As the Xiao Yan suddenly inserted his palm into the beam of light before him, a wave of astonishment rippled across the entire arena. A series of puzzled glances were cast upon his figure, as though he still intended to resist giving up so easily. Yet now that the medicine had been successfully prepared, what further options did Xiao Yan have to reverse the situation? Could he possibly reforge the medicine? With the time at hand, would he have enough room to craft a higher-grade medicine once more? Witnessing this, the figures on the elevated platform—Xuan Kongzi and others—were also momentarily taken aback. They too found Xiao Yan's actions rather surprising, especially at this critical juncture—what could he possibly do next? "This young man is no impetuous one. Perhaps he truly has a plan after all…" The beautiful woman gazed steadily at the slender figure on the distant stone platform, hesitating slightly. "Well… that's all we can hope for." Xuan Kongzi and the other two also hesitated, saying that if a miracle could occur, they would naturally be most eager for it—yet now, given the current situation, they simply couldn't imagine where such a miracle might arise. From afar, Cao Ying kept her gaze fixed steadily on Xiao Yan, unable to explain why she felt an inexplicable confidence in him. Perhaps it was simply because she had never seen this young man, of similar age to herself, display even the slightest sign of panic. Her earnest stare stirred a touch of envy in Song Qing's heart, though he could do little about it—compared to Xiao Yan today, the title of the youngest senior elder of the Dan Tower held almost no weight. "Hmph! Just acting all formal!" Mubu, the elder, was also momentarily stunned by Xiao Yan's actions, then a hint of scorn crept across his face as he offered a quiet, cold laugh. He too couldn't fathom what further ability Xiao Yan might possess to reverse a situation that had already seemed destined to unfold as it had. Despite the myriad expressions of astonishment from those around him, Xiao Yan, as a direct participant, remained fully focused. Although the elixir had taken shape, it did not mean he had lost his final competitive standing. An eighth-rank elixir was no ordinary medicine—it possessed a sense of spirit, and precisely because of this spirit, such elixirs were so precious. The more refined the spirit, the higher the quality of the elixir, a principle firmly established within the art of medicine. Thus, at the eighth-rank level, merely focusing on the quality of energy was no longer the most crucial factor; rather, enhancing the elixir's spirit became the true priority. Some elixirs, once their spirit reached a certain level, could even autonomously draw pure energy from the heavens and earth to replenish themselves. Therefore, spirit was the most decisive factor in determining the quality of an eighth-rank elixir. Though the pills have now taken shape, their spiritual essence remains unstable. At this stage, there is still room for improvement, and once that spiritual quality is enhanced, the pill's quality will undergo its final leap in refinement. Of course, this sounds simple, but when put into practice, it proves extremely difficult. Once a pill has formed, the refined energies within are carefully balanced. To inject additional elements into this balance—without making a single misstep—risks disrupting that equilibrium. While the pill might merely be damaged in such a case, a full explosion could prove disastrous. Therefore, even among the most capable pill-masters, few dare to further refine a pill's quality after its initial formation. Yet, while others hesitate, Xiao Yan dares—because he has inherited all of the Yao Elder's teachings. Xiao Yan gently rubbed his black ring. Among the vast treasures left behind by the medicinal elders, there lay a refining skill he held in the highest regard—a mastery of alchemical art that even Han Feng had never encountered, as he lacked the corresponding realm and strength. This alchemical art was known as "Sheng Ling." With the pill extracted from the light column, Xiao Yan's expression also grew unusually serious. This so-called method of enhancing spiritual essence was, in the eyes of the Medicine Elder, his most satisfying creation—yet even as its originator, he had rarely employed it, for the demands placed upon the practitioner were exceptionally rigorous. Had it not been for his current attainment of the eighth rank, even Xiao Yan would have dared to touch this kind of pill-making technique. Xiao Yan fixed his gaze