The much-anticipated alchemy tournament finally opened as scheduled.
Just as people had expected, the official list of contestants featured one familiar name after another: Nete, Feng Saka, Anderson, Tetenis, Tatta, Angjilie, Wilson, Aldas...
Without question, this Masters Tournament would see a spectacular clash of dragons and tigers. The only pity was that Master Arthur was not on the list.
Aside from the star-studded lineup of contestants, the arbitration panel carried even more weight. The chief arbitrator was the veteran appraisal master Panu, accompanied by two renowned appraisal masters. These three arbitrators had served as judges in potion and alchemy master tournaments many times and had always been known for their fairness and strictness. Appraisal was likewise a branch of the alchemy system, chiefly demanding sharp eyes and judgment; one's own technical skill did not necessarily have to reach the pinnacle. Take the appraisal genius "Richard," who had once shone brilliantly in the Blood Fiend Empire—he had actually been Master Feng Saka's disciple. He had deliberately entered Nete's tutelage, then devised a scheme to expose Nete's true face to the world, successfully clearing his "teacher's" name of injustice. Unfortunately, that genius had also "fallen" afterward, leaving people sighing in regret.
Yet the greatest attention was not on the three appraisal masters, but on the three specially invited arbitration guests: Shea, Empress of the Fallen Angel Empire; Lei Chan, Emperor of the Blood Fiend Empire; and Florenz, Regent of the Shadow Empire!
The reason Shadow Empress Catherine was absent was that she had entered seclusion to study the Undying Puppet in preparation for the martial tournament more than a year away. At present, all military and political affairs of the Shadow Empire were temporarily handled by her imperial uncle, Florenz. Florenz had once been blinded by the traitor Bai Luo's vicious attack.