Chapter 800: Unseen Alchemist Boy Xiao Wan Feng

At the contestant registration booth.

Xu Xiaoshou set off early in the morning, and just outside the door was the site of the Alchemy Competition. However, he was still bickering with the reception staff.

“I am a Grade 10 Alchemist, and this is my alchemy assistant. Without him, I cannot concoct any pills!” he declared, pointing at Xiao Wanfeng with a serious expression.

Beside him, Xiao Wanfeng felt the gazes of those around them, his face burning with embarrassment. Alchemy is an extremely private affair. Low-level alchemists cannot concoct grand elixirs, and generally do not use assistants. It was clear that Young Master Xu wanted to bring him in to show off... Well, it was undoubtedly a thirst for attention. Xiao Wanfeng had never assisted Young Master Xu in alchemy; he had never even seen Young Master Xu concoct a single pill. But how could he not know what Young Master Xu was thinking? After a two-day lull, Young Master Xu was stirring up trouble again!

The reception staff, who belonged to the Alchemist Association headquarters, were very troubled. They hesitated before saying, “But he doesn't have an alchemist badge. Theoretically, he cannot enter. If everyone were like Young Master Xu, the venue would simply be too crowded.” He turned and pointed towards the competition venue. Anyone holding an alchemist badge could register for the Alchemy Competition. However, everyone was well aware of their own abilities. For Grade 10 or Grade 9 alchemists, today was merely for entertainment. Most knew they wouldn't even make a ripple if they went on stage, so generally, no one wanted to make a fool of themselves.

Yet, Young Master Xu from the First Pavilion in the Sky put on quite an arrogant display, showing a blatant disregard for propriety! It was one thing for him to embarrass himself. But a mere Grade 10 alchemist wanted to bring an irrelevant person along to be embarrassed together?

Xu Xiaoshou retorted angrily, “The Crimsongold Fluid that benefits the common people was developed by me! I've poured my heart and soul, sweat, and even blood from furnace explosions into the alchemy world. Is this how you treat me? I can't even bring an assistant?”

The Alchemy Competition today was supposed to be orderly, and alchemists were usually discreet and dignified individuals. When had such a commotion ever occurred? In just a moment, a crowd had gathered around them.

“Is that Young Master Xu from the First Pavilion in the Sky, the Half-Saint's successor?”

“What audacity! I've never seen anyone so absurd. A Grade 10 alchemist wants to bring an alchemy boy? Does he think he's concocting some world-shaking elixir?”

“But some alchemists do need assistants, right? It shouldn't be against the rules for him to bring someone.”

“More importantly, did *he* develop the Crimsongold Fluid? The Crimsongold Fluid recently launched by the Plutus Merchant Association is incredibly effective. My wife raves about it!”

“Yeah, is that Crimsongold Fluid really from the First Pavilion in the Sky?”

“Does he sell anything else? I want to get something really impressive…”

The people around them pointed and whispered, their attention suddenly captivated.

“Gained attention, passive points, 800.”“Subjected to doubt, passive points, 794.”“Subjected to contempt, passive points, 682.”

The information bar popped up, ding-ding-ding.

To be honest, Xu Xiaoshou had initially planned to enter discreetly, secure a trial spot, and then leave. He was no longer “Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou,” and his signature furnace explosions, White Flame, and other abilities couldn't be used publicly. This was evident from the fact that he only brought Xiao Wanfeng, not Xin Gugu or others. But Xu Xiaoshou quickly realized his mistake. This Alchemy Competition was highly anticipated! He had just spent millions of passive points and hadn't even tried the new feature of the evolution tree, which cost a million passive points per use. Why not take advantage of the large crowd and 'farm' some passive points?

“Young Master Xu, you're making things difficult for us…”

The reception staff clearly knew Young Master Xu's identity and could only nod submissively, unable to agree. Indeed, there were few established powers in the royal city who didn't know about Xu Deyie, the Half-Saint's successor. But even though Xu Xiaoshou pointed out that he had concocted the Crimsongold Fluid, the staff didn't dare to simply let this potential troublemaker do as he pleased.

“Go ask your Guild Master Dongling!” Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, speaking in a tone that suggested he was very familiar with her: “She'll agree to my request.”

The reception staff was immediately in a dilemma. Xu Xiaoshou looked at the information bar, thinking, *This young master can afford to wait.* In just a short time, tens of thousands of passive points had accumulated. Even if he wanted to keep a low profile today, it seemed impossible.

Just then, Guild Master Dongling's voice echoed across the venue, calming the commotion. “The hour has come! The Alchemy Competition now begins!”

Xu Xiaoshou's gaze snapped to the reception staff, his aura pressing down: “Do you intend to delay the entry of legitimate contestants?” Sweat beaded on the staff's forehead; for a moment, he didn't know how to resolve the matter.

Just then, a young woman suddenly pushed her way through from behind. Dressed in an alchemist's robe, she had a delicate appearance and the demeanor of a noble lady. A contestant number “2379” was pinned to her chest, but she was clearly also a high-ranking member of the Association's headquarters. Realizing there was an issue here, she stepped forward after assessing the situation.

