Chapter 87: Grand Exhibition of Alchemy Techniques from Various Sects

Over a hundred alchemists entered the cauldron one after another. Li Qinglian found herself in a private alchemy chamber upon entering. A white-haired youth in spiritual form was scrutinizing her. Li Qinglian immediately realized the situation and clasped her hands respectfully: "Greetings, Senior Artifact Spirit!" "Just call me Elder Qian!" the youth said. "Ah, yes, Elder Qian!" Old Qian nodded and said, "What spiritual flame do you need? I can provide common second or third-grade spiritual flames." Having refined numerous cauldrons, he had accumulated many spiritual flames. To prepare for the Alchemy Conference, he had specifically gone to Alchemy Summit Peak to refine even more flames. Li Qinglian was surprised: "Any spiritual flame will do?" "Yes. Also, if you don't have a cauldron, I can provide one too," Elder Qian said. "I want third-grade Clearwood Flame!" Li Qinglian declared. "No problem!" With a wave of Elder Qian's hand, a Clearwood Flame rose from the center of the chamber. Li Qinglian placed her own cauldron atop it and tested the flame, finding it exceptionally gentle and easily controllable with spiritual sense—as if she had refined it herself! "This type of spiritual flame is extremely rare! I've wanted to refine one before but never got the chance—I never thought I'd get to use one here!" Li Qinglian said joyfully. "If you rank in the top ten, I'll gift you one of these flames," Elder Qian said with a faint smile. "Elder Qian, are you serious?" Li Qinglian's spirits lifted. "It's not expensive—just a flame worth a few million spirit stones. Nothing particularly valuable!" Truly befitting an artifact spirit of a fifth-grade spiritual treasure—so extravagant! While she was still excitedly familiarizing herself with the Clearwood Flame, Elder Qian suddenly announced: "Someone has already received a score—the rankings are now live!" He waved his hand, and a luminous screen appeared before Li Qinglian, displaying the rankings: [1]: Zhang Yichuan - 5 points [2]: Qiu Ke - 3 points ... [108]: Li Qinglian - 0 points A sense of urgency arose in Li Qinglian's heart. "Elder Qian, do you provide materials here? I need Soulwood Fruit, Silverheart Grass..." As soon as she finished speaking, the requested materials appeared before her in ample quantities—enough for three attempts! Without hesitation, Li Qinglian immediately picked up the materials. After briefly assessing their medicinal potency, she noticed that the Seven Extremes Sect's herbs were at least 10% more potent than ordinary ones. This required her to adjust the quantities—another test of skill. But this didn't faze her. She immediately began processing the materials and started refining. Elder Qian openly observed from the side, meticulously recording every detail of her alchemy process—material selection, refinement, fusion, pill condensation timing—everything was documented thoroughly. Meanwhile, Su Yuan sat with his eyes closed, observing these alchemy scenes. He realized these alchemy geniuses from various sects and factions truly had remarkable skills. Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators yet could already refine third-grade pills! This was cross-tier alchemy, yet everyone here could do it. Moreover, each had their own distinctive techniques—many of which Su Yuan had never seen before! Although Alchemy Summit Peak possessed supreme alchemy knowledge which Su Yuan had studied, how could one sect's teachings compare to the collective alchemy heritage of the entire cultivation world? Each faction's inheritance had its merits, and these geniuses were the young representatives of these traditions. Though some aspects were beyond his current understanding, that didn't stop him from watching intently. Alchemy was an important path in cultivation. Even though his cultivation progressed easily, it was wise to prepare for the future—what if he encountered bottlenecks later? Therefore, this opportunity to learn others' alchemy techniques was invaluable. Was it improper to steal techniques? He wasn't stealing—Elder Qian was observing openly, wasn't he? If the alchemists didn't mind, why should he? Simultaneously... Outside in the Alchemy Conference square, a large luminous ranking board appeared, displaying the real-time scores of all 108 alchemists. The rapidly changing names kept the audience on edge. "This year's alchemy competition truly tests real skill!" "Indeed! Endurance, success rate, speed, pill selection—all factors matter!" "I just noticed another rule—repeatedly refining the same pill reduces subsequent score gains. This further tests an alchemist's fundamentals!" "In that case, this competition is truly fair! Judged by an artifact spirit rather than humans—it's completely impartial, testing pure alchemy skill. Any loss would be unquestionably