The plaza of Beiyun Academy was now packed with thousands of academy instructors and students, completely blocking the way.
The plaza had been divided into three sections:
an arena, two alchemy furnaces, and two weapon-refining furnaces.
These three matches were crucial for Mu Yun's advancement to intermediate instructor, and the academy had arranged them beforehand.
The sheer number of spectators watching a mere junior instructor's attempt to become an intermediate instructor was unexpected.
A large part of the crowd was there to see just how Mu Yun, who dared to challenge the instructors of the advanced third class, possessed such extraordinary abilities.
"Xianyu, I've investigated your instructors these past few days, but I just can't understand what's so special about that good-for-nothing!"
Among the crowd, Miao Xianyu, dressed in a purple miniskirt, stood gracefully.
Beside her, a boy kept saying, "The Advanced Class 3 led by Diao Yadong seems to be second only to Wang Qingfeng's class in the entire academy. Mu Yun's actions are simply idiotic!"
"Shao Yu, can you shut your mouth?"
Hearing the boy's incessant chatter, Miao Xianyu couldn't help but say, "Instructor Mu is my instructor. Please be more polite!"
Shao Yu was among the top ten outer disciples of the Saint Pill Sect, at the seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm.
Moreover, he was only sixteen years old, far stronger than that Mu Yun. Yet, Miao Xianyu dared to contradict him in public!
"Hehe, I know you, Xianyu, can definitely beat Wang Yunqi. But the other two, I heard one is a spoiled brat and the other a poor boy. How could they possibly be a match for the geniuses of Beiyun City!"
Shao Yu said jokingly. "Although those two geniuses are just trash in my eyes!"
Hearing Shao Yu's boastful words, Miao Xianyu couldn't help but frown.
"Instructor Mu!"
Seeing Mu Yun and Qin Mengyao in the crowd, Miao Xianyu ran over, leaving Shao Yu alone, muttering to himself.
Seeing Miao Xianyu's enthusiasm for Mu Yun, Shao Yu's teeth itched.
"Useless trash! Xianyu is mine! If you dare lay a finger on her, I'll kill you!" With a chilling sigh, Shao Yu composed himself and followed.
He had come to see how badly Mu Yun, this "famous" guy in Beiyun City, would lose!
In the center of the large square, a large open space remained. Behind Mu Yun, Miao Xianyu, Qi Ming, and Mo Yang followed closely.
On the other side, behind Diao Yadong, Diao Yayun, Wang Yunqi, and Qi Yun stood in a row.
Seeing Mu Yun, Diao Yadong chuckled, "No wonder, no wonder Instructor Mu was so confident. It turns out he's relying on Instructor Qin.
Instructor Mu is quite adept at this 'gold digger' tactic!"
"Haha... You flatter me!"
Mu Yun laughed heartily, unconcerned, "Being a gold digger is a skill in itself. I'm afraid Instructor Diao would like to try, but he doesn't have the ability!"
As he spoke, Mu Yun glanced back at Qin Mengyao.
Qin Mengyao smiled slightly, her beauty captivating everyone present.
"I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone this shameless!"
"That's right, I think calling him a waste is an understatement; he's the most shameless person in the world!"
"He'll lose soon. Didn't you see that Mo Hai didn't even go on stage, and they let Diao Yadong go first? Diao Yadong is one of the top three geniuses among our students. Mo Yang, that waste, will die if he goes up there!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
The competition hadn't even started, yet the entire square was already in an uproar.
But most people were waiting to see Mu Yun make a fool of himself.
He could have easily chosen a mediocre class to advance to intermediate instructor, but instead, he insisted on choosing Advanced Class 3.
He deserved to suffer!
At the edge of the plaza, on a towering stone platform, several figures stood.
The leader, around twenty years old, had flowing hair and elegant clothes; his handsome appearance frequently drew sidelong glances and screams from the surrounding female disciples.
"Instructor Wang, do you think Mu Yun can win this match?"
a young man behind him asked.
"Even a seemingly useless person can awaken to great heights; anything is possible. Qin Mengyao isn't stupid; how could someone she's set her sights on be a piece of trash?"
Wang Qingfeng smiled slightly. "Unfortunately, Diao Yadong is blinded by jealousy and can't see clearly!"
"Then, according to Instructor, Mu Yun will win?"
a girl behind Wang Qingfeng couldn't help but ask.
"If Mu Yun had chosen Class 6 or Class 9 of the Elementary level, he might have won, but he chose Class 3 of the Advanced level!"
Wang Qingfeng said calmly. "If Diao Yayun were to compete, Mo Yang would have no chance of winning. Miao Xianyu and Yunqi are evenly matched, and Qi Yun is far superior to Qi Ming. I can't figure out what Mu Yun is up to!"
As the group discussed, the competition began in the square.
The first match was a pill-refining contest!
Miao Xianyu faced off against Wang Yunqi.
"Miao Xianyu, everyone says we are the two greatest pill-refining geniuses of Beiyun City, but I think you are still inferior to me. If it weren't for your grandfather being
the head of the Saint Pill Pavilion, you and I would be worlds apart!"
Wang Yunqi, dressed in a long robe, had a beautiful face, but her words were sharp and confrontational.
