The sudden disappearance of the gray-robed youth’s bamboo hat, although somewhat strange to many, did not yet raise suspicion towards Hai Bodong and his companions. At this moment, most of the audience’s attention was drawn to the youthful face of the gray-robed youth. Across so many Alchemist Conferences, this youth must be the youngest participant. The gray-robed youth lightly brushed off the faint ice shards from his shoulders, looked up at Hai Bodong and the others in the VIP seats, and revealed a cold smile. His lips moved slightly, and through the shape of his mouth, Fa Ma and the others could clearly recognize what he was saying: “I’m here for the championship!”
“How about it? Can you tell if he’s in disguise?” Tapping gently on the railing, Fa Ma asked indifferently.
Hai Bodong and Jia Lao exchanged a glance and then shook their heads slightly. In a grave voice, they replied, “We couldn’t detect any signs of disguise…”
“Then, your meaning is… that this person is indeed as young as he appears? If that’s the case, I find it hard to believe how perfectly he embodies the true meaning of a genius. Compared to him, the talents of Liu Ling and Yan Xiao seem incredibly mediocre,” Fa Ma said with a frown.
“Although we can’t determine if he’s in disguise, his age is definitely not what the records say,” Hai Bodong shook his head and said. “His sensitive reaction to danger earlier isn’t something a seventeen-year-old should possess. It’s more like a seasoned warrior. Moreover, the fact that he managed to hide his strength until now shows that he has extraordinary self-control. It’s hard for me to imagine a seventeen-year-old being able to do all of this so perfectly.”
“There are other ways to alter one’s appearance, not just by using disguise. As an alchemist, you should know better than us that certain rare medicinal herbs or pills can have such mysterious effects,” Jia Lao said softly.
“Indeed, there are some peculiar pills that can make a person look younger, but these pills are extremely rare and difficult to refine. If someone really obtained them, unless they admit their real age, it would be nearly impossible for outsiders to tell,” Fa Ma nodded and mused.
“If some old guy got his hands on a pill that could make him look young again, wouldn’t he be able to sneak into this conference? Then, which of the younger generation would be able to compete with him? It seems there are still some loopholes in your conference,” Hai Bodong said with a frown.
“Do you really think such pills are easy to refine? And which of the old-timers would risk their dignity to do something like this? If they were exposed, they’d be humiliated,” Fa Ma said helplessly.
“Well, there’s one right down there. I’m sure there’s an old soul behind that youthful facade,” Hai Bodong spread his hands and pointed at the gray-robed youth with his chin.
“What good does it do if you’re sure? You can’t just force him out in front of everyone. Our Alchemist Conference claims to be open to all alchemists, including those from the Empire of Outsky,” Fa Ma said with a wry smile.
“So, what do you plan to do? If someone from the Empire of Outsky wins the championship, it will be a significant blow to your guild’s reputation,” Jia Lao said with a frown.
“What else can we do? We can only continue with the conference. If he fails, it will save us some trouble. Besides, Yan Xiao and the others are no pushovers. They might win against him,” Fa Ma said, spreading his hands.
“From the looks of it, that seems rather unlikely,” Jia Lao shook his head and said.
“Not necessarily…” Hai Bodong suddenly grinned, glancing at Xiao Yan in the field. “There might be a surprise after all.”
“Let’s hope so,” Fa Ma sighed, though he wasn’t very confident. Yan Xiao might be a standout among the younger generation, but that mysterious gray-robed youth clearly doesn’t belong to the same age group.
“Let’s see. If things don’t work out, after today’s assessment, we’ll find a way to deal with him,” Hai Bodong patted Fa Ma’s shoulder, casually waving his hand, with a faint hint of killing intent on his aged face.
Fa Ma’s cloudy eyes narrowed slightly, and after a while, he shook his head. “It’s not worth it. If it’s exposed, our Alchemist Guild’s reputation will be tarnished. This cost is not worth it! So, we can’t take the risk.”
“As you wish.” Shrugging, Hai Bodong fell silent, stepping back a few steps, and lazily sat down, waiting for the conference to resume. Jia Lao also patted Fa Ma’s shoulder and returned to his seat.