deserved." "Moreover, with a Void Refining senior presiding, the champion will receive even greater alchemy fortune. Everyone must bring their A-game!" The discussions continued. This year's Alchemy Conference had exceeded expectations—more equitable and better at showcasing true alchemy mastery. Hearing these comments, Su Yuan's lips curled slightly. This was exactly his intention—to fully extract these alchemists' talents. Repeatedly refining the same pill would be boring;diverse pill refining would expose more alchemical insights. Su Yuan committed each alchemy scene to memory, silently accumulating alchemical comprehension. He didn't just watch once—he repeatedly reviewed certain distinctive techniques to ensure precise memorization. Time passed slowly. For the alchemists inside the cauldron, this was an extremely grueling test. Everyone was racking their brains to refine better pills. They didn't need to worry about external factors—when their true essence depleted, Elder Qian provided a special spiritual liquid that rapidly restored it. When spiritual sense exhausted, another liquid quickly rejuvenated it. Like tireless machines, they continuously refined pills under the immense pressure of the real-time rankings. During a brief respite between pills, Li Qinglian glanced at the rankings and saw her position had dropped to 12th—a significant fall from her previous 7th place! After a moment's hesitation and a glance at Elder Qian's impassive face, she decided to employ her sect's secret alchemy method! For the Clearwood Flame, the conference ranking, and considering Elder Qian—an artifact spirit—wouldn't care about her techniques, why hold back? If others truly wanted to learn, they wouldn't be observing so openly anyway! Resolute, she activated her technique. The meridian rotation paths within her body underwent a marvelous transformation—the channels momentarily formed the pattern of a grand furnace! Elder Qian noted this change and relayed it to Su Yuan. Su Yuan was delighted—this was the real deal! Li Qinglian's hand seals also transformed. Each seal seemed to resonate with heaven and earth, drawing spiritual energy rapidly into the cauldron. The pill inside underwent a wondrous change—its medicinal properties improved significantly. Su Yuan was pleased—this alchemy method was truly exquisite! Which sect's secret technique was this, revealed so readily? He had high hopes for this Li Qinglian—a foolishly honest inheritor. He liked that. As the final seal landed, the cauldron opened. A third-grade low-tier pill with two dao patterns flew out, its refreshing aroma immediately filling the chamber! A wisp of profound charm emerged from the pill and automatically merged into the Myriad Treasures Heaven-Earth Cauldron. After Su Yuan's complete refinement, the cauldron could now absorb the divine essence from others' creations—something undetectable by others, quite miraculous. When Li Qinglian collected her pill, her ranking skyrocketed straight to first place! It was now the fourth day. Her sudden rise immediately drew attention from other alchemy geniuses. "Has someone started showing their true skills?" "A 3,000-point leap at once? What grade pill did they refine?" one genius exclaimed. Elder Qian nearby explained: "A third-grade low-tier Bright Yellow Pill with two pill patterns." The genius froze, then his expression turned serious. Realizing he might miss the top ten—even the championship—if he didn't step up, he immediately began refining a new pill. This time, a cauldron formed by spiritual sense appeared in his consciousness, emitting special fluctuations. Strands of spiritual sense energy merged into the cauldron, inducing beneficial changes in the herbs' properties. Even Elder Qian was impressed—someone had actually created this visualization alchemy method! By visualizing an immortal cauldron and tempering spiritual sense over time, one could develop a universal effect that enhanced herb properties, making alchemy unstoppable. Not just this alchemist—others also began showcasing their unique techniques one after another, leaving Su Yuan dazzled. He was astonished—these alchemy methods were typically closely guarded secrets, yet here they were being openly displayed before him. Didn't anyone worry he might steal them? Was the reputation of a Void Refining alchemy master too intimidating, making these alchemists eager to impress? Or had he acted too quickly for the elders to warn their juniors? Regardless, Su Yuan didn't care—absorbing their alchemy experience was his priority. In truth, ordinary people couldn't reverse-engineer secret methods just by watching. If that were possible, why would decades of study be needed for inheritance? Even with written instructions, mastery took centuries. To comprehend secrets through mere observation required terrifying comprehension abilities!