186: Alchemist Conference

The next day, the heart of Jiama Holy City—the magnificent Royal Plaza—was completely abuzz.

The vast venue, large enough to hold tens of thousands of people, was now packed, with a cacophony of voices rising like a surging tide.

Countless eager gazes focused on the alchemy area in the center of the plaza, which was enveloped by a massive energy barrier; hundreds of stone platforms were neatly arranged there, and behind each platform stood a prodigy representing the pinnacle of the younger generation of Alchemists in the Gama Empire.

The VIP seating was high up, located in the northern part of the plaza, offering an excellent view.

Seated in the center was Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Guild's Gama Empire branch.

This white-haired, benevolent-faced old man now had eyes as sharp as an eagle's, scanning every participant below.

To his left was the Empire's Guardian, Jia Xingtian, dressed in a hemp robe with white hair, standing as firm as a mountain, with a hint of imperceptible expectation on his face, his gaze occasionally falling on Mo Yuhan.

To his right was Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, whose aura was even more profound after recovering his Dou Emperor strength; he still maintained a stern demeanor, but the occasional glances he cast at Mo Yuhan carried scrutiny and a subtle hint of approval.

Little Princess Princess Yao Yue, dressed in a specially made light green Alchemist robe, with delicate lotus patterns woven into the cuffs, concealed her usual mischievousness, giving her a touch of serenity.

She stood before her stone platform, but her amethyst-like eyes constantly drifted towards the calm, mountain-like black figure not far away—Mo Yuhan.

Beside her stood a tall, stunning woman in a luxurious brocade robe, exuding an air of majesty, bearing a slight resemblance to the Little Princess; she was none other than the Empire's Eldest Princess, Yaoye Princess.

She was responsible for the security of the entire convention; under her command, fifty thousand elite troops moved as if an extension of her own arms, ensuring the grand event would be flawless.

Yaoye Princess's gaze also lingered on Mo Yuhan for a moment; the fleeting glimpse of the Purple Cloud Wings yesterday and Jia Xingtian's subtle hint gave her a new perspective on this young man.

The first round of assessment officially began.

On the stone platforms, a set of medicinal ingredients and a thin piece of paper were neatly placed. The content on the paper was not a formal prescription, but merely a simple list of ingredient quantities and some vague hints.

An inlaid jade mirror beside it flickered with faint green and red light, used to detect the refinement results. Each person had only two chances to fail; if the ingredients were exhausted without forming a pill, they would be eliminated.

The test: a Second-Rank pill, the "Bone-Generating Pill." It was a pill used to treat severe injuries, worth only a few hundred to a thousand gold coins on the market, not considered precious among many Second-Rank pills, and only required six ingredients, so it was not complex.

However, this was clearly a new type of healing medicine specially formulated by the Guild; its refining technique and heat control undoubtedly had their unique aspects.

Mo Yuhan calmly picked up the thin paper, his gaze sweeping over it.

For him, possessing an otherworldly flame, having the complete inheritance of Fire Elder, and experience far surpassing his peers, refining a pill of this level could be done with his eyes closed.

What he needed was not just to pass, but to achieve perfection, to create a sensation.

He did not rush to act, but first used his Soul Power to meticulously perceive the age, medicinal properties, and subtle impurities of each ingredient.

His fingers brushed the bluestone platform; its cold touch made his mind even more composed.

Under countless gazes, he moved.

There were no dazzling techniques, no hurried movements.

He simply, like flowing water, successively placed the six medicinal ingredients into the ancient, three-foot-tall medicinal cauldron before him—the qingyan cauldron.

The deep cyan body of the cauldron, under the bright sunlight of the plaza, exuded a profound sense of age, as if it had endured ten thousand years, with simple yet vigorous cloud-thunder beast patterns faintly visible on its ears and legs.

“Puff!”

Xuan Huang Purple Flame rose from his fingertips; this peculiar flame, a fusion of the profound essence of Xuan Huang Flame and the violent intensity of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's Purple Flame, further refined and purified by the Azure Lotus Core Flame.

It presented a deep purple-gold color, with wisps of green light flickering at its edges, emitting a terrifying high temperature that subtly warped the surrounding space.

The moment the flame entered the qingyan cauldron, the three deep red, almost black “earth core fire crystals” arranged in a triangular pattern near the bottom of the cauldron's interior suddenly lit up.

Like three awakened miniature suns, they released pure and majestic fire-attribute energy, instantly boosting the temperature inside the cauldron to an astonishingly high and stable level.

Mo Yuhan's Soul Power was like the most precise instrument, accurately controlling the flame.

The medicinal ingredients, once placed in the cauldron, were instantly incinerated of their impurities under the domineering yet gentle embrace of the Xuan Huang Purple Flame, and their essences were perfectly extracted.

Six clusters of medicinal liquid essence, each of a different color and shimmering with pure luster, floated within the cauldron, being nurtured by the flame, their fusion guided by his Soul Power, as natural as water flowing into a channel.

The entire process was dazzlingly fast, yet it clearly and precisely demonstrated an almost artistic fluidity and accuracy.

There was not a single trace of wasted energy, not a fraction of wasted medicinal ingredients. There was no tension on his face, only a composure that suggested he was in complete control.

After merely a quarter of an hour.

“Buzz…”

The qingyan cauldron emitted a low, pleasant hum, and its lid automatically lifted, a rich pill fragrance billowing out like substantial mist, instantly permeating half the plaza! A perfectly round, full, entirely emerald green pill, exuding a gentle life aura, slowly ascended. On the surface of the pill, a clear and profound—pill pattern—was distinctly visible!

“Bone-Generating Pill! Perfect pill pattern quality!”

The Guild deacon responsible for monitoring Mo Yuhan's area, seeing the brilliant green light erupting from the jade mirror, which indicated success and extremely high quality, exclaimed in shock, his voice trembling slightly from excitement.

In the VIP seating, Fa Ma's cloudy old eyes instantly gleamed brightly, his hand stroking his beard paused slightly, and an irrepressible look of admiration appeared on his face: “Good! Such pure flame control, such perfect extraction! This child… is truly extraordinary!”

Jia Xingtian's eyes also shone with brilliance; having heard of Mo Yuhan expelling poison and crippling Mu Zhan yesterday, and now witnessing his alchemy skills firsthand, he truly felt that effortless masterly demeanor.

Hai Bodong's cold lips also subtly twitched upwards, almost imperceptibly.

Princess Yao Yue's small mouth once again formed an O-shape, looking at the emerald green pill with a pill pattern on Mo Yuhan's platform, then looking at her own medicinal liquid, which she was still carefully controlling to fuse.

That little bit of pride in her heart was instantly crushed to dust, leaving only profound shock and… an increasingly strong adoration.

Yaoye Princess's beautiful eyes flickered, and a touch of emotion appeared on her cold, beautiful face; the alchemy skill displayed by this child had far surpassed the scope of an ordinary Second-Rank Alchemist.

Xiao Yan (Yan Xiao) also successfully refined a Bone-Generating Pill, and its quality was also superior, but it still had a gap compared to a pill pattern.

He looked at the eye-catching pill on Mo Yuhan's platform, and his fists beneath his black robe tightened.

Yao Lao's solemn voice echoed in his mind: “Do you see? This child's solid foundation, exquisite flame control, and powerful Soul Power are all superior to yours; you must not be complacent in the slightest!”

The first round concluded, eliminating nearly half of the participants.

Mo Yuhan advanced without suspense, with absolute superiority; that Bone-Generating Pill with a pill pattern became the most dazzling pearl of the first round.

The difficulty of the second round of assessment suddenly increased.