All Eyes Upon Them
Looking at the Giant Plaza that was boiling over like water thrown into hot oil, a hint of gratified smile flashed across Xuan Kongzi's eyes.
This atmosphere, which gathers the best Alchemist from across the continent and is filled with youth, passion, hard work, and limitless possibilities, can probably only be found on the highest stage of the entire Pill Gathering Dou Qi Continent, the Alchemy Gathering.
This is a grand event in the Yao Realm, and the place where countless Alchemists' dreams take flight.
Suspended above the high platform, Xuan Kongzi's aged yet powerful voice, as if containing some strange rule, resounded clearly once again in the ears of every contestant and spectator, igniting the final battle:
"All contestants, step forward! This final competition has no rules or restrictions. Give it your all and refine the elixir you are best at!"
Boom!
These words were like igniting the final fuse.
The nearly two thousand contestants in the square, who had been waiting for their turn, felt their blood boil and burn at that moment! Their eyes blazed with a fighting spirit that could pierce the sky.
The group exchanged glances, their eyes revealing scrutiny of their opponents, confidence in themselves, and an unyielding desire for the highest glory!
The next moment, a loud thud was heard, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
On the plaza, powerful beams of Dou Qi of various colors suddenly erupted, and figures shot upwards like shooting stars or eagles breaking free of their restraints, heading straight for the Thousand Stone Platforms suspended in the sky!
In an instant, the overwhelming figures, densely packed, almost blocked out the sky, causing even the warm sunlight pouring down from the horizon to pause, and the world seemed to dim for a moment.
There are numerous stone platforms in the sky, enough to accommodate all the participants. However, the positions, sizes, and even the faintly gathered Heaven and Earth Energy of the stone platforms vary slightly.
The central stone platform, in particular, is not only the most spacious, but also features more ancient and complex runes. Clearly, refining elixirs here would offer some advantages.
Amidst the overwhelming crowd, a figure in a green robe arrived first, moving so fast that he left only a faint green trail in the air. In the blink of an eye, he traversed the long distance, appearing as if by Instantaneous Movement, on the central, largest, and most luxurious stone platform.
The stone platform is entirely purplish-gold in color, with a diameter of several dozen feet. Its edges are carved with dragons and phoenixes depicting alchemy furnaces and flame totems, exuding a vast and profound aura. Standing here, one seems to naturally become the focus of the entire scene.
Lin Ming stood tall and straight, hands behind his back in the center of the stone platform. His blue robe fluttered in the wind stirred up by the rapid flight of the crowd. His expression was calm, as if occupying this best position was only natural.
However, who among those who have reached this point isn't proud and ambitious?
Immediately, a man dressed in a red robe with an arrogant face appeared, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He landed on the stone platform after the other man and coldly shouted, "Boy, this place isn't for you! Get out of my way!"
Before he finished speaking, fiery red Dou Qi condensed into a blazing palm print on his palm, carrying a sharp gust of wind, and struck directly at Lin Ming's back, a rather ruthless attack.
Lin Ming didn't even look back.
His powerful Dou Qi surged slightly, like a turbulent undercurrent beneath a calm sea, and an invisible force suddenly spread out from its center. He parted his lips slightly, uttering a cold word:
"Roll!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it resounded like thunder deep into the red-robed man's soul! The terrifying Soul impact and Dou Qi aura pressure contained in the voice slammed into his chest like a tangible hammer.
"Pfft!"
The red-robed man's forward momentum abruptly halted, his face instantly flushed with horror and disbelief. He then coughed up a mouthful of blood, and like a kite with a broken string, he was sent flying backward by the invisible force, tracing a pathetic arc before crashing heavily onto the edge of the plaza below. He struggled for a moment, but was unable to get up again.
This scene unfolded in the blink of an eye, instantly causing the pupils of several people around who also had designs on the Central Stone Platform to shrink, their steps abruptly halting, and their gazes towards Lin Ming filled with fear.
With just a cold shout, he injured a formidable Dou Zong expert? Just who is this young man?
Lin Ming glanced indifferently at the surprised and uncertain gazes around him, a thought flickering in his mind.
Buzz!
The space beside Lin Ming distorted, and a chill descended suddenly. A figure covered in a crystal-clear, ice-gold color appeared out of thin air.
The Ice Puppet's emotionless, icy blue eyes slowly swept across the area. The terrifying aura of Seven-Star Dou Venerate descended like a ten-thousand-year-old iceberg, spreading out without any concealment! The chilling Killing Intent was so tangible that it caused the temperature in this area to plummet, and the air seemed to freeze into frost.
Those contestants who were initially somewhat unconvinced were now all pale-faced and shivering under the oppressive aura that far exceeded their comprehension. As if being targeted by Ancient Fierce Beast, their souls trembled. They dared not hesitate any longer and turned around in a sorry state, fleeing the central area as quickly as possible to compete for other stone platforms.
In an instant, with the Central Stone Platform where Lin Ming was located as the center, no one dared to approach the stone platforms within several feet around it, forming a strange vacuum zone.
Lin Ming nodded in satisfaction, but did not let the Ice Puppet disappear.
Lin Ming was not one to seek the limelight, but he knew that on a stage that gathered the continent's top geniuses, being too low-key would only attract more unnecessary trouble. With his strength, unless he deliberately held back, it would be difficult for him to avoid attracting attention.
Since I'm destined to shock the world sooner or later, I'll start with this first step and establish my unparalleled power! This is the attitude a true strongman should have.
