The moment Bai Zihan refined a Grade-4 pill, the result was already decided!
That conclusion spread like wildfire.
No one refuted it.
No one even tried because it was the truth.
An undeniable truth.
Even the most stubborn disciples could only fall silent.
Some sighed.
Some shook their heads.
Others looked toward Mu Linyue with complicated expressions.
Respect!
Pity!
Regret!
"Senior Sister Linyue… lost before she even finished…"
"What a shame!"
"Against something like that… there's nothing she could've done…"
The murmurs were quiet, but they carried weight.
The weight of a verdict already passed.
And yet—
Mu Linyue stood unmoving before her furnace.
Her hands were as steady as ever, as if none of those voices existed.
As if the outcome did not matter.
Her world was only the furnace before her.
Only the pill within.
The flames flickered.
Then they surged.
A final, brilliant rise of golden fire.
The air trembled slightly.
