At the very least, Moises had demonstrated resilience until the examination's conclusion, whereas Larry, who had grasped a scarce third-grade formula, had been eliminated earlier.

As for the examiner Jadiel, he stood steadfastly immobile, resembling a statue, displaying apparent disinterest in scrutinizing Moises ' crafted recently pill.

“Um Mr. Lawrence, do you not intend to examine my pill?" Moises inquired, his voice quivering with apprehension.

Jadiel paid him no heed. Instead, he merely shut his eyes, drew a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

"There's no necessity for that. Your outcomes have proven unsatisfactory. Return to your family and engage in several more years of cultivation before attempting the examination once more."

Astonishingly, contrary to the expectations of those in attendance who believed Moises had successfully endured until the pill's completion and had a promising chance of passing, Moises had failed to pass the exam.

Moises' countenance grew tense. He cautiously inquired, "Is it because the pill I refined is of first-grade quality that I failed the examination?"

"Certainly not," Jadiel promptly retorted.

"Then why..."

Moises grew increasingly animated but refrained from offending Jadiel.

Jadiel didn't leave him in suspense and elaborated on the reasons for his examination failure.

“Based on the alchemical technique you employed, it's evident you were endeavoring to refine a first-grade pill. Furthermore, this particular pill isn't cataloged in the ‘Pharmacopoeia,’ implying it was a formula crafted expressly for the examination.

Considering the herbs you gathered and how you refined them, I've also inferred that you chose herbs with potent attributes while aiming to produce a gentle and nourishing pill. This, to some extent, aligns with the ‘Creating Something from Nothing’ challenge's requirements."

Moises nodded vigorously.

“Exactly! That was precisely my intent.

Given that I've successfully refined the pill, shouldn't I have passed the examination?"

However, Jadiel shook his head in response.

"The creation of a pill formula and the comprehension of established ones are fundamentally distinct pursuits. Comprehending established formulas is guided by the genuine essence of martial arts, accumulated over countless years and already documented in the ‘Pharmacopoeia. *

Conversely, crafting a pill formula relies solely on your imagination, and the properties of the resulting pill can be exceedingly unpredictable. The former yields effective pills, while the latter can yield both medicinal remedies and poisons.

I patiently await your pill refinement process until you open the furnace to ascertain the presence of toxins in your created drugs.

Unfortunately, I can discern from the aroma that your pill contains toxic qualities despite meeting the task's criteria. It might even be categorized as a partially poisonous pill.

The formulation of poisonous compounds runs directly counter to our association's principles. Hence, you've not succeeded in the examination."

As Moises listened, a growing sense of despair clouded his expression.

In truth, he was aware that the pills he had created possessed toxic attributes.