Potion Conference

The next morning.

Azure Flame Academy's plaza was already packed with people. Countless spectators had stopped to watch; the momentum behind this Potion Conference was truly astonishing. Nearly every person of some renown on Azure Flame Island had come, along with the famous instructors of Azure Flame Academy, all gathered in one place.

Xia Ming was still joining in the excitement with Tang Ge. Tang Ge stared at an old man on the stage in shock. "Even the Medicine King came? Hughes really has some serious influence!"

Following Tang Ge's gaze, Xia Ming saw an elderly man standing on the stage, with white hair and a white beard, yet a ruddy, youthful face. He looked exceptionally spirited as he smiled warmly at the crowd below.

"The Medicine King?" Xia Ming was somewhat puzzled.

"Brother, you seriously don't know the Medicine King?" Tang Ge joked. "You don't even know the illustrious Medicine King? Don't say you know me!"

"The Medicine King is renowned across the entire continent. He can absolutely be called a grandmaster of potions, the undisputed authority in the field of alchemy!" Tang Ge explained.

"Even the Medicine King was invited by Hughes... Does that mean even he couldn't resolve the magical defect in Hughes's son? Otherwise, there would have been no need to hold some Potion Conference." Xia Ming immediately grasped the heart of the matter.

It seemed this Potion Conference was far from simple. No wonder Hughes had been willing to exchange an entire mine for a solution to a problem even the Medicine King could not solve.

"Hehe, brother, I have faith in you. Go for it!" Tang Ge chuckled. He truly had great confidence in Xia Ming. From their first meeting to the later magic painting, he had seen far too many astonishing things from Xia Ming. This fellow was practically a monster...

Another burst of startled cries suddenly rose from the crowd. Xia Ming looked over and saw another vigorous elder. This man carried a strong scholarly air about him, with a calm demeanor and steady presence. He was clearly no ordinary person.

"That must be our academy's headmaster, Lord Rogge." Xia Ming studied the elder, feeling as though he had seen him somewhere before. Then it hit him—hadn't he seen statues and portraits of this old man throughout the academy?

Tang Ge nodded. "That's right, it really is Headmaster Rogge. I thought it was just an unreliable rumor, but I never expected Headmaster Rogge to actually come!"

Without question, this elder was a grandmaster-level figure in the field of magic, the undisputed helmsman of Azure Flame Academy—Rogge!

The students were clearly both reverent and curious toward this headmaster, greeting Rogge one after another. Rogge did not put on the slightest air, responding with a genial smile. If not for his mage robes and staff displaying his identity as a magician, Xia Ming might truly have suspected he was merely an ordinary old man.

Our headmaster really does have a bit of Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings about him! Xia Ming secretly laughed.

"Right, where are those two old bastards—the old pervert and the other one?" Tang Ge meant Soros and Lan Ning. Soros had said he would help Xia Ming secure the qualifications to participate in this Potion Conference!

Xia Ming's expression turned somewhat strange, because he saw Soros and Lan Ning walking over arm in arm, both grinning from ear to ear.

Soros even let out several exaggerated laughs before handing Xia Ming an exquisite little badge.

Soros said, "Little brother, this identity badge wasn't easy to get. There were simply too many people wanting to attend this damned Potion Conference. I had to put in a tremendous amount of effort to get it!"

Xia Ming rubbed his nose. "You didn't steal this from someone, did you?" Remembering Soros's "profession," it really was quite possible.

Soros gave an embarrassed laugh, then immediately spoke with perfect justification. "What do you know, brat? That's refined art! Art, understand?"

It seemed Xia Ming had guessed right. Soros had said he would take care of it, but after all that, he had still relied on his "refined art"!

Tang Ge snorted from the side. Clearly, the warrior was still deeply displeased over the incident where he had been made to pay the bill that day. He muttered a few words about sneaking around and pilfering before venting a little of his frustration.

Xia Ming did not bother arguing with the two old fellows. Taking the exquisite little badge, he asked Soros, "Is it really that simple? I just need to hold this badge?"

Soros nodded and lowered his voice. "Are you confident? I heard this Potion Conference is packed with experts!"

"I'll do my best." Xia Ming smiled, but there was confidence within that smile.

"Everyone, friends of Azure Flame Island!"

Hughes stepped forward, dressed in black robes, a long scar running across his face. Smiling at the crowd, he said, "All of you who have come to attend this Potion Conference I am hosting have honored me with your presence, and I, Hughes, offer you my thanks. However, I know absolutely nothing about the profound art of potions. I fear I may spoil everyone's enjoyment, and I am deeply apprehensive. Thus, I have specially invited two towering figures in the fields of potions and magic—Lord Medicine King and Lord Rogge..."

Hughes introduced Rogge and the Medicine King with great solemnity and ceremony. Just like the speeches Xia Ming had seen at leadership meetings back on Earth, it was long-winded and tiresome before the event finally began.

The rules of this Potion Conference were exceedingly cumbersome and exceptionally strict. Quite a few people hoping to fish in troubled waters were turned away. Fortunately, Xia Ming had the little identity badge Soros had given him, or he would have received the same treatment.

After successfully entering the center of the plaza and walking into the venue, Xia Ming was startled to find no fewer than fifty or sixty people assembled. He could not help marveling that this Potion Conference had indeed attracted many potionists. Do not underestimate these fifty or sixty people—with potionists being so scarce, these people likely accounted for more than eighty percent of all potionists on Azure Flame Island!

Hughes smiled and waved his hand. A fat host walked up, and Xia Ming found him somewhat familiar. Then he suddenly remembered—wasn't this the fat auctioneer from the Myriad Phenomena Trading House?

The fat man stood smiling in the center of the venue. With a faint smile, he raised a hand and began working up the atmosphere.

Xia Ming had already witnessed this fat man's ability to stir up a crowd. Onstage, he spoke so extravagantly that the skies seemed to rain flowers, and his bewitching words had everyone itching to make a move.

Then, seeing that the moment was ripe, the fat man made a grand sweep of his arm, stamped his foot, and declared, "Everyone, I now announce that this Potion Conference has officially begun! As you all wished, the first-place winner of this conference will have the chance to obtain a great mine rich in Lava Crystals!"

A mine containing Lava Crystals!

Everyone's eyes lit up. To possess a great mine meant possessing inexhaustible wealth to spend as one pleased—who would not want that? Moreover, winning first place in the Potion Conference meant that one's potion-making skills surpassed everyone else on Azure Flame Island. Such fame and fortune were also what tempted them.

Seeing everyone's spirits rise, the fat man smiled smugly. He slowly cupped his hands respectfully toward the Medicine King, who sat in the seat of honor on the stage, and said, "I once heard that when the Medicine King was young, he aspired to become a first-rate potion master of the continent. Thus, he traveled across the three continents, identifying countless herbal ingredients throughout them. He earned people's reverence, and his story became a cherished tale."

"Today, so many outstanding potionists of Azure Flame Island have gathered here. Why don't we follow Lord Medicine King's example and identify a hundred herbs?"

As he spoke, the fat man clapped his hands. More than a dozen maidservants emerged from both sides and filed in like fish swimming through a stream. Each held a tray laden with more than a dozen herbs of different varieties and colors. Altogether, there were more than a hundred kinds!

Give me some recommendations to prop up the scene~