Chapter 215: What a Good Brother!
Just having hands is enough?
Looking at Xiao Yan, Xiao Bai blinked, giving a noncommittal smile.
If it weren't for that guy, Xiao Yan's bold claim wouldn't be an issue. But relying solely on purple fire without using strange fire was risky.
Seeing Xiao Bai's expression, Xiao Yan opened his mouth to speak, but a bell suddenly rang across the square.
The clamor hushed instantly, countless awed eyes turning toward the source—more precisely, toward Fama, who stood trembling nearby.
"I declare the Jia Ma Empire's Seventh Alchemist Conference officially open!"
Boom!
Cheers and whispers erupted, shaking the sky.
As countless alchemists entered, Xiao Bai's gaze sharpened, scanning the surroundings.
"Brother Bai, I'm going!" Xiao Yan stood, tilting his head with a smile.
"Yeah!" Xiao Bai nodded absently, his eyes still sweeping the square.
The Phantom Grass was his priority, and that guy was his only lead. Nothing else mattered.
"…!" Xiao Yan.
This guy didn't even say 'good luck'! Xiao Yan couldn't fathom why Xiao Bai's usually lazy eyes now flickered with focus, darting around the square. Are the contestants more important than me?
"Come on!" A clear, crisp voice called from behind.
Xiao Yan froze, recognizing the voice of the person he despised most—Nalan Yanran.
"Come on? It's just a small event. Just hands are enough. Why do I need your cheers?" Without turning, Xiao Yan waved dismissively and strode toward the center of the field.
"Arrogant idiot! Ungrateful bastard!" Nalan Yanran glared at his back, muttering softly. If not for his role in healing her grandfather, she wouldn't bother with him.
As the bluestone platforms filled, Xiao Bai's gaze locked onto something, a glint of joy in his eyes and a slight smile on his lips.
"Hey, you're here!"
He'd worried that if that guy didn't show, he'd have to abandon the Sanqi Soul Liquid and let Yao Lao use the Qihuan Qingling Saliva instead. Now, there was hope.
Having found his target, Xiao Bai relaxed, settling into a chair to wait for the conference's end.
After Fama announced the rules in his ageless voice, thousands of colorful flames ignited across the square, a breathtaking spectacle. Exclamations echoed as spectators recounted the flames' origins, their excitement palpable.
"Wow, this is truly the hallmark of the Dou Qi Continent!" Xiao Bai mused, a moment of enlightenment washing over him.
The flames weren't high-grade, but their variety and vivid colors were dazzling. Even he, unaccustomed to such displays, was slightly awed.
Beyond the twenty-three known exotic fires, no one could count the myriad other flames in the Dou Qi Continent. Fire seemed to dominate, adaptable like medicinal ingredients—same base, different effects.
"Show-off!" Nalan Yanran muttered nearby, startling Xiao Bai. Following her gaze, he understood and chuckled.
While others summoned flames from their palms, Xiao Yan was practically a fire-breathing dragon, spewing purple flames from his mouth, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"Purple flame?" Fama noticed, turning to Xiao Bai with a smile. "Mr. Bai, this Yan Xiao has quite a foundation!"
"Haha, President Fama, you're too kind!" Xiao Bai nodded without elaborating. Hai Bodong, nearby, curled his lips, aware of Xiao Yan's Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire.
As the round neared its end, tension thickened.
"Huh? Looks like a remarkable individual has infiltrated!" Fama's cloudy eyes gleamed as he tapped his chair's armrest, glancing at a corner.
Hai Bodong and Jia Xingtian, shocked by Fama's praise, followed his gaze to a gray-robed figure.
"Is something wrong?" Jia Xingtian asked.
"You're not alchemists, so you wouldn't notice, but for a moment, his soul power surpassed Yan Xiao, Yue'er, and Liu Ling!" Fama frowned, staring at the figure. "Among them, his soul power is likely the strongest—stronger even than Gu He was back then!"
"Mr. Bai must have sensed it earlier, right?" Fama turned to Xiao Bai, his tone meaningful.
He'd noticed Xiao Bai glancing at that corner earlier, initially dismissing it. Now, he realized Xiao Bai had likely spotted the anomaly. This surprised him; he'd sensed Xiao Bai's soul power wasn't weak, but to match his own perception was remarkable.
"Well, I had a vague feeling," Xiao Bai said with a slight smile, shaking his head.
"Mr. Bai's perception is sharp. It's a pity you're not an alchemist!" Fama, recalling Hai Bodong's words, eyed Xiao Bai doubtfully. Is he really not an alchemist?
"Hehe. Everyone has their own path!" Xiao Bai smiled faintly, noting the gray-robed figure's sudden wariness.
"Mr. Bai is truly free-spirited!" Fama retracted his gaze, then ordered sternly, "Chelsea, get me that person's information!"
After reviewing two pages, Fama's face darkened. "An alchemist from the Izumo Empire?" he gritted out.
The alchemists of Izumo and Jia Ma disdained each other. Izumo saw Jia Ma as backward; Jia Ma viewed Izumo's collaboration with poison masters as a violation of alchemical honor.
"…!" Xiao Bai.
He knew of the feud but leaned toward the Chuyun Empire. What's wrong with poison masters? I work with Xian'er, and we're happy!
"Second rank? You're kidding!" Fama tossed the information onto the table, sneering. "That guy's at least fourth rank!"
