Chapter 331: Day Three of Imperial Competition [1]
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Southern Frost City, a remarkably similar scene was unfolding.
Elder Gu, the veteran alchemist dispatched by Yilan to represent their faction in the neighboring jurisdiction’s competition, had also swept through both days of trials.
Though he lacked Yilan’s godlike, terrifying dominance and ancient heaven-grade techniques, his refined fundamentals and the improved extraction methods he learnt from the Tang Clans Library proved far superior to the local competition.
He secured undisputed first place on both Day One and Day Two, leaving the prominent local clans of Southern Frost City gritting their teeth in silent frustration.
Back in Thousand Waves City, the atmosphere on the morning of the third and final day had reached a boiling point.
The entire city was buzzing with unprecedented excitement.
Flags fluttered from every rooftop, street vendors shouted at the top of their lungs, and crowds packed the avenues leading to the Imperial Grand Arena hours before dawn.
"Did you hear?! Elder Gu in Southern Frost City also took first place on both days!" a cultivator in the bustling marketplace shouted, taking a heavy swig of spirit wine.
"The Tang Clan’s influence is truly expanding everywhere!"
"Hahaha! Is there even any doubt left?!" a local merchant laughed heartily, slapping his desk.
"The Pill Competition in our city is already as good as won by Matriarch Tang Yilan! The other contestants are just competing for second and third place at this point!"
"That’s right! Compared to Matriarch Tang’s techniques, those other so-called alchemy masters look like children playing with dirt!"
As the crowd eagerly discussed the upcoming final alchemy showdown, the conversation naturally drifted toward the adjacent arena grounds where the Weapon Refining Competition was being held simultaneously.
"Speaking of which, the Weapon Refining side has been quite intense as well!" a young cultivator chimed in.
"Though it doesn’t have a single overwhelming monster like Matriarch Tang crushing everyone in seconds, the clashes between the top blacksmiths have been incredible to watch!"
"Indeed! Have you seen Young Master Tie from the Shu Clan? His Eighteen Folds Forging Technique on Day Two was magnificent! He hammered out a Tier-3 Spirit sword in under three hours!"
"Hmph, don’t forget Master Mo of the Burning Iron Pavilion! His flame temperature control is top-notch, and he’s favored to refine a peak-tier spiritual armor today. And there’s also that dark horse rogue cultivator, Lu Chen, his spiritual array inscriptions are absurdly fast!"
"True, true! The refining championship could go to any of those three! But as for the Pill Competition..." The cultivator grinned broadly, looking toward the majestic Imperial Grand Arena. "...that trophy already belongs to the Tang Clan!"
Amidst the roaring chants and boisterous laughter of hundreds of thousands of spectators, the heavy bronze gongs resonated across the city, signaling the start of the final, decisive day of the grand competition.
The massive bronze ceremonial gongs struck in unison, their heavy reverberations sweeping across the packed amphitheater.
From the tens of thousands who had entered the arena on Day One, only twenty finalists now stood upon the central stone dais.
Each carried the calm, haughty composure of a true master, surrounded by array formations isolating their platforms.
High atop the central balcony, the crimson-robed Imperial Envoy stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he looked down at the remaining elite.
"Finalists of the Grand Imperial Pill Competition!" the elder’s voice thundered, amplified across the breathless arena.
"You have survived the trial of purity and conquered the crucible of imperfection. Today marks the ultimate test of your craft, Day Three: The Grand Convergence!"
He waved his sleeve, and twenty scroll cases floated down to each platform, along with the golden keys to a shared central vault lined with rare materials, earth-flames, and ancient cauldrons.
"Your objective is absolute," the Envoy proclaimed.
"Refine a pill as close to the Tier-4 Nascent Soul realm as your cultivation permits! Whether you choose the Core-Nourishing Dragon Pill or the Soul-Cleansing Void Pill, the formulas are provided. However, a Tier-4 pill cannot be born of simple fire and herb alone, during the critical Pill Fusion phase, you must weave a thread of your own Will into the pill!"
A collective gasp rippled through the grandstands.
Inscribing personal Dao Will into a pill was the boundary separating mere craftsmen from true Alchemy Grandmasters!
"The winning standard shall be judged strictly by the manifestation of Pill Phenomena!" the Envoy declared.
"Bright Pill Light signifies a Standard High-Grade product. The formation of Pill Veins marks a Top-Tier creation. But only those who summon Pill Clouds or attract a localized Pill Tribulation can claim the title of Assembly Champion! Begin!"
WOOSH!
The arena floor instantly erupted into a chaotic battlefield of surging, oppressive spiritual pressure.
The moment the Imperial Envoy’s declaration fell, several veteran Golden Core finalists burst into motion.
Streams of powerful Spiritual Sense slammed into one another in mid-air, creating visible shockwaves that rippled through the atmosphere as the masters recklessly contested for the rarest materials in the open vault, fighting over ancient dragon-scale grasses, hundred-year spatial stalks, and high-grade crimson earth-flames.
Yilan, however, remained as tranquil as a mirror pool amidst the tempest.
While others shouted and traded subtle spiritual blows over the fiercest heating flames, Yilan glided toward the vault with measured, elegant strides.
Ignoring the glittering earth-flames that drew everyone’s greed, her slender, jade-like fingers picked through the ingredient racks with practiced precision.
She selected the precise components for the notoriously volatile Soul-Cleansing Void Pill: Void-Bound Grass, Soul-Nourishing Lotus, Nine-Star Essence, and a hundred more materials.
Returning to her station, she completely bypassed the venue’s provided heating hearths.
With a delicate flick of her wrist, a strand of her own pure, radiant azure flame ignited directly beneath her furnace, floating in mid-air with a gentle, hypnotic hum.
She began the long, painstaking extraction process.
-x-
A/N:
Weekly PS: 14 / 80
Monthly GT: 5 / 30
Hey everyone, just a quick note that the bonus Chapter is running slightly behind schedule today and will be posted a bit later.
Hope you enjoy this Chapter for now