The wager arrived right on schedule, stirring up the Imperial Capital and setting everyone to gossiping.
Many people, including some royal disciples, wondered what gave Liu Chengfeng the right to represent the royal family.
That day, the various factions gathered outside the Ancestral Hall.
Besides the contestants, scions of noble houses and members of the royal family had all come to watch the spectacle.
In terms of numbers, the Grandmaster Mansion had the most imposing presence. Many powerful figures, the leaders of the Three Retinues, and Ye Ziyang were all in attendance.
Their surging blood energy and imposing presence inspired awe. With the Grandmaster Mansion's powerful experts holding the fort, no one dared act out of line.
The Nangong Clan and the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect had also sent many powerful figures, but their presence was still a notch below the Grandmaster Mansion's.
Many powerful spectators had gathered outside the Ancestral Hall, yet the scene was quiet.
Three great figures of the Great Dao Divine Treasury were holding the field. The might of the Great Dao weighed down on everyone like a mountain, and no one dared raise their voice.
Of the three great figures, Nangong Zheng reclined on the Divine Palanquin, perched high above the clouds.
Ye Ziyang and Wu Yuanqing sat together, steady as an abyss and imposing as a mountain, making people afraid to speak loudly.
The appointed time was drawing near. Everyone waited.
Liu Chengfeng arrived in the Dragon Carriage, escorted by the Imperial Palace Guards, with Nangong Renshe and the others accompanying him.
After obtaining a branch of the Spirit Vein, the many disciples of the Cloud Rising Sect had already moved here.
Today, Liu Chengfeng was taking up the challenge, and the Cloud Rising Sect's disciples had come to cheer him on.
Seeing Liu Chengfeng ride in the Dragon Carriage with the Imperial Palace Guards at his side, royal disciples and noble scions who did not know the full story whispered among themselves.
What right did an outsider have to enjoy such treatment? What right did he have to represent the royal family?
Some royal disciples were secretly indignant, too. The Ancestral Hall belonged to their Qiuchi Kingdom. What right did an outsider have to meddle with it?
The disciples of the Grandmaster Mansion and the noble scions said nothing. If the Grandmaster Mansion won, they would gain even more.
Empress of Qiuchi did not appear.
Ye Ziyang and Wu Yuanqing exchanged a glance. Everything was understood without a word.
"Today, we'll settle this through alchemy. Each side will send one disciple. The first to refine a Second Refinement Mountain Pill and fill the most of the Thunder Fire Eye will win and take the whole prize!"
No one knew what method Nangong Zheng had used, but Wu Yuanqing of the Ancient Li Royal Court had been pushed into the role of host.
The wager began. The Grandmaster Mansion sent Cheng Nan, while Nangong Zheng sent his chief disciple.
The Dragon Ascending Holy Sect sent a female disciple, Golden Phoenix. She had been summoned from the sect overnight.
All three sides had sent alchemists. Only the royal family remained.
"I happened to learn a little alchemy over the past few days. I'll do you all the favor of playing along."
Liu Chengfeng sauntered forward.
"You really only just started learning alchemy?"
Wu Yuanqing stared at Liu Chengfeng, unable to believe it.
"Senior Nangong insisted on wagering against our royal family in alchemy, so all I could do was cram at the last minute."
Ye Ziyang, Nangong Zheng, and the others narrowed their eyes. They had looked into it and confirmed that Liu Chengfeng really had only just started learning alchemy.
Nangong Zheng was suspicious. He refused to believe someone who had just started learning alchemy could match his chief disciple.
"Someone who just started learning alchemy is representing the royal family? That's ridiculous. Replace him."
Some royal disciples erupted in an uproar. This concerned the fate of the royal family and the kingdom. How could they treat it like a joke?
Many royal disciples were unhappy and shouted for a replacement.
The Grandmaster Mansion's disciples merely sneered, happy to see it.
The Grandmaster Mansion and the royal family jointly ruled Qiuchi Kingdom. If the royal family lost face, the Grandmaster Mansion would come out on top.
"An ignorant novice, making a fool of himself and disgracing the royal family."
Cheng Nan sneered, full of conceit, and wouldn't even look Liu Chengfeng in the eye.
He had suffered a loss at Liu Chengfeng's hands, but when it came to alchemy, he was a genius—the strongest alchemist in Qiuchi Kingdom. He was the one qualified to represent Qiuchi Kingdom.
This alchemy genius wanted to dazzle Ye Yiqing.
"You knelt and kowtowed, and nearly called me Daddy. That didn't disgrace the Grandmaster Mansion?"
Liu Chengfeng laughed, giving Cheng Nan a taste of his own medicine.
