Tong Lin stepped forward, his voice carrying through the arena as he spoke into the microphone.
"So, are you all excited for this round?"
The participants responded in unison, their voices echoing.
"Yes! We are excited!"
In the audience, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
"What do you think? Who will win this time?"
"Huh, don't you know? That Gao Tian was the first-round winner."
"So what? I don't think he can win again."
"He'll win. Look at him—he's so handsome."
"He really does look confident."
Tong Lin raised his hand for silence and continued.
"For this round, you can refine any pill you choose. The only condition is this—the pill must be of high tier. Whoever refines the highest-tier pill will be the winner."
From the side of the arena, a narrow door creaked open. A line of women stepped out in perfect formation, each dressed in elegant pink robes embroidered with the Pill Tower's emblem. They carried polished trays, each piled with rare herbs and sparkling ingredients—richer in quality and quantity than anything from the first round.
Gao Tian, quietly observing, formed his own conclusion. This competition wasn't just for show; it was a recruitment test. The Pill Tower was gathering talent, and the winner would not only receive a pill of their choice but also a recommendation to join the prestigious organization.
Same women from first round of the Pill Tower approached Gao Tian's cauldron, her tray balanced carefully in her hands. Her eyes flickered toward him, and her face flushed slightly.
He's looked handsome. If he asked my name again, I might just break the rules and tell him. Maybe… maybe we could even be together.
Shu Yu, standing a short distance away, noticed the woman.
She's the same one from the first round, Shu Yu thought, frowning slightly. Then she glanced at Gao Tian. Is that bastard flirting with women again?
But she saw him standing still, his expression thoughtful, and quickly looked away.
What am I thinking? He's not that type of person.
Gao Tian, however, had a different sort of thought flash through his mind as his gaze briefly dropped to the woman's chest.
The size is… acceptable. Should I ask her again? If she agrees, my life would be set.
A sudden realization struck him, and he pinched his cheek to refocus.
No. No. I am the Immortal Emperor. How could I have such thoughts? This body is perverted—not me.
In the observation room above the arena, Tong Men leaned back with a faint smile.
Great… this time so many people passed the first round. Around twenty-three, when usually only fifteen or sixteen could make it.
Beside him, Sen Zhuo bent slightly toward the guard at his side and whispered, "Check on Sen Shu. Where is she? She said she'd come to watch today's competition."
The guard gave a respectful bow. "Yes, Young Master," he replied before turning to leave.
Down below, Tong Lin raised the microphone to his lips.
"Now… let the final round begin!"
At once, the contestants moved. Robes swayed, sleeves fluttered, and everyone began selecting their ingredients from the rows of herbs and materials laid out for them.
Each alchemist had their own plan, their own pill in mind.
Shu Yu's delicate fingers moved with practiced precision as she picked out stalks of snow-pale grass, crystalline petals, and a jade-like root. The Frost Soul Pill—her choice—required rare cold-type herbs, and she selected each one without hesitation.
I have to win, she thought, her normally emotionless eyes flickering with a faint, icy resolve.
Across the arena, Gao Tian was gathering ingredients for his chosen pill, the Yin–Yang Fusion Pill:
White Dew Herb ×2
Sunburst Petal ×2
Spirit Peach Seed ×1
River Reed Ash ×1 pinch
Clear Spring Water ×1 cup
Yeah… I can refine my pill now.
He glanced around the arena and noticed several contestants already setting their flames to the cauldrons.
They've started refining so quickly…
But Gao Tian's mind was steady. He took a slow breath, then lifted his hand. Azure fire sparked into existence in his palm—a flame so pure and deep it seemed to contain the endless sea within it. This time, however, he kept it restrained.
Yun Sha's earlier warning echoed in his mind. Too much power could disrupt the refinements of others, and more than a few had been disqualified for just that reason.
Well… only two of my flames have stayed with me from the past. My Destructive Dragon Golden Flame… and my Azure Blue Flame. Both are bound to my soul, so they remain mine.
