Chapter 1206: The Difficulty Is Too Great for Anyone to Pass

"Let me give it a try," an older disciple volunteered.

This person looked to be in his early thirties. If he didn’t make significant progress soon, he would have to leave the academy. Thus, he came to Danxin Hall with a do-or-die attitude.

"Alright, you can go ahead," Zhu Tianping said, taking out the medicinal herbs and instructing two disciples to light the furnace.

The disciple took a deep breath and prepared to start.

"Hold on," said Tutor Chu, "Mr. Zhu, this Sun and Moon Red Pill Furnace is usually used to assess entry-level disciples with no foundational skills; the difficulty might be too high."

Although they understood Zhu Tianping was targeting Mu Hanyan, using the Sun and Moon Red Pill Furnace right away seemed unfair to other disciples; it was hard for them to stand by and watch.

"Then let’s give them three chances. If they can’t succeed in three tries, it shows they lack any talent, so why waste time at Danxin Hall?" Zhu Tianping thought for a moment, seeking not to be too harsh and provoke resentment from the academy disciples. After all, targeting Mu Hanyan was temporary. They couldn’t avoid recruiting new disciples forever, or else Danxin Hall would lose its purpose.

Seeing Zhu Tianping show some concession, both Chu Chang and Master Chang refrained from saying more, hoping the seven or eight disciples, including Mu Hanyan, showed some talent.

Quickly, the furnace fire rose, and the temperature of the old-fashioned pill furnace increased, causing several runes to flicker.

Following the techniques Zhu Tianping previously taught, the disciple judged the timing to be right and quickly formed his hand gestures.

More runes began to light up, and the disciple, delighted, performed his gestures even faster.

Seeing this disciple becoming so skillful after just a short practice, the other disciples were filled with admiration, and even Mu Hanyan silently acknowledged that Long Yan Academy indeed nurtured many talents. This person’s talent was not bad; if he fully pursued alchemy, his achievements might not be below those in Sword Dao cultivation.

Suddenly, a large number of runes on the pill furnace flashed simultaneously.

"Did it succeed?" Everyone’s spirits lifted as they looked towards the furnace, feeling thrilled for the disciple.

But at that moment, a burnt odor wafted out from the furnace.

The disciple’s face fell, changing from pride to dejection.

"What a pity, just a little bit off. Rest for now; you still have two more chances. Try hard later," Zhu Tianping sighed.

To be honest, this disciple’s talent was excellent. In the past, Zhu Tianping and Chu Chang would have been thrilled to see such talent. Unfortunately, due to Mu Hanyan, they had to let this disciple suffer a bit. They hoped he would succeed in the next two attempts.

"Who wants to try next?" After the furnace was cleaned by two disciples, Zhu Tianping asked.

"Let me try," another older disciple said. With three chances, they were more relaxed.

Soon, the furnace fire rose again, and this disciple executed his hand gestures, adding in the medicinal herbs.

After observing the previous disciple, this one was even more proficient, and soon the runes on the pill furnace flashed radiantly.

A look of joy appeared on the disciple’s face, and the others were thrilled. It seemed like success was near—if someone succeeded, it would prove that the assessment wasn’t as hard as they imagined, giving everyone hope.

Unfortunately, their excitement was premature.

"Puff"—a light sound was followed by a strong burnt smell.

The smile froze on the disciple’s face, now looking worse than crying.

"Such a pity, you’ll likely pass the next time," Zhu Tianping, feeling regretful, said disappointedly.

"Who’s next?" Zhu Tianping asked after adjusting his mood.

"I’ll give it a try."

...

Next, one after another, several academy disciples stepped forward. Using the demonstrations of the previous two, their techniques became more skillful, and their understanding of the alchemy techniques taught by Zhu Tianping grew deeper.

Even Tutor Chu and Master Chang couldn’t help but be impressed as these disciples at Danxin Hall seemed far stronger than before. If properly honed, perhaps a suitable disciple could be found to bestow all they had learned over a lifetime.

However, Zhu Tianping, being set against Mu Hanyan, had made the assessment excessively difficult—no matter how brilliant the disciples’ performance, it all ended in vain with no success.

Mu Hanyan’s frown deepened. The preceding disciples were indeed talented, yet none passed the assessment; if she were to try, she’d likely meet the same fate.

"Han Yan, how much silver do you have on you now?" Mu Hanyan, worried, heard Ling Baobao’s voice.

"Why?" Mu Hanyan asked.

"To make a bet, of course. Doesn’t seem like anyone will pass this assessment. If I say you’ll pass on your first try, no one will believe it, so we might as well make some money," Ling Baobao said enthusiastically.

"I’d advise you to drop that idea. This time, I don’t have much confidence either," Mu Hanyan shook her head.

While other disciples were taking the assessment, she secretly used the Divine Martial Refining Soul Technique to inspect and found that the Sun and Moon Red Pill Furnace was crafted from high-quality Outer Heaven Meteorite Gold, requiring highly advanced techniques. From her knowledge in a beginner’s book called , such a furnace can produce higher quality elixirs but requires even more refined alchemy techniques—a slight misstep could lead to failure.

So, she wasn’t confident at all.

"How can you not have confidence? Don’t forget you have the Chaos Heavenly Fire," Ling Baobao was dissatisfied with Mu Hanyan’s lack of self-confidence, responding bitterly.

"Having Chaos Heavenly Fire isn’t enough on its own; this Sun and Moon Red Pill Furnace isn’t ordinary. Without enough insight into alchemy, success is unlikely," Mu Hanyan said cautiously. She knew she had the Chaos Heavenly Fire, but it was still in its infancy, and her understanding of alchemy was limited, making the assessment too challenging.

"That’s true; I also noticed that this pill furnace is quite unique. But it shouldn’t be an obstacle for you. Remember the alchemy technique I told you my little master used?" Ling Baobao thought for a moment and said.

Mu Hanyan’s eyes lit up. Out of curiosity and admiration for strong individuals, she had inquired about the legends of Ling Baobao’s plane, and had heard him mention this little master.