Chapter 649 - 643: Alchemy Preparation

Atop the stone platforms, the many contestants took out the Spirit Medicines they had gathered from the Medicinal Garden. All who had made it to the third round were at least Sixth Grade Alchemists, and the elixirs they were refining were likewise of the Sixth Grade. Dozens of Spirit Medicines danced in their palms before being tossed into their Pill Furnaces. Although they knew they wouldn’t be the ones to win, they still wanted to give it their all and put on a show. This stage belonged to them, too.

Most of the Alchemists began their refinement process, and the scene instantly grew lively. Hundreds of Sixth Grade Alchemists refining elixirs at once—a spectacle that could likely only be witnessed during the battle for the Pill Emperor.

Glancing at the Alchemists who had already begun, Shen Haoran calmly sat down cross-legged. He laid out the Spirit Medicines required for the Great Heaven Creation Pill, which densely covered his stone table—a total of fifty-three different kinds. With the ingredients arranged, his gaze shifted to the four elevated stone platforms. He saw Tian Ruyi, Wu Daotian, and the one he was most wary of: the Saint Child of Holy Light City. They were all sitting quietly, the number of Spirit Medicines before them similar to his own—at least fifty types. ’It seems they’re all refining Seventh Grade Elixirs!’

Shen Haoran withdrew his gaze, refocusing his mind on the task at hand. He stared at the Spirit Medicines for the Great Heaven Creation Pill laid out before him, his thoughts racing. ’Feng Miaoke and the others have been Seventh Grade Alchemists for quite some time,’ he mused. ’They must be extremely familiar with refining Seventh Grade Elixirs; otherwise, they wouldn’t be considered the seed players for this battle for the Pill Emperor. But for me... this is my first time attempting one since my breakthrough.’

Refining a Seventh Grade Elixir was a different beast entirely from a Sixth Grade one. It wasn’t enough to simply fuse the Essence of Spiritual Medicine according to the Pill Recipe. There was another crucial step: Spirit Infusion—pouring Spiritual Qi into the elixir to complete a Seventh Grade Spirit Pill.

It might sound like just one extra step compared to refining a Sixth Grade Elixir, but this step was the most important and critical part of the process. It was an extreme test of an Alchemist’s timing and their control over their own Spiritual Thought. If the Spirit Infusion came too early, the elixir would fail to congeal. If it came too late, it would become a useless dud. Success depended on seizing the perfect moment and infusing just the right amount of Spiritual Qi—not too much, not too little. In short, it was incredibly difficult.

’I only have three chances!’ Shen Haoran thought, glancing at the Spirit Medicines on his table. While he had plenty of the other ingredients, he only had enough Dragon Saliva Fruit, Red Spirit Root, and Ice-Skin Jade Vine for three attempts. This meant he had to succeed within those three tries.

’This is going to be difficult,’ Shen Haoran mused, rubbing his forehead with a wry smile. ’Not only do I have to succeed within three tries, but I also have to produce Pill Patterns, or maybe even a Pill Cloud. The Great Heaven Creation Pill isn’t a top-tier elixir among Seventh Grade ones, and the elixirs Feng Miaoke and the others are refining surely won’t be of a lower grade. To beat them, I have no choice but to create Pill Patterns—or even the legendary Pill Cloud!’

At this thought, Shen Haoran took a deep breath, his gaze slowly hardening with resolve. ’I have to take first place in this battle for the Pill Emperor. No matter what, I must win!’

Shen Haoran pushed aside his distracting thoughts and closed his eyes. He began to mentally review the refinement method for the Great Heaven Creation Pill, focusing on all the critical points. With only three chances, he had to be cautious.

Time ticked by. A medicinal fragrance slowly began to waft over the Medicine Hall’s Central Square, released as the Spirit Medicines were refined into their essences. After a full day, this faint, fragrant aroma permeated the entire square. Most of the Alchemists had already finished turning their ingredients into Essence of Spiritual Medicine.

After a full day and night of meditation, Feng Miaoke and the other top contenders slowly opened their eyes, which now shone with confidence. Atop her high platform, Feng Miaoke was the first to act. With a wave of her elegant hand, she sent more than a dozen Spirit Medicines flying into her Pill Furnace. Her Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame materialized as a giant, crimson bird that swallowed the ingredients whole and began to refine them with furious intensity.

This spectacular display sent the audience into a frenzy, with crowds screaming Feng Miaoke’s name. Hearing the roars, each wave louder than the last, a satisfied smile touched Feng Miaoke’s lips. Her eyes flickered to the side, landing on Shen Haoran, who remained perfectly still with his eyes closed. She let out a disdainful snort before returning to her refinement.

Following Feng Miaoke’s lead, Long Aotian and the others also rose to their feet and began their own refinement processes. Soon, every single contestant was at work—except for Shen Haoran, who remained lost in thought, his eyes still closed.

The members of the Demon Race in the audience weren’t familiar with Shen Haoran. They were merely shocked and envious that he possessed the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. Now, seeing him still meditating, they began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Why hasn’t that guy started refining yet?"

"The goddess Feng Miaoke and Long Aotian are both making Seventh Grade Elixirs, so their period of contemplation is naturally more complex. Is that kid planning to refine a Seventh Grade Elixir too? No way!"

"Judging by his platform, he seems to be from one of the twenty major branch halls. But among those, only the top three have the strength to contend with the four seed players. Even if that kid has the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, it doesn’t necessarily mean his Alchemy is anything special!"

Murmurs of discussion rippled through the stands, but Shen Haoran didn’t open his eyes. He sat there quietly, as if the world around him had ceased to exist.

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

For an Alchemist, three days was nothing. Sometimes, refining a single elixir could take an entire month. By now, most of the contestants were preparing to fuse their Essence of Spiritual Medicine, yet Shen Haoran still hadn’t stirred.

’Hmph, what an act! There’s only half a month left. Let’s see how long you can keep this up!’ Feng Miaoke thought with a disdainful snort as she glanced at the still-unmoving Shen Haoran. By this point, she had finished refining all her auxiliary Spirit Medicines and was preparing to work on the main ingredients, making her the fastest among the Seventh Grade Alchemists.

As if on cue, Shen Haoran’s closed eyelids twitched slightly before fluttering open. The last traces of hesitation in them vanished, replaced by utter confidence. Over the past three days, he had meticulously studied every detail regarding the Great Heaven Creation Pill within the Alchemy Dao, and his confidence had soared.

’Now, it’s time to put it to the test.’ Shen Haoran stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes.

’Looks like I’ve fallen pretty far behind. Time to catch up!’ Shen Haoran noted the fluctuations coming from the pill furnaces of Feng Miaoke and the others, then chuckled softly. With a grand wave of his hand, he used his Spiritual Thought to sweep up all the Spirit Medicines from his table—aside from the three main ingredients. Then, to the utter astonishment of the entire crowd, he tossed them all into his Pill Furnace at once...