My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 154: Jaw-Dropping Astonishment

Ignite the fire. Warm the furnace.

Chen Ping’s movements flowed like clouds and water. There was no hesitation, no wasted motion. Every gesture was precise, as if the process had been etched into his muscle memory for a century.

He tossed in the spirit herbs, manipulated the seals for fire control, extracted the essence, merged the medicinal properties, divided the paste, and condensed the pills. The entire sequence was a masterclass in rhythm—a visual symphony that was mesmerizing to behold.

To the side, the skepticism in Elder Sun’s eyes evaporated, replaced by a growing, undeniable shock.

‘This technique… this fire control… this rhythm…’

Elder Sun’s breath hitched. ‘Impossible. Without thousands of temperings, without decades of failure and refinement, no one can achieve this level of proficiency. This isn’t a novice. This is a veteran!’

“Open!”

The lid of the first furnace clanged open. Six round Qi Gathering Pills sat at the bottom, releasing a fresh medicinal fragrance.

Six Low-grade pills. Qualified.

Second furnace: Success. Five pills.

Third furnace: Failure. (Chen Ping deliberately destabilized the flame at the critical moment).

Fourth furnace: Success. Seven pills.

Fifth furnace: Success. Six pills.

…

Tenth furnace: Success. Nine pills—a Full Batch!

And among them, three shimmered with the distinct luster of Middle Grade quality.

The assessment ended. Out of ten attempts, six were successful, and four failed.

Among the successful batches, the yield ranged from five to nine pills, far exceeding the average requirement of four.

Success Rate: Sixty percent.

Elder Sun stared at the tray of pills Chen Ping presented, his gaze fixed on the three Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pills from the final batch. For a moment, he lost the ability to speak.

This result wasn’t just a “pass.” Even among established Tier 1 Alchemists, this performance would be considered top-tier.

‘How old is he? How did he achieve this?’

“Elder Chen…” Elder Sun swallowed the shock rising in his throat and forced a professional smile. “Congratulations. You have passed the Tier 1 Alchemist assessment.”

His gaze had changed completely. The polite indifference was gone, replaced by a mixture of amazement and intense curiosity.

Chen Ping, however, showed little joy. His expression remained calm, as if he had merely dusted a shelf rather than aced a professional exam.

He accepted the bronze cauldron emblem—the symbol of a Tier 1 Alchemist—and pocketed it. Then, he looked at Elder Sun and dropped a sentence that froze the room.

“Since I am already here, I would like to continue with the Tier 2 Alchemist assessment. It will save time to do them both at once.”

“What?!”

Elder Sun yelped, his composure cracking. He thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

He was still processing the shock of the Tier 1 exam, and this kid wanted to charge straight into Tier 2?

This went beyond ambition. This was arrogance.

“Elder Chen, you absolutely must not be impatient!” Elder Sun’s tone turned stern. “The Dao of Tier 2 pills is worlds apart from Tier 1! Refining Tier 2 pills requires massive amounts of Qi and Divine Sense. The requirements for fire control are ten times more stringent! Although you are exceptionally talented, your foundation is still shallow. Rashly attempting this will not only waste Spirit Stones but could cause a backlash. If the furnace explodes, you will be injured!”

He spoke from genuine concern. He didn’t want to see such a promising seedling ruined by his own hubris. It had taken Sun himself nearly twenty years after reaching Foundation Establishment to barely pass the Tier 2 threshold.

Chen Ping fell silent for a moment.

He understood Elder Sun’s kindness. But he also knew his own capabilities.

After countless practice sessions in the virtual space, his success rate for True Essence Pills had stabilized above fifty percent. He needed the Tier 2 status for his plans.

“Thank you for the advice, Elder Sun. But my mind is made up. Please grant me this, Senior Brother.”

Chen Ping’s tone was calm, polite, yet carried the weight of a mountain. It was an unshakeable insistence.

Elder Sun looked into Chen Ping’s deep, serene eyes. The admonishment on the tip of his tongue died away.

In those eyes, he saw no youthful arrogance or flighty impetuosity. He saw only a terrifying, bedrock confidence.

“Fine,” Elder Sun sighed, relenting. “The Tier 2 Alchemist assessment requires refining the Tier 2 Low-grade ‘True Essence Pill’. The assessment fee is five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.”

