As Xuan Kongzi loudly announced the start of the third trial, the plaza immediately erupted into excitement.
All the participating alchemists who had passed the second trial chose a nearby bluestone platform to serve as their alchemy station.
Then, countless medicinal cauldrons rose into the air before landing on the bluestone platforms with sharp clanging sounds.
Unlike top-tier alchemists such as Bai Ge, whose cultivation and Spiritual Power were strong enough for him to refine pills without a cauldron, Xin Lan and Cao Ying were not yet powerful enough in either respect.
For alchemists like Xin Lan and Cao Ying, whose cultivation and Spiritual Power were still insufficient,
a fine medicinal cauldron could greatly improve both the success rate of pill refinement and the quality of the finished pill.
Thus, for a major competition like the Pill Gathering, they had naturally prepared cauldrons of their own.
"Eh? This is... the Black Demon Cauldron?!"
As he looked at the countless medicinal cauldrons appearing across the alchemy plaza, Xuan Kongzi suddenly noticed the large black cauldron before Xin Lan and could not help but be startled.
Xuan Kongzi was very familiar with this black cauldron, which was covered in flame patterns.
It was the cauldron Yao Chen had once used for pill refinement—the Black Demon Cauldron, ranked eighth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!
"Yao Chen gave this Black Demon Cauldron to Xin Lan as a gift. He has now begun to touch upon the realm of a Ninth-Rank Alchemist, and if he wishes to advance further, this Black Demon Cauldron would instead become an obstacle for him. That is why he gave it to Xin Lan."
Bai Ge smiled faintly as he explained.
"That fellow Yao Chen has already begun to touch the Ninth-Rank realm?"
Hearing Bai Ge's words, Xuan Kongzi was