"Just need a hand, huh?"
Xiao Bai glanced at Xiao Yan, blinking with a noncommittal smile.
If that guy weren't here, Xiao Yan's boast might hold water.
But without using Heavenly Flame, now? Things were looking shaky.
Seeing Xiao Bai's expression, Xiao Yan opened his mouth to protest, but a resounding bell tolled across the plaza, silencing the fiery, chaotic buzz. Countless awestruck gazes turned their way—or rather, toward Fa Ma, who was shakily rising nearby.
"I declare the seventh Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Conference officially begun!"
Boom!
The crowd erupted, cheers and murmurs soaring to the heavens.
As countless alchemists flooded the field, Xiao Bai's eyes sharpened, scanning the plaza intently.
"Brother Bai, I'm off!" Xiao Yan stood, grinning.
"Mm."
Xiao Bai nodded absently, his gaze still sweeping the crowd. The Phantom Spirit Grass was now pinned on that guy. Nothing was more critical.
"…!" Xiao Yan faltered.
This guy won't even wish me luck? He couldn't fathom why the usually laid-back Xiao Bai was suddenly so alert, his eyes darting across the plaza. Is there someone down there more important than me?
"Break a leg!"
A crisp voice called from behind.
Xiao Yan's face fell—it was the last person he wanted to hear from!
"Break a leg? It's a small stage. I've got this in the bag. No need for luck!" Xiao Yan didn't turn, waving dismissively as he strode toward the field.
"Arrogant jerk! Ungrateful idiot!" Nalan Yanran glared at his black-clad back, muttering under her breath.
If not for his help with Grandpa's treatment, I wouldn't bother with him!
The stone platforms below gradually filled. Xiao Bai's gaze froze, a spark of joy flashing in his eyes as his lips curved slightly.
"Heh, you actually showed up!"
He'd been worried. If that guy hadn't appeared, the Three-Seven Soul Spirit Liquid would be a lost cause, forcing Yao Lao to fall back on the Seven Illusion Green Spirit Saliva.
Now, there was hope.
Target acquired, Xiao Bai relaxed, settling into his chair to wait out the conference.
After Fa Ma's aged voice announced the rules, the plaza blazed to life. Over a thousand flames of varying hues flickered to life on the stone platforms—a breathtaking spectacle!
Exclamations rippled through the crowd, identifying the origins of the vibrant flames, stirring a surge of excitement.
"Tch, this is the charm of the Dou Qi Continent!" Xiao Bai marveled, his eyes widening at the array of peculiar flames.
Though low in rank, their diversity and vivid colors were dazzling, overwhelming the senses.
Even he, new to such events, felt a thrill of awe.
The entire Dou Qi Continent, beyond the twenty-three Heavenly Flame, held countless other flames—too many to catalog. It was a world of fire, where other attributes could be blended into flames like ingredients in a pill. The essence remained fire, but the "recipe" determined its effect.
"Show-off!"
Nalan Yanran's mutter snapped Xiao Bai out of his thoughts. Following her gaze, he instantly understood and couldn't help but chuckle.
While others summoned flames from their palms, a certain "Dou Qi kid" seemed intent on becoming a "fire-breathing kid."
Flames spurted from his mouth, drawing gasps and cheers from the spectator seats.
"Purple Flame?" Fa Ma noticed, turning to Xiao Bai with a smile. "Master Bai, this Yan Xiao has quite the foundation!"
"Heh, President Fa Ma flatters him," Xiao Bai replied, nodding lightly. Beside him, Hai Bo Dong smirked, knowing full well about the Green Lotus Core Flame.
Time trickled by, the first round nearing its end, the atmosphere growing taut.
"Hm? Seems a remarkable figure slipped in," Fa Ma said, his cloudy eyes glinting as he tapped the armrest, staring at a corner of the field.
Hai Bo Dong and Jia Xing Tian started. For Fa Ma to call someone "remarkable" was no small thing.
They followed his gaze to a gray-robed figure.
"Doesn't seem off," Hai Bo Dong said.
"You're not alchemists, so your senses aren't as sharp," Fa Ma explained, frowning. "For a moment, his soul force surpassed Yan Xiao, Yue'er, and Liu Ling's!"
