A surge of purple flame poured forcefully into the cauldron, instantly making Xiao Yan's expression profoundly serious. He quickly pressed both hands against the flame mouth of the cauldron, channeling his spiritual energy with almost no reserve. At this moment, he had to perfectly master the seamless transition between the two flames—otherwise, the same failure as before would inevitably repeat. Within the next hour, if he failed once more, the miraculous outcome of Yan Li securing the championship would truly vanish. A dense layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead, flowing steadily down and dripping into the open, dark eyes, creating a sense of soreness that prevented Xiao Yan from blinking even once. The soul force poured forth without reservation, like a river unleashed after a gate has been lifted, roaring as it surged into the cauldron. The previously green flames, under the suppression and guidance of Xiao Yan's soul force, made no contact whatsoever with the purple flames, and even the intense heat carried by each flame was isolated and separated, enveloped within Xiao Yan's soul force. Within the cauldron, the scene appeared as if divided into two separate realms, with indigo and purple flames standing opposite each other across a river-like channel formed by the soul energy. At the very center of this channel, the pale green pill continued to rotate slowly. At this moment, should the temperature of the flames surpass the containment provided by the soul energy and cause them to collide, even if the resulting qi streams were not exceptionally powerful, the delicate, nascent pill would still be utterly destroyed—this was precisely the reason for Xiang Yan's previous failure. Xiao Yan’s mind is divided among three tasks. Even if his current state were not due to that unusual condition earlier, he would still have found it extremely difficult—indeed, even a fifth-rank alchemist would struggle—to execute such a maneuver. Yet, even if he managed to complete it, the steady stream of sweat cascading down his face reveals the immense toll on his soul energy—the method of maintaining focus and control demands an extraordinary expenditure. His pupils were locked tightly onto the indigo flames surging toward the medicine, and at this very moment, blood vessels began to bulge in his eyes, his mind growing increasingly nervous and hysterical, constantly low-voiced shouting. His soul energy was now fiercely suppressing the temperature of the purple flames. In the initial phase following the transition of the flames, it was essential to maintain the temperature of the latter exactly as it had been when the former departed—otherwise, any sudden rise or drop in heat would inevitably lead to failure. This was an exceptionally refined method that demanded precise mastery of flame temperature from the alchemist; even the slightest deviation would result in a tragic outcome. Under the relentless waves of soul energy suppression, although the distance between the purple flames and the medicine was merely a few dozen centimeters, that small span caused the flame's temperature to steadily decline—continuously, relentlessly dropping. Just as the purple flame was about to reach the temperature required by Xiao Yan, it finally made contact with the turbulent, jade-colored medicine, instantly submerging it completely... "...What is he doing?!" The countless eyes of the audience stared in bewildered confusion at Xiao Yan, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Didn't they just say the medicine had been successfully refined? "Is he refining something else? Why does he need to switch flames? This is something even our teacher hasn't been absolutely certain about!" The Princess gently patted her chest, recalling Xiao Yan's earlier frantic, flushed state—it had been quite startling. Fortunately, the most critical moment had now passed. "Unknown... but I'm certain the medicine's rank won't fall below ours." "Li Ling's face was slightly flushed. Only when he finally received his reply did he realize that, while watching Xiao Yan's astonishing transformation of the flames, he had completely forgotten to breathe. 'Phew... It's done...' On the elevated platform, Fama, whose heart had been pounding against his chest all along, finally exhaled deeply. In his perception, the flames within the medicinal cauldron before Xiao Yan had now stabilized completely, no longer exhibiting the previous violent surges. Under these circumstances, Xiao Yan was now very close to achieving the success of the Two-Embellished Qingling Pill." "His potential is truly astonishing... Although currently it's due to his exceptional form, once he's faced a failure, he quickly masters the intricacies of flame transitions—such talent is truly breathtaking." Mamu gazed at the young man standing alone on the stone platform, one hand steadying it while skillfully controlling the flames, gasping heavily. Suddenly turning to Hai Bodo, he smiled lightly, "This guy—if given sufficient time, I believe his accomplishments will far surpass ours, the old guard. The Galma Empire hasn't seen a legendary figure who truly captivates the entire Yanjing Continent in a long while." "I've never doubted it," Hai Bodo replied, spreading his hands with a smile. He knew Xiao Yan well—far better than Mamu. This man, capable of creating the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus, which can nearly injure a Battle Emperor, has already demonstrated such prowess—what could he possibly not achieve?" Moreover, Hai Bodo would never forget that beneath this seemingly ordinary young face lay truly a boy barely twenty years old. "Now, simply wait quietly," Ma Fa murmured, his gaze drifting to Yan Li, who was intently refining his elixirs on the square. Yet a quiet concern lingered in his brows. Though Xiao Yan had successfully crafted a Qing Ling Elixir capable of bearing two patterns, it remained uncertain whether it could surpass Yan Li's elixir—whose true nature was still unknown. Still, Ma Fa now knew that Xiao Yan had truly given his all. Thus, at this moment, all he could do was rely on his efforts and trust in fate. ... "Facing such setbacks, not only did he fail to sink into despair, but rather found a breakthrough