Inside the Alchemy Competition Hall, the atmosphere was tense and electric.

Every seat was filled, the passage crowded, and the balconies overflowing.

They had never before had so many people gathered for the alchemy division of the Assembly Summit.

Yet today was different.

They had not come merely to watch alchemists at work. They had come for one reason alone.

The Dust Valley Sect.

Would they show their dominance once again? Could they maintain the streak that had already shaken the entire summit?

The judges, seasoned alchemists who had presided over countless such competitions, were visibly unsettled.

Their gazes swept across the packed hall, their expressions gradually shifting from confusion to astonishment.

"This… this is unprecedented," one muttered.

The Chief Judge, an elderly man with snow-white hair tied neatly behind his back, frowned and summoned his assistant.

"Go," he ordered quietly.

"Find out what is going on. Why is the hall this full?"

The assistant hurried away and returned minutes later, whispering in the Chief Judge's ear.

"So… it's them." The Chief Judge's eyes lit with sudden realization, his lips curving faintly.

"The Dust Valley Sect… Let's see if they can live up to these expectations."

The other judges exchanged looks and, though they tried to maintain solemnity, sparks of excitement gleamed in their eyes.

Below, the remaining contestants were already hard at work.

Today's challenge was simple in theory yet essential in practice… refining elixirs.

For every alchemist, mastering elixirs was a stepping stone. Without this foundation, no one could even dream of advancing to the art of pill refinement.

Among the competitors stood Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan, two disciples of Dust Valley Sect.

Both were calm, their breathing steady, their eyes bright.

They could feel the weight of thousands of gazes pressing down on them, but neither wavered.

This was what they had been trained for.

And to them, creating elixirs was as natural as breathing.

Their hands moved with fluid precision, every gesture smooth and practiced. Their movements possessed a grace that mesmerized the onlookers, like a dance choreographed to perfection.

Around them, disciples from other sects were struggling with complicated steps,checking the cauldron.

By contrast, Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan worked with effortless ease.

"Why do I feel their method is different?" someone whispered from the crowd.

"Different? It's completely unlike anything I've seen before," another replied, eyes wide.

"I always thought the Silent Pill Sect was unmatched in alchemy… but now I'm not so sure."

The whispers carried across the hall, reaching the Silent Pill Sect's disciples and elders.

Their faces darkened, teeth grinding in anger.

Insults… every word was an insult to their pride.

You just wait for this to be over..

To them, alchemy was sacred, governed by strict steps passed down through generations.

What Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan displayed looked graceful, even elegant, but surely it was useless.

Alchemy required tradition, not theatrics.

Or so they believed.

Then, Dust Valley Sect revealed something that shook the entire hall.

From their storage pouches, Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan produced strange, gleaming tools—beakers, flasks, test tubes, burners, and more.

Gasps echoed like thunder.

"What are those?"

"I've never seen anything like them before…"

The judges themselves rose to their feet, peering down in disbelief.

Alchemy tools had always consisted of cauldrons, herbs, and fire.

Yet here were instruments of glass and metal, delicate and precise.

Were they truly going to use these bizarre tools… for alchemy?

Even the Silent Pill Sect elders were stunned, brows furrowed, their confidence shaken.

Their opponents had entered uncharted territory unknown to them.

The gossiping and murmurs ceased.

The hall grew so quiet that every flicker of flame and every clink of glass rang sharp and clear.

Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan ignored the astonishment around them.

Their focus was absolute.

They arranged the tools neatly on the table, everything in order.

With steady hands, they ignited their burners. The flames glowed bright as water within their beakers began to heat.

Using mortar and pestle, they ground herbs into fine paste, separating each type into its own container.

Then, with precise measurements, they began adding them one by one to the heated water.

Each addition was timed, each drop carefully controlled.

The crowd held its breath as the water shifted color—subtle hues changing exactly as intended.

The process continued without a single mistake.

Ten minutes later, they strained the dregs, leaving behind a clear, faintly glowing liquid—the completed elixir.

And then, without pause, they cleaned their tools and began the second elixir.

The audience erupted in stunned whispers.

"Did they just finish… in ten minutes?"

"Look at that liquid—it glows!"

Some contestants, shaken by what they saw, stopped working altogether, their attention fixed on the duo.

"This is madness," one muttered under his breath. "We're struggling to balance heat, and they've already finished one!"

Their methods, once ridiculed, now appeared infinitely simpler—and far more effective.

Another ten minutes passed, and Zhen Xi and Qiao Lan completed their second elixir.

The two exchanged subtle smiles, silent but full of pride.

Carefully, they portioned the glowing liquid into transparent test tubes and carried them forward.

Watching them, Mo Jian and Elder Li Huang wore a knowing prideful smile. Those two had already outdone themselves.

And this was what they wanted to see.

Back to the judges, they were still frozen in disbelief when Zhen Xi spoke, her voice clear and steady:

"We're done."

The words snapped the judges back to reality.

The Chief Judge stepped forward, hands trembling slightly as he accepted the first test tube.

He lifted it carefully, eyes wide with wonder.

"So light…" he whispered, awestruck.

The other judges hurried forward, each taking a sample, their astonishment growing by the second.

The task was to create two specific elixirs.

The Blood Replenishing Elixir and the Detoxifying Elixir.

One by one, the judges uncorked the test tubes, inhaling deeply.

The fragrance was pure, refreshing, invigorating.

They exchanged glances. For a long, breathless moment, none spoke.

And then, they all came to a single conclusion.

Perfect.

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