The seven-day competition finally concluded!
All 108 alchemy geniuses flew out of their cauldrons with exhausted expressions, appearing in the square. Upon emerging, they immediately looked up at the ranking list suspended mid-air.
To everyone's astonishment, the name at the top was none other than Li Qinglian!
Many beat their chests in frustration - precisely because Li Qinglian had made her decision first, seizing the initiative. That early advantage had snowballed, allowing her to luckily claim the title of Alchemy Champion.
"I... I actually won first place? Is this real?" Li Qinglian shouted in joyous disbelief.
Her sect elder also beamed with pride: "Well done! Magnificent!"
Su Yuan stood up and addressed Li Qinglian: "Congratulations, Li Qinglian. You've successfully earned the title of Alchemy Conference Champion. As a personal reward, I'm giving you a fourth-grade spiritual fire. May you surpass this old man in the future!"
With a wave of his hand, a spiritual fire flew from the cauldron toward Li Qinglian. Overjoyed, she caught it gratefully: "Thank you for your generous gift, Elder Su!"
"Additionally," Su Yuan continued, "the top ten alchemists will also receive spiritual fires!" Nine third-grade spiritual fires emerged from the cauldron, flying toward the remaining top-ranked participants.
The recipients expressed their gratitude repeatedly. While third-grade spiritual fires weren't extremely rare, the varieties Su Yuan provided were exceptionally precious specimens.
However, for the Myriad Treasures Heaven-Earth Cauldron, producing spiritual fires was simply a matter of nourishing them with spirit stones - an ability of the cauldron. With sufficient spirit stones and fire seeds, it could generate spiritual fires endlessly. This explained Su Yuan's generosity.
Su Yuan nodded in satisfaction before addressing the crowd: "Next will be a three-day alchemy exchange conference. Everyone may speak freely about their insights into alchemy. After three days, my cauldron's artifact spirit will select three participants who contributed the most profound discussions to receive special rewards."
"Who would like to begin?"
"I will!" someone immediately responded.
Su Yuan smiled, recognizing the speaker as an elder from Li Qinglian's sect - truly, like teacher, like disciple!
Under Su Yuan's guidance, this Divine Transformation stage elder took the central platform to share his alchemy experience: "In my view, the essence of alchemy lies not in medicinal ratios, but in the harmonious combination of natural spiritual attributes..."
Su Yuan listened intently, nodding frequently at the profound insights shared. Once this elder set the precedent, other alchemists came forward to share their experiences, some even debating others' viewpoints. The conference quickly developed into lively discussions, with smaller groups forming to debate specific alchemical problems.
Standing on the platform, Su Yuan quietly absorbed all the alchemical wisdom shared. Though no one revealed their deepest secrets, it was more than sufficient for his purposes.
Three more days passed in this manner. When all discussions concluded, the Myriad Treasures Heaven-Earth Cauldron selected three contributors who had offered the most valuable insights - including that very same elder from Li Qinglian's Hidden Sword Pavilion sect, known by his Daoist name Snow Sword.
This elder had been remarkably open, sharing numerous alchemical secrets without reservation, earning everyone's respect. The three selected participants, along with Li Qinglian, sat before Su Yuan, granted the privilege of observing his alchemy process up close.
"As the Alchemy Conference draws to a close," Su Yuan announced, "I've benefited greatly from this event. To mark the occasion, I shall personally refine a batch of pills. After completion, I'll share some of my own alchemical insights - please forgive any shortcomings."
The crowd watched with eager anticipation as Su Yuan turned his attention to his system panel:
[Name]: Su Yuan
[Region]: Green Vine Continent
[Level]: Renowned (535,000/1,000,000)
[Realm]: Peak Foundation Establishment (99/100): Peak Golden Star Realm
[Trait 1]: Work-Rest Balance: Current rest time: 101 days
[Trait 2]: Daoist Techniques Naturally
[Trait 3]: Seven Stars Shine Bright
[Trait 4]: Mind Echo
[Trait 5]: Great Master's Bearing: Late Void Refinement stage pressure
Looking inward at his Dantian, Su Yuan observed that only three of his nine golden stars bore Dao patterns, leaving six vacant. He now resolved to engrave one with an alchemical pattern!
During Golden Core formation, one could imprint Dao patterns that would become the foundation of cultivation. Some chose spell patterns to convert spells into innate abilities, while others selected sword patterns to transform their golden core into a sword pill capable of cutting through all techniques! Most opted for "potential" patterns, merging their Dao foundation with the golden core for future advancement toward conceptual realms.
Su Yuan had currently selected wood, fire, and metal conceptual patterns - clearly superior to spell patterns and even "potential" patterns. Beyond these, he planned to incorporate alchemy, formations, talismans, and artifact forging into his golden stars, along with water and earth concepts to cover all elements.
