Word Count: 3,256 Words
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Song Qing stared at the lightning clouds in the sky, utterly dumbfounded. A sense of defeat washed over him. Compared to monstrous talents like Cao Ying and Dan Chen, the gap was simply too great.
His gaze then fell on Xiao Yan, who had been standing motionless on his platform for almost a month. A cold smile played at his lips. "What bullshit enlightenment. He's nothing but a coward backing down from the challenge."
Many people shared Song Qing's thoughts. After all, no one had personally witnessed Xiao Yan refining a pill. The initial rumor that he was an 8th-tier alchemist had come from Feng Qing Er.
Some had even sought out disciples from the Wind Lightning Pavilion who were present that day to reconstruct the events, only to discover her claim was based entirely on the Yan Alliance's purchase of ingredients for the Green Fungus Pill and a Rank 8 Monster Core, after which Venerable Tian Huo recovered part of his strength.
In other words, Feng Qing Er had no actual evidence; it was all just speculation.
During the Five Great Clans' assessment, Xiao Yan had only demonstrated powerful Spiritual Strength, but strong Spiritual Strength didn't necessarily equate to powerful alchemy skills. Members of the Hall of Souls also possessed formidable Spiritual Strength.
So after a month of speculation, a new narrative had spread throughout Holy Pill City: Xiao Yan wasn't in a state of sudden enlightenment at all; he was simply avoiding refining a pill to preserve his undeserved reputation as an 8th-tier alchemist.
The Wind Lightning Pavilion, Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, and even the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe were naturally the most enthusiastic promoters of this theory.
If Xiao Yan's reputation as an 8th-tier alchemist crumbled, the entire Yan Alliance would be in imminent peril, vulnerable to a joint attack by the Wind Lightning Pavilion and Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe at any moment.
After withstanding the Pill Lightning and collecting her pill, Cao Ying looked over at Xiao Yan, who still stood unmoving in his trance.
'I want to defeat you at the Pill Gathering, but not through such a meaningless victory.'
Very little time remained. Almost all the alchemists on the stone platforms had finished, whether successful or not. Only Mu Gu continued refining.
"That fellow should be him," Xuan Kong Zi said, his gaze turning cold as he locked onto Mu Gu. Through observation, it wasn't difficult to see that Mu Gu's pill was nearing completion.
"I've been watching him for a long time. Although his methods have changed somewhat, there's no doubt he's that traitor, Mu Gu!" When she spoke his name, Xuan Yi gritted her teeth, not bothering to hide the killing intent in her eyes.
Suddenly, the old man's face slowly twisted into a strange smile. Rising to his feet, he dispelled the Hall of Souls' disguise technique, revealing his true appearance.
"Ah! That person was in disguise all along!"
Mu Gu cast a cold glance toward Xiao Yan, no longer able to contain his smile. He broke into maniacal laughter: "Jie Jie Jie!! Hahahaha!!! I've won! In the end, I'm the victor! That Lord—I will finally stand beside that Lord!"
His owl-like cold laughter echoed across the sky. Lightning flashed, the blinding light illuminating his face in an eerily sinister glow.
Under the gaze of the crowd, a massive pillar of light shot skyward, brimming with such vast power that everyone's face changed. Judging by the energy fluctuations alone, none of the previous pills had reached this level!
Almost instantaneously, the clouds above churned violently. Four-colored Pill Lightning appeared in the sky over Holy Pill City!
"Jie Jie, Xuan Kong Zi, my apologies, but it looks like this year's Pill Gathering champion will be taken by this old man!" Mu Gu looked at the Pill Lightning overhead. Even he hadn't expected to actually refine a tier 8 pill capable of attracting four-colored Pill Lightning!
The pressure from Xiao Yan had pushed him to surpass his limits!
Sensing Mu Gu's aura, Cao Ying's face turned pale. She recognized him as the black-robed man who had hunted her in the Pill Realm!
"What do we do now? Should we just kill him?" Xuan Yi's face turned ashen as she immediately suggested slaughter!
"Let's observe the situation for now. Perhaps we can make our move in the Star Region. There are too many people here now. If we kill him, it would damage the Pill Tower's reputation and could have even more serious consequences." Xuan Kong Zi clenched his fist, but at that moment, a strange feeling arose in his heart.
Little Fairy Doctor, who had been watching Xiao Yan the entire time, saw a spark of light flash in his eyes and smiled softly. "He's finally awake."
Hooo...
