Chapter 267: An Unorthodox Confrontation

Defeat hinged on this single attempt. Yang Tian dared not be careless. He had rehearsed the process several times the day before, committing every detail to memory. Barring any unforeseen accidents, the chance of failure was minimal—such was the marvelous utility of the deduction method.

Even some alchemy grandmasters had set their sights on Yang Tian. They recognized that secret technique as a lost deduction method, extremely precious. Many high-grade pills consumed such terrifying amounts of spiritual herbs that even the wealthiest individuals dared not refine them lightly.

This deduction method could simulate unknown contingencies, making it a very rare secret art. Some old monsters had even prepared large quantities of treasures, ready to trade for this method.

Yang Tian took a deep breath to ease his tense mind. His soul body was somewhat dim; even though his soul cultivation was formidable, it could not withstand such consumption.

Clang! The sound of metal striking metal exploded. Many juniors shuddered, licked their dry lips, and scanned their surroundings, searching for the one who had opened their furnace.

Everyone's gaze converged, Yang Tian included. That night, three youths had already completed their pill refinement, but the quality was not high—the pills barely reached the fourth rank, with no hope of breaking into the top ten.

At this moment, about a hundred youths remained in the arena, all with formidable foundations, renowned in their respective domains—no ordinary individuals.

Most of those who had left had failed in their refinement, damaging their soul power and unable to continue. They withdrew in disappointment, but their gains were substantial.

Beyond heaven, there is heaven; beyond men, there are men. This was a vast and boundless cultivation world! Countless domains existed, and beyond the void their eyes could not reach, what beings lurked—no one knew!

The one who opened the furnace was a youth of eighteen or nineteen, clad in ornate robes, a hint of pride in his eyes, quite handsome. Before him, a golden-red pill slowly rose.

"A fourth-rank low-grade pill." Yang Tian glanced at it and looked away. Such a pill posed no threat to him.

"A fourth-rank pill! I didn't expect the Alchemy Convention to be so full of hidden talents!"

The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion. The earlier lull erupted into excitement. An eighteen- or nineteen-year-old fourth-rank alchemist, with exceptional talent, could already look down on many.

Some ancient aristocratic families were tempted, extending olive branches with extremely generous offers to recruit this youth. Such occurrences were not uncommon—a youth with the potential to become a high-grade alchemist was worth the investment of an ancient family.

The youth's family was overjoyed. To forge ties with an ancient family and gain abundant resources—such allure was irresistible.

"Hmph, just a brat." On one side, Tian Xin cast a cold, sharp glance at the youth, a sneer curling on his face as he shook his head disdainfully.

The black furnace before him was ancient and imposing, flashing with eerie black light. Wisps of pitch-black flames dripped down, distorting the surrounding void. The flames were dazzling and intensely hot, showing their extreme temperature.

After this youth's pill emerged, many others acted. Within a single hour, most had lifted their furnace lids, and pills shining with precious radiance continuously appeared.

At this stage, the Alchemy Convention was exceptionally heated. The remaining time was short, and some alchemists had already exhausted their internal energy, struggling to continue refining.

Clang! Clang! The sound of furnace lids opening exploded across the square. At that moment, a vast fluctuation surged into the sky. A crimson furnace was opened, and the surrounding void turned red, flowing like magma in the air.

A naive-looking youth, Meng Kang, his face pale from exhaustion, continuously formed hand seals and pressed them into the furnace.

Before him, a golden, gleaming pill radiated brilliance. The void seemed to rain golden light, and the surging medicinal power was extremely intense, filling the arena with a rich fragrance.

"Not bad. This pill's quality is nearly fourth-rank high-grade!" Dan Zong smiled slightly as he looked at the golden pill. "If it had been nurtured a bit longer, the medicinal power would have been more perfect. It seems the child's mind was too eager, wanting to show off."

"Hehe, nothing escapes your eyes," the white-haired old man beside him teased. Dan Zong was a genuine seventh-rank alchemist, holding a very high position within the sect, comparable to the Inner Sect's Grand Elder.

