Flame Duel

"Brother Su, this is a Fifth Grade Soul-Nourishing Saliva refined by my teacher. It can restore and nourish the soul. The finals will be extremely draining today, so take it first."

Xiao Yan handed the jade bottle in his hand to Su Heng. Its refreshing Pill Fragrance spread through the air, drawing glances from every Alchemist present.

"I heard that Mr. Yan Xiao and Mr. Su Heng are sworn friends. I didn't believe it yesterday, but it turns out it's true!"

"Exactly. He gave away a Fifth-grade Pill just like that. What an enviable friendship!"

To gift someone a Fifth-grade Pill—what else could such a bond be, if not one between friends willing to die for each other?

Without a second thought, Su Heng swallowed the Soul-Nourishing Saliva in one gulp. He had already guessed the meaning behind Xiao Yan's gesture.

In today's finals, the two of them would go all out and fight with everything they had.

Seeing the exchange between them, Yao Ye's expression immediately darkened to the extreme.

Yesterday, she had tried to be clever and angered Su Heng. Now, she could not even build a connection with Yan Xiao!

Yao Ye had lowered herself to make friends, only for it all to come to nothing. Her already violently heaving chest now rose and fell even more fiercely.

"I never expected Mr. Su Heng and Mr. Yan Xiao to share such a friendship. It seems Mr. Yan Xiao helped Grandfather remove his Scorch Poison because he wanted to treat Mr. Su Heng."

A clear young female voice rang out. A girl in a long silver mooncloth robe stepped out from the crowd and walked toward Su Heng and Xiao Yan.

She appeared to be around the same age as Su Heng and Xiao Yan. Her features were delicate and lovely, her figure graceful and shapely. Her long black hair was held high by a silver crown. She carried herself with elegance and softness, yet beneath that softness was a hint of sharpness.

Su Heng took one look and guessed her identity: Nalan Yanran!

Since this was the final round, there were clearly many more important figures in the VIP room than yesterday.

Mu Chen, the head of the Mu Family; Nalan Jie, the Lionheart Marshal; and Nalan Yanran, the young sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, had all arrived.

Su Heng and Yan Xiao were both geniuses who had recently risen to prominence within the empire. Naturally, Nalan Jie wished to recruit them, and when it came to winning over young men, beauty was the most effective weapon.

Nalan Yanran had recently taken quite an interest in Yan Xiao, so she had come over on her own initiative to strike up a conversation.

"You must be Nalan Yanran, the young sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect. I've long heard that you think yourself above everyone else and look down on all beneath you. Why are you in the mood to chat with someone as insignificant as me today?"

Judging from Nalan Yanran's appearance, she had clearly suffered no harm when the Mo Family exploded. Su Heng suddenly felt a little indignant. Why didn't the blast kill you?

She had come over politely to speak with him, yet he had immediately insulted her. Nalan Yanran's expression changed, and anger surged into her brows.

"I heard that you entered the Misty Cloud Sect and became a favored daughter of heaven. You had a fiancé who had been betrothed to you since childhood, but you despised him for being useless and went to his home to publicly break off the engagement, humiliating him in every way possible."

"As a result, Old Master Nalan was so angered that his Scorch Poison flared up, leaving him bedridden. Xiao Yan of the Xiao Family was forced by your ignorance to leave his hometown and become an ascetic cultivator."

"Brother Liu Ling is wholeheartedly devoted to you, yet you neither accept nor reject him. You just string him along and waste his best years."

"Do you really think you can climb high enough to marry Pill King Gu He's disciple, one of the top three Alchemists among Jia Ma Empire's younger generation?"

"Someone like you has too much pride, too much killing intent, and too little luck. Sooner or later, disaster will strike you. I have no desire to get involved with you, lest your bad luck rub off on me."

Nalan Yanran, whom Xiao Yan had never publicly humiliated, was now being berated by Su Heng before everyone. For a moment, the entire VIP room fell utterly silent.

No one knew what deep grudge existed between Nalan Yanran and Su Heng for him to insult her so viciously to her face.

