The Grand Square was transformed.
Where once stood a gathering ground of orderly disciples, now an intricate web of spirit arrays pulsed beneath the stone—each circle a testing platform, each rune a gate to judgment. Rows of cauldrons shimmered under the sunlight, their polished surfaces catching firelight from countless conjured flames.
Elders hovered above on floating platforms, watching like silent stars.
"Begin the Outer Alchemy Selection!" the herald's voice rang out, and the ground came alive with motion.
Instantly, hundreds of disciples ignited their flames. Scarlet, azure, jade, and violet fires burst into life, painting the square with dazzling hues. The air thickened with spiritual essence as herbs were tossed into cauldrons, techniques unfolded, and the music of alchemy began—the hiss of boiling elixirs, the hum of circulating qi, the faint crackle of refinement.
