The Grand Square was transford.
Where once stood a gathering ground of orderly disciples, now an intricate web of spirit arrays pulsed beneath the stone—each circle a testing platform, each rune a gate to judgnt. Rows of cauldrons shimred under the sunlight, their polished surfaces catching firelight from countless conjured flas.
Elders hovered above on floating platforms, watching like silent stars.
"Begin the Outer Alchemy Selection!" the herald’s voice rang out, and the ground ca alive with motion.
Instantly, hundreds of disciples ignited their flas. Scarlet, azure, jade, and violet fires burst into life, painting the square with dazzling hues. The air thickened with spiritual essence as herbs were tossed into cauldrons, techniques unfolded, and the music of alchemy began—the hiss of boiling elixirs, the hum of circulating qi, the faint crackle of refinent.
Tian Lei stood before his cauldron, calm amidst the storm. His fla didn’t roar—it whispered. A silver-white glow flickered to life in his palm, gentle yet radiant, like moonlight woven through morning mist.
The disciples nearby glanced his way and frowned.
"What kind of fla is that? It’s too soft.""Probably so half-trained fire from the Middle Gardens. It won’t even lt spirit ore."
Tian Lei didn’t respond. His mind was still, his heart steady.
He placed a single Spirit Lotus Petal into his cauldron. The soft fla rose to et it—not to consu, but to embrace. Slowly, the petal lted, releasing luminous droplets that floated like tiny stars inside the cauldron’s belly. He added a Blue Vein Root, a Crimson Leaf, and a trace of refined dew essence.
Then, instead of commanding the fire, he listened to it.
The fla adjusted on its own—gentle, rhythmic, patient. The ingredients didn’t fight; they danced. Impurity dissolved into vapor, and the liquid within began to glow faintly gold.
Onlookers soon fell silent.
That kind of harmony... it was unnatural. Controlled flas could refine; but flas that resonated refined perfectly.
Above, one of the observing elders leaned forward. "A balanced fla... not destructive, but nurturing. That’s not common among Outer Disciples."
Another elder nodded. "No, that’s the mark of a cultivator who has already glimpsed the essence of alchemy."
Tian Lei exhaled softly, tapping the side of his cauldron once. The sound echoed like a heartbeat, and the brew within condensed instantly—shimring into a cluster of golden pills, perfectly round, perfectly pure.
The nearby disciples froze. Even their best attempts produced faint cracks or residual vapor. Tian Lei’s pills, by contrast, emitted a serene aura that cleared the mind.
"Impossible," one whispered. "That’s a Tier-Three Purity Pill! We’re only supposed to aim for Tier-One refinent!"
The supervising elder descended slowly, eyes glowing faintly. "Na."
"Tian Lei," he replied, bowing slightly.
The elder studied the pills, then turned to the others. "Record it. Tian Lei, Tier-Three Alchemist confird."
A shocked murmur swept through the crowd. Tier-Three—at an Outer Selection? Such a feat was virtually unheard of.
The elder who had first spoken raised a hand, halting the recorder mid-etch. His brows furrowed—not in doubt, but in discipline.
"Let’s not be hasty in declaring him a Tier-Three Alchemist," he said evenly, his voice rippling through the crowd like tempered steel through silk. "Regulations dictate that six distinct Tier-Three formulations must be refined before such certification is granted. One success proves skill—six prove mastery."
He turned his gaze to Tian Lei. "Disciple Tian, are you confident enough to continue?"
Tian Lei’s expression didn’t waver. "Confidence is unnecessary, Elder," he replied softly. "Alchemy speaks for itself."
A faint glimr passed through the elder’s eyes—approval, or perhaps curiosity. With a gesture, he summoned a golden jade case that hovered before Tian Lei. It opened to reveal six neatly sealed jade bottles, each labeled with intricate runes: Verdant Recovery Pill, Ironbone Essence, Azure Dream Pellet, Spiritflow Elixir, Flaheart Dust, and Mind-Cleansing Pill.
"These are the standard Tier-Three formulations for examination," the elder explained. "You will be provided the ingredients for each. Refine all six within the ti of one incense stick, without external aid. Fail three or more, and the evaluation is forfeit."
As he spoke, six groups of glowing ingredients materialized in midair—roots, blossoms, essences, and minerals suspended in strands of light. The spectators murmured in awe; even Inner Disciples would hesitate to attempt all six at once.
The elder descended a little, his tone lowering into sothing ceremonial. "Tian Lei, this is your personal alchemy test. You may proceed."
Tian Lei inclined his head. "Understood."
He placed both palms over the cauldron. The silver-white fla surged upward—still gentle, yet now threaded with gold. The spiritual air around him bent and shimred. Where others relied on force and technique, Tian Lei moved through intuition—his motions almost ditative.
One by one, the ingredients entered the cauldron—not as random additions, but as verses in a rhythm only he could hear.
The Verdant Recovery Pill ca first. Green smoke spiraled upward, carrying the scent of spring rain. Within monts, the cauldron released a soft chi, and the pill floated out, flawless.
Next was Ironbone Essence. The ingredients clashed violently, sparks flying as the tallic spirit resisted purification. Tian Lei’s eyes glowed faintly, and the silver-gold fla folded inward, cocooning the mixture in a sheath of light. A heartbeat later—silence. Then a gleaming black pill erged, humming faintly with contained strength.
"Two successful condenses within twenty breaths..." one elder whispered, stroking his beard. "That’s good, very good."
He continued without pause.
Azure Dream Pellet—a challenge of balance. Too much fire and the essence would evaporate; too little, and it would stagnate. Tian Lei breathed once, exhaled silver mist, and his fla adjusted itself, dancing in hues of twilight blue. A faint aroma, both serene and surreal, spread through the square.
Spiritflow Elixir—completed in the ti it took for one elder to blink. Flaheart Dust—compressed into radiant red powder that shimred like crystallized sunlight.
By now, the entire square had fallen into silence. Even the flas of nearby disciples wavered, drawn toward his aura like moths to a sacred fla.
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