"Whoosh!" Taking out the bodhi seeds, Xiao Yan swept his palm through the air in front of him, and one after another, herbs flowed out continuously from within his storage scroll, quickly filling the space above his head. By the time the scene was complete, the herbs were densely layered, with an estimated quantity exceeding a thousand jin—such a vast amount that even the surrounding alchemists could hardly believe their eyes. Unbothered by the astonishment of the crowd, Xiao Yan lightly tapped the space, and instantly, numerous herbs separated from the flowing stream and swiftly entered the cauldron, where the dragon inside devoured them in one gulp. Under his precise control, the herbs above formed a continuous line, steadily feeding into the cauldron. Within just a few minutes, a powerful energy surge radiated outward from the cauldron, gently rippling the surrounding space. "So many herbs—more than what's needed to prepare the Bodhi Pill. Is he not simply making the Bodhi Pill?" "Why do most of the herbs resemble those used in refining the Bodhi Dan?" Xuan Kongzi furrowed his brows, murmuring. Regarding his question, the three elders of medicine also slowly shook their heads, equally uncertain about what Xiao Yan truly intended. "We can only now await the final outcome..." They sighed softly, setting aside their lingering doubts and focusing fully on the match unfolding before them. Xiao Yan's alchemy efforts stirred considerable activity, yet they did not hold everyone's attention fixed upon him. This was the Small Alchemy Tower, gathering among its ranks some of the most renowned alchemists from the Central Plains—alchemists whose standards were exceptionally high. Moreover, the alchemists competing alongside Xiao Yan were no mere average performers; each one produced a steady stream of thunderous achievements, their processes marked by dynamic energy and impressive momentum. Such a contest, if held in the Central Plains, would surely captivate countless alchemists. At this moment, the old master was fully focused on the cauldron, his surroundings aglow with several swirling streams of herbs. Periodically, he would lift individual herbs, each radiating a strong energy, and carefully drop them into the pot, where they were swiftly refined and solidified. Each step in the process was executed with remarkable fluency, exuding a masterful grace. On the stone platform, the seven elders slowly scanned the scene before them, finally offering a gentle nod. "It seems the chances of Hou Qing's victory are quite strong," one elder remarked, observing the old master's commanding presence. Upon hearing this, the other elders also nodded in agreement—Hou Qing's skill in potion-making was no less than theirs. Among them, the senior elder dressed in coarse cloth remained silent, his hands folded within his sleeves, his calm gaze steadily turning toward Xiao Yan's direction. Over the years, few individuals had ever truly eluded his penetrating insight—yet this young man named Xiao Yan, for some inexplicable reason, once again stirred that sense of unfamiliarity in him. This subtle feeling gave him a distinct premonition: this selection process would likely see the emergence of a truly exceptional contender, a黑马 so black in stature that he would stand out in an almost unrecognizable way. And as time passed, in a matter of five days, numerous cauldrons exhibited disturbances in their energy flows, eventually triggering energy surges that destroyed the essence of many medicinal ingredients within. Yet, for these setbacks, no one expressed disappointment. For the participants, failure in alchemy was as common as breathing—it was simply part of the routine. No one could guarantee a hundred percent success rate, and even Xiao Yan couldn't claim such a feat, as he had experienced frequent failures during these five days, destroying three cauldrons of ingredients altogether. However, after these five days, the group gradually settled into a steady rhythm, with the number of failures steadily decreasing. By the time another five days had passed, some of the medicinal vessels began to show clear traces of the initial forms of pills, and the fluctuations in the surrounding celestial energies grew increasingly intense. As time progressed, the atmosphere on the plaza grew ever more tense, and everyone could sense that the most thrilling moments were drawing near. If this were to happen in the Central Plains, it would surely draw countless astonished gazes. Yet here, upon witnessing the seven-colored pill thunder, many people merely shook their heads. This outcome clearly fell short of securing victory, as they had already seen five such occurrences over the past three days. "Another seven-colored pill thunder," Pyongong said, smiling as he gazed at the thunder in the sky. "Old Lin must be rather disappointed," the herbalist remarked, glancing at the elder who had summoned the seven-colored thunder. Now, the latter stood with a look of helpless resignation, shaking his head in evident dissatisfaction with his performance. Xuan Yi smiled gently and nodded, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan's direction, speaking softly, "It seems that right now, this young fellow is the most composed among all." Upon hearing this, Yao Lao nodded with a wry smile. Most of the others had already summoned Dan Lei, and even the slower ones were beginning to take shape with the initial forms of Dan herbs. Yet this one—his medicine cauldron showed no signs of reaction at all, and Xiao Yan's face bore no trace of urgency, as if either he were truly at ease or simply giving up. "Hou Lao is expected to successfully form the Dan within three days," said Xuan Kongzi. "If my assessment is correct, he is currently crafting the 'Yan Mo Qing Xuan Dan.' Should this Dan be perfected, it will surely attract the Nine-Colored Dan Lei." "Hmm," Yao Lao agreed, nodding slightly. "This old man's skill in medicine preparation has certainly improved significantly over the years." "If Xiao Yan truly wishes to defeat him, he must indeed prepare ninth-rank pill medicines—yet no matter how much he enhances the Bodhi Pill, it will never reach ninth rank," said the robe-clad elder. Though Xiao Yan once used external aids during a pill ceremony to artificially elevate the quality of his pills, that method no longer works now. After all, ninth and eighth rank are fundamentally different concepts. "He must have his own strategy," the elder hesitated, saying only this. Yet now, even he feels a growing sense of tension. The herbs Xiao Yan has been refining are not among the two ninth-rank prescriptions passed down to him. That means—if Xiao Yan doesn't possess other ninth-rank prescriptions—then this young man is simply making things up. And the gaze of the crowd was overwhelmingly focused on the two—Hou, the elder sage, and Xiao Yan. The former’s elixirs had already been clearly identified by the audience; should they succeed, they would surely summon the Nine-Colored Elixir Thunder, the strongest elixir thunder yet witnessed in the selection process. As for the latter, his attention had drawn stares simply through his unusual actions—since the beginning, no preliminary elixir forms had appeared within his cauldron, only a fiery dragon continuously swirling and dancing within it. Yet, within that dragon, no discernible elixir energy fluctuations had been sensed. Under the gaze of so many, the elder elder stood up with a confident demeanor. Though his face, usually as pale as a corpse, now bore a rather unpleasing smile, he then gave a scornful glance toward where Xiao Yan stood, his hands resting behind his back as he gazed at the thunderclouds above. After several turbulent shifts, the clouds finally unfolded their nine-hued brilliance—no surprise at all. "Indeed, the Nine-Color Thunder Pills!" the crowd couldn't help but marvel. "Ha! Yao Chen, it seems this time, I've triumphed!" The elder elder looked at the thunderclouds, then turned to Yao, the old man among the crowd, and coldly chuckled. Upon hearing this, Yao's brows furrowed slightly. As he prepared to speak, a gentle, measured laugh rose softly. "Perhaps not." At this, the elder elder's expression darkened. He turned his gaze toward the direction of the sound—where, at that very moment, Xiao Yan, who had been closed-eyed, slowly opened his eyes.