Chapter 506 - 414: Claiming the Championship, Setting Out for the Royal Star

In the final arena of the Azure Wood Star Realm Alchemy Competition, the circular spectator seats are packed, with countless eyes focused on the central square stage.

The four alchemists who have emerged from tens of thousands of contenders each stand at a corner of the stage, in front of them, ancient-looking cauldrons emit a muted glow, the air filled with the bitter aroma of herbs and the scorching presence of spiritual flames.

The test elixir for this final is the Sixth Grade Elixir — Ice Extreme Soul Protection Pill.

This elixir requires using extremely cold spirit grass as a guide, paired with seven rare soul materials. Not only must the flame control be precise to avoid the fragile nature of the soul materials, but during pill formation, the soul power must be enveloped in the icy power. A slight mistake can cause the soul materials to dissolve, undoing all previous efforts.

At the sound of the judge’s command, four pale blue protective arrays suddenly rise, enveloping the four contestants like transparent domes, shielding them from all outside interference.

At the moment the arrays activated, the four alchemists simultaneously began their work.

Dongfang Mingyue’s actions first drew the crowd’s attention.

Dressed in a moon-white alchemist’s robe, her fingertips are surrounded by subtle Azure Wood spiritual energy, her movements fluid and smooth as she selects herbs and adds materials.

In her hands, each herb seems to gain life as they are precisely placed into the cauldron in sequence, the spiritual fire remains stable, neither too fierce to damage the soul materials nor too weak to cause the herbs to stagnate.

Her alchemic rhythm is like an exquisitely composed piece of music, each step seamlessly connected, carrying a pleasing sense of rhythm.

Not far away, Dongfang Xi displayed a completely different style.

Also bearing Azure Wood Holy Blood, her movements are steadier, with an air of extreme meticulousness.

When selecting herbs, she uses Spiritual Energy to carefully measure the weight of each herb, with deviations no more than a hair’s breadth.

Before adding materials, she lightly brushes the surface of the herbs with her fingertips’ spiritual energy, removing impurities that are indiscernible to the naked eye.

Her spiritual fire, more restrained than Dongfang Mingyue’s, constantly circulates along the inner wall of the cauldron, evenly distributing heat to every inch of space—if Dongfang Mingyue’s alchemy is an "expressive landscape," then Dongfang Xi’s is a "meticulous rendering," every detail is crafted impeccably.

On the western stage, the white-haired elder Ren Changhe’s fire control skills are astonishing.

The crimson flames in his hands seem to possess consciousness, sometimes expanding like a fierce sun, sometimes contracting like candle fire, swiftly refining the herbs in the cauldron under his flame’s control.

However, keen observers can easily see that although his fire control techniques are proficient, his analysis and fusion of herbs are notably inferior to the Dongfang Family’s two geniuses, resulting in a process less fluid.

On the easternmost stage, Fu Ze appears more awkward.

In terms of fire control, he lacks Ren Changhe’s seasoned technique; in analyzing and fusing the herbs, he falls far behind the Dongfang sisters.

His alchemical process is stuttering, with the herbal fog above the cauldron remaining somewhat murky; it’s evident to discerning eyes that unless a miracle occurs, he is not only likely to be last, his successful pill formation is uncertain.

Time slowly passes amid the cauldron’s humming and the spiritual fire’s flickering, the final approaches its end.

When the timer shows 40 minutes remaining, a clear cauldron sound suddenly emanates from Dongfang Mingyue’s stage—

"Ding!"

Pale blue ice mist spills out from the seam of the cauldron lid, carrying a bone-chilling cold, nearly extinguishing the spiritual fire beneath the cauldron, which flickers shakily.

Immediately after, a lustrous white pill with faint ice patterns flies out of the cauldron, circles in the air once, and is caught by Dongfang Mingyue’s raised hand in a jade porcelain bottle.

She gently closes the bottle, a subtle smile gracing her serene face, her manner composed as if she had only completed a simple task.

"The first pill is formed! It’s Dongfang Mingyue!" A low murmur arises from the spectator seats.

Upon seeing this, Dongfang Xi’s Spiritual Energy suddenly becomes unstable, the previously steady spiritual fire briefly flickers, causing the herbal fog inside the cauldron to instantly become chaotic.

Though she quickly refocuses and adjusts the fire control, the judges outside the protective array keenly catch this momentary lapse, shaking their heads in private— as a mature Sixth Grade Alchemist, being easily disturbed by another’s progress, her mentality already falls short of Dongfang Mingyue, likely impossible to surpass.

In just a moment, Dongfang Xi’s cauldron also emits a pill formation sound, and an Ice Extreme Soul Protection pill flies out.

Subsequently, Ren Changhe also completes the pill formation, but his pill has faint scorch marks on its surface, due to a subtle error during the process.

As the timekeeper’s bell chimes at zero, Fu Ze’s cauldron remains silent, with fog beneath the lid murky beyond repair, clearly a complete failure.

The judge steps forward to declare his automatic elimination, Fu Ze walks off the stage with a pallid face, never lifting his head throughout.

Soon, the three pills are brought to the judges’ table.

Ten high-tier alchemists from the Alchemy Association sit together, carefully appraising the pills from multiple angles—shade, ice patterns, soul resonance— creating a silent scene, with even the audience’s breathing softened— this final’s champion not only gets rich rewards but the opportunity to train at the Empire Star Alchemy Association headquarters as the Azure Wood Star Realm’s top entrant, receiving personal guidance from a Ninth Grade Alchemist.

This is a chance to change fate for any alchemist.

"Ren Changhe, 75 points." The first judge announces loudly. The white-haired elder hears this score, a hint of regret crosses his face, gently shakes his head—that score is far from competitive for first place, he rises voluntarily, bows slightly towards the judges, his demeanor open.