Chapter 350: Xiao Yuan Runs Off Again
"That Cao Clan sure is filthy rich, to even obtain the Blood Demon Flame for Cao Ying."
On the viewing platform, Xiao Yan couldn't help but mutter to himself. With this flame, Cao Ying was like a tiger growing wings—her success rate in pill refinement would rise significantly.
Following Cao Ying, Song Qing and Dan Chen also summoned their flames. Theirs were beast flames—though not quite at the level of Cao Ying's, they were still high-ranked and incredibly useful for refining.
But…
That always depends on who you compare them to.
"Chi!"
Xiao Yan stretched out his palm. A vivid azure-blue flame burst forth. Although he had already suppressed the overwhelming aura of the Heavenly Flame, other alchemists still felt their own flames inside their cauldrons stir violently the moment his fire appeared. Faces stiffened—there was nothing they could do in the presence of the flame hailed as the ruler of all fires.
On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi and the others stared with surprise at the azure-blue flame. After a brief moment, he frowned slightly and asked, "This flame's color… doesn't match anything on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, does it?"
"Perhaps he encountered some unusual fortune and obtained an unknown flame," Xuan Yi responded calmly.
She already knew from Yao Lao that Xiao Yan cultivated Flame Mantra, but had no intention of telling the others.
"The world is vast and full of mysteries. Heavenly Flames are among the most enigmatic. Though the ranking is authoritative, it certainly doesn't catalog all flames in existence," Tian Leizi offered as well.
"Hehe, it's been years since we've seen a contestant with a Heavenly Flame. Flame, cauldron, soul power—Xiao Yan's the most complete among them. What level do you think his pill will reach?"
Xuan Yi asked with a smile, shifting the topic.
"I'd say… eight-tier pill, with three-colored pill lightning," Tian Leizi guessed conservatively.
"Sounds about right," Xuan Kongzi nodded.
"I'll bet on five-colored pill lightning," Xuan Yi said cheerfully.
"…Are you trying to hustle us?" Xuan Kongzi narrowed his eyes.
"I just believe in my disciple."
"Bold of you to be so unreserved with Yao Chen's protégé," he snorted.
"He owes me," Xuan Yi's smile deepened, suddenly looking less like a Pill Tower leader and more like a woman teasing her man.
"…"
Xuan Kongzi decided it was a mistake to engage. When did she become so showy?
Meanwhile, on the contestants' platforms, Song Qing cast an envious glance at Xiao Yan's flame, but didn't dare entertain any wild thoughts. He had seen Xiao Yan clash head-on with a Dou Zun and knew better.
Dan Chen curiously eyed the fire in Xiao Yan's hand, practically drooling.
Cao Ying pursed her lips—this bastard clearly did it on purpose.
When Xiao Yan summoned his flame, her Blood Demon Flame reacted most violently. If not for her skill, she might've been shaken off her platform.
But to be fair, it wasn't Xiao Yan's fault.
The Blood Demon Flame wasn't a natural flame but a synthetic one. Unlike the Transforming Flame of the Demon Flame Valley, this flame was forged by collecting the blood of nearly a thousand fire-attribute magical beasts and fusing them. The blood's fire energy is compressed into flame form.
The flame's strength depends on the completeness of the blood demon silhouette within it. Cao Ying's was clearly top-tier, likely stronger than Transforming Flame—just shy of Heavenly Flames.
In terms of heat, it might even rival lower-ranked Heavenly Flames. But it lacked the same destructive force.
It also had one key weakness: the blood demon silhouette functioned like a soul entity—making it vulnerable to the Fallen Heart Flame, which Xiao Yan possessed.
So when Xiao Yan summoned it, the suppression effect was natural.
Xiao Yan noticed Cao Ying glaring at him and sighed. What now?
He didn't dwell on it. With a wave of his hand, the azure flame leapt into the Myriad Beast Cauldron, quickly raising the internal temperature.
As the heat climbed, Xiao Yan swept his hand, and over a hundred medicinal ingredients flew from his storage ring, hovering around him.
The Bone-Melding Blood Fusion Pill was extremely complex, requiring meticulous preparation and perfect control.
He then summoned three jade boxes containing the three core ingredients for the pill.
With everything ready, his face grew serious. This would be the highest-grade pill he'd ever refined—and the most difficult.
But he was confident he'd succeed—and do it to perfection.
He exhaled deeply. His eyes snapped open with a sharp gleam, and he waved his sleeve—sending several herbs in succession into the cauldron.
Under the azure flame's immense heat and his expert control, the herbs quickly withered and were refined into pure powders.
Soon, a third of the materials were refined into powder and liquids.
Watching Xiao Yan work so fluidly, Xiao Yuan nodded with approval. Their skills were now nearly equal, though Xiao Yuan still had an edge in soul strength.
He had overheard the wager between the three elders.
But knowing Xiao Yan's character—especially with this pill meant for Yao Lao—he knew Xiao Yan would pour in everything.
If pushed, Xiao Yan might even refine it to the point of seven-colored pill lightning.
But doing so would require using one of the two Soul Infusion Dusts Xiao Yuan had gifted him—essential for taming the Three Thousand Burning Flame later.
If he used one now… things would get very dangerous.
Xiao Yuan frowned, a little worried. Maybe I should make a pill too.
Moments later, space near him twisted. The Three Elders looked at him, exchanging glances.
"This brat… ran off again?"
In the sky, stone platforms floated. All around, alchemists focused deeply, controlling flames, refining pills. A tense calm settled over the scene.
Everyone was waiting—for the moment the true champion would emerge.
And so, half a month passed.
After ten days, some contestants began successfully refining pills, filling the air with rich medicinal aroma.
But none had yet triggered pill lightning. The strongest just stirred some cloud cover.
No one was discouraged, though. These were only the beginning.
Xiao Yan paid it no mind. In his cauldron, a faint oval-shaped lump—no larger than a fist—was gradually forming from the refined essence of a hundred ingredients.
It was still in its embryonic stage, but the hardest part was done.
Now it only needed time to mature.
Boom!
A low thunder rumbled through the sky. A dark cloud had appeared overhead—this time with faint lightning rumbling inside.
"Pill lightning? A seventh-tier pill has emerged!"
Gasps echoed through the crowd as all eyes turned to a stone platform below the cloud. A middle-aged man stood there, elated.
Xiao Yan opened his eyes briefly, glanced at the cloud, and shook his head. That lightning was weak—probably a low-tier seventh-grade pill.
He turned to look at Cao Ying and others. The energy fluctuations from their cauldrons were anything but ordinary.
But stealing the championship from him wouldn't be easy.
Not when he was about to attempt something even he thought was crazy.
Half a day after the first thundercloud appeared, another emerged—stronger than the last.
The tempo picked up.
Now every day saw two or three pill lightnings—mostly for mid-tier seventh-grade pills.
The square's atmosphere became electric. The earlier dullness was swept away.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
What was once rare—pill lightning—was now a common sight.
As the number of burning cauldrons shrank to fewer than fifty, everyone knew:
These final few—they were the true elites of the Dou Qi Continent.
And the next Pill Gathering Champion would come from among them.
The air grew heavier.
The end was near.
(END CHAPTER)
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