One More Look and It'll Explode

"Yuan'er, Yan'er!"

Despite the gloomy sky, Xiao Zhan immediately recognized the two figures jumping down from the city gate. He then excitedly leaped off his still-galloping horse, and with a surge of Dou Qi, he appeared in front of the three of them in a single bound.

Immediately afterwards, a satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he gave Xiao Yuan a subtle compliment, saying, "Ya Fei is here too!"

"Hehe, Ya Fei greets Uncle Xiao!"

Upon hearing this, Ya Fei bowed slightly and smiled.

"Father, you've worked hard!"

Xiao Yuan stepped forward and asked with concern.

"I was just on my way, and seeing that you two are doing well makes me so happy that I don't even feel tired!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan waved his hand dismissively and smiled.

His two sons went out to cultivate diligently, and he, as their father, naturally did not slack off in his cultivation either. He has now reached the strength of Eight-Star Great Dou Master. If it weren't for the limited resources in Wutan City, he would probably already be at the peak of the Great Peak Dou Master.

Eight-Star Great Dou Master is enough to be considered a backbone force among the three major families in the Imperial Capital.

With such strength, traveling on horseback, although looking dusty and weary, was actually not too tiring.

"My Third Brother was keeping me in suspense earlier, not telling me that it was you, Father, who had come. But after thinking about it, I guessed it. My Third Brother said a few days ago that he wanted to invite Father to come and discuss the engagement with the Mittel Family. At a time like this, the only person who would let the three of us welcome him at the same time is you!"

Xiao Yan also said with a smile.

"The Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master have become much stronger again!"

Immediately afterwards, a group of people from the Xiao Clan arrived, led by the family's Second Elder.

As soon as he landed, he assessed the strength of Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan. He discovered that he could no longer fathom Xiao Yuan's strength, and even Xiao Yan's aura was quite powerful, making him a top-tier expert even within the clan! "The Second Elder is indeed still vigorous despite his age!"

Xiao Yuan also said with a smile.

He could tell at a glance that the Second Elder's Dou Qi level was now slightly higher than his own.

When he left, the Second Elder was only Three-Star Dou Grandmaster. However, he was old and his potential was limited, so it was normal for him to advance more slowly.

"I can't compare to you young people!"

Upon hearing this, the Second Elder shook his head regretfully, glancing at Ya Fei out of the corner of his eye, feeling a sense of helplessness in his heart.

Although both are alluring types, her granddaughter Xiao Mei is clearly inferior to this elegant Ya Fei who has grown up and exudes a mature and charming aura.

I'm so frustrated with all the losses!

Who could have imagined that those two good-for-nothings from three years ago would now be advancing in Dou Qi at such a terrifying speed? Xiao Zhan certainly has two fine sons! "Don't just stand here, let's go back to the manor and talk!"

Xiao Yuan smiled, and then led the way into the city.

Mu Zhan was not present, but it seemed that he had been specifically instructed to do so, so the soldiers guarding the city gate did not check them.

The group walked along the wide and bustling streets of the Imperial Capital, their eyes filled with emotion.

This time, Xiao Zhan brought mostly elders from the Xiao Clan. They had all personally experienced the move out of the Imperial Capital, and now, returning to their hometown, they couldn't help but sigh with emotion:

"I haven't been to the Imperial Capital for many years. It has developed so fast that I hardly recognize it anymore."

"Yes, I never thought I'd be back in the Imperial Capital, and so soon!"

When everyone arrived at the gate of the Xiao Residence, it was almost midnight.

Without much small talk or unnecessary chatter, Xiao Yuan handed over the affairs of the mansion to the elders of the family, then left Yao Lao to Xiao Yan, and then went straight to bed with Ya Fei.

Xiao Yan had to participate in the finals tomorrow, and he originally planned to cultivate as soon as he returned to recover his energy, but the people sent by Fa Ma summoned him away overnight.

When Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Residence, it was already past midnight.

However, in order to study the prescription, Xiao Yan did not sleep all night. Under the guidance of Yao Lao, he tried his best to thoroughly understand the prescription of the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill.

Of course, understanding is one thing, but putting it into practice is another.

