As a Transformation Alchemist, Isabelle Shao was utterly transfixed. Because Joe Di did not conceal any of his pill refinement techniques, she couldn't comprehend his Dan Seals at all—she could only see Joe Di continuously separating the dregs from the medicinal liquid. (Note: Dan Seals are specialized hand-seals or incantations used by alchemists to guide the fusion and transformation of herbs during pill refinement. Each pill requires a unique sequence of Dan Seals.)
In less than half a stick of incense, her divine sense swept through Joe Di's pill furnace and detected the pills taking shape. What shocked Isabelle Shao was that every single pill was of mid-grade or high-grade quality.
As a Transformation Alchemist, this much she could discern.
But what stunned Isabelle Shao even more was that, as Joe Di removed the pill dregs, he let the pills roll among the dregs. With each roll, she could distinctly sense the useful pill energy within the dregs weakening by a layer. Unfortunately, she couldn't understand a single bit of Joe Di's Dan Seal technique.
When Joe Di finally discarded all the dregs from the furnace, Isabelle Shao was thoroughly awed by his mastery of pill refinement.
Watching Joe Di refine pills was like witnessing a naturally formed landscape painting—effortless and devoid of any trace of artifice.
What Isabelle Shao found even harder to believe was that, after the Divine Cloud Pills rolled among the dregs, the mid-grade pills became high-grade, and the high-grade pills became special grade. Moreover, all twelve pills in the batch were successfully refined, with not a single wasted pill.
Even if Joe Di had refined a batch of low-grade Divine Cloud Pills, as long as all twelve pills formed, he would still be an undeniably formidable Transformation Alchemist.
"The pills are ready. Everyone can take a look, but these were refined with my own divine spirit herbs, so I don't intend to give them away." Joe Di placed the twelve pills onto a jade tray and gestured casually.
No one present was unfamiliar with the Divine Cloud Pill—especially since these had just been refined by Joe Di.
Darren Tan murmured, "He really refined Divine Cloud Pills—and they're special grade..."
Even his own master couldn't refine special-grade Divine Cloud Pills in such a short time. And if you add in a half-artifact pill furnace and Nurturing Dao Flame, his master absolutely couldn't do it.
It took quite a while for everyone to process what had happened; the scene was enveloped in silence.
A pill master who could refine Divine Cloud Pills with a half-artifact pill furnace and Nurturing Dao Flame within a single stick of incense—such a person simply doesn't exist in the entire Taiji Realm.
After coming to their senses, many people looked at Joe Di with changed expressions—eyes burning with intense excitement and admiration.
Joe Di should be a rogue cultivator, perhaps even someone with no backing at all. Otherwise, Luna Fairchild wouldn't have taken him as a mere attendant. Because once Joe Di followed Luna Fairchild, his fate would no longer be his own. Even if Luna Fairchild didn't kill him in the future, Moonspire Temple's Hall Master, Jason Ren, surely would.
For someone like him to be able to refine top-tier Divine Cloud Pills during the Dao Nurturing stage with a half-artifact, it means Joe Di has nearly a fifty percent chance of becoming a Prime Dao Pill Saint in the future.
A Prime Dao Pill Saint is someone whom ninety-nine percent of pill masters in the Five Supreme Realms can only look up to.
"I was wrong." To Joe Di's surprise, Isabelle Shao was also looking at him with burning eyes and took the initiative to admit her mistake.
Sicily, having come to his senses, gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "I never imagined Brother Joe was truly a Transformation Alchemist. Although this round of pill refinement didn't prove that pills could be further elevated using pill dregs, a Transformation Alchemist is still..."
This time, Isabelle Shao interrupted Sicily, who was trying to speak on her behalf. "No, Alchemist Di has already explained it clearly. I saw it with my own eyes—this batch of Divine Cloud Pills was indeed elevated in quality by utilizing the pill dregs. I was wrong; I've been like a frog at the bottom of a well, thinking I knew everything."
After saying this, Isabelle Shao bowed to Joe Di. Her dedication to the Dao of Alchemy was unmatched, so even after admitting her mistake, she continued, "Alchemist Di, if I'm not mistaken, you should be a Prime Dao Pillmaster."
Joe Di glanced at Isabelle Shao. Though she had admitted her mistake, he still felt no fondness for her kind and replied indifferently, "No, you are mistaken. I am not a Prime Dao Pillmaster."
