Open Qualifiers

The open qualifiers consisted of three rounds.

Alchemy, herb identification, and fire control.

Early that morning.

Xiao Chen strolled out of the Xiao Residence.

Xiao Zhan and the rest of the clan had been waiting at the entrance for some time. When they saw him emerge, they all cupped their fists.

"Wishing Elder Xiao victory from the very start!"

"Thank you for your kind words."

Xiao Chen returned the salute with a smile. Just as he was about to leave, he spotted Xiao Yan somehow squeezed into the crowd, staring at him with sparkling eyes.

"Uncle Xiao, go get them!" Xiao Yan clenched his fists.

Xiao Chen burst out laughing and rubbed his head. "Relax. Just watch Uncle Xiao work."

The first round: fire control.

Dozens of medicine cauldrons stood in a row across the arena, each with an opening beneath it fed by earthfire drawn from the underground veins.

Several highly respected old alchemists sat on the judges' platform, their gazes sharp as torches.

"The rules of the fire control round are simple. Use fire to refine the herb, and the herb to form an essence. Contestants, rely on your own abilities to refine the fire-attribute herb before you to eighty percent purity. The shortest time wins!"

The middle-aged alchemist hosting the tournament announced the rules in a loud voice.

As soon as his words fell, the contestants in the arena began circulating their battle qi and drawing forth the earthfire.

In an instant, flames surged beneath the cauldrons. Crimson, orange, yellow, and green battle-qi flames shone against one another, casting the entire arena in a bizarre kaleidoscope of colors.

"Ding! Detected that the host is participating in the Alchemist Tournament!"

"Congratulations, host, for obtaining the Green Lotus Core Flame Seedling!"

The next moment.

Xiao Chen slowly raised his hand and lightly flicked his fingertip.

A wisp of pale green flame silently emerged from his fingertip.

The flame was tiny, no larger than a candle flame in the wind. Yet the moment it appeared, the temperature across the arena abruptly soared!

"Gasp—"

"What an intense temperature!"

"That is... a Heavenly Flame?! No, it looks like the prototype of a Heavenly Flame!"

On the judges' platform, a white-haired old man suddenly sat upright, his pupils contracting sharply.

"Green Lotus Fire Seed... This is the fire seed prototype of the Green Lotus Core Flame! This boy actually possesses such a thing?!"

Cries of shock rose one after another as countless gazes converged on the green flame at Xiao Chen's fingertips.

Xiao Chen's expression remained unchanged as he gently guided it with his fingers.

The green flame curled and coiled around his fingers like a spiritual serpent, unbelievably docile.

Controlling the flame, he slowly brought it over the medicine cauldron. The instant the green flame touched the herb, the fire-attribute herb let out faint sizzling sounds. Its impurities visibly peeled away, while its medicinal properties were sealed bit by bit into the liquid.

"This... this is the realm of taming fire as one tames a serpent!"

Even the old man's voice trembled.

"I have practiced alchemy for fifty years, yet even on the path of fire control, I have never reached such a realm! Terrifying beyond belief!"

It truly was terrifying beyond belief!

Countless people sucked in cold breaths. The curiosity in their eyes as they looked at Xiao Chen had turned into reverence.

"Just who is this elder of the Xiao Clan?!"

"With this fire-control technique alone, he is enough to rank among the first-rate alchemists of the Jia Ma Empire!"

A moment later, Xiao Chen withdrew the flame.

Inside the medicine cauldron floated a ball of pure fire-attribute medicinal liquid, crystalline in color and utterly free of impurities.

"Xiao Chen has passed the fire control round! Purity: ninety-nine percent!" the host announced hoarsely.

The entire venue erupted again.

The second round: herb identification.

This round tested one's eyesight and knowledge.

A hundred medicinal ingredients were arranged in a row, half of them mixed with near-perfect counterfeits. Only by distinguishing the real from the fake and explaining their medicinal properties could one pass.

Xiao Chen looked at the row of ingredients, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.

He quietly swallowed the [Illuminating Perception Pill].

In an instant, his perception spread like a tide. The aura, medicinal properties, and age of every single ingredient became crystal clear to him.