Both of them had displayed extraordinary talent since childhood, earning renown in pill-refining, and were therefore often compared.
Today, the competition would determine who was truly the number one pill-refining genius of Beiyun City!
"Don't speak too confidently!" Miao Xianyu chuckled. "Today's battle isn't about who's the number one alchemy genius in Beiyun City, but about Instructor Mu!"
The competition hadn't even begun, yet the atmosphere was already tense.
"In this alchemy competition, since you are both first-grade alchemists, the choice of which pill to refine will be determined by drawing lots. Whoever refines the pill first, and whose pill is of excellent quality, will be the winner!"
As the referee's words fell, a figure slowly walked onto the arena.
Lu Xiaotian!
Seeing that figure, everyone present was stunned.
No one had expected that Dean Lu would personally draw lots for the first alchemy competition.
This competition was absolutely fair!
Was there anyone in the entire Beiyun Academy more fair than Dean Lu?
"The pill to be refined in the alchemy competition is—the Seven Aperture Meridian-Soothing Pill!"
As Lu Xiaotian finished speaking, a gasp rippled through the crowd.
The Seven Aperture Meridian-Soothing Pill was a top-grade first-rank pill, offering immense benefits to martial artists at the first to fourth levels of the Physical Body Realm.
Moreover, once refined, the pill was surrounded by seven lifelike orifices, emanating a fragrant aroma.
However, despite being a first-rank pill, few could refine it to have all seven orifices.
Most first-rank alchemists could only refine three or four orifices, and only some second-rank alchemists could perfectly refine all seven. Only
when all seven orifices were present could the Seven Aperture Meridian-Soothing Pill be considered truly perfect.
This pill was indeed perfectly suited for testing the abilities of first-rank alchemists!
"The Seven Aperture Meridian-Soothing Pill…"
Hearing this name, Wang Yunqi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Miao Xianyu, you're doomed! A month ago, I could refine five of the Seven Apertures Relaxing Pills. Now, having fused with beast fire, I can refine at least six!"
Wang Yunqi exclaimed excitedly. "And you, you have no chance of refining seven! Only a second-grade alchemist can do that. So, in this match, I, Wang Yunqi, will surely win!"
Hearing Wang Yunqi's confident words, Miao Xianyu simply smiled and offered no explanation.
Victory or defeat would only be decided at the final moment.
"Now, the medicinal materials needed for refining the pills are ready, the alchemy furnace is intact, and as for the alchemy fire, the academy uses fire-attribute demonic beast fire. If students have their own beast fire, they may use it. The competition begins now!"
As the referee's voice fell, the entire square fell silent.
Everyone knew that the most taboo thing for an alchemist when refining pills was to be disturbed.
The Seven Apertures Relaxing Pill required Linglong Grass, Soothing Fruit, Iron Wire Wood, and the demonic core of a fourth-grade demonic beast, the White-striped Tiger!
Among these, the Comfort Fruit is the most expensive, costing at least five thousand low-grade spirit stones per fruit.
The competition began, and Wang Yunqi and Miao Xianyu stepped onto the arena, standing in their respective positions.
Below, everyone held their breath.
Only one person was an exception: Mu Yun!
At this moment, Mu Yun was lazily reclining on a grand chair, with Qin Mengyao standing beside him, massaging his back and shoulders. This scene made almost half the people in the entire Beiyun Academy want to rush up and beat Mu Yun up.
However, seeing Mu Yun lying on the grand chair with his eyes half-closed, Qin Mengyao felt a pang of heartache.
Usually, Mu Yun appeared dashing and debonair, but only after being with him did she realize that Mu Yun spent most of his time cultivating every day.
Yesterday, because he had comprehended a sword technique, he didn't get to sleep until this morning.
On the arena, Wang Yunqi and Miao Xianyu attacked almost simultaneously, throwing various medicinal herbs into the alchemy furnace one after another.
However, observant people gradually noticed that the order and amount of medicinal herbs Miao Xianyu added were quite different from Wang Yunqi's.
More precisely, they were completely different from the currently accepted method for refining the Seven Apertures Soothing Meridian Pill.
It is well known that the first step in refining the Seven Apertures Soothing Meridian Pill is to add ironwood to the furnace, because ironwood is too tough and cannot be quickly fused.
But Miao Xianyu did the opposite, actually adding the most easily refined Soothing Heart Fruit to the furnace.
"What is Miao Xianyu doing!" Seeing this, Qi Ming couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"What do you know!"
At that moment, Mu Yun, who had been squinting, suddenly spoke up. "The most important thing about the Seven Apertures Relaxing Pill is opening the seven apertures. How is it opened? Naturally, it's by
using medicinal energy to break through the pill!" "The Soothing Fruit is added first, turning into medicinal energy that surrounds the pill furnace. Then the ironwood is decomposed, and the medicinal energy will adhere to the ironwood. At the moment the pill is successfully made, it breaks through the pill body, bursts out of the apertures, and flows from the outside in!" Mu Yun explained carefully . "But the usual refining method is to add the ironwood first, and the Soothing Fruit's medicinal effects are wrapped inside the pill before it breaks through the body!"
"Which one is better?" Qi Ming couldn't help but ask.