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**
Time flowed on.
On the plaza, nearly twenty minutes had passed since the start of the assessment.
During this time, red light would occasionally flash atop various stone platforms.
Whenever the red light flashed, the alchemist behind that platform would flush with embarrassment and quietly withdraw in defeat.
For some alchemists who were used to the standard, by-the-book approach to refining, this unorthodox style of assessment was basically a nightmare.
Never in their lives had they imagined they'd one day have to face such a nonstandard prescription.
An incomplete recipe—how were they supposed to refine anything with that?!
Most of them were left utterly helpless.
…
On the high platform, within the VIP area—
Having finished his conversation with Yao Lao, Wei Yang was completely at ease now.
Since even Yao Lao supported him, that meant the path he had chosen wasn't wrong.
His gaze swept across the plaza, lingering for a moment on the disappointed alchemists who were leaving with drooped heads and dejected faces. He gave a slight shake of his head.
These people were too rigid, too lacking in adaptability.
The moment they lost a standard recipe, they were completely lost?
What had they learned all that pharmacology for?
Where did they think recipes came from, anyway?
Did they think they fell from the sky?!
"Sigh, these youngsters… their thinking is a bit too stiff," said President Fa Ma beside him, shaking his head slightly, with Vice President Qie Mi Er echoing his sigh.
The other elders nodded in agreement.
"They rely too heavily on recipes," Wei Yang casually remarked. "Once they're without a standard formula, they become completely clueless. They don't even attempt to find their own answers, nor do they have the courage to innovate."
"They don't realize," Fa Ma added with a soft sigh, "that every recipe was created by an alchemist. Traditional formulas aren't necessarily the best—they can still be improved."
Watching the younger alchemists walk off the field in frustration, Fa Ma felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
Their minds had become locked in place—shackled by their own rigid thinking.
What they didn't understand was this: without generations of alchemists constantly innovating and refining, how would the art ever progress?
If one only ever followed the footsteps of those before, then alchemy would forever be stuck at that same level of thought and practice.
…
Time continued to slip by.
The number of people withdrawing from the test was growing rapidly.
Even some Tier 3 alchemists had started to leave the field in disappointment.
The number of remaining contestants was shrinking fast.
The massive hourglass at the edge of the plaza was pouring sand at an alarming speed.
Judging by its state, more than half the allotted time had already passed.
Just then—
On her stone platform, Xian'er's hand seals suddenly paused.
Clang!
A soft sound rang out as the lid of her cauldron lifted.
Whoosh!
A perfectly round pill shot into the air from within the cauldron, and with a flick of her wrist, she caught it deftly.
Lowering her head to look at the still-hot pill in her palm, a radiant smile bloomed across Xian'er's face.
Because on the surface of the pill—there was a clear, distinct alchemical pattern.
A high-grade pill!
In the VIP section, when the various elders and officials witnessed this moment, they all smiled and nodded approvingly.
Even though Bone Growing Pill was just a Tier 2 medicinal pill…
To produce a high-grade version of it, in such a short amount of time and without a complete recipe, was more than enough to prove Xian'er's capability.
"Not bad," Wei Yang was the first to softly praise.
"Big Sis Xian'er is amazing!" Qing Lin followed up excitedly.
"Hehe, indeed, quite impressive." The elders and guests nodded in agreement.
"Miss Xian'er's foundations are incredibly solid," President Fa Ma praised with admiration.
No one was surprised, really.
After all, she was personally trained by Wei Yang. If she didn't have at least this level of skill, that would have been the real shocker.
A moment later—
Clang!
At that moment, the crisp sound of a cauldron being slapped echoed across the plaza once more.
Everyone turned their eyes toward the source—following Xian'er's success, Liu Ling had also successfully refined his pill.
His face was filled with barely concealed pride.
However, when he turned and saw Xian'er sitting quietly on her platform, already done long before him, a flash of amazement couldn't help but pass through his eyes.
Originally, his affections—and pursuits—had been directed toward Nalan Yanran. But now, seeing Xian'er in comparison, he suddenly realized that Xian'er might be even more outstanding and captivating.
Of course, that thought stayed firmly in his mind. He didn't dare act on it.
Otherwise, even his master Gu He probably wouldn't be able to protect him.
That flower already had an owner.
"Hmph. She only finished ahead of me because she's using a Rank 5 beast flame," Liu Ling muttered to himself.
He had been using ordinary Dou Qi fire for his refining.
Naturally, since he dared to enter the competition, he wasn't without his trump cards—it simply wasn't time to reveal them yet.
…
Soon after—
Clang!
Another crisp ring echoed as the little princess waved her dainty hand. A medicinal pill shot out of her cauldron.
And just like a switch had been flipped—
Clang, clang, clang!
The plaza erupted in a chain reaction. One after another, cauldron lids flipped open, and hundreds of pills of varying shapes burst out and were excitedly snatched up by their creators.
At that moment, all eyes turned toward a single stone platform in the center of the plaza.
There, Xiao Yan was still refining.
"Time's almost up," Liu Ling said, glancing at the nearly empty hourglass in the distance. A slight smile curled his lips, and he slowly clenched his fist.
If there was anyone he most hoped would fail, it was undoubtedly Xiao Yan.
Because of Xiao Yan's connection to Nalan Yanran, Liu Ling could never harbor any goodwill toward him.
Xian'er had also opened her eyes, standing up with a slight frown. Her gaze shifted between the hourglass and Xiao Yan.
Wei Yang had once told her: if there was anyone in this tournament who could truly threaten her, it would be Xiao Yan.
So in her mind, she had always considered Xiao Yan her greatest competitor in this tournament.
Surely he wouldn't be eliminated in the first round?
…
Back in the VIP section, Wei Yang was watching and feeling more than a little speechless.
Does he have to be like this every time?
Every major moment, he'd wait until the very last second to make his move. Every big event, he'd keep everyone on edge, hearts pounding with suspense.
It was like he deliberately aimed for perfect timing.
And it was… so unreliable.
If there were important matters waiting on him, you'd be out of luck before he showed up.
Wei Yang mentally noted: going forward, he'd definitely need a contingency plan. He couldn't put all his bets on Xiao Yan.
If this guy kept pulling these last-second stunts at every critical moment—who could survive the stress?!
Especially when they eventually entered the Ancient God Mansion—he'd have to bring another reliable ally along. Xiao Yan might be dependable, sure, but somehow, he just gave people a nagging sense of unease.
So Wei Yang made a mental note:
Maybe Zi Yan's father, Brother Kun, would be a solid backup…
…
Under everyone's gaze—
The final grains of sand trickled down the hourglass.
Now, only a few grains remained, falling silently.
Finally, as the very last pinch of sand was about to fall—
A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through both the audience and the VIP section.
Liu Ling's smile of triumph had already appeared at the corners of his lips.
But then—
Clang!
Xiao Yan's tightly closed eyes snapped open. He raised his palm and lightly slapped the cauldron—the lid flipped open.
A perfectly round medicinal pill shot from the cauldron just at the final moment, glowing brilliantly, dazzling all who saw it.
With a flick of his wrist, Xiao Yan caught the pill in his palm.
Woah—!
An uproar swept through the crowd.
Meanwhile, in the VIP section, Wei Yang face palmed.
Of course.
This guy just had to cut it that close. Again.
Wei Yang's earlier thoughts were now fully cemented.
When the time came to enter the Ancient God Mansion, he'd definitely need someone else he could count on.
Yeah… maybe Brother Kun, Zi Yan's dad, really was the best choice.
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