Fragrance of Medicine

Although Han Xian did not know exactly how long he had spent reading the prescription, Xiao Yan finished in mere moments. At a speed like that, he had surely read it far faster than Han Xian could read a second-grade prescription.

Somewhat shocked by the strength of Xiao Yan's soul power, Han Xian walked toward a stone platform. As he brushed past Xiao Yan, he chuckled. "Alchemy isn't just about reading prescriptions quickly. I'll be waiting for you to fail."

"Likewise. I'll be waiting for you to fail even worse than I do." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and headed for another stone platform.

Han Xian twisted his lips and flashed behind the stone platform.

Seeing that both had taken their positions, Old Man Huo announced, "The match begins!"

As Old Man Huo's booming declaration rang out, all eyes around them focused intently on Xiao Yan and Han Xian.

After reading the prescription, Xiao Yan already knew the several fire-attributed medicinal ingredients needed for the Beast-Strength Pill. He had refined them many times before, and had worked with specimens of every age.

With these three chances, it was entirely possible for him to directly refine the Beast-Strength Pill.

After confirming the ingredients, Han Xian flicked his Storage Ring and took out his medicine cauldron.

He had only just become a Third-Grade Alchemist and had not yet had time to replace it with a better cauldron. Still, this second-tier medicine cauldron had been carefully selected by him and was of excellent quality.

Especially when paired with the Beast Flame of his fifth-tier Earth Wolf Beast, it gave him no small boost in alchemy.

As a flickering earth-yellow flame flew into Han Xian's medicine cauldron with a snap of his fingers, yellow light filled the entire cauldron. Quite a few Alchemy Department students revealed envious expressions.

A tangible flame was an ability only a Fourth-Rank Alchemist could possess. With Beast Flame at his disposal, Han Xian held a tremendous advantage in alchemy.

After inspecting the medicinal ingredients, Xiao Yan also took out his own medicine cauldron.

Han Bo's Alchemy Art had not reached the third-grade level, but the medicine cauldron he used was a premium item even among third-tier cauldrons.

Xiao Yan skillfully summoned the Lionheart Sacred Flame. Beneath its brilliant golden radiance, the exquisite third-tier medicine cauldron immediately gleamed with golden light.

There were quite a few people around who did not understand medicine cauldrons or flames, yet even judging by appearance alone, the two were as far apart as clouds and mud—one seemed molded from clay, while the other appeared forged from gold.

Han Xian secretly swallowed. To an alchemist, a fine medicine cauldron was like a warrior's handy weapon, capable of raising the success rate of alchemy.

As for that Beast Flame, with his discernment, he easily recognized that Xiao Yan's flame came from a fifth-tier Magic Beast, the Blazing Male Lion.

Though the fifth-tier Earth Wolf Beast was of the same rank, just as with their medicine cauldrons, even things of the same kind had high and low distinctions.

The Blazing Male Lion was far stronger than the Earth Wolf Beast, so the Beast Flame it produced was naturally more powerful as well.

As the two warmed their medicine cauldrons, knowledgeable spectators among the crowd quickly identified the differences between their cauldrons and Beast Flames.

The Alchemy Department students were the most shocked. Han Xian's equipment was by no means poor, yet they had not expected Xiao Yan's to be even better. Those were practically the sort of items only Alchemy Department students training in the Inner Academy could possess.

Amid wave after wave of exclamations, the warming of the medicine cauldrons was completed. Han Xian's emotions fluctuated, causing his flame temperature to waver. When the first medicinal ingredient was tossed in, it quickly showed signs of burning under those erratic flames.

By the time Han Xian noticed something was wrong and tried to salvage it, it was already too late.

The Alchemy Department students grew anxious for Han Xian. "The very first medicinal ingredient was ruined... That's a terrible start."

Hu Gan was not an alchemist, but with his sharp eye, he saw the crux of the matter at once. He pondered, "He has ability, but his temperament is lacking."

Old Man Huo said, "Medicine cauldrons and Beast Flames are merely aids. What matters most is one's own standard in alchemy. If Han Xian does not understand this principle, becoming a Fourth-Rank Alchemist will be difficult."

Xiao Yan needed to refine a great many medicines every day. The moment he took out his medicine cauldron, he entered a state of utter concentration. Everything around him became irrelevant as he devoted his entire mind to alchemy.

The Palm-Heaven Bottle made it easy to ripen medicinal ingredients, but that was not a talent for him to squander at will. Only by seizing every opportunity to refine medicine could he ultimately accumulate enough experience to achieve success.

The Beast-Strength Pill required nine ingredients, and Xiao Yan was extremely familiar with seven of them.

Xiao Yan refined those seven ingredients as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water, without the slightest hitch.

Han Xian caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and grew so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead. In his agitation, he made repeated mistakes, and his medicinal ingredients were consumed even faster than Xiao Yan's.

When Xiao Yan began refining the eighth ingredient, his speed slowed somewhat. However, he had far too much experience directly working with medicinal ingredients, not to mention that he now had the prescription's clear instructions.

Could Xiao Yan have already become a Fourth-Rank Alchemist?! Watching Xiao Yan approach the fusion stage, a huge question rose in Old Man Huo's heart.

Once the nine ingredients had been refined, Xiao Yan began fusing them according to the prescription.

First Sun Scorching Sky was a Dou Technique, but also a method of flame control. Through diligent practice, Xiao Yan had attained a high level of flame control. Within the medicine cauldron, the golden flames shifted under his command—at times contracting into a ball to strike with fierce fire; at times spreading into a sheet to bake with gentle heat.

The essences of the nine ingredients continuously compressed and condensed within the medicine cauldron, and a fragrance drifted out from it.

Han Xian had been pondering how to use the second batch of ingredients. Upon smelling that fragrance, he stiffly turned his head, his eyes filled with astonishment. Was it about to succeed?

The medicinal fragrance spread with the wind. Everyone in the square perked up and stared at Xiao Yan's medicine cauldron, ready to witness the formation of a fourth-rank pill!

"This fragrance seems..." Sensing the medicinal fragrance grow ever stronger, Old Man Huo narrowed his eyes. The pill's medicinal potency was being baked away by the flames and leaking out. This pill would be difficult to complete.

The golden flames slowly receded, and Xiao Yan removed the pill that was spinning round and round inside the medicine cauldron.

Though it was quite round and smooth, its pitch-black appearance made it difficult to associate it with a fourth-rank pill.

"It failed." Han Xian let out a huge sigh of relief. If Xiao Yan had succeeded with his first batch of ingredients, Han Xian might as well have found a block of tofu and smashed himself to death rather than continue refining.

In his excellent mood, Han Xian began refining the second batch of ingredients.

Old Man Huo sighed. Even he could not avoid failure when refining the Beast-Strength Pill. Xiao Yan had only failed once at the final juncture, while Han Xian had not even successfully refined all nine ingredients. He was celebrating far too early.

Great hope abruptly turned into despair, and a wave of sighs rose from the square. Hu Gan and a few others, however, looked at Xiao Yan with admiration. To remain calm and composed at such a moment showed that his temperament was exceptional.

Xiao Yan could stand there calmly and think not only because he knew his own limits, but because he had long endured failures far beyond what ordinary people experienced, including many failures at the very last step.

At a time like this, blaming Heaven and resenting others was useless. He might as well put his energy into refining the next batch of ingredients, bringing himself one step closer to success.

After thinking for a while, Xiao Yan began refining the second batch of ingredients. With the experience from the first attempt, he was even faster this time.

Just as he finished refining the nine ingredients and began fusing them once more, while everyone again began to anticipate the outcome, Xiao Yan made a move that left them all dumbfounded.