118: A tit-for-tat response!

"Begin!"

As soon as the Elder's voice fell, Jiang Luo and Cao Dan ignited their Pill Fire almost simultaneously.

A wisp of orange-red flame rose from Cao Dan's palm; it was the "Li Fire" inherited by the Cao family. The flames blazed fiercely, carrying the tyrannical Soul Power fluctuations of a Seventh-Rank Alchemist. He moved extremely quickly to toss the medicinal materials into the Pill Furnace, his eyes locked onto Jiang Luo's movements, his lips curling into a sinister arc.

The designated Medicinal Pill for this "Pill Duel" was the seventh-grade high-rank "Heaven Burning Pill." It required Yang-attribute medicinal materials as the main ingredients. During the Alchemy process, the intensity of the flames had to be controlled at all times; the slightest carelessness would cause the Medicinal Pill to be ruined, which was also the easiest stage to sabotage.

Jiang Luo, on the other hand, remained calm. A pale cyan Heavenly Flame burned quietly beneath his Pill Furnace. The flame appeared gentle, but its temperature far exceeded Cao Dan's Li Fire.

He processed the medicinal materials methodically, his Soul Power acting like a fine net, refining the medicinal properties of every ingredient to be extremely pure, completely unaffected by Cao Dan's interference.

"Hmph, pretending to be calm!" Cao Dan sneered internally. He quietly condensed a wisp of Soul Power at his fingertips, and in the moment he added supplementary materials, it transformed into an invisible spike, shooting toward Jiang Luo's Pill Furnace.

He wanted to disrupt Jiang Luo's control over his Pill Fire, causing the Medicinal Pill to deviate during the Fusion stage.

This Soul spike was extremely covert; if it had been an ordinary Alchemist, they likely would have fallen for it.

However, Jiang Luo's Soul Power had already reached the Heavenly Realm, and his perception far exceeded that of ordinary people. The moment the Soul spike approached the Pill Furnace, he had already sensed it.

He did not stop his movements. With just a thought, the space around him twisted slightly, and the Soul spike collided with an invisible wall, instantly dissipating.

"Hm?" A trace of surprise flashed in Cao Dan's eyes. He had not expected Jiang Luo's Soul Power to be so keen.

But he did not give up. Instead, he increased his output of Soul Power. Threads of Soul Power, like poisonous snakes, constantly coiled toward Jiang Luo's Pill Furnace, while he deliberately said aloud:

"Jiang Luo, is your title as a Grade 8 Alchemist just an empty reputation? Your speed at refining the Heaven Burning Pill is so slow; if you keep dragging it out, you won't have enough time!"

He attempted to use words to disrupt Jiang Luo's focus, while simultaneously secretly mobilizing the power of his Li Fire, causing the temperature of the flames to rise suddenly, sending a wave of heat sweeping toward Jiang Luo's Pill Furnace.

Although the Heaven Burning Pill required Yang fire for refinement, a sudden spike in temperature would cause the medicinal properties of the materials to go berserk, which would also ruin the Medicinal Pill.

"Cheap tricks." Jiang Luo let out a cold snort. His Heavenly Flame surged violently, the pale cyan flames forming a barrier that isolated Cao Dan's heat wave.

At the same time, his Soul Power transformed into several sharp blades, slashing directly toward those threads of Soul Power. Each one was incredibly precise, instantly completely dismantling Cao Dan's sneak attack.

"Impossible!" Cao Dan's expression changed drastically. His Soul Power had already reached the Middle Stage of the Spirit Realm, which was already at a top-tier level among the younger generation of Alchemists, yet he had not expected it to be so fragile before Jiang Luo.

Anxiety overwhelmed him, and his Alchemy rhythm immediately became slightly chaotic. The Fusion of medicinal materials inside the Pill Furnace showed a hint of stagnation, and the medicinal fragrance became chaotic as well.

Seeing this, Jiang Luo did not take the opportunity to counterattack, but simply focused on his own Alchemy.

He knew that the core of a "Pill Duel" was ultimately the quality of the Medicinal Pill; rather than wasting energy interfering with his opponent, it was better to push his own strength to the limit.

He continuously adjusted the temperature of his Heavenly Flame, his Soul Power precisely guiding the Fusion of the medicinal materials' properties. The medicinal fragrance inside the Pill Furnace became increasingly rich and pure, faintly showing signs of breaking through the limit of a seventh-grade pill.

Ye Zhong and Ye Xinlan sat in their seats, nervously watching the competition scene.

Seeing Jiang Luo easily resolve Cao Dan's several sneak attacks, the heavy burden in both their hearts finally lifted. Ye Zhong could not help but exclaim in admiration: "Lord Jiang Luo's Soul Power and Alchemy techniques are truly superb! Those tricks of Cao Dan's are simply not worth mentioning in front of him."

Ye Xinlan nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with admiration: "Big Brother Jiang is not only powerful, but his Heart-Nature is also this steady. We will definitely win this match!"