Bright victory fireworks lit up the night sky above the capital city. A hundred thousand happy weavers and town workers lined the wide streets, waving paper lanterns and tossing red flower petals into the cool air. High above the noisy crowds, a dark black raven flew silently through the gray clouds, slipping past the high palace walls unnoticed."Our young savior has returned home safe!" an old weaver shouted with happy tears streaming down his face. "Look at Grand Physician Lucas riding beside our Crown Princess!" The cheering crowd roared with love: "Long live Princess Eleanor! Long live Doctor Lucas, the hero who stopped the war without hurting a single soldier on the field!"Emperor Jeffrey stood on the palace steps, opening his royal arms with tears in his tired eyes. "Welcome home, my brave daughter," Jeffrey said softly, holding Eleanor tight against his gold robes. The Emperor turned to Lucas and bowed his crowned head very low: "You saved fifty thousand men, Grand Physician.

The volcanic city of Clearwater shook with thunderous noise as sixty thousand travelers flooded the stone streets. Princess Eleanor looked through the carriage window at the jagged black mountain ahead. "Clearwater sits directly on our empire's border, built over a sleeping volcano," Eleanor said softly. "The earth here never truly sleeps.""Deep stone tunnels carry volcanic fire beneath the grand arena floor," Seraphina added, smiling as she adjusted her emerald silk sash. "Those hot stone vents provide endless heat for every medicine pot in the contest. Our royal knights and trade wagons have cleared the eastern avenue for your carriage, Lucas."Crowds of curious travelers gathered along the stone sidewalks to watch the grand convoy pass. "Look at the boy riding in plain gray cloth!" an excited merchant shouted aloud. "Is that truly the famous healer from the capital clinic?!""They say he defeated Master Yan Mo with only a few simple needles!" an old herb seller murmured in awe to

Sixty thousand spectators gasped in shock as the green sulfur smoke vanished into thin air. "The poison smoke is completely gone!" an excited merchant shouted in pure wonder. "It feels like warm morning sunlight!" Another spectator yelled: "Look at the young doctor standing tall! His golden flames are chasing the cold mountain wind away!"The Chief Judge leaned over the marble railing, his eyes bulging in utter disbelief. He dropped his wooden gavel onto the floor with a loud clatter. "This is completely impossible!" the Chief Judge shouted to the elders. "Did that clinic boy just use tiny silver needles to tame a wild volcanic fire vent with his bare hands?!"Across the arena floor, Ghost-Hand Yao's yellow eyes twitched with sudden, bitter fear. The old alchemist wiped cold sweat from his brow, hissing in anger. "That clinic beggar is only playing childish tricks!" Yao snarled to his trembling disciples. "Do not let him rattle your souls! Chant faster, you fools, and feed the dark fu

The entire volcanic stadium erupted into a wild, earth-shaking roar of joy as people leaped from the stone benches with streaming tears. "Doctor Lucas! Doctor Lucas!" thousands of voices chanted together in one booming chorus. "The clinic healer did it! His pure golden pill drove away the dark poison clouds and brought life back to our land!"Up on the royal balcony, Emperor Jeffrey raised his golden scepter into the bright morning sky with streaming tears of pride. "Our empire is saved, my people!" Jeffrey shouted, his royal voice trembling with deep emotion. "Grand Physician Lucas has brought eternal glory to our land, and our crown will honor him forever!"Princess Eleanor turned toward Seraphina with bright tears shining in her royal blue eyes, letting her long silver sword slip from her fingers. The two women threw their arms around each other in uncontainable happiness, crying and laughing before the cheering crowd. "He won, Seraphina!" Eleanor wept with overwhelming relief agai

Giant cracks tore open across the arena floor as hot red rock shot into the air like fountains of liquid fire. "The ground is splitting apart beneath our boots!" a royal guard screamed in terror. "Run for your lives! The fiery mountain vents are blowing wide open!"An old merchant dropped his heavy coin bag into the dirt, weeping in the thick smoke. "Help us, someone please help us!" the old man cried out. "The sulfur fumes are choking my throat, I cannot breathe!"Beside the broken iron station, Young Master Yao Feng clutched the smoking lever with a bloody, crazy grin on his pale face. "Die, every single one of you!" Yao Feng shrieked in wild laughter. "Not a single imperial dog will leave this mountain alive today!""If the Western Heavens cannot have Clearwater, then nobody will live to see the sunset!" Yao Feng screamed, spitting mouthfuls of dark blood. "I broke the deep mountain gates with an iron hammer! The volcano is waking up, and hellfire will eat your bones!"Sixty thousa