Breaking the Masked Man

Those who perform exceptionally well will inevitably be sought after by various forces.

The alchemists who were able to enter the square today were all elites who had been rigorously selected by the conference. At this moment, this group of people were sitting cross-legged, adjusting their state. Most of the alchemists who were able to persist to the last round were not weak in terms of strength and composure. No one wanted to leave the stage in disappointment because of a small mistake in this final round of assessment.

"Boom~"

A clear, crisp chime resounded throughout the square.

The location of the VIP seats on the high platform.

Fama, the alchemist guild master of the Gama Empire, slowly stepped forward, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd below. As the surrounding noise gradually subsided, his aged yet gentle voice rang in everyone's ears: "Everyone, today's assessment will be the final round of the tournament, and the final winner will be the champion of this tournament. So, for the sake of your efforts, give it your all today!"

As his words fell, the atmosphere in the entire square instantly reached a climax, with deafening roars soaring into the sky.

In the center of the square, a man dressed in a hemp robe looked solemnly at the medicine cauldron in front of him with a determined gaze. He firmly believed that today would be the day when Guhe would become famous, and he would not let down his more than ten years of hard work!

As Famo announced the rules for the final round of the competition, the alchemists below lit their cauldrons and began refining pills.

Fa Ma slowly turned around and sat back in his seat. At this moment, sitting next to him were Jia Xingtian, the emperor of the Jia Ma Empire, and Yun Shan, the sect leader of Yunlan Mountain. Both of them were peak nine-star Dou Huang experts, and their status was not much different. They were also old acquaintances of Fa Ma. The three of them could be considered old guys of the same generation.

Jia Xingtian stroked his goatee, his shrewd eyes gleaming. He glanced at Fa Ma and chuckled, "In the blink of an eye, the Alchemist Conference you founded has already reached its fifth session. Now, its reputation is known even in neighboring countries. I imagine the next conference will be even more impressive!"

"Hehe, this matter is largely thanks to the assistance of the Gama Empire; otherwise, the Alchemist Guild alone could not have achieved this."

Fa Ma said with a smile, his aged appearance making one worry that he might collapse.

Jia Xingtian let out a soft sigh, as if lamenting the passage of time: "I only provided convenience. The success of the event is also due to your own ability. But time really flies; another eight years have passed."

The Alchemist Conference is held every eight years, and its scale grows larger with each conference. I vaguely remember the first Alchemist Conference, which had only a few dozen attendees. Now, the number of attendees has reached nearly a thousand, with almost all the alchemists from the entire Gama Empire participating. Even alchemists from neighboring countries have heard of it.

"Time really flies. Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye... Unfortunately, our strength has not improved at all. The barrier between Dou Huang and Dou Zong is truly despairing."

Yun Shan, who had been silent all along, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were clear and bright. Despite his white hair and youthful face, he did not look old. However, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. He had been stuck at the peak of the nine-star Dou Huang for far too long. It was not a few years, but decades, or even nearly a hundred years.

Compared to Yunshan, Jia Xingtian was no less remarkable. Both of them were renowned geniuses in their youth. In fact, Jia Xingtian's establishment of the Jia Ma Empire was largely due to the help of the Yunlan Sect.

But as time went by, the once-genius teenagers have now become two old men about to turn to dust.

"Dou Zong..."

A longing appeared in Jia Xingtian's eyes, but it was just a longing after all. Dou Huang and Dou Zong were two completely different realms. The barrier between the two was enough to make countless geniuses despair. It was said that in the prosperous Central State, only Dou Zong could be considered a true strongman.

Fa Ma remained silent. He had no intention of breaking through to the Dou Zong level, because his talent for cultivating Dou Qi was not very strong. He was able to possess the strength of a Dou Huang, which was largely due to his status as a fifth-grade alchemist. As for breaking through to the next level, given his age and talent, he estimated that his chances in this lifetime were slim.

Rather than cultivating battle qi, he hoped to train more genius alchemists in his lifetime.

Just then, Yun Shan suddenly said, "After this conference ends, I will go into seclusion and will not emerge until I break through to the Dou Zong level. After that, I will hand over all affairs of the Yunlan Sect to Yun Yun, who will succeed me as the new sect leader of the Yunlan Sect."

One sentence immediately startled Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma, who then looked at the aloof woman beside Yun Shan. Her expression was calm and elegant, like a figure in a painting.

Yunshan continued, "Yunyun has good talent and a calm temperament. With her in charge of Yunlan Mountain, there will be no conflict with the Jia Ma Empire. In this way, I can go into seclusion with peace of mind, and you old thing can also rest easy."

