"Never would've thought you'd be so formidable, young friend, and an alchemist to boot!" Jia Xing Tian exclaimed with admiration.
"Just dabbling, nothing worth mentioning," Xiao Heng replied with a chuckle. He'd only been practicing alchemy for three years.
"Haha, such humility!" Jia Xing Tian studied Xiao Heng closely, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"Care for another spar, old sir?" Xiao Heng asked, a playful edge to his tone.
"No need for that." Jia Xing Tian waved off the suggestion, his gaze shifting to the distance where three streaks of light were speeding toward them. Xiao Heng and Hai Bo Dong followed his line of sight.
After a brief chat, Jia Xing Tian left with Tian Yue, who'd been eagerly watching the exchange. Xiao Heng and Miteer Teng Shan returned to the Miteer Clan, while Hai Bo Dong, acting as Xiao Yan's guard, stayed with him at an inn.
"Clan Leader Miteer, take this." Xiao Heng tossed a cyan jade bottle to Miteer Teng Shan.
Miteer Teng Shan caught it deftly. The moment he uncorked the bottle, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside was a purple pill adorned with a peculiar blue pattern.
"A pill pattern!" Miteer Teng Shan hurriedly sealed the bottle to preserve the scent.
"Not bad, right?" Xiao Heng said with a grin.
"To befriend a master alchemist is truly the Miteer Clan's fortune!" Miteer Teng Shan marveled.
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That night, Xiao Heng stayed in the Miteer Clan's guest chamber. Miteer Teng Shan was half-tempted to send Ya Fei to Xiao Heng's bed, but he could tell Xiao Heng wasn't the type to indulge. By morning, Ya Fei delivered the promised herbs.
"These are all the high-tier herbs we could gather on short notice. Take a look?" Ya Fei handed Xiao Heng a storage ring.
"Not bad," Xiao Heng nodded. Most of the herbs were common high-tier varieties, predominantly fifth-tier, with about twenty percent being sixth-tier. Based on their properties, they could be refined into a fifth-grade pill to enhance cultivation aptitude.
The Jia Ma Holy City buzzed under a cloudless sky, its streets teeming with activity. Alchemists, rarely seen in such numbers, flooded the city for the Alchemist Grand Meeting, held once every eight years.
Xiao Heng blended into the vast crowd of alchemists, his youthful face drawing little attention. Among third-grade alchemists, pretenders weren't uncommon. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, accompanied by Hai Bo Dong, headed to the competition venue. Along the way, they ran into Otto and Frank from the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, with Xue Mei and Lin Fei tagging along as curious spectators.
Xiao Heng wove through the alchemist throng to the event's venue—the Royal Plaza. Over two thousand participants made the scene grand. Outside, Jia Ma Empire troops stood guard to maintain order in the city and the arena. As Xiao Heng passed the entrance inspection, Xiao Yan followed Otto to the VIP seats in the spectator stands.
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The plaza held over two thousand cyan stone platforms. As a third-grade alchemist, Xiao Heng's spot was relatively central, while the innermost platforms were reserved for members of various alchemist guilds. He settled into his stone chair, waiting for the competition to begin. In the VIP stands, Xiao Yan greeted representatives from the Jia Ma Empire's major factions.
The Alchemist Guild's president, Fa Ma, and vice-president, Qie Mier, were present. Fa Ma instantly recognized Hai Bo Dong beside Xiao Yan. Jia Xing Tian introduced Xiao Yan to Tian Ye, the grand princess commanding the fifty thousand troops maintaining order. Dressed in a pale cyan alchemist robe, the petite Princess Tian Yue trailed Jia Xing Tian, while Tian Ye sat beside Xiao Yan. The arrival of the three great clans—Miteer, Nalan, and others—stirred murmurs in the VIP section.
Ya Fei took a seat next to Xiao Yan, making him feel a touch overwhelmed. Nalan Yan Ran also drifted closer, and the young elites from the capital's three great clans shot Xiao Yan unfriendly glares. Ignoring the women and hostile looks, Xiao Yan scanned the crowd for Xiao Heng. With so many people, it took him several minutes to spot Xiao Heng, sitting calmly like a meditating monk.
Jia Xing Tian, Miteer Teng Shan, and Hai Bo Dong were also searching for Xiao Heng. This kid's too low-key, they thought.
A resounding bell signaled the start of the Alchemist Grand Meeting. The final group of alchemists from the VIP stands entered the plaza, drawing all eyes. Liu Ling, Tian Yue, Xiao Yan, and a dozen others with strong internal test results leaped from the stands, using Dou Qi techniques or movement skills to land on slightly elevated central platforms.
Xiao Yan, hoping to keep a low profile, was nudged by Hai Bo Dong into making a flashy entrance. His graceful landing drew attention from various factions.
The competition began. Each stone platform held a set of herbs and a hastily copied second-grade pill recipe, with enough materials for two attempts. Liu Ling, irked by Nalan Yan Ran's attention to Xiao Yan, burned with determination to win the championship and impress her. Truly a disciple of Gu He, licking his master's boots, Xiao Yan mused.
The sloppy recipe stumped many alchemists, who studied it intently. After Fa Ma announced the rules, flames of all colors flared to life in over a thousand cauldrons. Within twenty minutes, red lights flashed on some platforms—impatient alchemists had ruined both sets of herbs. Cursing, they left the field, their failures a warning to others.
The shoddy recipe posed no challenge to Xiao Heng. Even without it, he could concoct the second-grade Bone Growth Pill. As he began, other alchemists followed suit, including Xiao Yan, ever precise with his timing.
Xiao Heng's platform held a shabby cauldron, its black surface marred by cracks. Noticing the odd looks from nearby alchemists, he gave an awkward smile. He lacked a low-tier cauldron, and using a fifth-tier one would've been too conspicuous. Fortunately, he'd found this broken cauldron in Xue Zong's Fan Lao's storage ring and made do.
"Brother, you're a third-grade alchemist. How're you stuck with such a beat-up cauldron? Down on your luck?" a burly alchemist nearby teased.
"It's a bit worn, but it'll do," Xiao Heng replied. A blue flame surged into the cauldron, fueled by his Dou Qi, which carried the hue of his Blue Devouring Flame. In the sea of flames across the plaza, only Xiao Yan's purple fire and Xiao Heng's blue flame—paired with his rickety cauldron—stood out.
"He must lack a low-tier cauldron and didn't want to reveal his strength too soon, so he's using that junk," Miteer Teng Shan speculated from the VIP stands.
Hai Bo Dong nodded. Last night, Miteer Teng Shan had shown him the Huang Ji Pill, confirming Xiao Heng's alchemical prowess. Jia Xing Tian, however, was puzzled. Xiao Heng tossed six herbs into the cauldron at once, earning dumbfounded stares from nearby alchemists, who looked at him like he was a madman.
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