Ten days was quite an ample amount of time for the trial. Rather than rushing straight into the official refining, everyone prudently decided to run a test batch first to adjust their touch.
Beyond the high platform, a dense sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see. A clamor of voices converged into waves of sound that buffeted the ears, but fortunately, an array isolated the noise so it couldn't disturb the alchemists within.
Dull thuds echoed one after another as pill furnaces landed on the ground. Among them, Pei Yanji’s Tier-5 furnace once again drew most of the attention. Aside from his, the Tier-4 furnaces belonging to Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu were also of exquisite quality and quite extraordinary. The moment these three furnaces were produced, they immediately emanated a subtle pressure.
In comparison, Shi Yu’s Tier-3 furnace appeared rather plain and ordinary.
Yet she didn't mind in the slightest. President Liang Guan had put a great deal of thought into rushing out this furnace specifically for her before her departure. Deeply grateful for his sentiment, how could she possibly turn up her nose at it?
Besides, a furnace was merely an external aid in the end. When one reached the highest realm in the Dao of Alchemy, forming a furnace with a flip of a hand was entirely within reach. Although she could not yet do without such external tools, so long as she was only refining Tier-3 pills, the quality of the furnace made little difference to her.
Of course, refining a Tier-4 pill would be a different matter. Her current furnace could not withstand the demands of Tier-4 alchemy, and since she had not yet reached the point of forming a furnace at will, she would still need to rely on a higher-tier furnace for that.
...
For the final trial, no one held back their strength any longer, nor did they use external fire seeds. Instead, they one after another ignited flames fueled by their own spiritual energy.
Qin Qingmu took the lead. Forming hand seals with both hands, she circulated her technique and flicked her fingers, releasing a wisp of purple flame. The fire floated and swayed in the gentle breeze like sheer silk, resembling a ribbon of purple gauze—breathtakingly beautiful.
The fire complemented her purple dress perfectly. Beneath the flickering glow, Qin Qingmu looked even more strikingly gorgeous, drawing waves of marvel from the spectator area.
“What a beautiful fire!”
“Miss Qin's breathtaking beauty truly makes one feel inadequate by comparison.”
“Could this fire originate from the City Lord's Mansion's secret technique, the 《Purple Cloud Veil-Burning Art》?”
“Hss... If that's truly the case...”
Seeing this, Yin Shixiu narrowed his eyes and glanced at Qin Yu, speaking with an unreadable expression: “You actually passed the 《Purple Cloud Veil-Burning Art》 to this girl?”
The 《Purple Cloud Veil-Burning Art》 was a strictly guarded secret of the City Lord's Mansion, an extraordinarily powerful technique that only successive City Lords were qualified to cultivate. By displaying this technique now, Qin Qingmu was sending an unmistakable signal—she was the designated successor Qin Yu had chosen for the position of City Lord.
Qin Yu smiled candidly. “I have many children, but only Qingmu possesses a fraction of my style when I was young. Her talent even surpasses mine at her age. If I don't give the position to her, who else could I give it to? Besides...”
He looked toward Yin Wenzhou on stage and smiled faintly. “Didn't you also pass down 《Fire Dragon Chant》 to your disciple—or rather, your nephew?”
On stage, Yin Wenzhou slowly spread his hands. Two clusters of crimson flame emerged in his palms, gradually shaping themselves into two small fire dragons. They coiled around his hands, brandishing their claws and roaring ceaselessly. Then, Yin Wenzhou brought his palms together, merging the two fire dragons into a single, much larger fire dragon.
The 《Fire Dragon Chant》 was likewise the Yin Clan's ancestral technique.
Watching this scene, the crowd in the spectator area erupted into marvels once more.
Yin Shixiu said impassively, “My late sister has passed away. Wenzhou remains unaware of our connection, so do not bring it up in front of him.”
Qin Yu chuckled. “I don't have the spare time to pry into your Yin Clan's private affairs.”
Neither said another word, returning their focus to the competition.
The flames displayed by Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu set off a small climax. Following them, the others held back nothing either, unleashing their respective methods. Before long, a vibrant array of colorful flames blazed across the high platform, offering the audience a feast for the eyes.
“As expected, everyone was keeping a card up their sleeve.”
“This is truly exciting to watch.”
The audience watched with rapt attention.
Pei Yanji let out a soft laugh and extended a pale hand. With a casual beckoning motion, a cluster of crimson flame burst forth from his palm. Rather than crimson, it was closer to the color of blood. Amidst the other flames swaying gently in the breeze, this fire appeared exceptionally viscous, resembling a lifeless glob of blood plasma that remained entirely unmoved by the wind.
Yet its aura was ferociously intense, with violent, wild energy thrashing within.
Seeing this, the spectators were thoroughly startled.
“The aura of this fire is so eerie...”
“Don't stare at it! Looking at it for too long makes you feel as if your mind is being dragged inside, making you dizzy,” someone said with lingering dread.
“Such evil cultivators and their bizarre, treacherous methods. Hmph!”
