Xiao Heng's refining pace wasn't breakneck, but it surpassed the second- and third-grade alchemists around him. His primary worry was how long the rickety cauldron could endure. Halfway through the allotted time, a glossy, well-formed pill rested in his palm. At that same instant, the shabby cauldron crumbled to pieces.
"So fast!" Nearby alchemists turned to stare. The guy with the broken cauldron was the first to finish?
"This young man's skill is remarkable, and his technique is refined. But why use such a dilapidated cauldron?" Fa Ma mused, puzzled, from the VIP stands. The major figures had all taken note of Xiao Heng, the earliest to complete.
"No idea," Jia Xing Tian admitted.
"Perhaps he lacks a low-tier cauldron," Hai Bo Dong offered.
"That tracks." Fa Ma stroked his white beard, and Jia Xing Tian nodded in agreement.
"He's putting on a show!" Lin Fei whispered to Xue Mei from behind Otto.
"But his alchemy's top-notch. Refining six herbs at once with a junk cauldron and still finishing first?" Xue Mei's eyes gleamed with admiration. Xiao Heng's youthful features and swift success caught the attention of many noblewomen from prominent clans.
"Watch closely. His skill rivals mine and Frank's," Otto warned.
"That impressive?" Lin Fei huffed, skeptical.
"Any alchemist with experience can tell," Frank said.
Time slipped by, and the deadline neared. Xiao Yan, still getting the hang of his Purple Flame, flubbed one attempt mid-process. Liu Ling, the crowd's darling, and Princess Tian Yue finished comfortably within the time limit. Xiao Yan, ever the clutch performer, completed his pill at the last possible moment. The first round judged pill quality, not speed, so Xiao Heng's early finish didn't yet steal the spotlight.
The first round concluded, and a third of the competitors failed to produce a viable pill, earning immediate elimination. Among the remaining two-thirds, not all would pass the upcoming pill inspection. A keen eye could spot that many "pills" were mere clumps, forcibly shaped—obvious duds.
Guided by Fa Ma, the remaining alchemists pressed a green button on their platforms. A stone slab with a small black hole appeared before each.
"This is a testing device," Fa Ma explained. "Place your pill inside. A red light means it's a failure. A green light confirms you've crafted a Bone Growth Pill."
Red and green lights flashed across the plaza, mingling joy with despair. Those with red lights slunk off the field. Xiao Yan, Liu Ling, and Princess Tian Yue submitted their pills, and three vibrant green lights glowed. Xiao Yan's shone brightest, followed by Liu Ling, then Tian Yue.
As some began lauding Xiao Yan's vivid green light, a gray-robed figure's green light nudged slightly past Xiao Yan's. Then Xiao Heng placed his pill in the tester, and a brilliant, dazzling green light erupted—the brightest in the plaza. Xiao Heng, though, wasn't thrilled about the color. The gray-robed figure, seeing Xiao Heng's light, ripped off his hood in frustration.
From the VIP stands, the figure's youthful face—younger even than Xiao Heng's—was clear. Ignoring the three old men watching, the youth fixed Xiao Heng with a venomous glare. He's probably wondering if Xiao Heng's some old monster in disguise, the spectators thought. Meanwhile, Hai Bo Dong and the others reviewed the gray-robed youth's profile. His disguise was amateurish.
A seventeen-year-old fourth-grade alchemist was unthinkable in the Jia Ma Empire or its neighbors. This youth's clumsy disguise might be a bold taunt at the Jia Ma Alchemist Guild's prestige.
"Good thing we have Yao Xuan here, or we'd have to handle this gray-robed brat ourselves," Hai Bo Dong remarked. Jia Xing Tian nodded. The youth's skill clearly fell short of Yao Xuan's.
"Who's Yao Xuan?" Fa Ma asked, glancing at Hai Bo Dong and Jia Xing Tian.
"A genuine prodigy," Hai Bo Dong said.
"I just know he's powerful," Jia Xing Tian added.
___
The second round kicked off. The remaining alchemists pressed a red button on the lower left of their platforms, transforming the testing slab into a pile of herbs and a new recipe scroll. As before, there were two sets of materials. This time, the recipe was a complete one for a third-grade Wind Travel Pill. Refining it meant advancing.
The alchemists' faces brightened at the recipe. Following a clear formula was simple, and after the first round's wake-up call, cautious ones scoured it for errors. But most, being second- and third-grade alchemists, couldn't detect flaws—that took the seasoned eye of a fourth- or fifth-grade alchemist.
Many pored over the recipe fruitlessly. Xiao Heng started refining, now using a gray cauldron he'd bartered from a second-grade alchemist who'd flunked the first round. The Wind Travel Pill recipe listed nine herbs. Xiao Heng tossed all nine into the cauldron. The Thick Earth Mushroom burned to ash the moment it entered, while the other eight effective herbs were steadily purified under his blue flame.
Time wore on, and many alchemists failed. Some couldn't figure out why. After most botched their first attempt, sharper ones realized the recipe was rigged. The seemingly thorough formula concealed errors. Worse, most had no idea where it erred, dooming their second try. Xiao Yan, refining deliberately, failed his first attempt but pinpointed the recipe's flaw.
"A pack of fools!" A scornful voice cut through the plaza's crackling flames, coming from a young alchemist from the Chu Yun Empire.
"That's the best you've got?" the youth jeered.
"You failed too, didn't you?" a retort drifted through the medicinal aroma toward him.
"Who's that? He nailed it on the first try!" Liu Ling's eyes darted to Xiao Heng's platform.
"Did he catch the recipe's error right away?" Princess Tian Yue wondered.
Xiao Yan glanced at Xiao Heng, who met his gaze. They shared a knowing smile. Xiao Yan summoned his cyan flame and started his second batch.
"You…" The Chu Yun youth's face twisted with irritation, but he quickly steadied himself. Speed doesn't guarantee quality, he thought.
"A true genius. He likely burned the Thick Earth Mushroom to ash right in the cauldron," Fa Ma said. His explanation dawned on the confused onlookers.
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