"Xiao Li of the Xiao Family in Wu Tan City—Second Brother Xiao—is my lifesaver. Humiliating the Xiao Family is the same as humiliating me, Su Heng. I advise you not to waste your effort trying to build a relationship with me. You are not worthy!"

Seeing Nalan Yanran's little face flush red and her entire body tremble with rage, Su Heng simply laid everything out plainly, so she could at least understand why.

"You!!!"

Nalan Yanran trembled from head to toe in fury. Green dou qi erupted around her, and a set of Dou Qi Armor instantly appeared over her body. She was clearly about to make a move.

"A Da Dou Shi? So am I!"

Su Heng stomped heavily. Dark purple Dou Qi Armor covered his entire body as he confronted Nalan Yanran. Their strength was evenly matched, and the two surging currents of dou qi collided across the gap between them, neither able to gain the upper hand.

"Stop!"

Seeing that the two were about to fight, Fa Ma shouted sharply, interrupting the standoff.

"The Alchemist Competition is about to begin. Whatever grudges or grievances you have, settle them yourselves later. Do not cause trouble here and make a spectacle of yourselves."

The president of the Alchemist Guild had spoken. The people nearby immediately sprang into action, hurriedly separating the two and pulling them in opposite directions.

"Brother Su, thank you for venting my anger!"

Nalan Yanran had been scolded so thoroughly that Xiao Yan felt immensely satisfied. He could not help quietly praising Su Heng.

"Likewise. When the Three-Year Pact comes, make sure you give her a good beating and let her know what it means to be a frog at the bottom of a well!"

"Of course!"

Su Heng and Xiao Yan were escorted off the plaza by the crowd with cheerful expressions, while Nalan Yanran stood at the VIP room railing, her face livid with rage as she glared viciously at Su Heng.

"Brother Xiao Yan, thank you for the Soul-Nourishing Saliva this time. I'll give it everything I have and have a proper match with you."

Just before they parted, Su Heng called out to Xiao Yan and voiced what both of them had been thinking.

"Good! We'll both give it our all, and leave victory or defeat to fate!"

Xiao Yan waved casually, then walked onto his own bluestone platform beneath the gaze of the countless spectators.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

Not long afterward, crisp bell chimes echoed leisurely through the sky above the Royal Plaza.

On the high platform, Fa Ma gave a light cough and swept his gaze over the entire venue. Then, his aged yet steady voice rang beside every contestant's ear.

"Everyone, today's assessment will be the most important round of this Alchemist Competition. The winner of this round will be the champion of this year's competition!"

"So as not to betray all the effort you have put in over the years!"

"Today, give it everything you have!"

As soon as Fa Ma's voice fell, countless spectators who had waited for so long erupted into excited cheers. The deafening shouts soared into the sky.

"For this round, the Alchemist Guild will no longer provide any assistance to the contestants!"

"Everything must rely on yourselves, including pill formulas and medicinal ingredients."

"In other words, within the allotted time, you must successfully refine the best pill within your abilities. Whoever's pill has the higher grade and greater practical value will be the winner!"

Hearing Fa Ma's words, many contestants nearly blacked out. They were stunned rigid by this sudden examination topic.

These people had clearly not prepared suitable pill formulas or enough medicinal ingredients. For them, the competition had ended before it even began.

As for Liu Ling, the Little Princess, Su Heng, Xiao Yan, and the others, they had long since prepared and remained calm.

"Since everyone is now familiar with the rules of the assessment, then..."

On the high platform, Fa Ma slowly raised his hand, then quietly brought it down. His aged voice rang across the plaza.

"The third round of assessment begins now!"

The assessment officially began, yet the venue remained silent. Everyone was considering what they should refine.

But one person had already prepared everything!

Su Heng made the first move. He took several steps back and lightly raised his left hand. The nearly man-tall Flame Phoenix Cauldron flashed out from his Storage Ring and slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground, crushing several cracks into its surface.

The cauldron appeared, and flames rose!

Green Nether Flame, combined with Hundred Beasts Phosphor Flame and Snake Emperor's Mysterious Flame, surged to life within the Flame Phoenix Cauldron. The blazing heat twisted all the air above Su Heng's head.

