Xiao Tian opened his eyes, picked up the medicinal ingredients he had arranged on the table, and cast them one by one into the cauldron for refinement.
Nine Profound Vine, Nine-Petal Jade Flower, Nine-Heart Lotus, Nine-Leaf One-Branch Flower, Nine-Pattern Ganoderma... a total of nine medicinal ingredients.
Xiao Tian used his soul power to control the temperature of the Heavenly Flame, slowly refining the essence required for the pill.
Xiao Yan and the other contestants also focused intently on their cauldrons, carefully refining their herbs, fearful that a single mistake would lead to failure. Even with abundant ingredients, time was the constraint. The hourglass provided enough time for only two to three batches.
The entire square fell silent. Even the audience held their breath, quietly observing the alchemists' nimble fingers and the herbs tumbling and roasting within their cauldrons.
Time slipped away unnoticed in the quiet atmosphere.
Approximately fifty minutes later, Xiao Tian placed all the refined medicinal essences into a jade bottle.
Scanning his surroundings, many contestants had already entered the pill fusion stage. Xiao Yan was among them.
Xiao Tian glanced at Xiao Yan's cauldron, as if recalling something. *This time, he will fail on his first attempt, then succeed at the very last moment on his second.*
Xiao Yan always cut things close, even when playing the hero saving the beauty. Perhaps he could try that himself in the future.
Xiao Tian chuckled softly, then began his own pill fusion.
He placed all the refined medicinal essences into the cauldron. Under the intense heat of the Heavenly Flame, all the ingredients began fusing in an orderly manner.
Xiao Tian concentrated on controlling the temperature and heat. At this stage, if the temperature was not managed properly, problems would arise. At best, the pill's quality would degrade. At worst, the herbs would burn to ash.
Minute by minute, time passed. A muffled sound suddenly came from nearby. Xiao Yan had failed his first attempt at switching flames. He immediately began refining again.
Throughout this, the old man within Xiao Yan's ring remained silent. This was Xiao Yan's own path. He needed to discover things for himself, not rely on assistance at every turn. That would only prevent him from ever truly growing.
Blind indulgence would harm him and harm himself.
The fine sand in the enormous hourglass had already flowed past the halfway mark. Exclamations arose from the surroundings. Princess Yao Yue was the first to produce a pill, followed closely by Liu Ling. Both had refined Tier-4 pills.
Liu Ling's pill was slightly superior in quality to Princess Yao Yue's.
"You two should simply resign yourselves to being my defeated opponents."
A piercing laugh rang out from the distance. The two turned around angrily, only to see a colored pill aroma billowing from Yan Li's cauldron. A colored pill aroma signified a Tier-5 pill, though some high-quality peak Tier-4 pills could also produce one.
Yan Li succeeded in forming his pill. He had refined a peak Tier-4 product, far surpassing the other two in grade by several streets.
"The championship is mine!"
Yan Li gripped the pill tightly, his eyes gleaming with greed and confidence. A wild smile played upon his lips as he declared loudly.
"Is that so? It may not go as you wish."
Xiao Tian's calm yet confident voice echoed across the square.
Everyone turned to look. A wisp of smoke, laced with a mysterious dark aroma, rose from Xiao Tian's cauldron.
"I thought you were truly impressive. Even if your pill carries a colored aroma, it cannot compare to my Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill."
The Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill could increase a Great Dou Master's cultivation by one star. A person could consume two in their lifetime.
Yan Li frowned slightly, but seeing that Xiao Tian's pill also only possessed a colored aroma and recalling the effects of his own pill, he immediately composed himself and sneered.
"Then you had better open your eyes wide, trash."
Xiao Tian brought his hands together, his fingers nimbly forming seals. His thumbs, ring fingers, and pinky fingers came together in pairs, while his index and middle fingers overlapped, forming the shape of a dragon's head.
He then struck the cauldron, which immediately erupted with a dark purple pillar of light. A dragon silhouette coiled around the light pillar, roaring toward the heavens.
They opened their dragon maw, drawing in the surrounding heaven and earth energy, which cascaded down the light pillar into the cauldron.
As the energy poured in, Xiao Tian's cauldron erupted with the energy ripples characteristic of a Tier-5 pill.
"A colored pill aroma accompanied by energy ripples. This is the hallmark of a successfully refined Tier-5 pill."
Fa Ma's expression shifted from gloom to a face brimming with smiles.
