At this moment, He Qianyao, who was off the field, also saw this scene with Ding Fan, and she couldn't help but feel extremely surprised in her heart. She did not expect Ding Fan to directly start refining so quickly. This was simply a bit unbelievable!

However, He Qianyao had great faith in Ding Fan. Clearly, He Qianyao knew Ding Fan's character very well, and she was absolutely certain that Ding Fan was not the type to cause a nuisance if he couldn't refine something. Ding Fan was definitely not like that. Yet, He Qianyao was somewhat puzzled as to why Ding Fan started so quickly, knowing that none of the other alchemists had begun yet.

Subsequently, He Qianyao had almost completely ignored all the unpleasant words about Ding Fan around her. Obviously, He Qianyao really believed that Ding Fan was not the type to cause trouble, yet she was still a bit worried for Ding Fan, as his actions were indeed different from the other alchemists. She didn't know if Ding Fan could actually refine the medicine pill.

After all, the pill recipe for this Great Alchemy Competition was not simple, and so many alchemists couldn't even understand the recipe. He Qianyao was sincerely worried about whether Ding Fan could manage it.

At this moment, everything to Ding Fan was like air, as he obviously did not care about others' opinions and was wholeheartedly focused on refining the medicine pill. Although in Ding Fan's eyes, this pill was quite ordinary and not very challenging, he still went all out in the refinement. This was a habit Ding Fan had maintained for a long time: no matter what he did, once he started, he would go all out to do his best.

After all, this was also an opportunity for Ding Fan to practice alchemy. Ding Fan quickly refined all kinds of spiritual materials and then took out the alchemy cauldron he bought from that little boy. It was clear that Ding Fan intended to put in his full effort to refine the medicine pill, using his own cauldron. Ding Fan knew that this cauldron contained a lot of pill refining formations, making it an exceptionally good alchemy cauldron.

Ding Fan was aware that the medicine pills refined with this cauldron would definitely be a notch above those refined with an ordinary cauldron. This was his estimation, though he wasn't quite sure yet since it was his first time using this cauldron. Evidently, everything had to be proven by facts, but Ding Fan knew this was definitely not an ordinary cauldron.

Moreover, Ding Fan felt that this cauldron was not only exceptional for refining medicine pills but also seemed to hold a larger secret. After all, Ding Fan had seen this cauldron on Earth before, and it was rumored to contain some kind of map. However, at that time, Ding Fan hadn't found the map before the cauldron disappeared. Now, Ding Fan had obtained it once again.

Ding Fan knew he had to take good care of it this time and was determined not to lose it easily. Additionally, Ding Fan was resolved to uncover the secret within this cauldron.

When Ding Fan brought out the cauldron, he released his divine sense and used it to ignite the firewood within. Then, he precisely controlled his divine vigor, and subsequently, Ding Fan skillfully placed one spiritual material after another into the cauldron. Ding Fan adjusted the flame temperature under the cauldron, obviously understanding that each spiritual material had its own ideal temperature, and he had grasped this perfectly.

Ding Fan's technique was very skillful, and in no time, he had already placed half of the spiritual materials inside. Soon, the aroma of the medicine pill floated up, spreading throughout the entire Wuji Square.

At this moment, the other alchemists were just about to start when they smelled the aroma emanating from Ding Fan's cauldron, startling them. The scent made the cultivators who smelled it instantly feel a refreshing clarity, as if a stream of purity had flowed gently into their hearts, making them feel a sense of bliss. For a moment, they were so enraptured that they felt almost lost, as if standing amidst a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Not only did the participating alchemists smell the fragrance Ding Fan was refining, but soon, the entire Wuji Square was filled with the invigorating aroma. All the people paused for a moment, obviously not expecting that the pill refined by the young boy would be this fragrant—it was simply unparalleled! For a moment, everyone began to discuss, clearly very curious about the aroma and equally intrigued by Ding Fan.

"It's really fragrant. I truly can't understand how that young man managed to refine it this way, producing such a fragrant, appetizing aroma—it's just too pleasant!"

"Moreover, this aroma evidently has the effect of spiritual materials, making people feel rejuvenated and reluctant to leave..."

"I really don't understand how the other party could produce such an enchanting fragrance despite not even recognizing the pill recipe. What exactly is he doing?"

"Who knows, maybe he's just refining at random. You know, among so many alchemists who have refined pills already, when has there been such a fragrant scent? The other party must be up to something strange!"

"I think so too. After all, the other party couldn't refine anything, and so he started messing around!"

"..."

"But even if he's not using that pill recipe, who's ever seen a pill with such an intense fragrance?"

"Yeah...who cares!"

...