“I'll handle this,” she said, patting the staff's shoulder. Her voice was melodious and clear like an oriole's song.

Some people nearby recognized the woman and became very excited.

“Yu Chuchu!”

“Look, it's Guild Master Dongling's top disciple, the Yu family's young lady, Miss Yu Chuchu!”

“A Grade 6 alchemist, Grandmaster level! She's a strong contender for the champion of this Alchemy Competition, if we don't count the alchemy prodigies from other regions.”

“Why is she here? Oh, she must have been attracted by Young Master Xu.”

“Haha, Chuchu despises these sorts of dandies. I bet this time, she'll directly expel Young Master Xu!”

“Go, Chuchu! Sister loves you!”

“Charge!”

Cheers suddenly erupted around them.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't recognize the woman's name. However, the people of the royal city clearly held Guild Master Dongling's top disciple in high regard.

“Sister Chuchu…” The reception staff turned to see who it was, let out a sigh of relief, and quickly stepped back.

Yu Chuchu stepped forward, tilted her head, and looked at the dandy Young Master Xu, thinking, *Can a person like this really develop Crimsongold Fluid?* Recently, the release of Crimsongold Fluid had caused a sensation throughout the royal city's alchemy world. Yu Chuchu had used the Yu family's influence to investigate directly within the Plutus Merchant Association. She understood better than outsiders that the Crimsongold Fluid was concocted by a young man, and moreover, he was half a “dandy”!

With the Alchemy Competition about to begin, Yu Chuchu didn't think too much. Knowing the recent antics of the dandy before her, she also understood that the Half-Saint's successor wanted special treatment. Even the Alchemist Association had to grant him that.

“You're Young Master Xu, correct? Bring your person in first. The competition is about to start, so don't cause any trouble!” Yu Chuchu frowned, her slightly cold words carrying a hint of disdain. Reputation was nothing compared to meeting in person. Earlier, even with rumors of Young Master Xu being a dandy, she had believed that a young man capable of developing the Crimsongold Fluid should be extraordinary and brilliantly talented. But upon seeing him today... The rumors were true! To bring even a commoner into the Alchemy Competition and play to the gallery — could such a person truly have developed the Crimsongold Fluid? Yu Chuchu strongly suspected that Young Master Xu had plagiarized someone else's achievements!

“Subjected to dislike, passive points, 1.”

Xu Xiaoshou didn't understand why this woman, whom he had never met, would immediately dislike him upon encountering him. But... dislike him all the better! He chuckled cheerfully, unfazed by her tone, and asked with a smile, “You're Yu Chuchu? Guild Master Dongling's disciple? A Grade 6 alchemist? Grandmaster level? Wow, so there really are Grandmaster-level alchemists among our generation. You look so young, that's really impressive!” His voice was genuinely sincere, without a hint of sarcasm, as if truly filled with admiration.

Behind him, Xiao Wanfeng listened to this, subtly turning his head away, wanting to distance himself from Young Master Xu, but to no avail. This chatterbox... Yu Chuchu's red lips twitched. She suppressed the sarcastic remark that welled up to her mouth, choosing not to engage.

“Young Master Xu's name!” She picked up a numbered tag from the table, intending to record personal information, and asked without looking up.

“Are you asking for my formal name or my nickname?” Xu Xiaoshou asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He bent his knees, leaning down as if to get a better look at her delicate, cute face.

“Your real name!” Yu Chuchu glared, raising her eyes in annoyance.

“Xu Deyie.”

“Deyie?”

Xu Xiaoshou nodded: “My formal name is Xu Deyie, but you can also call me by my nickname, Xu Die.”

Yu Chuchu frowned, repeating “Xu Die,” then suddenly realized something was amiss. Her face flushed, and in a fit of exasperation, she carved “Young Master Xu” onto the numbered tag and tossed it over.

“Shameless!” She threw out the word and turned to leave.

“Heh heh…” Xu Xiaoshou fiddled with the numbered tag, glancing at “2381” written on it, then tossed it to Xiao Wanfeng behind him.

Xiao Wanfeng quickly caught it, then covered his ears. Sure enough, angry scolding and harsh criticisms immediately arose from the crowd.

“Despicable, shameless, vile!”

“He truly is a dandy! Is this all there is to a Half-Saint's successor? Is this it?”

“Young Master Xu, how dare you bully Chuchu? You're just a Grade 10 alchemist, while she's an alchemy grandmaster! You should use respectful language! How could you act like that?”

“But honestly, Miss Chuchu looks so cute when she's angry.”

“Wuwuwu, why doesn't Young Master Xu come bully me…” The speaker was a dark-skinned, chubby girl who only whined.

“Ugh!” A collective retch.

Xu Xiaoshou led Xiao Wanfeng, ignoring the curses of the crowd. Bearing the reputation of “Dandy Young Master Xu,” he entered the venue with a huge wave of passive points. He was constantly establishing a persona vastly different from “Holy Servant Xu Xiaoshou” to prevent anyone from linking his two identities. As a Half-Saint's successor, Xu Xiaoshou didn't even consider this minor teasing very 'dandy-like'. He felt he hadn't even tried hard yet! Playing an annoying character whose personality differed from his usual self... It was quite interesting, wasn't it?

