A self-satisfied smile touched Mu Hong’s lips. He glanced at Nie Kong beside him and realized the green glow in Nie Kong’s palm had already faded. It was frustrating, as it wasn't due to his own suppression; the feeling was akin to winking at a blind man, or punching a mound of cotton—utterly useless.

With a slight sound from Mu Hong, the six fire dragons dancing madly around the medicinal cauldron gradually subsided.

Nie Kong, however, held no intention of competing with Mu Hong. The moment the emerald flames ignited from his spiritual power, his consciousness sank entirely into the cauldron. After all, this was his first time refining a fourth-grade elixir. Even with confidence, Nie Kong needed to dedicate all his spiritual energy to prevent failure.

Under the searing heat of the flames, sounds of dull thuds and muffled crashes occasionally emanated from inside the cauldron. Nie Kong’s mind remained perfectly still as the lid kept opening, introducing one herb after another. Gradually, wisps of fragrant steam began to drift out of the small holes in the lid.

Time flew by swiftly; the sand in the hourglass had fallen nearly halfway.

“Kachak!”

The lid sprang open again, and two herbs entered the cauldron almost simultaneously. The instant the lid lifted, a flash of emerald light shot out from between Nie Kong’s brows, plunging into the cauldron and injecting itself into the mass of crimson medicinal energy. At the very same moment, the flames in Nie Kong’s palm suddenly surged with violent intensity.

Boom!

Immediately following was a fierce, concussive explosion. Nie Kong felt as if he’d taken a heavy blow; his body trembled, and his face momentarily paled. Yet, in a flash, the young man executed a technique from the Heavenly Return Elixir Codex, and Nie Kong’s complexion instantly returned to its former ruddy hue.

When he added those two herbs just now, Nie Kong’s spiritual sense had simultaneously entered the cauldron.

Nie Kong had timed the deployment of his spiritual sense expertly, but the integration of that sense with the medicinal energy was not as smooth as he had imagined. This was, after all, Yuan Kong’s first attempt at refining a fourth-grade elixir—one specifically designed to upgrade one’s cultivation rank. Although his spiritual sense and power eventually achieved resonance, it was far from perfect.

Still, as long as the cauldron hadn’t exploded, there was still a chance to salvage the outcome.

“Hwa!”

A stunning roar of cheers erupted. It was Mu Hong, from whose brow a fiery red phantom reappeared. It manifested as a vine-like heart-form, but instead of just one, there were a full six vines.

The six vines tightly entwined themselves with the six fire dragons stemming from Mu Hong’s palm.

As time passed, the six fire dragons slowly dissipated, replaced by the six fiery red vines that now completely enveloped the cauldron.

“Hmm?”

On the high platform, Mu Qingyi’s gaze swept over the figures of Yuan Kong and Mu Hong. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she let out a soft, confused sound.

“Mother, what is it?” Mu Qingying asked anxiously.

Mu Qingyi replied, “Why isn't Mu Kong using his heart-form? Instead, he’s withdrawn his spiritual sense from it? For us Half-Spirit Clan members, spiritual sense is already integrated with the heart-form. Assisting the refining of fourth-grade or higher elixirs with the heart-form is far easier than relying solely on raw spiritual sense.”

Mu Qingying stared intently at Nie Kong, smiling sweetly. “Mother, perhaps he has another intention!” By this stage of the refining process, Mu Qingying’s confidence in Nie Kong had significantly recovered. The standard he had demonstrated was certainly beyond that of a mere dabbler in elixir mastery.

If Nie Kong could hear her comment, he would surely have offered a wry smile.

Nie Kong had long known that for the Half-Spirit Clan, their spiritual sense was completely merged with their heart-form. However, his bloodline had not truly awakened; what he possessed now was only an illusory projection of a heart-form. How could a phantom heart-form integrate with spiritual sense? Without spiritual sense, even employing the heart-form was useless for alchemy.

“Shasha!”

The surrounding clamor seemed unable to obscure the sound of the hourglass. That faint shushing sound pierced clearly into Mu Hong’s ears.

“Kachak!”

As the lid opened, the tightly wound vines shifted slightly, revealing a narrow gap. Mu Hong flicked his hand, and the final herb entered the cauldron; the gap immediately sealed shut.

Suddenly, Mu Hong’s eyes snapped wide open. Crimson light pulsed in his palms as six dazzling fire dragons surged forth once more, actually igniting the six vines. A wave of scorching heat radiated outwards, making even the spectators around the area feel a distinct rise in temperature.

Gradually, the fire power in Mu Hong’s palm began to wane. By the time the six vines were completely consumed by the flames, the intensity of his fire had dropped to its lowest point since the refining began.

Although the cauldron continued to hover in the air, the flames beneath it flickered precariously, seeming ready to extinguish at any moment.

“Hoo.”

Just as everyone held their breath, another red shadow shot out from Mu Hong’s brow. The flames in his palm roared back to life with ferocious intensity, punctuated by continuous sharp crackling sounds. After this cycle of rising and falling three times, the six fire dragons finally shrank until they were completely reabsorbed into Mu Hong’s palm, vanishing entirely.

Dong!