In stark contrast to Lin Ming's domineering and ostentatious entrance, Xiao Yan mingled among the vast crowd. He did not rush to choose his own stone platform, but instead stood calmly suspended in mid-air, his sharp gaze sweeping across the area below.
He saw that fierce clashes had broken out on some stone platforms in a struggle for better positions. The booming sounds of Dou Qi, the loud crash of Medicinal Cauldron falling, and shouts and screams rose and fell. Chaos had been present from the very beginning.
Xiao Yan calm and did not participate in these pointless struggles. He believed that alchemy ultimately depended on true skill, and while the quality of the stone platform had an impact, it was by no means the decisive factor. Rashly getting involved in the fight would only deplete his energy prematurely, resulting in more harm than good.
Xiao Yan waited patiently, like a cheetah lying in wait. After most of the people had found their respective stone platforms and the chaos in the arena gradually subsided, he stepped into the void and slowly swept across the area. Finally, near the edge of the square, in a relatively secluded and quiet corner, he found an ordinary stone platform that was only about two or three zhang in size and slowly landed on it.
Compared to the Central Stone Platform where Lin Ming was, this stone platform appeared rather shabby and simple, only large enough for one person to move around in. However, Xiao Yan was not dissatisfied with this. He sat down cross-legged, adjusted his breathing, and gradually pushed his state to its peak.
After Lin Ming and Xiao Yan had chosen their positions, Lin Ming's gaze swept around again. He saw Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Song Qing, and others in the distance.
Cao Ying chose a stone platform near the eastern edge, where the view was unobstructed, offering a panoramic view of most of the square while avoiding the hustle and bustle of the center, which suited her style of being in control.
Dan Chen chose the least conspicuous corner, her small body almost shrinking into the shadow of the stone platform.
Although Song Qing was proud and arrogant, he knew his limits and chose a mid-range position that was neither too close nor too far from Cao Ying.
The three of them made a similar choice to Xiao Yan: instead of vying for those seemingly grand but also dangerous stone platforms in the middle, they each occupied a corner of the relatively quiet edge, preparing to silently accumulate power and wait for the final moment of explosion.
"Thump--!"
Just as all the contestants had settled down, on the high platform, Xuan Kongzi's gaze slowly swept across the stone platforms in mid-air. Seeing that the time had come, he gently waved his sleeve.
Suddenly, a long, clear bell chime, seemingly capable of cleansing the soul, resounded without warning throughout this bustling world! The chime possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly suppressing all the noise and clearing everyone's mind.
Xuan Kongzi's voice, imbued with boundless majesty and anticipation, then resounded:
"The time has come, everyone. Please raise the cauldron and begin refining the elixir!"
Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!
As soon as Xuan Kongzi finished speaking, the atmosphere of this world instantly froze to its extreme, and then it was completely released like a Volcanic Eruption!
A blinding light flashed, and countless Medicinal Cauldron, each with a different shape and size but all radiating powerful energy fluctuations, were instantly summoned by their masters. Then, with a heavy whistling sound, they landed heavily on the stone platforms on which they stood!
The deep, resonant sounds of metal clashing echoed continuously across the sky, forming a continuous chorus, like the prelude to an ancient and majestic war song, heralding the start of this ultimate showdown in the Yao Realm!
As the numerous high-quality Medicinal Cauldron, densely packed with each other, shimmering with metallic luster or warm and smooth as Mysterious Runes, and engraved with countless profound runes, appeared simultaneously, even the well-informed residents of Sacred Pill City and representatives of various forces couldn't help but let out low murmurs of surprise and astonishment in the square.
This was probably the first and only time in their lives that they had ever seen so many high-quality Medicinal Cauldron appear at the same time! The fluctuations emitted by many of these Medicinal Cauldron had reached the Tier 7 or even Tier 8 level!
Among the countless Medicinal Cauldron, Lin Ming's gaze was instantly drawn to the Medicinal Cauldron that had suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Yan on the far edge.
It was a black Medicinal Cauldron Medicinal Cauldron, quite robust in size, with a calm and heavy aura emanating from it. On Medicinal Cauldron surface were lifelike flame totems, which slowly wriggled as if real flames were burning, exuding an ancient charm.
"This Medicinal Cauldron must be Yao Chen's Black Demon Cauldron, which is ranked on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking!" Lin Ming realized.
The Medicinal Cauldron on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking are like Divine Weapon weapons to Alchemist, greatly increasing the success rate of alchemy and the quality of the pills. Yao Chen's entrustment of this cauldron to Xiao Yan shows the high hopes he has for him.
After most Alchemist summoned their Medicinal Cauldron, an even more dazzling and spectacular scene unfolded in the next moment!
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
A series of faint popping sounds, like the birth of flames, rang out in the sky.
Immediately, flames of various colors and shapes rose from the palms and bodies of every Alchemist, as if they had been given life!
Crimson, ghostly blue, pale white, deep purple, dark black... countless flames leaped and danced, emitting terrifying temperature and energy fluctuations that were either scorching, chilling, violent, or gentle.
The flames intertwined, painting the entire sky like a dreamlike and magnificent Scroll Painting. From afar, it looked like the grandest and most dazzling fireworks bursting open in the sky above the Pill Region!
The intense heat generated by the simultaneous appearance of thousands of flames caused the temperature of this area to rise at an alarming rate. The air distorted, heat waves rolled, and even space itself rippled with subtle wrinkles.
Wan Huo rise, standing tall against the heavens!
This ultimate showdown, bringing together the most outstanding young Alchemist of the Dou Qi Continent, has officially begun its magnificent spectacle on this sky illuminated by countless flames!