The seven hundred participants remained completely attentive, their eyes fixed on the elder, their hearts beating in anticipation.
Then... the elder calmly announced:
"In this stage..." He paused briefly, the silence stretching like a taut string.
"Each of you must create your own formula."
The silence lasted only an instant. A moment of collective disbelief, as the words hung in the air without being fully processed.
Then... the entire arena erupted into murmurs.
"What?" A middle-aged competitor widened his eyes.
"Create a formula?"
"Is he serious?" another asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Only experienced masters can do something like that!"
Even the spectator stands became restless. Expressions of disbelief appeared everywhere as spectators exchanged shocked and astonished glances.
Pill formulas were treasures accumulated over thousands of years. Every single one required countless experiments, failures, studies, and entire lifetimes devoted to alchemy.
