Everyone was focused on the old man's condition, but as time passed with no sign of movement, more and more people believed Song Wanníng was bluffing.
Even Xiao Heyun thought this woman was too full of herself—so much so that she believed her own lies. mIf the old man didn't advance, the result would be embarrassing.
But he was eager to see Song Wanníng fail, to teach her a lesson for her arrogant attitude.
A quarter of an hour passed.
The old man still hadn't moved.
The crowd's chatter grew louder, all thinking Song Wanníng was wasting time.
"Official, if this really is a Breakthrough Pill, the old man would have advanced by now. Continuing like this only wastes our time."
"Everyone is waiting for the result!"
The Medicine King Sect disciples were growing impatient. They couldn't wait forever.
"Wait a little longer."
The official remained unmoved. Since the city lord hadn't spoken, he couldn't act on his own.
The Medicine King Sect disciples felt a cold chill, growing angrier and more annoyed with Song Wanníng.
Just as one of them was about to sneer at her again, suddenly the crowd stirred.
In alarm, he turned his head and saw countless spiritual energies swirling like a tornado, converging toward the old man.
"How is this possible?"
He stared wide-eyed, refusing to believe what he saw.
Wu Qingfeng's face twitched, veins bulging, eyes full of disbelief.
"Look, the old man is really about to advance!"
"Is that really a Breakthrough Pill? How could it be?"
"Could the old man just happen to be advancing by chance?"
"Impossible… Song Wanníng really refined a Breakthrough Pill??"
Shock and doubt filled everyone's hearts. They clearly didn't look like Breakthrough Pills.
What was really going on?
The city lord and Huo Jinchuan both shifted their gaze to the remaining Breakthrough Pills on the tray.
"Look! He's breaking through!"
With a sudden shout, all eyes watched as the old man effortlessly broke through to Divine Transformation.
"Oh my god, he really broke through!"
"Look, he's still advancing!"
Another earth-shaking declaration.
The old man didn't stop, pushing straight into mid-Divine Transformation.
Soon, tribulation clouds gathered above.
The entire hall fell silent, no one daring to speak.
Breakthrough Pills were the last hope for cultivators stuck in their progress. Breaking through a major stage doubled their lifespan. If lucky enough to find a chance, further breakthroughs were possible.
Now, the old man—no, the white hair was now a head of black, glossy strands. His wrinkles smoothed away, his dried-out body full of renewed life.
He had reversed aging!
His eyes snapped open, tears blurring his vision. Once desperate and out of options, fate had suddenly turned for him, granting such a huge opportunity.
He stood and bowed deeply to the city lord, then surprisingly knelt straight toward Song Wanníng.
A proud man seven feet tall, crying red-eyed, body trembling.
Many onlookers' eyes reddened too.
"Thank you, benefactor!"
Since this pill was refined by Song Wanníng, she was his lifesaver.
Song Wanníng smiled faintly.
"The pill is just an aid. Without your accumulated effort, you wouldn't have reached this level. Go face your tribulation first."
Calm and composed, she helped him up. The man wiped his tears, laughing and crying, then ran toward the edge of the crowd.
The approaching Heavenly Tribulation sensed his movement and quickly followed.
Soon, thunder roared outside the square.
Countless people envied the figure facing the tribulation. Their eyes toward Song Wanníng were now filled with fervent worship.
The city lord was very pleased, repeatedly praising her.
"Girl, to turn things around even after mistakes, you're amazing!"
Her gaze was full of admiration and curiosity.
"But I want to know why the patterns on these Breakthrough Pills are so different…"
The pills were completely different, yet their effects were even more amazing. This was extraordinary.
"In response, senior, this is a new method I developed by combining various pill refining techniques. It's still in the experimental phase."
Song Wanníng neither exaggerated nor hid anything. She openly shared her new breakthrough.
Everyone present was stunned, then the entire hall erupted in shock.
Even the usually calm Huo Jinchuan's face twitched.
She had actually developed her own unique pill refining method?
Impossible…
How old was she? Even the thousand-year-old grandmasters like the city lord couldn't do this.
This was no longer just genius.
This was a world-shaking genius!
Wu Qingfeng's face turned pale as he stared fiercely at Song Wanníng on stage.
A wave of panic rose from his heart, and he unconsciously crushed the armrest in his grip.
He had a very bad feeling.
If this woman wasn't removed soon, she might never be stopped!
Action had to be taken quickly.
…
After a brief silence, the hall exploded into noise.
Many cultivators watching were also pill refiners, well aware of the weight of Song Wanníng's words.
No one doubted her anymore. They only saw a remarkable talent!
Meeting all the fiery gazes, Song Wanníng accepted them openly, smiling throughout, calm and composed, neither proud nor arrogant.
The Fourth Elder liked her more and more, almost wishing she could rush up and kiss her.
Only after the tribulation fully ended did the discussion calm down.
The official finally announced the results, excluding half who succeeded, then eliminating those with poor pill quality, leaving only twelve remaining.
"After such a long wait, you all must be rested. Let's begin the third round of competition."
With a wave of his hand, new materials appeared on the stone stage.
"This round will select three pill refiners for the finals. Regardless of ranking, these three will enter the Central Domain!
Now I will announce the rules. The pills to be refined in this round are Ninth Grade Face-Changing Pills!"
"Whoa—"
The cultivators in the square were shocked again.
In past pill refining tournaments, the highest grade was Eighth Grade pills…
After rounds of elimination, only the top three would be chosen.
But now, Ninth Grade pills were required right away.
Refining Ninth Grade pills made one a true pill refining grandmaster!
The remaining disciples on stage were shocked, their faces sour.
Including Lu Yi and the others, their expressions darkened. None had ever refined Ninth Grade pills before. This round was already lost.
Two Medicine King Sect disciples' faces also changed slightly.
They had tried Ninth Grade pills, but the success rate was extremely low.
They grit their teeth, glanced at the grim-faced Wu Qingfeng below, and forced indifferent expressions.