Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 528 Refining Grade-4 Pill!

The ingredients laid out here were designed for Grade-3 pills, but that held true solely for the recipes familiar in the Desolate Heaven Empire and the Mu Clan.

Yet, from the knowledge Bai Zihan possessed, a single special recipe existed.

A formula capable of producing a Grade-4 pill...

Employing nothing but these Grade-3 ingredients.

Naturally, it would yield only a low-grade Grade-4 pill.

Nevertheless, it remained vastly superior to any Grade-3 pill.

Thus, in his view-

Even if Mu Linyue forged the ultimate pinnacle of Grade-3 pills, it would pale utterly before his own.

***

Slowly, the hall's focus began to turn.

Not to Mu Linyue, but to Bai Zihan instead.

After all, her side offered nothing exciting to observe.

Everyone was already aware of her capabilities.

Aware of her expertise.

Aware that success was guaranteed for her.

No uncertainty lingered there.

But Bai Zihan?

That was an entirely different story.

Some observed with keen interest.

Others with barely hidden mockery.

What bold assurance allowed him to defy the Mu Clan's prodigy?

Precisely what was he attempting to create? Or would he simply humiliate himself?

His choice of ingredients had already sparked suspicions.

Thus, they had no choice but to keep watching.

At minimum, they yearned to witness one outcome.

Could he even commence the process?

Could he properly manage the furnace?

Should he falter right at the outset, this so-called "competition" would end prematurely.

***

Bai Zihan positioned himself in front of the furnace.

Then, he took action.

His palm rested gently on the furnace surface.

Qi surged forth.

The array under the furnace ignited.

Flames erupted.

Not wildly.

Not erratically.

But in a fluid manner.

Impeccably controlled.

A handful of disciples blinked in astonishment at his Qi manipulation.

This had been the phase where young Bai Zihan previously struggled.

Partly due to Bai Xinyue's Dao Bone, and partly from his own lack of innate talent.

His Qi control had been erratic back then, yet now it flowed with perfect precision.

Though onlookers attributed it to his greatly enhanced cultivation, figuring his Qi mastery had naturally sharpened.

However, mere Qi control did not make someone an alchemist.

Bai Zihan pressed on.

He started handling the ingredients.

Grinding,

Isolating.

Purifying away contaminants.

Without haste.

Without frenzy.

Without errors.

Moments ticked by.

And gradually, the murmurs shifted.

"He's managing alright?"

"So far... But this is just the fundamentals. Anyone could handle it."

"Even novice trainees pull this off. It proves nothing as yet."

...

Yet, their voices had softened.

From scorn to grudging recognition.

For Bai Zihan's current work was utterly impeccable.

***

Mu Yuelan took notice as well.

Before, Bai Zihan couldn't even recognize ingredients or grasp their worth.

Much like a novice cook dumping everything into a pot blindly, that's how Bai Zihan once operated.

But now-

He had transformed.

Bai Zihan's motions stayed calm and assured.

He picked up a stalk of Cloud Mist Grass.

Rather than using it intact, his fingers delicately traced its length.

With exact finesse, he peeled off the tough outer layers.

Retaining solely the tender core strands, the purest essence.

Bai Zihan proceeded.

His hand paused above the Three-Yin Flower.

An ingredient famed for its fragility.

The tiniest error could ruin its healing qualities.

Yet Bai Zihan showed no hurry.

His fingers approached with deliberate care.

He avoided taking the entire flower.

Rather, he detached the petals individually.

One petal.

The next.

Each pristine.

No rips.

No waste.

Bai Zihan kept going.

Millling select herbs-

But partially, preserving some form.

Pulverizing others to fine powder.

Drawing out vital essences as required.

Casting aside dross decisively.

Each motion served a clear intent.

Every procedure precise.

(Hmm...)

Mu Yuelan's eyebrows twitched faintly.

From this display alone, she knew Bai Zihan understood every ingredient intimately.

It wasn't remarkable.

Just the foundation of alchemy.

But for Bai Zihan, it marked a leap a hundredfold from his past efforts.

Mu Yuelan's eyes dwelt on Bai Zihan a beat longer.

Then, she released a quiet breath.

(The fundamentals... hold strong.)

That in itself stunned her.

Yet it was merely the start.

For the upcoming phase truly separated skilled alchemists from the rest.

***

The furnace flames stabilized below.

The atmosphere thickened.

A subtle herbal aroma started wafting.

And right then, all attention peaked.

This was the crux.

The genuine trial.

Prior steps were ones even apprentices could execute near-perfectly.

Now came the refinement stage.

A single slip, and total failure loomed.

Certain disciples edged closer.

The onlookers squinted their eyes.

They waited in anticipation.

Nearly with eagerness. Eager to witness Bai Zihan's failure.

Eager to watch him reveal his incompetence.

Yet Bai Zihan's face stayed serene. His hands operated with precision.

A thread of purified Cloud Mist Grass essence was added to the furnace.

Next-

Yet another material was introduced.

His mastery of the fire proved flawless.

The blaze adjusted perfectly. Not overly intense, nor insufficiently mild.

Each variation remained minimal.

A disciple's eyes widened a bit. 'His flame control...'

'...such remarkable steadiness...'

To their astonishment, Bai Zihan's flame manipulation proved impressive—

nearly on par with elite alchemists.

Naturally, certainty eluded them, as the fire he employed remained mere basic

flame.

Within the furnace, reactions among the ingredients commenced.

A procedure typically disordered—

But guided by Bai Zihan's command...

It unfolded methodically.

Time ticked by in minutes.

Still, no explosion rocked the furnace.

The murmurs had faded entirely.

Taking their place— Utter silence!

For now, all could perceive it plainly.

Regardless of their reluctance to accept—

Bai Zihan clearly understood his craft.

'He truly grasps the fundamentals.'

'...Beyond mere fundamentals.'

'He's qualified as a novice alchemist already.'

Several disciples traded looks.

Their faces showed complexity.

Prior scorn had vanished completely.

Supplanted by shock. Hesitant respect.

Admittedly, skepticism lingered.

'He's performing admirably, yet his material mix fails to align with any standard

Grade-3 recipe.'

'Exactly!'

'Regardless of his control prowess... lacking the right formula, it's pointless.'

This verdict circulated softly.

Bai Zihan possessed talent.

That fact stood undeniable.

However, Alchemy demanded more than mere control.

It required expertise. Formulas.

Exactness in formulation.

Lacking those—

All else amounted to naught.

Mu Linyue's eyes flickered as she observed.

Mockery no longer tainted her features.

Just intense concentration.

(His command... advanced so far?)

Briefly, an unforeseen emotion stirred within her.

A hint of gravity.

Yet soon, her gaze moved to the materials he'd incorporated.

To the pattern emerging inside the furnace.

And that hint dissolved.

(Remains incorrect.)

A subtle smile tugged at her lips.

(No Grade-3 pill like that exists.)

Despite her scrutiny, no familiar result matched his approach.

Signifying just one possibility.

He lacked the proper recipe.

And absent that—

Defeat loomed certain.

She refocused on her own furnace.

Fully poised again.

At the same time, Bai Zihan remained still.

His attention locked inside the furnace.

The external surroundings ceased to matter.

The murmurs. The stares.

The skepticism.

None held significance.

For he precisely knew his actions.