"You little bastard—"
Cheng Nan's face turned liver-purple with rage and humiliation.
"If you lose today, you'll be charged with a grave crime and sentenced to death."
"Want to make another wager? If you lose, you can kneel and call me Daddy. I wouldn't take such a useless son, but watching you make a fool of yourself would cheer me up."
"You—"
Cheng Nan was so furious he nearly spat blood. Flames of rage blazed in his eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to hack Liu Chengfeng to pieces.
"This is no time for childishness. Keep the bigger picture in mind."
Ye Ziyang's voice rang out like the morning bell, jolting Cheng Nan back to his senses and warning him not to lose his composure.
Cheng Nan came to himself, calmed his mind, and fixed Liu Chengfeng with a venomous stare.
"Did you really just start learning?"
Golden Phoenix of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect pressed Liu Chengfeng for an answer.
Golden Phoenix was striking, with gold-trimmed red robes, a tall and voluptuous figure, and a jeweled phoenix bun. She carried the fiery aura of an alchemist, like a phoenix wreathed in flames.
Golden Phoenix was also named Shen Jinfeng. She was a mid-grade Second Refinement alchemist, an alchemy prodigy of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect, and the personal disciple of Vice Sect Master Yi Yuzhou.
The royal family of Qiuchi Kingdom had sent a novice alchemist to compete. It was as absurd as a child's game, and hard to believe.
"I crammed at the last minute. Just practiced a little."
Liu Chengfeng's words displeased the royal disciples. This was a momentous affair, yet he was treating it like a joke.
"Replace him! Are we just going to hand the Ancestral Hall over to someone else?"
"He's bound to lose and disgrace the royal family. Replace him!"
Some royal disciples shouted for a replacement.
Ye Ziyang barked, and the might of the Great Dao swept down. The crowd fell silent at once.
"He really did just start learning."
Nangong Zheng had looked into it, and Ye Ziyang had confirmed it as well.
They were suspicious, too. How could Empress of Qiuchi have the nerve to send a novice alchemist into the competition? She was throwing away the kingdom.
In the silence, many royal disciples seethed with indignation. This time, the royal family would lose face and the kingdom would be thrown away. Their Empress was muddleheaded.
"A novice alchemist isn't worthy of competing alongside us. Just admit defeat, and the three of us can decide the winner."
Shen Jinfeng couldn't even be bothered to compete against Liu Chengfeng. She was a mid-grade Second Refinement alchemist and an alchemy prodigy.
A novice alchemist had no right to compete with her.
"You think far too much of yourself, little Second Refinement alchemist."
Those words enraged Shen Jinfeng. Her chest heaved with anger. When had an alchemy prodigy like her ever been looked down on?
"You don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. I'll make sure you lose!"
"What if you lose?"
Liu Chengfeng sneered, looking down on Shen Jinfeng.
"Too bad I have no interest in taking on a maid to wash my feet. Otherwise, you could wash them for me if you lost."
"You're asking for death—"
Shen Jinfeng's lovely eyes flashed with fury, and killing intent rose.
"Save your sharp tongue for the stage. If you have no ability, don't go shooting your mouth off!"
Cheng Nan sneered.
"Ah, so this is what a genius is? Such narrow horizons. Fine, I'll give you a hand and show you what a genius really is."
Liu Chengfeng looked around at the crowd, his gaze brimming with disdain.
"What do you mean, give us a hand?"
Nangong Zheng's chief disciple had remained composed the whole time, but hearing this, he couldn't help asking.
"How many days do you need to finish the pills? How many days to fill the Thunder Fire Eye?"
Nangong Zheng and the others exchanged glances, then finally reached an agreement.
"Three days. We'll spend three days refining pills. Anyone who fails to finish loses. Once the pills are done, whoever fills the most of the Thunder Fire Eye wins."
"Three days is a bit long. Fine, I'll give you two days. Even a clumsy bird must take flight early."
"What? Has he gone mad?"
Liu Chengfeng's words sent the crowd into an uproar. The royal disciples thought they had misheard.
Even Nangong Zheng and Ye Ziyang were dumbfounded.
"That's impossible. He's bound to lose."
Nangong Zheng thought it impossible. One day was nowhere near enough to refine a pill, let alone fill the Thunder Fire Eye.
"Child's play, child's play! How can you treat this like a child's game?"
The royal disciples couldn't help shouting in anger.
"Is that your final word?"
Ye Ziyang and the others were delighted instead. If the royal family lost this round, they would have to hand over the Ancestral Hall Talisman.
After that, all that would remain was the matter between him, the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect, and the Nangong Clan. They would hold the initiative.
"Final word."
"Have you gone mad?"
