"CRACK!"

A loud explosion erupted from the left, tearing two fissures across the surface of the cauldron. The elder who had started refining medicine first shook his head, letting out a sigh of dejection.

Failed again!

This marked his second consecutive failure!

Hearing the noise, Nie Kong curled his lip, a faint sneer playing on his face. Attempting to refine medicine without a perfectly finalized formula, relying on sheer luck, was bound to fail.

Without pausing his movements, Nie Kong’s hands began to work.

The twelve types of ingredients were added sequentially.

Upon seeing "Hibiscus Dew" and "Falling Blossom Grass"—the two main ingredients—Nie Kong understood perfectly: refining the eighth-grade elixir, the "Hibiscus Falling Blossom Pill," demanded the process be completed in one unbroken flow, without a single moment's pause, and absolutely no opening the cauldron to add ingredients midway.

"CLANG!"

The cauldron lid sealed shut.

Nie Kong grasped the cauldron with his left hand, placing his right hand flat against its body.

"WHOOSH!"

A small cluster of dark red flames surged from the flame mark on his right palm. It bloomed like a fresh flower, its petals deep crimson, its core pure white. Nie Kong had infused the power of his Faxiang into his fundamental energy, using this method as camouflage to hide his true capabilities.

The soft flames gently scorched the base of the cauldron.

"Oh?"

Luan Ye Xin seemed to sense something, her beautiful eyes drifting over with a hint of surprise. She murmured, "Hundred Flower Bloom?" But then she shook her head with a soft, self-deprecating laugh.

"He's actually using the 'Hundred Flower Bloom'!"

The elder beside her, who had just failed, also observed Nie Kong's actions. He couldn't help but scoff derisively. Tai Yan shot him a fierce glare, clearly displeased.

The elder naturally chose not to argue with the "young lady," merely watching Nie Kong, unable to completely conceal the smile on his face.

The so-called "Hundred Flower Bloom" was, in fact, one of the two supreme alchemy techniques in the Divine Void Realm.

To employ this method required, firstly, the alchemist's fire to possess an almost terrifying level of intensity, and secondly, complete mastery over the manipulation of that fire.

Most of the other alchemists in the hall could discern that using the "Hundred Flower Bloom" yielded the best results for this "Hibiscus Falling Blossom Pill," so why hadn't any of them used it?

Simple! They lacked the capability.

Not just the alchemists present, but even counting all the ninth-grade Pill Kings of the Divine Void Realm, those capable of skillfully executing the "Hundred Flower Bloom" could be counted on one hand.

This crude, heavy-handed fellow, acting so rashly—it would be unnatural if he didn't fail.

"BANG! BANG!"

Two more alchemists selected the wrong ingredients, and their cauldrons exploded with sharp reports.

Nie Kong remained entirely undisturbed, his expression still serene.

"WHOOSH!"

With a faint sound, another cluster of flames burst from Nie Kong’s right palm, blossoming proudly like a flower, overlaying the first spark. Several alchemists who were watching closely perceived that this second flame emerging from Nie Kong's palm was marginally stronger than the first.

The Hundred Flower Bloom, as its name implied, involved one layer of flame appearing after another, repeating a hundred times consecutively.

Each successive flower needed to contain a fire intensity precisely ten percent stronger than the preceding one. While this increase seemed minor, multiplying it a hundred times...

The sheer power of the final burst of fire was staggering to imagine.

"WHOOSH!"

"WHOOSH!"

"..."

The second layer of flame, the third layer of fire—in the blink of an eye, the sparks from Nie Kong's palm had reached the tenth layer.

The surrounding alchemists who had already failed had intended to watch Nie Kong make a fool of himself, but now astonishment replaced their expressions. And several yards away, Luan Ye Xin, who had merely been observing casually, found the smile on her face freezing, a shade of gravity subtly appearing in her beautiful eyes.

She was in charge of the reception for this "Pill Palace Immortal Gathering" and was delegated to oversee this examination, meaning her own alchemy skills were quite formidable. Her insight surpassed that of most alchemists in the hall.

Even though Nie Kong had only reached the tenth layer of the Hundred Flower Bloom, just by observing the control he exerted over the fire intensity each time a new spark appeared, Luan Ye Xin knew this broad-faced, rugged alchemist was far stronger than the others nearby.

Since the refining process began, six alchemists had already failed, yet Nie Kong still appeared effortlessly composed, as if exerting no strain whatsoever.

"This man is not simple!"

This thought flashed through Luan Ye Xin’s mind, and her attention became completely fixed on Nie Kong. As her thoughts raced, three more layers of sparks erupted from his palm.

"WHOOSH!"

"WHOOSH!"

"..."

The twentieth layer... the thirtieth layer... the fortieth layer... Amidst the intermittent explosions of failed cauldrons, the quiet sound of these tiny flame bursts seemed unnaturally piercing.

The nearly ten failed alchemists and the more than thirty young men and women all had their gazes locked onto Nie Kong. Luan Ye Xin unconsciously moved closer to Nie Kong and Tai Yan, staring unblinkingly at the flames in his hand.

To execute the "Hundred Flower Bloom" up to the fortieth layer without failure already demonstrated the standard of a ninth-grade Pill King!

What exactly was this person’s background?

Luan Ye Xin’s heart churned with suspicion. The Pill Immortal Sect meticulously recorded all eighth-grade alchemists and ninth-grade Pill Kings in the Divine Void Realm. She knew those records by heart, yet flipping through every memory in her mind, not a single one matched the figure before her. Could it be he had never displayed such alchemy prowess in public before?

This possibility could not be entirely dismissed. The Divine Void Realm was vast; it was conceivable that a few hidden talents existed outside the Sect's awareness.

What confused Luan Ye Xin most was a distinctly peculiar aura she sensed within Nie Kong's flames. This aura felt familiar, yet she couldn't quite place it clearly.

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH..."

The sixtieth layer... the sixty-fifth layer...

The flames continued to erupt, and increasingly intense heat waves radiated outwards.

"I understand now!"

When the flames reached the seventieth layer, Luan Ye Xin’s mind jolted. Her delicate face suddenly flushed crimson, her lips trembling slightly as she shouted internally, nearly beside herself with excitement: "Chaos Heavenly Fire! This is the aura of the Chaos Heavenly Fire! No wonder... no wonder it felt increasingly familiar!"

At this moment, Luan Ye Xin felt an overwhelming urge to let out a loud cry.

The alchemists around, whose cultivation was astonishingly high, keenly sensed her sudden shift in demeanor and shot her suspicious glances. Even if this man managed to push the Hundred Flower Bloom to seventy layers, did it warrant such extreme excitement?

"BANG!"

A sudden cauldron explosion snapped Luan Ye Xin back to reality.

Noticing the strange looks directed her way, Luan Ye Xin quickly took a deep breath, suppressing her wildly beating heart. She smiled faintly and nodded toward them, then instantly turned her gaze back to the flower-like flames—white on the outside, red within—in Nie Kong's palm.

Whatever Faxiang this man practiced, he could actually condense the Chaos Heavenly Human...

Luan Ye Xin’s outward expression was calm, but the excitement within her had not abated. If the circumstances allowed, she would rush right now to inform the Sect Master of this astonishing discovery.