…
“Is that guy… so young?” Xiao Yan and the others were equally shocked, looking at the gray-robed youth’s youthful face. They didn’t have the same discerning eye as Fa Ma and the others, so they were stunned into silence when they saw him.
“Is he from the Empire of Outsky?” The Little Princess, keen-eyed, noticed the emblem on the gray-robed youth’s chest. The emblem showed a brilliant sun rising from the horizon, a symbol of the Empire of Outsky.
“Empire of Outsky?” Hearing the name, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback. An image of Xun’er, dressed in a white dress, flashed in his mind. She had gone to the Empire of Outsky, right?
“A person from the Empire of Outsky? This is going to be interesting,” Liu Ling was also taken aback and muttered. As a disciple of the Pill King, he was well aware of the entanglements between the Empire of Gama and the Empire of Outsky.
“We can’t let him win the championship!” Liu Ling said gravely, looking at Xiao Yan and the Little Princess. Xiao Yan shrugged indifferently, as no one had instilled in him any hostility towards the Empire of Outsky. The Little Princess, being a member of the royal family, nodded solemnly.
…
At the front of the VIP seats, Fa Ma slowly exhaled, his cloudy eyes staring at the gray-robed youth below with a hint of coldness. After a while, a calm voice once again resounded through the square.
“Alright, since everyone has completed the test, let’s move on to the second round… Move your fingers and press the red button at the bottom left of the stone platform.”
Hearing the voice, Xiao Yan temporarily put the matter of the gray-robed youth aside, feeling around and pressing the red button.
As the button was pressed, the massive green stone platform trembled slightly. The protruding mechanism retracted, and on the clean stone surface, a pile of neatly stacked medicinal herbs and a scroll of a medicinal formula slowly emerged.
“This time, the formula is a standard one, created by our guild with great effort over several months. For this round, you need to successfully refine the pill according to the formula. The materials in front of you are enough for two attempts, meaning you only have two chances. Once the materials are exhausted, it means you’ve failed…”
“Huh?” Xiao Yan was surprised, then frowned slightly. “Refining a pill according to a formula? Isn’t this test too simple? This step-by-step refinement is even simpler than the first round. Given the seriousness of this conference, how could they have such a simple test?”
Shaking his head in confusion, Xiao Yan gently picked up the scroll of the medicinal formula and slowly unrolled it. He then closed his eyes, extending his soul force to scan the information recorded on the formula.
As his soul force scanned, detailed data rapidly entered Xiao Yan’s mind. The various precautions needed during the refining process were also quickly and clearly remembered. This was the advantage of a standard medicinal formula. Once the information was stored in Xiao Yan’s mind, he felt that the data recorded on the scroll, using soul force, was rapidly disappearing.
“Windwalking Pill, Rank 3. Effect: Temporarily increases sensitivity to wind energy, thereby enhancing movement speed.”
“Quite a practical pill… The Alchemist Guild is really generous. Such a formula would usually cost at least a hundred thousand gold coins on the market, yet they’re giving it away for free,” Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head. The effect of increasing movement speed surprised him.
“According to the formula, refining the Windwalking Pill requires nine medicinal ingredients. Though not many, it’s still a fair amount,” Xiao Yan murmured, his gaze sweeping over the nine ingredients. “As long as one reaches the Rank 3 level and has the formula, refining it shouldn’t be too difficult. This test… is quite simple. Is it because they were too harsh in the previous rounds, and now they want to make it easier?”
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Xiao Yan looked around and noticed that the Little Princess, Liu Ling, and the others all had slightly furrowed brows. Clearly, they found the simplicity of the test unexpected as well.
“No matter the reason, let’s get started. If we can pass smoothly, that’s for the best; it will save us some trouble,” Xiao Yan muttered, tossing a purple pill into his mouth and spraying the Purple Flame into the cauldron.
In a secluded corner of the square, the gray-robed youth looked at the scroll in his hand with a smirk. “Little trick… is this all the Gama Empire’s Alchemist Guild can do?”
At the front of the VIP seats, Fa Ma looked down at Xiao Yan, who had already started refining in the center, and frowned slightly. “Be careful, young man. This conference is not a street fight. A single mistake, and you’re out.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage