Chapter 799: Alchemy Conference, Now Begins

Early morning the next day.

Pilgrimage Square was bustling with people.

This enormous square, usually capable of holding ten thousand people without feeling crowded, was completely packed today.

Everyone craned their necks, eager to squeeze further in.

"Hurry, hurry! The Alchemy Grand Competition is about to begin! This is another major event before the Imperial City Trials."

"I heard that the Sky City appeared, attracting many people. This time, the Imperial City Alchemy Grand Competition will see alchemists from the Eastern Heavens Realm facing off against geniuses from various other regions."

"Yes, I heard the Heavenly Net Arena has been absolute madness these past few days. Even Sword Dao Throne experts have appeared. Tsk, tsk, it's a nightmare!"

"Haha, true, but the Heavenly Net Battles still only offer ten spots per day. Those who previously secured Imperial City Trial spots are now trembling, trying to lay low, terrified of being caught and eliminated."

"There aren't nearly enough spots! I bet another huge wave of people will flood Pilgrimage Square today. The Alchemy Grand Competition will be quite a sight."

"I wonder who will claim first place in the end. I heard the rewards this time are quite substantial..."

Pilgrimage Square was abuzz with excitement.

In recent days, geniuses from various regions arrived one after another, and their achievements even overshadowed news of the Imperial City Night Battles for a time.

And today, the Alchemy Grand Competition was being held right here in Pilgrimage Square.

It was easy to imagine this would be another kind of battle, one without the flash of blades or the sight of blood.

As the sun rose in the east.

The Imperial City Alchemist Association Headquarters, as the organizer, had both the City Lord's Mansion Imperial Guards openly stationed and red-robed and white-robed guardians secretly positioned. They had all taken their places in Pilgrimage Square early.

In the center of the square, a massive trial area had been demarcated.

At the newly erected high platform at the far end sat a total of eighteen judges, led by President Dong Ling and supported by the presidents of the various Alchemist Association branches throughout the Eastern Heavens Realm.

Standing beside these seemingly frail elderly alchemists were guards starting from the Throne level.

Hidden in the shadows, Rao Yaoyao, with the Profound Azure Divine Sword on her back, had also arrived early and waited in the void above this grand event.

Today, she wasn't worried about dark forces attacking the competition venue.

The Holy Palace, an extraordinary power on par with the Holy Divine Temple, typically did not act outwardly or proactively instigate wars. However, given its fiercely protective nature, anyone who dared to disrupt the Alchemy Grand Competition today might face direct retaliation from Transcendent or even Half-Saint level experts afterwards.

All of this was entirely possible!

Similarly, with major alchemy competitions happening simultaneously across various regions of the continent today, if truly promising talents emerged, they could very well attract the attention of Saints and be granted special early admission to study at the Holy Palace.

In short, this grand event today was not only being watched by Rao Yaoyao, but also by Half-Saints. Interfere and die!

It was still early, and on the judges' platform, the various presidents were whispering amongst themselves.

"President Dong Ling, I heard that the Imperial City Alchemist Association recently developed a new type of healing elixir, the Scarlet Gold Elixir? Is its medicinal effect even more potent than the Scarlet Gold Pill?"

Lu Chenghui, President of the Heavenly Cloud City Alchemist Association branch, spoke in a subtly sarcastic tone, and with that single remark, he drew the attention of many of the other elderly presidents.

Throughout the Eastern Heavens Realm, besides the Imperial City Alchemist Association Headquarters, Heavenly Cloud City's alchemy had developed the best in recent years.

President Lu Chenghui had played an indispensable role in the continuous improvement of the Scarlet Gold Pill's medicinal properties over the years.

The Grade 10 Scarlet Gold Pill not only dominated the market and was inexpensive, but it was also the unrivaled choice for injured Spirit Cultivators.

Usually, when going out, who wouldn't carry a few blood vials?

But recently, President Lu had come to the Imperial City and heard about something called "Scarlet Gold Elixir," which was neither quite a pill nor quite a liquid.