"This Iceheart Lotus is thirty years old, but half its medicinal potency has been extracted. It is a defective item used to fill the ranks."

"This Blackbone Vine is a full eighty years old. Unfortunately, the heat was too strong during preparation, reducing its medicinal potency by thirty percent."

Xiao Chen picked them out with effortless ease, commenting on them one by one. Every word was precise.

On the judges' platform, the old men exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock.

"He identifies herbs as easily as seeing fire. This boy... is unfathomable!"

"I have immersed myself in herb identification for decades and would not dare claim perfect accuracy, yet he knows them all as if they were treasures in his own home!"

Xiao Chen merely smiled faintly.

With more than half the Illuminating Perception Pill's duration still remaining, he simply went on to assess the authenticity, medicinal properties, and age of every remaining ingredient.

Every conclusion he gave matched the judges' answer sheets exactly!

"Full marks!!!"

The white-haired old man slammed the table and rose to his feet, his face flushed red with excitement.

"Full marks in the herb identification round! I have presided over this round for more than twenty years, and this is the first time!"

The third round: alchemy.

This was the true test of skill.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, summoned the Green Lotus Fire Seed Prototype, and the insights of the Fire Control Art surged into his mind.

He selected the ingredients, placed them into the cauldron, controlled the fire, and condensed the pill. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, completed in one smooth motion.

The furnace fire blazed as the medicinal fragrance gradually thickened.

Half an hour later.

Xiao Chen swept his sleeve, and the furnace lid flew open.

A round, plump pill shot into the air and landed on a jade plate, spinning endlessly.

Its medicinal fragrance spread through the air, refreshing the heart and mind.

"A high-grade third-tier pill! And it is—an exceptional high-grade third-tier pill!"

The judges cried out in astonishment. "A single batch produced a pill of such flawless quality. This boy's future is limitless!"

After all three rounds.

Xiao Chen's total score placed him at the top of the regional division, allowing him to advance smoothly to the finals.

"Xiao Chen of the Xiao Clan—total score: first place in the regional division!"

The host declared loudly.

For a brief moment, the entire venue fell silent. Then, thunderous cheers erupted like a mountain-shaking tsunami.

"First place in the regional division! Is the Xiao Clan about to soar into the heavens?!"

"Heh, if anyone from the Misty Cloud Sect Outer Sect were here, they would probably be coughing up blood from rage!"

Outside the arena, the Xiao Clan members cheered and jumped for joy, their faces flushed with excitement. Many even wept tears of joy.

Three years ago, the Xiao Clan had become a laughingstock over the broken engagement.

Three years later, the Xiao Clan's elder had advanced to the finals before the entire city's eyes with the top score in the regional division!

"Elder Xiao is mighty!"

"The Xiao Clan is rising!"

Seven days later.

The regional division finals arrived as scheduled.

That day, the area before the Alchemist Association Branch's main hall in Wutan City was packed with people, even more bustling than during the open qualifiers.

Ya Fei, the branch president of the Mittel Auction House, came in person to watch the match.

Ya Fei wore a light purple gown, graceful and elegant. The moment she appeared, she drew countless eyes.

Yet she merely nodded slightly in Xiao Chen's direction, a smile playing on her lips. Her beauty and bearing were peerless.

"That is Miss Ya Fei of Mittel! She actually came in person to support that elder of the Xiao Clan!"

"Tsk, tsk, has the Xiao Clan latched onto Mittel's thigh?"

"With Mittel backing him, Xiao Chen may truly soar to great heights!"

Amid the discussion, Xiao Chen stepped onto the stage.

He wore a gray robe, his bearing calm and composed as his gaze slowly swept over the opponent before him.

His opponent was a middle-aged alchemist in his forties.

His face was sinister, his eyes glinting sharply. His alchemist's robe had been washed pale, making it clear that he was a seasoned veteran who had spent many years immersed in alchemy.

The man was also sizing up Xiao Chen, a disdainful sneer curling across his lips.

"A brat still wet behind the ears dares play with fire before me?"