Chapter 305: The First Round, Commence!

Standing at the front of the VIP seats, Pharma gazed at the bustling square. After a moment, he chuckled, “Now, all participants, please enter your designated spots.” Although the clamor of the square was so loud that even the tolling of a bell could hardly be heard, Pharma’s light laughter still rang clearly in everyone’s ears, demonstrating that this elderly man, who was nearing the end of his days, possessed extraordinary strength.

Hearing Pharma’s words, many alchemists on the VIP seats stood up. Most of these alchemists were either cultivated or enticed by influential forces, and because of the support from these forces, their ranks as alchemists were generally higher than those of independent alchemists. The high platform was several dozen meters above the square, too high for these young people, who were mostly just Dou Shi or even Dou Zhe, to jump down directly. Thus, there were stairs leading down to the square on both sides of the VIP aisle. At this moment, under the countless gazes, they were descending one by one.

“Hehe, Liu Ling, Xiao Yue, Yan Xiao, you should also return to your respective positions… Due to your outstanding performance in the preliminary tests, those special spots are reserved for you, making you the center of attention.”

Pharma pointed to the center of the square, where there were about ten large green platforms. These green stone platforms were not only more spacious than others but also seemed to be set slightly higher. Such a prominent position would naturally make the person standing there the focus of all eyes.

Following Pharma’s gesture, the three of them glanced at the special positions, each with different expressions. Liu Ling was a mix of surprise and excitement, Xiao Yue was curious and eager to try, while Xiao Yan was a bit stunned, furrowing his brows. He did not enjoy being in such a conspicuous position.

Pharma’s gaze slowly swept over the three faces, finally settling on Xiao Yan. Seeming to read his thoughts, he smiled gently, “It’s good for a young man to be modest, but some things are destined not to stay hidden. Since you came to the conference, it means you want to achieve good results. To stand out among the thousands here, you will inevitably become a focal point. If you are going to be exposed, does it matter whether it’s sooner or later?”

“Without doing something bold and arrogant when you’re young, you’ll have no interesting memories to look back on later,” Pharma said with a smile.

“You’re right, President Pharma,” Xiao Yan nodded, reluctantly accepting the inevitable.

“Okay, go down now,” Pharma chuckled, “I’ll lead the way.”

Liu Ling responded first, laughing loudly, “See you two later!” He then lightly tapped the ground, dashing to the edge of the high platform. After glancing at the massive square below, he leaped down amid a chorus of surprised gasps from the VIP seats.

As his body rapidly descended, just before landing, two visible pillars of energy suddenly shot from his heels, cushioning his fall. He landed unscathed and, under the intense gaze of the crowd, walked briskly to the center of the square with a smile.

“This guy really likes to show off, but don’t think you’re the only one who can jump,” Xiao Yue pouted, eyeing Liu Ling, who had just leaped down and attracted everyone’s attention. She then jumped, her body gracefully floating down like a falling leaf, her beauty resembling that of a celestial maiden.

“Roar, roar…” Xiao Yue’s graceful leap was even more captivating than Liu Ling’s, and because of her charming and cute appearance, not only did the VIP seats erupt in howls, but the audience on the opposite side also let out deafening roars.

“Hehe, Old Jia, I didn’t expect you to teach her your ‘Flying Fluff’ move. I’ve always said that your body movement technique is more suitable for women,” Pharma remarked, watching Xiao Yue float down effortlessly, turning to Jia with a smile.

“She’s only learned the basics. If she focuses too much on aesthetics, she might become an easy target in battle,” Jia laughed, shaking his head. Though he said this, the smile on his face showed that he was quite pleased with Xiao Yue’s display.

“Hey, kid, jump down directly. This entrance shouldn’t be any less impressive than theirs,” Seeing Jia’s slightly proud expression, Hai Bo Dong rolled his eyes and urged Xiao Yan.

“… I’ll walk down,” feeling the gazes converging on him, Xiao Yan shook his head and turned to descend the corridor. However, Hai Bo Dong suddenly waved his hand, sending a burst of invisible energy, flinging Xiao Yan out.

“Haha, don’t embarrass me, go down!”

“Damn, you old bastard…”

Xiao Yan was thrown out, his hands waving frantically as he cursed. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he plummeted towards the ground.

The wind whistled in his ears. Due to Hai Bo Dong’s forceful push, Xiao Yan was now falling headfirst. Hearing the fierce wind, he sighed helplessly, letting himself fall straight down without moving.

On the square, countless pairs of eyes stared at Xiao Yan, who was getting closer to the ground but still showing no reaction. Some timid girls even covered their eyes, fearing the gruesome sight.

Just as many people wondered if this seemingly capable young man would end up as a pile of minced meat, Xiao Yan, who had been motionless, finally moved his hand, aiming at the ground. Instantly, a powerful invisible force surged out, smashing into the hard green stone floor, causing a crack to spread.

Using the counterforce, Xiao Yan’s descent slowed, and his body began to spin rapidly in mid-air. Each time the energy was about to dissipate, he would casually tap the ground, creating an upward current and a perfect balance, allowing him to rotate and move toward the center of the square under the amazed gazes of the crowd.

“Tsk, such precise control of air currents. At such a young age, he can move in the air without using wings. Even some Dou Wangs can’t do that,” Jia and Pharma couldn’t help but express admiration.

