Chapter 60 second part The Last Floor

Chapter 60: 60 second part The Last Floor

The Last Floor

He looked at the participants.

"But everything you have experienced was only meant to prepare you for this moment."

Guo Han asked:

"Is this the inheritance trial?"

The old man turned his aged eyes toward him.

"Yes."

Guo Han remained attentive.

"And what exactly are we supposed to do?"

The old man pointed toward the ingredients.

"You will refine the same pill."

Chen Ruyue became serious.

"The same formula?"

"The same."

Guo Han asked:

"Then will we all receive exactly the same ingredients and formula?"

"Of course."

"The same quantities?"

"Of course."

"The same furnace?"

"Obviously."

Guo Han remained silent for several seconds.

"Then there will be no way to compensate for one deficiency through another advantage."

The old man managed a faint smile.

"Now you understand."

He continued:

"Everyone will have the same opportunity. The difference will lie in what each of you can accomplish with it."

Zhao Ming crossed his arms.

"What pill is it?"

The old man looked at him.

"A pill you do not know yet."

Zhao Ming frowned.

"Then we will have to discover the formula again for an extremely complex pill?"

"No."

The old man made a small gesture, and a sheet of spiritual paper appeared before each participant. The complete formula was written on it.

Everyone began reading. Yun Che carefully went through every line.

Purification.

Proportions.

Temperatures.

Sequence.

Time.

Fusion method.

Stabilization method.

The formula was extremely complex, but it was not impossible. The problem lay elsewhere. Small conditions had been inserted between each stage.

If the essence became unstable, stop the fusion. If the flame exceeded a certain limit, reduce it immediately. If the spiritual energy of the main ingredient increased, alter the incoming flow.

Guo Han read everything attentively, his eyes becoming increasingly focused.

"This is the true essence of alchemy..."

Su Meilin asked:

"What did you find?"

Guo Han replied:

"The formula was not designed to be executed mechanically."

Chen Ruyue approached.

"Explain."

Guo Han pointed toward one of the stages.

"The main sequence is defined, but there are conditions that require adjustments. The alchemist must observe the behavior of the ingredients throughout the process."

He looked at the others.

"This means that two people can begin in exactly the same way and end up using slightly different methods."

The old man gave a tired smile.

"That is why this is the final trial."

Lian Yue studied the formula.

"So the pill will not be judged solely by the final result?"

"No."

The old man coughed heavily before answering with difficulty.

"Every stage will be judged."

The silence became even heavier.

He continued, breathing heavily:

"You will not be able to make a mistake now and correct it at the end."

The furnace’s flame ignited.

"A purification error will affect the fusion."

The temperature increased.

"An imperfect fusion will affect the stabilization."

Spiritual pressure spread throughout the chamber.

"And an imperfect stabilization will affect the entire pill."

The old man stared at them.

"If you fail at one stage, you may destroy everything you accomplish afterward."

Yun Che narrowed his eyes.

This was a different kind of trial. It would not be enough to find the answer; he would have to execute every decision correctly. He knew his own weakness very well.

The knowledge was in his mind, but his hands did not yet possess the same experience.

The old man raised his hand.

"Begin."

At the first stage, the furnaces ignited simultaneously. Chen Ruyue was the first to organize the ingredients. She did not immediately touch the more powerful ones.

First, she checked their properties, then their purity and compatibility.

Guo Han immediately understood what she was doing.

"You’re ignoring the main ingredients."

Chen Ruyue replied:

"Because we don’t need them yet."

"Why?"

"If I start with the main ingredients without properly preparing the auxiliary ones, their essence will be wasted during the fusion."

Guo Han smiled.

"A careful choice."

Chen Ruyue replied:

"A necessary choice. Rare ingredients do not mean they should be used first."

Meanwhile, Zhao Ming had already begun moving. He was fast, but not disorderly. He measured.

Adjusted.

Controlled.