The next day, when Xiao Yuan, feeling refreshed, led Ya Fei out of the room, they saw Xiao Yan, who had been studying the prescription all night, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.

With Alchemic Grandmaster like Yao Lao guiding him, Xiao Yan gained considerable confidence in refining the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill.

Today, the Royal Plaza is packed with people. After word spread among the spectators, more and more people have become captivated by the thrilling alchemy competition. Although it is only just dawn, the entire area is filled with spectators of today's Alchemist Convention.

As time passed, a ray of dawn broke through the clouds and shone on the vast city. When the sun rose, the tightly closed Royal Plaza slowly opened its gates, and the dark mass of people outside surged in like a tide.

When Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong arrived outside the square, they were both stunned when they saw the long line of people at the entrance. They then shook their heads helplessly, not expecting that today's audience would be even more frenzied than yesterday's.

Even Xiao Yuan and the others had to use a special passage to get to the VIP seats.

As the father of Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan naturally had the right to sit in the front row of the VIP section, and he would witness the entire match today.

With the help of the Mittel Family, the Second Elder and the others also entered the VIP area, but their positions were certainly not as good as Xiao Yuan's and the others.

Today, Yao Lao was still following Xiao Yuan, and even asked Xiao Yuan for a large ball of Heavenly Flames.

There's still some time before the match starts.

Xiao Yan was too lazy to argue with the contestants, so he simply followed them to the VIP seats.

To refine the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill, three types of flames are required, but Xiao Yan currently only has one type of flame. As for the remaining two types, he will need to ask Yao Lao to process them.

However, it is foreseeable that the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill refined with three different Heavenly Flames will be more effective, but the difficulty of refining it will also increase.

However, Xiao Yan was somewhat confident about this.

Although two Heavenly Flames are needed to refine the pills, neither Yao Lao's Bone Spirit Cold Flame nor Xiao Yan's Yin Yang Dual Flames are actually that much of averse to Xiao Yan.

Perhaps the Burning Qi Technique played a role, or perhaps Xiao Yan himself had a high affinity for different flames. In any case, with the three sets of medicinal herbs prepared by the Alchemist Guild of the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan was fully confident that he could successfully refine the herbs and win the championship of this competition. He had to win this championship! The waiting time was not long. As the assessment was about to begin, Xiao Yuan finally flipped his hand, and a cool white ring and a warm black and white ring appeared in his palm.

After handing it to Xiao Yan, Xiao Yuan smiled and encouraged him, "Keep going, I believe in you!"

"Yan'er, you can do it!"

Xiao Zhan also smiled and encouraged him.

"Go for it, Xiao Yan!"

Ya Fei smiled and encouraged her from the side.

"Keep it up, just do your best!"

The Yao Lao's voice also echoed in Xiao Yan's heart.

"Okay, I'm going!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded heavily, then flipped over and landed in the arena.

Such an eye-catching appearance immediately attracted the attention of many people.

"Hey, look over there. That's yesterday's top scorer, and he's quite young too."

"I heard his name is Xiao Yan, right? Judging from his appearance, he's probably not even twenty years old yet. It's really enviable."

"In this assessment, it seems that only he can contend with that gray-robed youth from the Chuyun Empire. If it weren't for his intervention yesterday, the best result would probably have gone to that person from the Chuyun Empire."

"Today is the most crucial match. Hopefully, he can defeat that guy from the Chuyun Empire. Otherwise, the Alchemist Guild will really lose face this time."

"Yes."

"Xiao Yan, he should be alright, right?"

Hai Bodong leaned closer, stroking his chin as he spoke.

"Don't worry, Hai Lao, Xiao Yan will definitely be the champion."

Xiao Yuan smiled, but his tone was quite firm.

After Fa Ma finished announcing the rules, the assessment officially began.

In this third round of assessment, the guild will no longer provide any assistance to the participants. Under the premise that the prescription and Medicinal Herbs must be prepared by themselves, the participants must successfully refine a pill within their own capabilities. The final winner will naturally be determined by the grade and practical value of the pill they refine.

This unexpected question caught many people off guard.

Since he was watching from the stands, Xiao Yuan didn't feel particularly nervous.

As an alchemist, it's hard to say that someone is a qualified alchemist if they don't keep some Medicinal Herbs and prescriptions in their Storage Ring.

