Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk
**
At this moment, the gray-robed youth was also feeling a surge of pressure.
He withdrew his gaze and looked down at the pill cauldron in front of him.
Within the greenish-white flame, a small, rotating purple pill embryo was forming.
"Almost... It's almost done!" he muttered, his spirit slightly lifted at the sight of the nearing completion.
Yet, on his still youthful face, a faint shadow of gloom began to emerge.
For some reason, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart.
Although he knew very well that it was extremely unlikely for his opponent to succeed in refining a Three-Line Green Spirit Pill in such a short period of time, that inexplicable ominous feeling still lingered in his chest like a dark cloud.
"The two kinds of Heavenly Flame can be dealt with later. Once I fully recover, I'll plan for them at my own pace," he whispered to himself.
"But the Soul Mending Pill formula—that's the urgent matter. I must get my hands on it as soon as possible!"
"If I can't ensure the perfect fusion between my soul and body, it will always remain a hidden flaw... a vulnerability."
"If I can't obtain it through official means, then I'll have no choice but to..." His eyes turned icy cold. "Hmph, you'd best be smart about it. Otherwise, I'll slaughter this entire Sacred City!"
At this moment, Xiao Yan had his eyes shut tightly, his brows faintly furrowed.
He appeared to be in a strange state between wakefulness and slumber.
However, even though his eyes were closed, the movements and changes in the external world were clearer to him than what one could see with the naked eye.
Within the cauldron, his surging soul power allowed him to distinctly observe the transformation of medicinal ingredients—how they were being burned by the flame, breaking down little by little, until only the essence he needed was left behind under the intense heat.
He could feel it—this refining process was the most flawless, most peak-level performance he had ever achieved.
The herbs, the temperature, even the subtlest fluctuations of the flames—all were reflected perfectly in his mind, without the slightest omission.
In this state, Xiao Yan even had the confidence and courage to challenge a true Tier 5 alchemist.
The medicinal ingredients inside the cauldron, wrapped in green flame, flipped and turned as if following his very thoughts. The Heavenly Flame's temperature was now perfectly aligned—down to the finest degree—with the heating requirements recorded in the recipe.
This sense of effortless control, this seamless flow—it was intoxicating.
At a certain moment—
"Essence extraction complete!"
Xiao Yan's tightly shut eyes slowly opened. With a sudden sweep of his sleeve, a burst of invisible force surged out, pulling the numerous refined essences into the air before funneling them all into the cauldron.
Time flowed quietly like water.
Now, less than half an hour remained before the competition ended.
Many of the contestants had already completed their pill refinement. Their completed pills had been sealed in jade bottles, and they were now quietly awaiting the conclusion.
At this point, only three people were still refining:
Xian'er, the gray-robed youth, and Xiao Yan.
In front of Xian'er's cauldron, the sound of wind roared, occasionally accompanied by faint dragon-like cries. Thanks to the concealment of her Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, it was impossible for outsiders to tell what she was doing.
As for the gray-robed youth, the purple medicinal fragrance wafting from his cauldron had grown increasingly rich. Clearly, the pill he was refining was also on the verge of completion.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan had just successfully switched to his second flame—the Purple Flame.
Suddenly—
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed, and a sheen of cold sweat began to gather densely on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks.
Without any reservation, his soul power surged forth like a dam burst, roaring into the cauldron like a raging river.
"Master, assist me!" Xiao Yan cried out in his heart.
"Don't worry," came Yao Lao's calm, aged voice.
Under the guidance and suppression of Xiao Yan's soul power, the Purple Flame was forcefully pushed aside, leaving a vacuum-like space inside the cauldron. At the same time, a barrier of violet fire formed around the outer edge.
In that moment, a thread of eerie, pale-white flame silently emerged from within the cauldron, quickly spreading upward and replacing the Purple Flame. It once again enveloped the forming pill.
The sun began to dip toward the western horizon.
"Hahaha! The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill is complete! This is a pill that can rival Tier 5 pill—how could any of you possibly compete with me now?!"
The gray-robed youth's wild laughter rang across the plaza, silencing the entire square instantly.
Moments later, countless fervent gazes locked tightly on the purple pill resting lightly in his palm.
The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill—a peak Tier 4 medicinal pill—just like the Three-Line Green Spirit Pill, belonged to the rare class of pills that could directly enhance one's strength.
However, its effects only worked on cultivators at the Da Dou Shi level.
