An explosion echoed through the building. Smoke spewed from the cauldron in front of Zhou Lihua, who coughed and sputtered as she tried to wave the black fumes away. The acrid scent of burnt pills filled the air.
A sigh came from behind her. “It seems you are still unable to refine tier four pills. That’s… unfortunate. You are far more talented than even I am, but you lack the ability to concentrate.”
Zhou Lihua turned to her master and gave him an apologetic smile. “I apologize, Master. You have spent so much time and energy on me, but it seems I am unable to take a step further on the alchemic path.”
Wong Jiu waved a hand, causing all the smoke to dissipate. The cauldron Zhou Lihua had been using was now ruined, just a smoldering pile of metal and clay. This was the seventeenth cauldr
