Chapter 514

On the square.

Jiang Yaoyan’s gaze also settled on the black-clothed young man; he had never expected anyone to complete the pill refining just ten breaths faster than him.

Yet Jiang Yaoyan’s gaze lingered on the man for only a moment before withdrawing.

The first round of the pill competition means little; he had not yet given his all.

After Jiang Yaoyan and the black-clothed young man completed their refining, the next alchemist to finish did so only after a hundred breaths.

After that one, alchemists completed their refining every few breaths.

On the square, furnace lids opened in succession, accompanied by the sound of explosions…

The entire square suddenly became lively.

On the viewing platform, Li Qin, hearing the exclamations of several clan members beside her, tightened her expression.

Not long ago, two of the four alchemists Li Family had hired had exploded their furnaces; now only Xiao Yan and one other remained.

Yet already over fifty alchemists on the square had completed their refining; at this pace, the top one hundred would be decided within no more than fifteen minutes.

Yin Yue sensed Li Qin’s tension and looked at Lin Chen, still pretending to refine with exaggerated care, and felt exasperated—Lin Chen was hiding his true ability, unaware that this concealment kept Li Qin’s heart perpetually clenched.

Lin Chen’s concealment was built upon the Li family’s suffering.

…

“Enough!”

Sensing through his spiritual sense that sixty alchemists on the square had completed their refining, Lin Chen no longer delayed; the primordial fire beneath his furnace flickered slightly, and the pill inside rapidly coalesced into form.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths…

Fifteen breaths later, the pill fully formed, and the furnace lid opened.

On the viewing platform.

Li Qin’s eyes had never left Lin Chen; when she saw his furnace lid open, her taut body finally relaxed.

Beside her, several other Li clan members, though not as dramatic as Li Qin, had kept their gazes shifting between Lin Chen and the other alchemist Li Family had hired; when they saw Lin Chen’s furnace lid open, they froze.

“Did Xiao Yan succeed?”

“Quick, quick, check Xiao Yan’s rank!”

The Li clan members’ eyes darted across the square, but in just that moment, several more alchemists completed their refining.

“We don’t know Xiao Yan’s rank, but he’s definitely within the top one hundred—if a hundred competitors finish, a bell will ring.”

A middle-aged Li clan man’s face glowed with excitement; he had watched several past pill competitions, and the Qianji Sect had powerful spiritual senses watching—once a hundred finished, the bell would ring, announcing the top one hundred.

When Xiao Yan finished, the bell did not ring, meaning Xiao Yan was certainly among the top one hundred.

Just as the middle-aged man finished speaking, a bell suddenly rang throughout Tiangong Pavilion; the remaining competitors still refining on the square froze, their expressions complex.

Some were resentful; others, bitter.

The resentful ones were those who had been mere moments away from completion, or those whose pursuit of speed had caused their furnaces to explode.

The bitter ones were those who never expected to make the top hundred, yet now realized how vast the gap was between them and the top hundred.

…

…

Qianji City.

“Young Master, Jiang Yaoyan took first place.”

Dongfang Canglang had just finished his cultivation indoors, his palm covered in green fluid; the woman waiting in the courtyard stepped forward immediately to deliver the news.

"It's only the first round—if Jiang Yaoyan can't come in first, he has no right to follow me."

Dongfang Canglang’s expression didn’t change; he asked, “Were there any other unusual individuals in this pill competition?”

“A black-clothed young man—unknown origin—finished only a few breaths after Jiang Yaoyan.”

“Who else could it be? He must be a disciple of the Qianji Sect. Xuan Jing isn’t that easy to deal with—he pretended to be coerced into agreeing, but he has his own calculations.”

Dongfang Canglang snorted; the young woman, now crouching, was using her red lips to wipe the green fluid from his hand. Hearing this, she paused mid-motion, accidentally biting his finger.

“Your servant is at fault!”

The woman bowed her head quickly; Dongfang Canglang patted her head, his eyes cold: “Xuan Jing knows this was my idea, not my father’s.”

The woman’s eyes held a look of half-understanding; she knew only that her Young Master’s status was incomparably exalted—even the Crown Prince couldn’t compare. Would the Qianji Sect dare anger her Young Master? Didn’t they fear future retribution?

…

…

The Li family was now filled with celebration.

Lin Chen had entered the top one hundred, meaning the Qianji Sect’s demand upon all major families had been fulfilled by the Li family—existing business would not be affected.

As for advancing further, even the elders dared not dream; in past years they might have fantasized about the top ten, but this year was too difficult.

“Master Xiao, these are the gifts the elders asked me to deliver.”

In the guest courtyard, Li Qin placed the storage box on the table; the elders were pleased Lin Chen had entered the top one hundred. By agreement, the clan owed no extra gift, but to secure Lin Chen’s favor, they had prepared a generous present.

Lin Chen took the storage box, sent his spiritual sense inside, and smiled when he saw its contents.

The Li family was practical—they didn’t send empty formalities, but direct Yan tickets: ten tickets worth ten thousand Yan coins each.

One hundred thousand Yan coins!

Plus a substantial amount of third-rank pill ingredients—truly a lavish gift!

“Thank you on my behalf to your elders.”

Lin Chen tucked the storage box away and looked at Li Qin: “In the next round, I will give my all.”

“Master Xiao, the elders said you needn’t feel pressure in the next round—just perform normally.”

Li Qin quickly explained, almost saying outright that the clan’s elders didn’t believe Lin Chen could enter the top ten.

After the top one hundred were announced, the clan immediately investigated the origins of all hundred competitors; over half had registered with the Alchemist Guild as fourth-rank alchemists. Regarding Xiao Yan’s skill, the fourth elder had judged: not yet fourth-rank, but at the peak of third-rank.

As for this year’s pill competition, the fourth elder’s judgment was: without a top-tier fourth-rank alchemist, none would enter the top ten.

Though only one rank apart, that gap required years—even a decade—for alchemists of decent talent to bridge; for those with lesser talent, they might never catch up in a lifetime.

The elders gave Xiao Yan the extra gift not only to win his favor, but also because this year’s competition had changed—the top ten was too hard to reach, so it was compensation.

Sensing Li Qin’s casual tone, Lin Chen rubbed his nose; clearly, the Li family never expected him to enter the top ten.

…

After Li Qin left, Lin Chen was about to return to the Alchemy Tower when he stopped at the door—his Martial Dao Seal vibrated again.

Someone was attempting the Sky-Piercing Tower again!

Lin Chen and Yin Yue exchanged glances, returned to their room, and simultaneously pulled out their Martial Dao Seals.

Mount Wudao, Sky-Piercing Square!

As before, Lin Chen wore a black robe with a hood; Yin Yue made no attempt to conceal herself. Drawing from last time’s experience, the arriving martial artists now fixed their gazes on the circular altar ahead, where a young man stood solemnly.

Lü Zejia, a martial artist of the Second Stage of Primordial Realm—this was the information Lin Chen learned through his Martial Dao Seal.

“Lü Zejia won first place on Mount Wudao five years ago—has he only reached the peak of the Second Stage now?”

“If he weren’t at the peak of the Second Stage, he wouldn’t dare attempt the Sky-Piercing Tower—after all, challengers must be faced before the tower.”