Standing quietly before the bluestone platform, Xiao Yan pushed the crimson furnace slightly to one side. Unlike other alchemists who would immediately summon their flames to begin refining, he held the thin sheet of paper quietly, his brows furrowed as he carefully studied the scant information on it. The saying “sharpening the axe does not delay the cutting of firewood” was a principle Xiao Yan understood well. He had only two chances, and any mistake, no matter how small, could lead to failure. The pill required for this assessment was a second-grade medicinal pill called the “Bone-Regeneration Pill,” which, as the name suggested, was used to treat serious injuries. Generally, such healing pills were not particularly valuable. A Bone-Regeneration Pill might fetch only a few hundred or a thousand gold coins in the market, which was quite modest compared to pills that could enhance one’s combat energy or serve other purposes.
The preparation of the Bone-Regeneration Pill required six different herbs, which, while not overly complex among second-grade pills, was still a new type of healing medicine specially configured by the guild. Even though Xiao Yan had seen many healing medicines, he found the Bone-Regeneration Pill somewhat unfamiliar. However, despite the variety and strangeness of healing pills, the general principles of their refinement were similar, differing only in complexity. As long as an alchemist’s practical skills were strong, they could gradually decipher the method of refining the Bone-Regeneration Pill. Therefore, even if the recipe provided only general guidance, following his instincts should still lead to success.
Having memorized all the information on the thin paper, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them, took a deep breath, placed the paper on the platform, and turned to look around. He noticed that the Little Princess and Liu Ling had already summoned their flames and begun their refining. The flames in their cauldrons were both a deep yellow, produced entirely from their combat energy. Xiao Yan believed that this was not their limit; they likely had hidden trump cards, which was normal given their status.
“These two, regardless of their personalities, are indeed very skilled in practical application,” Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. Since he started learning alchemy, he had only been studying for three years. For the Little Princess and Liu Ling, who might have been trained by their teachers since childhood, it was natural that they were ahead in some aspects. No matter how talented he was, it was impossible for him to catch up with years of others’ achievements in such a short time. This was why he did not feel discouraged even when the Little Princess, at her young age, had already reached the third grade. Her talent and years of alchemical experience made her achievements expected.
By now, about ten minutes had passed since the start of the assessment. During this short time, red lights flickered on the huge square, indicating failed alchemists. These failed alchemists, red-faced and disheartened, had to retreat. For those who preferred traditional refining methods, this unconventional assessment was almost unbearable.
Xiao Yan glanced indifferently at an alchemist leaving the square, his head drooping and his face full of sorrow. Shaking his head, he focused his mind entirely on the upcoming task. Placing the dark red furnace in front of him, Xiao Yan rubbed his hands and, with a flick of his fingers, a purple pill appeared between his fingers. Gently tossing the pill into his mouth, he chewed it slowly. After a moment, he opened his mouth and a purple flame shot out, which he then held in his palm.
“Woah? A purple flame?” Being in the most watched position and having made a striking entrance, every movement of Xiao Yan was closely followed by the crowd. When they saw the brilliant purple flame, gasps of surprise filled the air. Although there were many unusual colored flames on the vast square, the way Xiao Yan summoned the flame from his mouth drew much attention.
“Purple flame?” Watching the purple flame in Xiao Yan’s hand, Fa Ma was momentarily stunned before he smiled lightly, “This young man does have some tricks up his sleeve.”
Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong, who had been spending a lot of time with Xiao Yan, knew his true capabilities. The purple flame was the weakest of the flames Xiao Yan controlled. The cold white and the light green flames were truly terrifying, even for Hai Bo Dong.
The purple flame danced nimbly in Xiao Yan’s hand like a sprite. After a moment, he waved his hand, and the flame was thrown into the furnace. Instantly, a fierce purple flame rose and burned inside the cauldron, quickly heating it up. When the temperature inside the cauldron reached a certain point, Xiao Yan placed his hand on the opening, closed his eyes, and extended his soul force to control the purple flame. Because his control over the purple flame was not as precise as his control over the Green Lotus Core Flame, he needed to touch the cauldron to manage the purple flame accurately. If he tried to control it without touching the cauldron, the already high failure rate would increase dramatically. Given the two attempts, Xiao Yan dared not take that risk.
Under the control of his soul force, the purple flame obediently maintained its temperature without any resistance. After a while, Xiao Yan summoned a herb from the platform, gently pinched it, and threw it into the cauldron. The purple flame surged up and enveloped it.
