The Competition Underway

"First round!"

"Purify the medicinal ingredients!"

"Thousand-Tempered Ironwood!"

They were starting with the main event. This ironwood was not originally used for alchemy, but was generally made into weapons.

Using it as a purification test would definitely eliminate a large number of people.

But to Xiao Yan, there wasn't much difference between medicinal ingredients, whatever they were.

Beneath the Heavenly Flames, all things could burn!

Green Lotus Core Flame.

Out!

In an instant, everyone's eyes in the arena converged on him once more.

"A Heavenly Flame?"

The sight of ten thousand flames bowing in submission was truly stunning.

"Hmph! A mere little thief who only dares flaunt the power of a Heavenly Flame."

Beneath the black robe was Yan Li, vice president of the Chu Yun Empire's Alchemist Association. He had come not only to seize resources, but also to overshadow the Jia Ma Empire.

He had thought he would need to act cautiously, but he hadn't expected them to be so arrogant.

Then he would give them a proper lesson.

Did a Dou Wang expert relying on a Heavenly Flame really think he could outdo an orthodox alchemist?

Yan Li, a veteran fourth-grade alchemist, would teach him a lesson.

The disturbance in the arena didn't last long. Although the Heavenly Flame had a tremendous effect on the other competing alchemists, most gritted their teeth and continued purifying their ingredients.

Where had this big shot come from?

All for those meager resources?

Countless people wailed.

"Junior Brother is quite full of youthful spirit!"

The Jia Ma Empire's top figures occupied the viewing seats, though none of them stood out.

President Fa Ma sat in the seat of honor and offered his assessment with an air of ease.

He was qualified to say so. After all, he had broken through to become a sixth-grade alchemist. Though he had only just entered the rank, his understanding of alchemy had already reached a higher level.

It was only a matter of time before he advanced further within the sixth grade.

"That's not quite right. Young Master Xiao Yan has the strength and the alchemy skills to back it up, so what's wrong with showing off a little?"

The speaker was the Misty Cloud Sect's Pill King Gu He, previously the Jia Ma Empire's only sixth-grade alchemist.

At this moment, his eyes were also full of surprise.

Gu He had been in seclusion all this time and had only just learned of Xiao Yan's existence.

At such a young age, his Dou Qi strength alone had nearly caught up to Gu He's.

Thinking of the sect master's instructions before he left, Gu He's heart grew a little heavier.

Was the sect master going to give up on him and find someone more talented to nurture?!

"Haha, let's keep watching! This competition is far from over!"

The Imperial Family's ancestor, Jia Xingtian, laughed heartily. He too had gained some benefits from pledging his allegiance earlier, and his presence faintly bore the signs of a Dou Zong.

He had secretly broken through.

But precisely because of this, Jia Xingtian feared the Xiao Clan's power all the more.

Submit, then submit willingly!

The competition in the arena continued.

A portion of purified Thousand-Tempered Ironwood powder had already appeared in Xiao Yan's hand. He then casually tossed it into the testing pit before him.

Just like that, the first alchemist in the arena had completed the purification.

An exceptionally intense green light shot out from before Xiao Yan.

"Upper ninth grade!"

President Fa Ma's voice rang throughout the arena. This wasn't cheating! Purifying medicinal ingredients with a Heavenly Flame gave one every advantage and was among its greatest strengths.

Besides, with Xiao Yan's strength, he could naturally bring it to its fullest potential.

Terrifying to such an extent!

The spectators didn't know all that. They only knew that Xiao Yan's ability was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

He looked like a contender for the championship!

"Xiao Yan!"

"Xiao Yan!"

Countless people broke into cheers.

Xiao Yan raised his head slightly, but his eyes remained unruffled. This was nothing more than a small scene.

His journey led to the sea of stars.

"Hmph!"

Cold snorts came from every direction, all from people who had their sights set on the championship or a place in the top three.

If the opportunity presented itself, they wouldn't mind joining forces to eliminate a formidable opponent.

An opportunity would come.

He was only a Dou Wang. Even with a Heavenly Flame, that was all he amounted to. Find the right moment, and they could kill him in one strike!

"Seventh grade!"

"Sixth grade!"

"Upper seventh grade!"

A few more had finished purifying their ingredients. They had all kept a low profile before, apparently intending to make their move later on.

Besides, those who weren't from the Jia Ma Empire also feared being called to account after receiving the rewards.

The sand in the hourglass for the first round slowly ran out.

"All right!"

"The first round is over!"

"Anyone whose purification level is below fifth grade is eliminated!"

President Fa Ma's voice rang out calmly, eliminating ninety-nine percent of the contestants on the spot. Even some third-grade alchemists who weren't skilled in this aspect were eliminated without exception.

Only a scant twenty or thirty people remained in the arena.

Hiss~

"They're serious about this. They're selecting the most outstanding alchemists!"

Spectators who had attended previous alchemist conferences could all sense that this was different. But since the rewards had increased so much, it was only natural to raise the selection standards along with them.

Crack!

The extra alchemy platforms in the arena vanished, replaced by fifty taller, more conspicuous white jade alchemy platforms that could be seen at a glance.

The association had spared no expense.

Moreover, from the start, it had planned to whittle the contestants down to fewer than fifty.

How ruthless!

Even those who had passed couldn't help feeling a little more pressure.

They had come with ill intent!

But not one person chose to back down. Since the conditions for competing had already been clearly laid out, their interests were guaranteed.

"Second round!"

"Refine a fourth-grade pill!"

President Fa Ma had practically taken what used to be the finale and put it in the second round.

At a more ordinary alchemist conference, being able to refine a fourth-grade pill was enough to make one a contender for the championship. After all, the alchemists were from the younger generation, and their skill levels weren't very high.

But in this competition, the championship might remain undecided unless a Fifth-grade Pill appeared.

A pill formula and a portion of medicinal ingredients appeared before each contestant.

Stingy!

Very stingy!

Extremely stingy!

Even a fifth-grade alchemist wouldn't dare guarantee success on the first try when encountering an entirely new fourth-grade pill.

Providing only one portion of ingredients... did they expect the contestants to pay out of their own pockets?

The Alchemist Association wasn't wealthy either!

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yan's lips.

He wasn't wealthy, but it depended on whom he was compared with.

Not one of these little pieces of trash present was a match for him.

"Cloud Ridge Cauldron!"

Xiao Yan struck out with his palm, and a medicinal cauldron flew out of his Storage Ring and landed before him.

It was quite famous. Though it had yet to make the rankings, it was still quite valuable. His master had obtained it by chance while taking him out for training.

Even at the level of a sixth- or seventh-grade alchemist, this Cloud Ridge Cauldron wouldn't necessarily be outdated.

Xiao Yan picked up the pill formula and began studying it carefully.

Fire Spirit Pill!

It was only a pill used for cultivation, but since it had reached the fourth grade, it was certainly no ordinary pill. At the very least, an ordinary Dou Ling couldn't bear to use it regularly.

Interesting!

Xiao Yan quickly noticed something amiss.

What was the meaning of putting a water-attribute ingredient in a fire-attribute pill?

An obvious trap!

With a scoff, Xiao Yan prepared to throw away the useless water-attribute ingredient.

But a few of the other contestants nearby had made the same choice.

For a moment, Xiao Yan hesitated.

From what he knew of Senior Brother Fa Ma's character, he wouldn't have left such an obvious flaw.

There was something else going on!