In the blink of an eye, Yan Li's arrogant laughter choked in his throat.
From the VIP seats, several cold and razor-sharp gazes pierced through the air, locking onto him like drawn blades.
No one cared if Yan Li basked in a moment of attention—the final championship would belong to Liu Xi regardless. But his brazen arrogance had clearly offended Jia Xingtian and the other imperial elders.
Yan Li felt as though a dagger were pressed to his neck. Cold sweat streamed down his back.
He suddenly remembered—this was the Jia Ma Empire.
One wrong word here, and he might not live to see tomorrow.
---
Ten minutes later.
Xiao Yan slammed his palm against his cauldron.
A round, perfectly formed pill shot out, and he caught it swiftly in his hand. Turning toward Yan Li, his expression twisted into one of frustration.
Frustration.
That bitter, suffocating sense of falling short by just a breath—it stung worse than any defeat.
Not only Xiao Yan, but also Liu Ling, Yao Ye, and the other Jia Ma alchemists who had hoped to suppress Yan Li, wore equally dark expressions.
Half of the allotted time had already passed.
Thanks to Xiao Yan's discovery—omitting the Thick Earth Ganoderma during refinement—many quick-witted alchemists realized the same mistake and scrambled to restart their cauldrons.
Time flowed like sand through fingers. The sun tilted westward.
The number of active alchemists in the plaza dropped rapidly. By the time the round ended, Liu Ling and Princess Yao Yue had both successfully refined their Wind Walking Pills, but fewer than a hundred participants remained standing.
Princess Yao Yue glanced regretfully toward Xiao Yan. "He was so close," she murmured. "If Master Yan Xiao had ten more minutes, he could've surpassed that Chu Yun Empire alchemist."
Liu Ling's eyes darkened. His own performance today had been abysmal.
He'd planned to impress Nalan Yanran—and failed spectacularly. Lifting his chin, he declared proudly, "Tomorrow, I won't be holding back. The championship still belongs to our Jia Ma Empire."
Silently, he thought to himself, 'If I make a comeback in the final round, Yanran will definitely see me differently!'
Xiao Yan said nothing. His loss to Yan Li still gnawed at him.
If he hadn't found the flaw in the recipe, he could have accepted defeat—but losing after seeing through it, and by ten mere minutes, was intolerable.
'So many heroes in this world,' he thought bitterly. 'And this Yan Li… he's about my age, yet his technique is more refined. If Teacher had accepted me earlier, I'd be far stronger by now… Damn it!'
---
The mood in the audience was heavy.
For the first time in the history of the Alchemist Grand Assembly, the top performer was not from the Jia Ma Empire but from a foreign land.
Only the VIP platform remained calm. Qie Mi'er's voice rang clear and steady:
"Everyone, that concludes today's competition. Those who have advanced, please rest well.
Tomorrow begins the final round—where the true champion will be decided."
"And this year's Grand Assembly," he paused with a mysterious smile, "will feature an unexpected surprise. I assure you, this will be the most magnificent tournament in history!"
His composure made Yan Li and the other two foreign alchemists—Luo Ba of the Luo Yan Empire and Han Mu of the Mu Lan Empire—uneasy. They exchanged wary looks, blending into the dispersing crowd before quickly leaving the plaza.
---
In the VIP section.
"Grand Elder, a moment, please."
Qie Mi'er's voice stopped Liu Xi, who was just about to leave.
At once, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, and the other clan heads exchanged knowing smiles and tactfully took their leave.
After a moment's thought, Liu Xi motioned for Xiao Yixian and Zi Yan to return home with his parents. Then, accompanied by Qie Mi'er and several senior elders, he was led to a quiet chamber within the plaza's inner compound.
Knowing that Liu Xi intended to refine a 6 Tier pill, Qie Mi'er spoke cautiously, "May I ask what pill the Grand Elder plans to refine? Do you require us to prepare any materials?"
Liu Xi smiled faintly. "The ingredients are already prepared. I'll begin refining tomorrow. But I do need the Association to gather several sets of ingredients for the Mighty Huang Pill. I'll be needing them soon."
Most of the herbs he'd plundered from the Black-Corner Region two years ago had been given to Zi Yan. Now that he had advanced to the Dou Huang realm, it was time to plan for his next breakthrough.
"Understood!" Qie Mi'er bowed deeply.
---
After finalizing the details of his "official appearance" for tomorrow's event, Liu Xi stepped out of the chamber.
At the end of the passageway, a familiar silhouette awaited him.
As he and the elders approached, the young woman turned gracefully, her voice soft and polite.
"Honored Elders. Yanran has been waiting.
Mister Liu Xi… may I speak with you privately?"
Her gaze lingered on him, hesitant yet resolute.
Liu Xi blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected Nalan Yanran to be waiting for him here. With a warm smile, he replied, "Of course."
Amused glances followed as the two left side by side.
Nalan Yanran broke the silence first. "Mister Liu Xi, two days from now I have an important duel. Would you… be willing to attend?"
"Oh?" Liu Xi's brows lifted slightly. He had been considering how best to involve himself in Xiao Yan's upcoming visit to the Yunlan Sect. This was, as the saying went, the pillow arriving just when one was sleepy.
Before he could answer, Nalan Yanran bit her lip and added softly, "It's not an honorable match. My teacher prefers not to make it public, so this is only a personal invitation."
Liu Xi chuckled. "No problem. Do you have confidence in victory? You seem to possess a strange treasure's protection—I can't quite see through your strength."
Nalan Yanran's eyes softened. "Thanks to the Violet Spirit Crystal you gave me three years ago, I've managed to reach 5-Star Da Dou Shi. But aren't you curious who I'm fighting?"
Liu Xi smiled knowingly. 'I already know,' he thought. But aloud, he teased, "Oh? And who might that be?"
Her expression dimmed with faint sorrow. "It's my grandfather's former betrothed choice for me—my fiancé, Xiao Yan. Back then, I was young and arrogant. I couldn't accept being tied to someone I'd never met, especially one rumored to have lost all his talent."
"So, without telling Grandfather, I went to his family with the sect's support… to annul the engagement. That's why this duel exists."
"Mister Liu Xi… tell me, am I despicable?"
Liu Xi smiled gently. "You are your own person. You have the right to pursue your own path.
You live for yourself—not for your grandfather."
"If you feel you owe him, then after defeating him, compensate him as you see fit."
Nalan Yanran's eyes lit up, her lips curving into a bright smile. "So you truly think so, Mister Liu Xi?"
"Of course."
After a brief pause, Liu Xi's gaze flickered with thought. He retrieved a scroll from his ring, faint winds swirling around it, and handed it to her with a smile.
"This is for you. It might be of some help."
She unfolded it curiously—and her pupils constricted. "Wind Roars Through the Nine Heavens… a low-level Di Class Technique!"
Her voice trembled slightly. "This is far too valuable, I can't accept it!"
Though the Yunlan Sect possessed Di Class techniques, none were handed out so casually.
In that instant, a strange warmth filled her heart.
Liu Xi's tone remained light. "I don't take back gifts. I've never practiced that technique myself—study it carefully."
With that, his figure blurred and vanished like a gust of wind.
As he disappeared, he muttered inwardly, "Perhaps I gave it too late. Looks like suppressing Xiao Yan will fall to Yun Shan instead."
Nalan Yanran stood frozen, gazing at the spot where he'd vanished.
Her delicate fingers clenched tightly around the scroll of Wind Roars Through the Nine Heavens, her thoughts scattered like drifting clouds.
(End of Chapter)
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