Chapter 204: Chapter 204

How could it not matter?

Pausing briefly under the occasional sidelong glances, An Ning swiftly retrieved the spiritual herbs she had prepared earlier.

"Wait... is that what I think it is?"

Below the stage, many spectators—including numerous disciples and elders from Lingxi Valley—stared wide-eyed at the jade box's contents.

Refining Spirit Grass, one of the primary ingredients for the fifth-rank Refining Spirit Pill.

As the name suggested, the Refining Spirit Pill repaired and even strengthened spiritual awareness. Rumor had it that a single high-grade Refining Spirit Pill could elevate one's spiritual awareness by an entire major realm.

Why just a rumor? Although classified as a fifth-rank pill—unlike the sixth-rank Nascent Soul Pill, which demanded immense and sustained spiritual energy from the alchemist—this didn't make it any easier to refine.

The rarity of its main ingredient was one reason. More critically, as one of the few pills in the cultivation world targeting spiritual awareness, it required near-perfect precision in the alchemist's spiritual energy control, awareness, and herb manipulation.

The slightest misstep would lead to only one outcome.

To this day, across the entire Xuanzhen Realm, aside from Lingxi Valley's long-secluded founding ancestor, even grandmaster alchemists had failed to produce a mid or high-grade version of this pill.

"This young lass has talent, but she's too impulsive..."

"Hmph! Doesn't know her limits!"

"Not necessarily. For her to attempt this in such a setting suggests she has some confidence..."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Watching the extraordinarily rare Refining Spirit Grass dissolve into spiritual liquid, non-alchemists merely gasped, while the practitioners among them nearly tore their hair out in frustration.

Even Shangguan Ling, though wary, couldn't help but feel relieved.

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, An Ning carefully controlled her cauldron.

Truth be told, attempting such a complex pill for the first time—did she feel confident?

But so what? This was just a competition. Playing it safe would be boring.

If she couldn't stun everyone, why bother coming?

Moreover... as she meticulously separated strands of spiritual awareness to guide her energy in extracting, decomposing, and fusing the herbs—calculating the exact flame intensity needed before formation—

At this moment, she could even hear faint resonant hums from within the cauldron.

The cultivation world had countless geniuses, but her absolute advantage lay in lifetimes of absolute herb mastery and precise foresight...

Time passed. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she entered an increasingly profound state. When she finally formed the last seal, she distinctly felt not just her spiritual awareness, but even her spiritual energy surge significantly...

Breaking through to late-stage Foundation Establishment seemed imminent.

Clearly, others noticed too.

A white-bearded elder murmured involuntarily.

Simultaneously, nearly every gaze locked onto her cauldron.

Those with higher cultivation could even detect faint pill fragrance permeating the air...

Seven finalists remained, yet all eyes were drawn to the blue-robed girl in the corner...

Even Shangguan Ling, despite her own pill nearing completion, stared fixedly at An Ning—especially when she noticed Sikong Jing's typically gentle gaze, usually reserved for her, now intently focused on her rival...

At the critical moment, as An Ning formed her final seal, a loud crash disrupted many participants' concentration.

A male contestant also in his final steps flinched, his fingers trembling. In pill refinement, the slightest deviation spelled disaster.

That tiny tremor caused a scorched odor to emerge from his cauldron.

Swallowing curses, the unlucky man glared at the culprit before reluctantly extracting his semi-ruined product—some pills salvageable, but none reaching high-grade.

Practically worthless!

Alchemists held esteemed status, and these finalists were top talents nurtured by their sects.

Xuqing Sect, was it? He'd remember this!

While An Ning, having anticipated interference, remained unaffected, others hadn't been so fortunate.

Unaware of the trouble she'd caused, Shangguan Ling kept staring obsessively at An Ning.

Even An Ning nearly rolled her eyes.

Did the original host dig up her ancestors' graves in a past life?

Fortunately, under the crowd's breathless watch, An Ning's cauldron finally opened!