The bet between Boundless Gate and the Medicine Gang quickly spread, directly shocking the entire Inner Academy. Most people eagerly anticipated this showdown. Bloody duels in the Arena were common, but a duel between Rank 4 Alchemists was a rare sight — something one might not even witness in five years of study in the Inner Academy.
There was no other reason. Rank 4 Alchemists already received the treatment of a Dou Wang-level expert, and there were only a handful of Rank 4 Alchemists in the Inner Academy. This led to many people in the Inner Academy being too excited to sleep, with some even going to the square early to reserve a spot, hoping to find the best viewing position.
…
The morning sun slowly rose, casting its rays freely upon the earth and dispelling the night's chill. Within the Inner Academy, figures continuously sprinted across rooftops, all heading toward the North Plaza.
At Boundless Gate's headquarters, outside the courtyard stood over a hundred Boundless Gate members, neatly lined up on both sides of the road at the entrance, waiting quietly. Seeing Xiao Tian and the others emerge, they all straightened up and respectfully greeted them in unison.
Xiao Tian then led them toward the North Plaza. Along the way, people who saw this imposing procession and their chest badges all made way, some even showing a hint of envy in their eyes. Boundless Gate was the most popular and best-benefited force in the Inner Academy; countless people desperately wanted to join.
When Xiao Tian and his group arrived at the plaza, it was already packed, but the crowd parted to make way for them. Most onlookers stared at Xiao Tian's attire and badge with surprise and disbelief.
Inside the plaza, Elder Hao was already standing on the central high platform, and Han Xian was confidently standing beside him. Xiao Tian led the Boundless Gate members to the edge of the high platform, then the others stopped, leaving only Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan to walk up.
"Am I seeing things? Is that a Tier-5 Alchemist badge on Xiao Tian?"
The surrounding students stared at Xiao Tian's Alchemist robe and asked the people next to them in disbelief. More and more people noticed Xiao Tian's attire, and they all gasped.
Damn.
Damn it.
Damn it!
This is a new student? Have you ever seen such a fierce new student? Where is justice?
Tier-5 Alchemists were extremely rare; even Fire Elder, the head of the Alchemy Department, was only a Tier-5 Alchemist, and he was already an old man.
"This is too terrifying. It's one thing for his cultivation to be at Dou Wang, but he's also a Tier-5 Alchemist. Is he a bastard child of the heavens?"
Han Yue and Lin Xiuya, who were watching in the crowd, also showed shocked expressions. Their own reputations as geniuses seemed insignificant in front of Xiao Tian.
"No, how did this guy cultivate? Is he even human?"
Yan Hao's small eyes widened, his face looking as if he had seen a ghost. Han Yue, beside him, showed a faint smile, subtly mixed with a hint of pride, which she herself hadn't even noticed.
Many Inner Academy elders were hidden around the high platform, and even Grand Elder Su Qian was among them, clearly showing considerable interest in this competition.
…
Standing on the high platform, Han Xian saw Xiao Tian's Tier-5 Alchemist robe, and his hands trembled. His entire mindset collapsed, and he stood there in a daze.
You ask me how to proceed? I choose to directly split apart. Han Xian knew that he wasn't scheming against them; rather, he had already been schemed against by them. However, he had no intention of admitting defeat just yet. He wanted to struggle a bit.
"I didn't expect Gate Master Xiao to be a Tier-5 Alchemist. It seems I've fallen into a trap. Alas!"
Han Xian forced himself to gather his spirits, cupped his hands to Xiao Tian, and said.
Elder Hao also looked at Xiao Tian with a kind and amiable expression, nodding. He chose not to converse at this moment, as that might lead people to doubt his impartiality. Xiao Tian responded politely in turn.
Afterward, the plaza quieted down under Elder Hao's voice. After announcing some competition rules, he took out a scroll containing a pill formula.
