Hearing that grating muffled sound, the three people—Little Princess, Liu Ling, and Yan Li—who had been immersed in the pill refinement process, were slightly stunned. They then turned their heads to look in the direction of Xiao Yan, staring at the black ashes spilling out from the medicine cauldron. Their expressions were all somewhat different.
“Ah…” Little Princess sighed softly. Xiao Yan was originally the most formidable contender against the gray-robed youth from the Outcast Empire in this grand assembly. But now, with this unexpected situation, it seemed…
“Since you’ve withdrawn… then it’s up to me next. I’ll represent the Jia Ma Empire’s alchemy world and defeat that guy. I want everyone to know that even without you, that guy won’t be able to take the championship!” Liu Ling clenched his fists tightly, his mouth pursed. Though he felt a bit disappointed, he was more secretly delighted. Since Xiao Yan had taken the stage, he and the mysterious gray-robed youth had undoubtedly become the most eye-catching contestants of this assembly. For Liu Ling, who was always proud, this was indeed a source of resentment.
“Heh, a little brat who starts strong but can’t finish. Now that you’re defeated, no one can stop me in this assembly! The championship is mine!” A smug, cold smile appeared on the corner of Yan Li’s lips as he waved his hand. The black flames within the medicine cauldron surged once again, and the various materials gradually fused together perfectly under the roasting of the flames.
“Failed?” On the high platform, Hai Bo Dong’s face also changed slightly. He turned to look at Fa Ma and whispered, “It seems so.”
“Yes.” Fa Ma nodded and sighed lightly. Then, trying to cheer up, he said, “But it’s okay, he still has a chance…”
Although he spoke thus, Fa Ma’s mood was low and bitter. As an extremely experienced alchemy master, he clearly understood that, in such a scenario, it would be incredibly difficult for Xiao Yan to win again. From his earlier flame-switching technique, it was clear that he was still quite unfamiliar with using two different flames. If this was his limit, the remaining two chances wouldn’t likely fare much better…
Moreover, because there were only three chances, the pressure Xiao Yan was already under was significant. With this failure, the pressure on him would undoubtedly double. Under such intense pressure, even senior alchemists with rich experience would find it hard to quickly recover their state. However, this was a competition, not a regular alchemy session. Time was extremely precious, and there was no room for any wasteful luxury. So, if Xiao Yan lingered too long in this failure, it meant that with insufficient time, he would lose his right to compete for the championship…
Thus, Fa Ma could only pray in his heart that this young man, who had always performed well, would have extraordinary resilience. If he could quickly recover from his failure, then his chances would not be completely lost. At least, if luck was on his side, perhaps some miracle would happen. Although the chances were small, almost to the point of being speechless, at least it gave hope and light, like a faint fire in the dark night.
“Ah, kid, now it really depends on yourself. This is also a barrier on your alchemy path. If you break through it, the benefits for the future will be immeasurable. If you can’t, you may be forever stuck at your current level.” Fa Ma muttered softly, looking at the young man in the center of the field, who was bowing his head, his gaze fixed on the black ashes on the stone platform.
“Will it be a breakthrough or descent into the abyss? Heaven or hell, it’s all in your hands…”
All eyes were now on the young man in the center, who was no longer moving. After a long while, they found that he still had no reaction. It seemed that this person, who many thought was the most likely to contend with the mysterious alchemist from the Outcast Empire, was now mired in his own failure. Thus, there was a wave of regretful sighs from the audience.
“It seems this failure hit him hard. Sigh, but it’s understandable. He is just a young man…” Hearing the murmurs around him, Nalan Jie shook his head and sighed.
Nalan Yanran frowned slightly, then said softly, “From his usual behavior, he doesn’t seem impulsive. Perhaps… he has other plans?”
Clearly, she herself was uncertain, hence her hesitation.
“If it’s true, I hope… but…” Nalan Jie stroked his beard and smiled bitterly, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Xiao Yan stood stiffly in front of the stone platform, his black eyes staring at the black ashes pouring out. His usually calm and lively eyes now held a hint of bewilderment. This was the first major setback he had faced since losing the Pharmacist Elder, and he hadn’t expected the balance in flame conversion to be so difficult to grasp. He had overestimated his abilities before…
“This time… it’s really troublesome… Teacher… what should I do now?”