Despite its less than ideal storage properties, its medicinal effect could utterly surpass the Scarlet Gold Pill, which had undergone thousands of revisions over the years, by a significant margin!

How did the Imperial City Alchemist Association Headquarters have time to research something like this?

In the realm of low-grade healing medicine, Heavenly Cloud City was essentially the largest supplier in the Eastern Heavens Realm.

Wasn't this stealing their business?

Therefore, even when facing President Dong Ling, Lu Chenghui's tone wasn't particularly polite.

Dong Ling naturally understood the recent stir created by the Multigold Trading House. She smiled and explained, "The Scarlet Gold Elixir wasn't developed by the Association Headquarters; it was developed by someone else."

"An outsider?"

Lu Chenghui's voice rose sharply, and his old body straightened up as he exclaimed, "What is the Headquarters doing?! A pill developed by an outsider, and a healing medicine at that... This concerns the safety of all Spirit Cultivators in the Eastern Heavens Realm! What if the Scarlet Gold Elixir is a poisonous pill?"

Dong Ling glanced sideways, "The Headquarters naturally verified it. It wouldn't be released into the market if there were any problems."

Lu Chenghui quickly retorted, "Newly appearing pills usually require joint internal inspection by all presidents. My colleagues and I haven't even seen this Scarlet Gold Elixir, let alone know its medicinal properties, yet it's being released into the market? What if it's harmful..."

His words instantly pulled all the branch presidents to his side, giving the impression that Dong Ling was attempting to establish a dictatorship.

Everyone present was shrewd.

To hold the position of a major branch president, one not only had to be a master of alchemy but also possess high emotional intelligence. They all sensed the underlying meaning.

Dong Ling frowned.

Beside her, Master Ti kept his gaze straight, yet understood everything. He spoke cheerfully, "President Lu hasn't seen the Scarlet Gold Elixir?"

Lu Chenghui choked, his words stuck.

Everyone exchanged knowing glances and chuckled.

As soon as the Scarlet Gold Elixir entered the market, almost all the presidents received information about it. How could they not buy a few samples for research?

It was precisely because they had completed their research and found no issues with the Scarlet Gold Elixir.

And besides its slightly poorer storage properties, its medicinal effect truly surpassed the Scarlet Gold Pill of the same grade, which was why no one had any objections.

But this wasn't a minor issue for most; it clearly struck at President Lu's vital point.

Everyone was an old fox with foresight; they all knew that if the Scarlet Gold Elixir could be mass-produced, the market for the Scarlet Gold Pill would absolutely disappear.

Therefore, Lu Chenghui simply couldn't withstand this heavy blow.

Heavenly Cloud City had prospered by relying on the Scarlet Gold Pill.

"President Dong Ling..."

Lu Chenghui tried to speak again, but Dong Ling cut him off with a single sentence: "President Lu, do you think the emergence of new technology in the alchemy world is more important, or is money more important?"

"Er!"

Lu Chenghui's old face flushed, choked by her words.

Dong Ling turned, smiling faintly, "The Alchemist Association does not engage in the practices of other factions; we only prioritize the development of alchemy. President Lu, please do not lead us astray."

Lu Chenghui's mouth twitched. He flung his sleeve and sat down grudgingly.

An old president nearby burst into laughter, "Old Lu, if I were you, I'd hurry up and research the Scarlet Gold Elixir, try to decipher its formula as soon as possible, and then..."

"Too late!"

Master Ti also looked back, interrupting with a smile, "They already applied for formula certification. The Multigold Trading House has completed all the necessary procedures these past few days; otherwise, the Scarlet Gold Elixir wouldn't have been released to the market. Old Lu, if you're serious, hurry up and find someone to cooperate with."

"Cooperate? Cooperate with what?! It's not like I haven't seen that Scarlet Gold Elixir before. Whether it can even be mass-produced is still debatable!" Lu Chenghui fumed.

"Oh, you've seen it again? Didn't you just say you hadn't seen it?" Master Ti's voice rang out, full of "doubt."

Lu Chenghui's face burned with embarrassment. He glared angrily, "Master Ti, will you die if you don't speak? How have you, an old corpse, lived so long without dying yet, huh?!"

