Chapter 200: Even Gu Chen Has Lost His Confidence

The aftermath of the first round had not yet settled, but the atmosphere in the central square had already become even more heavy.

Fewer than fifty Disciples who successfully advanced stood before their respective Alchemy Furnaces, most with solemn expressions, some even carrying a hint of anxiety.

Because next would be the true test.

On the high platform, the White-Robed Elder stood up once more, his gaze sweeping over the Disciples below who had advanced, as he announced in a steady voice:

"The second round of the assessment begins now. The elixir to be refined this time is a Saint-level Medicinal Pill, the Tianyuan Pill!"

Tianyuan Pill?

As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the sound of gasping rise from the participating Disciples, but even the Disciples watching from the sidelines erupted into an even greater uproar.

"It’s actually a Saint-Grade Elixir! And this is only the second round!"

"Refining the Tianyuan Pill has extremely high requirements for Soul Power and heat control!"

"I’m finished. I thought at most it would be a slightly difficult ninth-grade pill. A Saint-Grade Elixir... my skill level probably won’t cut it."

Many of the advanced Disciples wore expressions of helplessness and bitterness.

For most Disciples, a Saint-Grade Elixir was an insurmountable mountain.

On ordinary days, they might occasionally succeed once or twice by relying on luck and being in good form, but in this tense competition, the failure rate would undoubtedly skyrocket.

However, things had come to this, and they could only brace themselves and push forward.

In stark contrast to everyone’s nervousness was Gu Chen.

When he heard "Tianyuan Pill," the corners of his mouth curled into an arrogant arc, and the confidence in his eyes was almost overflowing.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the crowd to land precisely on Chen Chuan, carrying undisguised provocation.

That look seemed to say, "A mere Tianyuan Pill is as easy as drinking water for me. But for you, it will be an insurmountable chasm."

Many people’s gazes followed Gu Chen’s, focusing on Chen Chuan.

After the shock of the Top-Grade Spirit Essence Pill in the first round, no one dared to look down on this newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple anymore.

All sorts of gazes were intertwined upon him.

Everyone wanted to know: was his stunning performance in the first round a flash in the pan, or a reflection of his true strength?

If he met his downfall in this second round, his previous brilliance would be nothing more than a sigh-inducing meteor.

Faced with Gu Chen’s burning, provocative gaze, Chen Chuan’s reaction was surprisingly flat.

He didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, just quietly watching the Elder on the high platform, as if all the surrounding disturbances had nothing to do with him.

This disregard made Gu Chen feel a sense of frustration blocked in his chest more than any verbal retort could.

"The rules are the same as before: select your own medicinal ingredients, with a time limit of two hours! The quality of the formed pill must reach Low-Grade Saint-level to advance! Begin!"

With the Elder’s command, the second round of the assessment officially began.

The advanced Disciples dared not delay and surged toward the medicinal ingredients area once again.

This time, their speed was noticeably slower, and they selected much more carefully and cautiously; after all, the ingredient pairing and quality requirements for a Saint-Grade Elixir were far beyond those of a ninth-grade pill.

Chen Chuan remained unhurried, walking among the ingredient shelves.

The Eye of Wisdom operated silently, and the subtle differences between various ingredients had nowhere to hide in his eyes.

His movements remained precise and swift, and he soon selected the dozen or so ingredients he needed. That calmness and certainty made it seem as if refining a Saint-Grade Elixir was no different from refining a ninth-grade pill.

Returning to his Alchemy Furnace, Chen Chuan did not hesitate in the slightest and directly channeled the Earth Fire.

The blazing flames licked the bottom of the Alchemy Furnace, beginning the preheating process.

He had absolute confidence in himself. Even without using a more powerful Spirit Fire, relying solely on Earth Fire and his profound understanding of the Alchemy Dao, he could still refine a perfect pill.

On the other side, Gu Chen had also finished selecting his ingredients.

Standing before his Alchemy Furnace, his gaze sharpened. With his palm facing up, a burst of ice-blue flames surged up with a soft "poof."

The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly, and even the ground near his Alchemy Furnace condensed a thin layer of white frost.

"It’s the Ice Heart Cold Flame!" Exclamations immediately rang out from around the square.

