The Alchemy Conference was held in the northern district of the Inner Domain. That area had already been packed with a terrifying sea of people days before, eager to catch a glimpse of the high-level alchemists.
Therefore, when Chen Guan and his companions arrived, they were greeted by a dense, endless sea of heads. A deafening roar rose to the sky, transforming into a terrifying wave of sound that could be heard clearly for a hundred miles.
The traffic ahead was too congested, so Chen Guan didn't rush forward. He immediately led his group to a stop on top of a building.
Looking around, they saw a vast square nearly a thousand feet wide.
Previously, Chen Guan had cultivated in the Dan Tower and had wandered around Shengdan City in his spare time, visiting this square before.
However, today's square was different. Numerous stone platforms floated in the air, emanating a faint glow and appearing quite magical. They were crafted from a unique stone called Floating Jade Stone.
Theoretically, with a sufficient number of Floating Jade Stones, even without resorting to other methods, a city in the sky could be built.
Relatively speaking, building a few stone platforms is child's play.
"Those stone platforms will be the final seats for the third round of contestants. The sight of thousands of flames rising will be breathtakingly beautiful. Even I, an old man, have only seen it once, and it remains unforgettable."
Ye Zhong, who had been waiting outside the courtyard for a long time, pointed to the stone platforms suspended in mid-air, drawing the public's attention, and introduced them to everyone.
It's no exaggeration to say that simply reaching the platform, even if you don't make it to the end, is an honor!
Waves of cheers surged, and Chen Guan, feeling the fervent atmosphere, felt a slight surge of excitement.
"What's that space?"
After observing for a moment, Yun Yun pointed to a distant location to the other side.
The group followed Yun Yun's direction, only to see a dark gray expanse, conspicuous against the azure sky.
A closer inspection revealed that the space had been artificially distorted. Within this distorted space, dark gray gas swirled and swirled, obscuring outside vision.
"I'm sure you all already know the three levels of the Alchemy Conference. As you can see, that dark gray space is the first, known as the Illusionary Dimension."
Everyone nodded, and Ye Zhong continued with a smile, "That dark gray gas originates from a magical beast called the 'Illusionary Soul Beast.' It not only obscures vision but also hinders spiritual detection. Furthermore, there are other mysteries within that space. The layers of space overlap, like a maze. Those with weak mental strength will lose their sense of direction once they enter."
"Gradually, hidden thoughts will surface, and if you're not careful, you can become completely absorbed. While there's no danger, it's not easy to clear your mind and make it through. At the last Alchemy Conference, this round alone eliminated thousands of people..." Even
if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run.
Having witnessed it once personally, and having read numerous family records, Ye Zhong was deeply familiar with the Alchemy Conference. He spoke eloquently, almost like a tour guide.
Even Skyfire Venerable and Ghost Poison Old Monster piqued their interest as he recounted his story, not to mention the younger generation, including Little Medical Immortal, Yun Yun, and Ye Xinlan.
Chen Guan, listening, scanned the dense crowd below. It was a
truly remarkable gathering of Zhongzhou's elite. Besides familiar faces like Cao Ying and Song Qing, Chen Guan spotted over ten unfamiliar faces wearing seventh-grade alchemist badges.
And that didn't even include those hidden away...
The dozen or so people ranged from young to old.
The most eye-catching of them all was a petite, delicate young woman, securely guarded by four or five Dou Zong masters in the attic.
She looked no more than twenty, yet the seventh-grade badge on her chest shone with an incomparable brilliance. Even with her head bowed, it couldn't conceal her radiance.
Chen Guan suspected she was the Dan Chen Cao Ying had mentioned so often.
Danchen, as if sensing his gaze, looked up.
Chen Guan politely nodded in greeting, but Danchen, like a frightened little rabbit, quickly lowered her head, her cheeks flushing.
These...
rumors are indeed not groundless.
Having heard of her temper, Chen Guan shook his head slightly and averted his gaze, dismissing it.
It was at that moment that Chen Guan suddenly felt a cold gaze cast upon him from within the crowd. He
glanced around and quickly locked onto an unremarkable old man.
His features were clearly disguised, his playful smile stiff, his eyes like those of a venomous snake, a chilling coldness.
"A rat from the Soul Palace?"
Sensing the unwelcome presence, Chen Guan felt a surge of murderous intent.
Boom!
At that moment, a clear, ringing bell suddenly resounded throughout the world, its mighty melody silencing even the deafening clamor.