in the very midst of adversity. Remarkable resilience indeed. Given time, this young man will surely shine brilliantly." "Nalan Jie gently stroked his beard, gazing at Xiao Yan, who had grown stronger and stronger in the arena, and softly exclaimed. Each time, he once thought he had reached his limit—yet every time, he was left astonished. "Indeed, very strong..." Nalan Yan nodded slightly. For many years, this was the first time she had felt truly impressed by a peer. She had once imagined that if she were in that situation herself, she might not have faltered. But to achieve a breakthrough while utterly drained—both physically and mentally—was something she had always found incredibly difficult. One word: difficult!" Nalan Yanran's calm, autumn-water gaze, quietly sweeping across the young man who was leaning on the stone platform—though breathless, yet straight as a pillar that could never be bowed—suddenly seemed to carry something new... His fists clenched tightly, and in his heart, he softly roared. This time, having risked his life to come alone to the Gamma Empire, as long as he secured the championship and dealt a major blow to the Gamma Pharmacists' Guild's prestige, upon his return, the presidency of his home guild would surely open its doors to him—thereby elevating his status within the Uchū Empire dramatically. "All for power! Come forth! My masterpiece!" He suddenly lifted his head and roared, then forcefully slammed his palm onto the cauldron. The lid launched skyward, and vast waves of dark flames surged forth from within the cauldron. At the very center of these dark flames, a surge of vibrant purple light erupted, instantly piercing and scattering the dark flames like a thousand wounds. As the light radiated out, a rich, deep purple fragrance rose gently, eventually forming a living, ethereal mist that hovered above his head, coalescing into a lush, purple mist cloud. "Such a rich, deep purple fragrance..." Gazing at the aroma so thick that it completely obscured the stone platform, the alchemists on the plaza all drew their lips slightly and murmured in awe. With a serious expression, Princess Xiao and Liu Ling exchanged glances, both showing signs of unease. Given the intensity of this fragrance, Li's prepared pills must have reached the pinnacle of fourth-tier alchemical medicine. Now, for Rock Xiao to surpass him seemed exceptionally difficult. Above the plaza, Yanli's hearty laughter created a brief moment of quiet in the贵宾 sections on both sides. A moment later, a series of increasingly intense glances swiftly settled upon the purple pill clutched firmly in Yanli's hands. "Purple Heart-Opening Pill, a fourth-tier peak pill—just like the Three-Stroke Qing Ling Pill, this is one of the direct strength-enhancing tonics. However, its effect is limited to those at the Grand Combatant level. Upon consuming it, a Grand Combatant can gain one star of strength. Most importantly, a person at the same level can successfully take two such pills consecutively without developing significant resistance. That means, as long as you can secure two Purple Heart-Opening Pills, you can steadily advance your strength by two stars." On the elevated platform, Fama gently narrowed his eyes, speaking softly and deliberately about this pill renowned within the alchemical circles. "It's beyond my expectations... I never thought that someone like Yan Li could have such determination. The failure rate of the Zixin Po-Barrier Pill is no more than that of the Sanwen Qingling Pill, yet he dares to prepare it right here in this setting. He must know—should he fail, he will absolutely be unable to leave the Jima Empire." Fama shook his head, softly sighing. By now, he was nearly heartbroken. Even if Xiao Yan successfully produced a Qingling Pill with two traces, it still fell far short of Yan Li's Zixin Po-Barrier Pill. While the two-trace Qingling Pill could enhance a user's strength by two stars, it carried a certain chance of adverse effects that could scare off many. Therefore, when given a choice between the two pills, most people would prefer the Zixin Po-Barrier Pill over the two-trace Qingling Pill. "Unless..." The thought struck him, and Mamu suddenly shook his head with a touch of self-mockery. Seeing his expression, even Hai Bodo, standing beside him, slightly furrowed his brows and asked, "Unless what?" Taking a deep breath, Mamu glanced at Hai Bodo. "Unless... the Rock Hawk can produce the highest-grade Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pill—that is, he must... present the third kind of flame!" "Can one truly possess three kinds of flame?" Mamu murmured to himself, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Three kinds of flames...?" Sea Bo Dong murmured softly, exhaled gently, and in his mind, the image of the alternating cold and hot, crisp white flame that Xiao Yan had once used gradually emerged. He remembered clearly—the Buddha's Wrath Lotus Flame had been created by the fusion of the azure flame and the crisp white flame. That meant that within Xiao Yan's body, there was actually another, yet unmanifested, strange flame—more terrifying than the azure one. "Perhaps... we're not entirely without hope after all," Sea Bo Dong shrugged slightly, gazing at the young man on the plaza, and spoke softly. Famai shook his head with a bitter expression, seeing Sea Bo Dong's words merely as words of consolation. In the square, Xiao Yan stared at the purple, smooth pill within the cauldron. Now, on the pill's surface, two hues—one green and one purple—had formed distinct patterns, indicating that the Twin-Color Qingling Pill had been successfully crafted. "Ah, the Zixin Breakthrough Pill..." He slowly turned his head, gazing at Yan Li, who was now laughing wildly. He could sense the glances of the princess and others, sensing that they believed the former had lost his chance. "Ugh, what a dreadful assembly—so exhausting..." With a light sigh, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the purple flame within the cauldron, suddenly growing momentarily still. After a while, his fingers gently traced the dark, ancient ring on his left hand—within it, the "Bone-Spirit Cold Flame" that the old pharmacist had stored before he fell into deep sleep.