The vast plaza was silent except for Xiao Yan's slightly weak, clear laughter. Everyone who had heard the name "Three-Stripe Qingling Pill" stared in astonishment at the young man on the stage. Who could have imagined that, at this very critical moment, this unassuming youth had truly pulled off the impossible—bringing back the championship title that was about to be claimed by someone abroad with sheer determination! "Good heavens—he's actually preparing the Three-Stripe Qingling Pill! That's why he had to switch flames so many times," the princess murmured, her hand instinctively covering her mouth, her voice filled with unmistakable awe. As a pharmacist herself, she understood far better than the audience just how daunting the pill's failure rate and crafting difficulty truly were. And this young man—he still had a third kind of flame hidden? Liu Ling’s lips trembled, her eyes filled with unmistakable shock. To create a Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pill required three distinct types of flames. Yet the flames used by Xiao Yan earlier had been only green and purple—clearly, the latter had held back his strength until the very end. The situation had suddenly taken a dramatic turn. Now, the princess and her companions fully understood: if the pill Xiao Yan held truly was the Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pill, then the championship of this grand event would undoubtedly be secured in the latter’s hands. Though the Zǐ Xīn Pò Zhàng Pill could be taken twice consecutively, the powerful allure of the Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pill—its potential to leap directly from one star to three—would surely inspire anyone to take the risk. The Qingling Pills with two patterns may not appeal as much as the Zixin Breakthrough Pills to many, since both offer similar improvements but at different costs. However, if the former is upgraded to the three-pattern Qingling Pills, the outcome becomes significantly different. Faced with the enticing prospect of a three-star leap, many would be willing to take the risk. Though the difference between the two pills is merely one star, the three-pattern Qingling Pills remain effective even for powerful Douling-level cultivators, whereas the Zixin Breakthrough Pills are effective only for Doushi-level cultivators. Thus, in this regard, the three-pattern Qingling Pills clearly outperform the Zixin Breakthrough Pills. Consequently, in this comparison, the three-pattern Qingling Pills are undoubtedly the victors. Therefore, the champion of this competition will be Xiao Yan! On the raised platform, Fang Ma lightly narrowed his eyes, and it was evident to anyone that a warm, hard-to-hide smile played upon his usually composed gaze. He chuckled heartily, then once again scanned the square, glanced at Yan Li, who sat hunched on the ground with a pale face, and smiled warmly, saying, "The Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pills and the Purple Heart Breakthrough Pills—presumably, all of you have heard of them. So, I need not go into great detail about which one is superior, do I?" "Ah, well, then, I shall officially announce the champion of this year's Gamma Empire's Pharmacist Grand Assembly..." "Wait!" The sharp voice that cut through the air caused Yan Li, who had been pale, to suddenly lift his head and cry out sharply. Interrupted mid-sentence, Fang Ma furrowed his brows, calmly observing Yan Li, whose face remained pale and eyes now blazing red, and said coldly, "What is it?" "I don't believe he has actually crafted the genuine Three-Stripe Qing Ling Pills. I must personally inspect them myself!" "Pointing at Xiao Yan, Yan loudly declared. "I'm sorry, but according to the tournament regulations, you don't have the right to inspect the pills prepared by other contestants." Shaking his head, Fama calmly replied. "Hey, what if he just pulls out a pill that looks similar to the San-Wen Qingling Pill and uses it as a placeholder? Would that make him the champion? Hmph. I suspect you're being difficult simply because I'm not from the Jamah Imperial Clan. But with so many people here today, I'm sure you'll soon find out that the Jamah Pharmaceutical Guild, relying on their official status, will be unable to prevent inspections of the pills. Then, things will change..." Yan coldly chuckled. As soon as Yan finished speaking, murmurs began to rise among the audience. Under normal circumstances, Yan's request wasn't unreasonable. Hearing the murmurs around him, Fama's expression grew slightly serious. He hadn't expected this man to remain so stubborn even at this late stage. "Once the conference is over, I'd better leave the capital right away and find an opportunity to deal with this heel." Gao's hands were tucked into his sleeves as he murmured