Champion

"Why does he have the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Xiao Yan was completely stunned.

Could this be a second Green Lotus Core Flame?

Or was Ning Su a member of the Snake-People Race?

But Ning Su did not have a tail either.

"Teacher, what's going on?"

Yao Lao was also surprised, but with his vast experience, he quickly calmed down.

"There are two possibilities for his Green Lotus Core Flame. One is the one Queen Medusa obtained; the other is that it is another one."

"Though Heavenly Flames are rare, not every type of Heavenly Flame is unique."

"Most Heavenly Flames can exist in pairs, or even threes, though that requires a rather long time."

"We never saw him when we went to the Snake-People Race. If he truly were one of them, he would never dare venture into this place alone," Yao Lao said.

Although they had only seen the Green Lotus Core Flame in Queen Medusa's possession, that did not mean there was only one Green Lotus Core Flame.

Yao Lao was more inclined to believe that this was another Green Lotus Core Flame.

After all, if Ning Su were from the Snake-People Race, even Queen Medusa would not have dared come here alone.

"I didn't expect his luck to be this good, finding a second Green Lotus Core Flame." Xiao Yan felt a little envious.

"Stop envying him and focus on refining the pill." Yao Lao snapped him back to attention.

This was the most critical stage of pill formation. There could be no carelessness.

The Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the Green Lotus Core Flame competed from afar.

Though there was no obvious friction or collision, both of them chose to use Heavenly Flames to condense their pills at the final moment.

Now, it all came down to what kind of pills the two of them could refine!

On the elevated platform, Nalan Yanran watched the two men at the center of everyone's attention, an indescribable gleam flickering in her eyes.

"They both have Heavenly Flames. Does that mean Grandpa can be saved?"

Nalan Jie's illness required a Heavenly Flame to treat.

During this time, they had posted notices in an attempt to find an alchemist with a Heavenly Flame, yet they had never succeeded.

But she had never expected that there would be two people with Heavenly Flames on this stage, before everyone's eyes!

"Once the competition ends, I need to ask them for help." She murmured softly, already forming a plan in her heart.

The two completed their pills almost simultaneously.

A rich medicinal fragrance spread through the surroundings, and even a faint purple-colored pill fragrance filled the air.

"They actually caused colored pill fragrance. These two youngsters are quite capable!" Fa Ma was astonished.

Colored pill fragrance was a phenomenon that only pills of fifth grade or above could produce.

Of course, the colored pill fragrance Xiao Yan and Ning Su had triggered was not especially dense, so it had yet to reach the level of a fifth-grade pill.

Still, it was already a peak fourth-grade pill.

"These two really timed it down to the wire."

Just as the two finished their pills, the timing hourglass also ran out.

Xiao Yan and Ning Su both saw the pill the other had refined—it was also a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill!

"He refined a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill too?" Xiao Yan was surprised.

Now this was interesting.

Fa Ma personally stepped in to inspect the pills they had refined.

When he saw that both had refined Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, he could not help being surprised as well.

"They're both Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills?"

When comparing alchemy, the best situation was for everyone to refine the same kind of pill.

That way, the variables could be controlled, making it possible to directly determine whose alchemy was more proficient.

But the quality of Xiao Yan's and Ning Su's Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills was nearly identical. At first glance, there was not even any visible difference between them.

"Please wait a moment. We judges will inspect the two pills and determine which one is better."

Holding the two pills, Fa Ma turned and went back to study them with the people from the Alchemist Guild.

Everyone waited patiently for the result.

Even Fa Ma could not tell on the spot whose pill was better, which showed that their abilities were roughly equal.

"Are their alchemy skills really that good?" the Little Princess could not help muttering.

But she had to admit that the colored pill fragrances produced when Ning Su and Xiao Yan refined their pills were indeed stronger than everyone else's.

Ning Su felt a little nervous as well.

Who would come out on top in the end?

Five minutes later.

Fa Ma and the others reached a conclusion after discussing it.

"After a joint evaluation and discussion by the many alchemists of our guild, we believe that the quality and refinement of these two pills are roughly equal."

"However, Ning Su's pill was superior in terms of heat control."

"Therefore, the winner of the final round is Ning Su!"

"In other words, the Champion of this Alchemist Competition is—Ning Su!"

Following Fa Ma's loud announcement.

The entire venue fell into brief silence.

A moment later, unprecedented cheers erupted, wave after wave resounding through the venue.

It had been far too spectacular!

Two Heavenly Flames competing on the same stage, clashing against one another—it was a sight they had never seen before, and it left them deeply shocked.

No matter whether Xiao Yan or Ning Su won in the end, they would not have found it unfair.

"Did I lose?"

Hearing the result, Xiao Yan could not help feeling disappointed.

"Bone Spirit Cold Flame was clearly stronger than the Green Lotus Core Flame, yet I still lost in the end."

"The raw strength of a Heavenly Flame alone doesn't mean much. What matters more is its wielder."

"His mastery of the Green Lotus Core Flame is clearly greater than your mastery of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. It's only natural that you lost," Yao Lao said.

Even so.

Xiao Yan was still unwilling to accept it.

But what could he do, even if he was unwilling?

He could not exactly refuse to accept the Alchemist Guild's ruling.

Amid countless cheers, Fa Ma personally stepped onto the stage, looking at Ning Su with approval.

"Not bad, young man. Your technique is skillful, and the quality of this Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill is excellent. Even the Fourth-Rank Alchemists in our guild would be unable to refine it."

"You flatter me, President Fa Ma. Since I'm the Champion now, then the Champion's reward..."

"You brat, already thinking about the reward?"

Of course he was thinking about it!

If it had not been for the Champion's reward, Ning Su would not have bothered participating in the Alchemist Competition.

"Don't worry. We're not so shameless as to withhold your reward."

"Here, this is one of the Champion's rewards—the formula for the Six-Grade Pill, the Spirit Fusion Pill."

Pill formulas were treasures to alchemists.

Perhaps a particular formula might be useless to one alchemist, but they could use it to trade with other alchemists.

The value of a Six-Grade Pill formula was even higher than that of a Six-Grade Pill!

Naturally, Ning Su would not trade this formula with anyone else.

After taking the scroll and briefly looking over the information recorded on it, Ning Su put the formula away.

"Thank you, President."

The formula was his!

"Young man, are you interested in joining our Alchemist Guild? We can provide you with the best alchemy conditions in the entire Jia Ma Empire." Fa Ma suddenly extended an invitation.

"President Fa Ma, that's rather underhanded of you. How can you poach someone in secret?"

Jia Xing Tian and Yun Yun had come down as well.

"Ning Su, the Gama Royal Family needs talent like you."

"Ning Su, I hope you can join our Misty Cloud Sect."