Chapter 74: A Fifth-Rank Elixir Loses Its Allure in an Instant

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As President Fama of the Alchemist Guild finished announcing the start of the final round, the championship at last officially commenced.

Lin An and the other competitors did not immediately begin refining their pills; instead, they took up the recipes and rehearsed the procedures over and over in their minds.

One must sharpen one's tools before attempting any task—a maxim that holds true for all alchemists, especially when the challenge at hand is to refine a pill of at least the fifth rank.

The final round allowed an entire day's time, so none felt pressed to hurry.

The first to move was Xiao Yan.

Two types of strange flame appeared simultaneously in his hands, and his refining technique had reached a level of consummate mastery, far more adept than those veteran alchemists famed for years.

Even Yao Chen could not help but marvel, admitting that, aside from Lin An, he had not expected another genius alchemist to reach such heights.

Soon, aside from Lin An, the others entered a state of pill refinement.

Only Lin An remained with eyes closed, silently rehearsing the steps required to produce the Seven-Cycle True Spirit Pill.

An hour passed after the others began before Lin An finally stirred, prompting a sigh of relief from those concerned for him.

Seeing Lin An unmoving for so long, many had feared something was amiss.

After all, Xiao Yan and the others had already started refining, and though a day seemed enough, it was still a tight schedule. Should any mishap occur midway, even more time would be needed.

Each participant proceeded with utmost caution, fearful that a single misstep could ruin everything.

Bang, bang, bang—

Shi Wenjing, the only female alchemist among the five, faltered repeatedly at critical moments, exhausting all her chances after half a day, and could only leave the competition in regret.

Refining a fifth-rank pill proved too ambitious for her.

Before departing, she glanced at the remaining four.

None among them had made a single mistake thus far.

Especially the two named Yan Xiao and Lin An, who shocked her: at such a young age, they wielded strange flames with remarkable proficiency, lending them a notable advantage in pill refinement.

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As time slipped by, the atmosphere grew ever more tense. The crowd held their breath, not daring to utter a word for fear of disturbing the four on stage.

Refining a fifth-rank pill was no easy feat for any alchemist; the success rate was generally low, and for these four to persist so long without signs of failure was rare indeed.

"Sometimes, luck plays a crucial role in pill refinement," Fama sighed.

"But from what I observe, Yan Xiao and Lin An do not seem intent on producing the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill."

Gu He, noting that Lin An and Xiao Yan were adding several ingredients required only for the sixth cycle, was equally astounded.

He himself, after many years and fortunate opportunities, barely became a sixth-rank alchemist.

Yet the contestants before him were of similar age to when he first attended the Alchemist Assembly, and at that time, he had only been a second-rank alchemist.

"These youngsters truly cannot be underestimated—their courage and resolve are extraordinary," Fama exclaimed, unable to contain his admiration. If they could truly produce a sixth-rank pill, they might well be called the most outstanding young alchemists ever seen on the continent.

Boom—

At that moment, another contestant suffered a furnace explosion, the force of which was immense. Had he not reacted swiftly, he would surely have been seriously injured.

Still, continuing the competition was now impossible.

His mishap even affected another participant, nearly costing him his progress, though he managed to persevere.

Now, only Lin An, Yan Xiao, and a third alchemist, Ma Yao, whose origins were unknown, remained.

"It seems the champion of this year's Alchemist Assembly will emerge from among these three!"

"If any of them successfully refines a fifth-rank pill, it will set the most impressive record in the history of the assembly; who knows how many years it will take for someone to surpass it!"

"How fortunate we are to witness the birth of such a miracle!"

...

Finally, the fragrance of pills began to waft in the air. After a day's labor, Ma Yao succeeded in producing the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill.

As he placed the pill in the jade vial, he breathed a long sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow.

To have refined the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill meant the championship was all but assured.

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He could not believe that, at this age, anyone else could also refine a fifth-rank pill.

Even for him, the process was exceedingly strenuous, marred by many errors, and the pill's quality was far from perfect. Yet, at least he had achieved the feat, which no other alchemist could claim.

However, when Ma Yao glanced at Lin An and Yan Xiao, his brow furrowed slightly, realizing things were not as simple as he had imagined.

At present, Yan Xiao and Lin An had not yet reached the final step—condensing the pill!

"This can't be. Both possess strange flames, an exceptional advantage. If they produce the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill before me, I would not be surprised. But now..."

A bold idea struck Ma Yao.

Yan Xiao and Lin An had never intended to make the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill.

Their goal from the beginning was the Six-Cycle True Spirit Pill.

Though the notion seemed absurd as soon as it occurred to him, seeing the medicinal liquid they refined instantly confirmed his suspicions.

"I had wondered why the final round required only the recipe for a fifth-rank pill, yet the Alchemist Guild prepared such a peculiar recipe. Now I see—it was for these two prodigies."

Ma Yao thought ruefully, and the Five-Cycle True Spirit Pill he had just produced suddenly lost its luster.

At that moment, the guild's appraiser approached his furnace, escorting him to Gu He and Fama for evaluation of the pill.

Shaking his head in resignation, he could only follow and leave the stage.

Yan Xiao, meanwhile, glanced at Lin An's progress and was surprised to find that Lin An, too, was preparing to refine the Six-Cycle True Spirit Pill.

He had not expected Lin An to attempt the same.

"How unexpected! I didn't think you could refine the Six-Cycle True Spirit Pill. In that case... the only thing left to compare is the quality of our pills. In that, no one can match me," Yan Xiao murmured confidently.