softly. "If he manages to leave the Galma Empire alive, I won't need to stay as president anymore." Fama's lips moved slightly, his voice calm yet laced with an unmistakable cold resolve—clearly, he had been truly incensed by Huanli's actions. "Now, what should we do? Should we actually conduct the examination? What if Rock-Jay's medicine truly has an issue? Though the odds are slim, the current situation leaves us no room for error at all." Gao hesitated, asking cautiously. Fama remained silent. Though he had some confidence in Xiao Yan, who could he be certain hadn't been affected by the explosion's shockwave, which might have damaged the medicine internally? "President Fama, if he needs an examination, then let him have it. Otherwise, it would only seem as though we're hiding something." Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head, smiling at the hesitant Fang Ma and the others. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Fang Ma was momentarily stunned, gazing at the smiling face, and after a brief pause, sighed and said, "Very well, then we'll proceed with the inspection. However, the inspectors will not be Xiao Li himself. According to the official regulations of the Grand Assembly, participants are not granted the right or qualification to inspect each other's alchemical achievements. The inspection process will involve several elders from our guild. Naturally, since all inspectors will be drawn from our guild, this arrangement is not entirely satisfactory. Therefore, we will also select a few master alchemists from among the well-known independent alchemists within the empire, who will jointly conduct the inspection in front of everyone. I believe you will all be able to trust this arrangement, won't you?" "Heard this, Yan Li's expression grew serious. Though he wanted to speak again, he forcibly restrained himself. At present, he had only managed to secure the establishment of the inspection team through the pressure of the surrounding audience. Should he continue to be difficult, the spectators would soon notice his tactics—and when the crowd rallied in fervor, it would be him who would suffer most. 'I simply don't believe,' he gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at Xiao Yan who stood at a distance, 'that after the explosion of the medicinal cauldron, your pills have suffered even the slightest damage!' Shortly after setting the inspection regulations, a team of seven inspectors descended from the stage. These seven were mostly renowned alchemical masters within the Gamma Empire, with most holding ranks of around fourth grade. Thus, their appointment as inspectors met little resistance." Under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers, the seven approached the plaza slowly. Xiao Yan glanced around and was momentarily surprised to find that the person leading the group was none other than Otto. After thoroughly inspecting Yanli's pills, Otto and the others proceeded to examine the contestants who had willingly presented their pill preparations, including the young princess and Liu Ling. Aside from a slight lack of purity in color, all the pills were otherwise in good condition. Once the princess's pills had been inspected, the inspection team, under the collective gaze of the audience, finally reached Xiao Yan's stone platform. The elder known as Mo, though not a member of the Alchemy Guild, enjoys a distinguished reputation throughout the Cama Empire, as he was indeed the champion of one of the Alchemy Grand Conferences. "Ah... I simply can't help but admire him. Having witnessed so many conferences, this one has been particularly thrilling," the white-haired elder sighed, shaking his head slightly, then turning toward the audience, pausing briefly before offering a composed smile. "The inspection is complete. Though it may sound somewhat embarrassing, I'm quite content with this. The Three-Stripe Qingling Pill crafted by the young rock-fox, even by my own standards, is simply flawless—something I never thought possible to achieve myself." "Though young, this youngster shows immense potential. I believe he will soon surpass Guo He, and that's only a matter of time!" The white-haired elder's sudden appraisal instantly silenced the entire square. Everyone was stunned, gazing in disbelief at Xiao Yan, who too was wide-eyed and speechless, just as much as they were, due to the elder's words. The status of Dan King Guo He within the Gamma Empire was nearly unrivaled—standing as a towering peak, unassailable to countless young alchemists. Now, the elder had boldly announced before tens of thousands that a young man barely in his twenties would surpass that very unattainable summit. Regardless of the reasons, the name Rock Hawk would henceforth truly resonate throughout the entire Gamma Empire.