Chapter 318: Trying to Stir Up Trouble

As the presiding instructor stepped onto the stage, the eyes of the entire audience converged, the noisy atmosphere gradually grew quiet, and everyone waited for the test results.

The presiding instructor first walked toward the refining station where Han Zhi was located; the latter stepped back with a smile, extending a hand to signal for the test.

The instructor nodded, took the bottle of spirit liquid refined by Han Zhi, and inserted the refinement-testing needle into it.

They waited for a few seconds.

Everyone waited quietly for the result.

Finally, the presiding instructor revealed an appreciative smile and announced in a loud voice: "Han Zhi of Daze House, the spirit liquid refined has a refinement power of... sixty-six percent."

As this voice rang out, it immediately caused quite a stir. Many who understood the trade nodded slightly; the refinement power limit for a four-star, third-grade spirit liquid should be around seventy percent, so if Han Zhi could reach sixty-six percent, the bottle of spirit liquid he refined could definitely be considered top-tier.

Of course, Han Zhi being able to reach this level of refinement power was largely because he himself was a fifth-grade refinement master; if it were another third-grade refinement master refining it, the final refinement power would likely be in the range of sixty to sixty-three percent.

And this was also the average level of the "Brown Dust Spirit Liquid" produced by Daze House.

After all, even Daze House could not always send fifth-grade refinement masters like Han Zhi to refine third-grade spirit liquid; the cost-effectiveness would not be worth it.

"If there are no surprises, I think Han Zhi should be the one with the highest refinement power," the middle-aged man named Gui Xu at the location of Tiangong House smiled and said to the Princess.

The Princess's peerlessly beautiful face remained calm, and she only nodded slightly; surprises... were a bit hard to predict.

"How will Li Luo's results be?" she asked, her red lips parting slightly.

Gui Xu glanced at the Princess and noticed that she seemed to be paying more attention to Li Luo. Was there some connection between them?

Gui Xu pondered for a moment and said: "Xiyang House has a shallow foundation; its only highlight is the secret method source water with a purity of the upper seventh grade. If Li Luo refined a three-star formula, then no matter how outstanding he is, the spirit liquid he refined will not exceed sixty percent."

"Because the limit of refinement power for a three-star formula is around sixty percent."

The Princess's eyes flashed, and she said: "What if Li Luo refined a four-star formula?"

Gui Xu was stunned and said: "I have never heard of Xiyang House having a four-star formula."

The Princess smiled faintly: "Just because they didn't have one before doesn't mean they don't have one now... Li Luo was able to suddenly produce secret method source water with a purity of the upper seventh grade; it wouldn't be impossible for him to suddenly have an extra four-star formula, would it?"

Gui Xu felt a bit helpless. The Princess still did not quite understand the spirit liquid and light industry. Formulas were worth ten thousand gold; the appearance of every four-star formula would cause a great stir in the industry. How could Xiyang House suddenly have an extra four-star formula?

However, since the Princess had made such an assumption, he could not reject her face and could only analyze: "Even if Li Luo is currently refining a four-star formula, with his ability as a third-grade refinement master, the final refinement power should only be in the range of sixty to sixty-two percent."

"This is still a significant gap from fifth-grade refinement masters like Han Zhi."

"Hehe, in this competition, if Li Luo can reach a refinement power of sixty-three percent, I think he would be considered a great success, because he only lost due to the gap in refinement master grades. Once he reaches a fourth-grade refinement master, his refining of third-grade spirit liquid and light will not be inferior to fifth-grade refinement masters like Han Zhi. Any refinement master who can achieve this step is basically considered a refinement genius," Gui Xu added at the end.

The Princess nodded and then looked toward the arena.

On the stage, the presiding instructor smiled at Han Zhi: "Congratulations."

This presiding instructor was also a refinement master, so his eye for detail was quite high. Although he had not yet tested the other few fifth-grade refinement masters, he could already feel that Han Zhi would most likely be the highest one.

Han Zhi smiled to express his gratitude, watched the presiding instructor walk toward the next fifth-grade refinement master, and then cast his gaze toward where Li Luo was.

