Sen City — Backyard of the City Lord's Mansion
A grand circular arena towered at the heart of the backyard, built from flawless white and golden-yellow marble. It gleamed beneath the morning sun, giving the structure a noble presence. Rows of seats surrounded the platform, filled with spectators eager to witness the much-anticipated Pill Refining Competition.
In the center of the arena, all the contestants stood in a loose circle. Among them were Gao Tian and Shu Yu, standing calmly side by side.
Ruler Dog sat silently atop Shu Yu's head, his little paws tucked neatly beneath him, golden eyes scanning around the arena.
So... the competition is about to start, he thought, his tail flicking once with mild interest.
Gao Tian glanced at the crowd filling the seats. "There are so many people watching us."
Shu Yu nodded. "Yeah."
Gao Tian turned to her, a playful grin on his lips. "What do you think? Can you win against me?"
Shu Yu didn't even look at him. "I don't know. But if you're not good at refining pills, then yes—I might."
Gao Tian chuckled and tilted his head toward the sky. "Yeah... but honestly, I don't even know how good I am."
Above the arena, in a glass-walled observation chamber raised high before the audience, two powerful figures sat in carved chairs: Tong Men, Elder of the Pill Tower's Third Branch, and Sen Zhuo, the City Lord of Sen City. A guard stood motionless beside each of them.
Sen Zhuo stood first. His voice echoed across the arena, amplified by spiritual formation.
"All participants gathered for today's Pill Refining Competition, prepare yourselves!" He paused for effect, then added, "We are honored today by the presence of Pill Tower Elder, Tong Men."
Tong Men stood and offered a slight bow to the crowd. "I will be judging this competition. Do your best."
He then sat back down, folding his arms as he surveyed the contestants.
Suddenly, an old man descended from the sky, landing gracefully in front of the participants. From his spiritual ring, he pulled out a microphone artifact, designed to amplify his voice through spiritual energy.
"All candidates, pay attention!" he called. "I, Tong Lin, assistant to Elder Tong Men, will oversee your performance. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated!"
The participants, including Gao Tian and Shu Yu, fixed their attention on the old man.
Gao Tian whispered, "Oh, so it's about to begin."
"Yeah," Shu Yu replied softly, keeping her focus forward.
In the audience, excitement stirred as people began chanting names of their favorites.
The first to be introduced was Luo Yanhan, dressed in crimson robes trimmed with gold. At just twenty years old, he already held the title of Young Master from the Great Luo Clan—a powerful high-grade clan. His cultivation had reached Body Tempering – Third Layer.
The second was Hang Puling, robed in elegant blue, a core disciple of the Fulong Sect. His cultivation matched Luo Yanhan's at the Body Tempering – Third Layer.
Third came Fu Chengge, dressed in white and yellow, the successor of the prestigious White Dragon Sect. He had reached the Fourth Layer of Body Tempering.
The crowd roared as these names were announced. Their reputations were well known, and admiration filled the air.
Gao Tian raised an eyebrow and turned to Shu Yu. "Why is the audience cheering for those guys? Are they that famous?"
Shu Yu gave him a long look—half pity, half disbelief. "You really don't know them?"
"...No," Gao Tian admitted hesitantly.
"They're cultivators from high-grade sects and clans. In Sen City, they're considered big shots."
Gao Tian stared at the three candidates, then glanced back at Shu Yu. "If they're the big shots… how powerful is your background?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
From the very beginning, I knew this girl was hiding something. Why else would an assassin hunt her down without any solid reason? She's also an assassin as I know.
Shu Yu gave Gao Tian a small nod, but remained silent.
Inside, her thoughts churned.
Gao Tian is starting to suspect something about my identity. I can't tell him… not now. If he learns about the crimes I've committed, he might be afraid of me.
Gao Tian glanced at her again, but then turned his gaze back toward the arena, a calm smile playing on his lips.
She's hiding something. But I won't push her. When the time is right, she'll tell me herself.
Just then, Tong Lin raised the microphone artifact to his lips. His voice rang out clearly across the arena.
"All participants, please come forward one by one and select a cauldron. You are not allowed to use your personal cauldrons for this round."
One by one, the candidates stepped forward, retrieving the assigned cauldrons from a nearby pedestal. Gao Tian and Shu Yu did the same.
Gao Tian held the cauldron in his hand and frowned slightly. It felt ridiculously light, like a toy.
This thing is such low grade… even candy feels heavier.
Around the arena, murmurs began to rise as candidates inspected their equipment. Many seemed dissatisfied. A few whispered about switching or finding ways to cheat.
Before any complaints could grow louder, Tong Lin flicked his finger. In an instant, bright light flashed under everyone's feet.
The contestants vanished from their positions and reappeared across different sections of the wide arena.
Gao Tian and Shu Yu were now separated, standing dozens of meters apart.
Each line consisted of ten participants, and the entire arena had been arranged into fourteen such lines.
Tong Lin's voice rose again through the artifact.
"If anyone does not know how to use these cauldrons, allow me to explain—"
But before he could finish his sentence, spiritual energy began flowing in waves as almost every contestant, including Shu Yu and Gao Tian, injected their spiritual force into the cauldrons.
With a soft hum, the low-grade cauldrons began to expand. In moments, they stood at waist height before their respective users, glowing faintly with activation marks.
Tong Lin blinked, surprised, then chuckled into the microphone.
"Well… yes. You just have to inject spiritual energy into them. Seems like all of you already know that."
Gao Tian looked toward Tong Lin, narrowing his eyes with a thoughtful expression.
Golden Core Realm… Not bad.
From the side of the arena, a narrow door opened with a creak.
A line of women stepped out in perfect formation, each wearing elegant pink robes marked with the symbol of the Pill Tower. They carried polished metallic trays, each filled with assorted herbs and ingredients.
With practiced grace, they walked toward the contestants and stopped in front of them, presenting the trays.
Gao Tian looked at the young woman who had approached him. She was strikingly beautiful, with clear skin and soft features. Her expression was calm and professional.
"You're beautiful," Gao Tian said with a grin. "What's your name?"
The woman smiled politely. "Apologies, sir. It's against Pill Tower rules for us to share our names during the competition."
Across the arena, Shu Yu's eyes narrowed as she watched the exchange.
Without moving her lips, her voice suddenly echoed in Gao Tian's mind.
"If you flirt with anyone again, I'll beat you to death."
Gao Tian's eyes widened. He turned his head slightly, startled to see Shu Yu facing forward, arms folded, looking as though she hadn't said anything at all.
Wait… she's so far away. How did she hear me?
He responded mentally, stammering, "I-I was just playing."
Shu Yu didn't reply.
She simply remained still, ignoring him completely now.
A silence fell over the arena as Tong Lin lifted the microphone once again.
"Now that you've received the ingredients," he announced, "let me reveal the pill you must refine."
He allowed the silence to stretch for a moment, then said:
"You are refining the Second-Tier Heaven Ascension Pill! Doesn't matter which grade."
Gasps and chatter exploded across the candidates.
Some looked panicked—they had never even heard of such a pill. Others grinned in anticipation, clearly confident in their skill.
In the stands, the audience's energy surged as they cheered and called out names, eager to see which young genius would rise above the rest.
Gao Tian looked at the ingredients on the tray before him, scanning each leaf, root, and crystal with practiced eyes.
So it's the Heaven Ascension Pill... If I remember correctly, this one increases the chances of breaking through into a higher major realm. Not easy, but not impossible.
Meanwhile, Shu Yu examined her ingredients with an indifferent expression.
This will be easy.
She reached for the first herb without hesitation, her fingers moving with quiet precision.