Read Novel Full Chapter 213: Cloud Empire (33)
Chapter 213: Cloud Empire (33)
The silence that followed Sun Hao’s feat was broken by a wave of deafening applause, but not everyone in the arena seemed capable of absorbing the impact.
Some of the twenty-five finalists, upon hearing the sound, and seeing the Rank 5 pill floating before Sun Hao, simply lost their focus.
A young man from the Huo Family let his flame waver for a fraction of a second. Enough for the cauldron to crack.
A controlled explosion of black smoke rose, and he fell to his knees, his face pale with frustration and shame. An auxiliary elder approached, evaluated quickly, and declared.
"Total failure. Eliminated."
Another participant, a woman attempting a Rank 4 purification pill, lost her rhythm when she saw the silvery light of Sun Hao’s pill. Her red flame faltered, the cauldron shook violently, and exploded into fragments of molten iron.
She was removed from the arena in silence, her right arm burned.
At least four others gave up or failed in the following minutes.
The noise of the crowd, the incessant applause, and the psychological pressure of seeing someone achieve a Rank 5 pill in a common iron cauldron were too much.
But there were those who simply ignored everything.
Liang Chen, for example, did not raise his eyes even once. His cauldron was enveloped in a restrained silvery essence.
He finished his first Rank 4 Core Strengthening Pill in less than fifty minutes. The purity reached seventy-eight percent.
Instead of celebrating or hesitating, he immediately opened the box again and began another.
The same pill, another Rank 4 Core Strengthening Pill. This time, trying to surpass himself. His movements were methodical, almost robotic. Sweat streamed down his forehead, but his concentration was absolute.
Zhao Yu also seemed oblivious to the world. He did not attempt to risk a second pill. He chose to focus everything on a single Rank 4 Core Regeneration Pill.
Using his ethereal flame to maintain absolute control. The blue-violet flame danced like liquid water around the common iron, correcting every minute instability. He did not care about what the others were doing.
He simply refined.
The old independent alchemist, the one without a famous name, continued with his slow and patient technique. He produced a Rank 4 Meridian Purification Pill, using an almost invisible flame that seemed not to heat the cauldron, but rather guide the ingredients through sheer force of will. His breathing was rhythmic, his eyes half-closed. He did not react to the applause, the explosions, or anything else.
A young unknown, wearing simple gray robes, surprised everyone by producing two consecutive Rank 4 pills. He used only a white flame, almost translucent, which seemed to absorb excess heat rather than produce it.
Kyrian observed all of them with the same cold attention.
’Some break under pressure. Others simply erase the world around them. Interesting.’
Two hours passed.
The spiritual bell rang for the last time, deep and final.
The active cauldrons were sealed immediately. Anyone still attempting was interrupted.
Of the twenty-five finalists, ten were eliminated by failure or cauldron explosion during the phase. The remaining fifteen stayed standing, exhausted, but alive.
Grand Master Sun Wei returned to the center of the arena.
His voice echoed once more.
"From the third phase, 25 began. 15 completed successfully. Ten were eliminated by total failure."
He paused.
"Now, the final rankings."
"In first place, as expected... Sun Hao. A single pill. Qi Concentration Pill, early Rank 5. Purity of eighty percent."
Applause exploded once again, even more intense this time.
"In second place, Liang Chen. Two Core Strengthening Pills, one with eighty percent purity and the other with seventy-six percent."
More applause followed.
"In third place, the independent cultivator known only as Master Kun. One Rank 4 Meridian Purification Pill, with seventy-eight percent purity."
Genuine surprise rippled through the stands. No one expected the nameless old man to go that far.
"In fourth place, Zhao Yu. One Rank 4 Core Regeneration Pill with seventy-five percent purity."
"In fifth place, the young independent cultivator named Lin Feng. Two Rank 4 pills with an average purity of seventy-four percent."
Sun Wei raised his hands.
"A round of applause for all the finalists! You have demonstrated skill, courage, and mastery. Even those who did not win today leave here stronger, with more experience."
The crowd applauded warmly.
Then he continued.
"Now, the prizes."
He looked directly at Sun Hao.
"As announced, first place receives fifty thousand medium-grade spirit stones and unrestricted access to the Imperial Herbarium for one year."
Sun Hao inclined his head in gratitude.
Sun Wei smiled faintly. A rare moment of paternal expression.
"As for the personal training with me for one year... since my son won, the prize will be divided. Liang Chen and Master Kun, you are invited to spend six months each at the Cloud Circle, studying directly under me."
A murmur of envy and respect passed through the crowd.
Even louder applause followed.
The others. Zhao Yu, Lin Feng, and the remaining finalists received smaller amounts of spirit stones. From five to twenty thousand, depending on placement, in addition to the right to keep the pills they refined.
Sun Wei concluded with a subtle bow.
"Thank you all for participating. The Cloud Circle Alchemy Competition is concluded. May your flames continue to burn strong."
He vanished in a single step, leaving the arena empty.
The crowd began to disperse in an orderly manner. Nobles, cultivators, and merchants left in organized groups, commenting on the results, placing bets on Sun Hao’s future, and lamenting the eliminated.
Kyrian and Mei Li did not stand up immediately.
They waited. They let the main crowd empty the stairways and corridors. Only when the flow diminished and the VIP area was nearly deserted did they rise.
Kyrian gestured to Mei Li.
"Let’s go."
They descended through the exclusive internal stairways, completely avoiding the congestion of the common exits. In the reserved area near the entrance, the same carriage was already waiting for them. The coachman stood beside the open door, as if he had never left his post.
They boarded.
As soon as the door closed and the carriage began to move smoothly, Mei Li broke the silence.
"It’s still early," she said, looking out the window at the cloudy sky that was beginning to take on golden hues of late afternoon.
"Why don’t we go to a restaurant before heading back? There’s a place in the Fifth District that serves grilled spiritual beast meat with mountain herbs. They say it’s excellent."
Kyrian thought for a moment.
He was hungry as well. The competition had been intense, and he needed to process everything he had seen.
"Good idea," he replied, with a short nod.
Mei Li smiled, satisfied.
The carriage continued along the now less crowded streets of the capital.