With a long exhale, Xiao Yan, who had stood motionless for nearly a month, let out a long breath. This single exhalation somehow drowned out even the thunder overhead!
His eyes had become incredibly profound, as though he had experienced a vast stretch of time.
"You're celebrating too early."
Xiao Yan's calm voice seemed to echo in everyone's heart. Not just Little Fairy Doctor—every person in the plaza turned to look at him.
Many felt a sense of pity; a sudden enlightenment would certainly have improved his skills, but unfortunately, time had run out.
Mu Gu's face twisted in savage laughter: "Jie Jie Jie, Xiao Yan, what does your enlightenment matter now? With only one day left, what can you possibly accomplish?!"
Xiao Yan didn't even turn to look at Mu Gu. His profound gaze remained fixed on a distant point—the direction of the Jia Ma Empire.
"One day is enough to send you on your way."
At that very moment in the Jia Ma Empire, Cai Lin slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the distance. She had come to understand that Xiao Yan held an important, irreplaceable position in her heart.
Xiao Yan was her man, Cai Lin's man!
And her man would not lose!
!!!
Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through her abdomen! Her pupils contracted. She knew—the time had come to give birth!
Composing himself, Xiao Yan lowered his gaze to the medicinal ingredients on the table before him. From the very beginning, he had planned to refine a First Start Pill. This miraculous pill could accompany an infant as it grew, subtly enhancing its potential. It could be described as a panacea that could defy heaven and change fate.
Moreover, this pill could attract five-colored Pill Lightning. If he succeeded in refining it, victory would be his!
Venerable Yao had once refined such a pill for Han Feng.
After a moment's reflection, a hint of reluctance flickered across Xiao Yan's face, but he understood—it was time for him to grow up. He was no longer that youth from Wu Tan City; he had even become a father.
Reaching into the pocket of his alchemist's robe, he withdrew the Bone Flame Ring that he hadn't worn since arriving in Holy Pill City.
"That's the Bone Flame Ring!!" The moment she saw it, Xuan Yi's face changed dramatically. She instantly recognized it; this was 'his' storage ring!
Xiao Yan gazed at the ring in his palm, feeling countless emotions surge through his heart. This ring had accompanied him for twenty-two years.
With a gentle touch, a black shadow appeared on the stone platform.
"The Black Demon Cauldron! It's him! It really is him!"
Xuan Kong Zi grabbed Xuan Yi, who was about to rush forward. "Calm down. Whatever this means, we'll address it after the Pill Gathering ends."
The Black Demon Cauldron wasn't the only thing to emerge from the storage ring. A silver-white robe appeared as well. Unlike ordinary alchemist robes, this one bore no rank insignia—instead, it displayed a nine-colored cauldron emblem that radiated a brilliant glow.
The exclusive robe of the Pill Gathering champion!
It was also Venerable Yao's alchemist robe.
The moment he saw this robe, Mu Gu's eyes narrowed in recognition. He knew what it was! During that long-ago Pill Gathering, that man had stood like the sun itself, emerging victorious to claim this very robe. Mu Gu had even held it in his hands once!
Removing his own alchemist's robe, Xiao Yan gently donned this garment of profound significance, his fingers carefully fastening each button.
He, Xiao Yan, had inherited the mantle.
Seeing Xiao Yan put on that robe, Xuan Yi covered her mouth with both hands, her body trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face.
Too alike...
Slowly sliding the Bone Flame Ring onto his finger, Xiao Yan gazed down at it and whispered, "Master, watch closely. This is your disciple's answer."
The boy from Wu Tan City had finally grown up. When Xiao Yan had reached the 8th tier, he had realized that Venerable Yao's inheritance was nearing its end.
He would have to walk the path of alchemy alone. From now on, there would be no more endless pill recipes, no more ancient books filled with detailed notes and commentary, and no more handwritten alchemist journals packed with wisdom and experience.
He, Xiao Yan, had completed his apprenticeship.
His eyes narrowed slightly. The enlightenment had further elevated his alchemy skills, and now he experienced a strange new sensation.
He spread his hands and with two soft whooshes, two clusters of merged Heavenly Flames appeared in his palms. Apart from the Nihility Devouring Flame's Earth Seed Flame, he now possessed eight complete Heavenly Flames, which he had separated into four distinct pairs to create entirely new flames.
With two crisp flicks of his fingers, the clusters of merged flames shot into the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron and the Black Demon Cauldron. He clapped his palms against both cauldrons, and terrifying torrents of Dou Qi surged desperately into the flames. Instantly, the temperature across the plaza rose by several degrees. The audience felt as if they were bullfrogs dropped into a boiling hot pot, on the verge of being cooked alive.
