Chapter 416 - 422: Alchemy Breakthrough

More and more Sects began to arrive. Even the Demon Clan and Demon Race, rarely seen on a typical day, swaggered onto the scene.

Ordinarily, the Four Domains were in constant competition. The relationship between the Southern and Eastern Domains, both home to the Human Clan, was decent enough. But with the Demon Clan and Demon Race, they were mortal enemies.

After all, they viewed each other as walking "opportunities." Any encounter was a life-or-death struggle, so naturally, their relations were anything but good.

It was only for a grand event in the Cultivation World like the Alchemy Dao Grand Competition that they would, on a rare occasion, set aside their grievances and prejudices to attend together.

"Hiss... Is that the Young Master of the Demon Clan leading them?"

"That’s him. I heard he’s the reincarnation of a Devil Star. His cultivation advances by leaps and bounds, and he reached the Divine Separation Stage before he was even a hundred..."

"But I’ve also heard he’s cruel and his methods are extreme. He’s not someone you want to mess with!"

The gazes of many in the city fell upon a purple-haired youth from the Demon Clan.

The youth’s aura was deep and steady. His purple, almond-shaped eyes flickered with an enchanting light, holding a profound mystery and chilling indifference. One look was enough to tell he was not someone to be trifled with.

"Young Master, since you’re participating personally in this competition, you have to teach these members of the Human Clan a lesson!"

"That’s right! Those humans were so arrogant during the last competition. We can’t let them have their way again this time!"

"Hahaha, with our Young Master participating, they should just prepare to be crushed! Hahaha..."

The group made no attempt to lower their voices. Their wild, arrogant laughter caused the faces of many nearby humans to darken.

"Pah! The mere Demon Clan wants to defeat the Human Clan? What a pipe dream!"

"Exactly! The Medicine King Sect alone will give them more than they can handle!"

Someone in the crowd spat and muttered under his breath.

The next instant, the purple-robed youth’s gaze snapped toward him.

The man’s eyes met the young master’s gaze, and a sharp pain instantly shot through them, causing tears to stream uncontrollably down his face.

At the same time, his Sea of Consciousness roiled and his Divine Soul showed signs of instability, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"PTUI—"

Horrified, he quickly averted his gaze and ducked behind others, narrowly escaping further harm.

The purple-robed youth’s icy gaze swept over the crowd, and the once-noisy corner of the street fell silent.

Only then did he turn and walk toward the Wuyang Inn.

The other Demon Cultivators followed unhurriedly behind him, a vast and imposing procession.

Xiao Heyun, blending into the crowd, watched the purple-haired youth leave as a profound look flashed in his eyes.

He tightly clutched the treasure he had just snagged for a bargain at a stall, his desire to become stronger burning ever more intensely.

’That kind of status, the kind the Young Master of the Demon Clan has, is what a true man should aspire to...’

’Power, money, talent...’

’He has the best of everything.’

’And yet, this body I transmigrated into has to rely on sucking up to women just to get by.’

The more Xiao Heyun thought about it, the more resentful he became.

...

"BOOM—"

Another Pill Furnace had exploded.

Hearing the sound, the people inside Wuyang Inn didn’t even bat an eye.

For the past few days, the sound of an exploding furnace had come from the fifth floor every day. Rumor had it that a disciple from the Ancient Cold Sect was responsible for the noise.

At first, it was a topic of lively discussion and occasional jokes. But as they got used to it, they came to see the person as quite diligent, just with terribly poor talent, causing a furnace to explode at the drop of a hat.

In the beginning, the Fourth Elder was constantly teased by the elders of other Sects. So as not to affect the state of mind of Lu Yi and Song Wanning, he simply told them not to leave their room and to focus on studying their Alchemy Skill.

Just as the elders were gathered in the inn’s lobby chatting, the group led by the Young Master of the Demon Clan arrived.

The expressions of the elders changed as they all looked toward the purple-haired youth. They were all astonished when they perceived his bone age and Cultivation level.

The purple-haired youth gave the elders an indifferent glance before looking up toward the fifth floor.

The sound of the furnace explosion just now had come from one of the rooms up there.

He concealed the profound look in his eyes and stepped inside. After getting rooms for his people, he went straight to them without another word.

The entire time, he paid no mind to the Divine Separation Stage elders in the lobby.

"Hmph! That Young Master of the Demon Clan is as arrogant as they say. He didn’t even deign to look at us!"

"It’s natural to be arrogant after achieving so much at such a young age, but to be so brazen on the Human Clan’s territory... it’s simply outrageous!"

"With the Young Master of the Demon Clan participating personally, it seems the Demon Clan is determined to win the Alchemy Dao Grand Competition this time!"

All the elders were wary of the Young Master of the Demon Clan. His aptitude was simply too frightening!

They were considered geniuses in their own generation, yet it had taken them several hundred years of arduous training to reach the Divine Separation Stage.

And yet this kid was already at the Divine Separation Stage at just over a hundred years old...

The words had barely been spoken when members of the Demon Race also began to arrive.

The Demon Clan and Demon Race had arrived together. After all, on Human Clan territory, it was best to stick together in case of an ambush.

Most of the Great Demons had already taken human form and looked no different from the Human Clan, though many chose to retain some of their physical traits, like tails or ears.

But one Half-demon among them caught everyone’s attention.

"There’s even a partially transformed demon beast!"

The demon beast’s upper body was human, but its lower body was still that of a beast, making for a strange sight.

A partial transformation was usually the mark of one who had failed to fully take human form...

A flicker of understanding passed through the onlookers’ minds, but they all kept their thoughts to themselves.

Now that all the major powers had gathered, the Alchemy Dao Grand Competition was only three days away. All that was left was for the people from the Central Domain to make their appearance!

...

"VMMMM—"

As a violent tremor shook the room, Song Wanning’s eyes sharpened. She immediately slammed her hand down on the rattling lid of the furnace and began pouring in Spiritual Energy.

Suddenly, a glint appeared in her eyes. ’A bold idea flashed through her mind.’

’Besides Spiritual Energy, I also have Demonic Qi in my body.’

’Once I channel Spiritual Energy into the Pill Furnace, it just roams about uncontrollably.’

’What if... I used Demonic Qi to suppress it?’

It was a moment of sudden clarity for Song Wanning. Without a second thought, she mobilized the Demonic Qi in her body and began to channel it into the Immortal Furnace.

The already restless Spiritual Energy became even more volatile the moment it detected the Demonic Qi, as if determined to fight it for dominance.

But soon, as the amount of Demonic Qi increased, the restless Spiritual Energy began to calm down. The two energies kept to their own territories, as if afraid the other would encroach upon it.

In this brief moment of equilibrium, the Elixir Liquid at the bottom of the furnace rapidly fused and compressed.

In just a dozen breaths, plump, round Elixir Pills had taken shape.

Song Wanning calmly withdrew her energy, then opened the furnace lid. A unique medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out.

She looked down and saw a total of five Eighth-grade Elixir Pills!

The pills’ surfaces were marked with a faint pattern of lines, almost imperceptible without close inspection.

’They’re not top-grade elixir pills?’

Song Wanning was surprised. After all, these had been refined in the Immortal Furnace; logically, their quality should be exceptional.

But when she consumed one of the pills, a surging medicinal power instantly suffused her entire body. The effect was potent and fast-acting, even better than that of a top-grade elixir!

Her expression grew serious.

’It seems that as my own alchemy system integrates and evolves, the quality of the pills I refine is also changing.’

’But the effects are definitely better than those of a top-grade elixir!’