71: Chapter 71 So many people? I'll join in the fun too!

Three days later.

Zhaoyue Dynasty, Tianshu Plaza.

Tens of thousands of Cultivators surrounded the perimeter of the plaza, the noise levels rising to a roar.

In the center of the plaza, hundreds of Alchemy platforms were lined up.

Alchemy Geniuses from various Sects and aristocratic families had entered early, standing before their respective Pill Furnaces to check their Spirit Medicine.

The Imperial Dynasty's Imperial Guards, holding long halberds, separated the onlookers from the Alchemy area.

On the high platform in the north, a purple-gold Phoenix throne was set up.

Beside the Phoenix throne, a cloud-patterned armchair was placed side-by-side.

Several high-ranking officials of the Imperial Dynasty, dressed in court attire, stood on both sides of the high platform with their heads bowed and hands hanging down.

"The Empress has arrived!" an attendant announced, drawing out his voice.

Empress Yun Zhiyue descended from the sky.

She had changed out of her usual casual clothes and was wearing a bright red Phoenix robe that trailed on the ground.

Her long hair was coiled high, and she wore a Flying Phoenix crown.

The Imperial Dynasty's Luck swirled around her, forming faint rings of golden light.

She walked to the Phoenix throne but did not sit down immediately.

Jiang Han also emerged from not far away at this moment.

He was wearing an ink-colored robe today, with dark patterns embroidered on the lapels.

Empress Yun Zhiyue turned her head and raised a finger to point at the cloud-patterned armchair beside her.

"Little one, sit."

After spending several days together, Empress Yun Zhiyue's interest in Jiang Han had only grown.

Whether it was his cultivation, his knowledge, or just him as a person, Jiang Han gave her a very different feeling.

Jiang Han did not stand on ceremony with Empress Yun Zhiyue and took his seat calmly.

Only then did Empress Yun Zhiyue sit down as well.

The two sat side-by-side at the highest point, overlooking the entire Tianshu Plaza below.

Meanwhile, Su Ningyu, Liu Qingcheng, and Qiushui had been arranged by Empress Yun Zhiyue to watch from the other side.

In a corner of the plaza in front of an Alchemy platform, Xiao Chen was wearing a simple gray robe, his hands pressed against the stone table.

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the dense crowd, staring fixedly at the high platform.

Empress Yun Zhiyue was so dazzling that he could not tear his eyes away.

But when his peripheral vision shifted to the side, he saw that Jiang Han was actually sitting on equal footing with Empress Yun Zhiyue!

Even the Imperial Dynasty's veteran officials could only stand on the side.

The two were sitting extremely close, and he could even clearly see the brilliance in Empress Yun Zhiyue's eyes when she turned her head to speak with Jiang Han.

Crack.

A pebble was crushed by Xiao Chen.

Empress Yun Zhiyue belonged to him!

This was supposed to be his Opportunity.

He was supposed to have cured the Empress's poison and sat in that position to receive the worship of thousands.

This Jiang Han was stealing his things over and over again.

On the high platform, a white-haired retainer of the Zhaoyue Dynasty stepped into the air and hovered directly above the plaza.

"For the Wanbang Alchemy Competition, there is only one rule."

The retainer's spiritual power surged, his voice drowning out the noise in the plaza.

"One round determines the winner!"

"The time limit is three hours."

"The winner will be judged based on the grade, luster, and efficacy of the finished pill."

"The victor will be allowed to enter the national treasury to choose one ten-thousand-year-old divine medicine and will be bestowed the title of Chief Imperial Alchemist of the Imperial Dynasty!"

"The Great Competition, begin!"

The retainer waved his sleeve, and a massive phantom of a water clock appeared in mid-air.

Water droplets began to fall.

The plaza instantly became busy.

Hundreds of Alchemy Geniuses began to channel their spiritual power.

Spirit flames of various colors rose up.

Red beast fire, green wood fire, and even the extremely rare light purple earth fire.

The fragrance of medicine began to fill the air above the plaza.

Xiao Chen stood in place, not rushing to start.

He glanced at the Alchemists around him who were busy and covered in sweat, and let out a soft sneer.

He raised his right hand and spread his five fingers.

Boom!

A ball of flame burst from his palm.

This flame was extremely peculiar; one half was bright white, while the other half was pure black.

