Chapter 212: Cloud Empire (32)

The echo of applause was still reverberating through the upper stands when Grand Master Sun Wei raised his hand once more. Silence returned, obedient and immediate.

He remained at the center of the arena. His voice, still carried by Qi, sounded calm but with a tone that allowed no interruptions.

“Before the third and final phase, we will grant the competitors one hour of rest. Catch your breath, restore your Qi, and calm your minds.”

“This will be the final trial. There will be no second chance.”

A collective sigh of relief rose from the stands.

The twenty-five remaining alchemists in the arena lowered their heads in thanks and began to withdraw slowly toward the prepared side areas, where servants were already distributing cups of restorative tea, Qi recovery pills, and meditation cushions.

Sun Wei vanished with a light step, leaving the arena empty for a few moments.

Mei Li turned slightly toward Kyrian, her eyes shining with restrained curiosity.

“So then, Leader? What do you think so far?”

Kyrian kept his gaze on the arena for another second before answering. A small smile, rare, almost imperceptible, curved the corner of his lips. It was not joy nor vain satisfaction. It was simply the cold recognition of something interesting.

“More interesting and useful than I thought,” he said, his voice low and calm.

“I don’t regret coming to watch.”

Mei Li blinked, surprised by the answer. It was one of the few times she had seen Kyrian express anything close to genuine approval for something that did not involve direct combat.

“Really?” She smiled faintly.

“I thought you’d get bored with so much patience and precision. It’s not exactly your style.”

Kyrian shrugged, almost imperceptibly.

“It’s not. But it’s useful. Watching someone like Sun Hao work… it’s like watching a perfect combat technique. Except instead of killing, he creates something.”

Before Mei Li could respond, the nobles around them resumed their conversations, voices rising in animated and speculative tones.

“Sun Hao has practically already won. Two Rank 4 pills in thirty minutes… no one here comes close to that.”

“But Liang Chen was also impressive. Two Rank 4s, even if with lower purity. If he keeps the pace in the final phase, he could surprise everyone.”

“Zhao Yu is consistent, but he didn’t take many risks. I think he’ll place in the top ten, but he won’t win.”

“And the old independent? The one without a famous name… six Rank 3 and one Rank 4. No one expected that from an outsider.”

“He must have years of practical experience. Sometimes, raw talent loses to patience.”

Kyrian listened to everything without moving a muscle in his face. His crimson eyes remained fixed on the empty arena.

An hour passed quickly.

The spiritual bell rang again. This time, deeper, more final.

The stands fell silent almost instantly.

Sun Wei reappeared at the center of the arena with a simple step.

The setup had changed completely during the interval. The individual tables and varied cauldrons had been removed and returned to their owners.

Now there remained only twenty-five identical cauldrons, arranged in a perfect semicircle around a single raised platform.

Each cauldron was made of common iron reinforced with basic runes. No jade, no spiritual bronze, no adornments. They were, in fact, among the worst cauldrons the Cloud Circle could offer in an official competition.

Beside each cauldron was a sealed black jade box, identical to the previous ones.

Sun Wei raised his voice once more.

“We have reached the third and final phase.”

He paused, letting the silence deepen.

“Unlike the previous phases, everyone will use the same cauldron. Exactly this model.” He pointed to one of the nearest cauldrons.

“Common iron, minimal containment runes, no Qi amplification or resistance to explosions. It is one of the worst pieces of equipment the Cloud Circle possesses. And there is a reason for that.”

He let the sentence hang for a moment.

“We want to test true mastery. Not talent supported by expensive tools. Not skill made easier by high-level equipment. Here, you will have only the basics. And even so, you must overcome them.”

Murmurs of surprise and respect rose from the stands.

Sun Wei continued.

“The rules are as follows.”

“Each of the twenty-five finalists will use exactly the same cauldron and the same ingredients provided in the box beside it.”

“You may produce any pill you wish, of any rank. The winner will be the one who produces the pill of the highest rank and highest purity.”

“In the event of a tie in rank, purity will decide. In the event of a tie in purity, the number of pills produced at the same rank will be the final criterion.”

“You will have two hours. There is no minimum number of pills. A single pill alone may decide everything… or nothing.”

“Prepare yourselves.”

He raised his hand.

“Begin!”

The bell rang for the last time.

The twenty-five finalists advanced at the same time. Each took position before an identical cauldron and opened the jade box.

Kyrian watched with renewed attention.

Sun Hao was the first to act, as always.

He opened the box calmly, analyzed the ingredients for only three seconds, and began. He lit the two flames again. This time, however, the red flame was more restrained, almost timid, while the blue one seemed even thinner, sharper.

In less than ten minutes, he had already begun refining a pill visibly more complex than the previous ones.

Mei Li whispered.

“Look… he’s attempting a Rank 5. Impossible. It’s one of the most difficult pills of early Rank 5, especially with his cultivation only at the Core Formation Realm. Even with the bad cauldron, he’s risking everything. If he fails, it’s over.”

Kyrian nodded slightly.

He could see it. Sun Hao was not merely refining. He was almost always at the limit of the cauldron. Each time the temperature threatened to slip out of control, the blue flame entered like a needle, correcting the energy flow with surgical precision. The common iron trembled, the basic runes cracked slightly, but the process continued.

Meanwhile, the other participants chose different paths.

Liang Chen opted for a Rank 4 Core Strengthening Pill, safer but still risky with the weak cauldron.

Zhao Yu attempted the same, but his ethereal flame struggled against the common iron, losing stability with every passing minute.

The old independent alchemist was surprised once again. He chose a peak Rank 4 pill, using a slow flame technique that seemed to ignore the equipment’s limitations.

Kyrian watched everything in silence. This time, he spread his focus a little to other participants beyond Sun Hao, but in the end, his eyes always returned to his technique.

’The bad cauldron isn’t just a disadvantage. It’s the ultimate test. Those who rely on equipment fail. Those who master the process win.’

Sun Hao finished first.

Forty-five minutes after the start.

A soft silver light escaped from the cauldron. He opened the lid calmly. A single pill floated out.

Small, perfectly spherical, with silvery veins slowly swirling across its surface.

Qi Concentration Pill.

Early Rank 5.

Purity… visibly above seventy percent.

A deathly silence fell over the arena.

Then the stands exploded.

“Rank 5! He made a Rank 5 with that horrible cauldron!”

“In less than an hour… that’s impossible!”

“Sun Hao… he truly is the pinnacle of the current generation.”

Mei Li let out a long sigh, almost reverent.

“It’s over. No one will surpass that. Rank 5 with over seventy percent purity in a common iron cauldron…”

Kyrian said nothing.

But his crimson eyes shone with cold interest.

He was not impressed only by the talent.

He was impressed by the absolute efficiency, and for the first time, respect arose for someone who was not a fighter.

The third phase had not yet ended for the others.

But for everyone watching, the winner had already been decided.

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