131: First place in the first round!

In the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect area, Li Miaoer was so excited she nearly jumped up, but was smilingly pulled back by Liu Yunshu.

Luo Qingxue looked at the figure in the cyan robe on the stage, a faint ripple of a smile spreading in her ice-cold eyes.

Even Yan Lingluo let out a soft 'tsk' sound, a sign of acknowledgment.

On the high platform, Yan Mo took a deep breath and slowly sat down. The look he gave Lu Yu was now completely different, filled with scrutiny and a trace of... fervor.

Such flames, such Alchemy talent, if he could... The Pill Tower Elder, however, furrowed his brows and whispered instructions to the person beside him:

"Immediately investigate all information about this youth, especially the origin of those flames!"

Meanwhile, in the competitor area, Xiao Yan clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails nearly pierced his flesh.

Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire... So it really was him!

The grudge of having his fire stolen, compounded now by being completely overshadowed in Alchemy... Old hatred and new resentment surged in his heart.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down, his eyes regaining their sharpness.

So what if you have an Immortal Fire?

Alchemy isn't just about the flames!

He still had countless secret techniques taught by his teacher, and the deep heritage of the Pill Tower!

The first round was only about material identification and purification. The next two rounds are where true skill will be revealed!

He no longer looked at Lu Yu, lowering his head to focus even more intently on completing his remaining purification. His movements became even steadier and faster than before.

Under his control, the purple flames also erupted with greater spirituality.

Yan Linger also withdrew her gaze, her stunning face regaining its composure, though the cluster of pale golden flames burned even more fiercely.

As the Fentian Saintess, she had her own pride.

Stimulated by this, the other geniuses also gave it their all, each bringing out their unique skills. For a moment, the flames in the plaza blazed even brighter, a subtle atmosphere of rivalry having been thoroughly ignited by Lu Yu.

Having done all this, Lu Yu acted as if nothing had happened. He patted the non-existent dust off his hands, casually closed the lids of the few remaining untouched jade boxes, and neatly arranged them on the platform.

Then, with arms crossed, he leaned against the Alchemy platform, watching the performances of the other competitors with great interest. His leisurely demeanor stood in stark contrast to the tense and intense atmosphere around him.

Finally, that stick of incense slowly burned out.

Buzz—

All the light barriers dissipated simultaneously.

The first round had ended.

The several Fentian Sacred Valley Elders in charge of judging immediately began collecting the identity jade tokens and the data from the inspection crystal steles.

The process was quick. The results were almost instantly compiled and displayed on a massive light screen hovering above the plaza.

At the very top of the light screen, one name stood at the pinnacle, its score dazzlingly high, leaving the second place far behind:

First Place: Lu Yu, Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect — Identification: Full Score, Average Purification Purity: 99%!

Second Place: Lin Xiaoyou, Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect — Identification: Near Full Score, Average Purification Purity: 96%.

Third Place: Yan Linger, Fentian Sacred Valley — Identification: Near Full Score, Average Purification Purity: 95%.

Fourth Place: Xiao Yan, Pill Tower — Identification: Near Full Score, Average Purification Purity: 94.8%.

Fifth Place: Qing Xuan, Azure Luan Clan... Sixth Place: Lin Zheng, Pill Tower... Seventh Place: Ghost Hand, Heavenly Fiend Hall... As the results came out, another wave of astonished murmurs swept through the crowd.

Lu Yu's outrageous score and purity solidified his position as the top contender.

Lin Xiaoyou, Yan Linger, and Xiao Yan followed closely behind, the gaps between them small, indicating fierce competition.

The young geniuses from the Pill Tower and Fentian Sacred Valley basically occupied the majority of the top twenty spots, a testament to their profound heritage.

However, no one expected this Lin Xiaoyou from the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect to possess such strength, even ranking above Yan Linger!

It was astonishing, as few had heard of this Lin Xiaoyou before.

Yan Mo looked at the light screen and announced clearly:

"The first round has concluded! The top one hundred will advance to the second round! The rest are eliminated. Thank you for your participation."

