Immortal Reincarnation Tribulation

Chapter 157 The Great Alchemy Competition

"This...works?" Du Fan's expression wasn't feigned; he was genuinely astonished. Cheating like this was unbelievable...

"Everything's here. Take it. If you embarrass me again, forget Jizhou, you'll spend the rest of your life in the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's prison, hmph!"

Xiao Yan flicked her wrist, took out a storage bag, tossed it to Du Fan, and sneered.

"This junior will humbly follow Vice Alliance Leader Xiao's instructions." Du Fan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and could only say this with a forced smile.

"There's one more thing. You not only have to do it well, but you also have to do it beautifully, otherwise..." Xiao Yan suddenly stopped talking at this point.

Immediately afterwards, the woman's eyes curved slightly, and she smiled charmingly. This smile was so captivating that even the stars seemed to dim, and a hundred charms were instantly evoked, enough to make any man in the world fall head over heels at first glance.

However, Du Fan felt a chill run down his spine after just one glance. He immediately clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Vice Alliance Leader Xiao, please speak. Even if it means going through fire and water, this junior will not hesitate!"

"Alright, you remember this: on the day of the Alchemy Competition, be as arrogant as you can be, and be as cocky as you can be!"

If you can make one of those old guys vomit blood in anger, I'll reward you with 10,000 spirit stones; if you make two vomit blood in anger, I'll reward you with 20,000!

If these old guys are still unharmed by the end of the Alchemy Competition, then... you might as well spit out the blood for them!

Xiao Yan suddenly let out a sinister laugh. This kind of laugh, appearing on the face of a stunningly beautiful woman with an elegant demeanor, naturally evoked an indescribable sense of horror.

Upon hearing this, Du Fan was taken aback, but more than that, he was horrified.

Putting aside whether he has the eloquence and ability, the other side is full of senior figures in the cultivation world, and he himself is feeling insecure. It would be good enough if he didn't get stage fright, let alone make them so angry they vomit blood...

Besides, these old guys' cultivation levels can't be too low, right? If they get angry even slightly, they could just beckon with a flick of their finger and I'd probably die on the spot. Who knows who would be the one spitting out the blood...

However, to Du Fan at this moment, Xiao Yan's words were like a royal decree, leaving no room for further response. Du Fan dared not waste words, swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and solemnly said:

"This junior will certainly do my utmost to live up to Vice Alliance Leader Xiao's expectations!"

"However..." Du Fan hesitated.

"But what?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Vice Alliance Leader Xiao, you must guarantee my safety then!" Du Fan cried out, his fists clenched, his body trembling.

……

On a plaza spanning a thousand acres within the Seven Star Alliance, crowds of people from different factions were gathered around the perimeter. Among them were prominent figures from the three super sects: Wentian Sect, Qixia Sect, and Yandang Sect, who were clearly seated at the head of the table.

In addition, there are six large sects in Zhongzhou and twelve major cultivation families.

The six large sects are relatively even, with no clear distinction between strong and weak, and they seem to be on equal footing, each minding their own business.

However, the twelve noble families are different. Their social hierarchy is very strict, and there are even open and covert rankings based on strength. Therefore, their positions are strictly determined.

Looking around, one family stands out prominently: the Song family.

Each faction had about a hundred people, but only one person from each faction sat upright. The others, even Golden Core cultivators or sect leaders like Maple Leaf, stood closely behind the seated person, their expressions respectful.

In such situations, those qualified to sit upright in full view of everyone are naturally true powerful beings at the Nascent Soul stage.

Although there were many cultivators here, it was unusually quiet. There were no scenes of various forces exchanging greetings or pleasantries.

At the very front of the square, there is a ten-acre platform made of bluestone, which shimmers with a subtle light and is more than ten feet higher than the rest of the square.

There were only forty or so cultivators on the platform, but even the lowest-ranking among them were powerful beings with the Golden Core stage cultivation.

In the center of the platform sat nine Nascent Soul cultivators, while the other Golden Core cultivators stood solemnly behind them, holding their breath and concentrating.

Among the nine Nascent Soul experts, the one in the very center was none other than Xiao Yan, dressed in a yellow palace gown and possessing an elegant demeanor. Cao Xuanyi, whom Du Fan had met once before, sat beside Xiao Yan.

Du Fan is currently inside the Qixia Sect, standing next to the Maple Leaf Sect Master and behind the Supreme Elder Tang Wan.

He glanced around and recognized a few familiar faces, such as Ji Tianhe from the Wentian Sect who had been relentlessly pursuing him, and Pang Yuan, the cunning fat man from the Yandang Sect.

To Du Fan's astonishment, judging from their current positions, they had both successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage and become Foundation Establishment experts.

