The distant tolling of the bell faded, its final echo dying away. The deafening roar of the crowd in the square came to an abrupt halt.
Tens of thousands of voices seemed to be stifled midair by an invisible giant hand, dwindling into a low, muffled hum.
Xiao Yan, under the assumed name "Yan Xiao," stood before the stone platform. He shut out everything around him—the heavy breathing of the contestants nearby and the uproarious chatter from the viewing stands in the distance.
His world had already collapsed inward.
Between heaven and earth, nothing remained but the cold stone platform before him and the Dragon Whisker Ice-Fire Fruit on top of it, steeped in strange, mysterious energy.
"Little Yanzi, focus!"
The old man's voice rang in his heart, grave and solemn as a great bell.
"This round is about refining, and though it seems simple, it tests an alchemist's fundamentals more than anything! Mastery of flame control and perception through soul power are both crucial! You're facing the finest talents in the Jia Ma Empire. You must not let your guard down for even a moment!"
Yao Lao's voice was like a shot of tranquilizer, instantly dispersing the myriad distracting thoughts that the figure on the high platform had stirred in Xiao Yan's heart.
Xiao Yan slowly unclenched his fist.
He let out a long breath.
That was right.
Who that person was, where he was, what did any of it have to do with me?
I came here for one thing—and one thing only: the championship!
I'll use this championship to wipe away three years of humiliation! I'll make Nalan Yanran, the Misty Cloud Sect, and the entire empire witness with their own eyes just what they threw away back then!
An unyielding defiance rekindled deep in his bones