“Hey, this guy really is surprising. I thought he would use his flying technique, but he has another trick up his sleeve,” Hai Bo Dong was equally astonished, though he knew that Xiao Yan’s method was not practical for true flight. But in this setting, it certainly left many people in awe.

Xiao Yan’s body, under the stunned gazes of thousands of participants, quickly rotated to the center of the square. As his rotation slowed, he lightly tapped the air, performed a mid-air flip, and then rolled down like a gourd. After a moment, he bent his body, supported himself with one hand, and landed stably, dusting off his palms and standing up. He looked up at the endless sea of black heads in the audience…

“Clap, clap…”

“Too cool!”

“Roar, well done!”

After a brief silence, thunderous applause and cheers erupted, filling the entire venue. Even before the official start of the conference, this young man had already given everyone a breathtaking entrance.

This perfect entrance alone made countless girls enamored with the black-clad alchemist youth.

On the VIP seats, Ya Fei held her cheek, her beautiful eyes fixed on the young man standing in the most prominent corner of the square, attracting everyone’s attention. Her enchanting face showed a slight daze, her eyes sparkling. This little guy was truly no longer the naive youth he once was…

“Indeed, he has some real skills. No wonder Grandfather spoke so highly of him,” Yao Ye muttered quietly, watching the young man calmly basking in the cheers.

Sitting lazily in a comfortable chair, Nalan Yanran, dressed in a loose, pale dress that accentuated her graceful curves, drew the furtive gazes of many. Her eyes were also fixed on Xiao Yan below. Seeing his calm demeanor amidst the cheers, her pretty face softened. Perhaps because of her long association with her revered teacher, Nalan Yanran had a favorable impression of those with a similar temperament.

Mu Chen squinted, staring at Xiao Yan in the square, and after a while, turned to Mu Zhan behind him, “Is he the one you mentioned?”

“Yep, that guy actually dared to get so close to Ya Fei. If not for Nalan Yanran’s intervention yesterday, I would have taught him a lesson!” Mu Zhan said fiercely.

Tapping his fingers on his dry palm, Mu Chen shook his head slowly, “From now on, don’t provoke him. If you really like Ya Fei, pursue her through normal means, but don’t challenge this Yan Xiao again. He might be a match for you in a real fight.”

“But…”

Mu Zhan, hearing this, was about to protest, but seeing Mu Chen’s stern face, he retracted his head and reluctantly agreed.

…

Standing quietly before the smooth stone platform, Xiao Yan scanned the table. On the platform, there was a neatly stacked batch of herbs, and in front of them lay a thin piece of paper. In addition, a jade mirror was embedded in front of the green stone platform, emitting a faint, alternating green and red glow.

Picking up the paper, Xiao Yan glanced at it, surprised to find that it was a prescription for a second-grade elixir. What left him speechless was that the prescription was hastily copied, with no adherence to the proper format. As previously mentioned, a proper prescription required soul power to read, allowing the reader to quickly grasp all necessary details for the elixir’s preparation. The information on this paper, however, only provided a general idea of the preparation, leaving the details entirely up to the reader, which significantly increased the likelihood of failure.

What left Xiao Yan utterly speechless was the quantity of herbs on the platform—just enough for two attempts. Each participant had only two chances. If they failed to produce a finished elixir after using all the herbs, they would be disqualified.

“Truly worthy of a once-every-eight-years grand conference. This difficulty… is quite high,” holding the paper, Xiao Yan shook his head with a bitter smile, looking around. Many alchemists appeared similarly distressed. Glancing at Xiao Yue and Liu Ling on either side, they were relatively calmer, their brows slightly furrowed as they read the few notes on the paper.

Sighing, Xiao Yan had no choice but to focus on the paper. This strange assessment was something he had never encountered before, and he felt a bit uneasy.

As Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze, Liu Ling also looked over. Seeing the lingering bitterness on Xiao Yan’s face, he sneered, “Hmph, what good is it to be good at purifying herbs? I’ve said before, the conference’s assessment isn’t just about that. Let’s see how you embarrass yourself in front of Nalan Yanran… country bumpkin…”

Having received very orthodox training from Gu He, Liu Ling was extremely confident in the conference. He aimed to win the championship and, in turn, gain the qualification to pursue his goddess, Nalan Yanran…

On the vast square, all participants, holding the thin paper, were reading it with various expressions. For a while, the entire venue was deathly silent…

The quiet atmosphere lasted for nearly five minutes until a clear chime rang out in the square.

Hearing the chime, all participants simultaneously put down the paper and, with a wave of their hands, over a thousand cauldrons of various shapes and sizes appeared on the green stone platforms.

As the chime sounded, Pharma, who had been closing his eyes, opened them and scanned the crowd below. His calm voice echoed in everyone’s ears, “I’m sure you’ve seen what needs to be done. The first round of assessment requires you to prepare a complete elixir based on this incomplete prescription. You have two chances. If you fail to produce an elixir after two tries, the jade mirror on the green stone platform will automatically light up with a red glow, and you must leave the competition.”

“On the wall opposite, there is a large hourglass marking the competition time. If you haven’t prepared an elixir by the time the hourglass runs out, you will also be disqualified.”

“Do you understand?” Pharma smiled.

“Yes!” A chorus of voices, like rolling thunder, answered from the square below.

“If so, then… the first round of the assessment, begin now!” Raising his hand, Pharma smiled and brought it down sharply.

At that moment, over a thousand flames erupted on the vast square, like a spectacular fireworks display, stirring the hearts of all present!