After saying that, he looked at Jia Xingtian with a mocking gaze. He was clearly aware of Jia Xingtian's ulterior motives, but he had never bothered to argue with him in the past.

Because Yunshan has always been very clear that in the Dou Qi Continent, strength is paramount. All schemes and tricks are insignificant in the face of absolute power. Once he truly breaks through to the Dou Zong level, can the Jia Ma Empire still stop the rise of the Yunlan Sect?

"I understand what you mean. Don't worry, the Jia Ma Empire and the Yunlan Sect will maintain the current status quo."

Jia Xingtian was silent for a while before slowly saying that he would not stop Yun Shan from going into seclusion. As for whether the other party would break through to the Dou Zong level... If it were before, he might have been a little worried, but now that he had made contact with Yao Yan, this genius alchemist, the threat that Yun Shan posed to him no longer existed.

Yunshan pondered for a moment, then changed the subject: "Where did Hai Bodong go?"

He planned to see Hai Bodong again before going into seclusion and say hello. As Yun Yun's teacher, how could he leave her with a mess? Yun Yun only had the strength of a seven-star Dou Wang, so he had to plan ahead for some things.

Jia Xingtian's eyes flickered slightly, and he was just about to change the subject when he suddenly sensed a cold aura from afar, as cold as ice, and the other party was rapidly approaching at an extremely fast speed.

Yunshan and Fama both sensed this familiar aura.

Fama chuckled and said, "Here we are!"

Those squinty eyes also opened slightly, staring at the figure rushing towards them from afar. As a Dou Huang powerhouse, his eyesight was naturally excellent.

"That was quite a commotion!"

Jia Xingtian said helplessly, his eyes filled with more struggle. He felt that Hai Bodong's arrival would leak the news about Yao Yan. If that old man Yunshan knew about Yao Yan's existence, given his personality, he would definitely not continue his seclusion.

Soon, Hai Bodong transformed into a streak of light and landed on the high platform. This sudden change naturally attracted the attention of many people, but after they discovered Hai Bodong's identity, they all withdrew their gaze.

The circle of Dou Huang is obviously different from that of those below Dou Huang.

This can be seen from the VIP seating.

Looking at the spirited Hai Bodong, Yunshan's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Upon sensing the other's aura, he couldn't help but ask, "You've broken through?!"

"kindness."

Hai Bodong spoke succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the few old men present, a smile appearing on his lips. He had thought he would have to visit each one individually, but unexpectedly, it was such a coincidence that they had all come to attend the Alchemist Conference. But this was good, as it would save him a lot of trouble.

Fa Ma also scrutinized Hai Bodong, even sniffing the air and slightly opening his eyes, saying in surprise, "You still have a faint medicinal fragrance on you, what kind of miraculous medicine are you hiding?"

As a senior fifth-grade alchemist, his soul power was quite good, and his sense of smell was keen. He could clearly smell the scent on Hai Bodong's body. The medicinal fragrance mixed on Hai Bodong's body was quite strong. But Hai Bodong was not an alchemist, so where did this medicinal fragrance come from?

Hai Bodong didn't mince words. He leaned against the high platform and chatted lazily with the group, including Yao Yan's age, talent, background, strength, and so on. After finishing, he continued, "Now this young master wants to build a force, starting with the Snake People and the Gama Empire. The Snake People have already joined, and the remaining force is the Gama Empire."

Wait until he finishes speaking.

Fa Ma was the first to lose his temper and questioned, "A sixth-grade alchemist who's not even seventeen? Hai Bodong, are you sure?!"

His eyes were already open, staring at Hai Bodong with extreme seriousness. He felt an indescribable shock, as if all the alchemy he had cultivated over the past hundred years had been wasted. Even if he knew that geniuses existed in this world, they couldn't be this exaggerated.

"Don't believe me? Then you can ask Jia Xingtian."

Hai Bodong was very satisfied with Fa Ma's attitude, smiled knowingly, and looked at the old guy Jia Xingtian.

Jia Xingtian fell silent under the gaze of the others. After a moment, he slowly said, "It should be true. Although I have never seen him refine pills, Hai Bodong's sudden improvement in strength and what happened on the Snake-People's side have already explained some things."

Yunshan's lips twitched. Thinking of Jia Xingtian, who had remained silent all along, he suspected that if he went into seclusion this time, the old man Jia Xingtian would keep this a secret forever.

"A genius alchemist from Central Plains?"

Fa Ma said bitterly, his open eyes looking down at the in-depth alchemist conference below. Suddenly, he felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness. Compared to Yao Yan, these 'young alchemists' below, who were almost thirty years old, seemed extremely ridiculous. Moreover, the strongest among them was only at the fourth rank.

