Zhang Ergou's condition was dire, seeming as if he would pass out at any moment.
His trembling hands worked to meticulously control the flames, preventing any deviation.
Everyone could see that Zhang Ergou was on the brink of failure.
"Senior Sister, will Brother Ergou succeed?" Li Zhan seemed to seek reassurance.
"I don't know," Qu Yao shook her head, "but I have a feeling he will create a miracle."
Qu Yao couldn't explain why she had such strong faith in a stranger, even more so than in her own alchemy.
They fell silent, their gazes fixed on the somewhat frail, black-robed young man on the high platform.
The young disciples in the plaza also watched Zhang Ergou with bated breath.
Even if Zhang Ergou failed today, he would leave an indelible impression on all the disciples.
Dan Feng stood up again, his hands crushing the armrests of the jade chair beneath him without his notice.
The only person in the vicinity who remained composed was the elder seated at the very center of the main stage.
He still had his eyes closed, his face devoid of joy or sorrow, appearing utterly unconcerned with the events unfolding.
"Just a little longer, and you'll succeed."
Zhang Ergou silently encouraged himself, knowing his physical state wouldn't last much longer.
Yet, he refused to fail like this.
Driven by sheer tenacity, Zhang Ergou persisted.
"Pfft..."
Zhang Ergou suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body swaying precariously.
"Brother Ergou!"
Li Zhan cried out in alarm, but Qu Yao pulled him back before he could move forward.
"Wait a bit longer."
Qu Yao was frighteningly calm.
"Brother Dan, that youngster can't hold on much longer, can he?"
"Shut up."
Dan Feng glared at the person who spoke beside him, scolding them curtly.
Seeing Dan Feng's demeanor, the others dared not provoke him further.
If they displeased Dan Feng, their lives would be difficult moving forward.
At their level, the hope of further advancement was increasingly slim.
Their primary concern was for their disciples. Each of them had hundreds, and if Dan Feng was unhappy, he could simply cut off their pill supply.
Who would they appeal to?
Everyone wisely fell silent, watching Zhang Ergou quietly.
Of course, some harbored different intentions.
Li Qian, who was on the same high platform as Zhang Ergou, hadn't attempted to refine the fifth-grade Concealment Pill from the start. He understood his own capabilities well.
Refining a fifth-grade pill was akin to climbing a mountain for him. Thus, he hadn't taken the risk.
Perhaps this was the difference between them.
He also didn't believe Zhang Ergou could refine a fifth-grade Concealment Pill.
When Zhang Ergou began refining, he had noticed Zhang Ergou's movements.
Li Qian remained on the high platform, turning to watch Zhang Ergou, wanting to see what this black-robed youth intended to do.
He refused to believe the other party had any real confidence in succeeding with a fifth-grade pill.
However, the subsequent developments caused his heart to sink.
With every ingredient Zhang Ergou successfully purified and fused, Li Qian's expression grew grimmer.
If there was anyone at the scene who most wished for Zhang Ergou's failure, it was him.
If Zhang Ergou failed.
Then Li Qian could also purify a few ingredients and feign exhaustion at the end.
After all, there was no time limit for this alchemy competition.
In the end, both would achieve the same result, a draw.
Li Qian would have been perfectly happy with such an outcome.
However, an entire day had passed. The moon in the night sky indicated it was now deep into the night.
Zhang Ergou still showed no signs of failure.
Li Qian watched as Zhang Ergou, step by step, placed all the ingredients into the alchemy furnace.
Once he purified the last ingredient, Zhang Ergou would have purified and fused a total of eighty-one herbs.
Success was imminent.
Seeing Zhang Ergou suddenly cough up blood, Li Qian felt a surge of joy.
"He's going to fail, isn't he? I knew he was just pushing himself."
*Crack.*
As if to affirm Li Qian's thoughts, a faint sound echoed through the silent night like a clap of thunder.
"What was that sound?"
Someone asked urgently.
"Alas," Dan Feng sighed heavily, slumping into the jade chair beneath him, his face etched with disappointment.
Indeed, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Zhang Ergou's current state was insufficient for him to refine another batch of pills.
Upon hearing the sound of the alchemy furnace cracking, Dan Feng had already foreseen the outcome.
At this moment, even the elder, who had been calmly observing, abruptly opened his eyes, gazing intently through the void at Zhang Ergou.
Or rather, at the alchemy furnace before Zhang Ergou.
A faint crack on the furnace began to spread rapidly.
"Pfft..."
Zhang Ergou coughed up another mouthful of blood, staining the outer wall of the furnace a bloody crimson.
He still forced himself to continue his actions.
Whether they knew Zhang Ergou or not, everyone in the plaza had tears welling up. They were moved by Zhang Ergou's persistence and refusal to give up.
The young cultivators who had been defeated by Zhang Ergou no longer felt ashamed.
Instead, a sense of aspiration filled their hearts.
In Zhang Ergou, they saw a direction for their future efforts.
A glimpse of the whole.
Zhang Ergou's dedication and desperation in alchemy surely extended to other aspects of his life.
They finally understood the reason for Zhang Ergou's excellence.
Li Qian stared intently at the crack on the furnace. As the cracks multiplied, the light in his eyes intensified.
He had already predicted Zhang Ergou's fate.
However, Zhang Ergou's persistence surpassed everyone's comprehension.
Just as people thought he would concede, Zhang Ergou continued to push himself, now reaching the critical stage of pill condensation.
After coughing up several more mouthfuls of blood, Zhang Ergou's face became as pale as paper.
Yet, his hands still strained to perform the condensation hand seals.
Seeing this, Dan Feng couldn't help but step forward, wanting to assist Zhang Ergou in condensing the pill.
If Zhang Ergou's identity was verified and he was confirmed not to have been possessed, Dan Feng would absolutely recruit such a genius to Pill Peak.
Geniuses were not uncommon, but such a diligent and persistent genius was rare.
*Crack!*
Another crisp sound echoed, deepening everyone's complex emotions.
*Smash!*
Finally, under the worried gazes of everyone present, the alchemy furnace before Zhang Ergou shattered into pieces.
"Alas!"
A wave of regret swept through the crowd. They were moved by Zhang Ergou's actions, yet also felt pity.
At this moment, Li Qian was overjoyed, though he skillfully concealed his emotions.
Everyone overlooked the faint hint of joy on Zhang Ergou's pale face.