Shen Yuan Ring

Old Gong said to Yao Yuyao, "Miss Yuyao, our minister said that if you pass this assessment and refine a high-grade Meridian Opening Pill, he will accept you as his personal disciple. I wonder if you are willing?"

Yao Yuyao glanced at her grandfather, and only after the old man nodded did she curtsy to indicate her willingness.

Everyone looked on with envy when they saw Yao Yuyao, the young genius of the Yao family, become the disciple of the Minister of the Pill Hall.

"The Yao family is about to reach a new level. They will become a Pill King family and the strongest family in Daoshu City in no time."

"Who says otherwise? Let alone the minister of the Pill King, I would be burning incense with joy if any high-level Pill Master took me as his disciple."

"With your aptitude, it would be better to take me as your apprentice than to take you as your apprentice."

......

As the three alchemists left with the young genius from the Yao family, the alchemists who participated in the assessment also left one after another. Those who passed the assessment were all smiles, while those who failed were either extremely frustrated or kept encouraging themselves.

Ji Daoyi followed them outside.

suddenly,

The receptionist in charge of Ji Daoyi's alchemy assessment stopped him, "Master Ji, please wait a moment."

"It's you. I wonder what brings you here?" Ji Dao turned around when he heard someone call him, only to find that it was the receptionist who had served him when he was refining pills.

The receptionist quickly explained, "Master Ji, it's not that I need to talk to you, it's that Steward Liu from the Liu Dan Sect asked me to bring you to her. Steward Liu is the female examiner who was just on the platform."

"Then do you know why she came to see me?"

The receptionist replied apologetically, "Master Ji, you are too kind. How could a mere receptionist like me dare to ask Steward Liu's opinion?"

Ji Daoyi pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Alright!"

(What does Liu Danzong want with me? Did she discover something from my alchemy? It shouldn't be a bad thing! I just don't know who to ask for information, maybe Deacon Liu can help me with this.)

He came to the Pill Hall to gather information, but initially he had no identity. If he rashly inquired about information, the Pill Hall would not only not tell him, but would definitely think that he had bad intentions towards the Pill Hall.

That's why he planned to first become a certified high-level alchemist and then use that identity to find opportunities to gather information.

Before long, the receptionist led him to a reception room and brewed him a pot of spiritual tea.

"Master Ji, please wait a moment. Deacon Liu and several alchemists have taken the young genius from the Yao family to see the Minister. They will be back in a while," the receptionist explained after settling Ji Daoyi in.

"It's alright, I'll just wait for her to come back here. If you're free, you can go and do your thing."

Top floor of Dan Hall

Old Gong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported: "Minister, Yao Yuyao has passed the advanced alchemist examination. As per your instructions, I brought her up."

"You've handled this matter well." The minister looked at Yao Yuyao. "Yuyao, although we've never met, I've been paying attention to you since your first time coming to certify as a pill refiner. Your talent is outstanding, and your future achievements may even surpass mine. I'll ask you one more time in person: would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Yuyao knelt on the ground and shouted, "Yuyao greets Master."

"Good, good, good. Since you've accepted me as your master, I've prepared a gift for you." The minister happily stepped forward to help Yao Yuyao up, then flipped his hand, and a small alchemy furnace appeared in his palm.

"This is the Qian Yuan Xuan Dan Furnace that your master prepared for you. It is of medium Xuan level. Using it to refine first-grade pills will increase the success rate by 20%, and it will also increase the success rate of refining second-grade pills by 10%."

Yao Yuyao expressed her gratitude once again: "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure!"

Seeing this, the three alchemists standing nearby also offered their congratulatory gifts.

The Minister of the Pill Hall then said in a deep voice, "Yuyao, since you have become my disciple, I hope you will not get too involved in the private affairs of your Yao family. From now on, you should focus your energy on alchemy. You must remember that our Pill Hall is a neutral force and must not interfere in the disputes between local forces. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to expel you from the sect."

Yao Yuyao immediately knelt down and promised, "Yuyao knows, and will never break the rules of the Pill Hall."

"Of course, if anyone dares to bully you, your master will definitely stand up for you," the minister said protectively.

"You may all leave now! Yuyao, you should also go back and say goodbye to your family and relatives, and then come back to find your master. At that time, I will teach you my alchemy method."

Not long after everyone left, Liu Rushuang returned.

The minister looked up and asked, "Ru Shuang, is there anything else you want to say after you've come back?"

Liu Rushuang handed the pills refined by Ji Daoyi to the minister and said, "Minister, please take a look at these three bottles of pills first."

The minister took the three bottles of pills, poured out one of them, glanced at it, and said in confusion, "Isn't this just a mid-grade pill? What's so interesting about it!"

"Minister, could you take another look?"

"Hmm... these pills are only a hair's breadth away from reaching high quality, and their fragrance is also very strong. Logically speaking, they should be able to reach high quality! But unfortunately..." The minister praised generously, then looked up at Liu Rushuang and said, "Rushuang, you didn't just show me this, did you?"

"Minister, you'll understand once you look at the other two bottles together," Liu Rushuang said with a smile.

The minister raised an eyebrow and poured out the other two bottles of pills. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that all the pills were just a hair's breadth away from reaching the advanced level.

"Was this all made by the same person?"

"Yes! And I suspect he deliberately refined them to medium quality. Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence that he refined six pills in each of the three assessments, and that the quality was always at the limit of medium."

"Is he also an alchemist participating in this certification assessment?"

"Yes, this is his personal form from before the assessment. I also had the receptionist keep him here, so he should be with me now."

The minister looked at the information registration form and remained silent for a long time. Liu Rushuang did not say anything, but just waited quietly to the side.

"Now that you've invited him to your place, why don't we go and meet him to see if he's really hiding his talents!"

Finally, after thinking for a moment, he said, "I won't reveal my identity yet."

……

half an hour later

"Master Ji, I hope I haven't kept you waiting long!" Liu Rushuang and the minister entered the room one after the other.

Upon seeing the two enter, Ji Daoyi quickly stood up to greet them: "I wonder what business you have with me, Steward Liu?"

"It's nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you were holding back during the assessment."

Upon hearing this, Ji Daoyi chuckled and said, "Ah...haha, Steward Liu is joking."