After the three of them each received the information within, Xiao Yan and Han Xian's expressions turned grim, while Xiao Tian's remained unchanged. He thought to himself, As expected, it's the Tier-5 Dragon Strength Pill.
The Dragon Strength Pill's effect was to temporarily grant the user extremely powerful strength. Moreover, it was a relatively difficult pill to refine among Tier-5 pills, with even Tier-5 Alchemists having a rather high failure rate, and Rank 4 Alchemists having an even greater one.
"This time, the Inner Academy will provide each of you with three sets of medicinal ingredients. If all three attempts fail, you will be deemed to have failed."
After Elder Hao's words fell, the plaza erupted in discussion.
Although Han Xian's expression was grim, he regained some confidence because of the Dragon Strength Pill. Even if Xiao Tian was a Tier-5 Alchemist, there was still a chance of failure. If his luck was bad and he failed, Han Xian would have an opportunity.
"The competition begins now!"
After Elder Hao finished speaking, he directly left the high platform. The onlookers stared intently at the arena, not even blinking.
Han Xian waved his hand, and a golden-yellow cauldron appeared before him. He had originally intended to habitually provoke them, but thinking of Xiao Tian's rank, he ultimately held back out of caution.
Xiao Yan waved his hand, and a black medicinal cauldron appeared. Xiao Tian glanced over and saw that, as expected, Venerable Yao also didn't want his disciple to appear too low-grade.
Ultimate class-style introduction: The Black Demon Cauldron, ranked eighth on the heavenly cauldron ranking, was formed from an extremely small fraction of the world's dark essence. It could greatly increase the success rate of pill refinement.
Xiao Yan's previous cauldron explosions had often embarrassed Venerable Yao. As his direct disciple, Venerable Yao, who was always proud, couldn't bear to see him constantly using a broken cauldron and being openly mocked. Naturally, he took out his prized Black Demon Cauldron for Xiao Yan to use temporarily. Xiao Yan, too, had been drooling over Venerable Yao's Black Demon Cauldron and had slept hugging it the entire night.
Xiao Tian also brought out his Mountain Melting Cauldron. Its magnificent fiery appearance attracted the attention of many people. Many elders from the Alchemy Department frowned as they looked at the two brothers' cauldrons, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Even Grand Elder Su Qian felt the same.
Han Xian also sensed a powerful aura from their cauldrons, and his expression grew even uglier. He then summoned his Phantasm Gold Flame.
"Phantasm Gold Flame, the flame remaining on the shell after a seventh-tier Phantasm Fire Scorpion Dragon beast's hatchling breaks out."
Upon hearing the introduction of Han Xian's flame, the people in the arena gasped in surprise. A seventh-tier magical beast was a Dou Zong-level existence.
Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan didn't hesitate either, directly summoning their Three Thousand Burning Flame and Green Lotus Core Flame. After the two Heavenly Flames appeared, Han Xian's Phantasm Gold Flame instantly wilted, as if it had met a supreme monarch and began to worship.
Han Xian's expression grew even more unsightly. These two seemed to be his natural enemies, crushing him in every aspect and leaving him no room to breathe.
Su Qian, who dealt with the Fallen Heart Flame daily, immediately recognized that Xiao Tian's and Xiao Yan's flames were Heavenly Flames, and his eyes gleamed. After the two Heavenly Flames entered their respective cauldrons, Han Xian's Phantasm Gold Flame recovered.
The three of them each composed themselves and began the refinement of the Dragon Strength Pill.
Xiao Tian tossed the medicinal ingredients one by one into the Mountain Melting Cauldron, beginning the purification process. As time continuously flowed, each medicinal herb crackled in the flames. As the branches gradually fell away and turned to ash, they were successively refined into clumps of medicinal liquid or powder.
At that moment, Xiao Tian was refining the last two medicinal ingredients, carefully purifying them.
"Puff…"
A faint sound echoed in the plaza, and many people showed expressions of regret.