"What is he trying to do?!"
"Two flames? Two cauldrons!"
"Don't tell me he plans to—!!"
Even Xuan Kong Zi and Tian Lei Zi were visibly startled. "Dual focus?" Xuan Kong Zi muttered in astonishment. "What is he attempting?"
Tian Lei Zi narrowed his eyes. "The reason one must be so careful with the sequence of ingredients is that some have conflicting properties. They cannot be refined together; one must be completed before moving on to the next. Otherwise, their medicinal properties will clash and spoil."
"Xiao Yan is accelerating the process by separating conflicting ingredients between two cauldrons!"
Xuan Yi had regained her composure. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Yan as she said, "This approach could certainly increase speed, but it requires an absolute mastery of both the pill recipe and the characteristics of each ingredient. Even I would struggle to attempt this with a tier 8 pill."
Meow!
A black cat suddenly emerged from the void. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and Mao Wu immediately swallowed a Rank 8 Monster Core in a single gulp.
Xiao Yan wasn't just splitting his focus between two cauldrons; he was simultaneously refining a Monster Core as well!
"Is that a Heavenly Flame Spirit? A black one?" Xuan Kong Zi was dumbfounded. Why did every flame Xiao Yan produced seem stranger than the last?
The initial pair appeared to be Heavenly Flames with extraordinary power, yet they matched none of the known flames on the Heavenly Flame ranking. And now this black cat gave them an odd sensation. It seemed like a Heavenly Flame yet not quite, existing in a state between being and non-being.
Xiao Yan channeled the Flame Mantra at incredible speed, causing temperatures in both cauldrons to skyrocket. His Spiritual Strength radiated outward, instantly dividing the medicinal ingredients on the platform into two groups, creating an assembly line as herbs steadily flowed into the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron and the Black Demon Cauldron.
One must know, Xiao Yan was using a Heavenly Flame formed from the combination of four kinds of Heavenly Flames. Its temperature and power were both extremely terrifying. As those medicinal ingredients entered the cauldrons, they withered at a visible rate, and their medicinal powders and liquids were extracted in an instant.
Crackling sounds erupted from within the cauldrons. As stalk after stalk of medicinal ingredients were thrown in, a continuous sound erupted, like firecrackers exploding on New Year's Eve.
The entire plaza stared in stunned silence. Even those who weren't alchemists could grasp how utterly outrageous Xiao Yan's actions were!
It was astonishing enough that he could split his focus, but his extraction speed was simply absurd. He showed no fear of burning the ingredients, demonstrating a divinely skillful control over temperature and a perfect mastery of the herbs' properties. The moment the heat reached the optimal point, he would withdraw the fire and extract the essence before moving on to the next.
Liu Ling below the platform was already numb. Usually when he extracted ingredients, he would carefully raise the temperature, afraid of accidentally destroying them, yet also worried the temperature would be too low to extract properly.
While others gradually increased heat, Xiao Yan instantly brought it to the optimal temperature. Of course his speed was faster!
"They're just supplementary ingredients. Of course he doesn't fear failure. Hmph, let's see how he handles the main ingredients." Some people still refused to believe.
Yet these critics failed to notice that not once had Xiao Yan failed in refining any supplementary herb.
"Amazing... Big Brother Xiao Yan is so incredible..." Dan Chen's small mouth hung open in awe. Her special constitution allowed her to sense that Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength had reached middle-stage Soul State, higher than both hers and Cao Ying's. Even Mu Gu's Spiritual Strength was a tier below his.
"Is that sudden enlightenment really that powerful? Or has his strength always been at this level?" Cao Ying, who had already completed her pill and was waiting for the event to conclude, couldn't tear her beautiful eyes away from Xiao Yan. Witnessing his technique, she was absolutely astounded.
As an 8th-tier alchemist who had just refined a pill attracting three-colored Pill Lightning, she saw far more than ordinary observers. She recognized that Xiao Yan wasn't taking reckless chances. This was pure, unadulterated skill!
Xiao Yan's hands moved like phantoms, his alchemy technique flowing seamlessly from one step to the next. Every movement radiated confidence and charisma.
Even those who weren't alchemists could appreciate the perfection of his every gesture, each motion flawlessly executed without the slightest error.
"Impossible! Impossible! You can't possibly succeed!" Mu Gu, who had just endured his Pill Lightning, was beginning to show signs of madness.
