Countless people had gathered in many tea houses, coffee houses and even gambling dens to watch the competition. Seven guild elders had created a massive platform above the clouds and protected it with many Dharma Arrays.

Meanwhile, they had also drafted ten judges; five of them were from the Alchemy Guild, while the other five were chosen among the elites of the Northern Barren Land.

“Second Young Lord of the Hu family, Hu Xiao.”

“Lady Wu from the Wu Family of Zhenhai.”

“Disciple of the Ethereal Heavenly Sect, Violet Moon Fairy.”

Each and everyone of them were top elites among the young generation in Tianhuang. The presence of Wang Xuanfeng further added weight to this event. The ancient Wang Family was a dominating force in Tianhuang and no other sects or families would dare to treat them lightly.

“I have heard that the realization of the competition was mostly because of Young Master Xuanfeng’s support.”

“Hehe, Young Elixir Lord is going to win the battle regardless. Not only is he the most talented alchemist in a hundred years, but he’s also the disciple of Elixir Lord. What is Perfected Cultivator Azure Wood to him?”

“It’s not entirely true. Chen Beixuan has defeated Grandmasters before. He is a force to be reckoned with.”

Everyone was discussing the battle.

The elder in grey robe and Qiao Qiao had also arrived at the arena.

“Grandpa, do you think Brother Chen will win this time?”

Qiao Qiao clenched her fists tightly.

“It would be difficult…” the old man murmured and then shook his head. Qiao Qiao’s face crinkled after she heard her grandpa. Tears welled in her eyes.

Jiang Han and Yan Wuwang found their seats and patiently waited for the battle to begin.

“Why did I miss Master Chen’s huge ambition during the test? “Jiang Han cracked a smile.

“What ambition? He has gone mad.” Wu Qinyan snorted and fumed.

Meanwhile, Yan Wuwang kept his silence.

He was from the Barren Region, so he had heard of Chen Fan’s unrelenting power. In less than a month, Chen Fan had dominated the seventeen Barren Regions and defeated coutless Grandmasters. There was more about him than what the Alchemy Guild could see.

Soon.

The contestants entered the arena and the battle was about to begin.

A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd when Situ Cheng flew over the arena. Most of his supporters were young girls, whose hearts had been ensnared by Situ Cheng’s handsome features.

Hailing from a prestigious family, he was the disciple of Elixir Lord, and possessed unprecedented talent. He took the State of Ancient Medicine by storm and became a public idol. Meanwhile, although Chen Fan was as handsome as the young Elixir Lord, only one person cheered for him.

“Go, brother, go!” Qiao Qiao shouted.

Chen Fan waved a hand at her and then walked over to Situ Cheng. Standing alongside Chen Fan, Situ Cheng barely graced him with a glance. Then came one of the judges, Perfected Cultivator Wei Huang. He held a piece of paper in one hand, reading out the rules of the competition.

“This is the first round of the battle. You are to make one inferior-grade Treasure Pill called Recuperating Pill of Three Souls. You have one day to complete your elixirs. You can use any tools at your disposal.

“The winner shall live, and the loser shall die.”

Perfected Cultivator Wei Huang’s announcement silenced the audience. Many alchemists let out a gasp of cold air.

“Recuperating Pill of Three Souls? That’s impossible!”

“I bet that Young Elixir Lord suggested it. Only a tricky one like that could show off his true talent.”

“Perfected Cultivator Beixuan is going to lose!”

Only a few among the audience thought Chen Fan was going to win, but the number almost shrunk down to zero after the announcement.

Yan Wuwang shook his head while Wu Qinyan knotted her doubts in between her brows.

“Grandpa, what is the Recuperating Pill of Three Souls?” Qiao Qiao asked.

“It’s an Infrequent Pill,” the old man said with a troubled face.

“Infrequent Pills are, well, as the name suggests, very rare and extremely difficult to make. Not only does it require rare ingredients, but its creation also has very stringent requirements. Not to mention the archaic form in which the recipes were represented. Making one is as difficult as creating a mid-grade treasure pill. Only the top elite Grand Alchemists have the confidence to take on such a task. The Recuperating Pill of Three Souls in itself is an extraordinary elixir. It can repair and recuperate divine souls at an incredible rate.”

Qiao Qiao’s face paled.

In the realm of Alchemy, elixirs that affected one’s Divine Soul were the most highly sought after. Divine Souls were crucial for everyone, including Golden Core Cultivators. Without a Divine Soul, they would even perish over time. Only the Soul Formation cultivators in the legends could live without one.

Since recuperating Divine Souls was paramount for everyone, the Recuperating Pills of Three Souls were on high demand.

The explanation answered many questions in the audience’s minds. However, it somehow worsened people’s already waning confidence in Chen Fan.

“It’s not too late, you can still back out.”

Young Elixir Lord Situ Cheng linked his hands behind his back and looked straight ahead while talking to Chen Fan.

“Don’t worry, I will not kill you. You are not worth the trouble.”

Chen Fan beamed from side to side.

“Hm.”

Situ Cheng scoffed and flew to his brewing area. Crafting Treasure Pills required a large space, mostly to have enough room to dodge the Elixir Tribulation.

Once Chen Fan arrived at his own quarter, Perfected Cultivator Wei Huang announced the start of the battle.

“Boom!”

Young Elixir Lord pointed a finger in the air, and summoned eight dharma arrays, each spilling out a jet of intense flame. Meanwhile, Situ Cheng examined the herbs carefully, picking out the best ones and started to refine them under the colorful flames.

It was essential to pre-process the herbs before using them in a cauldron while crafting Treasure Pills.

His movement was delightful to watch and his sharp focus on his task rendered many girls defenseless. There was not a shred of doubt in everyone’s minds about his Grand Alchemist status.

Only a Grand Alchemist knew how to craft Treasure Pills.

“Sister, Situ Cheng is truly talented. He might be able to create the Nine Transformation Spirit Pill for Violet Moon Fairy,” Wu Baisu said.

Her white outfit framed her exquisite body. Her face was even more elegant and attractive than Wu Qinyan’s. She was the eldest daughter of the Wu Family, and also the most talented descendant the Wu Family ancestors could ever dreamed of. She possessed three Heavenly Meridians and was a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.

Wu Qinyan shook her head and lamented, “Sister, Situ Cheng is Elder Situ’s grandson, and was trained by three Grand Alchemists since childhood. Elixir Lord had taken an interest in him a long time ago and wanted to groom him to be his successor. That test was just for show. It’s only a matter of time for him to become a Grandmaster.”

“It sounds like your money is on Situ Cheng,” Wu Baisu said with a smirk.

“Well…” Wu Qinyan hesitated.

She knew Situ Cheng had a huge head start, but she couldn’t rule out Chen Fan’s victory entirely.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan stood before cauldrons and tools in a daze.