Closing his eyes, Xiao Yan used his soul perception to slowly refine the herbs. Refinement had to be exact, as even a slight deviation in purity could lead to failure. Thus, an accurate recipe was crucial. Unfortunately, Xiao Yan did not have such a precise recipe, so he had to rely on his own perception to gauge the purity.
A low-grade herb took Xiao Yan over ten minutes to refine to his satisfaction. He then carefully added the second herb to the cauldron. Glancing around, he noticed that the Little Princess and Liu Ling, though solemn, were composed and in control of their processes.
Just as Xiao Yan looked away, a cauldron nearby exploded under the intense heat, and the pill inside was destroyed. The harsh red light illuminated the area. The alchemist, his hair singed and face disfigured, stared dumbfounded at the flashing red light. After a while, he left the stage, cursing under his breath. Passing by Xiao Yan, the latter was surprised to see that the failed alchemist was actually a third-grade alchemist from another country.
“Poor fellow,” Xiao Yan thought with a hint of schadenfreude, quickly dismissing the distraction. He continued to carefully add herbs to the cauldron, testing the best purity level. With the caution from the previous failure, Xiao Yan became even more careful.
As time passed, red lights continued to flash, and many alchemists, faces either pale or flushed, left the stage, their disappointment evident. Though the assessment was difficult, there were still many competent alchemists remaining, including Xiao Yan, who was carefully testing the purity of his materials.
When the giant hourglass on the wall was nearly half empty, Xiao Yan completed his purity tests. Except for burning two herbs, his results were abundant. The next step was to fuse the refined materials into the Bone-Regeneration Pill. This step was more complicated, and even a slight distraction could result in complete failure. If the herbs were depleted, Xiao Yan would be eliminated from the assessment.
Understanding the importance, Xiao Yan prepared by using his combat energy to form a membrane over his ears, blocking out external noise. With the noise diminished, Xiao Yan’s mind calmed. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes again, picked up a jade bottle from the platform, and poured the essence he had extracted into the cauldron. He then quickly added two more bottles of refined materials.
Carefully controlling the purple flame, he slowly roasted the herbs. Through the soul force within the purple flame, he received feedback on the fusion, allowing him to adjust the process. This analysis was extremely mentally taxing, but it was manageable for a second-grade recipe. For higher grades, even a fourth-grade alchemist would find it nearly impossible to analyze, as it would diminish the value of recipes.
Frowning, Xiao Yan sensed the fusion of the herbs. Suddenly, the cauldron made a muffled sound, and the nearly fused herbs turned to ash. The rising purple flame also extinguished. Staring at the ashes, Xiao Yan regretfully slapped his head, realizing he had forgotten that the purple flame could only burn for an hour without support.
The muffled sound drew the attention of the Little Princess and Liu Ling. Seeing the extinguished cauldron, the former gave a helpless expression, while the latter’s smug smile was irritating. On the high platform, Fa Ma and the others were startled but said nothing, waiting quietly. Though the flame was out and time was running out, Xiao Yan still had a chance, as he had enough materials left. However, he needed to hurry, as the hourglass was down to a third.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan stared at the ashes in the cauldron. After a moment, he smiled. Though he had failed, he had a general idea of the Bone-Regeneration Pill’s refinement. Next, he would refine it with ease.
Taking another purple pill from his ring, Xiao Yan chewed it and looked around. The Little Princess and Liu Ling were already forming their pills. “Good speed, indeed impressive,” Xiao Yan thought, opening his mouth to release the purple flame again. He then poured it into the cauldron and began to pour the contents of six small jade bottles into the cauldron.
“Trying to fuse six herbs at once? It saves time, but if his soul force is not strong enough, it’s suicidal,” Fa Ma and Otto murmured, watching Xiao Yan’s actions.
Fixing his gaze on the cauldron, Xiao Yan controlled the purple flame to separate the materials, bringing them closer together. The grains in the hourglass poured rapidly.
Suddenly, a clear sound echoed across the square. Liu Ling first slammed his hand on the cauldron, and the lid flew off, releasing a round pill, which he caught, clearly pleased. Another sound followed, and the Little Princess summoned her pill. More sounds rang out, and hundreds of pills flew from the cauldrons, each caught by their owners.
“Time’s almost up,” Otto clenched his fist, watching the still meditating Xiao Yan. The hourglass was almost empty.
Countless eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan. As the last grain of sand fell, the crowd sighed in disappointment.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s eyes snapped open. Slapping the cauldron, the lid flew off, and a round, radiant pill shot out, dazzling the audience.
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