Chapter 1297: Out of the Alchemy Pill

As a dazzling, rosy glow erupted from within the alchemical cauldron, a profound silence fell upon everyone inside and outside the alchemy hall. All held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the dense alchemical mist. The results of today's pill-refining trial were about to be revealed.

The alchemical mist billowed, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a single point of light was seen slowly ascending. The mist swirled around this nascent light, which grew steadily brighter. In the next instant, the light finally solidified into a clear form.

It was a perfectly round pill, the size of a longan fruit, glowing with a profound dark-yellow hue! Mystical light converged on its surface, forming ethereal halos that gave it an extraordinarily divine and wondrous appearance.

This particular pill was well known to the Source Infant and Law Domain experts present; it was the Ancestral Dragon Pill, the very object they yearned for in their daily lives! A fervent desire and covetousness welled up in the eyes of everyone in attendance.

As their gazes lingered on the newly formed Ancestral Dragon Pill, the expulsion from the cauldron did not cease. Instead, wisp after wisp of brilliant light continuously ejected, and within each wisp floated another spinning Ancestral Dragon Pill! In a mere few breaths, eight Ancestral Dragon Pills had been expelled!

The appearance of eight Ancestral Dragon Pills immediately ignited a fervent atmosphere within the alchemy hall. While this total was one fewer than when Xu Beiyan had previously assisted, everyone still considered it an excellent achievement, especially since it was Zhou Yuan's first time assisting in the refining process. They believed that with more practice, he could potentially achieve even better results. At this moment, many minds were beginning to show signs of accepting Zhou Yuan as Xu Beiyan's replacement.

Xu Beiyan's face twitched uncontrollably at this revelation, and veins visibly protruded on the hand gripping his ink flute. Beside him, his steadfast supporters among the Law Domain experts looked somewhat embarrassed. They still forced a strained comfort, saying, "This young man certainly has some talent, but ultimately, it's still one Ancestral Dragon Pill fewer than you achieved, Brother Xu."

However, even as they offered their consolation, the seven-colored cauldron vibrated once more, and a faint dragon's roar echoed from within. Another burst of brilliance gushed forth, revealing eight more Ancestral Dragon Pills emerging and floating amidst the alchemical mist.

A thunderous roar erupted both inside and outside the alchemy hall. It was the sound of excited minds, triggering chaotic surges of Source Qi that temporarily sent some people tumbling on the square. Yet, no one paid any heed to the chaos. All eyes, now bloodshot, were fixed on the sixteen Ancestral Dragon Pills suspended in the mist, and their breathing grew heavy with anticipation.

But before they could even voice their profound shock, the seven-colored cauldron began to spout again, spitting out ten more Ancestral Dragon Pills in quick succession. At this point, even the heavy breathing ceased. For even with the strength and mental fortitude of the Source Infant and Law Domain experts present, they now felt an almost overwhelming urge to faint.

Three expulsions, a grand total of twenty-six Ancestral Dragon Pills! What an astonishing pill-formation rate! This single session of alchemy yielded results nearly equivalent to three past sessions combined.

A profound silence settled over the entire alchemy hall, inside and out. Everyone rubbed their eyes, then fell into a deep state of disbelief. It wasn't just them; even the Saints hovering in the void showed a subtle, undeniable trace of shock on their faces. Clearly, this outcome had surpassed all their expectations.

Cang Yuan stroked his beard, a contented smile spreading across his face. Meanwhile, the three Saints – Green Willow, Hook Wolf, and Poison Fire – wore grim expressions. The formation of twenty-six Ancestral Dragon Pills was a tremendous blow, even to their seasoned temperaments. A feeling of helplessness began to creep in. They understood that with such an astonishing pill-formation rate, any further schemes would be rendered utterly useless. If the three of them stubbornly continued to oppose Zhou Yuan replacing Xu Beiyan, they would likely face severe condemnation even from within the Divine Palace of Gui Xu itself.