His lips trembled, and a barely audible, confused voice emerged from Xiao Yan’s mouth.
Unfortunately, the Pharmacist Elder was in a deep sleep, unaware of Xiao Yan’s predicament. So, everything would have to rely on Xiao Yan himself, as Fa Ma had said.
Transformation or decline? Despite Xiao Yan’s silence, the competition continued. Not far away, the contest between Yan Li, Little Princess, and Liu Ling was reaching a fever pitch. The fragrance emanating from their medicine cauldrons drew the attention of the audience away from Xiao Yan.
As the competition neared its end, the prototype pills in the Little Princess and Liu Ling’s cauldrons began to solidify. Soon, a rich medicinal aroma wafted from the Little Princess’s cauldron. The alchemists on the square, sensing the intensity of the aroma, exclaimed, “A fourth-grade pill?”
Hearing the gasps, a hint of pride appeared on the Little Princess’s face. The pill in her cauldron was the only fourth-grade pill she was confident in, and today, she succeeded on the first try. Her luck, it seemed, was better than Xiao Yan’s.
However, her triumph was short-lived. A richer, more enticing aroma soon emerged from Liu Ling’s cauldron. The two fragrances rose from their respective cauldrons and merged in the air, indistinguishable. But experienced alchemists could tell that Liu Ling’s pill was of a higher grade than the Little Princess’s.
“Guy…” The Little Princess, with her keen senses, recognized the difference and frowned, glaring at Liu Ling, who was smiling at her.
“Ha ha, Yue-er, I’m sorry. Today, let me take the lead,” Liu Ling bowed and smiled at the Little Princess, who was looking dejected.
“Two fourth-grade pills… these two kids are pretty good…” On the high platform, Fa Ma, feeling the fragrances, felt a bit better and nodded slightly.
“Ha ha, two inexperienced youngsters, starting to celebrate early? Isn’t it too soon?” A strange laugh suddenly rang out, drawing the angry gazes of the Little Princess and Liu Ling. In Yan Li’s cauldron, a flame was raging, and after a while, a fragrance with a light purple hue rose like smoke.
“A colored pill fragrance?” Almost every alchemist on the square who knew what this meant shouted in surprise.
“To be able to refine a pill with a colored fragrance… this scoundrel is indeed prepared,” Fa Ma’s recently brightened expression turned grim again.
“What is a colored pill fragrance?” On the high platform, Hai Bo Dong, seeing Fa Ma’s grim face, asked hurriedly.
“Colored pill fragrances are generally produced by fifth-grade pills, though some peak fourth-grade pills can produce them as well. Judging by the concentration of the fragrance, I think his pill is the latter,” Fa Ma said sullenly. “Compared to his, the pills refined by Yue-er and Liu Ling are inferior.”
“We’re probably going to lose this time…” On the square, the Little Princess and Liu Ling stared at the rising colored pill fragrance from Yan Li’s cauldron, their faces turning despondent and pale. Any defense was futile in the face of such overwhelming superiority.
“Not necessarily…” A clear, light laugh suddenly rang out.
The sudden laughter made the Little Princess and Liu Ling pause, and they turned to see Xiao Yan, who had been standing like a wooden post in front of the stone platform, lifting his head. His usually indifferent face now bore a rare, gentle smile.
Looking at the smile, for some reason, the two felt a subtle change in Xiao Yan’s demeanor and confidence.
“Sorry, President Fa Ma…” Turning, Xiao Yan slightly bowed to Fa Ma on the high platform, his lips moving. He knew that with Fa Ma’s strength, he could hear what he was saying.
“Ha ha… as long as you recover, it’s fine,” Fa Ma, seeing the gentle smile on Xiao Yan’s face, was relieved and nodded.
Turning back, Xiao Yan looked at Yan Li, who was glaring at him coldly. Smiling, he raised his thumb, then, in full view of the crowd, flipped it down!
“I want the championship…”
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