No Need for a Foot-Washing Maid

The day of the wager arrived as promised, causing a sensation throughout the Imperial Capital and sparking endless discussion.

Many people, including some members of the royal family, questioned what qualifications Liu Chengfeng had to represent the royal house.

On this day, all parties gathered outside the Ancestral Hall.

Beyond the participants themselves, noble scions and members of the royal family also rushed over to watch the spectacle.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Grandmaster Mansion held the most imposing presence, with numerous experts, the leaders of the Three Retinues, and Ye Ziyang all in attendance.

The intensity of their blood energy and the strength of their aura were awe-inspiring; with the Grandmaster Mansion firmly in control, no one dared to act out of line.

The Nangong Clan and the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect also had many experts present, but their momentum was still three parts weaker than that of the Grandmaster Mansion.

Outside the Ancestral Hall, many experts gathered to watch, yet the scene remained quiet.

Three great figures of the Great Dao Divine Treasury sat in command, their aura like mountains pressing down upon the crowd, leaving no one daring to speak loudly.

Of the three, Nangong Zheng lay half-reclined upon a Divine Palanquin, his posture one of lounging high above the clouds.

Ye Ziyang and Wu Yuanqing sat side by side, as steady and immovable as deep pools and towering peaks, making others afraid to make a sound.

The time was nearly at hand, and everyone waited.

Liu Chengfeng arrived in a Dragon Carriage, escorted by Imperial Palace Guards, with Nangong Renshe and others in his entourage.

Having obtained a branch of the Spirit Vein, many disciples of the Cloud Rising Sect had already relocated.

Today, as Liu Chengfeng accepted the challenge, the disciples of the Cloud Rising Sect came to cheer him on.

Seeing Liu Chengfeng in a Dragon Carriage with Imperial Guards in tow, those royal disciples and noble scions who were unaware of the situation whispered among themselves.

What right did an outsider have to enjoy such treatment, and what right did he have to represent the royal family?

Some royal disciples were secretly indignant; the Ancestral Hall belonged to their Qiuchi Kingdom, so why should an outsider be allowed to meddle?

The Grandmaster Mansion and the noble scions remained silent; if the Grandmaster Mansion won, the benefits would be even greater.

The Empress of Qiuchi had yet to appear.

Ye Ziyang and Wu Yuanqing exchanged a glance, everything understood without a word.

"Today, the wager is based on alchemy. Each side shall send one disciple. Whoever refines the Second Refinement Mountain Pill first and fills the Thunder Fire Eye the most shall be the winner and claim the top spot!"

It was unclear what methods Nangong Zheng had used, but Wu Yuanqing of the Ancient Li Royal Court had been pushed into the position of moderator.

The gambling match began; the Grandmaster Mansion sent out Cheng Nan, while Nangong Zheng sent his own eldest disciple.

The Dragon Ascending Holy Sect sent a female disciple named Golden Phoenix, who had been dispatched from the sect overnight.

With all three sides having sent their alchemists, only the royal family remained.

"I just happened to learn a bit of alchemy these past few days, so I'll reluctantly play along with you all."

Liu Chengfeng stood up lazily.

"You really just started learning alchemy?"

Wu Yuanqing stared at Liu Chengfeng, finding it hard to believe.

"Since Senior Nangong insisted on wagering alchemy against our royal family, I had no choice but to cram at the last minute."

Ye Ziyang and Nangong Zheng narrowed their eyes; they had investigated thoroughly, and it was true that Liu Chengfeng had only just begun learning alchemy.

Nangong Zheng was suspicious; he refused to believe that someone who had just started learning alchemy could compete with his eldest disciple.

"It is absurd for someone who just started learning alchemy to represent the royal family. Change the person."

Some royal disciples were in an uproar; this concerned the national destiny of the royal family, so how could it be treated as such a farce?

Many royal disciples expressed their dissatisfaction, shouting for a replacement.

The disciples of the Grandmaster Mansion sneered, happy to see this play out.

The Grandmaster Mansion and the royal family jointly ruled the Qiuchi Kingdom; if the royal family lost face, the Grandmaster Mansion would be the winner.

"An ignorant child, making a fool of yourself and shaming the name of the royal family."

Cheng Nan sneered, arrogant and refusing to look Liu Chengfeng in the eye.

Although he had suffered at Liu Chengfeng's hands, he was a genius at alchemy and the strongest alchemist in the Qiuchi Kingdom; only he was qualified to represent the Qiuchi Kingdom.

As an alchemy genius, he wanted to shine brightly in front of Ye Yiqing.

"Didn't you kneel and kowtow, nearly calling me 'daddy'—does that not shame the Grandmaster Mansion?"

Liu Chengfeng laughed loudly, giving as good as he got.

