The arrays before Dyon began to glow, as faint objects began to vaguely materialize atop of them.
"To reach this level of precision as just an alchemist… you need to reach the half-step grandmaster level. However… using arrays, you only need to have just stepped into the master level."
A flash of blinding light appeared as five distinct plants lightly bobbed in the air above the purple-gold arrays.
The eyes of the crowd couldn't help but widen.
Grand Elder Kroak took a deep breath. "Creation array…"
Not only did using a creation array require an understanding of what you were creating to even the smallest of levels, it was a complex array into and of itself. Yet, Dyon had used at most 10 minutes to form the arrays and the plants.
The plants themselves weren't a big deal as they were only of the common level. But, to create a plant, regardless of level, was a ridiculous feat. It was nothing short of memorizing an obscenely long string of DNA, maintaining its structure, and even creating the plant's most beneficial environment, all in one.
And although the martial world had no real concept of DNA, they still vaguely grasped the general idea behind the concept. However, the fact this concept was vague to them was exactly why only experts who far surpassed the grandmaster level were able to do what Dyon just did, even for a common level plant.
Grand Elder Kroak chuckled bitterly. "How could I beat him in formation theory… how ridiculous…"
Grand Elder Cormyth smiled as he watched Dyon continue.
The plants began to slowly break apart.
"Grand Elder Cormyth's explanation was an answer, just not the best. Although this combination can in fact form a poison, this poison is as a by-product of that combination's imperfection."
Soon the plants were nothing but floating specks of light, glowing of a faint purple.
"Like I said, without formations, alchemy alone can only complete this feat at the half-step grandmaster level… This is because instead of combining the plants in equal amounts, one needs to splice at very specific sections, remove unwanted additions, and form new sequences using the originals as building blocks…
"Grand Elder Cormyth's explanation involved maintaining the original characteristics of the plants… however, the best combination involved forming something completely new!"
Dyon's hands separated as the formations began to spin before him, slowly layering atop each other and combining into a single large array… the sparkling particles remaining separated in 5 groups.
The crowd watched with bated breath.
"94% of Fawning Grass… 2% of Devil's Willow… 12% of Lake's Purity… 64% of Flaunting Sun… 23% of Ice Pike…"
Dyon calmly listed the percentage of the characteristics of each plant he would be using.
"Many think of Fawning Grass as a glorified fertilizer… But that only accounts for a small percentage of its characteristics… what it really is… is a caring fairy, unwilling to see any plants suffer…"
Dyon's hand waved in the air towards a clump of shining particles. Suddenly, a portion of it was burnt away.
But, the reaction to this was completely unexpected. The faint sound of a song began to be heard as a fairy began to appear above the group of particles.
A light and airy giggling could be heard as the clump began to swirl around the fairy. It was a truly adorable sight. A small green skinned fairy with light blue hair and eyes danced freely along the sides of Dyon's array, happily making its way to the other clumps as Dyon waved his hands again and again. Each swipe eliminating large portions of the previous characteristics of the plants.
"He… the plant's soul manifested…"
Grand Elder Kroak could no longer remain sitting. He stood almost too violently, training his eyes on what he was witnessing.
The fairy reached the clump of Lake's purity, cupping its small hands for a single drop of purity. The drop was a bright sheen of gold, and although it was small, the poor fairy could barely hold it. She could only awkwardly and adorably drink.
By the time she finished, she patted her slightly bulging stomach and giggled. The laughter was so carefree and pure that one couldn't help but smile.
The fairy began to change. Its skin paled from its original green to a fair and pale gold. Her hair changed into a striking white, lengthening to cover her bare butt, causing her to twirl with delight.
Walking to the clump of Flaunting Sun, the fairy did nothing but bask in its light.
The particles started slowly gathering on her back, forming wings twice the length of her body in a blinding white light.
Floating to Ice Pike, the fairy shivered adorably, diving into the clump. The particles began to swirl, forming an elegant and icy dress on the small fairy.
Its light and airy personality became more reserved and restrained, but a gentle smile could still be seen on her face as her wings flapped to her final destination.
Stopping in front of Devil's Willow, the ice blue eyes of the fairy glistened.
This was when Dyon's voice rang out faintly. "To most… Devil's Willow is unyielding and obstructive. Taking too much water, needing too much space, requiring too much effort. But… when used properly… when restrained properly… isn't that the attitude of a monarch?"
The clump set itself ablaze, charging for the calm fairy.
The crowd gasped, but their worries were unfounded.
Slowly, the flames that had engulfed the fairy condensed.
Faint golden hues covered the fairy's dress and wings. But, the most striking characteristic was the halo of flames that now hovered above the small fairy's head.
Finally, Dyon's array disappeared. A faint layer of sweat covering his forehead.
Turning to Dyon, the now queen fairy smiled gently, looking at her creator.
Her wings spread and a blinding light covered the coliseum as she gently floated to Dyon's open palm.
CHIME! CHIME! CHIME!
This time, Dyon didn't have the heart to stop the chimes. They rang out again and again as the fairy looked up at Dyon from his hand.
Once the 99th chime rang out, everything was silent. The fairy bowed to Dyon, wrapping its wings around itself.
Slowly, the light began to fade.
By the time everyone could see what was happening, the fairy was gone. In its place lay a pill of absolute purity. Above it, a halo of fire spun, bobbing gently.
Dyon took a deep breath. "This is the perfection of this grafting combination… Queen Fairy… A culmination of common level plants to form the necessary ingredients for the Queen Fairy bodily constitution."
