"Blue flame?" "He actually possesses two types of flame?" As the blue flame rose from Xiao Yan's palm, waves of astonishment erupted among the audience seated on both sides. Although many of them weren't pharmacists by profession, the fundamental principle that different flames couldn't blend was widely understood. Yet Xiao Yan seemed to have shattered their very understanding with tangible proof. Compared to the general audience, the pharmacists gathered on the plaza were profoundly more amazed. As pharmacists themselves, they were acutely aware of the dangers and the sheer improbability of having two distinct flames manifest within a single person. After all, flame was inherently turbulent, and when two such turbulent forces came into contact, the intense heat they generated could easily incinerate their host, reducing them to ash. Thus, when they saw Xiao Yan summoning once again a vibrant, seemingly even more powerful azure flame—more fierce than the purple fire—each of them was filled with astonishment. "An azure flame... Indeed, this one still has reserves up his sleeve." Gazing at the azure flame in Xiao Yan's hands, the princess's eyes sparkled as she murmured softly. "This... should be the unique flame he possesses. I never thought it would be real." Taking a slow breath of the now heated air caused by the azure flame, Li Lin silently affirmed in her mind. "That...?" At the front of the guest section, Fama was stunned by the ethereal quality of the azure flame. After a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he murmured, "That... is the rare flame? This young one actually possesses something like that?" "Heh, I mentioned earlier that we shouldn't underestimate him—his reserves are truly capable of leaving one speechless," said Haibo Dong, pleased by Fama's visibly amazed expression. "It's no easy feat... For someone of his age to possess and master such a thing—something even the ancient Fuma River itself would have coveted—is truly astonishing." The appearance of Qing Huo had also left Jia Lao utterly amazed. As a Duke-level warrior, he was well aware of the extraordinary power and sheer might of such natural wonders. He had once fought against a powerful opponent who wielded a unique fire; though that opponent's actual strength was far inferior to his own, the relentless power of the strange fire still proved to be a significant challenge for Jia Lao. "Heh…" Fuma slowly exhaled, turning his gaze toward the gray-robed youth with a smile. "It seems that if that boy is to achieve the top score in this round of evaluations, he'll face quite a challenge indeed..." Gazing at the young man who had now become the focal point of the entire gathering, he was undoubtedly the only Gamma-born figure capable of standing equal to the enigmatic gray-robed youth. With his own strength, he had turned the tide—this very spirit was what defined true greatness in a true hero. Nalan Yanran gently pressed her full red lips together, thinking this to herself, then subtly activated something. He swiftly flicked his palm over the stone platform, tossing all eight herbs into the cauldron at once. However, the final herb listed on the prescription—Thick Earth Mushroom—was deliberately excluded from the process. During his earlier sensory perception, Xiao Yan had already fully identified the issue within this assessment: all these alchemy practitioners were failing to successfully condense the elixirs because the Thick Earth Mushroom was entirely redundant. It was precisely this unnecessary ingredient that had ultimately caused the fusion to fail! Questioning the prescription requires both courage and determination. Some traditional alchemists place too much faith in its established authority, so no matter how many failures occur, they struggle to attribute the problems to the pharmacy itself. Instead, they invariably believe that it must be a flaw in their own handling of heat or in the extraction of certain components. Those who hold such a mindset will undoubtedly falter in this assessment. Xiao Yan, neither lacking in courage nor determination, identified the flaws in the prescription, which enabled him to compete fiercely with the enigmatic gray-robed youth. Others—including the young princess and Liu Ling—could only watch from the sidelines. On the vast plaza, only two furnaces continued to blaze with flames. All eyes in the arena shifted constantly between these two locations, as Xiao Yan and the gray-robed youth worked tirelessly, refining various materials under the watchful gaze of the audience. At this moment, Xiao Yan's hands had completely detached from the cauldron, his slender fingers now gracefully dancing a few inches away, fluidly swirling and leaping before him. Thanks to his mastery over the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame, he could effortlessly regulate the temperature in mid-air—without a doubt, in terms of elegance and charm during the preparation of pills, Xiao Yan was clearly superior. "Faster, faster..." mentally urging Xiao Yan, the Princess continuously scanned the pace of both parties, her eyes shifting back and forth. As a member of the royal family, she naturally didn't want a foreigner to achieve the top rank at this grand gathering in the Gamma Empire—such a feat would undoubtedly be a severe blow to the reputation of the Gamma Empire's participating alchemists. "That guy's refining speed is astonishing—though his flames are far behind the Rock Hawk's, he seems exceptionally experienced, maintaining flawless efficiency without losing even a single second. In contrast, the Rock Hawk has struggled in this aspect, though fortunately, the unique fire power has