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  The medicine cauldron landed, followed by shouts.

  Suddenly, two flames, each of different hues, yet both appearing quite restrained, rose from their respective cauldrons. For a moment, the temperature of the world rapidly rose.

  "The Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron! Strange Fire!"

  "Good boy, your luck is truly enviable."

  "There's something wrong with this strange fire. Didn't he subdue the Three Thousand Flames of the Dan Tower? Why is it this color?"

  "It's like... a fusion of strange fires. I sense the properties of the Fallen Heart Flame and the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire in it. Given his strength, how did he achieve this?"

  Chen Guan's revealed medicine cauldron and flames immediately attracted many astonished glances, followed by voices of confusion and envy.

  The Heavenly Cauldron List medicine cauldron and strange fire were both divine artifacts that alchemists could only dream of, and even they didn't have such an opportunity.

  The commotion nearby also drew Old Monster Hou's attention. He was slightly startled, then sneered.

  "Flashy things are just empty talk; your true strength lies in your own level!"

  He said so, but anyone could see the envy and jealousy in his eyes.

  Chen Guan ignored him. With a flick of his finger, a burst of flames shot into the medicine cauldron. While the cauldron was warming, he went over the recipe he had memorized by heart in his mind one last time.

  "What recipe did you prepare for him?"

  Xuan Yi asked Xuan Kongzi from the crowd.

  To be absolutely sure of defeating Old Monster Hou, an eighth-grade elixir was no longer enough.

  The higher the level, the more important the recipe became. Without a ninth-grade recipe, refining any elixir was simply impossible.

  However, the rarity of ninth-grade medicinal formulas was, to some extent, no less than that of heaven-grade martial arts and fighting techniques. Even Xuan Yi himself, with the convenience of the Pill Tower, had only known a few ninth-grade medicinal formulas over the years, and those were all the lowest-grade ninth-grade precious pills.

  Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi shook his head.

  "I privately gave him a recipe for the Bodhi Transformation Pill, but it requires bodhi seeds as an ingredient. Without them, it's obviously impossible to refine. What he's preparing now is probably known only to old Yao Chen. At the end of the alchemy conference, he traded a fire and a recipe for the Heaven-Reinforcing Pill with Yao Chen. Both were things Yao Chen desperately needed at the time, and he took advantage of the opportunity to get a lot of benefits. As far as I know, one of them was a recipe for a ninth-grade pill."

  As Xuan Kongzi finished speaking, Chen Guan finally began to move. With a flip of his hand, a dense mass of medicinal herbs flew out of his ring, levitating around him. At a glance, there were probably no fewer than a thousand different kinds. Such a terrifying number left even the surrounding alchemists aghast.

  They were astonished at the complexity of the pill Chen Guan was trying to refine as they were at his collection.

  At their age, they couldn't even imagine possessing so many rare herbs.

  Chen Guan ignored the crowd's surprise. His mind was now intensely focused, his mind occupied only by alchemy. With a light tap of his finger, numerous herbs emerged from the torrent of medicinal materials, which were then rapidly poured into the cauldron, where they were instantly devoured by the surging flame dragon within.

  Blood Dendrobium, Danling Juice, Earth Core Jade Mother, Sky Cloud Fruit, and more—all high-grade herbs of Grade 8 or higher. The sheer volume of these herbs consumed was heartbreaking to watch, and only heightened anticipation for the elixir he would refine.

  In the sky, a dense mass of herbs, woven into a single line, formed a continuous stream as Chen Guan manipulated them. Within a few minutes, a terrifying wave of energy emanated from the cauldron, slowly rippling the surrounding space.

  Meanwhile, on the other side, Old Monster Hou finally made up his mind, unleashing a mountain of herbs to begin the refining process.

  The two men raced, one herb after another, into the cauldron. This single step alone was a dazzling spectacle.

  Given the level of skill present, they should have been able to glimpse the elixirs being refined from the various medicinal ingredients. However, today, everyone remained silent. Whether it was Old Monster Hou or Chen Guan, they were unsure of the elixirs they were refining.

  "We can only wait and see the final outcome," several elders sighed, lamenting the constant pressure of success. Then, they quickly suppressed their doubts and focused their attention on the competition.

  Refining elixirs, especially high-level ones, typically takes a considerable amount of time.

  For alchemists of Chen Guan and Old Monster Hou's caliber, it was common for ten days to half a month to complete a single refinement.

  The surrounding alchemists were well aware of this, and so, even as the days and months passed, day after day, none of them showed any signs of impatience. Instead, they watched with rapt interest.

  As the saying goes, laymen watch for the excitement, experts for the details. While others might be irritated by these alchemy competitions, for them, they were incredibly exciting.

  As time passed, seven days passed in the blink of an eye.   

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  During these seven days, chaotic energy fluctuations occasionally emanated from Chen Guan and Old Monster Hou's cauldrons, creating a scene of immense danger.

  Clearly, refining this elixir was a tremendous challenge for them.

  Fortunately, both were exceptional experts, their methods flawless, time and again defusing danger without a trace.

  After seven days of refining, the alchemists could clearly see their increasing mastery, their movements appearing natural, and the number of "dangerous" moments decreasing.

  They'd entered the state!

  In this mystical state of transformation, another eight days had passed in the blink of an eye, and a full half month had already passed since the beginning!

  "Hou Qing's elixir is almost complete, but Chen Guan's is still quiet."

  "Finishing it early doesn't necessarily mean victory; it often indicates inferior quality."

  "I doubt it. With his strength, how can he sustain the energy required to refine a ninth-grade elixir? Even if he succeeds, the black magic thunder won't be enough for him to handle. According to the rules, no one else can help."

  Several elders, seated below the Great Elder on the platform, murmured quietly. From their conversation, it was clear that their preferences differed slightly.

  The Great Elder remained silent, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his calm gaze directed in Chen Guan's direction.

  Over the years, few people had ever astonished him, yet the young man named Chen Guan exuded that aura.

  In his early twenties, with such soul strength, he'd never seen anyone like him in his entire life!

  For someone so full of miracles, why wouldn't he create another miracle?

  ...

  Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

  "Boom!"

  Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed through the heavens and earth. A powerful wave of energy suddenly spread out, and immediately, clouds above the sky coalesced like lightning.

  In an instant, everyone's attention was drawn to the scene.

  "Is Old Monster Hou's elixir almost ready?"

  someone exclaimed at the sight.

  Under the gaze of the crowd, Old Monster Hou rose to his feet with high spirits, a grimace on his face, which looked like a dead man. Then, with a sneer, he glanced in Chen Guan's direction. With his hands behind his back, he gazed at the thunderclouds in the sky. After several rounds of churning, they finally, as expected, revealed nine colors.

  "It's indeed the Nine-Colored Pill Thunder!"

  Everyone exclaimed in amazement.

  It seemed quite reasonable.

  "Haha, Xuankongzi, it seems I've got the upper hand this time!"

  Old Monster Hou stared at the thunderclouds, then turned to Xuankongzi in the crowd and laughed heartily.

  However, all he got in response was a huge eye roll from Xuan Kongzi...

  "Before the dust settles, you're busy celebrating. Don't let that slap you in the face."

  Xuan Kongzi was a master at delivering sarcastic remarks.

  Hearing this, Hou Laoguai's expression darkened. He turned his gaze towards his opponent, only to see Chen Guan, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opening them at that moment.

  "Teacher, you're right. The Nine-Colored Pill Lightning is stunning, but if we want to finalize it..."

  "Not enough!"

  (End of Chapter)