"You little bastard—"

Cheng Nan's face turned the color of pig liver, consumed by shame and rage.

"If you lose today, you shall be judged for a great crime and sentenced to beheading."

"Do you want to make another wager? If you lose, you kneel and call me 'daddy.' Although I wouldn't want such a useless son, I would be happy to see you make a fool of yourself."

"You—"

Cheng Nan was so angry he spat blood, his eyes spewing fire; he wished he could tear Liu Chengfeng into a thousand pieces.

"Do not treat this as a game; prioritize the big picture."

Ye Ziyang's voice rang out like a morning bell, warning Cheng Nan not to lose his composure.

Cheng Nan snapped back to reality, reined in his focus, and glared at Liu Chengfeng, his eyes filled with malice.

"Are you truly just a beginner?"

The Golden Phoenix of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect pressed Liu Chengfeng for an answer.

She was quite the Golden Phoenix indeed—dressed in a red dress embroidered with gold, tall and curvaceous, wearing a jeweled phoenix hairpin, and radiating the fiery aura of an alchemist, much like a phoenix made of flame.

Golden Phoenix, also known as Shen Jinfeng, was a mid-grade second-tier alchemist, a genius of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect, and the personal disciple of Vice Sect Leader Yi Yuzhou.

For the Qiuchi Kingdom royal family to send a novice alchemist to compete was like a child's game, making it hard for anyone to believe.

"I just started practicing recently, just messing around."

Liu Chengfeng's words left the royal disciples dissatisfied; such a monumental event, yet he treated it like a joke.

"Change the contestant! Do you want to hand over the Ancestral Hall Talisman on a silver platter?"

"We're bound to lose and lose all royal face! Change him!"

Several royal disciples clamored for a replacement.

Ye Ziyang let out a deep shout, the pressure of his Great Dao sweeping down, and silence fell instantly.

"He is indeed a beginner."

Nangong Zheng had inquired clearly, and it had been confirmed by Ye Ziyang.

They, too, harbored doubts in their hearts; just how careless was the Empress of Qiuchi to let a novice alchemist compete? This was tantamount to throwing away the kingdom.

In the ensuing silence, many royal disciples felt indignant; this time, the royal family would lose all face and forfeit the kingdom. The Empress was truly muddled.

"A novice alchemist is not fit to share the stage. You may concede, and the three of us will decide the victor."

Shen Jinfeng didn't even deign to share the stage with Liu Chengfeng; she was a mid-grade second-tier alchemist and a genius at that.

A novice alchemist had no right to compete against her.

"You think too highly of yourself, you mere second-tier alchemist."

These words enraged Shen Jinfeng, her chest heaving with fury. When had she, a genius alchemist, ever been looked down upon?

"You don't know the immensity of heaven and earth! I will surely defeat you!"

"And if you lose?"

Liu Chengfeng sneered, looking down on Shen Jinfeng.

"It's a pity I have no hobby of keeping foot-washing maids, otherwise, you could wash my feet when you lose."

"You are courting death—"

Shen Jinfeng's beautiful eyes flashed with rage, and killing intent rose.

"Stop with the empty talk. We'll see the truth on the stage. If you have no skill, stop spouting madness!"

Cheng Nan sneered.

"Sigh, is this what you call geniuses? Such narrow horizons. Very well, I shall give you a head start and let you witness what a true genius is."

Liu Chengfeng scanned the crowd with a look of disdain.

"How will you give us a head start?"

Nangong Zheng's head disciple, who had remained composed until now, couldn't help but ask upon hearing this.

"How many days do you need to form the pill, and how many days to fill the Thunder Fire Eye?"

Nangong Zheng and the others exchanged glances and finally reached a consensus.

"Three days. Three days to refine the pill; those who fail lose. Once the pill is formed, the one who fills the most of the Thunder Fire Eye wins."

"Three days is a bit long. Fine, I'll give you two days. The early bird catches the worm, after all."

"What? Is he insane?"

As soon as Liu Chengfeng said this, an uproar broke out; the royal disciples thought they had misheard.

Even Nangong Zheng and Ye Ziyang were stunned.

"This is impossible; he's bound to lose."

Nangong felt the matter was impossible; one day was not enough to refine a pill, let alone fill the Thunder Fire Eye.

"A joke, a joke! How can he be so childish?"

The royal disciples couldn't help but curse.

"Is it a deal?"

Ye Ziyang and the others were actually delighted. If the royal family lost this round, they would have to hand over the Ancestral Hall Talisman.

What remained would be a matter between him, the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect, and the Nangong Clan, with the initiative firmly in their hands.

"It's a deal."

"Are you insane?"

Even Ye Yiqing could not bear to watch; this was squandering the national fortune of the royal family as if it were child's play.