When consumed by a Da Dou Shi, this pill could elevate one's strength by one star.
More importantly, a person could consume two of these pills in succession without developing significant resistance.
In other words, if one could acquire two Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pills, they could safely and steadily increase their strength by two stars, without any side effects.
Because of this, the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill was highly sought-after and famously rare. It was always in high demand and short supply. The moment it appeared on the market, it would be immediately bought up at high prices—never entering general circulation.
From a certain perspective, the value and difficulty of refining it are in no way inferior to that of a Three-Line Green Spirit Pill.
In fact, it even surpasses the Two-Line Green Spirit Pill by a whole level.
Although a single Two-Line Green Spirit Pill offers a chance to directly raise a Da Dou Shi's strength by two stars, the probability of failure and potential backlash are enough to deter many.
Therefore, the value of the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill is higher than that of the Two-Line Green Spirit Pill.
If given the choice, many people would likely prefer the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, which guarantees a one-star improvement with absolute certainty, over the Two-Line Green Spirit Pill, which offers two stars but carries risk.
On the Plaza
As the gray-robed youth's wild laughter gradually subsided, many of the gazes that had been focused on the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill once again shifted to Xian'er and Xiao Yan.
The gray-robed youth also stopped tossing the pill in his palm and stored it away in a jade bottle.
He folded his arms across his chest, sneering as he looked toward the VIP seats and spoke coldly: "President Fa Ma, I think you can announce the results now. The competition is nearly over, and neither of them has used a third flame. Don't tell me you still believe a mere Two-Line Green Spirit Pill can compare to my Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill?"
"The competition isn't over yet. Nothing has been finalized. Why are you in such a rush?" Fa Ma replied calmly.
Truthfully, Fa Ma was extremely nervous.
If Wei Yang hadn't told him to remain calm, he probably wouldn't be able to maintain his composure right now.
If someone from the Chu Yun Empire were to win the championship right before everyone's eyes and walk away in triumph…
Then he, Fa Ma, might as well retire from the alchemy world, retreat to some remote mountain forest, and spend the rest of his days in obscurity.
He simply couldn't afford to lose face like that.
Moreover, this disgraceful outcome would be recorded forever in the history of the Jia Ma Empire's alchemy world.
"Hmph, fine. We'll wait then. There's less than half an hour left anyway. It's nothing more than a futile struggle." The gray-robed youth sneered again with his arms still folded.
His confidence was overwhelming.
He had been somewhat worried before, but now, with the competition drawing to a close and no sign of the two switching to a third flame, it was basically settled!
After all, how many miracles could there possibly be?
Could an old monster like him really lose to two wet-behind-the-ears juniors?
Between the Two-Line Green Spirit Pill and the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, everyone knew which was superior.
Time passed.
As the match entered its final five minutes…
Xian'er, who had remained still with her eyes closed the entire time, finally opened them slowly.
All eyes immediately turned toward her in tense anticipation.
Even though the hope was slim, people still couldn't help but wish for a miracle.
Whoosh—
Roar—
Inside the cauldron, wind howled and dragon roars echoed.
Xian'er raised her gaze and glanced at the smug gray-robed youth, then formed a complex hand seal.
Crack—
The sound of metal fracturing echoed again and again.
To everyone's shock, fine cracks began to spread across the surface of Xian'er's cauldron, gradually covering its entirety.
Everyone's pupils shrank.
No way—was her cauldron going to explode at the final moment?
Yet Xian'er remained completely calm, showing not the slightest hint of panic. Instead, with a composed expression, she raised her jade-like palm and suddenly slapped it onto the cracked cauldron.
"Open!" she shouted.
Boom!
In an instant, the cauldron exploded into countless fragments before the stunned eyes of the crowd.
Whoosh—
Roar—
As the cauldron shattered, a basin-sized tornado emerged from within, spinning violently and rapidly shrinking in size.
Eventually, the whirlwind compressed to the size of a palm and floated steadily in Xian'er's fair and delicate hand.
Inside the mini tornado, a dense mist formed from three-colored pill fragrance churned rapidly, collapsing inward toward the center.
As the tri-colored mist dissipated, it finally revealed a single completely-formed, turquoise pill rotating slowly.
With the final disappearance of the whirlwind, the pill was fully unveiled.
Upon its surface were three mysterious pill patterns—one red, one yellow, and one green—encircling it.
--------------------------------------------------
Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk