"Boom! Boom!" A terrifying energy storm raged violently in the heavens, turning the space within a thousand zhang into an utter blackness. Under the force of this devastating collision, the very fabric of space had completely collapsed. Gazing at the blackened expanse above, most of the onlookers exhibited visible reactions—though they had lived for many years, such a powerful encounter had been rare. Everyone knew that if caught within the storm's vortex, their current capabilities would barely sustain them for two breaths, and their very souls would shatter instantly. "Xiao Yan dared to withstand the Black Demon Thunder directly?" murmured several elders on the dais, astonished. "Xiao Yan is only at the initial stage of a one-star Stellar Saint. To withstand a single Black Demon Thunder is not an insurmountable challenge." The senior elder dressed in hemp fabric glanced upward, his voice calm and measured. "This black magic lightning, while not as numerous as eighth-grade dan lightning, possesses an exceptionally powerful impact. That single strike earlier—half-Saint-level cultivators would hardly dare to absorb it casually." "First-Star Battle Saint?" Hearing this, the six elders standing beside him all felt a subtle ripple of astonishment. Though they had anticipated it, the confirmation from the senior elder still stirred a sense of awe within them. After years of cultivation, they had finally reached the half-Saint level, yet Xiao Yan had surpassed them at such a young age—indeed, it was hard not to respect him. "It seems Xiao Yan will emerge victorious this time," one elder murmured, sighing lightly. "With that, the alliance's position will likely secure a decisive advantage." "The alliance may indeed violate the Dan-ta traditions, but sometimes, necessity calls for action. The Huan Pavilion is strong, and behind it lies the Huan lineage as well. If the Dan-ta wishes to survive, forging alliances may well be a viable path. The Senior Elder paused, then said, "Rules and regulations—rules only exist when there is a tower. If the tower itself is gone, what remains of the rules?" Hearing the Senior Elder's tone soften, the others exchanged glances and slowly nodded in agreement. Above, the violent energy storm that had raged for over a dozen minutes finally began to subside. As the storm faded, the collapsed space gradually repaired itself, and warm sunlight once again poured down from the horizon, bathing the mountain peak in golden light. With the storm receding, a wave of eyes turned toward the sky, where a young figure stood motionless in the air—unharmed by the once-fierce energy storm." In the sky, sensing the dissipating storm, Xiao Yan's taut body gradually relaxed. He clenched his fists, a numbness spreading from them. The power of the Black Demon Thunder had also proven more formidable than he had anticipated. Since their initial contact, Xiao Yan realized that if he hadn't reached the level of Battle Saint, his fate would likely have been no better than that of the five Heavenly Spirit Statues. "This is indeed the Dan Thunder summoned by the Ninth-Rank Elixir Pill—remarkable," he murmured in his heart. Though the Black Demon Thunder was impressive, its quantity remained limited. After discharging a single streak of black lightning, the thick black clouds in the sky began to slowly fade away. "Roar!" At the very moment the clouds began to dissipate, the dragon below suddenly erupted into a loud, skyward roar. Then, its massive body burst forth with a brilliant radiance, and a powerful surge of energy surged outward from within. "Boom!" "As the energy surge grew more and more violent, eventually, the dragon let out a mournful cry, its massive body bursting open amidst the stunned gazes of all present. At the very moment its body shattered, a streak of light suddenly surged forth from within, swiftly racing toward the heavens, veiled by the spreading flames. 'You want to go?' However, as this streak of light just emerged, Xiao Yan burst into laughter, his figure flickering like a ghost, appearing instantly before the light, and reaching out to grasp it with a powerful hand. 'Roar!' Facing Xiao Yan's grasp, the streak of light rapidly expanded, transforming within moments into a colossal, fearsome beast with massive claws that sliced through the air with a sharp wind, delivering a powerful blow toward Xiao Yan. 