Outside the seven-colored cauldron, Zhou Yuan gazed at the twenty-six Ancestral Dragon Pills floating in the mist, stunned for a long moment. This outcome had far exceeded his own expectations; he had initially considered ten or so pills an exceptional achievement. But twenty-six... truthfully, even he was astonished.

“How could there be so many?” Zhou Yuan mused, “Did my Source Qi contribute that significantly?”

“The addition of Ancestral Dragon Scripture’s Source Qi can indeed improve the pill formation rate, but not by this much,” Yaoyao’s voice echoed in Zhou Yuan’s mind. “The greater reason is that I was rather casual during previous refining sessions, whereas this time, I was truly serious and exerted my full effort.”

Zhou Yuan’s mouth twitched slightly. Was she implying that her previous refining efforts were purely recreational? Her “slacking off” was truly audacious! Yet, he understood. With Yaoyao’s divine essence gradually recovering, it was already remarkable that she assisted in alchemy at all, let alone with a bit of casualness. Had he not arrived, her personality suggested she would have continued her laid-back approach indefinitely.

As Zhou Yuan mused with a wry smile, the alchemy hall, which had been in deathly silence for what felt like an eternity, suddenly erupted with an overwhelming roar of cheers and applause, shaking the entire All-Heavens City. Fervent gazes, as if capable of melting him, were now fixed upon Zhou Yuan. At this very moment, the Source Infant and Law Domain experts of All-Heavens City could barely contain their inner excitement and joy. The pill-formation rate of the Ancestral Dragon Pills directly affected their interests: a higher rate meant they could exchange their quota tokens for more Ancestral Dragon Pills!

Previously, the best Ancestral Dragon Pill yield from a single cauldron was nine pills. Even then, acquiring just one Ancestral Dragon Pill required three tokens, which often meant undertaking three perilous missions. Such missions frequently meant a one-way journey, a deadly struggle for vital resources. Now, with the pill-formation rate boosted to this extent, they might be able to exchange a single token for one Ancestral Dragon Pill. This monumental leap in efficiency could only be truly appreciated by those who had endured countless life-or-death battles on the void battlefield.

Thus, when they looked at Zhou Yuan now, their previous skepticism had completely vanished, replaced by fervent admiration and profound respect. After all, Zhou Yuan's arrival had brought them previously unimaginable benefits. Frankly speaking, in the eyes of many Source Infant and Law Domain experts, Zhou Yuan's importance was now perhaps second only to the Divine Goddess and the Saints. Some stood solemnly, their eyes gleaming with fervor, then respectfully cupped their hands towards Zhou Yuan from a distance.

This gesture quickly spread. In the eyes of these Source Infant and Law Domain experts, the profound changes Zhou Yuan had initiated were more than worthy of such a salute.

Xu Beiyan's face remained impassive, but his hands, clenched into fists within his sleeves, trembled slightly. Clearly, his mind was in turmoil; he had never expected to be so utterly crushed today. Beside him, his Law Domain allies who had so consistently supported him were now speechless. They exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, then finally cupped their hands in a gesture of respect towards the young figure in the hall. They reasoned that at this moment, confronted with a yield of twenty-six Ancestral Dragon Pills, they could no longer voice any opposition, even if it meant offending their friend, Xu Beiyan.

Xu Beiyan remained impassive to their actions. He simply stared fixedly at Zhou Yuan’s figure for a long moment before finally closing his eyes. He refused to believe that the twenty-six Ancestral Dragon Pills were solely due to Zhou Yuan's influence. It had to be the Divine Goddess’s doing; perhaps she had held back her true capabilities before. This thought, however, only caused a sharper pang in his heart, and veins throbbed on his handsome face.

For a moment, Xu Beiyan even contemplated using this as a pretext to openly question the Divine Goddess. But ultimately, his reason prevailed, forcing him to suppress the urge. He knew that such an action would only backfire, bringing ruin to his own reputation. Gritting his teeth, he ultimately swallowed his frustration, forcing it back down. He had unequivocally lost this contest today. But he would never give up!