A powerful premonition seized him—Xiao Yan would complete his pill before time ran out!
Even though refining a tier 8 pill in a single day should be utterly impossible, even though neither his senior brother nor his master had ever achieved… after seeing the look in Xiao Yan's eyes, his intuition told him: he could do it!
With a series of clicks, the brocade boxes holding the main ingredients opened themselves, and a rich medicinal fragrance began to spread. These were the main ingredients for the First Start Pill, some reaching middle-grade tier 8, with one even at high-grade tier 8. All of them were incredibly precious.
"It's actually a First Start Pill!" The moment Xuan Kong Zi saw the main ingredients, he immediately recognized what Xiao Yan intended to refine.
"A First Start Pill can attract five-colored Pill Lightning. If he succeeds, he'll surpass Mu Gu."
Time ticked away inexorably. In the distance, the sand in the giant hourglass measuring the competition's duration was nearly gone.
"It's over. Xiao Yan is still refining the final main ingredients. He's running out of time!"
"He hasn't even begun the pill fusion stage yet!"
"That step takes the longest. If only he'd started earlier..."
Xiao Yan's performance had so absorbed the crowd that they lost track of time. An entire day had passed without their noticing, and the hourglass now contained only the faintest traces of sand.
"Jie Jie Jie, Xiao Yan, you are indeed formidable, but unfortunately, this Pill Gathering's championship belongs to me!" Mu Gu clenched his fists tightly. Seeing that Xiao Yan hadn't yet begun to fuse his pill, he knew victory was his!
As these words fell, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the near-hysterical Mu Gu, feeling a touch of pity for this pathetic man.
Even if he couldn't refine the First Start Pill within the time limit, would that affect his candidacy for the Di Pill Plan?
Not at all.
Reality was not a game. Unless Hun Huzi was a complete fool, he would recognize the vast gulf between Xiao Yan and Mu Gu. The Pill Gathering was merely a test to help Hun Huzi see clearly. If Hun Huzi were present, he would immediately declare Xiao Yan the winner.
The competition's outcome hardly mattered. What truly mattered was who had the ability to reach that level—to join forces with Hun Huzi and refine the Di Tier Pill!
Clearly, Xiao Yan was the one with that capability.
'With such limited vision, bound by these rules, you're destined never to reach that level.' Xiao Yan's eyes were calm as he smiled faintly and glanced at the hourglass.
There was enough time!
"Pill fusion."
With a thought, two banging sounds rang out as both cauldrons opened their lids. Two clusters of medicinal powder, each wrapped in merged Heavenly Flames, floated out. Space itself seemed to distort as three flames claimed separate positions. In that moment, the three flames began to merge!
While the Flame Mantra merged the Heavenly Flames into a new flame, it simultaneously fused the medicinal powders and Monster Core!
This was a completely novel fusion method that Xiao Yan had created by leveraging the Flame Mantra's unique properties. It was called the Heavenly Flame Fusion Method!! It represented his first step forward on a path of his own making!
"That's the technique!!" Mu Gu's face contorted in shock. He immediately understood. It was the mysterious Qi Method that Venerable Yao had obtained, and the very reason for Han Feng's betrayal!
The final grains of sand were flowing through the hourglass. Just as the very last particles were about to fall, Xiao Yan withdrew his flames. The moment they vanished, a milky-white pillar of medicinal fragrance shot out, revealing a pill like white jade before everyone's eyes!
"He… he really did it!!!"
"Holy crap! One day?!"
"I take longer than that to refine a tier 1 pill... and he just completed a tier 8..."
In that moment, even the three giants were dumbfounded. Dan Chen and Cao Ying were utterly stunned. The Dan Clan, Cao Clan, Bai Clan, Qiu Clan—every alchemist participating in the Pill Gathering felt their worldview shatter.
Could alchemy truly be this fast?!
The clouds in the sky seemed drawn by some mysterious force, churning violently and gradually growing more brilliant. In less than two minutes, the dark thunderclouds transformed before the shocked eyes of all present, changing into five-colored lightning clouds—and then, incredibly, a sixth color began to emerge!
Transcendence!
With Xing Tian present, the Pill Lightning naturally posed no threat. After absorbing the six-colored Pill Lightning, traces of gold had begun to appear on its body.
"XIAO YAN!!!"
Looking at the madly roaring Mu Gu, Xiao Yan calmly put away the First Start Pill.
"You have lost."