The quiet hush lasted nearly five minutes — until a clear chime rippled softly through the square.
Xiao Tian opened his tightly shut eyes. In his mind, he had already simulated every detail of refining the incomplete formula from beginning to end.
"For the first round of assessment, you must refine a complete pill from this incomplete formula. Fail twice, or exceed the time limit, and you will be eliminated."
"Is that understood?"
Fa Ma rose to his feet. Hearing no questions, he smiled.
"Since there are no objections — I hereby declare the first round begun!"
As his voice faded, the hourglass mounted on the wall began to flow, grain by patient grain.
Across the arena, contestants summoned their cauldrons and flames. In an instant, thousands of flames bloomed across the square — a breathtaking sight.
Xiao Tian waved his hand, and a black cauldron appeared upon his stone platform.
A black flame — the flame of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor — leapt to life at his command, and he cast it into the cauldron.
Beside him, Liu Ling, Princess Yao Yue, and the others began their own refining.
Xiao Yan gave Xiao Tian a small nod, then closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them and, using the Purple Fire Pill that Elder Yao had helped him create, drew forth his purple flames.
"Oh? Black flames — and purple flames as well."
Fa Ma's gaze fell on the uniquely colored flames of Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan.
"These two young ones carry remarkable foundations. Their flames are no weaker than the beast fire of a Rank 6 magical beast."
Xiao Tian watched as most of the contestants began their refining. Sensing that the cauldron's heat was nearly right, he waved a hand — and the ingredients on his platform, as though tugged by an invisible thread, transformed into streaks of light and flew perfectly into the cauldron.
"It seems Xiao Tian has unshakable faith in his craft. He truly deserves to have placed first in the internal trials. With a formula this incomplete — few would dare work with such confidence."
Fa Ma nodded quietly, a glint of admiration in his eyes.
Xiao Tian's fingers danced without pause, his eyes shining with certainty. He knew his own strength. Having run countless trials within his mind, he had already pieced together the formula almost completely — failure was simply not a fear he carried.
His spiritual power steadily regulated the flame's temperature. The ingredients inside the cauldron, burned by searing heat, melted into powders and liquids, then purified further still until they reached the proper essence.
In the later stages of fusion, even the slightest difference in an ingredient's purity could alter the quality of the final pill.
If the purity were wrong, the fusion could yield a different pill entirely — or worse, a waste pill.
Time drifted on. When roughly a third of the hourglass had fallen, red lights began flashing atop the stone tables of alchemists across the arena.
These were the failures — the eliminated. With faces ashen or flushed with shame, they left the venue that had, only moments ago, held all their hopes.
Xiao Tian carefully steered the flame's heat with his spirit, fusing the extracted powders and liquids in sequence, one after another.
Minute by minute, the liquid in his cauldron swirled and churned beneath the flame — and slowly, gradually, it began to take the shape of a pill.
*Clang!*
Xiao Tian slammed his palm down on the cauldron. The lid shot into the air. With a flick of his fingers, the pill leapt free and landed steadily in his hand.
He examined the faint pattern etched upon its surface — the very mark that appeared only when a pill had reached the peak of its quality.
"This young man is astonishing. Not even halfway through the time — and he succeeds on his first attempt. He must have a profound familiarity with these ingredients… he must have studied that incomplete formula down to its bones."
"And remember — that formula was designed specifically for this assessment."
"His technique flows like water. His spiritual power must be considerable — certainly stronger than Liu Ling or Little Yue'er."
Fa Ma glanced at the hourglass — less than half emptied — and his eyes filled with genuine surprise.
"Perhaps he already holds the strength of a Rank 5 Alchemist."
"Rank 5? At *his* age?"
Old Jia was stunned for a breath, then spoke with a knitted brow.
Beside him, Hai Bodong curled his lips. "Rank 4? Who are you underestimating? Xiao Tian can refine Rank 5 pills — I've eaten them myself."
"Whether he truly is or not — we'll see soon enough. Once he enters the finals, his full strength will speak for itself."
Fa Ma stroked his long beard and chuckled softly.
Xiao Tian placed the pill into a jade bottle, then turned toward the VIP seats and gave the three women a light nod.
Ya Fei and the others understood at once — he had succeeded. Their faces bloomed with joy and quiet pride.
*As expected of my man. Truly magnificent.*
The hourglass continued to drain.
When only a third of the time remained, a muffled thud came from Xiao Yan's cauldron.
Xiao Yan glanced at Xiao Tian, who was now resting with his eyes closed, and a trace of urgency seeped into his heart. He looked at the hourglass, steadied his breath, and quickly began refining once more.
When only a quarter of the time remained —
*Clang!*
A cauldron struck open. This time it was Liu Ling, successfully producing his pill. Princess Yao Yue followed close behind.
*Clang… Clang… Clang…*
His success triggered a cascade of striking sounds, lids flying into the air one after another.
Pills of every shape soared from the cauldrons and into the hands of their masters.
The clamor stirred Xiao Tian from his rest, and he opened his eyes.
Watching the alchemists around him ease into relaxed expressions, a faint smile curved his lips. *A portion of these will still be eliminated. Don't celebrate too early.*
He turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, who was still hard at work.
*Cutting it close again?*
Sure enough, just as the final grains of sand were about to fall, Xiao Yan struck his cauldron lid — and a pill flew out, success earned at the very last breath.
Nalan Yanran and Otto in the VIP box let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. It was an emotional rollercoaster; any weaker of a heart might have given out long before Xiao Yan finished.
Xiao Yan calmly stored his pill away, noticed the many eyes upon him, and rubbed the tip of his nose sheepishly.
"Yan Xiao — it seems luck favored you today. Finishing only at the last moment."
The speaker, of course, was Liu Ling — Xiao Yan's rival in love, who refused to let him be.
"Heh."
Xiao Yan scoffed with quiet disdain and ignored him entirely.
Liu Ling's face darkened, his mouth already opening to retort —
"Congratulations on passing the general trial of the first round. But it is not yet over."
Fa Ma's raspy voice suddenly echoed across the square.
"Though all of you have refined pills — there are a few cunning ones among you whose pills are mere shells, or made only to fill the quota. Therefore, the next step is to test whether your pills truly meet the requirements of the formula."
"All contestants — please locate the green button at the lower-left corner of your bluestone platform, and press it."
Xiao Tian pressed the button. The platform trembled faintly, and a stone slab slowly rose from its surface. After lifting half a foot, the top of the slab revealed a slight concave hollow — and at its center, a small, dark opening.
"This is a testing device. Place your refined Bone-Growing Pill within it. If a **green light** appears, your pill meets the required standard. The brighter the green, the more perfectly it conforms to the formula — and the finer its quality."
"However — if a **red light** appears, your pill fails the test, and you will be eliminated. The brighter the red, the less your creation resembles the formula at all… and the more likely it's merely a small snack to stave off hunger."
Fa Ma's teasing words sent ripples of laughter through the crowd.
But across the arena, the faces of quite a few alchemists twisted — as though they had just swallowed something foul.