Chapter 226: Easy Advancement (1)

[A/N: We are just a few more golden tickets away from reaching another milestone!!]

Stepping out of the room, Mu Qing wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, looked back with lingering fear, and muttered in a low voice:

"That was close! If he knew that promise was, ahem, never mind, never mind, let’s get first place first."

"By then, hehe, if you regret it, that’s fine, it’s not a big deal anyway."

As night deepened, Chen Chuan sat cross-legged on the bed, adjusting his state.

He was determined to win tomorrow’s Pill Refining Assembly.

And that promise, which Mu Qing was so secretive about, left a faint, lingering suspense in his heart, like a small hook.

.....

The next day, as the morning sun rose, ten thousand rays of golden light spilled across the massive square in the center of the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land.

Today, the place was packed with people, buzzing with noise and excitement.

The Pill Refining Assembly was one of the most high-profile events of the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land.

Around the white marble square, guests from various Sects and Holy Lands across the Desolate Heaven Immortal Domain, as well as a large number of Disciples from the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land, were already seated.

Their gazes were focused on the hundreds of Alchemy Furnaces of various shapes neatly arranged in the center of the square; the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance and the heat of fire, as everyone’s enthusiasm soared in anticipation of the upcoming fierce competition.

The Disciples of the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land were particularly excited, their conversations filled with pride and certainty.

"The top three of this assembly will surely be within our Myriad Medicine Sacred Land’s grasp!"

"Why stop at the top three? If you ask me, the top ten should all be our fellow Disciples. Looking across the Desolate Heaven Immortal Domain, who can stand shoulder to shoulder with our Myriad Medicine Sacred Land when it comes to the Dao of Alchemy?"

"Indeed, the Holy Sons and Saintesses are all Dragons and Phoenixes among men, leaders in the Dao of Alchemy. Not to mention, there is also Senior Sister Yao Xian, a rare Genius who only appears once in an age!"

At the mention of Yao Xian, many Disciples’ faces showed admiration and awe.

In the younger generation of the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land, the name Yao Xian was like an insurmountable Peak.

Just then, a discordant name was mentioned.

"I heard that guy named Chen Chuan from the Taiyi Holy Land claimed in the reception hall yesterday that he would take first place in this assembly?"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew a wave of sneers.

"Chen Chuan? You mean that fellow at the Half-Saint Realm, First Level? What a boastful claim!"

"For a Half-Saint Realm, breaking into the top twenty would be a stroke of incredible luck. To dare covet the position of champion? He simply doesn’t know the height of the heavens!"

"Haha, I remember years ago, a Disciple from the Taiyi Holy Land also came to the assembly, only to have his Alchemy Furnace explode in front of everyone. He was left in a sorry state and became a laughingstock for a long time. Do you think this Chen Chuan will also..."

"Heh, it’s highly likely! There will be a good show to watch then!"

Mockery and teasing were heard incessantly; almost everyone viewed Chen Chuan as an overconfident buffoon, waiting to see how he would make a fool of himself today.

In the VIP seats, just as Mu Qing sat down, a sarcastic voice came from beside him.

"Old Ghost Mu, where is your prized Disciple? He didn’t get cold feet and get scared to come, did he?" Ye Qingfeng said, stroking his beard with a fake smile.

Hai Yan also sneered: "Mu Qing, yesterday your Disciple was just showing off with his words, but today is a real battle of Alchemy. Talk alone won’t do any good."

Wang Shishan shook his head, feigning a sigh: "Alas, young people don’t know the height of the heavens. As his Master, you didn’t even try to stop him. If he loses too miserably later, where will you hide your old face?"

Mu Qing let out a cold snort, his chin slightly raised, looking completely unperturbed:

"Hmph, you three old fogies, talk is cheap. We’ll see whose Disciple is better soon enough. When the time comes, don’t go crying over your Origin Stones."

"Stubborn!" Ye Qingfeng and the other two said in unison, their faces full of disdain.

Just then, a presiding Elder from the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land flew into the center of the square, his voice booming like a bell:

"The time has come. All participants of the Pill Refining Assembly, please take your places and select your Alchemy Furnaces!"

As his voice fell, figures streaked into the square from all directions; these were the contestants of the assembly.

Chen Chuan was among them. With a calm expression, he casually walked over to a rather ancient-looking Alchemy Furnace and stood still.

Once everyone was in position, the presiding Elder looked around and began to announce the rules:

"The Pill Refining Assembly is divided into three rounds with eliminations after each. For the first round, you will refine a saint-grade elixir: the Saint Breaking Pill!"

"Medicinal ingredients have been prepared before each of you, identical in quantity and quality. If the quality of the resulting pill reaches Low-Grade, you will advance. The final score will be evaluated based on the pill’s quality and the time taken."

The Saint Breaking Pill was an auxiliary Medicinal Pill that helped Cultivators at the Peak of the Half-Saint Realm break through to the Holy Son Realm. Although it was only a Low-Grade saint-grade elixir, the refining process had extremely high requirements for heat control and medicinal property Fusion, serving as a significant test of basic skills.

"Alchemy, begin!"

With the Elder’s command, the atmosphere in the square instantly became solemn and intense.

Hundreds of contestants moved almost simultaneously, some focusing their minds and calming their breath, others forming hand seals.

For a moment, flames flickered across the square in a riot of colors.

Most contestants, including Ye Wuhen, Su Yingxue, Feng Lingxiao, and several Holy Sons and Saintesses of the Myriad Medicine Sacred Land, were using various types of rare Beast Flames.

Beast Flames were violent and intense, often possessing an advantage over ordinary Earth Fire, allowing for better tempering of medicinal ingredients.

Some, like Yao Xian, even had a wisp of pale green Spirit Fire dancing on their fingertips, drawing gasps from the surroundings.

However, when the crowd’s gaze swept over Chen Chuan, they couldn’t help but be stunned.

Chen Chuan was unhurried, merely activating the Earth Fire Formation pre-set beneath the Alchemy Furnace.