His gaze locked on the figure. "Among this group, his soul force is likely the strongest—even surpassing Gu He back in the day."
He turned to Xiao Bai, a probing tone in his voice. "Master Bai, you must've sensed it already, no?"
Fa Ma had noticed Xiao Bai's occasional glances toward that corner. At first, he'd thought nothing of it, but now he suspected Xiao Bai had long spotted something amiss.
His earlier probe of Xiao Bai, though brief, had revealed a familiar ripple—Xiao Bai's soul force was formidable. From this display, it was clear his soul perception rivaled Fa Ma's own.
"I felt something, but it was vague," Xiao Bai said with a faint smile, shaking his head.
"With such keen perception, it's a pity Master Bai isn't an alchemist," Fa Ma said, skepticism flickering in his eyes as he recalled Hai Bo Dong's earlier words.
Is he really not an alchemist?
"Heh, everyone has their path," Xiao Bai replied, glancing at the gray-robed figure, who now seemed wary. He smiled faintly.
"Master Bai is quite carefree," Fa Ma said, retracting his gaze. He beckoned to an aide. "Chelsea, get me that person's info."
Moments later, after scanning two pages, Fa Ma's face darkened. "An alchemist from the Chu Yun Empire?" he growled.
The alchemist communities of Chu Yun and Jia Ma had long disdained each other. Chu Yun's alchemists found Jia Ma's rigid, while Jia Ma's scorned Chu Yun's for collaborating with poison masters, betraying the alchemist code. It was a point of fury and contempt.
"…!" Xiao Bai stayed silent.
He'd heard of the bad blood between the two nations' alchemist circles. If he had to pick a side, he'd back Chu Yun.
Why? Because I've got a Little Fairy Doctor with her Calamity Poison Body at home. What's wrong with working with poison masters? I'm happy to team up with Xian'er, and it's been great!
"Second-grade? Who're they kidding?" Fa Ma tossed the dossier onto the table, sneering. "That guy's at least fourth-grade!"
Hai Bo Dong glanced at the papers, narrowing his eyes. "Heh, seventeen and fourth-grade? If someone like that exists, I, Hai Bo Dong, might as well retire to the desert and live out my days!"
"…!" Xiao Bai shot him a sidelong glance. This old guy should just go back to hiding!
Seventeen and fourth-grade? As Xiao Yan would say, "Isn't that just having hands?"
"Disguised, perhaps?" Fa Ma, too, doubted such a prodigy existed. A seventeen-year-old fourth-grade alchemist? As if alchemy doesn't require years of experience!
"If he's disguised, could he really evade our detection?" Jia Xing Tian said with a faint smile, subtly glancing at Xiao Bai and a certain "Yan" below.
"If that's true, is he actually that young?" Fa Ma frowned. "If so, he's shown us what a true genius looks like. Compared to him, Yan Xiao, Liu Ling, and Yue'er's talents seem… ordinary."
"Master Bai, any insights?" Jia Xing Tian asked, growing invested. Chu Yun and Jia Ma were old rivals, their tensions longstanding.
"Youth Restoration Pill," Xiao Bai said flatly.
He hadn't meant to chime in, but these old men were going in circles, some even planting flags for embarrassment. Exasperated, he spoke up.
Nalan Yanran, Ya Fei, and Yao Ye, who'd been listening quietly, brightened at Xiao Bai's answer, their eyes sparkling.
"Oh?" Fa Ma's eyes lit with realization. "Master Bai's knowledge is vast—spot on!"
Seeing the puzzled looks around, he explained, "Certain rare pills can rejuvenate one's appearance, but their recipes are scarce and hard to refine, making them extremely rare. If someone's used such a pill, it's nearly impossible to tell unless they admit it."
"So if some shameless old fossil used it to sneak in, wouldn't your conference lose all meaning?" Hai Bo Dong teased Fa Ma.
"You think every old coot's as shameless as you?" Fa Ma shot back, annoyed.
Pointing below, Hai Bo Dong grinned. "That guy down there definitely is!" Then, turning to Xiao Bai, he added, "I'm seriously starting to suspect this guy too!"
"Heh, I just turned eighteen—prime of my youth, not some decrepit geezer like you," Xiao Bai said, sipping his tea and smirking at Hai Bo Dong.
"…!" The crowd was floored.
