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…… "Boom!" A thunderous explosion erupted from the high platform. The Spirit Alchemists deeply engrossed in refining their medicine remained unperturbed, but every judge's attention was instantly snagged, their gazes fixed intently on the small cauldron in Nie Kong's hands.

Just by the sound, one could gauge the sheer power contained within the medicinal explosion. By all normal estimations, not only the small vessel Nie Kong was using, but even the larger cauldrons employed by the other Spirit Alchemists, should have been shattered into fragments by the sudden eruption of medicinal force.

Yet, in reality, Nie Kong’s cauldron was not only completely intact but continued to absorb the spiritual energy he poured into it. What kind of cauldron was that?

So incredibly resilient! Cheng Feiliu and the others instinctively turned their gazes toward Lian Tianxin beside them, their expressions filled with questioning inquiry.

Lian Tianxin naturally knew what they were asking, but his own mind was equally clouded; he couldn't fathom the reason behind it, so how could he offer an answer? "That cauldron is quite ordinary.

Perhaps… or perhaps… it might be due to the mutated spiritual power my disciple is employing?" Lian Tianxin ventured, his tone laced with uncertainty. "Mm." Cheng Feiliu and the others nodded slowly, seemingly accepting the possibility.

Once the uniqueness of the cauldron was ruled out, only Nie Kong's spiritual energy remained to explain the scene they had just witnessed. After all, before Nie Kong, none of them had truly understood the nature of mutated Wood Spiritual Power.

Could it be that Wood Spirit Masters with mutated spiritual power truly possessed an advantage in alchemy unknown to others? Such a question inevitably surfaced in their minds.

Lian Tianxin, who had almost given up hope for this round, now felt a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. If handled well, perhaps his disciple could still succeed in synthesizing the medicine.

Nie Kong’s eyes were slightly lowered, his consciousness entirely immersed within the cauldron. Vast amounts of spiritual energy were forcefully poured in, relentlessly compressing the mass of 'Bamboo Leaf Pill' powder.

Stimulated, the medicine’s essence within the powder periodically exploded, desperately fighting to break free from the barrier imposed by Nie Kong’s spiritual power. One side compressing, the other resisting… These two completely opposing forces began a tug-of-war, but the Wood Spiritual Power fused with Fire Spiritual Energy elements by Nie Kong proved significantly more fierce and chaotic.

Furthermore, with the little fellow [presumably a helper/tool] nearby 'fanning the flames' by occasionally stirring things up against the inner wall of the cauldron, the advantage gradually tilted toward Nie Kong. The mass of medicine began to shrink… …… Time flowed away like sand through an hourglass, grain by grain.

Given the perceived difficulty of this fourth stage, the hourglass held significantly more sand than it did for the first round. "Bang!" Amidst a sudden, violent explosion, the cauldron manipulated by one male Spirit Alchemist suddenly split into four pieces, crashing to the ground.

A cloud of dark, sooty smoke plastered itself across his face. Consequently, the Alchemist’s entire countenance turned pitch black, faintly interspersed with glimmers of green light.

Utterly ridiculous! "Awooo!" The Spirit Alchemist froze in stunned disbelief for a moment.

Once he understood what had happened, he let out a howl of extreme unwillingness, slamming his fist viciously onto the low table before him. With a peng, the small table fractured into four pieces.

The Alchemist’s momentum carried his fist down onto the wooden planks of the steps below, punching a gaping hole right through. Before the man could even register what he'd done, he plunged through the opening.

Thud! "Oh…" A moment later, the heavy thud of something landing echoed from beneath the high platform, faintly accompanied by a strange cry that drifted away on the wind.

The judges couldn't help but shake their heads and smile. Fortunately, the tables in this fourth stage were set far apart, so there was no need to worry about such outbursts of temper affecting the other Spirit Alchemists.

Within the manor grounds, the watching crowd fell silent for several seconds before erupting into thunderous laughter, the echoes almost reaching the skies over Jiyang City. "That kid is truly unlucky, to manage to knock himself down…" "Haha, his cry was so weird.

Did the hole back there get busted by a stake or something when he fell?" "I say, it wasn't the hole in the back, it was the one in the front…" "…" "Bang!" Another explosion echoed from the high platform; this time, a male Spirit Alchemist stood there, his entire body scorched black, his hair resembling a bird's nest. The force of the medicinal explosion had torn holes in his clothing, exposing most of the skin on his body, leaving him looking no better than a beggar.

"Hooah!" The laughter from the crowd intensified into a roar. The unfortunate soul snapped back to awareness, felt a sudden chill around his lower half, glanced down, let out a startled yelp, quickly covered himself with both hands, and bolted away in a flash, leaving two pale patches of skin waggling in the cold wind.

The women in the manor lowered their heads, blushing, but several bolder ones joined the men in their noisy teasing. The Alchemist reached the edge of the platform, didn't stop, but instead leaped off while shouting incoherently, his figure instantly vanishing, leaving behind only a long strip of cloth fluttering in the air—quite the dramatic exit.

"Next one!" Some notorious troublemakers started whistling and yelling, and lewd, strange giggles began to rise from every corner of the manor. Now only two male Spirit Alchemists remained on the high platform.

The Fourth Prince, Cheng Zixuan, certainly wouldn't be eliminated so easily, and the spiritual energy-mutated individual showed no signs of imminent failure. If another cauldron were to explode, it would undoubtedly be one of the young, beautiful women.

In such a public setting, if a pretty female Spirit Alchemist were suddenly stripped bare by a medicinal blast, the momentary flash of spring light would be just how… ...Spectacular! The eyes of the male spectators in the crowd grew hot with anticipation, especially those young men overflowing with hormones, who widened their eyes until they were round, staring unblinkingly at the scene above the platform.

Missing the most wonderful spectacle due to a moment's inattention would be too regrettable. "Bang!" After what seemed like ages, the platform finally yielded another intense cauldron explosion.

The owner of the cauldron was a young girl! "Aah, what a..." Some people in the manor started shouting excitedly, wishing they could sprout wings and fly to the girl to get a full, unobstructed view.

However, just as the clamor left their throats, those eagerly anticipating the girl's sudden exposure froze into stunned silence, because they… Saw absolutely nothing! The girl’s outer robe had been blasted to shreds, but she was wearing a white inner garment underneath, made of some unknown material that hadn't suffered even a tiny tear.

The girl shook her head slightly with a hint of regret and disappointment, then smiled lightly, rose gracefully, and sauntered down from the platform. A wave of frustrated sighs rippled through the crowd.

Regardless of the onlookers' thoughts, the competition on the high platform proceeded fiercely. Unlike Nie Kong’s calm demeanor, everyone else was pushing themselves to their limits.

Especially the Fourth Prince, Cheng Zixuan. His right palm wielded Fire Spiritual Power, alternating between rapid bursts and slow ebb, like fire spirits dancing around his cauldron.

Truly worthy of being a Third-Grade Spirit Alchemist, his control over the heat during refinement was masterful to the extreme. Dazzling crimson light, like a magnificent sunset glow, illuminated his handsome features, making him appear even more heroic and spirited… ……

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