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**
The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten faintly, the bustling imperial capital slowly awakened.
Today, the most crowded and lively place in the city was naturally the massive Royal Plaza.
Even though it was still early, the area outside the Royal Plaza was already packed with people—heads swarming like a black tide, stretching all the way to the edge of the horizon.
As time passed, a ray of morning sunlight suddenly pierced through the clouds and shone down.
Boom—
At the moment the sun rose, the tightly shut gates of the Royal Plaza slowly began to open.
Immediately, the black wave of people outside surged forward like a flood.
Inside the Plaza.
From a bird's-eye view—from the city gates to the corridor path and up to the spectator stands—the crowd spread out like a colony of ants pouring out of their nest.
On the wide plaza floor, more than a hundred contestants had already arrived. Each of them sat cross-legged on their designated stone platforms, eyes closed as they conserved their energy and adjusted their states.
Today marked the final round of the Alchemist Grand Meeting—the decisive battle for the championship.
Xian'er and Xiao Yan had arrived early as well. Just like the other contestants, they sat quietly on their stone platforms, preparing themselves for the upcoming match.
Those who had made it to this round were, without exception, people of strong ability and mental fortitude. No one wanted to make a careless mistake at this critical stage and walk away in shame.
At that moment, the final contestant—a young man in a gray robe—slowly stepped onto the plaza.
With his entrance, the originally noisy and lively plaza fell noticeably quieter.
Countless gazes, filled with different emotions, landed on him.
The gray-robed youth, however, paid them no attention. He walked with arrogance and swagger, heading straight to a secluded corner of the plaza. There, he climbed onto the same stone platform he had used the day before.
He sat down in a relaxed and domineering manner on the stone chair, sweeping his gaze across the hundred-plus contestants in the plaza—but his eyes merely brushed over them, not even pausing when they passed over prominent figures like Liu Ling and the Little Princess.
Clearly, he held these people in complete disdain.
His gaze only paused slightly when it landed on Xian'er and Xiao Yan.
The gray-robed youth chuckled and spoke, "Among all of you, only the two of you have a bit of skill. The rest? Not even worth mentioning. But your lucky streak ends today. In this final round, I won't hold back at all. Hahaha!"
Woah—
The spectators instantly erupted in an uproar, and many glared at him in anger.
He was simply too arrogant.
As they watched the gray-robed youth laugh so wildly, Xian'er furrowed her brows slightly. A trace of disgust flashed through her eyes.
Xiao Yan's expression remained calm, though a cold gleam flickered in his gaze.
Last night, during dinner, Wei Yang had casually told them that although this gray-robed youth appeared young, an old monster's soul resided within his body.
For someone like that to participate in the Alchemist Grand Meeting—bullying a group of young contestants—and doing so without a hint of shame, was utterly shameless.
Still, both Xiao Yan and Xian'er felt an immense pressure deep inside.
They weren't afraid of fighting their peers—they had confidence.
But facing an old monster who had lived for who knows how many years? It would be a lie to say they felt no pressure at all.
"Bastard!" the Little Princess ground her teeth, her pretty face darkening slightly.
Liu Ling's face, meanwhile, had turned completely ashen. As the disciple of a Pill King, this was the first time he had been this thoroughly looked down upon. No—ignored.
And to be dismissed publicly as "not even worth mentioning"?
On the VIP platform.
The powerful elders watched the arrogant and overbearing gray-robed youth with cold eyes. Though they wore faint smiles on their faces, beneath those smiles lay a dangerous chill.
As the peak powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire, the gray-robed youth's display of arrogance before them was the same as asking for death.
If it weren't for concerns over public perception, the reputation of the Alchemist Association, and uncertainty about the youth's true background, they might have already acted on the spot to kill him.
The gray-robed youth seemed to sense the attention of the elders. A shameless grin played on his youthful face as he turned to glance in their direction.
His gaze swept casually over Fa Ma, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong—three powerful Dou Huang—before lingering briefly on Wei Yang. He raised an eyebrow, then provocatively lifted his chin toward him.
His pair of blue eyes gleamed with coldness and malice, radiating an air of arrogance and invincibility.
This display made several of the elders breathe heavier, their chests rising and falling subtly.
Yet in their hearts, a sense of caution and unease rose.
The more brazen and unrestrained the youth acted, the more it hinted that he had something to fall back on. Ironically, this made them even more wary of taking rash action.
Wei Yang's expression remained calm as he locked his gaze firmly on the gray-robed youth.
Crack—
His hand slowly clenched into a fist, and the armrest of his chair let out a faint cracking sound as fine fractures began to spread across its surface.
"Looking for death," Wei Yang murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. A cold gleam flickered within them.
The more brazen the youth acted, the more resolute Wei Yang became. He had already made up his mind—that man must die.
Even if a true Dou Zong came to shield him, it wouldn't be enough to save him!
Wei Yang's gaze shifted to Qing Lin beside him. His lips moved ever so slightly as he sent a soundless message:
"Give the remaining thirty percent of the Soul-Nurturing Liquid to the Du Jiao immediately. Tonight, I'm taking him out for something."
"Huh? Oh… got it." Qing Lin was briefly stunned, but quickly nodded in understanding.
With a flip of her hand, a small jade bottle appeared and was swiftly hidden beneath her sleeve.
Crack—
A faint sound of the jade bottle breaking came from within her sleeve.
Wei Yang took a light breath and withdrew his gaze. He closed his eyes slightly and no longer paid attention to the youth. But under his breath, he murmured coldly:
"Since you're so eager to die, why should I deny you that wish? Jie jie jie…"
As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the spectator stands surrounding the plaza had already been filled with black, seething masses of people.
Dong—
At a certain moment, an ancient, deep bell tone echoed across the plaza, long and resonant.
And with the ringing of the bell, all noise gradually faded into silence.
More than a hundred contestants slowly opened their previously shut eyes. One by one, they stood up and lifted their heads, gazing toward the VIP platform.
There, President Fa Ma rose from his seat and stepped up to the high platform.
"Ahem."
Fa Ma lightly cleared his throat, sweeping the entire plaza with a calm and dignified gaze.
In an instant, the entire venue fell into absolute silence.
His aged yet steady voice resounded in everyone's ears:
"Everyone, today's examination will be the most critical round of the tournament. The final victor will be the champion of this Alchemist Grand Meeting!"
"So, for the sake of all your efforts—give it your all today!"
"Roarrrr—!!"
Just as Fa Ma's voice fell, a thunderous roar erupted from the audience stands.
The sea of spectators, who had been waiting anxiously for so long, cried out in unison. Their deafening voices shot straight into the clouds.
Every contestant on the plaza felt their emotions stir.
The most crucial moment… had finally arrived!
After today, some of them might become renowned throughout the entire empire—stepping into legend.
Just like the once-renowned Pill King Gu He.
Xiao Yan rubbed his ears, which were ringing from the overwhelming cheers. He turned to glance at Xian'er, whose expression, too, was rippling with emotion.
Then, their gazes turned toward the gray-robed youth in the distance, who wore a mocking smile on his face.
That youth's lips curled into a sneering arc. With a slightly raised chin and half-lidded eyes, he practically snorted down at the two of them.
His arrogant and disdainful posture was enough to make anyone grit their teeth in anger.
Even Xian'er, who was usually calm and gentle, couldn't hold back. Her face darkened slightly, and her slender hand clenched tightly.
Xiao Yan also slowly curled his fist. His chest rose and fell as he muttered quietly:
"Heh… time to go all out."
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