Under the gaze of countless eyes, Xiao Yan slowly rose to his feet. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and occasional flashes of lightning illuminated his young face, making it appear especially calm. As they watched Xiao Yan standing up, Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and the others turned their gazes from the thunderclouds in the heavens to focus on his figure. Cao Ying looked at Xiao Yan’s lean figure with a complex gaze. She knew that his talent in pill refinement was not much inferior to hers. This was the first time she had given such an evaluation to a man her age, which showed how highly she regarded him. Dan Chen, with her pale cheeks, also fixed her gaze on Xiao Yan. She had interacted with him before but had never expected him to make it this far. “Hmph…” The old Mu Gu glanced at Xiao Yan, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. A disdainful snort escaped his nose, showing that he didn’t take Xiao Yan very seriously. “It’s said that this boy is a disciple of the old guy Yao Chen. I wonder how much of Yao Chen’s skill he has learned,” the gray-robed elder, referred to as the strange old man Qing Hua by Xuan Kongzi and the others, mused to himself, his gaze resting on Xiao Yan. Ignoring the myriad gazes filled with different emotions, Xiao Yan remained calm, his eyes fixed intently on the medicinal cauldron. After a moment, he took a deep breath and then waved his sleeve fiercely!
“Clang!”
As Xiao Wan’s sleeve waved, the lid of the Beast Cauldron was thrown open, and a shockwave of energy exploded out, crashing against the inner walls of the cauldron and creating a deafening sound of clashing metals. Despite the cauldron’s protection, some of the energy waves still spread out, causing several stone platforms near Xiao Yan to explode in a rain of debris.
“Boom!”
The shockwave had barely dissipated when the Beast Cauldron began to tremble violently. Then, a massive emerald-green flame column surged upward, shocking the onlookers. The blazing light from the flame column could be seen for miles around, and the faint but dense energy waves within it made many strong cultivators feel uneasy.
“Such fluctuations…”
Xuan Kongzi’s gaze sharpened, and he murmured, “It should be an 8th-grade elixir. This boy indeed held back before, but I wonder how many grades of elixir lightning he can invoke?”
Just as Xuan Kongzi’s words fell, the sky above the ascending flame column began to gather with strange mist, forming into storm clouds in a short while!
The entire arena fell silent, with countless eyes glued to the turbulent storm clouds in the sky! Under the intense gaze, the storm clouds churned, gradually revealing the azure and silver colors!
“Two colors, it’s actually two-color lightning clouds!” The crowd around the plaza erupted in a buzz of surprise.
“Wait, the clouds are still churning, another color is appearing!” Amidst the commotion, more exclamations echoed through the air. Hearing the gasps, many people were startled and hurriedly fixed their eyes on the churning clouds in the distant sky. Sure enough, under the azure and silver, a red color began to emerge, growing more vivid until it matched the other two in intensity.
When the red finally appeared, the churning of the clouds gradually stopped, solidifying into a stunning display of three vibrant colors.
“Three-color lightning clouds!”
“Indeed, three colors, even more intense than Cao Ying’s!”
“Who exactly is this Xiao Yan? To think he surpasses even Cao Ying of the Pill Tower?”
The entire vast plaza buzzed with excitement. Though Xiao Yan’s fame was not as great as Cao Ying’s, his performance now clearly surpassed hers. Such a result would surely make him the dark horse of this alchemy competition!
“That guy… how could this be… ?”
Song Qing stared, open-mouthed, at the splendid three-color lightning clouds in the sky. He felt dizzy, knowing that Xiao Yan’s pill refinement skills were at most at the high 7th grade. How could he have possibly created an 8th-grade elixir, let alone one that invoked three-color lightning! Such a feat, even Cao Ying couldn’t match!
“Has he been hiding his true strength all along?”
Cao Ying and Dan Chen, in the distance, also felt a bit stunned, shock evident in their eyes. Clearly, Xiao Yan’s performance exceeded their expectations.