His practical execution was impressive. Lian Yue observed her own formula. Unlike the others, she did not possess the same confidence in every stage, but she showed no anxiety.

She read, thought, and then acted. Su Meilin observed everyone, especially Yun Che. The masked man had begun more cautiously.

He did not touch the ingredients immediately. His gaze moved across the formula, then the ingredients, then the flame.

Su Meilin narrowed her eyes.

"He’s calculating."

Guo Han, busy with his own preparations, heard her.

"We all are."

"Not like that."

Guo Han looked at her.

Su Meilin continued:

"The others are using what they know. He seems to be trying to discover something he doesn’t know yet."

Guo Han became thoughtful.

"That isn’t necessarily a weakness."

"I know."

Su Meilin turned her eyes back to Yun Che.

"That’s precisely why I’m paying attention."

Yun Che finally began.

He separated the ingredients before starting the purification. When the first stage proceeded without any problems, the second followed in the same manner.

His execution was more precise than it had been on the first floors. The knowledge acquired from the previous trials had improved his control.

But Guo Han was also advancing, and in an equally frighteningly efficient manner. He did not need to consult anything or hesitate.

If an essence reacted in a certain way, he already knew how to respond.

His theoretical experience was so profound that he could anticipate most of the changes.

Zhao Ming was also progressing steadily.

Chen Ruyue had prepared the ingredients with precision.

Lian Yue maintained impressive stability.

Su Meilin corrected small details before they could even become problems.

The battle had begun.

Finally, the final stage had arrived, and according to the old man, any mistake would be enough to lose everything they had gained within the mausoleum.

He would not hesitate to use the few Lust Points he had left.

Some were familiar.

[Alchemy analysis initiated.]

[First stage: purification of spiritual essence.]

[Estimated error rate without assistance: 37.4%.]

Yun Che did not hesitate.

[Recommended procedure identified.]

[Initial temperature: 684 degrees.]

[Reduce flame intensity by 8%.]

[Introduce spiritual energy in a continuous flow.]

[Do not use direct spiritual pressure.]

Yun Che immediately carried out the instructions, and the flame changed. The essence began to separate. At the same time, the other five furnaces erupted into activity.

Guo Han was the fastest. His movements were precise, and he did not need to think before acting. Every ingredient was handled exactly as it should be.

Yun Che cast a deep look toward his opponent. Guo Han was not simply following the formula. He had refined so many pills throughout his life that his knowledge had transformed into instinct.

But Yun Che possessed another advantage. The System could analyze what his eyes could not understand. The essence before him began to change.

[Subtle alteration detected.]

[Spiritual composition differs from expected parameters.]

[Immediate adjustment recommended.]

Yun Che modified the flame, and the essence stabilized. On the other side of the chamber, Zhao Ming’s light began to fluctuate. He had used a slightly higher temperature.

He tried to correct it.

The flame responded too late. When the essence began to darken, Zhao Ming gritted his teeth.

"No..."

He increased his spiritual energy. The essence trembled violently. His light flickered three times, while the old man merely watched in silence.

Zhao Ming tried to save the preparation. The furnace began to emit smoke, and then his light turned red.

The old man’s voice echoed:

"You truly surprised me, young man."

The old man paused to take a deep breath before continuing.

"Your speed and experience are truly worthy of bringing you here. Unfortunately, the ingredients are far beyond your current level. Being able to control the essence at all is already quite remarkable."

Zhao Ming raised his head.

"Old man, I don’t need your pity!"

The light above him went out at that very moment. The formation beneath his feet glowed, and Zhao Ming disappeared.

He was expelled from the mausoleum. There was no second opportunity, unlike the previous floors. He simply ceased to exist within that chamber.

Outside, his body appeared. Zhao Ming looked at the closed door, frustration appearing on his face.

He had been defeated.

Inside, the battle continued. Yun Che breathed slowly, and then the System appeared once again.