kept him competitive. As long as he can push a bit faster, he should be able to overtake him." Li Lin closely observed the gray-robed youth's every movement from afar, then turned to Xiao Yan, his brow furrowed. Though not particularly broad-minded, Li Lin was a native of the Jima Empire, and in such a moment, he clearly understood that if that gray-robed youth achieved the best results, it would be a profound mockery to the rest of the participating alchemists. Now, Xiao Yan and his companion had undoubtedly become the focal point of everyone's attention. "Boom!" With a resonant thud as a palm struck the stone platform, the gray-robed youth smiled coldly, flipping his hand so that eight distinct-colored powders or viscous liquids shot out from the cauldron and were poured into the neatly arranged jade bottles. At the very instant the thud of the gray-robed youth's palm settled, Xiao Yan also struck the platform with a sharp impact. A deep, resonant sound echoed, and eight streaks of emerald flame burst forth from within the cauldron. As his sleeves swayed, the flames surged forward, directly targeting the eight jade bottles before him. Just as they reached the bottle mouths, they suddenly vanished, leaving behind cascades of powders and liquids of varying hues. After completing the material refinement, Xiao Yan took advantage of the brief pause as the materials cooled, turning his head to glance toward the gray-robed youth. Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, the gray-robed youth lifted his face, offering a mocking smile. "Hmph. You're slow. Your flames are good—what good are they now?" With a composed expression, Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze, showing no emotion. After a brief silence, he once again waved his sleeve, causing the eight jade vases in front of him to suddenly shatter. All the extracted materials were drawn upward and then gently swept into the cauldron, where the emerald flames instantly surged, beginning the final fusion process. Just as Xiao Yan took his first step, the gray-robed youth had already swiftly poured the contents of his vases into the cauldron. Now, with two cauldrons blazing, the eight herbs slowly fused in the flames, awaiting the final formation of the pills. At that moment, Hai Bode also stood up, captivated by the intense competition, and smiled. "It's hard to say. Although Yan Xiao has the advantage of the unique fire, due to his age, his experience seems to fall far short of that strange fellow. Thus, the two advantages balance each other out, and it's truly hard to predict who will ultimately prevail." Fama shook his head and sighed. "That fellow is quite tenacious." Hearing this, Hai Bode shook his head and murmured to himself, "Still, won't Yan Xiao really lose? Even though his soul power has been significantly weakened, he once held the rank of a master capable of crafting sixth-grade pills—can he really decline so quickly?" On the platform, Xiao Yan and the other two were intently focused on the swirling furnace flames, their faces cast in shades of green and yellow by the flames of differing hues. "Faster, faster, go on, go on..." The princess gently rubbed her hands, her gaze constantly shifting between the two cauldrons. With her sharp eyesight, she could clearly see the pills beginning to take shape within the vessels. "The pills are forming..." Suddenly, as the faint aroma of herbs wafted out from the cauldrons, the group of Li Lin and her companions instantly tensed up—this scent was unmistakable. Their hearts now hung suspended in their throats. "Rock Xiao's pill is nearly ready..." Master Fama, with his dry hands tightly gripping the railing, furrowed his brow and murmured, "Yet the other one is closing in, and will surely overtake it soon..." With her lips tightly pressed, Princess Xiao Yan's dark eyes glowed with emerald flames, the flames reflecting off the surface of a perfectly round pill, which spun steadily in place. "Like this, we'll never be able to close the gap..." With his eyes slightly narrowed, Xiao Yan suddenly slammed his palm down onto the cauldron. At that instant, the pill still undergoing its final tempering burst forth with a surge of emerald flame, violently breaking through the furnace and shooting out. "Impetuous! Though this is the final step, how can you prematurely release the pill? A freshly formed pill, once exposed to air, might have its semi-solid components disintegrate!" Observing Xiao Yan's sudden action, the railing held by Fama burst with a crack, and he shouted in frustration. "Impetuous fool!" Xiao Yan's action left Princess Xiao and Li Lin, as well as the others, equally stunned. After a moment of silence, they could no longer contain themselves and exclaimed in surprise. Ignoring the gazes around him, Xiao Yan kicked off the ground with his foot, leaping upward with a sudden burst of motion. As his hand reached out, he grasped the pill wrapped in the emerald flame into his palm. At the very moment he took hold of the pill, an even more fierce surge of emerald flame erupted from within his palm. The pill, which had not yet completed its final stage of tempering, instantly stabilized and solidified. Holding the jade bottle, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled, lifting his gaze to the bustling seating areas on both sides, a gentle smile appearing on his calm face. Gazing at the young man, who smiled calmly and composedly amidst the waves of cheers, Narang Yanran softly remarked, though this was still only the second round of evaluation, the fervor he had sparked far surpassed that of the final performances in previous years. "Mr. Yanxiao, congratulations! Though... I