If they knew about Yao Yan's deeds, many people might give up alchemy altogether.

Hai Bodong shook his head, his eyes showing a hint of melancholy and complexity. He said in a low voice, "He's more than just a genius, he's a monster. To be precise, he should be seventeen years old now. I personally witnessed him go from a Great Dou Master to a Dou Spirit. Before I left, he had already cultivated to a Seven-Star Dou Spirit. I estimate that in another month or two, after he refines the Strange Flame, he will be able to break through to Dou King. And that's just his Dou Qi level. What's most amazing is his physical strength. With just his physical body, he can withstand Queen Medusa's attack head-on without being defeated!"

For others, someone like Yao Yan is a blow, a blow in every way!

Yun Yun's thin lips were pressed tightly together, and her fists were clenched. Her usually calm and composed state of mind, which could face everything with equanimity, was now turbulent with Hai Bodong's words.

She was also praised as a genius by her teachers.

But now, compared to this doctor, she felt ridiculous.

Her former confidence and arrogance suddenly became insignificant. At the age of twenty-four, she had only cultivated to the level of a seven-star Dou Wang, while Yao Yan, whom Hai Bodong mentioned, was about to reach the Dou Wang level at the age of seventeen. Moreover, Yao Yan was a sixth-grade alchemist. The gap between them was truly despairing.

Yunshan fell silent. He knew what this meant. If everything was as Hai Bodong said, and the boy named Yaoyan had such terrifying talent, then joining him would undoubtedly be a great opportunity. But all of this was based on the premise that Yaoyan really possessed such talent and background. This matter concerned the future of the entire Yunlan Sect, and he would not just listen to Hai Bodong's few words.

He can only make a decision after he meets Master Yaoyan.

Jia Xingtian remained silent, not immediately agreeing. As the emperor of the Jia Ma Empire, how could he be willing to be someone's concubine? Especially since Yao Yan currently lacked the overwhelming strength; everything was merely talent. How could he willingly allow the other party to subjugate the entire Jia Ma Empire with just a few words?

Maintaining a good relationship might be a better option than joining the other side directly.

"If he truly possesses the talent you speak of, I can relinquish the position of president of the Alchemist Guild and let him take it over."

Fa Ma was the most pure of the three. He stared intently at Hai Bodong and said in a deep voice, "As long as Yao Yan proves his alchemy skills, what does it matter if the entire Alchemist Guild is given to Yao Yan? The Alchemist Guild does not belong to anyone, and alchemists will only serve those who are better at alchemy than themselves!"

"It's alright, take your time to think it over. Once he comes out of seclusion, he should meet with you. At that time, he will offer you a price you can't refuse, such as that broken sect pill."

Hai Bodong took in the gazes of the three men and said softly.

Breakthrough Pill!

These three short words caused Jia Xingtian and Yun Shan to gasp for breath. For a nine-star Dou Huang peak expert, the Breakthrough Pill had a fatal attraction, especially for these old guys, it represented a breakthrough and lifespan.

At this moment, the group lost all interest in the alchemist competition below, and even Gu He, who performed exceptionally well, could not attract their attention in the slightest.

They were all drawn to a name!

Medicine says!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 108. Extracting and Refining the Fire Seed

108.

The Fifth Alchemist Tournament quickly came to a close, and the champion remained the same: Gu He, who was nearly thirty years old. He crushed everyone with a high-grade fourth-rank pill and won the final championship. Amid the cheers of the crowd, he stood on the high platform, raised his hands, and enjoyed the praise of the crowd.

Gu He took a deep breath, his usual calm expression completely gone, a smile covering his entire face. The feeling of his hard work paying off swept over him, giving him an urge to shout, and he trembled with excitement.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the high platform, where a graceful and aloof figure constantly captivated him.

Previously, he didn't dare to express his feelings because the other party's status was too high. Compared with the young sect master of Yunlan Sect, the status of a fourth-grade alchemist was far inferior. But now he has won the championship of the alchemist competition, proving his talent and strength, which has boosted his confidence. At least he dares to face the other party squarely and even pursue her!

Gu He, who was nearly thirty, had never been interested in women until he met Yun Yun!

……

"As expected, the champion is Gu He. He has great talent..."

Fa Ma squinted, stroked his long beard, and spoke in a deep, powerful voice. He was not surprised by the final outcome. In the previous rounds of selection, Gu He had already demonstrated absolutely overwhelming strength, so it was expected that he would win the championship.

Before learning about Yao Yan, he might have thought highly of him, but after learning about Yao Yan's extraordinary talent, the difference between the two became obvious.

One reached the sixth-grade alchemist level at the age of seventeen, while the other barely touched the fifth-grade level at nearly thirty.