Shi Yu also noticed the flame in Pei Yanji’s hand and frowned slightly. Sharp in her perception of fire, she instantly sensed the wails and roars within it, as well as shrieks of resentment and agony.
She thought to herself, This flame... grows stronger by consuming spiritual souls.
The fire was immensely powerful, falling short of a Heavenly Fire by only a slim margin, causing Shi Yu to sense a thread of danger from it.
She narrowed her eyes slightly. Cultivation methods that defied the Heavenly Dao in such a manner were truly repulsively unpleasant.
Holding back no longer, Shi Yu slowly opened her palm.
The crowd watched as a flame—crimson embellished with brilliant gold—eagerly emerged in her palm. As if it had been suppressed for too long and finally released, it danced about in extreme excitement, flickering as though possessed of its own sentience.
The flame radiated a dazzling, brilliant luster. The moment it appeared, a mysterious, ancient, and distant aura gradually spread out. The space surrounding the fire seemed to coalesce like fragments of a shattered mirror, vaguely revealing countless images and giving off a sensation of folded space.
It was none other than the Void Fissure Spiritual Flame.
Upon the high platform, hundreds of blazing flames suddenly veered to the side. Their tips bowed low, dipping down as if paying homage to the Void Fissure Spiritual Flame in Shi Yu's hand.
Even Pei Yanji's outrageously arrogant blood-colored fire seemed suppressed by an irresistible origin force, reluctantly lowering its head.
At this sight, every spectator in the grandstands and every alchemist on the high platform stood dumbfounded, staring blankly, utterly at a loss for how to react.
Crack! The teacup in Yin Shixiu's hand shattered, his expression freezing on his face.
Qin Yu's pupils shrank sharply as well. He gripped the armrests of his chair, a look of utter disbelief written across his features.
With two Golden Core Realm powerhouses reacting this way, let alone everyone else, an eerie silence settled over the vast, previously clamorous square.
Finally, someone stammered out, “A... a Heavenly Fire?”
All flames paying homage—such a scene was only possible when a monarch among fires, a Heavenly Fire, revealed itself.
Suddenly, an uproar far louder than before erupted. For most people present, this was their very first time witnessing a Heavenly Fire in their lives. The spectators craned their necks one after another, terrified of missing a single detail.
“It's a Heavenly Fire!”
“It really is a Heavenly Fire!”
Yin Shixiu's expression was complex as he murmured, “That girl... I truly underestimated her all along. Just what is her background, and what kind of fortunate encounter did she have to subdue a treasure as pure and untainted as a Heavenly Fire?”
Even with his Golden Core Realm cultivation, if he encountered a Heavenly Fire, he wouldn't dare attempt to refine it lightly; the most likely outcome would be his death and the end of his Dao.
Qin Yu let out a long breath, tapping his fingers against the back of his chair, unable to refrain from remarking, “A brilliant young talent... Even I can't help feeling a desire to cherish such genius.”
Yin Shixiu shot him a glance without speaking, though he began silently calculating in his mind.
On the other side, President Song and his group had long known that Shi Yu possessed a Heavenly Fire. Seeing everyone's reactions now, President Song couldn't help chuckling softly. “Shocking, isn't it? That's exactly how we felt back then.”
On stage, seeing the flames they took such pride in lower their heads and bow in submission like this, Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu felt deeply displeased.
Yin Wenzhou had dealt with Heavenly Fires like the Yanyang Xuancang Flame quite a bit, so he had long known how domineering and formidable such spiritual fires were. He wasn't surprised that his flame bowed before a Heavenly Fire. However, he hadn't expected that after striving for over a decade without gaining the recognition of the Yanyang Xuancang Flame, a mere slip of a girl like Shi Yu would actually possess a Heavenly Fire. It was truly...
As for Qin Qingmu, although she had heard of Heavenly Fires, she had been conceited enough to believe her Purple Cloud Veil-Burning Fire wouldn't be much inferior. Now, reality dealt her a harsh blow, leaving her heart stifled with frustration.
Pei Yanji watched with a cold gaze. Though surprised, he harbored no fear or dread, sneering, “She is merely a Qi Refining cultivator who can refine a Tier-2 pill at most. What good is a great flame?”
With a Heavenly Fire, her efficiency in refining spiritual plants and fusing medicinal properties would indeed increase significantly, and her consumption during alchemy would be greatly reduced. But... even so, at best it might barely allow her to refine a Tier-3 pill. So what?
A confident, victorious smile touched the corners of Pei Yanji’s lips.
The trial was still underway. The appearance of the Heavenly Fire had unsettled many, but everyone knew that overthinking was useless. They forced their minds back to the pill furnaces before them and began refining.
Shi Yu flicked her fingers, sending the Void Fissure Spiritual Flame into her furnace as well.
The firelight flushed her face red. With a calm, composed gaze, Shi Yu reached out to retrieve the spiritual plants required to refine the downgraded version of the Extreme Devouring Pill, tossing them inside in sequence.
Rate on N.U.
