After the third chime of the bell and the sound of the qing resounded, as per the ceremonial rites, incense was burned, prayers were offered, and homage was paid to the ancestors and foremasters. A Daoist wearing a vestment robe and adorned with a lotus crown emerged, holding a Yugui Tablet, having been cleansed with incense and a purifying bath. He announced the rules and delivered proclamations in a clear and resonant voice. Soon after, melancholic tunes of zithers and flutes played in harmony, scattering colorful petals, pure water, and Qing Dew, signaling the commencement of the Elixir Tasting Ceremony.

Zheng Clan's leader, Zheng Hongtu, slowly stood up and respectfully bowed as he said, "Preparations were rushed, and the ritual is rudimentary. I ask for your forgiveness, fellow Daoists."

The attending True Masters all rose to return the courtesy, their expressions solemn and earnest, assuring that it was of no consequence.

After exchanging a few formalities, they finally sat down again.

With a smile on his face, Zheng Hongtu retrieved a White Jade Gourd from his sleeve, raised it in his hand, and loudly declared, "This item is a gourd of Source Separation Essence Jade, a treasure that took my Zheng Clan hundreds of painstaking years to collect. Today, at this Elixir Tasting, should any disciple surpass their peers and claim the top honor, they may take this as their reward."

These words immediately provoked an uproar, with the crowd buzzing in excitement. Among the leisurely Hua Dan Disciples seated atop the Flying Tower, many were rendered speechless, their eyes wide and mouths agape. Meanwhile, some cultivators who had already surpassed the Second Realm of Elixir Formation were filled with regret, pounding their chests with frustration, lamenting why such an opportunity did not arise during their own pill formation.

After forming the Golden Core, cultivators must refine the essence of the Five Elements, absorb the Evil Qi from the Earth Veins, nurture their Golden Core, and increase their elixir power.

Most cultivators require decades or even centuries of arduous effort, only attempting to reach the Second Realm of cultivation when their elixir power has reached its peak and can no longer grow further.

The Source Separation Essence Jade, also known as the Six Harmonies Great Medicine, is an extremely rare and refined mystical treasure in this realm, one of the few miraculous items capable of strengthening elixir power.

This treasure, upon its genesis, must neither touch the sky nor fall upon the earth; it cannot be exposed to rain, dust, sound, or light for it to achieve its optimal state. How Zheng Hongtu managed to collect a whole gourd over hundreds of years is certainly no exaggerated claim.

The five seated True Masters were startled, never expecting Zheng Hongtu to make such a generous offering. For the sake of this Dharma Assembly, he had indeed spared no expense; were it not for the fact that they had already attained the Nascent Soul level, even they would struggle to suppress their desire for this artifact.

Elder Gong muttered to himself, though no one could discern his words.

Zhang Yan glanced at the gourd for a moment, fully aware of its unparalleled value. His eyebrows slightly raised, and the corner of his mouth tugged into an ephemeral smile.

Seeing the crowd's uproar below, Zheng Hongtu chuckled softly and waved his hand. A grim-faced Daoist wearing a high crown stepped through smoke and strode forward.

On the beach stood a towering stone slab, and the Daoist ascended atop it. With a loud voice, he proclaimed, "Today marks the Mingcang Sect's Elixir Tasting Ceremony. All True Disciples who have achieved Elixir Formation within the last ten years are welcome to come forward and test their strength!"

As soon as his words settled, a red-robed disciple with hair tied up in a bun responded, shouting, "Allow me to try!"

With a flourish of his robe sleeve, the disciple leapt down from the Flying Tower. In an instant, he landed below the high cliff of Raging Wave Rock, standing firmly on the beach. First, he respectfully bowed to the seated True Masters before turning around and gazing to one side.

Before him, on the damp beach, lay eighty-one copper balls, each pressed deep into the sand. Upon closer inspection, one could see that these balls were formed from two intertwining Yin Yang copper fish, melded seamlessly into spherical shapes.

Each of these objects weighed a formidable three thousand pounds. The copper symbolizes "metal," while the fish signifies "elixir"; their union represents the "Golden Core." These copper balls were commonly used to measure elixir power.

Under the watchful gaze of all present, the red-robed disciple took two steps forward. His expression showed some nervousness, and after hesitating momentarily, he backed up a few steps to a prepared cushion to adjust his breathing and settle his energy.

After several breaths, he finally rose, clenched his fists tightly, and uttered a low grunt. A stream of smoky energy emerged from his Baihui point, guided by his heart and spirit, and descended upon one of the copper fish below.

The smoky energy swirled and hovered atop the fish. With a sudden swift motion and a shout, the disciple lifted the energy upward, raising the copper fish into the air.

The smoky energy stretched softly and expanded outward. As a cloud of white mist spread, the copper fish pressed deep into the muddy pit began to rise one by one, drawn by the disciple. This impressive sight elicited cheers and calls of admiration from disciples merely there to observe.

When the disciple reached the tenth copper fish, exhaustion was evident. Straining further, he clung to his resolve, gritting his teeth and persevering until he hoisted two more copper fish. In total, twelve fish floated above his head.

From his vantage point above, Zhang Yan observed everything clearly. In truth, the You Yin Heavy Water stored within his Qi Sea, concentrated and refined through arduous effort, outweighed each copper fish below.

However, the Heavy Water required significant refining and concentration, consuming True Essence and needing to be guided by spells for activation. Strictly speaking, it functioned as a Daoist Skill. Lifting the Yin Yang Copper Balls, on the other hand, solely relied on raw elixir power. If this elixir power were to evolve into mana and Divine Skills, it could easily shatter these copper balls effortlessly. Thus, the two methods could not be compared on the same terms.

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