Eighteen? His commanding presence screamed otherwise!
"Master… is he really only eighteen?" Nalan Yanran whispered to Ya Fei, hesitant.
"Don't buy his nonsense. If he's eighteen, I'm a sixteen-year-old maiden!" Ya Fei rolled her eyes at Nalan Yanran's earnestness.
"Good," Nalan Yanran sighed in relief. If he were truly eighteen, calling him "Master" would feel awkward, given they were the same age.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
The assessment had two rounds: a second-grade Bone Regeneration Pill for the first, and a third-grade Wind Travel Pill for the second.
As the second round neared its end, the outcome was nearly set.
Many alchemists withdrew, furious or dejected, and the glowing flames on the stone platforms dwindled.
"Once today's assessment is over, find a chance to deal with him," Hai Bo Dong said, patting Fa Ma's shoulder, a faint killing intent in his eyes.
To them, Chu Yun was an enemy to be eliminated.
"Too risky," Fa Ma said after a pause, shaking his head. "If it gets out, the Jia Ma Alchemist Guild's reputation would be ruined. The cost is too high for one person."
Xiao Bai sat calmly, waiting for the conference to end. Unlike Hai Bo Dong and the others, he held no grudge against Chu Yun. Whether they killed or spared the gray-robed figure didn't matter—he just wanted the Phantom Spirit Grass.
Half an hour later, another bell tolled, signaling the end of the conference. The crowd began to disperse.
Moving unhurriedly with the flow, Xiao Bai's soul force locked onto the gray-robed figure ahead.
"Brother Bai, you didn't even wait for me? What's the rush?" Xiao Yan, weaving through the crowd like a fish, finally caught up, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Here comes second place!" Xiao Bai teased, grinning at the panting Xiao Yan.
"Ugh, that guy's a freak! His technique's so polished, like some thousand-year-old demon. Without Yi Huo, I really couldn't take him!" Xiao Yan grumbled, venting his frustration. "Brother Bai, you think he's pushing thirty and snuck in?"
"Nope, just seventeen—fourth-grade, too," Xiao Bai said, his tone playful as he kept walking.
"Seventeen? Fourth-grade?" Xiao Yan's eyes bulged in disbelief. "He's not far off from you, Brother Bai!"
Shaking his head bitterly, he sighed, "The world's full of heroes, like fish in a river. So many talents out there!"
Xiao Bai's lips twitched. If this weren't the Dou Qi Continent, he'd think an Immortal Venerable had descended!
"Brother Bai, I might have to eat my words. This guy's too much!" Xiao Yan said, choking on his words. He'd thought the Jia Ma Empire's stage belonged to him and Xiao Bai, but now there was this guy.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Xiao Bai said, patting his shoulder with a faint smile. "If we can't solve the problem, we'll solve the one causing it."
"…!" Xiao Yan froze.
"…!" Yao Lao stirred.
Brother Bai (this kid) is playing that wild?
It was like a mental baptism, wiping away Xiao Yan's worries—or not!
"Brother Bai… you're not seriously going through with this, are you?" Xiao Yan asked, hesitant. This approach felt too high-stakes, and he wasn't sure he could handle it.
"You think I'm joking?" Xiao Bai shot him a look, nodding toward a direction. "See that kid up there? I've been tracking him for a while. That's why I'm moving so fast—to keep up."
Following his gesture, Xiao Yan's gaze landed on a familiar gray-robed figure. His jaw dropped into a perfect "O."
Holy hell, it's really him!
"Brother Bai, hold up! We're young—don't go down that path! It's not that serious!" Xiao Yan grabbed Xiao Bai, panicking. "I was just messing around to one-up Liu Ling. I've already done that, so no need for this!"
"Sigh, Little Yan, you're breaking my heart here," Xiao Bai said, his face feigning sorrow. "You know why I'm after that guy? Because you said you wanted the championship. Otherwise, why would I bother? I could be sipping tea, not chasing him down!"
Xiao Yan's eyes reddened, a surge of emotion welling up. He hadn't realized a casual boast would push Brother Bai to such lengths!
Truly my good brother!
Watching Xiao Yan's reaction, Xiao Bai's heart skipped a beat.
When this kid learns the truth, he's not gonna come for my head, is he?
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