Zhu Yuan breathed out a sigh of relief. He slowly wiped his sweating brow as his tired eyes looked down on the red hot refining kiln. After four hours of painstaking effort, a bright red pellet was floating silently inside the kiln. It emmitted a strong palpable fiery aura as it pulsed.
"Refining success! My very first cultivation pellet!" Zhu Yuan jumped up in joy as he gazed at the bright red dragon essence pellet that illuminated the whole examination room a bright illumiscent red. Using the Divine Azure Vine in his mind he scanned for the pellet's potency.
'.. Potency of Dragon Essence Pellet 62%..'
A frown formed on Zhu Yuan's face.
"Will it be enough for me to pass?"
He knew his outrageous gamble with his blood would in a way affect the pellet potency but he still haboured hopes for at least 70% potency.
"It's that old fogeys fault for failing to provide the right pacyfing elements."
"How will I spin this to him??"
Unease filled Zhu Yuan's mind as he thought of how best to capitalize on the lack of proper ingredients to best help his cause and etch out a win from the strict and impartial elder Feng Xiao.
Suddenly the door to the examination room burst open with a loud bang! Four old distinguished seniors rushed in with haste straight to the red hot refining kiln much to Zhu Yuan's dismay.
They quickly neared the table and leaned in to observe the bright red illumiscent pellet and at once fell into heated, animated discussions and deliberations. Now and then they used extremely complicated jargon unheard of to the young Zhu Yuan.
Zhu Yuan watched the four seniors with complete shock in his heart. From their demeanors and bearing, these were without a doubt high existences within the pellet association.
"Oh no... This is bad. Where did I go wrong??"
"Did they perhaps do a background check and discover that I am a fake pellet refining practitioner.?"
"Did they discover Old Man Yuan and the Healing Essence Shop??"
"This... This... !??"
Millions of questions raced in Zhu Yuan's mind and he started to back away from the kiln in slow measured steps. He looked to elder Feng Xiao, the only familiar figure but the latter was too engrossed in examining the red hot kiln. He hadn't even looked up once at him.
WTH was going on?? This current scene was utterly out of Zhu Yuan's many calculations and it freaked him out to the extreme. He however kept a calm face and decided to take another few steps back in case he needed to make a break for it.
Amidst the din of excited rants, Old Su Bihai eyes caught Zhu Yuan's subtle steps and his face looked up to him, his face flushed and his eyes bright with emotion.
"Hoho.. this is simply marvelous! Esteemed young scholar! ... Can you come closer.?"
Zhu Yuan ... "????!!!!!!???"
Elder Su Bihai ignored Zhu Yuan's alarm filled face and beckoned with urgency.
" Come.. young scholar we need to engage with you at once.!"
"Yes please... esteemed young scholar indulge us old men. Can you explain in detail how you refined this pellet ?!?" Elder Sheng Kong too spoke out at once giving Zhu Yuan a fervent stare.
To say Zhu Yuan was perplexed was a huge understatement. The heat he had endured for four hours under the red hot refining kiln was no where near the heat the intense piercing gazes these old esteemed elders induced!
Noticing his predicament, elder Feng Xiao stepped up and walked to the frozen Zhu Yuan and patted his shoulder with immense pride and contentment. How could he not be proud. When history came calling it would be his name that would be up there in the shining lights. He Feng Xiao was the extremely prudent instructor who had discovered the heaven defying pellet refining prodigy of Red Eagle Clan.
"Hohoho... My young friend Zhu Yuan, please be at ease. Allow me to make due introductions."
"This is senior master Sheng Kong, 1st deputy chairman of the Association. This is senior master Su Bihai, 2nd deputy chairman of the Association and this here is his esteemed senior master Zeng Xiao, Chairman of the Red Eagle Pellet Association."
The brief introduction did the complete opposite of what it was intended to. Zhu Yuan's jaw dropped and his face became pale at once as all the blood drained from his face.
"I am soo f**cked.." was all his mind could come up with.
Elder Feng Xiao's experienced eyes of course saw through Zhu Yuan's frame of mind.
"Hoho.. don't be like this young friend. You are in no trouble at all in fact you have just accomplished the impossible just now as we all watched!"
Hohoho... What a truly remarkable day this has turned out to be. Who could have thought.?"
"Hoho.. Yes, Yes... Who could have dared imagine." Old Su Bihai chuckled heartily.
"Huh?? Achieved the impossible??"
"Huh?? Wait ... They were all watching!!??" Zhu Yuan's mind got more clouded than a wind storm in a tropical monsoon.
"Haha.. Zhu Yuan listen, this old man has a small confession to make." Feng Xiao revealed a cunning smile as he patted him once again.
"In the last stage if the pellet examination, this elder changed up things a bit and gave you the wrong refining instructions" he revealed proudly.
"The pellet you just refined is the world reknowned Dragon Essence Pellet, a legendary pellet that has eluded all the elite master pellet practitioners in Celestial Sky Continent for decades.!"
"This is the very first dragon essence pellet to be seen in centuries, since the old Ying dynasty era."
"It's half burnt scroll was discovered decades ago in the Ying dynasty ruins and every elite pellet practitioner has tried to refine it to no avail."
"You are the first, no your esteemed master was the first to successfully refine it before he passed down the knowledge on to you."
"Hoho.. you cunning old fox. Look how unashamedly you tricked our esteemed young scholar." Elder Sheng Kong joined in on the fun throwing a harmless jibe at instructor Feng Xiao.
"Hoho.. I apologise , but this brat was simply too unusual. See how he has startled us old fools out of our socks.. "
As the top most existences of Red Eagle Pellet Association bantered about in a carefree, relaxed manner , Zhu Yuan's minds cogs finally clicked and started spinning in overdrive.
"This cunning old fogey Feng Xiao!! How dare he use such tricks!!"
"This....This situation just went from normal to the most bizarre" he lamented deep in his heart.
But he too felt deep amazement and reverence as he looked at the bright red dragon essence pellet that illuminated the large room.
"Still this Divine Azure Vine is just too amazing. It possesses unlimited knowledge of herbs and refining techniques even the ancient ying dynasty refining techniques?!"
"Just how long has it existed!? Who was it's master!? How did it end up deep inside the Azure Mountain!? And what exactly was the history behind the Holy Azure Mountain!?"
Millions of questions rummaged Zhu Yuan's young mind regarding this mysterious all knowing divine existence he had encountered by mere luck. He shook his head and smiled sheepishly.
This wasn't the time to think of such matters, first he had to adequately deal with the current situation and make the best of it.
"What's happened has already happened. If it's a calamity it can't be avoided, if it's a blessing then naturally it is only right to make the best of it."
However Zhu Yuan decided he would have to be more vigilant when it came to his secret. It was simply too powerful and mysterious. The day it was discovered Zhu Yuan had a feeling it would really be the end of the road for him, for it would be greatly coveted by each and every hegemon and giant within the entire Celestial Sky Continent!
****