Nalan Yanran, who was beside Yao Ye, looked at Xiao Yan sitting on a chair, talking and laughing with her father, grandfather, Old Jia, and the others, and her Face immediately turned bitter.
While she was still discussing cosmetics and powders with the other young girls, Xiao Yan was already sitting at the Empire's power center, in the same circle as those Dou Wangs and Dou Huangs.
"Miss Nalan, is that Fourth-Grade Alchemist your former fiancé, Xiao Yan of the Xiao Family?" Yao Ye also looked toward Xiao Yan with great interest and turned to ask Nalan Yanran.
"Princess Yao Ye, you seem very interested in my former fiancé?" Nalan Yanran glanced at Yao Ye and said indifferently.
"An eighteen-year-old Fourth-Grade Alchemist... I'm afraid every young woman in the Jia Ma Empire besides Miss Nalan is very interested!" A twenty-year-old Dou Zong was out of their reach, but an eighteen-year-old Fourth-Grade Alchemist was still someone they could compete for.
Especially since the woman with the most advantage in the entire Jia Ma Empire had voluntarily given up her advantage three years ago.
"Heh... I must remind Princess Yao Ye that Xiao Yan's confidante is so beautiful that even I feel inferior. Even my Master's Husband's wives cannot compare to that girl in terms of looks!" Nalan Yanran had never admired anyone's beauty before, but Xun'er was the only one. Perhaps only the notorious but famously beautiful Medusa from the Tagor Desert could rival her.
"No wonder that Xiao Yan ignores you; turns out he has someone better!" Yao Ye marveled.
"He isn't that kind of person!" Nalan Yanran suddenly spoke up to defend Xiao Yan.
"Haha... From the way it sounds, Miss Nalan still has feelings for Xiao Yan. Could it be that you regret it now that you see how outstanding he has become?" Yao Ye teased.
Surprisingly, Nalan Yanran did not object. After a few seconds of silence, she stood up and began to pour tea for Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin... "Great Master Chen Yang, I wonder if you are free? I would like to ask the Great Master to refine a Dou Ling Pill..." After chatting casually for a while, Mu Chen of the Mu Family suddenly stood up and cupped his hands toward Chen Yang.
The others saw Mu Chen beat them to it and secretly gritted their teeth, cursing him for being shameless.
"A Dou Ling Pill is naturally no problem, but I need some rare medicinal herbs. I wonder if the Mu Family Head is willing to part with them?" Chen Yang asked with a smile.
"No problem. Besides the three sets of medicinal herbs for the Dou Ling Pill and the corresponding reward, the Mu Family's herb warehouse is directly open to Great Master Chen Yang. You may take whatever herbs you desire!" The herbs required for common Medicinal Pills were basically public knowledge on the Fighting Qi Continent, such as the qi recovery pill, Dou Ling Pill, Huangji Pill, and Transformation Pill, but the herb list and the recipe were two completely different things.
It's just like how ordinary people know a gun is made of iron, but if you haven't learned or understood it, could you build a gun if given a pile of iron?
"Great Master, the Nalan Family..."
"The Imperial Family..."
"The Alchemist Guild..."
Several people stood up one after another, all requesting pills.
"No problem. If you want Medicinal Pills, it's no problem at all. I accept commissions for sixth-grade pills as well, but in addition to the conditions known throughout the continent, I also require some rare medicinal herbs!" Chen Yang said with a smile. He had wanted to do this for a long time but couldn't find a reason. After all, as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, he couldn't just go around begging people to let him refine pills for them.
"Of course, of course..."
From this gathering, Chen Yang made a killing, and Xiao Yan also took several orders for fifth-grade pills. Of course, these big shots were giving Xiao Yan Face; otherwise, it would be cheaper to find Fa Ma... After the gathering ended, Chen Yang took Xiao Yi Xian and the others home.
The next day, the Alchemist Convention was held as scheduled.
Outside the Imperial Plaza, Yao Ye led fifty thousand troops to maintain order inside and out, ensuring the Alchemist Convention would not be disturbed by ordinary citizens.
On the VIP seats of the plaza's high platform, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the others had already arrived.
Once all the competing Alchemists had arrived, Chen Yang also came over with Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian. Today, Qing Lin and Ya Fei didn't come and stayed at home.
"Greetings, Great Master!"
"Little friend Xiao Yan, you've all arrived!"
