"Do you think that kid will come?"
Inside the Alchemist General Association, Frank and Otto had arrived early.
Xiao Yan had registered as an alchemist in their Black Rock City, and this time, they had given him their recommendation slot.
If Xiao Yan secured a good ranking in the competition, funding for Black Rock City would increase substantially over the next few years.
It could be said that Otto and Frank had staked everything on Xiao Yan.
"Relax. That kid passed the third-rank alchemist examination so easily, and he has heavenly flames, too. I'll say it outright: there's an eighty or ninety percent chance he'll win this Alchemist Conference."
At his age, even Gu He had not reached the third rank.
Gu He had won the Alchemist Conference two tournaments ago partly because of his exceptional fire control, and partly because he had entered at precisely twenty-nine years old.
While the other contestants were all third-rank alchemists, he had already become a fourth-rank alchemist.
He had been far ahead of the others in both experience and skill, so his victory had naturally been nailed down.
"Come on, old friend, don't get ahead of yourself. Leaving everyone else aside, at least two people are favorites to win this time.
"Pill King Gu He's disciple, Liu Ling, is already a third-rank alchemist at such a young age. Over the years, he's learned thirty or forty percent of Gu He's skills.
"Then there's the little princess, Vice President Mitchell's disciple. She passed the third-rank alchemist examination half a year ago. With the Imperial Family behind her, she naturally has plenty of tricks and trump cards. Neither of those two can be underestimated."
Faced with Frank's confidence, Otto reminded him not to be blindly optimistic.
"Whatever you say, I believe in that little fellow.