Finally, he would unify all these insights under the stellar concept, creating a golden core foundation as stable and flawless as the stars themselves.
After countless mental calculations, Su Yuan activated his [Work-Rest Balance] trait.
First activation!
Second activation!
Third activation!
His comprehension increased tenfold, then a hundredfold, then a thousandfold!
In this moment, Su Yuan felt transformed into a true cultivation genius. All the doubts accumulated during his previous slacking were effortlessly resolved. The alchemical knowledge and techniques gathered over ten days became fuel for his sudden enlightenment, combined with his own practical alchemy experience.
His alchemical skills skyrocketed at an astonishing rate.
The four observers nearby noticed Su Yuan closing his eyes but respectfully remained silent. To cultivators, time flowed differently than for mortals - a brief meditation was nothing to wait for.
After half an hour, Su Yuan's eyes snapped open, blazing with fiery intensity as countless alchemical insights fused together and merged with his supreme techniques.
Then he moved!
Springing to his feet, Su Yuan stomped the ground, sending starlight radiating outward in intricate patterns. The crowd hastily retreated as glowing lines snaked across the floor like flying dragons, gradually forming an enormous cauldron shape.
To everyone's astonishment, the glowing patterns converged and erupted in a pillar of light reaching toward the heavens! Simultaneously, the Big Dipper constellation above shone with unprecedented brilliance, casting down a massive stellar pillar.
The descending starlight and rising earthly light met midair, merging to form a mountainous stellar cauldron that left the audience speechless!
Calmly, Su Yuan observed the Myriad Treasures Heaven-Earth Cauldron's contents. After absorbing numerous pills, particularly the high-quality ones provided by the competing alchemists, it had produced abundant spiritual liquids that could serve as secondary refining materials.
With a gesture, Su Yuan summoned 365 different spiritual liquids from the cauldron, sending them skyward like colorful ribbons into the stellar cauldron. He then soared upward, splitting into 365 afterimages, each performing different alchemy hand seals that flew into the glowing cauldron.
"What kind of alchemy is this?"
"Madness! Sheer madness!"
"He's using heaven as the lid, earth as the base, and stellar power as the cauldron!"
"Those hand seals are incredibly profound - each one seems extraordinary!"
"Quick, record this for later study!"
Even the sect masters were awestruck. "How is this possible?" one murmured.
Elder Nangong Xianweng sensed familiar spatial fluctuations from his years guarding Immortal Seed Valley, realizing with shock that Su Yuan had actually refined their ancestral secret realm!
Above the Seven Stars Sect, the stellar river seemed drawn by Su Yuan's power, diverting toward his cauldron. Whether cultivators practicing stellar techniques or spirit plants absorbing starlight, all found their connection to the Big Dipper severed as its power concentrated on the cauldron.
Countless starlight trails painted the night sky as the stellar cauldron grew increasingly solid. Inside, the 365 spiritual liquids condensed under stellar refinement into a multicolored medicinal solution.
Most alchemists watched in intoxicated fascination, desperately memorizing every detail of this unforgettable spectacle.
Meanwhile, Su Yuan's true energy depleted at a terrifying rate, but the natural restrictions of his Yuan Pool replenished it just as quickly. Every few dozen seconds consumed a golden core's worth of energy, yet his formidable foundation provided seemingly inexhaustible reserves.
After slightly over an hour, Su Yuan sent a final hand seal into the cauldron, which then exploded spectacularly like a nine-colored firework across the sky!
The audience gasped, fearing a failed refinement - until the dissipating starlight revealed nine hovering pills encircled by shimmering radiance.
Su Yuan experienced profound enlightenment as his alchemical insights ascended to new heights. The Seven Stars Alchemy Technique was complete.
The Myriad Treasures Heaven-Earth Cauldron happily absorbed the rich medicinal essence from the pills, its grade remaining unchanged but its advancement progress making significant leaps.
"What kind of pills are these, Elder Su?" Li Qinglian asked at the perfect moment.
Coughing weakly with a pale face, Su Yuan explained: "These are Seven-Colored Stellar Pills with no fixed grade. Any cultivator up to Divine Transformation stage can use them to advance one minor realm - though I recommend slowly absorbing them to improve one's Dao foundation."
He collected the nine pills before announcing: "I'll auction one here today! As I'm rather short on spirit stones, I must ask for your generosity!"
Elder Snow Sword immediately understood the hint: "For the two stellar pills you've granted my disciple and me, we'll pay the auction price!"
The other two recipients reluctantly agreed to similar terms.
Su Yuan pretended offense: "I said these were rewards! You're making this difficult!"
Elder Snow Sword smiled: "Simply having the opportunity to purchase your pills is already an immense blessing. We couldn't possibly accept such treasures for free - it would weigh too heavily on our hearts. Please grant us this honor!"
With a sigh, Su Yuan conceded: "Very well, but just pay whatever you feel is appropriate!"