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**
The sun hung high in the sky.
On the vast plaza, muffled thuds occasionally echoed.
These sounds were all too familiar to the alchemists—each time a pill refinement failed, that infuriating sound would resound across the field.
And each time that sound rang out, another disappointed participant would silently pack up and leave.
Thus, the number of competitors on the square, which originally numbered over a hundred, was gradually decreasing.
This grand competition was like a sieve, continuously filtering out those whose strength wasn't enough.
Those who managed to persist through several rounds of elimination were naturally the elites among the younger generation.
They would also become the future and fresh blood of the Jia Ma Empire's alchemy world.
...
Time continued to flow.
On the square, some contestants who had previously appeared calm were now beginning to breathe a bit heavily.
This high-intensity output was no small challenge for these young alchemists.
Refining pills that pushed the limits of their capabilities was mentally and physically exhausting.
In the spectator stands, everyone waited silently and patiently.
Some of the cauldrons already began to emit faint traces of medicinal fragrance.
This session of the competition was clearly reaching its final phase.
Even before the pills had fully formed, it was already possible to gauge some early signs.
Tier 3 pills needed no mention—they weren't even worth considering in a competition like this.
Tier 4 pills, before fully forming, would start to release rich and distinct medicinal aromas.
The stronger the scent, the higher the pill's grade and quality.
As for Tier 5 pills, their formation would directly trigger visible phenomena—colored medicinal vapors would appear in midair, swirling around the cauldron.
Along with it, one would also see visible ripples of energy in the air.
...
Half an hour later—
From in front of many contestants, wisps of pill fragrance floated out from their cauldrons, signifying that they had successfully passed the most difficult part of pill formation.
At this stage, the embryonic form of the pill had already taken shape; all that remained was the nurturing phase.
If nothing unexpected occurred, their pills would be completed.
At that moment—
On the VIP platform, many of the high-ranking officials suddenly stirred.
From three different directions—where Xian'er, Xiao Yan, and the gray-robed young man were positioned—faint medicinal fragrance was beginning to seep out from their cauldrons.
Not long after, the Little Princess and Liu Ling also successfully condensed the embryonic form of their pills.
Excitement flickered in everyone's eyes.
The five contestants with the greatest chances of winning the championship had all completed the most dangerous step—condensing the pill core.
Next, it would all come down to the final product: whose pill would be of the highest grade and quality?
Barring any surprises, the champion would undoubtedly be born from among these five.
The gray-robed youth slightly raised his chin, nostrils twitching as he carefully sniffed the air.
After taking a few sniffs, he let out a cold, disdainful laugh.
Judging from the scent, the pills Xian'er and Xiao Yan were refining were simply too mediocre. The density of the fragrance was far inferior to his.
If this was all Xian'er and Xiao Yan had produced, then the championship was already his without question.
As for the Little Princess and Liu Ling?
He didn't even bother to look at them—that was how much he dismissed them.
...
Of course, this fact wasn't lost on Xian'er and Xiao Yan either.
They both slowly opened their eyes.
Their gazes landed inside their cauldrons, where pale green pills tumbled amid the swirling flames.
Ordinary Green Spirit Pills—with such a result, victory was clearly out of reach.
Therefore—
Xian'er's eyes sharpened. With a flip of her hand—
A palm-sized miniature tornado suddenly appeared above her palm.
Whoooosh—
A strange whistling wind rose out of nowhere.
It sounded like a violent gale howling through a canyon, but if one listened closely, it also carried the subtle resonance of a dragon's roar...
The small tornado swirled, with strands of yellowish-brown flames flickering and swaying within it.
A scorching, dry aura spread through the air.
The space above the tornado twisted under the intense heat.
A strange and unique presence, accompanied by faint dragon-like howls, swept across the plaza like a sudden breeze.
All around, the flames in the contestants' cauldrons began to ripple slightly. The flames tilted subtly in Xian'er's direction, as though being drawn to her—bending in reverence, as if bowing.
Even the Dry Blue Water Flame of the Little Princess, Xiao Yan's Purple Flame, Liu Ling's Rank 5 beast flame, and even the Azure Nether Flame of the gray-robed youth were no exceptions.
They all trembled faintly, bending in unison.
This bizarre phenomenon looked as though countless vassals were worshipping their sovereign.
With the appearance of a Heavenly Flame, all flames submit in reverence!
Even if it was only a sub-flame.
Whooosh!
Such a sight immediately caused a commotion.
All eyes widened with shock, locking onto the miniature tornado in Xian'er's hand.
"This is—!"
In the VIP stands, the pupils of the esteemed figures shrank sharply. Fa Ma and Qie Mi Er even leapt to their feet, gasping in astonishment.
They stared fixedly at the strange flame, their bodies visibly trembling.
After a moment—
Fa Ma drew in a deep breath, murmuring in a low voice:
"A Heavenly Flame appears, and all other flames bow in worship… this is—a Heavenly Flame!"
"Heavenly Flame!"
Jia Xingtian and Hai Bodong also stood up, stepping forward and gripping the railing, staring at the flame with awestruck expressions.
Was this… the legendary Heavenly Flame?
"I never imagined that in my lifetime, I would see such a spectacle again," Fa Ma sighed with emotion.
He had once been fortunate enough to witness such a scene in his youth.
He never thought, after so many years, that he'd get to see it again now.
"A Heavenly Flame…"
"Its form is like a tornado, its sound like a dragon's cry, and its hue is yellow-brown. This is the legendary—Wind and Thunder Fury Flame!"
Several of the Alchemist Association's elders also stood up in excitement, their voices trembling as they cried out.
Wind and Thunder Fury Flame!
Ranked 18th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!
To alchemists, any one of the Heavenly Flames was a sacred gift from the heavens and earth.
"Hm? No… Something's off about this Wind and Thunder Fury Flame," Fa Ma suddenly said.
At his words, everyone quickly calmed down and focused carefully, soon discovering the difference.
This flame didn't seem to possess the innate spiritual sentience that true Heavenly Flames were said to have.
"What's going on?"
All gazes turned toward Master Wei Yang, who sat calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Master Wei?" someone asked.
Wei Yang lifted his eyelids slightly and spoke in a soft tone:
"That is not the true body of the Heavenly Flame. It is merely… a sub-flame."
"A sub-flame?" Everyone froze, then suddenly understood.
No wonder.
Immediately after, a trace of disappointment spread among the crowd.
They had thought they were witnessing a legendary Heavenly Flame.
It was a Heavenly Flame—but just a sub-flame.
...
On the plaza.
"That aura…" Xiao Yan's eyes widened, his eyeballs nearly popping out of his head.
He stared intently at the flame in Xian'er's hand. His entire body began to tremble slightly as his lips quivered and he shouted inwardly:
"Master! Master! Look at that! Hurry and look!"
"Don't shout, don't shout… I'm not blind. I see it," Yao Lao's voice slowly echoed in his mind, his tone inexplicably complicated.
"Master, is that…?" Xiao Yan asked excitedly.
"Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, ranked 18th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!" Yao Lao replied slowly, nearly grinding his teeth as he spoke each word.
At this moment, his mind was already a complete mess.
"Brat Wei! Come out right now!"
"Be honest with me—just how many Heavenly Flames are you hiding?!"
"Are you the Heaven's favored son or something?!"
"These Heavenly Flames—one after another—will it ever end?!"
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