Devouring Soul Emperor

Alchemists are incredibly rare.

Under normal circumstances, no sect would refuse an Alchemist.

But not refusing one is one thing; how much they value them is another matter entirely.

For an ordinary Spirit Level Alchemist, these sects would, at most, send some regular Inner Sect Disciples to entertain and recruit them.

But as for those competing today, they were all talented Alchemists that the major sects had spent great effort cultivating.

Many of them looked down on Alchemists from the outside, thinking they were all self-taught hacks with no real skill.

So, after learning that Chu Qingyun was just from some unknown dynasty, the man's smile vanished. The few people around him also began to look at Chu Qingyun with a hint of contempt.

"How absurd. Nowadays, it seems any riffraff can participate in the Pill Battle Conference."

"Hehe, Brother Ruoguang, you can't put it that way. Without these overconfident fools, how could our own greatness be highlighted?"

Two people nearby even began to mock him openly.

And after these two spoke, many of the young male and female Alchemists around them chimed in, some even starting to flatter the pair.

Evidently, these two fellows had considerable backing and were quite powerful themselves.

Faced with their disdain and contempt, Chu Qingyun remained calm and didn't bother to argue.

Besides him, basically everyone else was from the major sects. He was alone and outnumbered; even if he tried to argue, he would instantly be at a disadvantage.

Besides, Chu Qingyun couldn't be bothered to stoop to their level. They were just a bunch of kids raised by sects, ignorant of the world, who didn't even understand basic respect or how to hide their own emotions.

In the end, they were nothing more than a bunch of spoiled brats from the sects.

'People like them,' Chu Qingyun thought, 'if they were thrown into the Land of Hundred Dynasties, they'd be played for fools. They'd probably even help count the money after being sold.'

If they were sent to the Blood-soaked Land, it would be even worse. Those vicious thugs would devour them, leaving not even bones behind.

The Celestial Martial City Pill Battle Conference was a very important event in the Northern Domain. Moreover, these young, talented Alchemists were the precious treasures of their respective sects.

Therefore, accompanying—or rather, escorting—them were many bigwigs and powerful experts from the sects.

At this moment, they were all situated in a temporarily constructed tower next to the duel platform.

Although it was a temporary structure, likely to stand for only these two days, its interior and exterior decorations and layout were all extremely meticulous and luxurious.

Clearly, the organizers were serving these experts from the sects very cautiously.

On the third floor of the tower, King-level Alchemists from the major sects, as well as some unaligned ones who disliked being constrained, were gathered, chatting in small groups.

And in the largest of these groups was Master Kang of Celestial Martial City.

"Who do you think has a chance to win the Celestial Martial City Pill Battle Conference this time and claim that Broken Sword?" a King-level Alchemist asked with a smile.

"Heh, that Broken Sword has captured the hearts of many Inner Sect Disciples from every sect. These little ones are all giving it their all. I think… Little Zhou from the Saint Extreme Sect might just win it."

"No, no, she's still lacking a bit. I, on the other hand, think Wu Xinghai from the Talisman Puppet Sect has a good chance! His talent is exceptional and his temperament is excellent. He's very likely to win!"

"Li Ruoguang from Tianya Sect and Zhu Tianyun from Purple Cloud Sect are also rare talents. They have a chance to win as well."

The King-level Alchemists began to name the contestants they favored.

And without exception, all those they mentioned were geniuses from the major sects.

The ones mentioned most often were the Alchemy Dao geniuses from the Four Sects: the Talisman Puppet Sect, the Saint Extreme Sect, the Purple Cloud Sect, and the Tianya Sect.

"Hehe, I would also like to propose someone," Master Kang chimed in with a chuckle. "This person may not be famous, but his fundamentals are exceptionally solid. His control over certain details when refining elixirs is something even I have to admit I can't match."

Oh?

Hearing Master Kang say this, the surrounding Alchemists were instantly intrigued.

For a King-level Alchemist—and a veteran one like Master Kang at that—to say "I can't match him," was truly extraordinary.

"Who is it? Which sect are they from?"

"That's impossible. If there really was such an impressive youngster, how could they have gone undiscovered?"

Someone expressed their doubt.

Master Kang smiled and continued, "His name is Chu Qingyun. He is an Alchemist from the Great Xia Dynasty and hasn't joined any sect."

The Great Xia Dynasty?

Many people looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking their heads. They had never heard of it.

"Hmph, ridiculous! Even the Alchemists of my Celestial Sword Sect wouldn't dare claim they can win the championship. And some fellow from some unknown little dynasty thinks he can win!?"

A King-level Alchemist from the Celestial Sword Sect suddenly snorted coldly.

The atmosphere immediately became a bit awkward, but no one responded to him. As the most powerful sect in the Northern Domain, everyone had long since grown accustomed to the Celestial Sword Sect's domineering arrogance.

However, while martial practices flourished in the Celestial Sword Sect, their Alchemy Dao was much weaker than that of the Talisman Puppet Sect and the Saint Extreme Sect, who were also among the Three Major Sects. They were even inferior to the Tianya Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect in this regard.

Therefore, every alchemy competition was a time of great frustration and annoyance for the Alchemists of the Celestial Sword Sect.

As for Master Kang, he just smiled and said nothing.

Old and shrewd, he knew better than to argue with someone from the Celestial Sword Sect. Besides, strength wasn't determined by words. When the results were out, the truth would be clear for all to see.

The Celestial Martial City Pill Battle Conference.

Both participants and spectators had arrived well in advance.

The crowd was a roaring sea of voices.

When the time came to begin, a figure suddenly leaped from the fourth floor of the tower. The figure soared several hundred meters through the air before landing steadily on the central high platform.

"Everyone, quiet down!"

The person on the high platform spoke. Without any visible effort, his voice spread throughout the entire area.

The area around the platform gradually fell silent, and all eyes focused on the white-bearded old man on the stage.

The white-bearded old man nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Everyone, I am Yu Liyuan, Dean of the Talisman Puppet Sect's Pill Institute, and I will be the host of this Celestial Martial City Pill Battle Conference!"

Upon hearing this, a cheer erupted from the Talisman Puppet Sect disciples around the platform.

But many more people's expressions turned grim.

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