Half an hour later, a violent energy erupted in the arena, distorting the surrounding void.

"Not good, the furnace is about to explode." Dan Zong's pupils contracted. An explosion at this moment would injure the alchemists nearby.

He moved with incredible speed, his large hand grasping through the air. The violent energy was instantly sealed. The alchemists nearby, whose nerves had been tense, breathed a huge sigh of relief, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

"This... why did the furnace explode?..." The white-robed youth bit his lip, pain surging across his face. Years of preparation had turned to nothing in an instant. His spirit sank to rock bottom.

Yang Tian shook his head slightly. This was not the time for sympathy. Only ten people remained in the arena, none of them ordinary—their furnaces leaked not a trace of medicinal power.

Clang! After a while, a sallow-faced youth opened his furnace. Fiery red light surged out overwhelmingly, and scorching waves of flame rolled forth.

Amid the fiery waves, a fire-red pill, the size of an agate, contained extremely pure medicinal power.

After this youth opened his furnace, another moved. The energy fluctuation was similar to the previous one, the quality nearly reaching fourth-rank high-grade.

As these youths left the stage, the entire arena fell into deep silence. Eyes fixed unblinkingly on the front. The remaining eight sat like old monks in meditation, without a stir.

"Who is that kid? I've never seen him before."

Some gazes fell on one white-robed youth. A gentle smile occasionally played on his lips, his expression always calm and indifferent.

"Tsk, that little rascal Shangguan Hao is pretty good, actually managing to hold on until now." Shan Qu's gaze landed on the white-robed youth, and he couldn't help but curl his lips.

The white-robed youth seemed to sense something. He glanced at Shan Qu, grinned, and his eyes revealed a hint of determination to win.

At this moment, Qin Shi swept his gaze around, locking onto the fat youth. A provocative glint flashed in his eyes. He seemed to have guessed that this was Qin Zuying.

The fat youth flashed a row of white teeth, grinning. His eyes held the same expression as the youth's, but with a hint of unwillingness to admit defeat.

Clang! The two opened their furnaces simultaneously. A beam of cyan jade divine light shot straight into the sky, like a divine dragon roaring! A domineering aura surged in all directions, sweeping across the surroundings.

"Hehe, it seems both are from the Southern Divine Dynasty." On the palace, Dan Zong shook his head with a faint smile. He seemed to recognize the two techniques and made his judgment.

"Indeed. This time, the Southern Divine Dynasty has produced two alchemists. I wonder which prince they serve." The white-haired old man nodded. The Southern Divine Dynasty was a colossal power, and even their Dan Valley was slightly inferior.

Two powerful auras clashed! The void twisted, and blazing flames coiled out, sweeping across the entire sky. This region nearly turned into a domain of fire.

Clang! Then, Dan Xueyi's gaze swept over the two before her. She smiled faintly, raised her delicate brows, and with a jade hand lifted the furnace lid. A beam of azure light swept across the eight directions, a powerful momentum spreading out.

Three remarkable figures collided. Mighty, unparalleled energy surged into the nine heavens, shocking to hear.

"What are they trying to do? Plunder the surrounding essence?"

"These people are secretly competing to see whose pill can overpower the others!"

The crowd below erupted in discussion. This was an unorthodox confrontation, deciding victory by the strength of the pill—extremely rare.

"Hehe, these little fellows sure know how to stir things up." The three of them—Yang Tian and the others—were not content to be left out, itching to join. Dan Chen's gaze, carrying a smile, converged on Yang Tian, eager to face him in battle.

Dan Xiaoxiao's bright eyes swept around, revealing two deep dimples. She too wanted to engage in an unorthodox confrontation, seemingly very confident in her alchemy skills!

Tian Xin's gaze was extremely cold. The others seemed to have a tacit understanding, paying him no heed. His resentment toward the mysterious youth grew even more intense.