It has only been a little over a year since their last trip to Hundred Flowers Valley, which shows that these two are rare cultivation geniuses.

When Du Fan's gaze swept over them, the two men glanced back as if sensing something, and couldn't help but look blank and puzzled. After a slight pause, they politely nodded to Du Fan and then looked away.

Du Fan suddenly realized that neither of the two men had ever seen his true appearance that day. This was for the best, as it would at least lessen his hatred.

Just then, Du Fan suddenly felt an unfriendly gaze directed at him. His expression shifted, and he looked in one direction. When the person saw Du Fan's gaze sweep over, he immediately looked panicked and lowered his head.

"It's him? Hmph! His legs are healed so quickly..."

Du Fan sneered. This person was none other than Huang Mingcong, a member of the Huang family who had been swaggering around at the Xuan Shui City auction that day.

Since Huang Mingcong was able to appear here, it was clear that his status in the Huang family was indeed special. Du Fan had a thought and secretly made a note of it.

After a short while, Xiao Yan suddenly stood up. Upon seeing this, everyone else in the square, whether they were Nascent Soul cultivators on the platform or leaders of sects and families, all stood up with serious expressions.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, gave a slight bow to those present, and then spoke leisurely:

"Today is the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's once-in-a-decade alchemy competition. Fellow Daoists, you have come from afar. On behalf of the Seven Star Merchant Alliance, I extend my welcome to you all."

I promise that during this Grand Alchemy Competition, all the pills refined by alchemy masters, whether they are Grandmasters or Great Grandmasters, will be presented to you as a token of our alliance's gratitude to all fellow Daoists who have come to witness the event.

Furthermore, after the competition concludes, I will arrange for several Grandmasters from our alliance to personally refine a bottle of Nascent Soul realm pills tailored to the requirements of each of you present."

Those below couldn't help but smile knowingly upon hearing this. Their presence at the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's Alchemy Grand Competition was not only to give the alliance face and cultivate good relations, but also largely due to this special perk.

If you were to ask where the most alchemists are in the cultivation world of the Nine Provinces, and where the highest-level alchemists are, without a doubt, it would be the Seven Star Merchant Alliance, without exception.

Even the mighty Wentian Sect, the number one sect in the Nine Provinces Continent, only has one Grandmaster of Alchemy, and there are only about a dozen Grandmasters of Alchemy; the rest are all Alchemy Masters.

If the Wentian Sect is like this, then the situation of other forces can be seen from this. In the cultivation world, even alchemy masters are few and far between.

The Seven Star Merchant Alliance's alchemist lineup is so powerful that other forces can only look up to them. Therefore, this trip is an opportunity for all those who are watching, especially for the Nascent Soul cultivators.

"Alright, fellow Daoists, no need for further formalities. The Grand Competition of Alchemy shall now begin."

After Xiao Yan finished speaking, she smiled slightly and sat down. The other Nascent Soul experts followed suit.

At this moment, ten Golden Core elders behind Xiao Yan moved and floated down to the center of the square. With a flick of their wrists, they took out various array components and restrictive magic tools, and soon began to assemble them. Their movements were very skillful.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, one hundred and ten deep blue circular light screens appeared, each with a diameter of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).

This light barrier is clearly a magic array with some special function, and it also contains some isolation restrictions.

After the ten Golden Core cultivators finished setting up the array restrictions, they did not intend to return. Instead, with a flick of their hands, they took out objects that resembled red bricks and threw them one by one onto the ground at the center of each light screen.

"Moving Earth Fire!" Du Fan, who was standing behind Tang Wan, was surprised to see this. He had studied alchemy a little before, so he recognized it at a glance.

Upon seeing these earth fires, Du Fan's expression merely flickered, but then his pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed in surprise, "A magic treasure alchemy furnace!"

As the ten Golden Core cultivators waved their sleeves, they shot out beams of azure light into each of the light screens. When the light subsided, ancient-looking azure alchemy furnaces were revealed, which landed steadily on the moving earth fire.

Du Fan knew that even a low-grade magic pill furnace would cost over four thousand spirit stones. It was just a pill refining competition, yet they were spending so much. He gained a new understanding of the Seven Star Merchant Alliance's financial strength.

He wasn't the only one in the room who recognized its value; everyone else gasped in shock and looked horrified.

Only then did the ten Golden Core cultivators exhale softly, their bodies flashing as they returned to the platform and stood in place once more.

Xiao Yan nodded, reached out her jade hand, picked up a jade slip from the wooden table beside her, and crushed it with a "bang" with a slight force.

A moment later, a group of elderly men dressed in gray robes emerged from behind the platform. Most of them were thin and had white hair and beards. There were exactly 110 of them, and they were none other than the alchemists from the Seven Star Merchant Alliance who were participating in this year's Alchemy Competition.