As his words fell, the lights in many Alchemy areas dimmed. The young alchemists within left dejectedly, their gazes toward the figures in the front rows filled with envy and unwillingness.

Lu Yu stretched lazily and turned to head back to the spectator seats.

Passing by Xiao Yan's Alchemy platform, their eyes met briefly.

Xiao Yan's gaze was icy, carrying undisguised Battle Intent and a trace of hidden hatred.

Lu Yu, however, smiled at him. The smile held little warmth, more like... a sense of amusement at seeing an interesting prey.

Fury rose in Xiao Yan's heart, but he forcibly suppressed it, merely snorting coldly and turning his face away.

Lu Yu didn't mind, strolling back leisurely.

As soon as he stepped into the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect area, he was pounced on by Li Miaoer.

"Junior Martial Brother! You're amazing! Hiding your skills so well!"

The cat-girl was so excited her tail was wagging wildly.

Liu Yunshu also stepped forward, gently smoothing out the front of his robe that had been mussed by Li Miaoer, her eyes full of joy and pride. "I truly didn't expect your Alchemy skills to be so outstanding as well."

Luo Qingxue stood to the side and said softly, "Congratulations."

A faint smile was present in her ice-cold eyes.

Yan Lingluo stood with her arms crossed, keeping her distance.

Lu Yu responded to each with a smile, in rather good spirits.

This first round had achieved good results.

It was a small test, verifying the power of Immortal Rank knowledge and the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire, successfully attracting everyone's attention, and incidentally... giving a certain son of destiny a little shock.

He looked up towards the high platform. Yan Mo had already risen to his feet again.

"A half-hour rest period."

Yan Mo's voice echoed throughout the venue.

"Afterwards, we will proceed with the second round: 'Formula Determination and Pill Formation'. This round will test your true comprehensive Alchemy strength! I hope those who have advanced will prepare well!"

Formula Determination and Pill Formation?

Lu Yu stroked his chin, a flicker of interest flashing in his eyes.

That sounded much more interesting than simple purification.

During the half-hour rest period, the atmosphere in the plaza was subtle. Those who advanced seized the time to meditate and regulate their breathing, or exchanged low whispers with their companions.

Countless gazes, both overt and covert, were focused on Lu Yu.

What kind of performance would this Tianyan Divine Son, who had appeared out of nowhere wielding a strange Immortal Fire and claimed the top spot in the preliminary round with overwhelming dominance, bring in the second round?

The excitement of the Alchemy Convention seemed to have only just begun.

And the true fierce battle, the clash of titans, was about to erupt completely in the next round.

The half-hour rest period wasn't particularly long, nor was it short.

The buzzing of discussions in the plaza never ceased, with most topics revolving around Lu Yu.

At the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect's location, Disciples from other Sects kept peeking over, their eyes a mix of curiosity, scrutiny, envy, and jealousy.

Li Miaoer was getting annoyed by the stares. Her cat ears perked up, and she bared her teeth slightly, scaring a few of the more timid ones into quickly pulling their heads back.

Liu Yunshu sat quietly beside Lu Yu. She took out a simple set of white tea utensils from her storage ring and began unhurriedly boiling water and brewing tea.

The water was special cold spring water, and the tea was the 'Snow Peak Mist' previously gifted by Luo Qingxue. Her movements were fluid and graceful, carrying a calming aura.

She poured a cup and handed it to Lu Yu. "To moisten your throat."

Lu Yu took it. The tea was warm, refreshing and sweet with a lingering aftertaste, truly comforting.

He glanced not far away. Luo Qingxue was speaking softly with a few fellow Disciples from the Canglan Sacred Sect. Seeming to sense his gaze, her ice-blue eyes turned towards him. They met briefly before she naturally looked away, though the tips of her ears seemed to faintly redden.

Yan Lingluo remained leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed, eyes closed as if resting, exuding an aura of 'don't bother me.' No one dared approach within three meters of her.