Fa Ma stepped forward and said with a smile.
"Mhm!"
Chen Yang nodded and sat in the seat Fa Ma had prepared for him, with Xiao Yan taking a seat beside him.
Below, the crowd of Alchemists saw Chen Yang and Xiao Yan take their seats and immediately broke into a flurry of discussion.
Why were two young people sitting on the jury?
"Young Alchemists of the Jia Ma Empire and those from other Empires, welcome to the Seventh Alchemist Convention!"
"I hereby announce..."
Just as Fa Ma was about to announce the start of the convention, Chen Yang suddenly raised his hand.
Fa Ma was stunned and hurriedly leaned in toward Chen Yang to ask the reason.
"The rules of this convention state that only Alchemists under the age of thirty can participate, correct?" Chen Yang asked with a smile.
"Correct, but the participants have undergone layers of screening, and there are people specifically responsible for verifying ages. There won't be any overage participants!" Fa Ma nodded and said.
"I don't think... that's necessarily the case..." Chen Yang sneered, his gaze shifting to Yan Li, who was hidden in the crowd, wearing a black robe and a bamboo hat.
"Brother Yang, that person is not right!" Xiao Yan followed Chen Yang's gaze and also noticed something was wrong. Yan Li's Soul Power was too strong, almost rivaling Fa Ma's.
"Is it a pill used to disguise one's appearance? Hehe, how interesting!" Yao Lao's voice also rang out in Xiao Yan's mind.
"Brother Yang, I'll go catch him!" Xiao Yan said, about to get up and take action.
"The opponent is a high-rank Dou Ling. Although you could take him down, what if the surrounding Alchemists are affected?"
"Old Hai, please step in and capture him!"
Chen Yang said in a low voice.
"Yes, Young Lord!"
Fa Ma was startled. Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged man in a blue robe suddenly reveal himself in the corner, then vanish in a flash.
"That's... Old Ice? Since when did he become so young?"
"And I can't even fully grasp his aura?"
Jia Xingtian was shocked.
Hai Bodong's move was swift. With his Peak Dou Huang strength and that High-Grade Profound Tier Dou Technique that allowed him to use ice-attribute Fighting Qi to turn invisible, Yan Li was captured without any ability to resist.
"What... what's happening?"
"The convention hasn't even started; why are they arresting someone?"
"Did that guy fake his age to compete?"
"..."
The crowd was buzzing with discussion. On the stage, Hai Bodong snatched the bamboo hat off Yan Li's head, revealing a Face that matched the seventeen years of age he had reported.
"You..."
"Why are you arresting me?"
"Is the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Guild going to bully an Alchemist from the Izumo Empire like this?"
"Let me go, let me go..."
Yan Li looked at the group of people before him. He appeared panicked, especially with several Dou Huangs present, but he wasn't worried in his heart. The pill he used to restore his appearance could only last ten minutes. To outsiders, he was just a seventeen-year-old Genius Alchemist.
"The Izumo Empire, huh!"
"I happen to be quite interested in the Izumo Empire!"
Chen Yang smiled slightly, and Xiao Yi Xian beside him looked at him with eyes full of love.
"A mere Facial Restoration Pill, and you think I can't see through it?"
Chen Yang gave a disdainful smile. His Soul Power searched through his storage ring for several types of medicinal herbs. The Volcanic Stone Flame surged in his hand, enveloping and refining those herbs... "Cauldronless Refining! Great Master Chen Yang's strength is truly terrifying!" Fa Ma exclaimed in admiration.
At this moment, watching Chen Yang's actions, Yan Li finally panicked.
His methods could fool a Fifth-Grade Alchemist, but if it was a Sixth-Rank Alchemist—one who could perform Cauldronless Refining... Chen Yang's refining speed was extremely fast. The grade of the pill needed to dispel the Facial Restoration Pill was only fourth-grade. In less than ten minutes, a round and smooth pill appeared in Chen Yang's hand.
"You... you can't do this!"
"I am from the Myriad Scorpion Gate of the Izumo Empire! You can't do this, you can't..."
Yan Li shouted loudly.
"Heh... threatening this seat?"
"In all my years, no one has ever dared to threaten me!"
"Kid, you have already found a way to die!"
Chen Yang gave a disdainful smile and forced the pill into Yan Li's mouth, waiting for the change...
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"