Chapter 291: Advancing to the Seven Stars, The Final Test

On the bed, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged. The energy of the world within the room was slightly surging intensely, with visible ripples of energy rolling out from his body. His robes, without any wind, swelled up as if filled with air. On his serious face, a faint green glow flickered.

As the energy of the world around him poured into Xiao Yan’s body in waves, the green light on his face became more and more intense. Finally, the green glow almost covered his entire face, and his inner aura gradually rose to new heights.

When the rising aura reached a certain point, the surging energy around him suddenly froze. Along with the energy’s stillness, the puffed-up robes on Xiao Yan’s body also stiffened, as if frozen in place. This strange stillness lasted for nearly ten seconds. Suddenly, Xiao Yan’s tightly closed eyes snapped open, and green flames surged forth before quickly receding. A sharp, piercing light shot out from his dark eyes.

Keeping his cultivation posture, Xiao Yan opened his mouth slightly, and a puff of somewhat black turbid air was exhaled. The black gas curled upwards, and everything it touched was corroded. As it ascended, it even burned a hole in the roof before finally fading into nothing under the sunlight.

After expelling the turbid air, the sharp gleam in Xiao Yan’s eyes also faded away. His stiffened robes once again softly adhered to his skin. The aura that had been lingering in the room was also withdrawn back into his body.

“Seven-star Dou Shi, huh…”

Gripping his fists lightly, the feeling of abundant power within his body made Xiao Yan feel somewhat intoxicated. Although he knew that at the rate he was progressing, he would eventually reach the seven-star level, he hadn’t expected that just absorbing the poisonous imprint from Nalan Jie three times would elevate him by a rank.

“The energy within a Dou Wang’s body is indeed vast and powerful. Just absorbing it three times has already provided enough energy for me to advance…” Xiao Yan muttered softly, twisting his body oddly. Listening to the crisp cracking sounds emanating from his body, he couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction: “This deal seems pretty worth it.”

Placing his palms on the bed, he pushed off with slight force, launching himself nimbly into the air. He rolled through the air and landed lightly on the ground. Xiao Yan clapped his hands, looked around, and muttered, frowning, “Why hasn’t he returned yet?”

After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly and then opened the door and walked out. Tomorrow was the start of the Alchemists’ Grand Assembly, and he needed to go to the Guild to inquire about the various competitions and their formats.

Leaving the inn, Xiao Yan stood on the street and looked around. He then set off towards the towering Alchemists’ Guild, which was visible even from a distance. As he walked, he was surprised to find fully-armed knight squads patrolling the main streets of the city. It was clear that this was due to the upcoming Alchemists’ Grand Assembly. After all, such a grand event, if it caused a commotion, could have a significant impact on the capital, so the royal family naturally needed to take precautions.

Walking through several wide streets, the massive Alchemists’ Guild finally came into view. Looking at the even more crowded entrance compared to two days ago, Xiao Yan shook his head in exasperation. It seemed that many alchemists were eager to stand out at this assembly.

With his hands behind his back, Xiao Yan slowly walked towards the guild, stepping into the crowd. Just as he was about to enter the guild with the flow of people, a sudden commotion erupted behind him, drawing the attention of everyone around.

The front of the crowd stopped moving, and Xiao Yan found himself stuck in the middle. Sighing helplessly, he turned his head, frowning, to look at the source of the commotion.

The commotion was caused by a highly aristocratic carriage. In front of the carriage, two horses with completely white fur, without a single impurity, stood quietly. The golden curtains around the carriage were embroidered with a strange beast enveloped in blue flames. The beast was sizable, with a rather menacing appearance, giving an air of intimidation.

“The royal emblem…” Staring at the unknown beast symbol, Xiao Yan murmured softly. As a person from the Jia Ma Empire, he was familiar with the royal emblem.

Around the carriage, there were about a dozen people dressed in black robes. Scanning these robed figures, Xiao Yan’s pupils contracted slightly. In his perception, these dozen or so black-robed individuals gave him a sense of danger.

“Indeed, the Jia Ma Royal Family is not to be underestimated,” he thought, impressed. He then turned his gaze to the carriage curtains.

A black-robed figure stepped forward, respectfully lifting the curtain. As the curtain was lifted, Xiao Yan clearly sensed that the other black-robed figures subtly formed a protective circle around the carriage, their sharp, eagle-like gazes scanning the crowded surroundings.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a slender, snow-white hand emerged from the carriage, gracefully grasping the handle. Then, a beautiful figure slowly stepped out, appearing in everyone’s sight.

The woman wore a purple robe with silver trim, her delicate features radiating a subtle, innate nobility. A purple sash cinched her slim waist, accentuating her curves. She didn’t seem much older than Xiao Yan, with a hint of a gentle smile on her face, giving an air of elegance and tranquility.

However, whenever her gaze swept over the surroundings, Xiao Yan noticed a mischievous, impish glint in her eyes, revealing a different side to her. Clearly, she was not as quiet and demure as her appearance suggested.

“Women can’t be judged by appearances alone…” Shaking his head with a wry smile, Xiao Yan averted his gaze from the seemingly high-ranking girl.

“Wow, what a beautiful young lady…” The crowd erupted in cheers, and many fiery gazes quickly turned towards her. Despite her noble status, it seemed acceptable to indulge in a bit of admiration given the large number of people present.