The azure fire flared in the cauldron, gentle yet intense. One by one, Gao Tian added his ingredients, letting their natural essences blend under the precise control of his spiritual energy. Then, his technique began—Nine Serenities Secret Records of Alchemy: First Part.
A spiritual ripple pulsed through the air behind him.
From the void, a small blue spiritual dragon appeared, no bigger than a cat. Its scales shimmered like the night sky over a frozen lake, and silent power radiated from its tiny form. Twin star-like eyes locked onto the cauldron before it coiled around it in a slow, graceful circle.
The moment it completed one rotation, the flame inside stabilized, wrapping the cauldron in an almost divine layer of heat.
Gao Tian's expression didn't change. He simply focused on refining, his mind one with the flame and the pill embryo forming inside.
In the stands, whispers filled the air.
"Look, he's refining just like before!"
"That technique… it's high grade!"
"Why does a dragon always appear to guard his cauldron?"
"He's too talented. It's unreal."
"Gosh… I wish I could be like him…"
From above, Tong Men chuckled softly as he watched the scene. "I think this Gao Tian is a great talent in alchemy."
Sen Zhuo's lips curled into a faint, almost knowing smile. "Brother Tong, you're right. He's a talent. But you know as well as I do… this world hates talent."
Tong Men's eyes didn't leave the young man below. "True. But if he joins our Pill Tower… then not a single person in this world will be able to touch him."
In the arena, the faint scent of herbs began to mix with the warmth of spiritual fire. Flames of all colors flared from dozens of cauldrons, and the air shimmered as the heat rose.
Shu Yu stood in her spot, her frost-tinged spiritual energy forming a thin mist around her cauldron. The temperature in her area dropped sharply, drawing glances from nearby participants who felt a sudden chill creep up their arms. Her pale eyes focused with icy calm, hands moving with precision as she separated the frost essence from the rest of the medicinal energy. The Frost Soul Pill required perfect balance—too much cold, and the pill would shatter; too little, and the spiritual effect would weaken.
Not far from her, Gao Tian's refining was moving at an unhurried pace. The tiny blue dragon's form rippled in and out of visibility as if made of flame and spirit combined, occasionally letting out a soft, deep hum. Its presence seemed to bend the surrounding spiritual energy, making Gao Tian's cauldron a calm eye in the storm of the competition.
In the stands, the audience was buzzing.
"Look at that frost mist! That woman must be using a high-grade ice attribute technique."
"And Gao Tian… his fire control is terrifying. The cauldron hasn't even wobbled once!"
"I bet it'll come down to those two."
Meanwhile, Tong Lin's voice carried over the arena.
"Participants, you have one incense stick of time remaining for this round!"
At those words, the atmosphere shifted. Flames flared higher, hands moved faster, and the air filled with the sound of bubbling cauldrons, crackling fires, and the occasional muffled pop of failed pills.
Shu Yu's frost mist condensed into shimmering crystals as she performed her final seal, closing the cauldron with a snap of her fingers. Inside, the pills were cooling, the core energy locked in place.
Gao Tian was at his final step as well. The blue dragon gave a soft roar and dove into the cauldron, merging with the azure flames. A wave of rich medicinal fragrance rolled out, causing the nearby participants to falter in their movements.
From the observation room, Tong Men and Sen Zhuo both leaned forward.
"This will be interesting," Tong Men murmured.
On the far side of the arena, Ao Kan's brows were knitted in concentration. His hands moved swiftly, tossing ingredients into the cauldron with practiced rhythm. A crimson flame flared to life, licking the edges of the bronze vessel.
Unlike Gao Tian's calm refinement or Shu Yu's icy precision, Ao Kan's style was fierce and aggressive—each motion pushing his cauldron to the brink before reining it back. The scent of burning herbs filled the air, but underneath it was a sharp medicinal fragrance.
I'll crush them both, he thought, tightening his grip on the final seal.
The cauldron trembled, then stilled. His pill was complete.
He refined the fourth-tire mid-grade wind gathering pill.