"I represent the royal family. The ancestral hall is now open; the proceedings officially begin."

"Begin the alchemy!"

After Liu Chengfeng made his announcement, Wu Qingyuan also declared the start of the competition.

Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and the Nangong Chief Disciple stepped onto the stage, standing before the Thunder Fire Eyes.

In front of the ancestral hall gates, four Thunder Fire Eyes plunged deep into the earth, their depths invisible.

The Thunder Fire Eyes connected directly to the subterranean fire of the Spirit Vein; only when all four were filled with magma and subterranean fire could the entrance to the ancestral hall be opened.

Cheng Nan and the other two each occupied an eye, took out their Spirit Stoves, and set them atop the Thunder Fire Eyes.

They channeled their cultivation techniques, grasped their Spirit Stoves, and commanded the stove fire.

The Spirit Stoves spat out orange flames, and under the impetus of their blood energy, they connected with the subterranean fire, drawing the magma of the Spirit Vein into the Thunder Fire Eyes.

This was the ancestral hall, where the subterranean fire of the Spirit Vein was suppressed by the dojo; even though these alchemists were skilled at controlling fire and their Spirit Stoves could draw in the magma, the process remained difficult.

As a result, the subterranean fire and magma being drawn into the Thunder Fire Eyes moved slowly.

This, in turn, increased the difficulty of the alchemy.

Cheng Nan and the others gave it their all, driving their blood energy to draw the subterranean fire into the Thunder Fire Eyes, but their stove flames were constrained, causing the alchemy process to slow down.

Despite the difficulties, Cheng Nan and the others possessed impressive strength; they added their medicinal ingredients and controlled the fire to refine the medicine, the process proceeding quite smoothly.

Seeing Cheng Nan and the others controlling the fire and refining the medicine, the experts present nodded one after another.

Forces at the master level could only cultivate second-refinement alchemists, but the Nangong Clan was an exception.

Cheng Nan and the others were already comparable to the older generation of alchemists; how could they not be geniuses?

"Who will emerge victorious?"

Watching Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and the Chief Disciple fully focused on their alchemy, many people whispered and speculated.

Most believed the Nangong Chief Disciple would surely win, as he was a high-grade second-refinement alchemist, and his success rate was higher than that of Shen Jinfeng or Cheng Nan.

Others believed Cheng Nan had a great chance of winning because the ancestral hall belonged to the Qiuchi Kingdom, and Cheng Nan was a descendant of the nobility, giving him a closer affinity with the Spirit Vein's subterranean fire.

He could fill the Thunder Fire Eye faster, leaving himself more time to focus on alchemy.

"I don't know who will win, but the one surnamed Liu will definitely lose."

While it was uncertain who would win, everyone shared a consensus: Liu Chengfeng was destined to lose.

The royal disciples harbored secret resentment toward Liu Chengfeng; it was this incompetent fool who was squandering the royal family's national fortune.

They blamed the Emperor for being muddled, but none dared to speak such words to the Empress of Qiuchi.

Some also bet on Shen Jinfeng to win, for a simple reason: she was beautiful, and such a beautiful alchemist was a rare sight.

Watching Liu Chengfeng, who had already fallen asleep on the Dragon Carriage, Nangong Zheng felt suspicious; he did not know what kind of medicine Liu Chengfeng was hiding in his gourd.

Could he really win?

Nangong Zheng did not believe it.

Ye Ziyang smiled; he did not care what Liu Chengfeng was planning, as long as Liu Chengfeng lost, the royal family would have no choice but to hand over the Ancestral Hall Talisman.

Stove fires leaped and heat waves rolled; everyone watched as Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and the others practiced their alchemy.

Two days passed, and signs of successful pill formation appeared; the heat grew more intense, waves of medicinal fragrance drifted out, and the Thunder Fire Eyes had been filled with a significant amount of magma.

"Has no one finished yet?"

The sleeping Liu Chengfeng woke up, stepped onto the stage, and glanced at Cheng Nan and the others.

It was true that Cheng Nan had gathered the most magma, the Chief Disciple showed the earliest signs of pill formation, and Shen Jinfeng was not far behind, steady and composed.

But until the very last moment, who could claim victory? After all, none of them were innate alchemists; a one-hundred-percent success rate was impossible.

"Two days, and you haven't filled the Thunder Fire Eyes, nor have you refined the Mountain Pill. Is this the level of a genius?"

Liu Chengfeng shook his head.

These words incited public anger; everyone glared at Liu Chengfeng, even the royal disciples.

"What do you have? Your stove is cold and your furnace is empty; you only know how to brag!"

Cheng Nan sneered.

"A sinner of the nation, squandering our national fortune."

Many people cursed Liu Chengfeng under their breath.