Forty stone flues roared to life along the lower terrace of the Sky-Bridge, belching plumes of sulfurous crimson smoke into the morning fog.
Subterranean Earth-Fire valves hissed beneath the flagstones as technicians in heat-resistant leather aprons turned heavy iron wheels. The heat was immediate, washing over the wide amphitheater in dry, suffocating waves that dried the sweat on men’s foreheads before it could bead.
Ten thousand spectators packed the rising stone bleachers.
Inner disciples, merchant guildmasters, wandering rogues, and envoys from fifty minor sects leaned over the brass safety rails. The Hundred-Sect Pre-Auction Alchemy Qualifier was the premier endurance trial of the Southern Provinces.
For seventy-two continuous hours, forty master apothecaries were required to refine one complete batch of at least three Golden Core pills without leaving their platforms.
On Platform Twelve, Chief Alchemist Doran of the Verdant-Flame House stood beside his three-legged bronze cauldron, radiating the steady aura of the Golden Core Mid realm.
His emerald robes were embroidered with nine golden salamanders, their tails twining around his wide sleeves. Doran fed a steady stream of pure wood-element Qi into the furnace vents, coaxing the flame into an even, brilliant green.
“Check the draft,” Doran snapped at his two assistants kneeling behind the salt barrier. “Ensure the wind from the gorge does not cool the cauldron lip. This batch of Golden-Marrow pills will set the standard for the entire province.”