The moment Su Heng made his move, he went all out.

"A Fifth Rank medicinal cauldron, plus three types of flame. This kid is truly remarkable!"

Seeing Su Heng seize the initiative, Fa Ma immediately felt a few traces of admiration. At such an age, with such cultivation, no one like him had appeared in the Jia Ma Empire for nearly a hundred years.

"Hmph, it's only a Fifth Rank medicinal cauldron. I have one too!"

Seeing Su Heng's enormous medicinal cauldron, the Little Princess was not surprised. Instead, she felt the excitement of encountering a worthy opponent.

She slowly approached her bluestone platform and beckoned with her hand. A somewhat ancient-looking azure medicinal cauldron, containing a deep and solemn aura, appeared upon the stone platform.

Hearing the cauldron land on the stone platform, Su Heng turned and looked over. The Fifth Rank medicinal cauldron used by the Little Princess Yao Yue was the Azure Flame Cauldron!

As for Liu Ling, he was unwilling to fall behind as well. He took a crimson medicinal cauldron from his Storage Ring, resembling volcanic lava.

It was the Fifth Rank Volcanic Flame Cauldron that his teacher, Pill King Gu He, had used to win the Alchemist Competition championship back then.

All three had produced Fifth Rank medicinal cauldrons. From the very start, the final assessment had become the most intense possible contest.

On Xiao Yan's side, seeing that everyone had begun refining, he reached toward his Storage Ring and summoned his medicinal cauldron as well.

However, the cauldron that appeared before him this time was not his ordinary dark-red medicinal cauldron, but a supreme medicinal cauldron capable of shocking everyone present.

"Clang!"

The enormous black medicinal cauldron appeared out of thin air and crashed heavily down.

Although this black medicinal cauldron was not as huge as the Flame Phoenix Cauldron, its material was visibly far superior. Its entire body emitted a steady, black aura.

Lifelike flame totems were carved across the cauldron's surface. As the cauldron slowly rotated, the flame totems released faint fire energy that gathered around it.

"This is!! The Black Demon Cauldron! The Black Demon Cauldron, ranked eighth on the Heaven Cauldron Ranking!"

The moment he saw the black medicinal cauldron, Fa Ma practically sprang up from his VIP chair. He rushed to the railing of the VIP room, desperately trying to get a clearer look at it.

The other Alchemists were even more shocked. Everyone's attention was drawn to the medicinal cauldron before Xiao Yan.

In the world of alchemy, medicinal cauldrons, like Alchemists, had grades. From First Rank to Eighth Rank, they rose from low to high.

Beyond the Eighth Rank was the widely known Heaven Cauldron Ranking. There seemed to be only thirteen medicinal cauldrons of this level in existence, and the Black Demon Cauldron ranked eighth among them.

The higher the grade of the medicinal cauldron, the higher the temperature it could withstand, and the greater the success rate in refining pills.

Owning an Eighth Rank medicinal cauldron was already the dream of countless Alchemists. Yet Yan Xiao possessed the Black Demon Cauldron from the Heaven Cauldron Ranking. Such a terrifying gap left the vast majority of Alchemists present almost breathless.

"You brat, you've finally decided to reveal the strength you've been hiding all this time!"

In the VIP seats, Hai Bodong nodded slightly. How could an Alchemist capable of refining Sixth-grade Pills possibly lack a top-tier medicinal cauldron? Xiao Yan's display now matched Hai Bodong's expectations.

"Yan Xiao..."

Watching Xiao Yan, who had become the center of attention and awed everyone present, Nalan Yanran's beautiful eyes filled with affection. She stared at him in a daze.

The man before her had extraordinary talent and possessed Heavenly Flames. He could be called the number one among the younger generation of the Jia Ma Empire. How happy would she be if she could be with him?

Unfortunately, that fantasy would soon shatter completely. Once she learned Yan Xiao's true identity, Nalan Yanran would become a heartless machine of regret, unable to speak without mentioning regret.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Xiao Yan was somewhat at a loss. The main reason was that this was not the medicinal cauldron he had intended to take out.

