Beneath an endless expanse of deep blue sky, the rumbling thunder echoes continuously, and the thick, heavy clouds press down with an overwhelming sense of oppression. "Roar!" Suddenly, within the dense clouds, a surge of lightning—shaped like a silver serpent—tears through the heavens, surging downward and is then firmly intercepted by a figure standing upon a stone platform. Instantly, a tangible fragrance of essence spreads out in all directions. "Hah! Hah! I've done it!" The man, whose hair and beard are slightly whitened, bursts into loud, joyful laughter, holding in his hands a pill the size of a dragon's eye, glowing with a captivating radiance. His enthusiastic outburst is not only met with applause but also admired by all present; indeed, a master of pharmaceutical crafting who produces mid-tier seventh-grade pills is always treated as a distinguished guest, no matter where he goes. Now, the Dan Conference has entered its latter half. At this stage, only two types of people continue refining their elixirs: true masters of exceptional ability, and those who merely show up to fill the ranks. Naturally, the former far outnumber the latter, as few possess the courage to face embarrassment in such a setting. At this moment, within the cauldron, the emerald flames burned fiercely, their intense heat causing the furnace itself to slightly blush with warmth. Yet none of these were the focus of Xiao Yan's attention. His gaze remained steadily fixed upon the circular object spinning smoothly within the flames. Xiao Yan was equally delighted by this change. Now, he felt more confident than ever that he could elevate the Shengguo Rongxue Pill to the eighth rank. Suppressing the subtle excitement within him, Xiao Yan quickly stabilized his mind—this was now the most crucial moment, and any distraction would be unacceptable. "Amidst the countless pairs of eyes watching, a deep explosion suddenly rang out somewhere in the sky. At once, everyone felt a weight settle upon their hearts, quickly turning their gaze toward the scene—there, a middle-aged man stood, his face expressionless, staring fixedly at the cauldron before him. Within it, faint and disordered energy fluctuations pulsed, clearly indicating an unexpected mishap during the refining process... 'How is this possible?' The man stared at the cauldron, his eyes instantly blazing crimson. After nearly twenty days of relentless effort, everything had come to naught—this blow was simply too overwhelming to bear. Some rejoice, others lament—some succeed, naturally, others fall short. The Dan Tower has never been a stage for pure comedy. …… Over the coming days, among the remaining thirty-some participants, one by one, some successfully refined the elixirs, while others failed. These latter, without exception, grew increasingly disheartened. Though even success might not guarantee a spot among the top ten, at least it offered a chance. But failure meant no chance at all. By this point, those still standing in the competition were truly worthy of being considered alongside the Tower’s senior elders—some even surpassed them in stature, while others, even among the Tower’s own elders, fell short. During this period, the countless people surrounding the plaza were filled with high anticipation—so much so that in a single blink, one of the contenders they had hailed as a rising star might falter due to a minor issue, resulting in a failed elixir and thus losing their qualification to compete. Only then did they truly realize that alchemy was no ordinary skill, something truly beyond the reach of the average person. The elder who successfully crafted this pill appeared somewhat weathered, and given his reputation across the continent, it was no great surprise that he had been the first to produce a seventh-rank premium pill. Of course, when some succeed, others inevitably fail. Within five days, nine succeeded while seven failed, ultimately choosing to withdraw with evident reluctance amid widespread admiration. As a result of these sixteen withdrawals, combined with those who had already stepped down earlier, only seventeen remained on the stone platform, still engaged in pill-making. Time itself had proven the most precise selector—these remaining seventeen, simply by the quality of their aura, were clearly no ordinary individuals. Even the one with the lowest badge rank among them was a mid-level seventh-rank alchemist, while the highest-ranked was none other than a true eighth-rank alchemical master! This eighth-rank alchemy master, Xiao Yan had never heard of before, and had not even noticed him previously—clearly, the former had deliberately concealed his presence. The unfamiliar eighth-rank alchemy master was an elderly man with gray hair, his face as wrinkled as orange peel, clearly indicating that he was a seasoned powerhouse. Though his appearance was not particularly striking, his face was always marked by a gentle, warm smile, making him far more approachable than Mu Gu elder. Time, after all, is the most refined filter—it sifts through the hundreds of contestants, stripping away the less essential, and leaving only the true champions behind. … "Didn't expect it to be Master Qinghua..." On the platform, Xuankongzi and the others stared at the gray-haired elder finally emerging from the crowd, momentarily taken aback, then exchanged a glance, somewhat exasperated. "This old man truly knows how to hold himself together. From the fluctuations within his cauldron, I'd say he's producing an eighth-rank pill." The elegant woman nodded gently. "This old man's lifelong ambition has always been to obtain a rare kind of fire. Back when he and Yao Chen spent several years in that ghostly realm, he ultimately still saw his bone-spirit cold fire claimed by Yao Chen. Now that he has the opportunity to acquire the Three-Thousand-Yan Fire, he naturally wants to make an attempt." The dark-skinned elder spoke. Xuan Kongzi shook his head in resignation, then his gaze suddenly shifted to a certain stone platform. There, the elderly master dressed entirely in black was intently refining pills. "This person's aura has been deliberately concealed until now, and his appearance has also been altered—some high-ranking master, surely?" "Could it be an elder who simply couldn't bring himself to reveal himself, and thus chose to disguise himself?" the beautiful woman furrowed her brows. "Unknown, though once the pill's initial form begins to take shape, his aura will inevitably become evident. Then it will be clear—unless he's from the Spirit Palace, everything will be perfect." Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman and others nodded slightly. ...Above the azure sky, the wind howled fiercely, and the clouds had long since dispersed, yet a deep, resonant thunder echoed without ceasing, as though rising from somewhere unseen. This unusual sight stirred wonder in many, though those with sufficient experience knew that the thunder did not originate from the heavens—it came instead from the medicine cauldrons atop the stone platforms. The Dan Lei currently manifesting is more furious and powerful than ever before—enough to make him proud. "Seven-rank peak pill! By the look of it, even superior to the previous seven-rank peak pills that appeared!" Against the backdrop of the swirling thunder, Song Qing slowly raised his hand, lifting a remarkably smooth pill that gleamed like a brilliant night pearl. At that instant, thunder roared across the sky. Hearing the thunderous sounds laced with numerous gasps of astonishment, a proud smile spread across Song Qing's face. He then fixed upon the distant stone platform—where Xiao Yan stood—with a challenging gaze.