For a moment, everyone was completely shocked by the medicinal fragrance refined by Ding Fan, but most cultivators were still not optimistic about Ding Fan, even thinking that Ding Fan was randomly refining medicine pills for his own amusement. Of course, many spectators were very curious about what kind of medicine pill could have such a fragrance and became very curious about Ding Fan as well. Clearly, these people held no standing, but they also had no hope for Ding Fan.

After all, starting from the fourth group's competition, Ding Fan had shown behavior that was out of the ordinary, clearly not like a serious alchemist. This was what a portion of cultivators who maintained a neutral attitude towards Ding Fan thought in their hearts.

At this moment, the other alchemists competing with Ding Fan smelled the fragrance of his medicine pill and were briefly stunned. They were all elites in the Alchemist Realm and could refine many medicine pills, even reaching the seventh grade, the so-called high-level pills. However, they had never smelled such a refreshing medicinal fragrance, and for a moment, the participating alchemists couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Ding Fan.

Every alchemist could see each other, and importantly, the elders in the judge area could also see, as the alchemist's technique was a crucial scoring standard.

At this time, that elder, Elder Herr, had already started to refine, but the moment he began, he suddenly smelled Ding Fan's medicinal aroma and was a bit stunned. Obviously, he didn't expect such a refreshing fragrance. He was known in the Alchemist Guild, but this fragrance still felt surprisingly fresh, like a fresh breeze in the Alchemy World.

Elder Herr couldn't help but shift his gaze to Ding Fan, who initially seemed insignificant. After all, getting the Pill Recipe and starting the refinement without even a moment of thought seemed quite ridiculous. From the beginning, Elder Herr had judged Ding Fan to be just for show, but now the other party actually produced something, and the fragrance was surprisingly stunning. Elder Herr felt highly skeptical of Ding Fan, questioning whether he was a once-in-a-century genius or merely a skillful pretender.

In contrast to Elder Herr's misguided judgment, several elders in the judging area also smelled Ding Fan's medicinal fragrance and couldn't help but fix their gaze tightly on Ding Fan's direction. Everyone was quite surprised, knowing that the pill recipe for this exam indeed had a slightly fragrant odor, but how did that young man create such a rich fragrance?

"What's going on? The Returning Dragon Pill doesn't have such a heavy fragrance!"

"Yeah, but this kid's refinement has such a rich scent, even somewhat similar to the 'Returning Dragon Pill'!"

"It's indeed puzzling..."

"Did we misjudge this kid? Could he really be an extraordinary alchemic genius?"

"Heh, don't be ridiculous. Let's see what happens next. After all, he has only used half of the Spiritual Materials."

At that moment, the elders in the judge area couldn't help but express their deep curiosity, clearly not understanding what Ding Fan had refined. In the end, they could only continue watching since whatever the kid was doing would eventually be revealed.

At this moment, He Qianyao saw Ding Fan's performance, feeling quite curious herself. She didn't know what Ding Fan was up to, but she was sure he wasn't messing around. Ding Fan wasn't that kind of person. However, the fragrance Ding Fan produced caught her attention because none of the previous alchemists had released such a strong fragrance. For a moment, He Qianyao was unsure if this was good or bad for Ding Fan.

At Wuji Square, inside a very luxurious VIP box, a young man dressed in resplendent attire wore a dark expression as he looked through the glass towards Ding Fan's direction. He was Sun Hua, City Lord Fu's son of Dancheng. Clearly, Sun Hua had been searching for Ding Fan all along, tremendously angered by the report from his subordinates.

Sun Hua hadn't expected to send his men to seize the alchemy cauldron from that boy, only for his subordinates to return empty-handed, with two of them severely injured. It infuriated him. He had his men search the entire city for the young man who opposed him, but despite days of searching, no clues emerged.

Sun Hua was fuming with rage, as his men didn't dare to cause trouble at the official inn where Ding Fan previously stayed. Despite being the Vice City Lord's son, he remembered the real City Lord's authority and the importance of the inn guests related to the Great Alchemy Competition. Naturally, Sun Hua's men didn't dare to search the inn for Ding Fan.

As a result, they hadn't found Ding Fan until Sun Hua, in his anger and resentment, coincidentally saw him in action. Even though Sun Hua hadn't met Ding Fan, he instantly recognized the alchemy cauldron that Ding Fan was using; it was the one he had wanted. Now, Sun Hua was filled with hatred, wanting to rush into the Great Alchemy Competition and tear Ding Fan apart.

But Sun Hua dared not act rashly, aware that during the Great Alchemy Competition, not only himself but the City Lord and many other important figures were watching. If he were to cause a scene, he would face serious consequences, even making it difficult for his own father to protect him.