Master Ti chuckled twice, imitating Old Sang, and said nothing more.

The various presidents burst into laughter, shaking their heads, finding it truly amusing.

By this time, the eighteen entry channels cordoned off by the Imperial Guards in the square had few people entering. The various young alchemists attending the competition had all entered.

The time was almost right, and President Dong Ling was about to announce the start of the competition.

Lu Chenghui calmed himself, looked at the scene, and then abruptly turned back to Dong Ling, "Who developed the Scarlet Gold Elixir?"

The Multigold Trading House had maintained excellent secrecy. The presidents of the various branches had not been in the city long, and their intelligence capabilities were not strong enough to uncover it yet.

As soon as the question was asked, everyone turned their heads to look at Dong Ling.

Dong Ling swallowed the words she was about to say, then explained to the many senior presidents, "The First Heavenly Building. They developed the Scarlet Gold Elixir."

The First Heavenly Building?

Lu Chenghui squinted. The name of this force sounded like something a mere branch president of an Alchemist Association couldn't afford to provoke.

"Will they send young people to compete today?" Lu Chenghui asked, thinking that for the First Heavenly Building to establish itself in the Imperial City with such a name, it must be an old established power.

Dong Ling's mind conjured the image of the young man who had mysteriously disappeared under the Fallen Origin Purple Flame at the trade fair. Without changing her expression, she said, "Probably. The First Heavenly Building consists mostly of young people; it's a new force. I heard that Young Master Xu developed the Scarlet Gold Elixir. He probably doesn't have a trial spot yet, so he'll likely attend."

"Young Master Xu?"

Everyone was surprised.

A young person could develop the Scarlet Gold Elixir?

One must know that a pill formula recognized by the market is something that has been refined and improved over generations by tens of thousands of alchemists.

In alchemy, a profession that requires immense time and technical accumulation to achieve anything significant, could a young person develop something as advanced as the Scarlet Gold Elixir?

"What grade?"

Lu Chenghui grew anxious.

He had previously thought that at the very least, the developer of the Scarlet Gold Elixir would have to be an experienced alchemist, at least a Throne-level expert, starting from Grade 3, right?

Now, he suddenly felt he had taken too much for granted.

Even if a young person competing had strong alchemy skills, without the accumulation of time, they would at most be at the Peak Innate stage.

Even considering the most monstrous talent, at most a Grandmaster?

In other words, it was very likely this person was only at Grade 6 at most?

A Grade 6 alchemist developed the Scarlet Gold Elixir?

What a joke!

Clearly, all the elderly presidents had thought of this point, and one by one, they showed shocked expressions.

How could Dong Ling know these details?

She had originally intended to reply that she didn't know.

But unlike the many elderly alchemists present, who were at most Innate or Grandmaster cultivators, her spiritual perception keenly noticed a very familiar young man outside the square who had just displayed a Grade 10 Alchemist badge at the registration desk and then began a heated debate and struggle with the staff.

Dong Ling couldn't focus on what happened next.

She was dumbfounded on the spot!

Young Master Xu?

Without a doubt, that person was Young Master Xu of the First Heavenly Building, the developer of the Scarlet Gold Elixir.

But...

Grade 10?

He's a Grade 10 alchemist?

He refined the Scarlet Gold Elixir?

Dong Ling was utterly baffled.

"What grade is it?!"

On the judges' platform, the various presidents grew anxious.

President Dong Ling suddenly looked lost in thought, appearing as if she was deliberately keeping them in suspense.

Even Master Ti looked over, his face full of curiosity.

At the trade fair that day, Zhou Tianshen had continuously transmitted messages to him, "It's him! It's him!", leading Master Ti to truly believe that Young Master Xu was the Xu Xiaoshou he knew.

But then the Imperial City Night Battles began.

The Holy Slave Xu Xiaoshou truly appeared, while Young Master Xu at the trade fair was merely observing the battle.

Their identities were clearly distinct.

Therefore, Master Ti no longer believed that Young Master Xu of the First Heavenly Building was Old Sang's disciple, that annoying brat who blew up alchemy towers, whom he was familiar with.