Upon entering the competition venue, the view opened up significantly. The outer perimeter was packed with people. To the far north was the judges' panel, seating eighteen people. Beside it was an observation delegation, where dignitaries and representatives from the royal city's highest powers were seated. Notably, Hua Ying was among them. When Xu Xiaoshou's 'Perception' extended to that area, Hua Ying was looking at him with a conflicted expression. “This young lady…” Xu Xiaoshou found it amusing, knowing that she must also be confused by the constant shifts in his identity. But he chose not to make eye contact, as he still didn't fully understand the purpose of this young lady from the Cinderglow lineage.

His gaze dropped. The ground of the competition venue was divided into small sections, each separated by an array formation to prevent furnace explosions from affecting others. Xu Xiaoshou disliked competition venues with formations when there were spectators, but for an Alchemy Competition held publicly, formations were clearly essential.

“So many familiar auras…” His attention spread in all directions. On the surface, Xu Xiaoshou could detect familiar faces on the judges' panel like Dongling and Shi Ti. Covertly, he could also perceive hidden Red Coats and White Coats. His upgraded 'Perception' was very powerful, being at the Sovereign level. It was normal for Xu Xiaoshou to perceive Rao Yaoyao, who carried the Profound Azure Divine Sword in the void. Both being at the Sovereign level, and the other party wasn't deliberately hiding... As long as they didn't make eye contact, there would be no problem!

Each arrayed section on the ground had a number. Xu Xiaoshou walked around, noticing the highest number was “500.” Clearly, even though the venue was large, it could only accommodate a maximum of five hundred alchemists at once. As one of the last people to register, holding a number over two thousand, he estimated he would have to wait several rounds.

After the competition was announced to begin, ceremonial fireworks lit up the sky. While Xu Xiaoshou observed others, the surrounding alchemists were also scrutinizing this insensitive Grade 10 alchemist. He was the only Grade 10 alchemist in the venue... Was this person here just to pass the time?

As everyone pondered, Guild Master Dongling's voice resonated after the ceremonial fireworks of the Alchemy Competition: “First, let me introduce the rules of this competition. The competition will proceed in three rounds. The first round is an elimination round, selecting the top hundred. The second round is an advancement round, selecting the top ten. Those who qualify will receive a Royal City Trial Jade Pendant and, as alchemists competing in the Royal City Trial, may bring two guardians below the Grandmaster level to escort them into the venue. The third round is the final, selecting the champion, who will receive the ‘Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake’.”

Guild Master Dongling paused, seemingly giving everyone a moment to take a breath. As expected, once the reward for the final champion, the “Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake,” was announced, the venue erupted.

“Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake?!”

“Isn't that a supreme treasure from the City of Living Pagodas, one of the Nine Ancestral Trees, a Heavenly Flame that only the Firmament Tree can bear? The champion gets *that*?”

“My heavens, did I mishear, or has the Alchemist Association gone mad?”

“You certainly misheard. Guild Master Dongling said ‘Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake,’ not ‘Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake’!”

The crowd burst into chatter.

Xu Xiaoshou stood among the numerous alchemists, looking perplexed, observing the rapidly breathing alchemists around him. He felt like an anomaly. It was as if a piece of world-renowned common knowledge was unknown only to him. So Xu Xiaoshou turned to glance at Xiao Wanfeng. Xiao Wanfeng looked just as puzzled. Both were warriors, not purely alchemy practitioners, so naturally they didn't know the common knowledge of the alchemy world. Seeing Xiao Wanfeng's expression, Xu Xiaoshou felt a sense of comfort.

He suddenly started breathing rapidly, then glanced at Xiao Wanfeng with a disdainful look, as if saying, “What an ignorant bumpkin,” before turning back.

Xiao Wanfeng: ???

The young man realized something and also began to breathe rapidly, trying to blend in with the 'family'.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoshou had already moved, approaching the only peer he knew in the venue. He gently patted Yu Chuchu's shoulder and said softly, “My ignorant alchemy boy wants to ask you something but is too shy, so I can only ask on his behalf. What exactly is that ‘Small Azure Flower of Tranquil Lake’? It sounds very impressive.”

Xiao Wanfeng: ???

Yu Chuchu jumped. She hadn't even noticed when Young Master Xu had approached! When he wasn't touching her, he was like an invisible person; even her spiritual perception couldn't detect him... She glanced down at her shoulder, feeling as though she had been defiled. Truthfully, she didn't want to engage with Young Master Xu. However, the question wasn't what Young Master Xu wanted to ask, but what the seemingly harmless alchemy boy behind him was curious about. Yu Chuchu had previously seen Xiao Wanfeng's expression of 'shame to be associated with Young Master Xu,' knowing that this commoner was merely doing what he had to, earning money and performing tasks for others. At present, she could only look at Xiao Wanfeng and began to explain patiently.