Pills like popping Popcorns

Sheng Clan was...is special. It is no secret among the village that everyone born in the Sheng clan is born genius in the ways of cultivation. Heavenly constitutions that appeared only once in million years in all of the cosmos are as common as radishes there, heaven rank techniques that even higher realms for fight tooth to nail, gather dust in the ancestral library, and not to mention the atavism ritual, something that should not even be possible, something that went against the very Dao of Heaven and Fate.

Everyone born in Sheng Clan is born to a unique ability, Sheng Bao inherited Divine strength, Sheng Feng had Yang Glass Sword Heart, Sheng Yue had Nine Yin body,...except Sheng Zhen, he was not born with any unique constitution. He had no special advantage in the path of cultivation, just a normal amongst the monsters. That is why he went through so much trouble attaining Void Flawless Physique.

That is what he thought until he touched the cauldron and for the first time, unleashed his spiritual energy. What followed next was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure and he is till day thankful that his hideout was quite far from the village.

To this day, the forest littered with dead beasts is still a mystery.

Compared to that day, Sheng Zhen's loss of control in Examination Hall was a minor flicker at best, but for everyone else, even that small flicker had far more spiritual power to rationally process.

And while the clear display of power rendered them frozen, the clear display of skill by writing with spirit energy rendered them speechless.

It took some time for Jin Cuifen to come to his senses, the fear of overwhelming spirit energy gave way to shame and finally anger. He snapped,

"What the hell are you gawking at? Get to your papers!"

Everyone snapped out of trance and went back to their test papers. No one dared to even look at Sheng Zhen anymore.

Proctor took out a transmission talisman and send the description of Sheng Zhen to the presiding elders. Even if Sheng Zhen failed the exam, with the amount of spiritual power he displayed, losing him would be a waste.

Sheng Zhen did not pay attention to anything, focusing on the test papers. The test was extensive and long, it was not without reason that twenty hours time was needed to even hope to complete it.

Time passed and soon evening gave way to the night and night turned into day.

"Alright, only half an hour left."

After almost an entire day, everyone in the room looked exhausted. The brushes that once were tracing the papers with vigor, were slowed to crawl. The alchemy exam is extensive and no one is expected to fully complete it. The only one who ever came close was Jin Cuifen and he is considered once in a millennia prodigy in Dao of alchemy.

And then there is Sheng Zhen.

~Yawn~ Sheng Zhen stretched his arms for what felt to him like the hundredth time in the last hour. Patience was never among his strengths.

He had completed his test papers hours ago, his method of just printing was far faster. Looking up, he saw Jin Cuifen sitting in front with a disgruntled expression, glaring daggers at him.

Sheng Zhen paid him no mind.

"Alright, times up" Proctor yelled. Waving his arms in a flourish, he extended his spiritual energy and all test papers flew to him and neatly stacked at a low table.

With a second wave, all the low tables in front of examinees floated up before neatly stacking in the side.

"Take out your cauldrons and begin, you have two hours to refine a pill of at least low purity or you will be disqualified. The higher the purity the better. Use any number of ingredient sets you want "

"What? We are exhausted. Give us a break."

"There must be some time.."

Procter did not pay anyone any more attention, "Your time starts now" and lit a large incense.

Seeing the burning incense, everyone shut up. The smarter ones had already taken out their cauldrons and were in process of lighting spirit burners.

Sheng Zhen placed his cauldron in front and used a minor fire spell to substitute for spirit burners. He levitated the Evergreen Sickle grass and directly threw it into the cauldron. People around him watched him in disbelief, some snickered,

"He is an ignorant bumpkin, after all, using such a volatile flame. He will burn his pill."

"No to mention throwing all the ingredients together, who does he think he is."

Sheng Zhen rolled his eyes, people and their opinions. Yes, he knew he was not going about this the right way but,

'I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. He is feeling too stiff from sitting for so long.'

Expertly guiding his spiritual energy he extracted the essence and coagulated them. In less than a minute, popping sounds came from his cauldron, and a dozen or so pills the size of corn grains floated out.

Putting back on his fur cloak, he got along with the cauldron and went to the proctor. Handing him one pill from the batch, he asked the bewildered proctor,

"I can leave now?"

Proctor snapped out of the daze and took out a monocle to examine the pill.

"Qi Supplementing Pill, purity 88 percent... That is superior grade purity!"

Beside him, Jin Cuifen looked like he ate something sour. Taking out a ledger, he wrote the results. Even if Qi supplementing pill was the simplest pill in the Dao of Alchemy, to produce it at superior grade and that too in a few moments was nothing short of a miracle.

Leaving the entire hall dumb fold, Sheng Zhen left the examination hall.

Just then the transmission talisman of Proctor went off and he received a message.

"Wait!", Proctor called from behind, prompting Sheng Zhen to stop and turn.

"Take this," He threw a jade broch towards him, "Head has decided to make you the Inner Sect disciple,"