Thousand Cauldron Heart Refining, the First Signs of a Hidden Hand

A thousand black medicine cauldrons, a thousand surges of violent Earth Core Fire!

The instant the flames rose, the temperature across the entire Myriad Medicine Plaza abruptly soared to a terrifying level. The air warped, and waves of heat rushed at their faces. This Earth Core Fire was not docile energy; it was filled with savagery and unpredictability. At times, it flowed like a gentle stream; at others, it erupted like a volcano, making it exceedingly difficult to control.

More troublesome still, those thousand black medicine cauldrons looked sturdy, but their internal structures had been cleverly altered by the Alchemist Tower, rendering them exceptionally fragile. The alchemists needed to continuously devote part of their Soul Power to them, as though wrapping porcelain in a soft cushion, carefully protecting the cauldrons so they would not shatter beneath the impact of the flames.

This was an extremely harsh test of an alchemist's control over their soul, patience, and mental fortitude!

The five hundred alchemists who had advanced all turned incomparably solemn the moment the flames rose. Everyone immediately sprang into action, their Soul Power surging forth. One portion struggled to soothe and guide the violent Earth Core Fire, while another wrapped around the inner walls of the medicine cauldrons like the finest threads, forming an invisible layer of defense.

"Pfft!"

Less than the time it took to burn an incense stick after the round began, one medicine cauldron exploded with a bang when its owner failed to control it in time amid a fierce eruption of Earth Core Fire! Black fragments scattered everywhere, and the alchemist was sent flying backward, coughing blood, before withdrawing gloomily from the competition.

It was as though this served as a signal. Immediately afterward, cauldrons began exploding one after another.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Like firecrackers going off, alchemists were continuously eliminated as their medicine cauldrons shattered due to insufficient Soul Power or improper flame control. For a time, the plaza was filled with chaos and bleakness.

On the stone platform where Xiao Yan stood, his expression was solemn and his eyes tightly shut. The auras of the Green Lotus Core Flame and Bone Spirit Cold Flame—borrowing Yao Lao's strength—alternately emerged. Rather than directly confronting the Earth Core Fire, they guided and channeled it, cleverly smoothing out its violent fire-attributed energy and making it relatively gentle. At the same time, a portion of his Soul Power, which had reached the Peak of Earthly Realm Eighth Grade, spread out like an exceptionally resilient spiderweb, firmly protecting the crucial points along the inner walls of the medicine cauldron.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. Clearly, this was no easy task. The violence of the Earth Core Fire far exceeded his expectations, and he faintly felt that his own medicine cauldron seemed even more fragile than those of the people beside him. Was it just an illusion?

Not far away, Cao Ying appeared far more at ease. The pitch-black flames of the Nine Nether Wind Flame possessed properties of devouring and conversion, allowing them to assimilate and absorb some of the violent energy of the Earth Core Fire, taming it. Her powerful Earthly Realm Ninth Grade Soul Power split into several streams, working like a precise machine to handle flame guidance and cauldron protection separately, leaving her calm and unhurried. A faint smile even remained on her charming face as her gaze occasionally swept toward Xiao Yan, carrying an indistinct trace of scrutiny.

On the other side, Dan Chen's situation was somewhat worrying. Although her Soul Power was strong and had reached Mortal Realm Grand Perfection, controlling flames did not seem to be her forte. Her delicate body trembled slightly before the violent flames, her little face pale. The Soul Power protecting her medicine cauldron fluctuated somewhat chaotically, and several times she narrowly avoided disaster, nearly allowing the cauldron to shatter. This left the Dan Family Members on the Viewing Platform extremely nervous.

Xiao Chen sat upon the viewing stone platform, his calm gaze sweeping over the area below. Xiao Yan's resilience, Cao Ying's composure, Dan Chen's strained efforts, and the outstanding performances of others, such as Qiu Ji of the Qiu Family, all entered his eyes.

His Soul Perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. Not only did it cover the entire plaza, but it also pierced through the violent energy fluctuations and caught several exceedingly obscure details.

He noticed that the fragility of Xiao Yan's medicine cauldron truly differed from the others. Several critical structural points inside appeared to have been tampered with, making them more prone to collapse. If not for Xiao Yan's solid Soul Power and the assistance of two Heavenly Flames in guiding the fire, his cauldron would likely have exploded long ago.

Someone is making a move against Brother Yan? Xiao Chen's gaze turned slightly cold. His Soul Power seeped over like invisible mercury as he carefully investigated.

Very quickly, he locked onto an extremely obscure Soul Mark carrying a trace of cold, sinister energy. It was attached to the inner core of Xiao Yan's medicine cauldron. This mark was exceptionally faint; if not for his Heavenly Soul Realm, it would have been impossible to detect. It continuously released disruptive fluctuations, accelerating the collapse of the cauldron's structure while subtly interfering with Xiao Yan's perception of the flames!

