A smile flickered across Song Wanníng's eyes. Now she had carved out her own unique path in alchemy. On a larger scale, she had become the founder of a new sect!
In the future, she could keep refining her methods and even write a book to pass on to Li Ruo, that little girl.
After putting away the pills, she rested briefly before continuing her alchemy practice. With each attempt, she grew more confident and soon completely mastered this new technique.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Song Wanníng finally stepped out of her room.
Her gaze briefly settled on Wu Qingfeng before she averted it as if unconcerned.
By now, a large crowd had gathered downstairs, all chatting in the main hall.
As soon as Song Wanníng appeared, all eyes turned to her.
There was no other reason than curiosity — after all, she had been causing furnace explosions daily, and everyone was eager to see who was inside. Discovering she was a stunning beauty surprised many.
What's more, her bone age was barely over a hundred, making her look very young.
To be so young and competing in the alchemy competition, it was no wonder she kept exploding the furnace.
Many sect elders looked at the Fourth Elder with pity. It seemed Guhan Sect was truly out of qualified disciples and had sent this one just to fill a spot.
The Fourth Elder caught their gaze and twitched her lips slightly.
A cold snort rose in her heart. They looked down on Wanníng?
Once the competition started, these people would regret it.
"Wanníng, how are you feeling?"
She walked over with Lu Yi and Wu Feng, curiosity shining in her eyes.
Song Wanníng smiled without hiding anything. "Thanks to the Fourth Elder's guidance, I have come up with a new method."
"Really?"
The Fourth Elder brightened immediately, her gaze on Song Wanníng filled with rare admiration.
Anyone who could research new methods was not just a genius but a peerless prodigy. Guhan Sect had struck gold with this one. But she quickly composed herself and led the group downstairs.
In the crowd, Wu Qingfeng stared fixedly at Song Wanníng, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
The three disciples representing Medicine King Sect also recognized Song Wanníng as the woman their sect had once wanted for capture. Their expressions changed.
"She can even refine pills?"
"Martial Uncle, this woman is too arrogant. She clearly knows Medicine King Sect is competing, yet she dares to show up openly. She is not taking us seriously!"
The disciples' faces darkened. Song Wanníng's arrogance was unbearable. They still remembered clearly how Guhan Sect had shamelessly poached disciples from them. Now their teeth itched with hatred.
Wu Qingfeng remained silent but was scheming over the alchemy inheritance Song Wanníng must have received.
"That bitch must have obtained some incredible legacy, or how else could she have the chance to compete? Hmph! Once I kill her, that inheritance will be mine!"
"If any of you lose to her in this competition, I want you all to go to the Reflection Cliff and think about your mistakes!"
His cold glare silenced the disciples instantly.
"Don't worry, Martial Uncle. Dealing with Song Wanníng will be easy. We'll make her regret it!"
They all promised Wu Qingfeng repeatedly, easing his expression.
In the crowd, Xiao Heyun had already spotted Song Wanníng. But he was not in the mood to complain. The elders of Canglan Sect were glaring at him fiercely. Thanks to their deliberate provocation, everyone now knew of his feud.
But he was truly innocent!
"How ridiculous. I never even met those people after entering, so how could it be me who killed them?
Damn it, they must have fought among themselves and are framing me as the scapegoat!
Fuck them all!"
Xiao He Yun seethed inside. If no one was watching, he would smash everything to pieces.
Yet on the outside, he appeared calm and composed. Many secretly admired his mindset. No wonder he dared oppose the entire Canglan Sect.
"Gu Daoyou, now even cats and dogs can enter the competition?"
An elder of Canglan Sect sneered coldly.
"They say a dog that bites doesn't bark. You better watch him closely, or he'll bite anyone at will!"
Xiao Heyun clenched his fist sharply, a murderous gleam flashing in his eyes.
How dare this man call him a dog?
Gu Yan's face also changed. He gave a cold laugh.
"I think the elder of Canglan Sect better keep a close eye. Don't let anyone sneak in and win prizes that don't belong to Canglan Sect."
His words were venomous.
The most embarrassing thing for Canglan Sect was not that disciples had been killed, but that a Divine Soul elder had failed to detect Xiao Heyun's disguise and allowed him into the secret realm.
This was an insult to the elder's reputation.
So even though they were in the wrong, they dared mock Canglan Sect.
Gu Yan's words cut deep.
The elder of Canglan Sect flushed with rage and wished he could kill Xiao Heyun on the spot.
Especially with the mocking eyes of other elders, his anger only grew.
He held back, cursing Wu Zongyuan for leaving behind this mess and forcing him to lose face.
"Hmph."
Finally, the elder sneered and sized up Xiao Heyun from head to toe.
"The alchemy competition will end someday. We'll see then."
With that, the Canglan Sect group left the inn and headed to the competition plaza.
As they left, others followed suit. The massive crowd moving together was a spectacular sight.
Today, all of Wuyang City had gathered at the plaza. Fortunately, a spatial formation was used, easily accommodating over a hundred thousand people. Even with everyone present, the space felt roomy.
Song Wanníng walked with the crowd. When she passed Xie Qinglan, she smiled.
Seeing Xiao Heyun at her side, she cast a meaningful glance at his lower half, instantly causing a spasm in his groin.
The pain from that day flashed back, causing Xiao Heyun to react strongly whenever he saw Song Wanníng. He stared at her with a stiff expression, wishing he could poke a hole through her.
But Song Wanníng's smile only grew more brazen, nearly breaking Xiao Heyun's cold composure.
Meanwhile, Xie Qinglan greeted Song Wanníng sweetly, completely unaware of her senior brother's twisted expression.
The group soon scattered to their assigned positions.
The Eastern Domain sects gathered side by side. Song Wanníng counted—besides the five major sects, over ten smaller sects had come, each sending three participants.
The Southern Domain also had nearly a hundred competitors. The beast clan was the smallest, only seven members. The demon clan had a little more, over twenty.
Additionally, more than a hundred loose cultivators had qualified after Wuyang City's verification, meeting the basic standards to enter.
In total, over three hundred participants gathered, making for a lively scene.