This final stage tests not only an individual's alchemy skills, but also the contestant's background, adaptability, and other abilities.

For a moment, no one in the room immediately began refining pills. After a long period of contemplation and silence, no one took the time to start.

The well-educated Little Princess and Liu Ling were the first to break the deadlock.

The two people's medicine cauldrons, one green and one red, were both fifth-grade medicine cauldrons. In comparison, the dark red medicine cauldron used by Xiao Yan was only second-grade, which was undoubtedly much more shabby.

There's nothing he can do. He does have a good cauldron, and it wouldn't hurt to lend him the Black Demon Cauldron from the Yao Lao. But if the Black Demon Cauldron comes out, the Alchemist Convention might as well be canceled. Even the Pill King Gu He would have to come and try to get his hands on the Black Demon Cauldron once he hears about it.

Upon seeing this, a strange expression appeared on Xiao Yuan's face.

He now has some understanding of alchemy. Xiao Yan's second-tier alchemy cauldron couldn't withstand the burning of three Heavenly Flames in turn! He wondered if Fa Ma had provided him with a new one.

However, as the Yao Lao once said, although the medicine cauldron is of great help in refining pills, it is only an external aid. The most important thing for an alchemist is his own strength. A true master can Palm Cauldron in the palm of his hand and refine pills at will without any restrictions.

However, when Xiao Yan took out the dark red medicine cauldron, it still caused many people to show surprise.

After all, everyone thought the contestants would bring out the best stuff last, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yan still brought out such shabby items in the end.

Next, the Little Princess, Liu Ling, and the Gray-robed Man all summoned their most powerful flames—one blue, one brown, and one black—which attracted a lot of attention.

However, compared to flames, Xiao Yan had absolutely no chance of losing.

"They were all holding back, as expected."

Gazing at the flames of different colors, Xiao Yan suddenly chuckled, slowly raised his hand, flicked his fingers, and a wisp of cyan flame suddenly burst forth. Instantly, the temperature on the plaza rose sharply, and at this moment, the various flames that had been leaping and jubilant in the hands of the Little Princess and the others became much weaker. When the Heavenly Flames appears, Wan Huo submit!

Looking down at the scene below, Xiao Yuan smiled. In a sense, Xiao Yan had already embarked on the path to becoming the Emperor of Flames.

Xiao Yuan also has high expectations for his future.

As things stand, if I can cultivate the techniques in my mind to their fullest potential, the Dou Qi within my body will primarily consist of the five basic attributes, and can freely transform into any attribute of Dou Qi.

If Xiao Yan is the emperor of flames, then Xiao Yuan is the emperor of Dou Qi!

As their thoughts raced, the contestants below had already begun refining the elixirs.

Extracting Medicinal Herbs is a very time-consuming process. Although Xiao Zhan did not understand medicine making, he could tell that his youngest son was the fastest, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Xiao Yan's refining went smoothly. With Yao Lao's guidance last night, although it was his first time refining, his movements were not so sluggish. On the contrary, he felt that he was getting more and more skilled as he refined.

When Xiao Yan finished refining the Medicinal Herbs and began fusing pills, many others followed suit and started fusing pills as well. And the sound of failed Pill Fusion began to emerge from time to time.

Although he had enough confidence in Xiao Yan, Xiao Yuan's mind was also on edge at this moment. Nothing is absolute. What if Xiao Yan was unlucky today and the furnace exploded prematurely? Time passed quickly. Half an hour after Xiao Yan began to Pill Fusion, Xiao Yuan's expression became serious. He looked in the direction where Xiao Yan was. There, a faint fragrance of pills was slowly spreading from the dark red cauldron.

"It seems to be going quite smoothly; the pill is about to be completed so quickly."

The nearby Fa Ma shared the same assessment.

However, One-Striped Green Spirit Pill is not enough to win the Alchemist Convention.

After a brief moment of thought, Xiao Yan decided to use the Strange Fire Ring to refine the second rune!

However, before he could transform the flames, a slight "crack" sound made his face suddenly darken. Twisting his neck, Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the dark red cauldron, and his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints.

On the smooth surface of the cauldron, a tiny crack had quietly begun to spread!