This astounding sight immediately drew a collective gasp from the crowd below the platform.
*Hiss!!*
"Who is this guy?! With such terrifying alchemy skills, he can't possibly be a nobody!"
"Could he be the Tiandan Sect's chief disciple? Or perhaps one of their elders?"
The elderly alchemist who had spoken earlier now stared wide-eyed, his gaze glued to Cao Yan on the platform.
Across from him, Wang Heyang was shaken to his core by what he saw!!
The flames in his hands flickered violently, and in that split second, he nearly lost control and ruined the ingredients inside his cauldron!
Cold sweat beaded on Wang Heyang's forehead. *Impossible!!* he roared internally. *How could he control so many streams of flame at once?!*
*Even the elders in our pavilion wouldn't dare control this many while refining spirit herbs!!*
*He must be putting on a show!! Yes!! That has to be it!*
At this thought, Wang Heyang calmed down somewhat, gradually steadying his fluctuating emotions.
Arrogant though he was, it had to be said that Wang Heyang possessed genuine talent in the craft of alchemy. His ability to regain his composure alone set him above many of his peers.
Beneath his black robe, however, Cao Yan's lips curved into a sneer, his state growing increasingly sharper.
In less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Cao Yan entered a state of selflessness, his mind clear of all stray thoughts.
His entire being was immersed in the alchemy. Even the murmuring crowd below faded from his hearing.
Yet his hands moved faster and faster!
The number of spirit herbs being refined simultaneously by the flames inside his cauldron continued to climb!
Six! Seven! Ten!!!
While Wang Heyang refining two herbs at once had already been astonishing, Cao Yan's refinement technique struck the few alchemists below as utterly unbelievable!
To their eyes, such a method was practically unthinkable!
Standing behind him, Li Guanqi and Ye Feng also looked astonished. Ye Feng muttered under his breath, "Tsk, who knew Big Head was this good at alchemy?!"
Li Guanqi's eyes flickered, a proud smile touching the corner of his lips.
It seemed the Longevity Grass was as good as theirs!
He turned his head slightly and cast a glance toward the third floor.
A woman with a shapely, alluring figure stood there, her gaze meeting his at that very moment.
Light glinted in her fox-like eyes. From what she had witnessed so far, there was no longer any need to keep watching.
The victor had already been decided.
As Cao Yan grew even faster, his movements flowed like water, devoid of a single wasted motion.
Everything seemed effortlessly natural—and Wang Heyang saw every bit of it.
Though he had managed to steady his mind through self-delusion, panic had begun to set in.
Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose, and his eyes filled with dread at the prospect of defeat.
Reluctant though he was to admit it, his opponent was far superior to him in alchemy...
The two of them were simply not on the same level. In fact, he had never seen such effortless composure even among the elders of Yundan Pavilion!
Less than half a shichen had passed, yet Cao Yan had already finished refining every single spirit herb; the next step was to begin forming the pills.
Meanwhile, Wang Heyang had only managed to refine a third of his own herbs.
Confronted by this disparity, the thought of losing the duel and forfeiting the Longevity Grass threw him into further disarray!
At the thought of the furious reaction from the Sixth Elder, whose lifespan was nearing its end, Wang Heyang shuddered, his concentration slipping for a fraction of a second.
Yet that single lapse caused a fluctuation in his divine sense. Losing control of the flames, fire flared up violently inside his cauldron!
The mishap broke him out in a cold sweat. Even with all his efforts to regain control, part of the spirit essence had already been damaged.
Wang Heyang's expression turned exceedingly grim. Even if he managed to complete the refinement now, he could only guarantee seventy percent medicinal potency at best!!
Helpless, he had no choice but to stall for time!
Yet stalling was hardly a solution. If spirit essence extracted by flame was not combined with new essence or condensed into a pill within a certain window, prolonged scorching would eventually reduce it to ash. He could not stall indefinitely even if he wanted to.
At this point, Wang Heyang could only pray for the Sixth Elder to arrive sooner, hoping they might use Yundan Pavilion's authority to break up the match.
Cao Yan, however, had no intention of letting him buy time. His hands moved with mounting speed as the flames within his cauldron flared and dimmed, merging the essence faster and faster!
Half a shichen later, an immensely powerful surge of divine sense erupted from within Cao Yan, and the flames roared!
The onlookers below grew tense at the sight, knowing that this was the decisive, final moment that would determine whether the pill was successfully formed.
In an instant, everyone in the hall held their breath, their eyes fixed entirely on Cao Yan!
Up on the third floor, Qianqiusui spoke to the empty room: "Activate the third teleportation array. Prepare to send the three of them away and escort them for a hundred li."
A voice replied quietly from the shadows in the corner of the room: "Understood."
The corners of the woman's lips curled up, and she murmured, "A rather fine deal indeed."
*Boom!!*
The flames within the cauldron surged violently. Cao Yan rose abruptly and bellowed, "Condense!!!"
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!!!*
The cauldron before Cao Yan trembled slightly, followed immediately by a crisp, chiming rattle from within.
In a flash, a dense pill fragrance diffused outward from the cauldron.
Cao Yan stood up straight, struck the cauldron with a palm, and sent the lid flying open!
Right before everyone's eyes, nine round, fingernail-sized pills emerged.
They were milky white all over, radiating a wisp of heat that made them appear scalding hot.
The old alchemist closest to the platform saw everything with crystal clarity. When he made out the number of pills, an exclamation burst from his throat.
"The ultimate nine! That fragrance... they're at least ninety percent potent, perhaps even of perfect grade!!"
"There are already faint pill markings forming—truly flawless!! Just who is this person?!"
Cao Yan cast a sideways glance at Wang Heyang and sneered, "You've lost."
Wang Heyang had only just begun merging his essence, nowhere near the point of condensing pills. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that much of the medicinal potency inside his cauldron had already been ruined.
Even if he saw this batch through to the end, reaching seventy percent potency would be fortunate, and in quantity he could not even begin to compare with Cao Yan.
Yet hearing those words, Wang Heyang put on a frosty expression and snapped, "Hmph! What's the rush? It isn't over until the final moment!"
Though he talked tough, anxiety clawed at his chest. He knew full well that if he stalled any longer, his batch would be completely ruined.
Yet he did not dare surrender and hand over the stakes right now...
He was terrified of what would happen if the Sixth Elder found out; the man would flay him alive.
Wang Heyang's throat bobbed, and he could only stubbornly insist, "We'll settle it once the pills are finished!"
Chapter 237