
"You think I cheated?" Li Yun asked with a calm smile. "I refined the pills right here in front of Elder Lin and Miss Wan. If I had done anything improper, surely they would have noticed."
At his words, Su Lan turned to look at them. Both Lin Shan and Su Wan shook their heads in silence.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Su Lan spoke up again, her tone sharp with stubborn pride. "What about the martial contest? We still haven’t fought. In a real fight, I could defeat you easily."
She was already at the Half-Step Xiantian Realm, while Li Yun was only at the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm. In her mind, there was no possibility of him winning in direct combat.
"If you say so," Li Yun replied with a faint smile, calmly preparing himself.
"Cough." At that moment, Lin Shan stepped in. "There is no need for a martial contest between the two of you. Li Yun is only at the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm, while you, Su Lan, are at the Half-Step Xiantian Realm. You should feel ashamed to even suggest such a fight."
"But Master—" Su Lan tried to argue, only to be cut off immediately.
"No buts," Lin Shan said sternly. "You lost fair and square in alchemy. You must learn to accept that defeat. If you cannot accept losing here, how do you expect to walk far on the paths of alchemy and martial cultivation? If a single loss is enough to shake your Dao heart, then you will not go far on either path."
Hearing her master’s solemn words, Su Lan pouted but eventually nodded. She understood what he meant. Although she still believed she was stronger than Li Yun in terms of raw combat strength, she forced herself to let go of the stubborn desire to defeat him and prove herself. The urge to show her master that she surpassed the person he praised so often slowly faded.
In the end, she let out a soft sigh and looked at Li Yun. "You win."
"My reward?" Li Yun asked calmly.
"Reward?" Su Lan froze for a moment before recalling the condition she had agreed to earlier. Her expression turned uneasy. "B-but I don’t have any low-grade Profound Rank body-refining treasures."
"Don’t worry, Su Lan," Su Wan said gently as she stepped forward and rested a hand on her sister’s shoulder. "I will give Li Yun a low-grade body-refining treasure instead, but you will owe me one favor."
Su Lan’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "Thank you, big sister."
"Here, take this," Su Wan said as she handed Li Yun a small bottle. "Inside is a low-grade body-refining herb called Obsidian Marrow Root. It is extremely potent, so make sure you use it wisely."
"I understand," Li Yun replied with a nod as he accepted the bottle. He examined it briefly, confirming its contents, then stored it away without hesitation.
"Li Yun, I would like to speak with you for a moment," Lin Shan said as he turned his gaze toward him.
Hearing this, Li Yun’s eyes lit up. "Of course," he answered readily, since this was precisely what he had been hoping for.
Lin Shan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at his two disciples. "You may stay and listen, but do not interrupt."
Both Su Lan and Su Wan nodded, immediately understanding that their master and Li Yun were about to discuss alchemy. They stepped aside and listened quietly, just as Lin Shan had instructed.
Lin Shan was the first to speak. "Li Yun, tell me honestly. How did you manage to refine excellent-grade Body Tempering Pills, and how did you achieve such a terrifying success rate?"
Li Yun did not hide anything. He explained his entire journey in alchemy, starting from the very beginning. He spoke of how he had known nothing about pill refinement at first, how he relied entirely on endless trial and error, and how he had repeated the process thousands of times.
Through those failures, he slowly grasped the precise ratios of ingredients, the subtle changes during refinement, and the conditions required for each pill to succeed. He described everything calmly and clearly, without exaggeration.
As Lin Shan listened, his expression grew increasingly astonished.
"You refined excellent-grade Body Tempering Pills... without truly understanding pill refinement?" Lin Shan asked in disbelief.
Li Yun nodded. "That is the truth."
Lin Shan fell silent for a long moment. He finally understood that what stood before him was not merely a talented youth, but a true monster on the Dao of Alchemy. Refining excellent-grade pills without formal techniques or guidance was something even veteran alchemists would struggle to imagine, let alone accomplish.
After a pause, Li Yun spoke again. "Elder Lin, there is something that has been troubling me. No matter how I try, I cannot refine perfect-grade Body Tempering Pills. I want to know why."
Those words alone shocked Lin Shan. To even think about perfect-grade Body Tempering Pills required confidence bordering on arrogance, yet coming from Li Yun, it sounded natural.
Lin Shan exhaled slowly before answering.
"The problem lies in two areas," he said seriously. "First, your alchemy method is too crude. You have no established system or structured technique, only instinct and experience. That is why you can reach excellence, but not perfection."
Li Yun listened attentively.
"Second," Lin Shan continued, "you are not using a flame control art. Using cultivation techniques to control flames makes them violent and unstable. Cultivation arts are designed to unleash power, not restrain it. Pill refinement requires calm, steady flames that respond precisely to intent. That is why flame control arts exist. They are created solely for alchemy."
Li Yun’s eyes gradually brightened as understanding dawned on him.
"So that is where I am lacking," he said quietly.
Lin Shan nodded. "If you learn proper flame control and refine your method, you will have a real chance of producing perfect-grade Body Tempering Pills."
Li Yun bowed slightly in gratitude. He finally understood the obstacle that had blocked his path, and for the first time, the road ahead became clear.
Lin Shan reached out and handed Li Yun a worn, time-stained book.
"Take this," he said calmly. "It is a middle-grade profound rank flame control art called Double Dragon Flames Art. This is the same technique I taught to my two disciples. If you wish to learn it, you may use it freely. The book also contains my personal experiences and insights on the Dao of Alchemy. It should help you refine that crude method of yours."
Li Yun’s eyes immediately lit up. He accepted the book without the slightest hesitation and bowed sincerely. "Thank you, Elder Lin. I will not disgrace this art or your trust. Give me one week, and I will refine a perfect-grade Body Tempering Pill."
Lin Shan laughed softly and shook his head.
"Your words are far too shocking for this old man, yet strangely, I believe you." He sighed. "Someone who can refine excellent-grade Body Tempering Pills with a perfect success rate, without formal alchemy knowledge or a flame control art, truly has the greatest chance."
He then turned to Su Wan. "Su Wan, take Li Yun to his living quarters."
"Yes, Master," Su Wan replied respectfully with a bow.
"Young Master Li, please follow me," she said as she turned to lead the way.
Li Yun cupped his hands once more toward Lin Shan. "Elder Lin, thank you for sharing your alchemical experience with me."
With that, he left alongside the two sisters, heading toward his assigned residence.
Lin Shan watched their figures disappear before letting out a long sigh.
"This child is truly a monster," he murmured. "To reach such heights with such a rough method, without even a proper flame control art..."
After a moment of silence, his eyes gleamed with thought.
"Still, there is much to learn from his experience. If I retrace his steps from the beginning, perhaps even my own success rate with excellent-grade pills can be improved."
With that realization, Lin Shan fell into deep contemplation.

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