"Damn, this guy is actually crazy enough to try refining a Body Tempering Pill?" a student muttered, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Heh, some people just love being self-righteous," another scoffed. "He thought refining a simple Power Enhancement Pill meant he was hot stuff."
"The Body Tempering Pill is a First-Grade Pill. Even many professional First-Rank Alchemists have a low success rate. I genuinely don't know where this lunatic gets his confidence."
Lin Yang sneered loudly from the side, enjoying Jiang Chen's inevitable failure.
Jiang Chen offered a faint smile, ignoring Lin Yang's mockery completely. With the strength of a Second-Rank Alchemist and the system's automatically triggered Hundredfold Success Rate, if he couldn't refine a Body Tempering Pill, he was pointless.
"Teacher, I'm missing the Bone Forging Grass and the Weeping Blood Flower for the Body Tempering Pill. Could you please provide them?" Jiang Chen asked Su Lingxiang, glancing up at the podium.
Su Lingxiang didn't waste time with questions. She quickly produced the required herbs from her Spatial Ring and placed them before Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen examined the materials, then began raising the furnace heat and initiating the process. His movements were still impeccably smooth, betraying no hesitation. In under ten minutes, he had carefully introduced all the medicinal materials into the cauldron, one by one.
The Mid-Process Save
But at that crucial moment, a sudden gust of wind blew in from the classroom door.
Instantly, the fire under Jiang Chen's control wavered, destabilizing the entire process. The interior of the pill furnace grew turbulent, and the whole podium began to shake violently—the unmistakable signs of a furnace explosion.
"What a pity," Su Lingxiang murmured, shaking her head regretfully.
In her estimation, the refining process had been going perfectly; Jiang Chen had an 80 to 90 percent chance of success. Yet, that unexpected breeze had completely shattered his rhythm. Alchemy was a delicate art, and external factors like this often led to catastrophic failure. It was why alchemists typically worked in sealed rooms.
Just as Su Lingxiang was bracing for the failure, Jiang Chen casually reached out and picked up a piece of Yanyang Grass. He swiftly plucked two leaves and tossed them into the furnace.
The trembling cauldron immediately settled down, becoming quiet and stable.
"This...!" Su Lingxiang's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
"Haha! Jiang Chen, you moron!" Lin Yang burst into loud, derisive laughter. "Yanyang Grass isn't even required for the Body Tempering Pill! You absolute fool, you didn't even understand the basic ingredients, and you dared to attempt this!"
Jiang Chen acted as if Lin Yang hadn't spoken. He quickly executed the final Pill Condensing Hand Seal.
A moment later, a wave of pill fragrance, several times richer and more potent than before, radiated slowly from the furnace.
"Ding! You successfully refined the First-Grade Pill: Body Tempering Pill, gaining $1000 \times 100$ experience!"
"Ding! You have successfully been promoted to a Third-Rank Alchemist!"
Refining one pill and jumping a rank? Cool!
Jiang Chen opened the furnace, retrieved a thumb-sized, glistening pill, and held it up. He grinned at a visibly distraught Lin Yang.
"Sorry," Jiang Chen said, his tone dripping with mock regret. "I let you down. I succeeded again."
"This... how is this possible?!" Lin Yang stared blankly at the Body Tempering Pill in Jiang Chen's hand, feeling like he'd swallowed a live insect.
"Damn, he actually succeeded?"
"Incredible! He can successfully refine a First-Grade Pill!"
"Gold Student! That kid just soared to the sky in one go!"
For a moment, every eye in the room—filled with envy, jealousy, and utter hatred—was fixed on Jiang Chen.