The medicinal cauldron settled gently onto the table. Mu Hong leaned forward, bringing his nose close to the hole in the lid to inhale the aroma. A satisfied smile involuntarily spread across his rough face.

A moment later, Mu Hong’s eyes darted toward his rival several meters away.

At that moment, Nie Kong was placing the very last herb into his cauldron. The green flames leaped up, igniting the residual green essence that had escaped the void. In an instant, the space around Nie Kong, spanning two or three meters, appeared to be ablaze, the searing green light dazzling the eyes.

“Hmph!” Mu Hong snorted. This opponent controlled his fire power quite well, and his timing for adding the ingredients was also precise. Unfortunately, his control over spiritual sense was rather poor. To refine a fourth-grade elixir with high fusion purity, the application of spiritual sense was an absolutely critical factor.

If he couldn’t even handle his spiritual sense properly, how could he possibly create a fine Illusory Annihilation Separating Heart Pill?

Mu Hong smirked, glanced at the nearly empty hourglass, and let his gaze drift towards the high platform. He openly surveyed Mu Qingying’s tall, graceful figure, his eyes growing increasingly ardent. A triumphant smile surfaced on his face, as if the Yin Ruins Princess on the platform were already his conquest.

“Time’s up!” Mu Jinzhu’s voice suddenly rang out.

Boom!

The very instant Mu Jinzhu’s voice finished, another streak of green light shot from Nie Kong’s brow through the hole in the lid and plunged into the cauldron. Immediately, a violent tremor echoed through the air. Not only did Mu Hong’s eyes snap toward it, but nearly every gaze in the vicinity locked onto Nie Kong’s cauldron.

Nie Kong’s brow furrowed slightly. He raised his index and middle fingers and touched the cauldron with lightning speed. A dense, almost tangible green essence poured into the body of the vessel. Just as Mu Jinzhu’s ‘up’ sound died in his throat, Nie Kong’s cauldron floated down lightly onto the table.

Both had completed the refining of their Illusory Annihilation Separating Heart Pills within the time limit. Who would win this contest? The answer would be revealed the moment the lids were lifted! For a time, the gazes of the crowd stuck to the two cauldrons like iron filings drawn to a magnet.

“Hahahaha…”

Suddenly, Mu Hong pointed at the cauldron on the table before Nie Kong and burst into loud laughter.

But before he could manage several laughs, Mu Jinzhu’s placid gaze fell upon him. Mu Hong choked off his laughter as if his neck had been grasped by a goose, yet his shoulders continued to shake, as if he had seen something utterly hilarious on Nie Kong’s cauldron.

What was he laughing about? The surrounding crowd was utterly bewildered by Mu Hong’s outburst, and the same question arose in their minds.

Before long, those closest discovered the root of the matter: the body of Nie Kong’s cauldron was covered in dense, spiderweb-like cracks, as if a mere breath of wind would cause the entire thing to shatter. These cracks were clearly the result of the explosion in the final moments.

No wonder Mu Hong was laughing so heartily—his opponent’s cauldron had exploded! If the cauldron exploded, how could the elixir inside survive?

“What a pity!”

“It exploded right at the final stage; that fellow must be spitting blood from anger!”

“With the cauldron exploding, Mu Hong is surely the winner of this third round. It seems that tall, strapping fellow is about to become the Mu Clan’s son-in-law!”

In a very short time, the news of the explosion in Nie Kong’s cauldron spread throughout the venue, met with cries of commiseration and astonishment.

“Exploded?”

On the high platform, Mu Qingying stood frozen, stunned. Listening to the surrounding discussions, her mind went completely blank, with only those two words echoing over and over: Exploded? A light breeze lifted a corner of her veil, revealing a delicate face so pale it was almost bloodless.

“Qingying!” Mu Qingyi’s concerned voice rang out.

“Mother…”

Mu Qingying snapped back to reality, her delicate body swaying slightly. She looked at Mu Qingyi with a plea in her eyes and whispered, “Can we have another round?”

“Nonsense!” Mu Qingyi laughed despite herself. Seeing Mu Qingying’s eyes redden, she couldn't help but shake her head. “Silly girl, why the rush? Look at that Mu Kong—does he seem worried at all?”

Mu Qingying raised her eyes and studied Nie Kong for a moment, murmuring, “He doesn’t seem to… But his cauldron exploded…”

“Haven’t there been instances in Yin Ruins where the elixir was successfully formed the very moment the cauldron exploded?” Mu Qingyi said calmly, though her eyes turned to the side, fixing on City Lord Mu Lengxing with a knowing, half-smile. “Lengxing, you are tasked with judging the result of this final round. I hear that young man called Mu Kong is also related to your younger sister. Don’t be partial.”

Mu Lengxing’s expression was impassive. After hearing Mu Qingyi’s words, he offered no verbal response, merely nodding slightly before leaping down from the high platform.

Watching Mu Lengxing’s dark figure float toward the center of the arena, a sliver of hope rekindled in Mu Qingying’s heart. Yes, just as Mother said, it was possible for the elixir to form at the exact moment the cauldron exploded. As long as the spirit medicine was saved in time… Besides, Mu Kong had a familial connection with the Third Elder. If she could just…

With that thought, Mu Qingying let out a long breath, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons once more, though a trace of moisture still clung to the corners.