"Xiao Yan, this time, I have lent you my own medicinal cauldron. You may go all out without holding anything back. Do not leave yourself with regrets."

Just as Xiao Yan was puzzled, Medicine Elder's voice rang out beside his ear. In order to let his disciple fight without restraint and enjoy a proper match, he had gone to great lengths.

And naturally, Xiao Yan repaid that effort.

With no more burdens in his heart, Xiao Yan raised his right hand high. A blazing azure flame rapidly gathered in his palm, and terrifying heat capable of shaking heaven and earth poured out from it.

Nearly every Alchemist present felt their own flames instantly wither as their temperatures plummeted. It was like fireflies meeting the bright moon, crushed into insignificance in an instant.

Even Su Heng clearly felt his three Six-tier Beast Flames being suppressed by the Heavenly Flame, their temperatures dropping sharply.

"Among all flames under heaven, Heavenly Flames reign supreme. It truly is no exaggeration!"

Only by experiencing it firsthand did Su Heng truly understand the power of Heavenly Flames.

Flames were inherently violent. Su Heng's four Six-tier Beast Flames were already terrifying existences capable of burning everything.

Yet before the terrifying heat of the Green Lotus Core Flame, Su Heng realized that the Six-tier Beast Flames were no more than a cup of warm water, while the Green Lotus Core Flame was scalding hot oil!

The violent azure Heavenly Flame ignited within the Black Demon Cauldron. Only after some time did the flames of the Alchemists in the venue slowly begin to recover.

"Just as I suspected, Heavenly Flames have absolute suppressive power over Beast Flames in battle, but they do not affect one another during alchemy."

The three Beast Flames within the Flame Phoenix Cauldron returned to normal after Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame entered his medicinal cauldron, perfectly confirming Su Heng's earlier guess.

In combat, Beast Flames would be completely suppressed by Heavenly Flames, allowing the latter to easily claim victory.

During alchemy, Heavenly Flames could melt medicinal ingredients faster, refine them faster, and fuse pills faster.

Beast Flames were far cooler than Heavenly Flames, so melting and refining ingredients required more time and more soul power.

In a time-limited competition like the Alchemist Competition, the advantage of Heavenly Flames was magnified without limit.

"Let the show begin!"

Xiao Yan flicked his sleeve and tapped his Storage Ring with a finger. Instantly, a large pile of medicinal ingredients filled the bluestone platform before him.

Gazing at the flames within the medicinal cauldron, Xiao Yan flicked his finger. Several medicinal ingredients on the stone platform were sent into the cauldron by a skillful gust.

At once, the azure flames swarmed over them, tightly wrapping around the ingredients as they began frantically melting and refining them.

Empowered by the Heavenly Flame, the medicinal ingredients were refined into liquid or medicinal powder at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Xiao Yan handled the Heavenly Flame with great ease. Every movement was composed and unhurried, carrying the air of a true master.

One medicinal ingredient after another was tossed into the Black Demon Cauldron. His hands remained several feet from the cauldron, yet the flames moved entirely according to his will.

At this moment, Xiao Yan's soul power had reached its peak.

All the medicinal ingredients required for the Three-Stripe Green Spirit Pill were being refined simultaneously with his Heavenly Flame.

By doing this, he could extract the purest medicinal power in the shortest possible time.

Seeing Xiao Yan take a massive lead, Su Heng was happy for his friend, yet also felt a trace of jealousy.

"Preparing to refine all the medicinal ingredients at once and bring out their medicinal power to the fullest in the shortest time possible?"

"Then I cannot fall behind either!"

Su Heng gave a low shout, his palms dancing through the air as the other three Beast Flames were all released.

In midair, three fire beasts—the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, Profound Water Turtle, and Kui Wood Beast—coiled and roared before plunging headfirst into the Flame Phoenix Cauldron.

Within the Flame Phoenix Cauldron, strange rays of light flashed in every direction. Blazing flames churned, and surging heat waves briefly contended with Xiao Yan's azure flames.

Su Heng waved his right hand, and every medicinal ingredient flew into the Flame Phoenix Cauldron, wrapped in six-colored flames!