'Thud!' Upon impact, the beast let out a piercing cry, its massive form swiftly recoiling and flying backward. Seeing the colossal beast projecting outward, Xiao Yan smiled and closed the distance once more. As Xiao Yan approached again, a powerful glow surged from within the beast, and its body rapidly shrank. In a flash, it condensed into a human figure. As the light faded, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned—there, standing in the sky, was another "Xiao Yan." The ninth-rank medicinal pill that had transformed into the appearance of Xiao Yan clearly did not understand human speech, and thus only roared incessantly at Xiao Yan. This unusual development attracted many curious glances from the onlookers. A ninth-rank pill was something rarely seen even among the present master pharmacologists, and when they witnessed this pill taking on human form, they all expressed amazement. "Haha! This young man has truly succeeded in crafting the pill—though it remains unclear what kind of medicine it is. A ninth-rank pill, after all, cannot be produced without a specific prescription." Xuan Kongzi chuckled. The Elder of the Herbs shook his head. While he didn't recognize the medicine Xiao Yan had created, he could sense a distinct hint of Bodhi Pill within it—yet clearly, this pill surpassed the Bodhi Pill in strength by several measures. In the sky, Xiao Yan didn't linger long with the ninth-rank precious pill. He seized the right moment, grasped it with his hand, sealed it off, and then swiftly ascended. As his fingers lightly touched the elder's forehead, the ninth-rank pill trembled instantly and rapidly shrank, transforming into a perfectly round pill of emerald green, about the size of a dragon's eye. The pill hovered in the palm of Xiao Yan, releasing layers of pill vapor that gently swirled around it, creating a particularly magical sight. Only after securing this ninth-rank pill did Xiao Yan slowly descend from the sky. He glanced at the elder, whose face alternated between pale and cyan—now holding a crimson pill in his hand, though clearly at a disadvantage compared to Xiao Yan's. "Ladies and gentlemen," said a senior elder, smiling as Xiao Yan settled down, "please each present your respective pills." "The Yanmo Qingxuan Pill, an eighth-rank pill that emits nine-colored lightning, has the potential to induce mutation in a cultivator's fire-based qi when consumed, thereby enhancing combat effectiveness." Old Hou, stroking the pill in his hands, spoke with a touch of pride—regardless of whether he ultimately won or lost, the very fact that he had crafted this Yanmo Qingxuan Pill demonstrated his mastery. Such a pill capable of inducing qi mutation was no ordinary achievement, something only a few could accomplish. "What about you, Xiao Yan?" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, even the senior elder was moved. Breaking from the peak of the Battle Sovereign realm into the half-Saint stage was widely recognized as one of the most difficult milestones—countless top-tier cultivators were stuck at this stage, unable to advance until their very lives ended. It was precisely because of this that a Bodhi Pill had long been a source of intense desire among Battle Sovereign-level cultivators. Originally, the success rate of the Bodhi Pill was around twenty percent. Now, with the success rate doubled, it has soared to an astonishing fifty percent. That means merely one Bodhi Great Restoration Pill can increase a Battle Sovereign-level cultivator's chances of success by fifty percent. Should this news spread, the Battle Sovereign-level cultivators would surely arrive at the Starfall Pavilion with tears in their eyes, willing to risk everything, even their entire fortunes, to seek out the alchemical mastery. This Bodhi Great Revitalizing Pill is essentially an enhanced version of the Bodhi Pill. It was refined through countless experiments during the hundred lifetimes of reincarnation within the Bodhi Tree, a process that only Xiao Yan personally experienced and mastered. This type of pill can only be crafted by Xiao Yan himself—someone who possesses unique fire and has undergone Bodhi-heart cultivation. Others, even if they know the formula, simply cannot achieve such a remarkable enhancement in the effectiveness of the Bodhi Pill. The only slight drawback is that the Bodhi Great Revitalizing Pill requires Bodhi seeds as its primary ingredient—a rare celestial treasure that is extremely scarce. Even in Xiao Yan’s possession, there are fewer than ten seeds available. "Then again..." the senior elder dressed in hemp looked at Xiao Yan and finally spoke slowly. "The Bodhi Great Restoration Pill is of a higher quality than the Yanmo Qingxuan Pill. Therefore, the final winner of this selection... is Xiao Yan."