Xiao Yan was not the fastest, but he still ranked among the leaders.
It was not that he was less skilled than those who finished ahead of him. There was simply no need to rush!
The first round of the competition was actually fairly lenient.
All they had to do was finish before the sand in the hourglass ran out.
Some people clearly had the ability to pass, yet failed because they were trying to finish faster...
So Xiao Yan simply proceeded step by step, following his own rhythm.
After finishing, Xiao Yan could not help sweeping his gaze around.
He discovered that both Yao Yue, the little princess of the Jia Ma Royal House, and Liu Ling had finished their pills at roughly the same pace as him.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan merely nodded to them, then closed his eyes again to rest, quietly waiting for the first round's time limit to expire.
Perhaps it was the influence of Xiao Yan and the others advancing, but quite a few contestants suddenly grew even more anxious!
As a result, red lights began flashing across the competition grounds!
Still, it was understandable.
After all, as they watched time slip away bit by bit and everyone else finish one after another while they remained unfinished, how could those Alchemists with shakier nerves not blow up?
Yes, literally blow up-their cauldrons exploded, and they failed.
Xiao Yan, however, was not affected in the slightest. He remained perfectly calm.
Time passed, minute by minute, second by second.
Finally, at a certain moment, the last few grains in the enormous hourglass spilled down completely.
At once, over a hundred beams of red light lit up across the vast square, rising from the stone platforms before the Alchemists who had yet to produce a finished pill.