intently upon the dark-red pill resting in his palm. After a moment, he withdrew his hand, and the pill gently floated before him, wiggling and dancing playfully. When he released the pill, he clenched his palm tightly, and a jade-green lotus-heart flame appeared in his hand. With a flick of his finger, the black jade bracelet on his finger trembled, and a pale, silver-white flame gradually emerged. "Bone Spirit Cold Flame!" As the white flame appeared, Xuan Kongzi, Mu Gu Elder, and Qing Hua Elder all reacted, each murmuring softly to themselves. "It wasn't expected that Yao Chen had entrusted both the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the Cold Fire Flame to him—clearly, he truly regards him as his true heir." The beautiful woman stared in wonder at the pale, ethereal flames, her gaze growing ever more tender as it settled upon Xiao Yan. Countless eyes were fixed upon the five swirling flames encircling Xiao Yan. Some seasoned observers gasped in astonishment, while others, especially the alchemists, gazed with eager longing. Mastering the fusion of flames, Xiao Yan had long since made it second nature—what seemed wildly insane to others was, to him, a daily occurrence. Fusing the Flame of Destruction Lotus was far more difficult than simply blending flames together. As his soul energy spun at high speed, the three flames swiftly settled, quieting under a series of stunned gazes. After a few minutes, the soul energy ceased, and a slender, fist-sized flame of brownish-green hue emerged silently. As soon as the flame appeared, Xiao Yan swept his sleeve, and the brownish-green flame darted forth, instantly enveloping the playful, bouncing dark-red pill before it. "Wait—this man is mad!" "Does he intend to destroy the pill?" Xiao Yan's actions immediately stirred the crowd. Countless spectators stared at him in disbelief—was he truly aiming to ruin the very pill? Watching Xuanyin's actions, the elderly Mu Gu figure at a distance suddenly felt his brow twitch, as if something unusual had just emerged—something not quite right. "This…," the figures on the high dais, including Xuan Kong, were also stunned. It was only after a moment that the graceful woman regained her composure, her gaze flickering slightly before she softly said, "Do you remember, back when Yao Chen was crafting an eighth-rank pill, his wildly passionate initiative?" Upon hearing this, Xuan Kong and his companion both stiffened, gasping, "You mean—Yao Chen's method of spiritual ascension?" The woman nodded slowly, her eyes fixed steadily on Xuanyin on the stone platform, "It seems this disciple has truly mastered every skill Yao Chen ever possessed. Xuan Kong, perhaps this time, you'll have to thank him." Xuan Kongzi deeply exhaled, a subtle yet profound spark of excitement flickering in his eyes. If Xiao Yan truly succeeded, perhaps... the situation, which had seemed destined to unfold as it was, might actually be reversed! This luminous powder, naturally, was the Fetus-Spirit Powder that Xiao Yan had accidentally obtained at the beginning. This rare substance inherently contains spiritual energy, and when used at this moment, it proves exceptionally effective—achieving results with greater efficiency. As soon as the powder enters the flame, it swiftly disperses into the air, yet those with keen perception can sense that the spiritual energy within the flame becomes notably denser and more abundant at that very instant. A surge of spiritual energy floods forth, and Xiao Yan's expression grows increasingly serious. At this moment, his vast soul power erupts fully and pours entirely into the flame. With precise control and an extremely cautious pace, he carefully compresses this spiritual energy, fully integrating it into the medicinal pill. At this moment, if a pharmacist can closely employ soul perception to scan the pills, they would be able to observe that on the now uneven surface of the pills, there are densely packed, countless tiny pores—so fine that they are barely visible to the naked eye. Most importantly, within these pores, faint, delicate threads of spiritual energy run, resembling ropes that draw and hold the surrounding diffused spiritual energy in place. The blood mist poured down, and Xiao Yan's face took on a faint paleness. With a sudden, low command from his lips, the diffused spiritual mist instantly behaved like bees returning home, flowing precisely and irresistibly under the control of his soul, seeping through the subtle, nearly invisible pores on the surface of the pill, and penetrating deep into its core.