Hai Bodong squinted at the data, sneering, "Seventeen years old, fourth rank? If such a person exists, I'd go back to seclusion and never come out!"
"…!" Xiao Bai glanced at Hai Bodong. This old guy should just stay in seclusion! Seventeen and fourth rank? In Xiao Yan's words, just having hands?
"Did he disguise himself?" Fama, skeptical of such talent, muttered. "Does he think experience isn't needed?"
"If he's disguised, could he escape our detection?" Jia Xingtian smiled, glancing at Xiao Bai and Xiao Yan below.
"If he's really that young, he's a true genius. Yan Xiao, Liu Ling, and Yue'er look mediocre by comparison!" Fama frowned.
"Does Mr. Bai have any thoughts?" Jia Xingtian asked, noting the rivalry with the Chuyun Empire.
"Restoring Pill," Xiao Bai said calmly, tired of their fruitless debate.
Some raised flags in panic, fearing doom. Xiao Bai felt helpless.
Nalan Yanran, Yafei, and Yaoye listened quietly, their eyes flickering at Xiao Bai's answer.
"Huh?" Fama's eyes lit up. "Mr. Bai is truly knowledgeable!"
Seeing puzzled looks, he explained, "Some elixirs can rejuvenate appearance, but their recipes are rare and hard to refine, so they're uncommon. Unless admitted, it's hard to tell."
"Then if some immortal used such an elixir to deceive the world, wouldn't your conference be meaningless?" Hai Bodong teased.
"Do you think those immortals are as shameless as you?" Fama retorted.
"Look at that guy down there—he's definitely one!" Hai Bodong pointed, then grinned at Xiao Bai. "I suspect this guy is too!"
"Haha, I just turned eighteen, in my prime, unlike an old man like you!" Xiao Bai sipped tea, sneering at Hai Bodong.
"…!" Everyone.
Is he really eighteen? The thought struck them, noting the menace in his demeanor.
"Sir, is he really eighteen?" Nalan Yanran whispered to Yafei, hesitant.
"Don't believe his nonsense. If he's eighteen, I'm still a young girl!" Yafei rolled her eyes.
"That's a relief," Nalan Yanran sighed. Calling an eighteen-year-old "Sir" would be awkward.
Time slipped by.
The assessment had two rounds: the second-grade Growing Bone Pill and the third-grade Wind-Moving Pill.
By the second round's end, the outcome was clear. Many alchemists withdrew, frustrated, as the flaming bluestone platforms dwindled.
"The assessments are over. Let's find a chance to deal with him!" Hai Bodong patted Fama's shoulder, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes.
They shared a desire to eliminate the Izumo alchemist.
"Forget it! If this leaks, the Jia Ma Alchemist Guild's reputation will suffer. It's not worth it for one person," Fama hesitated, shaking his head.
Xiao Bai stood by calmly, unconcerned with their plans. He didn't share their hatred for Izumo—he just wanted the Phantom Grass.
Half an hour later, another bell signaled the end. The crowd dispersed.
Xiao Bai moved with the flow, his soul power locked on the gray-robed figure ahead.
"Brother Bai, why aren't you waiting for me? What's the rush?" Xiao Yan, weaving through the crowd, caught up, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Second place is here!" Xiao Bai teased, glancing at the breathless Xiao Yan.
"Damn! That guy's a freak. His technique's like a thousand-year-old demon's. It's tough without strange fire!" Xiao Yan complained. "Didn't he sign up as thirty?"
"He's seventeen, fourth rank!" Xiao Bai said playfully, still walking.
"Seventeen? Fourth rank?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened. "Compared to you, Brother Bai, he's not far off!"
Shaking his head bitterly, he sighed, "Heroes are like carp crossing the river—so many talents out there!"
Xiao Bai's mouth twitched. If I didn't know this was the Dou Qi Continent, I'd think an Immortal Lord had descended!
"Brother Bai, I might break my promise. This is too much!" Xiao Yan choked, stunned by the unexpected master.
"Don't worry! I've got it figured out. If we can't solve the problem, we'll deal with the one who made it!" Xiao Bai patted his shoulder, smiling faintly.
"…!" Xiao Yan.
"…!" Yao Lao.
Brother Bai's so ruthless, resorting to such tactics? Xiao Yan felt his mind elevated, his worries vanishing.
"Brother Bai, you're not really doing this, are you?" Xiao Yan hesitated, overwhelmed by the audacity.
"Of course!" Xiao Bai pointed ahead, serious. "Look at that guy. I've been watching him. I'm moving fast to catch him!"
Xiao Yan's eyes locked on the familiar gray-robed figure, his mouth forming an "O."
Damn, it's him!
"Brother Bai, don't! We're young—don't do anything stupid!" Xiao Yan grabbed him, anxious. "I was just joking to beat Liu Ling. We've done that, so no need for this!"
"Oh, Xiao Yan, it breaks my heart to hear that," Xiao Bai said gloomily. "I only targeted him because you said you wanted the championship. Otherwise, I'd be sipping tea, not chasing him!"
Xiao Yan's eyes reddened, touched. He hadn't expected Brother Bai to go so far for his casual words. He's really my good brother!
Xiao Bai's heart skipped. If this kid learns the truth, he'll kill me, right?
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(End of Chapter)