Soul Hall methods... truly lingering like ghosts. Xiao Chen snorted coldly inwardly. The technique was exceptionally sophisticated and covert. It was clearly the work of a soul expert from the Soul Hall, whose goal was to make Xiao Yan's cauldron explode and disgrace himself before everyone—or perhaps even seize the chance to severely damage his soul!

His gaze seemed to casually sweep over several dark corners of the plaza, as well as some floating viewing stone platforms in the distance. Soul Hall members were hidden among them.

Xiao Chen did not immediately act to remove that Soul Mark. With everyone watching, especially with the three giants of the Alchemist Tower present, directly interfering with the competition would only give others something to criticize and expose his soul cultivation.

With a thought, a thread of chaos-colored soul silk, even finer and harder to detect than the Soul Hall mark, quietly overflowed from his fingertip and merged into the air. In the next instant, it silently wrapped itself around the cold mark within Xiao Yan's medicine cauldron.

The source aura of the Chaos Flame possessed an innate suppressive and purifying effect on Soul Power.

As though it had encountered its natural nemesis, the Soul Hall mark vanished without even managing to struggle. It was silently devoured and annihilated by that thread of chaos-colored silk, reduced to nothingness.

At the same time, Xiao Chen sent out another strand of exceptionally gentle Soul Power, quietly nourishing Xiao Yan's somewhat exhausted soul like spring rain after he had devoted all his strength to protecting the cauldron.

Xiao Yan, who was wholly focused on dealing with the crisis, suddenly felt that the medicine cauldron, which had seemed ready to shatter at any moment, had abruptly become much more stable! The cold force that had been subtly interfering with his perception of the flames also vanished! At the same time, a cool, gentle aura flowed into his soul, refreshing his mind. Even the Soul Power he had expended recovered considerably!

What is going on? Xiao Yan was startled and doubtful, but there was no time to think further. He hurriedly seized this rare opportunity and controlled the flames and medicine cauldron even more firmly.

He instinctively raised his head and looked toward the viewing stone platform where Xiao Chen sat, meeting his brother's calm, profound eyes. Xiao Chen gave him a slight nod.

Xiao Yan understood in an instant! His brother had been helping him in secret! His heart settled, and with no further worries, he devoted himself fully to the trial before him.

On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi's cloudy gaze seemed to sweep inadvertently toward Xiao Chen's location. A faint trace of surprise flickered deep in his eyes before they returned to their ancient stillness.

Time slowly passed amid the tense atmosphere.

The sounds of exploding cauldrons gradually became sparse. Those who could persist until now were all outstanding individuals with exceptionally strong control over flames and souls.

When the incense stick finally burned out and the judge loudly announced, "Time's up!", only five hundred and three intact medicine cauldrons remained in the plaza!

Exactly three more than the number of available advancement slots! This meant that three more people would still be eliminated!

Everyone's gazes fell upon the three stone platforms where the cauldrons, though unbroken, had flames within them that were already out of control. The cauldrons were covered in cracks, and their alchemists were on the verge of collapse.

After the judges made their final decision, the three were regretfully eliminated due to the excessive damage to their medicine cauldrons.

Thus, the third round of the Pill Gathering came to an end. Five hundred alchemists successfully advanced to the next round!

Xiao Yan let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his face, his gratitude toward his brother beyond measure. If his brother had not acted in secret, he would truly have been in danger this time.

Cao Ying elegantly smoothed the slightly wrinkled sleeves of her robe, then looked toward Xiao Chen again. The interest in her eyes grew ever stronger. She vaguely sensed that some subtle change she had not fully perceived had occurred in the plaza just now, and its source seemed to lie with that mysterious Xiao Chen.

Dan Chen had also barely made it through. Her small face pale, she was helped down from the plaza to quickly recover her breathing and energy.

Xuan Kongzi slowly rose to his feet. His gaze swept across the remaining five hundred alchemists below, and his aged voice carried a trace of killing intent.

"Congratulations to all of you for passing the first three rounds. You now possess the qualifications to participate in the final contest."

"Tomorrow, the final—'Pill Refining'!"

"At that time, the champion of this Pill Gathering will be decided! I hope you all prepare yourselves well!"

Pill refining!

The most thrilling stage had finally arrived! Blazing fighting spirit ignited in the eyes of every alchemist who had advanced!

Meanwhile, the Soul Hall members hidden in the shadows let out silent sneers. It did not matter that their hidden move had been foiled today. Tomorrow's final would be when the true show began!

Xiao Chen looked at Xiao Yan below, brimming with fighting spirit, then glanced at those dark corners. A cold curve formed at the corner of his lips.

"Tomorrow... I hope you don't end up playing with fire and burning yourselves."