The black and white flames intertwined and wrapped around each other.

With a flick of his wrist, the black and white flames dropped directly into the bottom of the bronze Pill Furnace in front of him.

This was the very method he had relied on to become famous in his past life: the Heaven and Earth Yin and Yang Fire!

With the fire in the furnace, Xiao Chen grabbed the Spirit Medicine placed on the stone table with his left hand.

Without even looking, he threw more than a dozen stalks of Spirit Medicine into the Pill Furnace all at once.

With such a technique, if it were an ordinary Alchemist, the Pill Furnace would have already exploded.

But the Heaven and Earth Yin and Yang Fire instantly enveloped those Spirit Medicines.

The white fire refined the medicinal liquid, and the black fire removed the Impurities.

In just a few seconds, more than a dozen stalks of Spirit Medicine turned into a ball of liquid essence, floating in the center of the Pill Furnace.

The crowd in the stands let out gasps of surprise.

"What kind of flame is that?"

"Such fast refining speed!"

"Look at that gray-robed kid's technique; it's simply unheard of!"

In the VIP seating area, an old man wearing a green robe stood up abruptly.

He was an Elder from Medicine King Valley, who had come specifically to bring his Disciples to participate in the competition.

The old man pressed his hands on the railing, his eyes fixed on the Pill Furnace in front of Xiao Chen.

"Yin and Yang in harmony, water and fire blending..."

The beard on the old man's chin trembled.

"This kind of fire control technique is the only one I have seen in my life!"

He turned his head to look at the several Medicine King Valley Disciples behind him.

"Watch carefully!"

"This child is a once-in-ten-thousand-year Alchemy Genius!"

"If I am not mistaken, what he is refining is a lost ancient prescription, the Dragon Departure Fire Chant Pill!"

The old man did not deliberately lower his voice.

The representatives of the various major forces nearby heard it clearly.

Everyone's gaze converged on that inconspicuous corner where Xiao Chen was.

Even many Geniuses who were in the middle of Alchemy stopped their work and turned to look.

Xiao Chen felt the gazes converging from all around.

The feeling of being high above others from his past life returned to him.

This was the feeling.

Being the center of attention!

His hands quickly formed seals, and intricate incantations were cast into the Pill Furnace.

A faint Dragon roar sounded from within the Pill Furnace.

The fragrance of the pill turned into a faint red phantom, circling the mouth of the furnace.

He stabilized the heat of the Pill Furnace.

Taking a moment, he raised his head and looked towards the high platform.

He wanted to see Jiang Han's expression right now.

He wanted to let Jiang Han know that even if his Opportunity had been stolen, he, Xiao Chen, still had enough capital to win everything back.

His gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the high platform.

Empress Yun Zhiyue was sitting on the Phoenix throne, supporting her chin with one hand, looking down with some boredom.

But beside her, on that cloud-patterned armchair, it was empty.

Jiang Han was gone.

Xiao Chen was stunned for a moment.

Where was he?

Could it be that upon seeing his peerless talent, he knew he was inferior and ran away because he was too ashamed to keep watching?

While controlling the fire, Xiao Chen divided his focus to search for Jiang Han's figure in the crowd.

After searching a circle, he did not find any trace of Jiang Han.

Just as he withdrew his gaze and was preparing to perform the final step of forming the pill, the sound of wind breaking came from mid-air, and a figure descended from the sky.

His feet landed on the ground.

The figure landed steadily in the very center of the plaza, in front of the only golden Alchemy platform.

That was the position reserved for the Chief Alchemist of the Zhaoyue Dynasty, which had been empty all day.

The tens of thousands of people in the stands fell silent at the same time.

The Medicine King Valley Elder also stopped stroking his beard.

The incantation in Xiao Chen's hands paused for a moment, and the flames in his Pill Furnace flickered.

He looked at the person standing in front of the golden Alchemy platform.

Jiang Han!

Jiang Han waved one hand, and the high-grade Pill Furnace that Qiushui had recently bought landed on the golden platform.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue, and finally crossing the dense crowd, it landed on Xiao Chen.

Jiang Han patted the edge of the Pill Furnace, his voice spreading out.

"Since the Empress has widely invited the Alchemy talents of the world."

"Then this Saint will also join in the fun."