Gazing at the boiling square, Xuan Kongzi couldn’t help but smile. The atmosphere here was something that could only be found during the Alchemist Grand Meet on the whole continent. “All contestants, come forth! In this final round, there are no rules. Give it your all and create the best elixirs you can!” Hearing the resonant and aged voice of Xuan Kongzi, the blood in the bodies of the many contestants on the square began to boil gradually. They exchanged glances, then with a thunderous sound, figures leaped up violently from the square. In an instant, numerous figures filled the sky, even the sunlight pouring down from the heavens seemed to halt. There were plenty of stone platforms in the sky, accommodating the remaining contestants was not a problem. Despite the fact that the number of contestants had been reduced by nearly ninety percent after the first two rounds, the ones left were still an extremely significant number. The sight of over a thousand people ascending their cauldrons was quite a spectacle.
Among the countless figures, Xiao Yan mixed in, not rushing to choose his platform. Instead, he let the crowd surge onto the platforms. Some platforms even saw skirmishes break out as people fought for spots. Xiao Yan lingered mid-air, waiting until most people had chosen their places before he stepped into the void and slowly landed on a somewhat secluded platform near the edge. Making elixirs required absolute concentration. The platforms in the center were almost all occupied, and if his alchemy was interrupted, he would have a hard time handling it. The platform where Xiao Yan landed was not large, only a few feet wide, but it was enough for one person. After finding a place, he sat cross-legged, scanning the area. He glanced at Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and Song Qing, who were some distance away. They, too, like Xiao Yan, did not snatch the grand-looking platforms in the center. Instead, they looked for a quiet platform near the edges.
As his gaze swept over the three, Xiao Yan’s attention suddenly paused on a floating platform not far from them, where a dark silhouette was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation. “This guy… has hidden his true aura again.” Xiao Yan stared at the dark figure, his brows furrowing slightly. The current Mu Gu Lao Ren had shed the strange air he had in the Alchemist Realm. His aura now appeared normal, indistinguishable from a regular contestant. But Xiao Yan and others knew well that this old man was an incredibly formidable opponent!
“Mu Gu Lao Ren is also an eighth-grade alchemist. Such a level might not be surpassed by many of the other contestants. Although entering the top ten would grant the opportunity to subdue the Heaven Fire, this old man is deeply suspicious and will not allow others to take the lead. Moreover, being from the Soul Hall, if he takes the championship, the Pill Tower’s reputation may suffer. Therefore, if given the chance, this old fellow will surely try to seize the title.”
Xiao Yan’s face took on a thoughtful expression. Even though he had entered the eighth-grade in the Alchemist Realm, it was inevitable that there was a gap between him and the experienced Mu Gu Lao Ren. After all, this old man was a powerful figure from his generation, not to be underestimated. Still, there was no other way forward. The only thing Xiao Yan could do was to give it his best. He was determined to obtain the Heaven Fire, and if this old man tried to become a stumbling block, a harsh kick would be in order.
While thoughts raced through Xiao Yan’s mind, the chaos in the sky gradually subsided. All contestants found their platforms and began preparing to make their elixirs.
“Dong!”
Xuan Kongzi’s gaze slowly swept across the stone platforms in the sky. Moments later, he glanced at the sky, then gently waved his sleeve. A long, clear bell rang out, echoing throughout the region.
“The time has come, everyone, please begin refining your elixirs!”
With those words, the atmosphere in the area froze. Immediately, a multitude of medicinal cauldrons appeared, landing heavily on the stone platforms. The low sounds of metal striking filled the sky.
Seeing the densely packed medicinal cauldrons, a murmur of surprise rippled through the square. This was likely the first time they had seen so many high-quality cauldrons gathered.
After most of the alchemists summoned their cauldrons, a series of sounds echoed through the sky, and various colored flames rose into the air. At a distance, it looked like fireworks, coloring the sky in a dazzling array.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his platform, not yet ready to start refining. Instead, he closed his eyes, organizing his thoughts. For this Alchemist Grand Meet, he planned to refine the Bone Fusion Blood Elixir, which he had already prepared the materials for. The elixir was at the peak of the seventh-grade, and if refined smoothly, it could even reach the eighth-grade, making it an exceptionally high-level medicine. If he could refine it, he would have a good chance to compete with the rest.
As Xiao Yan meditated, Cao Ying and the others also didn’t rush to start, all closing their eyes to gather their energy. After a while, they slowly summoned their cauldrons…
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Cao Ying summoned her cauldron and flicked her fingers, and a blinding red flame rose slowly within.
The flame was a vivid, bright red, even more intense than fresh blood. As it rose, a small shadowy figure could be seen within, like a flame sprite, constantly dancing and flying about.
When this unusually vivid red flame appeared, the flames in the cauldrons around swayed, shocking the nearby alchemists into concentration, and all eyes turned to Cao Ying.
“Is this… the Blood Demon Flame?” The sudden commotion caught Xiao Yan’s attention. His gaze shifted, focusing on the blood-red flame in Cao Ying’s palm. He was briefly stunned, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Xiao Yan had some understanding of the strange flame Cao Ying summoned. He had seen it in the ancient books left by the Medicine Elder. The Blood Demon Flame was not a natural flame, but an artificial one, similar to Xiao Yan’s own Transformation Flame. However, the formation of the Blood Demon Flame was more mystical; it required blending the blood of nearly a thousand fire-attribute demonic beasts, forming a flame from the combined fiery energy.
And this formed flame became the Blood Demon Flame, naturally varying in strength, distinguished by the integrity of the small figure within. The figure in Cao Ying’s hand clearly indicated the strongest variant, possibly even stronger than Xiao Yan’s Transformation Flame.
Though the Blood Demon Flame was powerful, its creation method was too demanding, needing tremendous financial backing to gather the blood of so many fire-attribute beasts.
“The Cao family is indeed rich and powerful, to have provided Cao Ying with the Blood Demon Flame,” Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. With the Blood Demon Flame, Cao Ying would be as strong as a tiger with wings, and her success rate in creating elixirs would significantly increase.
Following Cao Ying, Song Qing and Dan Chen also summoned their flames. Theirs were beast flames, inferior to the Blood Demon Flame but still potent tools for refining elixirs.
“Puff!”
Just as Xiao Yan’s gaze returned, a strangely familiar and scorching heat surged, followed by a cold sneer. Sure enough, Mu Gu Lao Ren summoned his deep blue Sea Heart Flame, which transformed into a flaming snake, swirling and dancing around him.
With the appearance of the Sea Heart Flame, the expressions of the alchemists closest to Mu Gu Lao Ren changed. They discovered that the flames in their cauldrons began to stir violently, then exploded, sending a few unprepared contestants tumbling off their platforms.
“An anomaly fire?!” Countless eyes immediately focused on the scene, and a wave of exclamations broke out. This was their first glimpse of an anomaly fire at this Alchemist Grand Meet.
Seeing the unlucky ones affected, Mu Gu Lao Ren smirked. The Sea Heart Flame, like a king among flames, basked in the adoration of the other flames.
Xiao Yan gave Mu Gu Lao Ren a casual glance, and a slow smile spread across his face. Gripping his palm, a vibrant green flame shot out, transforming into a mighty dragon and roaring mightily at the Sea Heart Flame!
“Bang!”
Under the roar of the Lotus Heart Flame, the Sea Heart Flame swirling around Mu Gu Lao Ren halted, then, amid the surprised gazes, it retreated back into Mu Gu Lao Ren’s palm…
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