On the thirtieth day of Qin Shu's alchemy seclusion, **Master Lingxu finally emerged from his closed-door cultivation.**

During this retreat, he had comprehended an **ancient pill formula.**

Back in ancient times, when spiritual energy was abundant, cultivators advanced quickly, and it was an era of **flourishing techniques.**

Many great figures created unique cultivation methods, leading to an **explosion of diverse techniques.**

The pill formula he had studied originated from that period. **To enhance cultivation speed**, ancient cultivators devised a method to **suppress weaker spiritual roots**, allowing them to **focus solely on their strongest root.**

This prevented their energy from being spread too thin, making cultivation more efficient.

They called this creation **the Hidden Spirit Pill.**

Master Lingxu chuckled to himself. **The ingenuity of the ancients was truly fascinating.**

Stretching lazily, he suddenly remembered—**before his seclusion, he had taken in two young disciples.**

He wondered how they were progressing.

Just then, he sensed a **transmission talisman** at his door.

With a flick of his wrist, he lifted the restriction around his cave dwelling, and the talisman flew inside, igniting midair.

A familiar voice emerged—**Wen Chi.**

*"Master, Junior Sister has started refining pills, but there was a slight issue. I'll explain in detail once you're out of seclusion."*

Hearing that **Qin Shu had encountered a problem**, Master Lingxu immediately tensed.

Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal and **summoned Wen Chi to his peak.**

Wen Chi, receiving the call, abandoned his training and swiftly flew over.

"Master!"

Before he could even bow, Master Lingxu spoke in a sharp tone.

*"What happened to Qin Shu?! I entrusted her to you, and this is how you've been watching over her?!"*

Wen Chi quickly lowered his head and **explained himself.**

"Master, it's not a bad issue. **In fact, we might have underestimated Junior Sister's talent.**"

Master Lingxu narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Explain."

"One month ago, Junior Sister started refining pills... **and exploded five furnaces in a row.**"

Master Lingxu's expression turned **grave.**

New alchemists often failed to **form pills**, but **blowing up furnaces?**

That was highly unusual.

"Did the Artifact Sect supply us with **defective furnaces**?" Master Lingxu asked.

Wen Chi shook his head. "No, it's **Junior Sister's fire spiritual energy**—it's unusual. **Her fire root isn't high in value, but the temperature is extraordinarily high.** **Ordinary furnaces simply can't withstand it.**"

For an alchemist, **higher fire temperatures** were a blessing. Some herbs required extreme heat to melt, and many alchemists had to **seek external sources of fire** to compensate.

But **fire root temperature was usually proportional to its value.**

Wen Chi's fire root was **91**, and **he had never exploded a furnace.**

Yet Qin Shu, with a fire root of **73**, **managed to do just that.**

Neither master nor disciple could figure it out, but **a suspicion arose in Master Lingxu's mind—could this be related to Qin Shu's unique constitution?**

Relaxing slightly, he stroked his beard and laughed.

"**This is a good thing!** It means my little disciple is a **natural-born alchemist!**"

Wen Chi nodded in agreement.

"Master, I lent her the **Devouring Heaven Furnace**. **Guess how many pills she produced in her first successful batch?**"

Master Lingxu, deep in thought, guessed, **"Seven?"**

Wen Chi shook his head.

"How many, then?"

**"Nine."**

Master Lingxu inhaled sharply. "**What?! Nine?**"

Wen Chi's lips curved slightly before adding, "**All superior-grade.**"

Master Lingxu, who had maintained **a century of composure**, was now **completely shaken.**

"**Nine?! Superior-grade?!**"

Wen Chi nodded solemnly, bowing slightly.

"Yes, Master. I witnessed it with my own eyes."

Master Lingxu fell into **deep contemplation**.

He mentally scanned through **his eight hundred years of treasures**, searching for an appropriate gift for his **exceptional disciple.**

To have such a **brilliant final disciple**—**what a blessing!**

To Wen Chi, however, his master's silent deliberation **looked like doubt.**

So, he suggested, "Master, Junior Sister is still in seclusion at the alchemy room. Would you like to see for yourself?"

Before he finished speaking, Master Lingxu **vanished.**

—

At that moment, Qin Shu had become **a tireless alchemy machine.**

Her refining techniques grew **increasingly refined**, minimizing spiritual energy waste to **near perfection.**

In just **one month**, she had **already repaid** eight years' worth of **Wen Chi's sixty-year alchemy debt.**

Her current pills were **perfectly formed**, with **clear pill patterns**, and every single batch produced **ten pills—flawless.**

If this were announced, **who would believe she had only been refining pills for a month?!**

Qin Shu activated a seal on the furnace, then popped a **Qi-replenishing pill** into her mouth.

Suddenly, **space in front of her twisted**, and a white-haired elder appeared.

Qin Shu was momentarily **stunned** before realization hit her—**her master.**

She immediately bowed deeply.

"Disciple Qin Shu greets Master!"

A gentle force lifted her effortlessly.

"Rise," Master Lingxu said.

As he spoke, his **divine sense swept over the Devouring Heaven Furnace.**

In that instant, **his shock deepened.**

**Without guidance, she had mastered flawless pill refinement?!**

His disciple's talent was **truly remarkable!**

His gaze then fell upon a **piece of paper beside Qin Shu**, filled with **dense handwritten notes.**

Curious, he lifted it with his spiritual energy and **unfolded it.**

Though the handwriting was **less than elegant**, its content **stunned him.**

**"Three Key Factors for Perfect Pill Formation & Ten Crucial Details."**

Qin Shu scratched her head awkwardly.

"Master, I just like to **write down my thoughts**. These are just things I read in books, so I organized them..."

Master Lingxu nodded, **handing the paper back.**

"Shu'er, this is an excellent habit. **It is easy to learn, but difficult to reflect and summarize.**"

"By doing this, you have already surpassed most cultivators."