Just then, Dong Ling suddenly swallowed, replying with some hesitation, "Ten... Grade 10?"

All the presidents' eyes visibly froze, then they all wore expressions asking, "Did I hear that wrong?", repeating, "Grade 10?"

Dong Ling snapped back to reality, her red lips parting slightly, then she hesitated before saying, "...I don't know."

The presidents were utterly bewildered.

Lu Chenghui exploded.

"Grade 10!"

"President Dong Ling, you just said Grade 10!"

"A Grade 10 alchemist can develop the Scarlet Gold Elixir? Are you joking... *cough, cough*, this needs to be investigated! The Scarlet Gold Elixir must have some hidden problems that haven't surfaced yet; there's a high probability it's a poisonous pill!"

Lu Chenghui stomped his foot in agitation.

The other presidents were still immersed in shock.

Master Ti was also surprised.

He believed Dong Ling wouldn't lie.

But if Dong Ling wasn't lying, then this matter was extremely abnormal.

And abnormal occurrences in the alchemy world, Master Ti had only ever seen that brat who blew up alchemy towers cause them, for decades.

For Xu Xiaoshou, this was quite normal...

Furthermore, he wondered if it was just an illusion.

Master Ti felt he had a vague impression: he had seen Xu Xiaoshou perform alchemy before, and the sticky liquid that appeared during the refining of the Scarlet Gold Pill with that brat's "soup-boiling" alchemy method was very similar to the Scarlet Gold Elixir.

Also, Zhou Tianshen was Xu Xiaoshou's good friend, and he had identified Young Master Xu, even if he was mistaken that day...

Would good friends identify a completely unrelated person?

With these miscellaneous thoughts flooding his mind, Master Ti grew somewhat suspicious.

He looked at Dong Ling, "President, what did you see just now that made you so engrossed?"

Dong Ling turned and stated directly, "I saw Young Master Xu's alchemist badge. I only just realized he seems to be only Grade 10. In that case, the Scarlet Gold Elixir must be a stolen achievement from an elder in his clan. As expected, young people..."

Her expression turned somewhat displeased.

Regarding these dishonest young people...

Especially in the alchemy world, plagiarism of others' achievements was condemned by all!

Lu Chenghui bristled, "As expected, it's fake! I knew there was something wrong with young people. This Scarlet Gold Elixir should be taken off the market immediately! He's only a Grade 10 alchemist; whose achievement among his clan elders could he possibly be usurping? Who could develop something as astonishing as the Scarlet Gold Elixir?"

"Oh, 'astonishing' again?" An old president watched President Lu's fury with a smile, finding his repeated shifts in stance quite amusing.

Dong Ling also shot Old Lu a sidelong glance and said coldly, "Young Master Xu is a Half-Saint's disciple."

A collective gasp.

The air grew quiet.

Lu Chenghui, who had been half-standing, abruptly sat down, placing his hands on his knees and sitting upright, looking as if he hadn't spoken a word just now.

"Hahahaha..."

The presidents all burst into laughter.

Master Ti, however, was too lost in thought to laugh.

"Confused?" Dong Ling glanced at him.

Master Ti opened his mouth, about to request President Dong Ling to have the staff bring Young Master Xu's alchemist badge for inspection.

Even though all alchemist badges on the continent looked identical, their place of origin and the anti-counterfeit spiritual array within the badge were recorded.

Therefore, if Young Master Xu's Grade 10 alchemist badge came from Heavenly Sang City...

As Master Ti thought this, his gaze suddenly fell upon the people present.

There were too many eyes and ears here. If it truly was as he suspected, that Old Sang fellow probably wouldn't even let him off as a ghost!

"It's nothing."

At that moment, Master Ti waved his hand and chuckled, "I see most of the people have arrived. President Dong Ling, you can make haste and start the first round. There are quite a lot of people here!"

Dong Ling gave Master Ti a strange look but said nothing more.

She stood up, gathered her spiritual energy, and her voice carried out.

"Silence!"

"The time has come. The Alchemy Grand Competition now begins!"