"Contestants, please place your pills inside to begin the testing."
Xiao Jietian and the other three were in no hurry to put their pills in.
At this moment, many participating alchemists had already placed their pills inside. Green and red lights of varying intensity constantly intertwined, creating a shimmering sea of light.
The expressions on stage shifted dramatically. Those whose pills emitted a green light were overjoyed, some even jumping with excitement.
As for those whose pills glowed red, their reactions were even more varied—some turned deathly pale, some were ashamed, some were furious—a vivid display of shifting emotions.
"Dammit, we finally refined the pill. Why do these old men have to come up with so many tricky tests?"
"I barely managed to fuse all the medicinal powders, and now they pull this stunt..."
"..."
Some of those who failed under the red light shook their heads and left dejectedly, while others flicked their sleeves and strode out of the square, cursing under their breath.
The previous refining round had already eliminated nearly half the participants. Now, this second test eliminated nearly a hundred more.
Those who remained on stage were basically contestants with considerable skill.
"Mr. Yan Xiao, I wonder if you'd be interested in competing to see whose pill is of higher quality."
Liu Ling turned to Xiao Yan and issued a challenge.
He thought to himself, Hmph, Yan Xiao, how good can the pill you frantically threw together at the last minute be? I'll make you lose face in front of Yanran, and then let's see how you dare to show yourself before her again.
Victory is mine!
"Not interested."
"Is Mr. Yan Xiao afraid?"
Xiao Yan ignored him and instead nodded to Xiao Jietian and Princess Yao Yue.
"Mr. Xiao Jietian, Mr. Yan Xiao, shall we proceed together?"
Princess Yao Yue lightly shook the jade bottle in her hand and smiled at the two. As for Liu Ling, ever since she listened to his overconfident analysis last time—which led to her failing to befriend them—she had held a slight grudge.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, while Xiao Jietian shook his head. Seeing this, Princess Yao Yue didn't insist.
"Xiao Jietian, do you dare to compete with me? You finished refining so early—could it be you only produced a defective product?"
When Xiao Yan ignored him, Liu Ling's face darkened, and he turned to glare at Xiao Jietian.
"Idiot."
Xiao Jietian glanced at him with disdain. He wondered if Liu Ling's narrow-mindedness had shrunk even further, making him lash out at everyone. Clearly, he'd never faced real setbacks—a pampered brat through and through.
Xiao Jietian shifted his gaze to a figure in a secluded corner, completely wrapped in a gray robe.
Seeing this attire, Xiao Jietian knew this must be Yan Li, the Vice President of the Izumo Empire's Alchemist Guild.
"Win against him first, then talk."
Liu Ling, ignored by both, trembled slightly with rage.
He followed Xiao Jietian's gaze.
"Isn't he just a Second-Rank Alchemist? Who are you looking down on?"
Liu Ling saw the Second-Rank Alchemist badge on the other person and spoke coldly.
"Fool, I hope you'll still be this confident later."
The gray-robed man noticed Xiao Jietian looking at him and felt a flicker of tension inside. He raised his head, and his ice-blue eyes met Xiao Jietian's, a cold smirk curling on his lips.
"A Third-Rank Alchemist? Still not enough to impress me."
Xiao Yan and the other two placed their pills into the testing device. The three were in the most prominent positions and were among the top favorites to win the convention.
As the device operated rapidly, the jade mirror on it erupted with a dense green light. The intensity of that color was noticeably richer than any other green light seen on the field earlier.
"Wow, what brilliant light! As expected of the seeded contestants." Exclamations and praises rose from below the stage.
Among the three, Xiao Yan's light was the densest—green as jade—followed by Liu Ling's, and finally Princess Yao Yue's.
Liu Ling's mouth twitched slightly, and his hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves, wishing he could shatter the jade mirror in front of him.
"What is Xiao Jietian doing? Why hasn't he tested yet? Is he not confident in the pill he refined?"
Seeing Xiao Jietian's prolonged inaction—instead staring toward the corner—Otto's tone from the VIP platform was full of doubt.
"I still have great faith in his strength. That's impossible." Fa Ma also frowned slightly.
"Huh, that gray-robed man Xiao Jietian is looking at has a problem. Something is very off."
Fa Ma was also puzzled by Xiao Jietian's behavior. He followed his gaze and let out a soft 'huh,' his previously hunched body straightening instantly.
"I don't see any issue." Hai Bodong also looked over, carefully observing.
"You're not an alchemist, so of course you wouldn't notice. Under my soul perception, that guy's soul power is incredibly strong. Even Gu He's soul power wasn't this potent when he participated in the Alchemist Convention."
Fa Ma shook his head, speaking with a frown.
Yan Li also noticed Xiao Jietian watching him. His hand, which was about to place the pill, paused. He made a gesture with his index finger—pointing upward and shaking it side to side at Xiao Jietian—a cold smirk on his lips. Then, he placed the pill into the device.
"A bunch of mediocre, useless people."
The gray-robed man laughed, his voice sharp and piercing.
A moment later, a brilliant green light pillar suddenly shot out from the stone platform in front of the gray-robed man, its brightness even more intense than Xiao Yan's.
"Dammit, where did this guy come from?"
Liu Ling's face turned extremely ugly. He had initially thought Xiao Jietian was afraid of him and using this person as a shield, but who knew he truly couldn't compare to the gray-robed man? Anger and confusion twisted in his eyes.
"This person seems to be an alchemist from the Izumo Empire." Princess Yao Yue noticed a badge on the gray-robed man—a brilliant sun rising from the horizon, the symbol of the Izumo Empire.
"Someone from the Izumo Empire?" Liu Ling regained his composure upon hearing the Little Princess's words and muttered, "I lost to Xiao Yan, and now I have to lose to someone from a rival force? How frustrating. This is getting interesting."
"Chelsea, get me his information immediately!" Fa Ma said sternly to an alchemist beside him.
Chelsea had already sensed something was wrong when Fa Ma and Hai Bodong were talking earlier and had prepared the relevant information.
"Guild Master, here is that person's information." Chelsea hurriedly handed the information to Fa Ma.
"A Second-Rank Alchemist from the Izumo Empire? But in my perception, that guy's soul strength is at least Rank 4."
Fa Ma reviewed the information, his expression shifting as he spoke gravely.
"When he registered, the identity he gave was a Second-Rank Alchemist. A seventeen-year-old Rank 4 Alchemist—Guild Master, do you think that's possible?"
Chelsea replied to Fa Ma with a bitter smile.
"My senses cannot be wrong. This guy definitely has a problem, though he doesn't appear to be in disguise."
Fa Ma's brow furrowed. "It doesn't rule out the possibility of a special disguise pill, but such pills are practically extinct."
"Then how does his soul power compare to Xiao Jietian's?"
Hai Bodong thought of something and asked.
"Xiao Jietian's is much stronger than his. We only noticed this person because Xiao Jietian spotted him first." Fa Ma pondered for a moment, then looked at Hai Bodong as if realizing something.
"Xiao Jietian hasn't tested yet. Perhaps he's waiting for him." Hai Bodong quietly offered reassurance.
"Now, we can only rely on Xiao Jietian." Fa Ma sighed. If an alchemist from an enemy nation outperformed their local alchemists, his Alchemist Guild would lose considerable face.
Xiao Jietian placed the pill in his hand into the testing device.
As the device vibrated, the jade mirror began to shift through a spectrum of colors continuously...