The developments proved especially dramatic. Suddenly, Xiao Yi charged into Hounu Xi's flame cauldron, snatching the nascent, unformed pill right out of it. This scene not only left Hounu Xi thunderstruck and furious, but even Xi Xiao himself was utterly stunned—this had nothing to do with him at all; it was entirely Xiao Yi's initiative. On the plaza, numerous elders from the medicinal clan, both overseeing the pills and the medicinal lineage, stared in wide-eyed disbelief. After a moment, their faces contorted with a mixture of surprise and suppressed laughter—such a comical struggle to hold back smiles. No one could have imagined that Xi Xiao's unique flame spirit was so exceptional. While Hounu Xi had merely seized some of their energy, this spirit had gone further, boldly plunging into the cauldron itself and even pulling the nascent pill right out. "Well deserved," the elders murmured, now delightedly resentful of Hounu Xi's earlier actions. The first to take the elixir was equally at a loss, shaking her head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. What had started as a splendid competition in alchemy had unexpectedly devolved into a scene of fierce rivalry—something that left the onlookers utterly helpless. "This boy truly doesn't follow the usual path," the elder pharmacist remarked, chuckling and scolding. Yet he didn't know that this matter had absolutely nothing to do with Xiao Yan at all. Not far off, thunder and lightning roared. Houn Xū's face was pale with cold fury; the composed demeanor he had carried all along had been completely shattered by Xiao Yi's actions. Such a thing had scarcely happened to him in his entire life—after years of painstaking efforts to cultivate a nascent elixir, he had not even seen its form before Xiao Yi had snatched it away. His outrage was so profound that words could scarcely convey it. As Houn Xū roared in anger, a surge of black flame erupted suddenly from his fire cauldron, coalescing into a massive black fire dragon that surged wildly toward Xiao Xiang, its sharp, piercing maw radiating an endless force of consumption. "Since you cherish energy so dearly, Houn Xū," said the elder, "then allow me to present you with a gift!" Just as the black fire dragon swept forward, a wave of green flame surged upward from below. Within the green sea of fire, towering ancient trees sprouted instantly and then curled like vines, wrapping tightly around the black fire dragon. "Shen Nong Elder, dare you challenge me?" The sudden assault, though not causing significant harm to the Black Flame Dragon, had effectively held it in place. Seeing this, Houn Xu's expression instantly grew cold as he turned his gaze toward the distant Shen Nong Elder, his voice sharp and commanding. "I've lived through so many years, and never have I been afraid of anyone. As for you—a mere pretender who has betrayed your master—I would gladly erase you from this world entirely if I could, so as not to tarnish the reputation of the alchemical master." Facing Houn Xu's fierce outburst, Shen Nong Elder responded with a cold laugh, his tone revealing a striking sense of authority. "With you? A weary old man who's grown complacent—have you even considered taking my Ling Shen Flame yet? Now you dare to initiate this confrontation on your own?" Houn Xu's eyes glowed with frost, a grim smile curling at his lips. With a firm grasp of his hand, the Black Flame Dragon roared skyward, opening its massive maw to the green sea of flames below, its devouring power surging forth and completely engulfing the green flame sea within its body. "Wu!" As Huixu Zi was about to engulf the sea of flames, a sudden, powerful vortex of pale black wind violently struck his body, sending the flames bursting outward and hurling the black flame dragon backward. "You, Medicinal Clan—do you truly intend to wage war against our Spirit Clan?" With yet another obstacle, Huixu Zi's face grew terrifyingly stern, his piercing gaze fixed on Wanhuo, the elder, as he spoke coldly. "During a contest of strength, there is no distinction between clans. Should it only be permitted for you to attack me, and not for me to attack you? That is utterly absurd!" Wanhuo waved his sleeve, delivering a sharp, mocking remark. "Good... good..." The Houn Xuzi's eyes twitched with agitation, yet he laughed bitterly, his hands trembling with fury. Deep within his gaze, strange black flames surged like serpents, writhing and coiling. As these flames neared the surface of his eyes, he hesitated—seeming to recall something—and then gently restrained them, his voice cold and sharp. "With just you two, do you truly expect to stop me?" With those words, the black flame dragon erupted violently, instantly ensnaring the storm of nine abyssal winds in a