He paused, emphasizing the cost. “Ten sets of materials. Success rate must be above thirty percent. Each successful batch must yield no less than four pills. You… take care.”

Five hundred Spirit Stones.

It was an exorbitant fee, roughly the price of a Top-grade Dharma Artifact. Elder Sun hoped the number alone would scare Chen Ping off.

Chen Ping’s heart tightened slightly. He had just returned from the black market; his pockets were light. This fee would strip away nearly half of his remaining liquid assets.

But he didn’t hesitate. He counted out five hundred stones and pushed them across the table.

“Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother.”

The quiet room for the Tier 2 assessment was a significant upgrade. The Alchemy Furnace was of higher quality, and the earth fire drawn from the vein below was purer and more ferocious.

Ten sets of True Essence Pill materials lay on the table, emitting Qi fluctuations far denser than the previous herbs.

Elder Sun held his breath, standing to the side with full concentration. He had to know: Was this young Elder a monster with heaven-defying ability, or simply a fool who didn’t know the height of the sky?

Chen Ping took his position before the furnace.

This time, his demeanor shifted. The casual ease vanished, replaced by a razor-sharp focus.

Refining True Essence Pills required effort.

He extended his Divine Sense, wrapping it around the flames, controlling every wisp of heat to a fraction of a degree. He felt the medicinal herbs melting, their structures breaking down under the high temperature.

Fusion.

Chen Ping injected his True Essence into the mix, using it like a needle and thread to bind the volatile extracts together, guiding the violent Qi into submission.

The process was grueling. It consumed spirit and stamina at a terrifying rate.

A day and a night passed.

The quiet room filled with the scent of medicine—sometimes acrid with failure, sometimes rich with success.

“Open!”

First furnace: Success! Five True Essence Pills.

Elder Sun’s eyelids twitched.

Second furnace: Failure. (A slight disturbance during Qi fusion caused the batch to burn).

Third furnace: Success! Four pills.

Fourth furnace: Failure.

Fifth furnace: Success! Six pills.

Sixth furnace: Success! Five pills.

Seventh furnace: Failure.

Eighth furnace: Failure.

Ninth furnace: Success! Four pills.

Tenth furnace…

Elder Sun’s heart was in his throat.

Nine attempts. Four successes. Five failures. The current success rate was roughly 44%. He had already met the quantity requirement for the successful batches.

But consistency was key.

If the tenth furnace succeeded, the success rate would hit 50%.

A 50% success rate for True Essence Pills wasn’t just passing. It was elite. It meant that Chen Ping stood at the pinnacle of Tier 2 Alchemists.

‘Can he do it?’ Elder Sun stared at the vibrating furnace.

Clang.

The furnace opened.

Four round True Essence Pills lay at the bottom. Three were Low-grade, and one hovered on the edge of Middle Grade.

Success.

Chen Ping exhaled, allowing a look of “exhaustion” and “relief” to wash over his face. It was a perfectly calculated performance.

Ten furnaces. Five successes. Five failures. Success rate: 50%. Yield: 4 to 6 pills per batch.

He had passed, landing firmly in the “excellent but not monstrous” category he wanted to portray.

Elder Sun let out a long, shuddering breath.

He looked at Chen Ping, his expression complicated to the extreme.

He was horrified.

He was horrified because the boy had actually done it. And not just scraped by—he had crushed the standard requirements.

‘This child… if no accidents occur… he will likely step into the ranks of Tier 3 Alchemists in the future.’

‘His future is limitless.’

‘The Sect has birthed another monster. A genius Alchemist with talent rivaling the Supreme Elder…’

Realizing the magnitude of what he had witnessed, Elder Sun hurried forward, his demeanor shifting to one of utmost respect.

“Elder Chen… Congratulations! You have passed the Tier 2 Alchemist assessment!”

Elder Sun’s voice was dry, cracking slightly.

With trembling hands, he presented a silver-white emblem to Chen Ping. It was engraved with two small cauldrons.

The news was like a boulder crashing into a calm lake. Within hours, it would create a tsunami that would rock the entire Alchemy Hall.

A Tier 2 Alchemist under the age of thirty!

In the history of the Qingyun Sect, such a thing was almost unheard of.