"Based on his previous medicinal ingredients and the special technique he just executed, he should be refining a Tier-5 mid-grade pill, the Nine Profound Pill."
"Nine Profound Pill?"
Hai Bodong had never heard this name before and asked for clarification.
"The Nine Profound Pill was an alchemical formula developed by an alchemist titled the Holy Radiance Heavenly Saint. This pill can directly increase a Dou Spirit's cultivation by two stars, though only one may be consumed in a lifetime."
"Although the pill's formula has been passed down through the ages, no one has ever succeeded in refining it."
Fa Ma stroked his beard, observing the phantom image above Xiao Tian's cauldron.
"Unable to refine it even with the formula? Is it truly that mysterious?"
Hai Bodong was astonished, hearing of such a peculiar pill for the first time.
"Yes, because to successfully refine this pill, one must also employ an alchemical technique, the Golden Dragon Soaring Hand, to guide the heaven and earth energy into the pill and complete its medicinal properties. Otherwise, it will only become a useless pill."
Heaven and earth energy was continuously being infused, refined by the Heavenly Flame into the pill. The energy ripples emanating from the cauldron grew increasingly intense.
As the light pillar above the cauldron vanished, Xiao Tian struck the cauldron. The lid flew off, and a dark pill soared into his hand.
"Tier-5, Nine Profound Pill."
Xiao Tian clenched the pill in his hand, raised it high, and declared loudly.
Watching Xiao Tian successfully form his pill, Xiao Yi Xian and the other two patted their heaving chests, releasing a sigh of relief.
"Magnificent! A Tier-5 pill! To be a Tier-5 Alchemist at such a young age, is this even reasonable?"
"Is there still justice in this world? Is there still heavenly law?"
"That dragon silhouette just now was far too shocking. After witnessing such a spectacle, I feel as though I could battle ten men."
The audience and those in the VIP seats were utterly stunned by Xiao Tian's prowess.
Yan Li heard the name of Xiao Tian's pill and naturally understood the effects of the Nine Profound Pill. His own pill could not compare.
A Great Dou Master and a Dou Spirit were on entirely different levels.
"Why have you stopped smiling? Are you simply not one to smile by nature?"
"I still preferred your earlier arrogant and unrestrained demeanor. Please revert to that."
Xiao Tian looked at the pale-faced, red-eyed Yan Li and inquired with a smile.
Yan Li clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could lunge forward and strike Xiao Tian twice. However, he knew that if he dared to act rashly, the three Dou Emperors above would seize the opportunity to kill him. The three already harbored murderous intent toward him.
Just then, the cauldron before Xiao Yan threatened to explode. At the very last moment, Xiao Yan used his Heavenly Flame to envelop the pill, wrenching it from the cauldron and sending it soaring upward, thus preserving it.
"Tier-4, Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill."
Xiao Yan held the pill in his hand and shouted weakly.
A Tier-4, Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill could grant a Great Dou Master the chance to leap three stars. Even a Dou Spirit could consume it, though the failure rate was relatively high.
Compared to the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, it was clear at a single glance which was superior and which was inferior.
Struck down by two people in succession, Yan Li's heart turned to ash, his expression utterly despondent.
After his final desperate plea to inspect the pills, seven respected alchemists examined everyone's products and declared there were no issues.
Yan Li frantically gathered his belongings and the tampered pill, then hastily fled from the square.
"Cough, cough."
Fa Ma cleared his throat lightly a few times, and the square instantly fell silent. He then smiled and announced loudly:
"I hereby declare the champion of the Seventh Alchemist Convention..."
Fa Ma extended his finger, suddenly pointing toward the figure in the arena who resembled an immortal.
"That is Xiao Tian."
"Xiao Tian! Xiao Tian!!!"
As Fa Ma's voice fell, deafening shouts of excitement suddenly erupted from the audience, passionately chanting Xiao Tian's name.
The sound echoed through the heavens, cheering for this young Tier-5 Alchemist.
Xiao Yi Xian and the other two embraced one another with joy, wishing they could immediately rush into the arms of their outstanding man.
"Brother Tian, congratulations on winning the championship."
Xiao Yan approached Xiao Tian and offered his congratulations.
"You also performed exceptionally well, refining the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill. Not just anyone can accomplish that. In the future, your name will also be etched into history."
Xiao Tian gently patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, comforting him warmly.
Xiao Yan nodded, deeply moved.