“Hehe, this is the little princess of the Jia Ma Royal Family. I heard her teacher is Vice President Qiemier. Her presence here must be for the Alchemists’ Grand Assembly,” someone in the crowd remarked, recognizing her.

“Isn’t she quite young? How can she participate in the assembly?”

“Che, the little princess’s talent in alchemy is praised even by the president. Don’t let her age fool you; I heard she advanced to the Third Grade Alchemist half a year ago…”

“Huh…” The crowd burst into uproar. Some middle-aged alchemists blushed and awkwardly covered the grade emblems on their chests.

Squeezing through the crowd, Xiao Yan listened to the conversations, his face showing surprise. He cast another glance at the purple-robed girl, now protected by the black-robed figures, and thought, “Truly, there are always those who are better. I didn’t expect this seemingly delicate girl to be a Third Grade Alchemist…”

While he was impressed, he wasn’t too surprised. With the Jia Ma Royal Family’s resources, as long as the little princess had the basic talent for alchemy, they could easily make her a high-grade alchemist. And now, with her impressive talent, her achievement was no surprise.

Under the protection of the black-robed figures, the purple-robed girl passed through the crowd effortlessly and entered the Alchemists’ Guild with a flourish.

As the elegant figure disappeared from sight, Xiao Yan shrugged and, like a slippery eel, squeezed through the crowd, making his way swiftly into the guild.

Finally reaching a less crowded area, Xiao Yan looked at the spacious hall and sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He then made his way to the western section, where he saw the same two guards from last time. They didn’t stop him this time, instead bowing and letting him pass. It seemed Otto had given special instructions.

Seeing the guards not blocking him, Xiao Yan was relieved. He walked down the corridor and made his way upstairs, stopping outside the room where Otto was last seen. Knocking lightly, he waited for Otto’s voice before entering.

Inside the room, Otto sat alone, smiling warmly as Xiao Yan entered: “Little guy, right on time.”

Xiao Yan smiled and sat down next to Otto, taking a sip of tea. “I’ll get straight to the point. I’m here to ask about the format of the assembly. Is it a draw, or something else?”

“With so many participants, wouldn’t a draw take too long?” Otto chuckled, drawing a large square on the table. “All the alchemists will compete on a giant platform. The conditions will gradually become more stringent, and like a sieve, we’ll quickly eliminate the less skilled. Only the best will remain, and the one who stands out among them will be the final winner.”

“Oh…” Xiao Yan nodded, imagining hundreds of alchemists refining medicine on a single platform, a truly spectacular sight.

“Hehe, you must be eager to see it. Don’t be overwhelmed when you do. I was when I first saw it,” Otto said, knowing what Xiao Yan was thinking.

“Here’s a list of some of the most formidable competitors in the assembly,” Otto handed Xiao Yan a scroll, adding, “This is an internal document, not to be shared.”

Curiously, Xiao Yan took the scroll and nodded, slowly unrolling it. The long list had at least twenty or thirty names, and his eyes widened as he saw Liu Ling’s name near the top. It seemed his reputation as the successor of the Pill King was well-deserved.

“Is this the little princess of the royal family?” Xiao Yan pointed to the fifth-ranked princess.

“Yes, have you seen her?”

“I saw her at the entrance. I didn’t expect her to be so high up,” Xiao Yan said, surprised by her ranking.

“Don’t underestimate her. With the support of the royal family, she has many hidden talents,” Otto reminded.

Nodding, Xiao Yan carefully read through the list and handed it back to Otto. “The competition is indeed strong. There are thirteen Third Grade Alchemists.”

“It is a bit troublesome, but it’s up to you. This is all I can do for you,” Otto said, shaking his head.

Xiao Yan nodded, asking, “The assembly starts tomorrow? Is there anything I need to do now?”

“Indeed, there’s one more thing. It’s the final prediction before the assembly. Outsiders don’t know about it, but for us, it’s a test of our skills. If we can’t pass it, our recommendations might be revoked,” Otto stood up, smiling. “Come with me. Here, you’ll meet some of the powerful opponents on the list.”

Nodding, Xiao Yan followed Otto, who led him through a quiet corridor. At the end, they pushed open a door and entered.

The bright light made Xiao Yan squint. Once his eyes adjusted, he opened them fully. Inside was a classically decorated, spacious hall. Groups of people stood around, and to Xiao Yan’s surprise, many of the young-looking ones were Third Grade Alchemists. The little princess from the imperial family was among them, chatting with a handsome young man.

Liu Ling… Hearing the door open, the group’s whispers ceased, and all eyes turned to the entrance. Seeing Xiao Yan, they were momentarily stunned, then their expressions turned slightly mocking when they saw the Second Grade emblem on his chest.

The little princess, surrounded by alchemists, glanced at Xiao Yan, but lost interest when she saw his emblem. She lazily stretched, her curves drawing the men’s attention.

Her lazy gaze fixed on Xiao Yan. His arrival made Liu Ling pause, but a sinister smile soon spread across his face.

Lowering his eyebrows, Xiao Yan remained unfazed by the varied gazes in the hall. His hands resting in his sleeves, his calm face resembled a monk in meditation. However, a faint, cold smile was rising in his heart.