The awe gradually faded, and Cao Ying’s beautiful eyes fixed on the young man beneath the lightning clouds, her proud gaze now hinting at admiration. For so long, this enchantress, who had driven countless outstanding men wild, finally felt a genuine stir in her heart for the young man under the thunder.
“Three-color pill lightning… heh, Xuan Kongzi, you’ve lost again…”
On the high platform, the elegant woman gazed at the three-color lightning clouds in the sky, then shifted her gaze to the slim figure on the stone platform, smiling slightly.
“Alas, no wonder it’s Yao Chen. Even now, I cannot best him.”
Xuan Kongzi’s gaze lingered in the sky, retracting after a long while. Sighing, he spoke with a mix of emotions, “This Xiao Yan, his future is boundless. He might even surpass his teacher.”
For the first time, the stern face of the black-skinned elder revealed a smile of appreciation. Xuan Kongzi and the elegant woman nodded gently. The former’s gaze then turned to the position of the Strange Old Man Qing Hua and Mu Gu Old Man. Among the remaining competitors, only the two of them had yet to reveal their results, and their performances would determine the champion of this alchemy competition.
“I wonder who will be the final victor…”
Seemingly hearing Xuan Kongzi’s words, the Strange Old Man Qing Hua, after Xiao Yan’s lightning clouds had solidified, also rose to his feet, following Xiao Yan.
Standing up, the Strange Old Man Qing Hua glanced at Xiao Yan, nodding slightly. Muttering softly, his voice reached Xiao Yan, “Well done, lad. You haven’t brought shame to your rascal of a teacher.”
Surprised by the stranger’s words, Xiao Yan sensed a connection with his teacher. He bowed respectfully in return. Smiling, the Strange Old Man Qing Hua then turned his gaze to the unresponsive Mu Gu Old Man, his eyes narrowing. He could sense that this man was no ordinary foe, and there was a faint familiarity about him.
Dismissing these thoughts, the Strange Old Man Qing Hua focused on the medicinal cauldron before him. Under the watchful eyes, he waved his sleeve, sending the lid flying off the cauldron. The same powerful energy wave as Xiao Yan’s emerged, and a beam of light shot toward the sky.
Countless eyes converged where the light pillar passed, and moments later, the space rippled, gathering mist into a storm cloud. After violent churning, two colors appeared, followed by a third, solidifying into three-colored lightning clouds.
“Also three-color lightning clouds?”
The plaza erupted in astonishment, mirroring Xiao Yan’s previous reaction. The Strange Old Man Qing Hua’s lightning clouds were nearly identical to Xiao Yan’s, both with three colors, and the shades were similarly intense. It was almost impossible to discern which was superior with just the naked eye.
“Three-color lightning clouds, this old man’s pill refining skills have improved as well.”
Xuan Kongzi and the others nodded, chuckling. “Now, it’s that man’s turn…”
The elegant woman’s eyes shifted to the last remaining Mu Gu Old Man, speaking slowly. Nodding, Xuan Kongzi and the others couldn’t shake a slight unease.
As the Strange Old Man Qing Hua’s three-color lightning clouds formed, everyone in the arena marveled, then shifted their attention to the last stone platform, where a black-clad figure sat cross-legged.
Under the watchful eyes, a strange smile crossed Mu Gu Old Man’s face as he slowly rose. His cold gaze flickered to Xiao Yan, then to Xuan Kongzi and the others, filled with mockery. Sensing his gaze, Xuan Kongzi’s heart sank.
“Hehe, Xuan Kongzi, I apologize. It seems the champion of this alchemy competition will be claimed by this old man… hahaha!”
Seeing the grim faces of Xuan Kongzi and the others, Mu Gu Old Man laughed eerily. This time, his laughter was familiar, no longer hidden.
With a snap of his fingers, a terrifying beam of light shot up, piercing through the heavens, leaving a tremendous shockwave in its wake.
“Hehe, is this the best a disciple of Yao Chen can do…?”
As the immense light column soared, Mu Gu Old Man’s mocking laughter caused Xiao Yan’s expression to darken.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage