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"Hehe…"
Seeing the chaos he'd caused, Lin Feng could only offer an apologetic smile. He set the Core Mother Jade on his stone platform, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes, recalling every crucial point he'd extracted from the Bodhisattva Pill recipe.
Of course, the Core Soul Marrow within the jade had already been carefully drained through a tiny hole and stored away beforehand.
Meanwhile, the Three Leaders of the Pill Tower—Xuan Kongzi, Tian Leizi, and Xuan Yi—had been watching Lin Feng closely. When they saw him bring out the Core Mother Jade, their brows all furrowed slightly.
They naturally recognized such a heaven-and-earth treasure. They also knew this kind of material could only form after absorbing the purest earth energy for over a thousand years.
It possessed the miraculous effects of calming the mind and stabilizing spiritual power—greatly aiding both alchemy and breakthroughs in cultivation.
Now Lin Feng was bringing it out before refining his pill—clearly indicating that he wasn't entirely confident about this upcoming refinement. But one had to remember: around a year ago, this very youth was already capable of refining top-tier eighth-tier two-colored pills.
After a year, with his soul strength having advanced to the late-stage Spirit Realm, his current alchemy rank should easily reach the level of four-colored eighth-tier pills.
With him being this cautious, it meant the pill he was attempting this time might very well reach five-colored… or even six-colored grade!
While Lin Feng was preparing, the four women—Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Xiao Yixian, and Ye Xin Lan—all summoned their own cauldrons.
Cao Ying in particular moved gracefully, flicking her slender fingers. Instantly, a blazing crimson flame burst to life in her palm, its brightness so intense it hurt the eyes.
The fire was so vividly red that it seemed even richer than blood itself. Within the flame, a faint, thin silhouette could be seen dancing and swirling like a fiery spirit.
What surprised everyone most was that the moment this bright-red flame appeared, the beast flames within many surrounding alchemists' cauldrons began to ripple and waver uncontrollably.
Startled, they quickly gathered their focus to stabilize their fires, then turned toward Cao Ying with shock and disbelief in their eyes.
"Hmph, the Blood Demon Flame isn't that impressive to me anymore."
The sudden fluctuation naturally drew Xiao Yan's attention. When he saw the blood-red flame dancing in Cao Ying's hand, a cold snort escaped his throat. After all, he had witnessed clearly the little "kiss" between Lin Feng and Cao Ying earlier.
Now, facing the woman of his rival, how could he possibly show any warmth?
Moreover, that Blood Demon Flame—he knew it well. He had once obtained a top-quality one himself through the Pill Tower's Three Leaders, who had asked the Cao Clan to prepare it for him.
"The Cao Clan really is filthy rich… to even create another Blood Demon Flame just for Cao Ying!"
While Xiao Yan dismissed it lightly, the other contestants were left stunned.
The Blood Demon Flame required the blood of nearly a thousand fire-attribute magic beasts. Using a secret art, the varying fire energies within their blood were fused into one. Only through this process could the fire-attribute energy be condensed into an actual flame!
The resources needed for such a feat were beyond imagination. Then Xiao Yan flicked his palm, summoning a yellow flame that shot forward and landed in the cauldron before him.
Bang!
The instant that yellow flame appeared, the nearby alchemists' expressions changed drastically. The fires in their own cauldrons suddenly turned restless, trembling violently.
"Damn it!"
They tried frantically to stabilize their fires, desperate to prevent their cauldrons from exploding. But even with their best efforts, several couldn't hold on.
Boom!
Their cauldrons erupted one after another, flames bursting into the air as the medicinal ingredients within turned to ash.
"A Heavenly Flame!?"
The explosions immediately drew countless gazes from across the entire square. Cries of astonishment rippled like waves through the crowd. Heavenly Flames—rare treasures of the world. For most, this was their first time ever seeing one in person.
Xiao Yan ignored them all, calmly focusing on preparing his pill refinement.
At the same time, from farther away, Dan Chen, Xiao Yixian, and Ye Xin Lan each summoned their own flames, sending them into their cauldrons to begin refinement.
Poof!
The moment Xiao Yixian's Emperor Spirit Gold Flame and Ye Xin Lan's Blue Heart Emperor Flame appeared, the surrounding alchemists' flames began to flicker and shrink back in fear.
"Wait… those two flames—could they be Heavenly Flames too?"
The crowd was once again thrown into uproar.
Indeed, only Heavenly Flames could cause such a powerful reaction in ordinary flames.
Their confusion was understandable. Xiao Yixian's flame, having absorbed a wisp of Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame from a fallen Dou Zun of the Gu Clan, was no weaker than a true Heavenly Flame.
As for Ye Xin Lan's Blue Heart Emperor Flame, Lin Feng had personally created it for her upon learning her fondness for blue. Using the secret art Emperor Spirit Flame, he fused massive quantities of blue beast flames with Sun Flame.
Moreover, while nurturing it, he had even fed in half of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Flame that Qing'er had given him. Under Lin Feng's careful nurturing, Ye Xin Lan's Blue Heart Emperor Flame had grown rapidly—strong enough now to rival even the Green Lotus Core Flame.
Of course, as the Emperor Spirit Flame was still slightly inferior to a true Heavenly Flame, and since Ye Xin Lan's Blue Heart Emperor Flame hadn't absorbed any genuine Heavenly Flame to compensate for that gap, a prolonged clash against the Green Lotus Core Flame would still end in defeat.
