Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation

Chapter 525: The Second Phase of The Alchemy Competition (4)

Meanwhile... throughout the entire arena, hundreds of alchemists worked frantically.

The scene was chaotic, a mixture of intense concentration and growing anxiety. Some had already begun refining, their furnaces glowing with steady flames. Others remained completely still, unable to decide which formula to develop, their expressions frozen in indecision.

In several parts of the arena, explosions echoed.

’Boom!’

A furnace exploded, sending a cloud of black smoke over the platform of a young alchemist. He quickly stepped back, coughing, his eyes widening in shock. In the stands, some people chuckled quietly, while others shook their heads in disappointment.

Shortly afterward, another explosion erupted several meters away, followed by a third, then a fourth. Mixing unfamiliar ingredients was extremely dangerous. It only took a single incompatibility between two herbs for the entire medicinal essence to become unstable, turning hours of work into nothing more than a cloud of smoke.

While many began to panic, their hands trembling as they desperately tried to save their formulas, Kyrian remained completely calm.

His expression remained serene, his eyes fixed on the furnace with an almost meditative calm. Every movement was steady, every gesture precise. There was no hesitation in his actions, no sign of doubt.

It was as though everything had been carefully calculated before the refinement had even begun.

The healing herbs slowly began neutralizing the natural violence of the lightning essence. The electrical energy, once wild and unpredictable, gradually calmed, finding balance with the healing properties.

At the same time... the three ingredients specialized in strengthening the body were added.

This was the most delicate moment. The nine essences immediately began competing for space inside the furnace, each trying to assert its own dominance.

One force struggled to overpower another. The lightning energy became unstable, its patterns breaking into chaotic waves. The strengthening herbs partially rejected the fusion, their dense essences resisting the mixture. Meanwhile, the healing ingredients tried to stabilize everything at once, their soothing properties battling against the violence of the lightning.

For several seconds... it seemed as though the entire refinement would fail.

The flames trembled, their light flickering. Tiny bolts of lightning escaped from the furnace, arcs of electricity leaping outward before disappearing into the air.

’Crack!’

’Crack!’

Kyrian narrowed his eyes, his concentration reaching its peak.

His fingers began moving rapidly above the furnace, tracing invisible patterns through the air. His gestures were swift and precise, every movement issuing a command to the flames.

The violet flames spun into a spiral, creating a vortex of energy that enveloped all the essences. The lightning no longer attacked the essences at random. Its violence transformed into purpose.

For the first time... the electrical energy began guiding them.

Just as a river follows its course, just as the wind follows its path, the electricity slowly flowed through each medicinal essence. Purifying. Connecting. Strengthening.

Little by little, the nine essences finally began accepting one another. Their initial resistance gave way, replaced by gradual cooperation.

The liquid inside the furnace changed completely in appearance. The green color of the Jade Leaves disappeared, and so did the white of the healing flower. In their place emerged an exceptionally brilliant blue-violet liquid that seemed to contain an entire night sky within it.

Tiny bolts of lightning continuously traveled across its surface, dancing like shooting stars upon a lake of darkness.

Kyrian simply continued refining, his eyes fixed on the transformation unfolding before him.

Time passed quickly. Thirty minutes. Forty. Fifty.

While the majority were still struggling to find a workable combination, battling explosions and incompatible ingredients, Kyrian was already making the final adjustments.

Exactly one hour after the test had begun... he took a deep breath.

It was the final moment.

The flames slowly diminished, their intensity fading like the setting sun beyond the horizon. The entire medicinal liquid began condensing at the center of the furnace, its particles drawing closer together, merging, and fusing into a single harmonious whole.

An exceptionally pleasant fragrance spread throughout the arena.

It was a pure, clean, refreshing medicinal aroma, like the air after a thunderstorm. Yet it was not only that. There was also an electric quality to it, a vibrant sensation that seemed to awaken the senses.

At the same time... another scent emerged. Ozone, the unmistakable smell left behind by lightning after a storm, that metallic and refreshing aroma that announced the passage of immense power.

The two fragrances blended together perfectly, creating a combination unlike anything else.

Several nearby alchemists immediately lifted their heads, their noses twitching as they caught the scent.

"What is that smell?" one competitor asked, his eyes scanning the arena in search of its source.

"It smells like..." another replied hesitantly.

"Lightning?"

"It’s medicinal... but there’s something electric about it. Who’s refining that?"

Even some of the spectators in the front rows noticed it, turning their eyes toward the direction from which the aroma originated.

Kyrian then slowly lifted the lid of the furnace.

At that very instant...

’Rumble...’

A low rumble of thunder echoed throughout the arena, a distant roar that seemed to rise from the depths of the earth. It wasn’t especially loud, but it was more than enough to draw everyone’s attention, making people turn their heads in search of its source.

Tiny violet arcs of electricity leaped out of the furnace before slowly fading into the air like ghosts of light.

On the upper platform... the elderly elder had been observing Kyrian for quite some time. His experienced eyes had noticed the young man from the very beginning, recognizing his unusual calm amidst the chaos.

Furthermore, after Lio Han’s words, he had become genuinely curious about Kyrian.

When he heard that subtle rumble of thunder, when he saw the violet arcs of lightning escaping from the furnace... his eyes immediately shifted toward the young man’s platform.

A trace of surprise quietly appeared in his gaze.

"Interesting..." he murmured softly, his voice nearly inaudible even to those standing beside him.

"Very interesting."

Around Kyrian, several competitors also paused their own refinement for a brief moment, drawn by both the sound and the fragrance.

"Did that thunder come from his furnace?" one of them asked in disbelief.

"He’s finished?" another replied in surprise.

"Already?"

"Only one hour... and he’s already completed his formula?"

Kyrian, however, completely ignored the stares. His attention remained focused solely on the small amount of blue-violet liquid resting inside the furnace.

With extreme care, he retrieved a small jade bottle from his spatial ring. The bottle was a deep emerald green, polished until it gleamed, sealed with a cork stopper that fit perfectly.

Using a spiritual spatula, he carefully transferred the entire lotion into the bottle. The liquid glowed softly, its vibrant color filling the jade bottle with an inner radiance.

Tiny strands of electricity slowly traveled across its surface before disappearing, as though the lotion itself were breathing.

It was beautiful. Elegant. And despite its electrical nature, it carried an exceptionally stable energy.

Kyrian observed the small jade bottle for several seconds, his violet eyes reflecting the liquid’s gentle glow.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Thunder Reinforcement Medicinal Lotion," he murmured, the words flowing naturally.

That would be its name. A formula was created by him. His first truly original creation, born from his own knowledge, intuition, and understanding of alchemy.

After carefully sealing the bottle, he placed it prominently on the table before him.

Then he simply crossed his arms and remained silent, his eyes calmly sweeping across the arena.

There were still approximately two hours remaining before the end of the examination.

While hundreds of alchemists continued struggling against incompatible ingredients, occasional explosions, and unstable formulas... Kyrian had already completed his creation.

Now... all that remained was to await the elders’ judgment.