do hope you'll refrain from such wildly enthusiastic gestures in the future—what if you lose your balance?" With a slight bow to Xiao Yan, the Princess gave a gentle scolding. "You've indeed performed exceptionally well this time. However, in the final round, I won't hold back at all." Li Ling shrugged, his expression now barely able to be described as friendly. Xiao Yan smiled, said nothing, and then turned his gaze toward the gray-robed youth, whose face was stern. He raised his thumb slightly, and with a subtle downward gesture, the usually composed and gentle demeanor finally revealed a touch of youthful boldness and determination. The gray-robed youth stared at Xiao Yan's actions with a stern expression, and coldly hummed, his lips moving: "Don't be too confident. In the final match, we'll settle this once and for all. Then, I won't spare a single move!" Unperturbed by this challenge, Xiao Yan simply waved his hand, then turned his gaze to the surrounding alchemists still fixated on him. After a brief pause of hesitation, he silently picked up a "Thick Earth Mushroom" still lingering on the stone table and casually set it aside. Watching Xuanyin's actions, the alchemists around him were momentarily stunned. After a while, those who had finally grasped the issue grew increasingly delighted, casting grateful glances toward Xuanyin, and then hurriedly began preparing their concoctions. Observing the contestants now bustling with activity, Xuanyin glanced at the hourglass on the opposite wall—nearly finished—then shrugged, lowered his head, and began organizing the various items on the stone platform. As for whether they would succeed in crafting the "Fengxing Pill" within the final time limit, that was no longer his concern. ... As time passed slowly, the thunderous cheers from the square gradually softened. After such intense excitement, the audience turned their eyes with lingering interest toward the alchemists still busy on the plaza. Meanwhile, several young ladies on the stands occasionally glanced at Xiao Yan, who was quietly arranging the stone platforms. His earlier performance had clearly stirred the fluttering hearts of these young women, and now, even though he appeared ordinary in his disguised face, he suddenly seemed strikingly handsome to them. Half an hour later, the green glow first appeared before the Little Princess and Liu Ling, who gently poured the elixirs into jade vials and exchanged a glance—both of them exhaled in relief. After the first two, more and more green lights began to flicker, yet the majority remained red. The grand plaza was simply too vast, so the herbalists who had received Xiao Yan's guidance were limited to only a few fortunate ones within his immediate vicinity. The participants beyond Xiao Yan's line of sight, however, continued to stare blankly at the materials on the stone platform, utterly unsure of what went wrong, and thus persisted in their quiet, unyielding preparations. Those who had incorporated the "Thick Earth Mushroom" into their recipes all failed without a single unexpected twist. Moreover, even aside from the aforementioned reasons, the "Wind-Flow Pill" itself was a third-grade elixir. Consequently, not only did only a handful of herbalists at the second-grade level manage to pass, but even many of the newer participants who had only recently attained third-grade status also failed due to carelessness. Under these somewhat stringent conditions, the contestants in the hall are being eliminated at a rapid pace. What began with over a thousand participants has now dwindled to perhaps fewer than three hundred, and the trend seems to be continuing. When the hourglass suspended on the walls has completely emptied, only nearly one hundred and fifty people remain on the broad plaza—everyone else has been completely eliminated in these two rounds. As the warm, resonant laughter of Fama rose from the plaza, Xiao Yan slowly lifted his head and turned his gaze toward the elderly figure at the guest seat. Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Fama smiled kindly in his direction. After the evaluation period concluded, another routine examination followed. This time, thanks to the assistance of the unusual flames, the most outstanding performance in terms of pill efficacy naturally belonged to Xiao Yan, followed closely by the gray-robed youth. The rest, including the young princess, Liu Ling, and other third-tier alchemical practitioners with solid capabilities, ranked behind. Upon hearing Fang Ma's announcement that today's assessment had concluded, the crowd on the plaza—including Xiao Yan—exhaled in relief. These two rounds of evaluations had truly been exhausting. Turning around, Xiao Yan gazed at the large crowd gathering. At the forefront stood Lan Yanran, Ya Fei, and Yao Ye—the three daughters. Behind them, Lan Jie and the others were chatting and laughing. Glancing at Lan Yanran's radiant smile, Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "Just good luck, that's all." By now, Lan Yanran had grown accustomed to Xiao Yan's modestness and smiled gently. She took Ya Fei and Yao Ye by the hands and smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, saying, "Yao Ye Princess mentioned that she would be hosting a banquet tonight to celebrate your marriage with Liu Ling and the young princess. Would you like to join?" The three daughters of Lan Yanran were among the most beautiful women in the Imperial Capital. Standing together, their graceful figures enhanced one another—truly, they were more beautiful than flowers. As a result, many people's eyes had already been drawn to them as they stood at the entrance of the square.