BTTH : Treasure Exchange System

"Elder Gu He, can you tell what grade of pill Xiao Huohuo and Huo Tan are refining?" Yun Yun, seated in the VIP section, asked Gu He as she watched the strange medicinal aroma wafting up from below.

Gu He shook his head and explained, "It's hard to tell at the moment. We'll have to wait until the pill forms to know for sure. A fourth-grade pill releases different aromas before forming, and the stronger the scent, the higher the grade of the pill. However, a fifth-grade pill produces a tangible ripple of energy when it forms due to the sheer amount of energy contained within it. Based on the intensity of the aroma they're refining, it's definitely at least a high-level fourth-grade pill. But to confirm if it's a fifth-grade pill, we need to see if there will be an energy ripple upon formation."

Yun Yun nodded in understanding and praised, "That young man has extraordinary talent. Whether he wins the championship today or not, his name will surely spread far and wide."

Gu He smiled bitterly and nodded. "Indeed, compared to him, I feel like all these years have been wasted."

As they spoke, a tangible ripple of energy suddenly erupted from the most noticeable corner of the square. The ripple spread out, carrying a strong purple medicinal aroma, and in an instant, the entire square was filled with the fragrance of the pill.

Seeing the energy ripple in the air, Hai Bodong, Jia Xingtian, Yun Yun, and Gu He immediately stood up and moved closer to Fa Ma, their eyes fixed on the center of the ripple.

Hai Bodong, in particular, was filled with anticipation.

Xiao Se was using his soul perception to meticulously control the cyan flames as he refined the Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill.

"An energy ripple... This is a fifth-grade pill," Fa Ma's voice trembled as he spoke.

Suddenly, Gu He and Fa Ma's expressions changed dramatically. From their perception, it seemed that Xiao Se's cauldron was reaching its limit. The previously calm flames inside the cauldron were suddenly becoming chaotic.

Gu He spoke gravely, "This is bad; the cauldron can't hold on."

"Old man Fa Ma, didn't you say everything was prepared? How come the esteemed Alchemist Association doesn't even have a decent cauldron?" Jia Xingtian grumbled in dissatisfaction upon hearing this.

Fa Ma shook his head, saying, "It's not that I didn't provide one, it's just..."

At this moment, Fa Ma recalled the scene from the previous day. When he offered Xiao Se a better cauldron, the latter was overjoyed. But when Fa Ma took off the cauldron from his head, Xiao Se's face showed clear disdain, something Fa Ma still remembered vividly.

After a brief pause, Fa Ma sighed and continued, "At this point, we can only hope for a miracle."

In the VIP section and throughout the audience, nearly everyone was staring at the center of the square. There, the cyan flames on top of the cauldron appeared ready to burst through the lid, and cracks began to form on the surface of the cauldron. From the cracks, wisps of cyan flames seeped out, distorting the surrounding air into a shimmering mirage.

As the crowd watched Xiao Se, drenched in sweat with a flushed face, they couldn't help but gasp softly.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that despite the situation, Xiao Se did not appear anxious at all. In fact, a faint smile even tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"We're going to lose, and it's all because of the cauldron," Fa Ma sighed as he felt the cauldron nearing its breaking point, a bitter expression on his aged face.

Typically, as long as one was cautious, an ordinary cauldron wouldn't easily explode. But Xiao Se's cauldron had clearly been used multiple times to refine high-grade pills, far beyond its capacity. This was why, despite his careful efforts, Xiao Se could not avoid the cauldron's eventual explosion.

Moments later, Xiao Se's cauldron finally gave way. A piercing cracking sound emerged from the fissures, followed by a loud bang as the cauldron exploded into a cloud of dust.

"Sigh..." The audience collectively sighed in disappointment.

"Hahaha, what a fool! Refining a fifth-grade pill with a cauldron that no one would even pick up from the street. I'll gladly take the championship for myself!" Huo Tan sneered as Xiao Se's cauldron exploded, accelerating the formation of his own pill while mocking Xiao Se.

"Oh? I don't think so," Xiao Se's calm voice emerged from the cloud of dust.

Suddenly, a ball of cyan flames flared up within the smoke, quickly incinerating the surrounding dust.

When the crowd turned to look, they saw Xiao Se holding a cauldron made entirely of cyan flames in his hands. Inside the flaming cauldron lay a perfectly round, pigeon-egg-sized pill that shone with a deep purple hue, rolling smoothly within.

He had tried refining without a cauldron before in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, and once his soul power reached the fifth rank, he had mastered the technique.

It was only more time-consuming compared to using a cauldron.

"Refining without a cauldron!" On the platform, Gu He and Fa Ma exclaimed simultaneously in shock.

"Refining without a cauldron? Can you still refine pills without one?" Hai Bodong, unfamiliar with alchemy, was bewildered and glanced at Fa Ma in confusion.

"Yes," Fa Ma nodded, his eyes filled with admiration as he watched Xiao Se in the center of the square. Smiling, he explained, "It's said that once an alchemist reaches a certain level, they can refine pills without a cauldron. This is the second time I've seen someone capable of it."

As he spoke, Fa Ma's mind wandered to memories of an elderly master he had once encountered in his youth, falling deep into thought.

Meanwhile, in the square...

Huo Tan's pill had also formed, releasing a tangible energy ripple. The ripple carried a strong red aroma, quickly spreading across half the square and competing with Xiao Se's pill.

"Haha! So what if you can refine without a cauldron? The pill I'm refining can even benefit Dou Huang experts. You can't possibly beat me!" Huo Tan laughed triumphantly.

"Is that so? We'll see," Xiao Se replied calmly, knowing there was no fifth-grade pill that could surpass the Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill. Xiao Se had already guessed the nature of Huo Tan's pill—Yuan Recovery Pill, a fifth-grade pill used to heal severe injuries. Its mild medicinal properties ensured it wouldn't further harm an already injured body, making it an ideal pill for healing severe wounds.

But healing injuries and restoring cultivation were two different things.

Healing injuries could be done with lower-grade pills, though they would take longer to work.

However, restoring cultivation was an entirely different matter. The Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill was effective even for Dou Huang-level experts, and each star of advancement at that level was extremely difficult to achieve, often taking much more than a few months. The Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill saved the time needed to retrain, making it an invaluable treasure.

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