Even Ye Yiqing couldn't stand watching. This was throwing away the royal family's future, as if it were child's play.
"I represent the royal family. The Ancestral Hall is open. Let the contest begin."
"Begin the alchemy!"
After Liu Chengfeng made the announcement, Wu Qingyuan also declared the contest underway.
Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and Nangong Chief Disciple stepped onto the platform and took their places before the Thunder Fire Eyes.
Four Thunder Fire Eyes stood before the Ancestral Hall, plunging deep into the earth with no visible bottom.
The Thunder Fire Eyes led straight to the Spirit Vein's underground fire. Only when all four were filled with molten earthfire could the entrance to the Ancestral Hall be opened.
Cheng Nan and the other two each took one, brought out their Spirit Stoves, and set them over the Thunder Fire Eyes.
They circulated their cultivation methods, controlled their Spirit Stoves, and directed the stove flames.
Orange flames poured from the Spirit Stoves. Fueled by their blood energy, the flames linked up with the underground fire and drew the Spirit Vein's molten earthfire into the Thunder Fire Eyes.
This was the Ancestral Hall, where the power of the Dao field suppressed the Spirit Vein's underground fire. Even if the alchemists were skilled at controlling flames and their Spirit Stoves could draw up molten earthfire,
the earthfire flowing into the Thunder Fire Eyes still moved slowly.
This made the alchemy more difficult.
Cheng Nan and the others gave it their all, channeling their blood energy to draw the earthfire into the Thunder Fire Eyes. The stove flames were hampered, slowing the alchemy.
Despite the difficulties, Cheng Nan and the others were quite capable. They added the ingredients and controlled the flames to refine them, proceeding smoothly.
Watching Cheng Nan and the others control the flames and refine the ingredients, the powerful figures present nodded one after another.
A faction on the Grandmaster level could only cultivate Second Refinement alchemists. The Nangong Clan was an exception.
Cheng Nan and the others could already hold their own against veteran alchemists. Was that not the mark of a genius?
"Who'll come out on top?"
Watching Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and Nangong Chief Disciple focus on their alchemy, many people whispered their guesses.
Most thought Nangong Chief Disciple was sure to win. He was a high-grade Second Refinement alchemist, with a higher chance of success than Shen Jinfeng or Cheng Nan.
Others thought Cheng Nan had a good chance of winning. The Ancestral Hall belonged to Qiuchi Kingdom, and Cheng Nan was a noble scion with a natural affinity for the Spirit Vein's underground fire.
He could fill the Thunder Fire Eye faster, leaving him more time to refine the pill.
"Who knows who'll win? The guy surnamed Liu is bound to lose."
No one could say who would win yet, but everyone agreed on one thing: Liu Chengfeng was bound to lose.
The royal disciples secretly resented Liu Chengfeng. This incompetent fool was the one throwing away the royal family's fortunes.
They blamed their Empress for being muddleheaded, but none of them dared say such things to Empress of Qiuchi.
Some people bet on Shen Jinfeng to win for a simple reason: she was beautiful. An alchemist as beautiful as her was rare.
Watching Liu Chengfeng asleep in the Dragon Carriage, Nangong Zheng felt suspicious. He had no idea what Liu Chengfeng was planning.
Could he really win?
Nangong Zheng didn't believe it.
Ye Ziyang smiled. He didn't care what Liu Chengfeng was planning. As long as Liu Chengfeng lost, the royal family would have to hand over the Ancestral Hall Talisman.
The stove flames danced and waves of heat rolled through the air. Everyone watched Cheng Nan, Shen Jinfeng, and the others refine their pills.
Two days passed. Their pills showed signs of completion, the waves of heat grew more intense, and the air filled with the scent of medicine. The Thunder Fire Eyes had also filled with quite a lot of molten earthfire.
"Still haven't finished?"
Liu Chengfeng woke from his sleep, stepped onto the platform, and glanced at Cheng Nan and the others.
Cheng Nan had indeed drawn in the most molten earthfire. Nangong Chief Disciple had shown the earliest signs of completing his pill, while Shen Jinfeng was doing well too, steady and sure.
Until the final moment, who could say who would win? After all, none of them were innate alchemists, so no one could guarantee a successful pill.
"Two days, and you haven't filled the Thunder Fire Eyes or finished the Mountain Pills. Is this what a genius can do?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head.
His words roused the crowd's fury. Everyone glared at Liu Chengfeng—even the royal disciples.
"What have you done? The stove's cold and the furnace is empty. All you can do is brag!"
Cheng Nan sneered.
"Throwing away the kingdom's fortunes—you're a traitor to the country."
Many people cursed Liu Chengfeng under their breath.
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