The news had already spread beyond the outer disciples.
By noon, alchemists from the Second Courtyard and even a few from the Inner Hall had begun gathering near the outer Alchemy Hall.
"Did you hear? That new kid refined a 91% purity Skin Tempering Pill—twice."
"Impossible. He's just Yellow-level mid-tier!"
"But Elder Mo confirmed it himself!"
Even the senior alchemists were curious. Whispers began to swirl—rumors about fire treasures, secret bloodlines, or a hidden master.
Some simply refused to believe it.
That afternoon, Su Yang returned to the alchemy hall again, calm and prepared to refine. But before he could begin, he heard a cold voice.
"You again."
He turned. A tall young woman with crimson robes and a proud face stood in front of him, arms folded.
Her name was Xie Yu, one of the strongest alchemists in the Second Courtyard—Profound-level Low Tier.
Behind her stood several other alchemists from the inner sect, including one with sharp features and narrowed eyes. His robes were embroidered with the Eagle Flame Clan insignia.
"Elder Mo, may we request a demonstration?" Xie Yu asked as she glanced toward the corner of the room.
Elder Mo looked up from his ledger and sighed. "Another one?"
"Yes. But this time, in front of multiple elders and using standardized furnaces and ingredients. We want to verify if Su Yang's purity levels are truly real—or just a fluke."
The room fell silent.
Elder Mo turned toward Su Yang. "You don't have to agree."
Su Yang thought for a moment. He glanced at the crowd. The same suspicious eyes. The same judging stares.
> "If I avoid this, they'll keep spreading rumors. I'll never be left alone."
"I accept," he said.
A bell was rung.
By late afternoon, the outer courtyard's testing plaza was filled.
At the front, a table was laid with uniform ingredients and standard-grade furnaces.
Three elders sat nearby as official judges: Elder Mo, Elder Lin from the Second Courtyard, and Elder Qing from the Inner Hall.
Su Yang stepped onto the stage calmly. His opponent?
Xie Yu.
The pride of the Second Courtyard. Known for having refined a 93% purity pill once under competition conditions.
"I hope you're ready," she said coldly. "Let's see if that flame of yours is more than a trick."
---
The test began.
Two furnaces ignited at once.
Xie Yu used a method called Three-Step Infusion, a delicate technique that released medicinal essence at three distinct flame temperatures. Her control was sharp and steady.
Su Yang didn't use any flashy techniques. He summoned his Karma Fire—subtle, refined, and precise.
Within minutes, both furnaces emitted faint green light from the herbs being melted and fused.
But just as Su Yang was about to guide the essence into shape, he felt something wrong.
> "The balance… is off?"
He narrowed his eyes and checked the herb pile again.
One of the herbs—White Stem Root—was not fresh. It looked perfectly shaped, but its energy was partially depleted. A small sign… impossible to catch unless one had incredibly high spiritual sense.
> "Someone tampered with it."
Su Yang didn't panic. He slightly shifted the flame temperature, causing his Karma Fire to purify the herb in real-time.
> "My Karma Fire can cleanse some impurities. Let's test the limit."
He adjusted the fusion process. The flame's golden-red hue intensified briefly before stabilizing.
Meanwhile, Xie Yu was about to finish.
She smirked.
"I've already refined this pill twenty times. Let's see how well you do after being sabotaged," she whispered to herself.
She had arranged for a junior alchemist loyal to her to slip that faulty herb into Su Yang's batch when the ingredients were being "verified."
---
Thirty minutes passed.
Xie Yu completed her batch.
Three pills emerged, each golden-green and glowing softly.
Elder Lin inspected them. "Purity: 89%, 91%, and 90%. Very impressive."
She folded her arms proudly.
Then all eyes turned to Su Yang.
He opened his furnace.
Three golden-yellow pills rolled out.
A soft, faint fragrance swept across the stage—richer than before.
Elder Mo approached and lifted one.
He blinked. "92% purity."
The elders inspected the other two—"93%… and 94%."
A gasp spread through the plaza.
Even Elder Qing, from the Inner Hall, looked surprised.
Xie Yu's face twisted in disbelief.
> "That's impossible. That herb should've ruined the batch!"
"Who arranged the ingredients?" Elder Lin asked sharply.
An alchemist behind the table stepped forward, trembling. "I—I don't know. Someone asked me to verify, and I…"
Su Yang stepped forward, voice calm. "Elders, I don't want to pursue this matter. I only ask that from now on, ingredients be fully verified before a test."
Elder Qing nodded. "Agreed."
Elder Mo smiled faintly. "You handled it well, Su Yang."
---
After the crowd dispersed, Su Yang was walking back to the dormitory when someone stepped beside him.
It was Mu Qinglian, the veiled woman from earlier.
"You're not just an alchemist," she said.
Su Yang glanced at her. "I never said I was."
"You handled that impurity mid-refinement like it was a planned step. Most Profound-level alchemists would've failed."
"I had a good teacher," he lied smoothly.
She smiled beneath her veil. "Perhaps one day you'll teach me."
He didn't reply.
As she walked off, Max trotted to Su Yang's side, tail wagging.
Su Yang whispered, "They'll come at us harder next time. I can't let my guard down."
---
That night, Su Yang sat under the moon, refining herbs in silence.
His Karma Fire danced calmly.
But his heart was sharp.
> "Alchemy… politics… hidden hands… The path to power isn't through cultivation alone. I need allies. And more strength."
He looked at his pills.
> "Tomorrow, I'll try refining a new type—if I can get the recipe."
---