Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 639: The Crown of Alchemy (5)

"Of the twelve pills produced in this final, Kyrian’s three possess, by a considerable margin, the highest purity."

He looked directly at the young man, his piercing eyes fixed upon him.

"Your performance was exceptional. You didn’t just reconstruct the recipe, you reinvented it."

Then he raised the vial, the light reflecting off its jade surface.

"Congratulations."

For a few seconds, Kyrian simply stood there, the weight of the recognition hanging over him. Then he cupped his hands, his voice calm.

"Thank you, Elder."

And, in that instant, the arena exploded. A storm of claps, cheers, and applause that seemed to have no end. Tens of thousands of people began applauding, the deafening sound filling every corner of the arena.

"Congratulations, Kyrian!"

"He won!"

"Incredible!"

"Ninety-five percent! Even with a complete recipe, producing a pill with such purity is extremely difficult."

"What a genius!"

"That was incredible!"

"I want to know who this boy is!"

"Where did he come from?"

"Could he belong to some great family?"

"It doesn’t matter! His alchemy is monstrous!"

Kyrian observed the crowd for a few seconds, his violet eyes sweeping across the sea of faces cheering for him. Even so, he remained calm, his expression unchanged. Victory was merely one step in his journey, not the destination.

The Elder then took out a small jade box, its surface glowing with a soft light.

"This is your reward as the winner."

The box was opened, and inside was a white jade tablet, completely smooth, upon which countless tiny symbols were engraved, so small that they seemed to have been carved by a divine hand.

Kyrian looked at it, his eyes scanning the characters. The recipe is a complete recipe for a rank 6 pill. That was what truly interested him, the real prize he had sought. The other rewards could wait, but the jade tablet could not.

Kyrian extended his hand and received the prize, his fingers touching the cold surface of the jade. The instant his fingers touched the tablet, he felt an extremely subtle amount of spiritual energy travel across its surface, a protection the Association had placed to prevent copies.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Thank you."

The Elder nodded, his eyes fixed on the young man.

"Study it when you have time. Perhaps you can learn something from it. The recipe contains principles that can expand your understanding of alchemy."

Kyrian did not respond, merely carefully storing the jade tablet inside his spatial ring, the object disappearing in a flash of light.

That would be far more valuable to him than any amount of spirit stones. A complete rank 6 recipe could teach him new alchemical structures, new combinations of ingredients, and new ways to control fire. Perhaps it could even help him advance his understanding even further.

After finishing storing the prize, Kyrian descended from the stage, his steps calm. The crowd was still applauding, the sound deafening.

Lio Han watched him pass, a smile on his lips. Kyrian met his eyes, and, for a brief moment, the two exchanged a silent glance. Lio Han slightly raised his head, as if saying that he had expected this. Kyrian responded with a small nod, a silent acknowledgment.

Then he returned to his position, sat down, and breathed slowly. Finally, he allowed a genuine smile to appear on his face, a smile meant more for himself than for anyone else.

He had won. There was no surprise, no miracle. It was simply the result of his ability, of the understanding he had built over the past few days. During that competition, Kyrian had realized something important: his cultivation was evolving, and so was his understanding, everything moving in the same direction, forward, farther and farther.

Kyrian closed his eyes for a few seconds, feeling the weight of the spatial ring on his finger. The jade tablet remained there, waiting for him. The rank 6 recipe was awaiting his attention. And although the competition had ended, his journey was only beginning.

That same night, he would study that recipe. Perhaps he would discover something new, perhaps he would find a new way to improve his alchemy, perhaps he might even be able to reproduce a rank 6 pill in the future. But that could wait. For now, he had won the competition.

Kyrian opened his eyes, and his violet eyes reflected the sunlight entering through the enormous opening above the arena. The crowd was still talking about him, his name echoing through the stands. But Kyrian was no longer paying attention.

His thoughts were elsewhere, on the next competition, the comprehension competition. Because, to him, that competition had never been the destination, only another step. And now that he had climbed that step, Kyrian was ready to look for the next one.

The Elder remained at the center of the stage for a few more moments, allowing the applause to naturally die down.

When silence finally returned, he raised his hand.

"The alchemy competition is officially over."

His voice echoed throughout the arena.

"The twelve participants who managed to complete the pill and were recognized by the Association may, starting today, become members of the Alchemists Association of the Sky Caravan."

The twelve finalists immediately stood up, some still carrying expressions of happiness and satisfaction.

The Elder then began calling them one by one, formally announcing those who had earned the opportunity.

Kyrian, however, showed no interest whatsoever.

While the others received the crowd’s attention, he simply looked in Lio Han’s direction.

The two exchanged a brief glance.

Kyrian bowed slightly in his direction. Lio Han did the same.

No words were necessary.

After that, Kyrian turned around and calmly walked toward one of the arena’s side exits, deliberately choosing a less crowded path.

Even so, his departure did not go unnoticed.

"Is Kyrian leaving?"

"Where is he going?"

"He didn’t even wait for the Association?"

"Perhaps he has no interest in becoming an alchemist of the Association."

"How strange..."

Other voices soon emerged.

"He is the new bearer of the Sky Caravan’s alchemy crown!"

"After this result, who could say otherwise?"

Kyrian either did not hear them or simply did not care.

As he passed through the arena’s doors, the noise of the crowd began to fade behind him.

His gaze turned toward the enormous expanse of the Sky Caravan.

The alchemy competition had ended. Now, another challenge was waiting for him. The comprehension competition, in which he was also already approaching the finals.

He could hardly wait to discover which Secret Technique he would receive as a prize.

Kyrian slightly adjusted the position of the spatial ring on his finger and continued walking.