Above the boundless azure sky, low rumbles of thunder echoed incessantly. The thick, oppressive dark clouds gave a sense of extreme pressure. **Boom!** A bolt of lightning, resembling a giant silver serpent, suddenly ripped through the horizon and surged down, only to be caught by a figure on a stone platform. Instantly, a fragrant scent of pills filled the air…
“Haha… I succeeded!” In the midst of the gathering, a man with slightly white hair laughed wildly as he held a dragon-eye-sized pill emitting a captivating glow in his hand.
No one reprimanded him for his outburst. Instead, the gazes that met his were filled with intense admiration. A master alchemist capable of refining a mid-grade Level 7 pill was always treated as an honored guest, wherever he went.
The current Alchemy Conference had already entered its latter stages. At this point, only two types of people continued to refine pills: those with true great abilities and those who were merely pretending. Of course, the former outnumbered the latter, as not many had the nerve to embarrass themselves in such a public setting.
Thirty-six flames still roared on the stone platforms. This meant that thirty-six final contestants were meticulously preparing their most skilled concoctions!
Among these thirty-six, naturally, included Xiao Yan, Cao Ying, Mugu Old Man, Dan Chen, and others who were considered strong contenders for the championship of this Alchemy Conference.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the stone platform, automatically filtering out the rumbles of thunder. All his focus was unwaveringly on the medicine tripod.
In the cauldron, a green flame burned fiercely, causing the furnace to emit a faint red glow. These, however, were not what Xiao Yan focused on. His gaze remained fixed on the round object rotating within the flames.
This so-called round object was, in fact, the essence formed by the fusion of over a hundred herbs. It had shrunk from fist size to egg size, and its shape had become more rounded under the heat.
As the round object gradually shrank, a powerful energy fluctuation began to form, surpassing even high-grade Level 7 pills. Xiao Yan was elated by this, growing more confident in elevating the Marrow Fusion and Blood Pill to the eighth rank.
Suppressing his inner excitement, Xiao Yan swiftly stabilized his mind. This was the most crucial moment, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted.
As Xiao Yan immersed himself in pill refinement, on other platforms, everyone’s faces were equally serious. Some were already showing signs of pallor, evidently struggling with the high-energy consumption.
**Bang!**
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a low explosion echoed from somewhere in the sky. Everyone’s heart sank as they quickly turned their gaze to see a middle-aged man staring blankly at his cauldron, where chaotic energy fluctuations emanated. Clearly, he had encountered an accident during the process.
“How can this be possible…” The middle-aged man, his eyes turning crimson, stared at the cauldron. After nearly twenty days of hard work, his efforts had come to naught. Such a blow was too much to bear.
Seeing the man’s despondent expression, everyone silently sighed, feeling a tinge of pity. Failing in pill refinement was not uncommon, but at this stage, a small failure could mean losing the chance to compete with the best.
As the days passed, among the remaining thirty or so, some succeeded in refining their pills, while others failed. Those who failed became significantly dejected, though success did not guarantee a top-ten spot, at least it offered some hope. Failure meant no chance at all.
At this point, the remaining contestants, even in the Tower of Alchemy, could be compared to some elders, and a few even surpassed them.
The countless spectators around the square were on edge, fearing that a promising contestant might suddenly fail due to some minor mistake, losing their chance to compete. Only then did they realize that alchemy was truly not for the ordinary.
In the waiting gazes of the expectant crowd, another five days passed. During this period, nine contestants successfully refined their pills, the highest being a high-grade Level 7 pill. As soon as it was born, it triggered a storm, causing many to look on in fear.
The alchemist who succeeded was an elderly man with a weathered face, likely well-known on the continent. Hence, his success was not surprising.
Of course, where there was success, there was also failure. Seven out of the fourteen failed, and under the pities of the crowd, reluctantly chose to withdraw.
With the departure of these sixteen, plus those who earlier withdrew, only seventeen remained. The remaining ones were no ordinary people, with the lowest being a mid-grade Level 7 alchemist and the highest being a true Level 8 alchemy master!
This Level 8 master was unfamiliar to Xiao Yan, and he hadn’t noticed him before, indicating the elder had hidden his aura. The stranger was an old man with gray hair, his face like orange peel, but always smiling gently.
Time was the best filter, washing away the pretenders, leaving only the true masters. “I didn’t expect it would be Old Green Huahua…” On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi and others looked at the gray-haired old man, exchanging glances with a hint of helplessness.
“Old man, you really can hide. I saw the vibrations in your cauldron, probably a Level 8 pill,” the beautiful woman nodded.
“This old man’s lifelong wish is to subdue a Heavenly Flame. He spent years in that ghost place with Yaochen, but in the end, Yaochen got the Bone Spirit Cold Fire. Now, he has a chance to get the Three Thousand Blaze Fire, so naturally, he came to try.”
Xuan Kongzi shook his head helplessly, then turned to see the dark-clad Mugu Old Man intently refining his pill. “His aura is still hidden, and his appearance has been altered. Who could he be?”
“Could it be an old guy who’s too embarrassed to show his face?” the beautiful woman frowned.
“We don’t know, but when the pill is formed, his aura will be revealed. If it’s not from the Soul Temple, that’s fine.”
They nodded in agreement. In the azure sky, the wind howled, and the dark clouds had long since dissipated. However, rumbles of thunder continued to echo, drawing wonder and speculation. Experienced eyes knew the thunder wasn’t from the sky, but from the cauldrons on the platforms.
**Boom!** A low rumble, and a massive energy surge erupted from a platform, causing the skies to darken and countless silver snakes to dart about.
“It’s Song Qing!” An eagle-eyed spectator finally saw Song Qing, seated cross-legged, rise triumphantly, gazing at the dark clouds—a work of his hands!
This alchemic thunder was more intense than any before, making him proud. “It’s a peak Level 7 pill! The quality seems even higher than the previous peak Level 7 pills!”
Against the backdrop of the roaring thunder, Song Qing slowly raised his hand, holding a radiant and perfectly round pill aloft!
In that instant, the sky thundered again. Amidst the roar, the crowd’s exclamations mixed with awe. On Song Qing’s face, a manic smile appeared, his challenging gaze directed towards the distant platform—where Xiao Yan stood!
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