Isabelle Shao's eyes dimmed; she had hoped to seek guidance in alchemy from Joe Di, but his attitude made it clear he had no intention of wasting words with her.
Darren Tan finally snapped out of it, his gaze toward Joe Di growing even more fervent. But he knew that from now on, Joe Di's status would far surpass his own.
At this moment, it wasn't just Isabelle Shao—whether it was Luna Fairchild, Nora Su, or even Roxie Wen who had entered with Joe Di earlier, all were looking at him with burning admiration.
They all understood exactly what Joe Di's level of alchemical mastery meant.
"A-Jiu, I didn't expect you to be a top-tier Transformation Alchemist. I was a bit hasty with my words earlier—don't take it to heart." Luna Fairchild had already walked up to Joe Di, her tone and voice carrying the warmth of an old acquaintance.
Joe Di sneered inwardly, knowing that the Solar Heart was no longer with Yin Yue Shu, and the Lunar Heart had already been won from her in a bet. He had never considered staying with Yin Yue Shu.
After witnessing Joe Di's mastery in alchemy, Luna Fairchild had made up her mind—she wouldn't let Joe Di slip away. Even if it meant imprisoning him, she would lock him away in Serene Carp Palace.
Back then, that Nicholas Ning was formidable in alchemy. For his sake, Serene Carp Palace humbled itself, even sending her to seduce him, but he still ignored both her and the palace, leaving her utterly humiliated.
Joe Di's alchemical prowess certainly wasn't inferior to Nicholas Ning's—if anything, it was even greater. After all, Joe Di had refined top-tier Divine Cloud Pills without any flame or superior pill furnace, which required not only mastery but the highest level of innate talent.
Joe Di waved his hand. "The past is long forgotten. Besides, I didn't lose out—I even gained a Lunar Heart."
Luna Fairchild was taken aback, then sneered inwardly. A mere Dao Nurturing ant dared to covet her Lunar Heart. Did he even understand the meaning of the word 'death'?
Still, she smiled sweetly and said, "A-Jiu, consider that Lunar Heart my gift to you. Perhaps you'll settle down in Celestial Moon City one day—there's no need to stand on ceremony..."
Joe Di waved his hand to interrupt Luna Fairchild. "Fairy Luna, though we came here together, you shouldn't say such things."
"Ah..." Luna Fairchild hadn't recovered yet. In her eyes, Joe Di was just a Dao Nurturing ant—even if he became a Prime Dao Pillmaster, he'd still be an ant.
Joe Di said calmly, "Everyone saw it—the Lunar Heart was won by me. Unless Isabelle Shao says otherwise, it can't be called a gift."
Isabelle Shao immediately said, "That's right. I lost the Alchemical Duel just now—the winner is Alchemist Di."
Luna Fairchild smiled, saying nothing more. No matter who it was, to take the Lunar Heart from her was pure fantasy. She was now beginning to wonder if Joe Di had followed her all along just for the Solar and Lunar Hearts.
Nora Su, still frustrated, suddenly saw the communication bead on her wrist light up. She quickly said, "Everyone here today is a friend. My master says the Sevenfold Frostpine Fruit of Winterhold Valley has ripened. Since we're all gathered, Winterhold Valley invites everyone to come and try the Sevenfold Frostpine Fruit."
Nora Su's words delighted many. The Sevenfold Frostpine Fruit is a Dao Fruit—some even call it a Lesser Prime Dao Fruit, said to ripen only once every seven thousand years. Winterhold Valley is truly generous, inviting so many to taste the Sevenfold Frostpine Fruit.
Joe Di had no interest at all. He knew the Sevenfold Frostpine Fruit, called the Lesser Prime Dao Fruit, was actually a type of Transformation Dao Fruit.
"A-Jiu, I'm not very calculating—I always speak my mind, so I often offend people. My master always says my heart is white, but my words turn it gray. I forget what I've said after three breaths, so you can't hold a grudge against me, okay?" Nora Su deliberately walked up to Joe Di, her tone childlike and innocent.
Her master had just messaged her: Joe Di was likely a Transformation Pill Saint, maybe even a Prime Dao Pill Saint. People like him are rare not just in the Taiji Realm, but even in Taiyi and Taisu. If Winterhold Valley could win him over, it might become the top sect in the Taiji Realm.