Chapter 202: A Pill Beyond

[A/N: We are just a few more golden tickets away from reaching another milestone!!]

The announcement of the third round of the examination was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves in the hearts of the twenty-odd remaining Disciples.

"Saint Soul Pill!"

Exclamations and gasps of cold air rose and fell one after another.

Even some of the spectating Inner Sect Disciples showed looks of shock.

The Saint Soul Pill was a peak among Saint-Grade Elixirs; its refining difficulty far exceeded that of the Tianyuan Pill, and its harsh requirements for Soul Power were enough to make most Alchemists shrink back.

Even more enticing was the legendary, extremely slim possibility of transcending the Saint-level and birthing a trace of a Holy Son King prototype.

The air seemed to freeze, and a heavy pressure shrouded the heart of every contestant.

In the medicinal ingredient selection area, the atmosphere was more solemn than ever before.

The Disciples were no longer scrambling; instead, they carefully picked up each medicinal ingredient, identifying and comparing them repeatedly, with fine beads of sweat even seeping from their foreheads.

This was not just a competition of technique, but also a contest of Mental State.

Gu Chen’s expression was solemn, with none of his previous slightness.

His gaze was sharp, and his fingers brushed over the medicinal ingredients one by one, sensing the medicinal essence contained within.

He was the Taiyi Holy Land’s universally recognized number one Alchemy Prodigy; he could not afford to lose.

Especially under the watchful eyes of the crowd, if he lost to an unknown new Disciple, he would lose all face—where would the Holy Son’s majesty be?

His strong self-esteem and competitiveness drove him; he had to go all out and could not afford the slightest carelessness.

He still had great confidence in himself, a confidence that largely stemmed from his Spirit Fire.

Chen Chuan still maintained that baffling calm.

He walked among the ingredient racks with steady steps; as his gaze swept across, his fingers tapped lightly, and the required medicinal ingredients fell into his jade tray.

His movements seemed casual, yet they carried an indescribable precision and harmony.

On the high platform, Elder Mu Qing’s gaze had never left Chen Chuan from beginning to end.

When Chen Chuan selected the final medicinal ingredient, a startling brilliance suddenly erupted in Mu Qing’s eyes.

He could almost not help but clap and praise: "This boy’s understanding of medicinal properties has reached the Realm of Perfection. What he selected is entirely the best combination that can theoretically refine the most perfect Saint Soul Pill."

Mu Qing’s interest in Chen Chuan had already reached its peak.

Soon, all the Disciples were ready and returned to their Alchemy Furnaces.

Gu Chen took a deep breath, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, and with his palm facing upward, he circulated his Spiritual Power.

Puff

A clump of ice-blue flames suddenly rose, and the surrounding temperature plummeted instantly; fine ice crystals even formed on the ground near the Alchemy Furnace, creating a bizarre contrast with the heat waves of the Earth Fire.

"It’s the Ice Heart Cold Flame! Holy Son Gu is using his Spirit Fire!"

Exclamations immediately rang out from all around the square.

"He’s finally using his real skills! Refining with Spirit Fire doubles the efficiency; it seems Holy Son Gu is determined to win!"

"With the help of Spirit Fire, Holy Son Gu is like a tiger with wings; the success rate and quality of this Saint Soul Pill will surely be extremely high."

"It seems there’s still no suspense for first place; after all, the advantage of Spirit Fire is too great."

Even several judging Elders nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with the huge advantage brought by Spirit Fire.

Almost everyone believed that the moment Gu Chen summoned his Spirit Fire, the final victory was already set in stone.

While Gu Chen’s Ice Heart Cold Flame attracted most of the attention, Chen Chuan also moved.

He did not draw upon the Earth Fire but similarly raised his palm.

A wisp of incomparably pure white flame, as if it could cleanse all the filth in the world, silently leaped from his fingertips.

This flame was not hot; instead, it emitted a warm and holy Aura, making one’s mind feel a sense of tranquility involuntarily.

At first, not many people noticed.

But soon, that pure and unique white light, as well as the extraordinary Spiritual Pressure it emitted, still caught the attention of those who were observant.

"Look! Over there by Chen Chuan, what is that? Is it also a flame?"

"A white flame? It feels so pure!"

"Wait! This is a Spirit Fire! Chen Chuan also possesses a Spirit Fire!"

"What?"

Exclamations spread rapidly like a plague, and the entire square fell into a massive commotion once again.