"Holy Son Gu is using a Spirit Fire!"

"Tsk tsk, refining pills with a Spirit Fire gets twice the result with half the effort. Not only can the heat be controlled more precisely, but the purity of the extracted medicinal liquid is also higher. It seems Holy Son Gu is determined to win with this Tianyuan Pill and wants to refine a Top-Grade one!"

"But if he uses a Spirit Fire to beat Chen Chuan, who is only using Earth Fire, isn’t that a bit of an unfair victory?" some Disciples whispered, offering a different perspective.

"Yeah, the advantage of a Spirit Fire is too great. If Chen Chuan lost under equal conditions, he would still have honor in defeat. If Gu Chen wins by relying on a Spirit Fire, it would actually be seen as inferior."

Although these discussions weren’t loud, when gathered together, they faintly reached Gu Chen’s ears.

His brows furrowed slightly, and a flash of displeasure crossed his face.

He had originally intended to crush Chen Chuan with an absolute advantage and make everyone see the gap, but he hadn’t expected to draw criticism for relying on external aids.

He, Gu Chen, the Holy Son of Taiyi Holy Land and an Alchemy Genius—how could he allow people to gossip about him like this behind his back?

For the sake of his face and to make Chen Chuan utterly convinced of his defeat, Gu Chen snorted coldly. He clenched his palm, and the ice-blue Ice Heart Cold Flame was instantly extinguished.

He actually channeled the Earth Fire as well and began preheating his Alchemy Furnace!

"Holy Son Gu gave up using his Spirit Fire!" someone exclaimed.

"He wants a fair fight with Chen Chuan using Earth Fire!"

"As expected of Holy Son Gu, what magnanimity! Now let’s see what that Chen Chuan has to say!"

This move by Gu Chen indeed won the favor of many people.

Feeling the change in the surrounding gazes, he smiled proudly in his heart: "Even using only this ordinary Earth Fire, the Tianyuan Pill I refine will definitely be incomparable to what an opportunistic person like you can produce."

The pill refining officially began, and the square was once again enveloped in medicinal fragrance and heat.

Chen Chuan was fully focused, his techniques flowing like water: adding ingredients, extraction, and Fusion.

Every step was so precise it was breathtaking.

His control over the heat was already meticulous; the Earth Fire seemed to possess a spirit of its own in his hands.

At times, it was like a tiger descending a mountain, violently refining the essence of the ingredients.

At other times, it was like spring rain nourishing things, gently nurturing the gradually forming medicinal liquid.

Even extremely subtle details that veteran Alchemists might overlook were handled perfectly by him.

On the high platform, the gaze of the Pill Hall Elder, Mu Qing, had hardly left Chen Chuan since the first round.

Now he watched even more closely, the appreciation and surprise in his eyes growing stronger.

"Wonderful! When extracting the Earth Dragon Root, he uses a gentle fire to simmer it slowly, forcing out the hidden earth-element essence within, rather than the usual fierce fire attack."

"Although this takes a bit longer, the medicinal properties are more mellow and mild, which is beneficial for the subsequent Fusion with the Ice Spirit Flower."

"At the moment the liquid condenses into a pill, the heat undergoes nine changes instantly, using a vibration method to expel the last traces of impurities."

"This technique was mentioned in ancient texts, but it is extremely difficult to master. A hair’s breadth of error would mean total failure, yet he can perform it with such ease."

Waves rose in Mu Qing’s heart; the more he watched, the more shocked he became.

Chen Chuan’s pill-refining techniques were not only incredibly skillful but also contained his unique understanding of the Alchemy Dao.

Many of the subtle points were so fresh that even an Elder like him, who had been immersed in the Alchemy Dao for centuries, felt enlightened and inferior.

"This boy is definitely no ordinary person! His comprehension of the Alchemy Dao is probably even higher than Gu Chen’s!" Mu Qing’s eyes shone, and his heart was filled with excitement.

"If he can take first place this time—no, regardless of whether he takes first, based solely on the talent and potential he has shown, I must take him as my Direct Disciple."

"When the time comes, I’ll take him to the Pill Refining Assembly hosted by the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land. He will surely be an overnight sensation and bring me great face."

Time passed quietly.