Still, compared to most beast flames—including Cao Ying's Blood Demon Flame—Ye Xin Lan's Blue Heart Emperor Flame was unquestionably superior. So for those who had never seen true Heavenly Flames before, their misunderstanding was only natural.
"The flame that Ye Clan girl is using… it looks somewhat like the Sea Heart Flame, but something about it feels off," muttered Tian Leizi from the high platform, his brows furrowing in mild confusion.
At this moment, even he, one of the mighty Leaders of the Pill Tower, could not tell what kind of flame the other man held in his hand.
"That blue flame shouldn't be Sea Heart Flame. Its power is far weaker than the one in Xiao Yan's hand. I think it might be something like the Ye Clan's Sun Flame—one of those unranked flames whose strength is below the Heavenly Flame Ranking, yet far above ordinary beast flames," Xuan Kongzi said after a moment of hesitation.
After all, the vast Dou Qi Continent hid endless mysteries, and Heavenly Flames—these wondrous creations of heaven and earth—were especially enigmatic. Though the Heavenly Flame Ranking was authoritative, it was impossible that only those listed flames existed in the world.
That was why Xuan Kongzi had such a thought.
Hearing this, Tian Leizi and Xuan Yi both nodded in agreement. Finding it reasonable, they put their curiosity aside and looked back down at the arena.
Meanwhile, on another stone platform, Xiao Yan's eyes burned intensely as he stared at the flames in the hands of the two women. He could sense that the pale-golden flame held by the white-robed woman named Xiao Yixian did not resemble any flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
Yet its might faintly surpassed that of the Fire Mountain Rock Flame he had previously absorbed. If he could obtain such a flame, it would be of immense help both to his current Dou Qi cultivation and to the evolution of his Flame Mantra.
As for the blue flame in Ye Xin Lan's hand, though it didn't seem like a Heavenly Flame, its strength was not low either. Absorbing it would still bring considerable improvement to his Dou Qi.
"Damn it, why are Lin Feng and his women so lucky? To find so many strange flames!" Xiao Yan cursed silently in his heart, then focused on refining his pill.
After seeing the flames those women possessed, his desire for the Three Thousand Burning Flame grew even stronger. If he could absorb that ninth-ranked Heavenly Flame, both his Dou Qi cultivation and his Flame Mantra would skyrocket to terrifying heights.
By then, he could seize the chance to eliminate Lin Feng and the women beside him. After absorbing all the flames in their hands, the next time he met Mu Gu, he would be able to kill him with a single strike!
As for the Rank 8 beast flame in Dan Chen's hand, though quite decent, Xiao Yan completely ignored it. At his current level, even the best beast flame was useless—it could no longer elevate his cultivation or evolve the Flame Mantra.
Clang!
Just then, Lin Feng, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. With a casual motion of his hand, a ring of light flashed on his finger, and a deep metallic clang resounded through the air.
A massive crimson cauldron dropped heavily onto the stone platform. Then, with a flick of his hand, a fierce green flame burst forth before him.
As his finger lightly flicked, the Green Lotus Core Flame shot through the air and entered the mouth of the cauldron with perfect precision.
"Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron! Green Lotus Core Flame!"
Seeing the items Lin Feng revealed, countless alchemists in the audience suddenly shot to their feet, their exclamations filled with shock.
Even the elders of the Pill Tower were no exception. After all, whether it was a cauldron from the Heaven Cauldron Ranking or a flame from the Heavenly Flame Ranking, both were treasures every alchemist dreamed of possessing.
Owning even one would be enough for them to hug it in their sleep, grinning in their dreams. Upon their death, they would surely pass it down as a family heirloom. But Lin Feng had brought out both at once! How could anyone stay calm after seeing that?
Naturally, after the initial astonishment, the expressions of Xiao Yan and the three Pill Tower Leaders darkened instantly. They were the ones who least wanted Lin Feng to win the Pill Gathering championship.
But with every treasure Lin Feng revealed, his chances of victory only grew higher. How could their moods possibly stay good?
"If Lin Feng wins this Pill Gathering, that'll be trouble. By then, even the three of us might not be able to restrain him," Xuan Kongzi said in a low voice as he watched Lin Feng steadily tossing ingredients into the cauldron.
Hearing that, both Tian Leizi and Xuan Yi's faces grew equally grim.
As fellow Pill Tower Leaders, they knew all too well the weight that came with being the Pill Gathering champion. If Lin Feng took the title, he would gain the status of a Pill Tower Leader candidate.
Once any of the current Grand Elders of the Little Pill Tower or the three of them retired, Lin Feng could enter the election. If he won the vote, his position would be equal to theirs. At that point, they would truly be powerless against him.
Thinking of this, all Three Leaders couldn't help but frown deeply again. As for Tian Leizi, his regret grew even heavier. He and Lin Feng had no real enmity at first. If he hadn't joined Xiao Yan in ambushing him, he wouldn't be living in constant worry now.
Lin Feng's rate of growth was simply astonishing—within a single year, he had advanced from Dou Zong to Dou Zun, and his soul strength had risen from early to late Spirit Realm.
In his century-long life, Tian Leizi had never seen such a terrifying genius. Even the prodigies among the Ancient Clans couldn't compare! To have made an enemy of such a talent—how could he not feel fear in his heart?
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