tight embrace. The two colossal forces now spiraled wildly in the sky, showering the heavens with scorching fire rain. Fortunately, the elders of the Medicine Clan intervened, preventing the downpour from completely destroying the Medicine Mountain. "There isn't much time—we need to extract the energy from this immature elixir first..." Xiang Yin thought it over and returned his focus to the elixir before him. The energy required to refine a ninth-rank pure elixir was astonishing, but if he added Huixu Zi's immature elixir as well, his chances of success would improve significantly. For ordinary alchemists, it was generally unthinkable to draw energy from another elixir, since the medicinal properties of different elixirs varied, and mixing them haphazardly often led to failure. Yet Xiang Yin had no such concerns. The purifying power of Jinglian's phoenix fire would transform whatever substance entered Xiao Yi's body into the most refined energy—regardless of its original medicinal nature. "Xiao Yi!" With a thought, Xiao Yan sensed the connection with Xiao Yi, who immediately opened her mouth and swallowed the fledgling elixir whole. Instantly, vast energy surged throughout her body, causing it to rapidly expand until it became a colossal infant, hovering in the sky. "Shhh!" As Xiao Yi's form swelled, the luminous orb within her grew ever more brilliant, eventually transforming into a towering beam of light that plunged into the fire cauldron. The immense energy contained within the beam was so powerful it left the onlookers awestruck. "You insolent fool!" Upon sensing the elixir being absorbed, Hounxu, who had a certain connection with it, instantly felt the surge of anger, his eyes blazing crimson. With a roar, he launched himself into the black flame dragon, and as his body entered, the dragon's power surged dramatically. With a single sweep of its tail, the green sea of flames and the black whirlwinds of fire were violently ruptured and dispersed. Staring at the soul-void disciple charging forward with fierce intensity, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. With a flick of his finger, a streak of black light flashed beside him. Northern King slammed his foot into the void, launching himself like a mortar shell, directly colliding with the black flame dragon. Instantly, a fierce battle erupted. While Xiao Yan summoned Northern King to stall the soul-void disciple, the luminous orb within Xiao Yi gradually dimmed, finally fading into nothingness, its energy fully purified and then transferred into Xiao Yan's fire cauldron. "Still not enough..." After consuming the soul-void disciple's embryonic pill, although the energy within the cauldron had become thick as liquid, it still failed to cohere. Seeing this, Xiao Yan's brows tightened. The celestial and terrestrial energy required for a ninth-rank phoenix pill was simply too immense. "Xiao Yan," the elder said, "my embryonic pill has been disrupted by the soul-void disciple's assault. Today, I shall bestow upon you a rare opportunity. Whether or not you succeed in crafting the ninth-rank phoenix pill—my lifelong aspiration—will depend entirely on your fortune." As Xiao Yan once again struggled with his energy, the distant Shen Nong elder observed his current condition and waved his hand, sending a glowing orb that shot forth from the cauldron and finally aimed at Xiao Yi. "Thank you, Elder Shen Nong," Xiao Yan exclaimed, bowing deeply in gratitude. "Ah, it's been several hundred years since I've seen a Ninth-Rank Xuandan emerge. This time, I'll just take this as an opportunity to broaden my own horizons," said the Wan Huo elder, who had hesitated initially but eventually sighed softly. Amidst the astonished gazes of the numerous herbal clan elders, he reached into the cauldron, withdrew his own nascent dan, and tossed it toward Xiao Yan. "Thank you!" Xiao Yan glanced at Wan Huo elder with a thoughtful expression, for the first time feeling a genuine sense of goodwill toward this herbal clan member. He then promptly extended his arms, took the two nascent dawns, and infused them into Xiao Yi's body—immediately transforming them into two magnificent beams of light that plunged into the cauldron. With this vast, indescribable energy pouring in, the liquid energy swirling within the fire cauldron began to rapidly dissipate at that very moment. At the very center of the full-bodied liquid, a tiny glimmer of light slowly emerged. So many marvels had they witnessed as a pharmacist, yet even now, they could not help but feel their hearts tremble, some kneeling and bowing low at the very feet. Watching this scene, the foremost pharmacist took a deep breath, his voice slightly trembling, murmuring softly: "Rain of pills descending—divine pills emerging!"