To maximize her efficiency, Ning Xuan employed her usual alchemy techniques, assisting the process with vines and a flame condensed from her own energy. Thanks to her precise control over the flame’s temperature and the herbs’ properties, her series of movements was fluid and masterful, flowing like water. Her fingertips danced as she stripped impurities from one precious ingredient after another, refining them into their desired forms.

In her hands, the ingredients seemed to come alive, joyfully bursting forth with their own splendor. What was once considered a dull and tedious process in the eyes of the crowd instantly became a magnificent and dazzling performance. An unremarkable piece of deadwood became a flowing rainbow under the brilliant red flames. A verdant medicinal herb transformed into a clear dewdrop in an instant. The Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass floated down into the Panlong Purple Pattern Refining Furnace like a purple cloud. Suddenly, the Alchemy Furnace erupted with seven-colored liquid fire, humming and vibrating. The rising vapor condensed into the phantom of a Green Luan that steamed up from the furnace, while countless specks of starlight bloomed within.

In a conference room of the Alchemist Association, an elder shot up from his seat and slammed his hand on the table after witnessing the scene. "Whose apprentice is this? To be able to concoct a Star-grade Medicine at such a young age—her technique is simply incredible! This is pure, unadulterated talent. It’s enough to make one feel ashamed of their own skills," the elder lamented again and again.

"This year’s championship is hers, no question," the elder added.

"Teacher Yu, was that a Concentrating Soul and Gathering Spirit Potion she just concocted? And that piece of wood... that was Concentration Wood, wasn’t it?" someone asked in an incredulous tone.

The elder nodded. "Correct. It is indeed the Concentrating Soul and Gathering Spirit Potion. I’ve just surveyed the field, and among the thousand-plus Alchemists, the medicine she created is ranked the highest."

"Elder Yu, it’s a bit too early to make that call. Look at Zone Seven, Station 35. That young lady from the Zhu Family is making Creation Liquid—the one they say is born from the emergence of yin and yang. Creation Liquid is ranked second, worth 5000 points. Come see! Based on the potion’s current color, you can already make out the dual shades of yin and yang." The screen switched to show Zone Seven. Zhu Yiyi was a graduate of the Federation Central Military Academy’s Alchemy Department. Despite her youth, she was of noble birth and had been famous since she was a child, so all the judges in the conference room were quite familiar with her.

"That young noble from the Zhu Family has always been exceptionally talented, and she is Master Yun’s prized disciple. If she successfully completes this cauldron of Creation Liquid, she will indeed receive a higher score than the other girl." Elder Yu stroked his beard, a hint of regret on his face as he spoke. He felt it was a shame for Ning Xuan. In his eyes, Ning Xuan’s alchemy level far surpassed Zhu Yiyi’s. If Ning Xuan had managed to get the necessary ingredients for Creation Liquid, she could have undoubtedly created a far more perfect version than Zhu Yiyi’s. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

As the noble daughter of the Zhu Family, Zhu Yiyi had certainly been heavily protected within the Lingxiao Secret Realm, and all the precious ingredients would have been served to her on a silver platter. All she had to do was focus on honing her alchemy. How could an ordinary Alchemist possibly possess such resources? The moment the ultimate prize was revealed to be the Guiding Key to the Chaotic Divine Domain, this competition stopped being a simple contest of skill and became a battleground for the major powers behind the scenes.

"Quick, look! Over here! Chairman Xie’s apprentice is also making Creation Liquid, and by the looks of it, he’s close to succeeding too. I never imagined this younger generation would mature so fast. Chairman Xie’s line has a successor at last," someone said, switching to another feed.

"Creation Liquid is nothing. Over at Zone 12, Station 3, the Creation Liquid was completed long ago. We’re working on the Mixed Element Elixir of Eternal Life, the number one medicine on the points leaderboard." The feed cut again, revealing a tall man in a black cloak lighting his alchemy fire.

The black cloak was embroidered all over with star patterns, and the man’s face was completely hidden in the shadow cast by his hood. As the camera zoomed in, the Bronze Medicine Cauldron suddenly refracted a thousand points of starlight. The dark silver star patterns on his cloak seemed to shift and flow, tracing a magnificent star chart across the fabric’s surface.

His ten slender fingers weaved and danced. Each knuckle was adorned with a Mystic Iron Ring inlaid with a different celestial sign, and they now lit up in sequence, following a unique rhythm as he formed hand seals.

"He’s from the Myriad Phenomena Star River!" someone exclaimed in shock.

"I can’t believe they came to get in on the action." It was a unique alchemy technique that only those from the Myriad Phenomena Star River could master. Elder Yu had obviously recognized it. He sighed to himself. ’People from an Extraordinary Influence are here. This is so unfair to these mortal Alchemists.’

After completing the Concentrating Soul and Gathering Spirit Potion, Ning Xuan immediately started on the Creation Liquid. She happened to have one more set of ingredients for it, and with time to spare, she decided to refine another potion. This time, during the final steps, she added a Star Rank Catalyst: the Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass. The Creation Liquid, which had previously been just shy of reaching the Star Rank, instantly erupted with a brilliant stellar radiance. The catalysis was successful.

Ning Xuan stored away the successfully upgraded Creation Liquid and began to tackle the final hurdle: concocting the Mixed Element Elixir of Eternal Life.

When Ning Xuan took out the two Primordial Fruits, the millions of viewers on the Star Network nearly fainted from excitement. Living up to everyone’s hopes, Ning Xuan smoothly concocted the Mixed Element Elixir of Eternal Life.

Elder Yu, who had been keeping a close eye on Ning Xuan’s station, was stunned by her performance. ’There’s no way she’s just an ordinary Alchemist with no backing,’ he thought.

Three hours passed quickly. The alchemy, interrogation, and treatment segments were all conducted simultaneously. The so-called interrogation was really just about confirming basic information: the number of deaths, the identities of the deceased, and the locations and causes of their deaths.

With no surveillance equipment, the information they could glean from interrogation alone was extremely limited. This time, however, the Elder Council had intervened, sending an SSS-level spiritual power user: a Dream Weaver.

This master could fabricate dreamscapes to view fragments of a subject’s recent memories. With the master’s help, the organizing committee quickly uncovered the information they needed.

After the three hours ended, the organizing committee tallied the results. A total of four people had managed to concoct all of the top-ten medicines on the points leaderboard. The committee then displayed the potions submitted by these four contestants and played video clips of their alchemy process for the master judges to score. Simultaneously, a public voting poll was opened on the Star Network.

As it turned out, Ning Xuan took a commanding lead in the public vote, winning by an absolute landslide. Meanwhile, among the committee’s judges, Ning Xuan also secured the highest score, albeit by a narrow margin.

After seeing the medicines Ning Xuan had produced, any defiance in the hearts of the other three Alchemists vanished.

Ning Xuan was declared the champion of the unrestricted division.