After Su Lingxiang finished her alchemy demonstration, she looked up at the large group of Bronze Students.
"Students, I've shown you the complete steps. Who is willing to come up and try? If anyone can successfully refine a Power Enhancement Pill, I can petition the Academy to promote you straight to Silver Student status!"
The moment Su Lingxiang finished, the classroom erupted in noise.
"Holy cow, good thing I actually took the time to study the theory seriously!"
"Haha, this is my chance to be promoted to Silver Student!"
Students who had genuinely applied themselves to alchemy theory instantly flushed with excitement. Meanwhile, those who had slacked off were filled with gut-wrenching regret.
The student hierarchy at Lingyun Academy was rigid, and the resources enjoyed by Silver Students were vastly superior. For Bronze Students—all of whom entered through back doors—promotion was usually considered impossible. Su Lingxiang was essentially offering them a massive shortcut.
"I'll try!"
The first brave student stepped up, looking confident. However, once he began the process, he immediately became flustered, and the attempt ended in quick failure. The next few students met the same fate.
Even Lin Yang went up and gave it a shot, but he lost control of the heat and ended up immediately frying the furnace.
The New Challenge
"Who else would like to come up and try?"
Seeing every student fail, Su Lingxiang couldn't hide her disappointment. She herself had once been a Bronze Student, only rising to fame after discovering her talent for pill refinement. She held a special empathy for the Bronze Class and was eager to find hidden gems among them. Yet, this particular group truly seemed hopeless.
Jiang Chen surveyed the room. Finding no one else willing to volunteer, he rose from his seat.
"Jiang Chen, are you serious?" Lin Yang, walking down from the podium, glared at Jiang Chen with undisguised scorn. "You've been here less than a day, you haven't even cracked a single book on theory, and you think you can go up there and refine a Power Enhancement Pill? Can you?"
"Who made a rule that says you can't attempt alchemy on your first day?" Jiang Chen asked coolly.
"Do you think alchemy is a joke?" Lin Yang sneered, his contempt evident. "You saw me, and I've been practicing the theory for months! Don't go up there and embarrass yourself."
"I think you're the one who should be embarrassed," Jiang Chen shot back. "You've studied for months and can't even refine an unranked Power Enhancement Pill. How useless are you?"
"Your failure doesn't mean I can't succeed."
After delivering the final blow, Jiang Chen walked straight past the fuming Lin Yang.
"Jiang Chen, don't be so arrogant!" Lin Yang yelled furiously. "If you can successfully refine a Power Enhancement Pill today, I, Lin Yang, will personally serve you tea, kowtow, and treat you as my master!"
"Someone like you? Even if you begged me to accept you as a disciple, I wouldn't look twice." Jiang Chen scoffed dismissively. "You want to be my apprentice just because you said so? Don't be ridiculous."
"You—!" Lin Yang nearly choked on his own rage. He looked up at Su Lingxiang on the podium. "Teacher Su, this guy knows nothing about alchemy! He's just causing trouble. You should expel him right now!"
"You're so certain I know nothing about alchemy?" A flash of impatience crossed Jiang Chen's eyes.
"Fine. If I successfully refine this Power Enhancement Pill today, you can get the hell out of this classroom."