At this moment, Li Luo was stretching his waist, as if the previous refining process had not been easy.

Sensing Han Zhi's gaze, Li Luo also raised his head to meet it, then his mouth moved, and the lip-reading was: "I'll hack you to death!"

Han Zhi's smile stiffened slightly, and annoyance rose in his eyes. With a cold snort, he thought: Li Luo, oh Li Luo, no matter how fierce you are with your words, you cannot change the outcome of today.

All eyes in the arena were also moving as the presiding instructor moved. Next, he tested the spirit liquid and light refined by the other four fifth-grade refinement masters one by one.

"Blue Light House, Huangfu Xu, refinement power: sixty-four percent."

"North Mountain Ice and Snow House, Bing Ling, refinement power: sixty-five percent."

"Ink Water House, refiner, Mo Tai, refinement power: sixty-four percent."

"..."

As the results of the other four fifth-grade refinement masters were announced, sighs of admiration rose continuously in the arena. These fifth-grade refinement masters were indeed quite capable, and the gap between them was not too large. As everyone had guessed, among the five fifth-grade refinement masters, Han Zhi's performance was the most outstanding.

A refinement of sixty-six percent, looking down on everyone in the arena.

After testing these five fifth-grade refinement masters, the presiding instructor arrived at the refining station where Li Luo was, and all eyes in the arena converged at this moment.

Everyone knew that the upcoming inspection was likely the highlight of this competition.

Did this president of Xiyang House really have some certainty, or was he just young and impulsive, wanting to go on stage to show off his presence?

If it were the former, Xiyang House would likely cause a sensation today and become the best in the arena, but if it were the latter... it could only be said to be a laughingstock. After all, blindly going on stage without knowing the occasion would not show courage, but rather lose all face.

"Instructor, please."

Li Luo looked at the instructor who had come before him and handed over the "Cute Butterfly Spirit Liquid" in his hand.

The instructor glanced at Li Luo and said: "Don't have any pressure; just treat it as experiencing the ability of a fifth-grade refinement master."

Li Luo smiled and nodded.

The instructor took the "Cute Butterfly Spirit Liquid." He felt the faint radiance rising from within, and his expression suddenly changed, with a look of surprise and suspicion rising in his eyes.

Because as soon as he held it, he felt that this bottle of spirit liquid was a bit different.

The rising scent was pure and intense; this was not a level that a three-star formula could reach!

The presiding instructor quickly inserted the refinement-testing needle in his hand into this bottle of spirit liquid. After waiting for a few breaths, his eyes gradually widened as he saw the scale on it climbing rapidly.

Sixty-three percent... sixty-four percent... sixty-five percent!

The climbing began to slow down, but it did not stop.

Finally, the scale struggled and climbed to the sixty-six percent position!

This was already the same refinement power as Han Zhi's!

How is this possible?!

The presiding instructor gasped, his face full of shock. His first reaction was whether the refinement-testing needle was broken, but his reason made him suppress this emotion, because before going on stage, the refinement-testing needle he had prepared had already undergone strict inspection.

The refinement-testing needle was specially made and could not be wrong.

That meant that the refinement of Li Luo's bottle of spirit liquid and light had truly reached sixty-six percent!

This was definitely not a three-star formula!

Based on his own professional level, he immediately determined that the spirit liquid Li Luo refined was by no means a three-star formula; this was a genuine four-star formula!

Li Luo had indeed come prepared.

But that wasn't right either; even with a four-star formula, it was impossible for Li Luo to rely on his strength as a third-grade refinement master to refine spirit liquid with a refinement power reaching sixty-six percent!

The five fifth-grade refinement masters who went on stage all possessed four-star formulas, yet in the end, only Han Zhi reached sixty-six percent. What did this Li Luo rely on?

The presiding instructor was a bit dumbfounded and was in a daze for a moment.

It was Li Luo who kindly woke him up, smiling: "Instructor, everyone is waiting for you to announce it."

The instructor came back to his senses and took a deep look at the young man in front of him.

Young man, I see it now; you are trying to stir up trouble.