Some of the more impulsive disciples immediately spoke up. "Since your spirit beasts are at the Foundation Establishment stage, we'll suppress ours to the same level. In the path of Beastmaster cultivation, we disciples of the Beastmaster Sect will never lose!"
"That's right. Then let's fight at the Foundation Establishment stage!"
Though their spirit beasts had long surpassed that realm, their cultivation foundations remained solid. Even when suppressed to Foundation Establishment, they were still powerful.
Could they really lose to those two of Yun Jin's?
Cheng Su had initially wanted to stop them. But seeing how fired up the others were, she hesitated. Her eyes flickered slightly, but in the end, she didn't interfere.
She was also curious to test Yun Jin's limits.
Yun Jin smiled, glancing at the excited Beastmaster Sect disciples with a touch of sympathy."Since you insist, so be it. Once everyone has claimed their treasures, we'll let the spirit beasts fight."
If they fought now, she was afraid the disciples from the Beastmaster Sect would mentally collapse on the spot. And when that happened, she, as their opponent, would come off looking heartless.
Cheng Su let out a soft sigh, feigning helplessness. "The array is controlled by Wushuang Sect. What reason do we have to doubt its fairness? This shouldn't have been necessary. But since Junior Sister Yun insists, we have no choice but to go along. We'll settle everything once this matter is done."
She spoke as if nothing unpleasant had happened earlier and once again affectionately linked arms with Yun Jin. "Junior Sister Yun, no need to take it to heart. Why don't we take a look and see what treasures are in this stone chamber?"
Yun Jin smiled gently, matching Cheng Su's friendly tone. "Senior Sister Cheng, rest assured. Whatever the treasure is, I'll just hold onto it for now. Once the spirit beast battle is over, I'll hand it to the final victor."
Cheng Su's gaze shifted, her tone teasing. "It's just some worldly goods. That's not what I meant, Sister."
Yun Jin laughed softly. "Of course I know that wasn't your intent. But for fairness' sake, this is how it should be."
As they spoke—
In the center of the formation, a black wooden box emerged. The treasure must have been inside. Yun Jin picked it up, didn't even open it, and directly used a talisman to seal the box.
"Is everyone satisfied now?" Yun Jin smiled as she looked at the Beastmaster Sect disciples.
Cheng Su replied with a laugh. "Junior Sister Yun is overly cautious. We naturally trust you."
Only then did Yun Jin put the box away. "As long as you're all at ease."
Cheng Su's gaze flickered. "Junior Sister, you've already recorded your spiritual imprint at five of the stone houses. I wonder, where will you go next?"
Yun Jin was unbothered. "Anywhere is fine. Just pick one."
Cheng Su's eyes lit up slightly. "Why don't we go check the alchemy room?"
Her reasoning was simple.
If the Beastmaster Sect couldn't get the final treasure, then hopefully Xuandan Gate wouldn't either. Although she and Ye Liuqin seemed to be on good terms, they were both among the most outstanding female disciples of their generation. Naturally, there was a sense of rivalry between them. If Cheng Su failed to obtain a treasure but Ye Liuqin succeeded, she would undoubtedly feel displeased.
That said—
Cheng Su quickly reconsidered. Alchemy required real skill. Even if Yun Jin wanted to cheat, there wasn't much she could do.
"Alchemy, hmm..." Yun Jin showed a troubled expression. "I did bring some pills I refined myself, but the grade might be a bit too low."
Hearing that, Cheng Su lost any hope that Yun Jin could interfere and take the alchemy chamber's treasure.
But then—
Yun Jin added, "I just broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. I should be able to refine higher-grade pills now. Allow me to refine one on the spot."
Cheng Su: "???"
What nonsense was she hearing?
Refine a pill on the spot?
She didn't even know alchemy, and even she was aware of how intricate and demanding it was. Before refining a crucial pill, an alchemist would typically meditate for days, ensuring they were in peak condition before starting.
And during the refinement, they required total isolation—complete silence, no distractions.
There wasn't even a closed-off room here.
How was Yun Jin going to refine a pill?
While Cheng Su stared in disbelief—
Yun Jin strolled outside and calmly took out her pill furnace.
Cheng Su was stunned.
She was really going to refine a pill in front of everyone?
"Junior Sister Yun? What are you doing?" Ye Liuqin had just arrived and frowned at the sight.
The assessment method for the alchemy chamber was straightforward: they evaluated the best pill you had personally refined. Most people, Ye Liuqin included, carried their best work with them. They only had to choose the finest one and place it on the formation plate to receive a result.
Right now, Ye Liuqin held first place.
But Yun Jin had also left her spiritual imprint in the alchemy room. Without presenting a pill, the outcome remained undecided.
Ye Liuqin had just come from the Beastmaster chamber to find Yun Jin—only to see her pulling out a furnace.
Yun Jin gave a sheepish smile. "Senior Sister Ye, I advanced recently and haven't had time to make any new pills. So I'll have to refine one now."
Ye Liuqin and the other alchemists: "...???"
Refine on the spot?
No preparation at all? Just open the furnace and begin?
Xuandan Gate's alchemists were known across the continent, yet even they didn't dare act this casually. Where was Yun Jin getting her confidence?
Most of the alchemists in the crowd wore expressions of contempt. Ye Liuqin, however, frowned in thought.
Yun Jin's approach reminded her of someone. She was the disciple of Feng Yu, a ninth-grade alchemist. Not long ago, her master had mentioned a genius with a completely unique style of alchemy, discovered in a remote region.
This person's furnace operated on its own, without the need for manual control. Every pill she refined was of perfect quality, and the recipes she used were all original creations.
Feng Yu had said that Qing Yun had entered seclusion just to study a brand-new Foundation Establishment pill formula created by that person.
Once the experiment succeeded, Qing Yun had even left the sect and traveled thousands of miles, intending to take this person as a disciple.
If she recalled correctly…
Originally, the sect master had only expected them to go through the motions in this trial. But after Qing Yun Shibo arrived, the sect master abruptly changed his tune and asked them to support Yun Jin.
Could it be…
Was this Yun Jin the alchemy genius Elder Qing Yun had sought out?
Ye Liuqin's expression shifted slightly as she looked at Yun Jin.
She forced herself to stay calm. All of this was still just speculation. Whether Yun Jin was truly that rumored prodigy was yet to be proven. She had heard that genius, despite her immense talent, had only reached Foundation Establishment and could barely refine second-grade pills.
But Yun Jin had already reached the Nascent Soul stage!
After all—
It had only been three months since the rumors of that genius had begun to spread.
Three months—
To go from Foundation Establishment to Nascent Soul?
Was that even possible?
Even for a genius, this bordered on the absurd.
Ye Liuqin fixed her gaze on Yun Jin's every move. Whether she was or wasn't… she'd soon find out.