Everyone’s gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, instantly shifted from Gu Chen’s side to Chen Chuan.

"He actually has a Spirit Fire too. My god, he didn’t use it at all during the first two rounds."

"He hid it so deeply; it turns out he’s the one with the biggest trump card."

"He could refine Top-Grade Saint Pills without relying on Spirit Fire. Now that he has one too, oh boy, Gu Chen is really in danger this time."

"This white Spirit Fire feels like it’s of a higher grade than Holy Son Gu’s Ice Heart Cold Flame! Look at that Aura of purifying everything it emits."

The direction of public opinion underwent a subversive change at this moment.

Those who previously thought Gu Chen was sure to win now felt uncertain in their hearts.

Chen Chuan’s previous performance had already proven his terrifying alchemic strength; now, with this clearly extraordinary Spirit Fire, the scales of victory instantly tilted.

Gu Chen naturally also felt that Spirit Fire Aura that rivaled his own Ice Heart Cold Flame and even faintly suppressed it.

His hand controlling the flame shook violently, and the ice-blue flames inside the Alchemy Furnace flickered along with it, nearly spiraling out of control.

He suddenly turned his head, staring fixedly at the wisp of pure white flame in Chen Chuan’s palm, his face filled with disbelief.

"Spirit Fire? How could he possibly possess a Spirit Fire? And this Aura..."

Stormy waves surged in Gu Chen’s heart, and a strong sense of unease welled up.

But he immediately forced himself to suppress this emotion:

"No! I can’t panic! I have years of Alchemy experience, and my understanding of the Saint Soul Pill is by no means something he can compare to."

"Even if he has a Spirit Fire, it’s still uncertain who will emerge victorious! I absolutely cannot lose!"

He took a deep breath and tried to re-immerse his entire mind into refining, no longer looking at Chen Chuan.

But that initial composure and absolute confidence had already developed cracks.

Chen Chuan seemed oblivious to the exclamations and gazes around him; he was focused, introducing the Pure Karma Sacred Fire beneath the Alchemy Furnace.

The holy flame enveloped the Alchemy Furnace, and the medicinal ingredients were extracted, purified, and fused in an extremely perfect manner within the flame.

Under the enhancement of the Pure Karma Sacred Fire, his control over the heat reached an even more inconceivable level.

The Alchemy proceeded in a tense and silent atmosphere, with only the slight sounds of the flame burning and the medicinal liquid churning.

Time passed, and a strange hum first came from Gu Chen’s Alchemy Furnace.

The furnace lid opened, and a dragon-eye-sized Medicinal Pill with three clear pill veins on its surface, emitting a strong Soul fluctuation, flew out and was caught by him in a Jade Bottle.

It’s a success!

And it’s a Top-Grade Saint Soul Pill!

Gu Chen felt the majestic medicinal power and perfect quality of the Medicinal Pill in the Jade Bottle, and his heart was filled with excitement.

Under the immense pressure, he had exceeded his normal performance and actually refined a Top-Grade Saint Soul Pill.

This was something that rarely happened even in his past practice.

He suppressed his ecstatic mood, his face returning to a proud expression, and he looked provocatively at Chen Chuan, who was still controlling the fire.

In his view, a Top-Grade Saint Soul Pill had almost locked in the victory.

Even if Chen Chuan also refined a Top-Grade one, at most it would be a tie, and he was faster.

Moreover, was a Top-Grade Saint Soul Pill that easy to refine?

He as if already saw the dawn of victory and the scene of those two hundred thousand Origin Stones being recovered.

However, Chen Chuan was not affected at all; his refining had reached the most critical moment.

The Pure Karma Sacred Fire was sometimes like a spring breeze and rain, and sometimes like a scorching sun, exquisitely regulating every change of medicinal power within the furnace.

Finally, at the last moment as the time limit approached, Chen Chuan’s Alchemy Furnace shook slightly, without any earth-shattering phenomena.

Only a fragrance that seemed to nourish the Divine Soul’s Origin spread out; smelling it made one’s spirit feel refreshed, and their Soul even seemed to become a bit lighter.

With a flick of his hand seal, a Medicinal Pill that looked simple and unadorned but contained divine light within, with Dao Marks faintly flowing on its surface, fell into a Jade Bottle.

The third round ended!

Those who failed to form a pill were directly eliminated, leaving only four people qualified for inspection.

The inspection began.