The sound of the bell echoed, and the square grew quieter. Countless eyes were fixed on the towering stone platform to the east.
There, the Danta leaders would appear!
They didn't wait long. A few moments later, bursts of wind suddenly erupted, and then the space above the stone platform distorted slightly, and more than a dozen figures slowly emerged.
Chen Guan's gaze followed them, and leading them were the three great leaders of Danta.
Xuan Kongzi, his humble teacher with white hair and the demeanor of a master.
Tian Leizi, with his stern face and unsmiling expression.
And Xuan Yi, with her voluptuous beauty and charming charm.
The moment these three appeared, the place suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. No one dared to make a noise. Amidst the endless sea of people, countless gazes, filled with a variety of emotions, converged on them.
The three great leaders of Danta—a title truly renowned not only in Zhongzhou, but even across the entire Dou Qi Continent.
To ordinary people, these three existed only in legends. Their sudden appearance had left countless people feeling a sense of disbelief.
Glancing around, the white-haired Xuan Kongzi slowly stepped out first, his gentle voice echoing clear and resonant in everyone's ears.
"Haha, I, Xuan Kongzi, represent the Alchemy Tower and welcome all the alchemists who have arrived. In the coming days, this will be the stage for you to showcase your skills."
"You have all come all the way here for the Alchemy Conference, so I will not waste my time here. This year's conference, as usual, will be divided into three rounds, namely..."
Knowing that most people knew the procedure, Xuan Kongzi did not elaborate, briefly explaining the rules and then raising the question that everyone was most concerned about.
"The prize for this year's champion is incredibly generous. Not only will they secure a spot as a candidate for the Danta Titan, but they'll also receive an ancient soul cultivation manual. With it, reaching the eighth or even ninth rank is just around the corner!"
Wow!
As soon as these words were spoken, the densely packed square erupted in a roar of excitement, the clamor unstoppable, and countless alchemists' eyes red with excitement.
For ninety-nine percent of the alchemists present, even the eighth rank was a near-legendary realm.
But if one were lucky enough to obtain that ancient soul cultivation manual, anything would be possible!
The unknown fuels endless imagination. Nearly lost soul cultivation methods are infinitely magnified in the minds of many alchemists, becoming almost divine artifacts capable of altering destiny.
Undoubtedly, this prize holds a fatal allure for them!
Meanwhile, Chen Guan, who possessed two soul cultivation manuals—one complete and one incomplete—remained composed, though he still harbored some thoughts. "
A fool would never want too much of a good thing!"
On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi looked at the suddenly bloodshot eyes, which seemed to have completely ignited the contestants' emotions. He smiled slightly and nodded with satisfaction.
Immediately, he flicked his sleeves lightly, and an invisible wave emanated, striking the void. Suddenly, another melodious bell sound rang out.
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"The time has come. All contestants of rank five and above, proceed to the first stage, the Soul Illusion! Exit within one hour to pass."
Xuan Kongzi's finger suddenly pointed toward the far reaches of the square. There, the dark gray space rapidly twisted, forming its own bizarre worlds, revealing numerous mysteries.
Boom!
A single stone sent a thousand waves surging. Suddenly, from the dense sea of people, powerful black shadows rushed out one after another, swarming like locusts, heading for the distorted space in the distance, filled with strange gray energy.
After waiting for five or six minutes, until most of the contestants in the square had entered, Chen Guan finally set off.
"Keep going!" Little Medical Immortal and Yun Yun cheered.
Skyfire Venerable and the others shook their heads and chuckled. Such a simple level? Just having hands is enough. Why worry about it?
Chen Guan waved his hand casually, and with a flash of lightning under his feet, he reappeared hundreds of feet away, leisurely catching up with Cao Ying and the others, who were also strolling leisurely.
"Junior brother, I thought you'd be the last one in."
Cao Ying glanced over, a beaming smile on her face, not a trace of nervousness at all.
Chen Guan was about to respond when Song Qing, as sticky as a stick, spoke first.
"Hmph, you're just trying to attract attention!"
Seriously, isn't he just asking for trouble?
Given that, Chen Guan wasn't going to tolerate him.
"Get in there!"
With a slight effort, he gave Song Qing a simple kick, sending him carelessly into the illusionary space like a ball, sending him screaming.
The absurdity of the scene made many people burst into laughter.
While others hesitated, the Cao family member burst into laughter.
"Take it easy, the elders from other families are watching."
Chen Guan looked back and, sure enough, a small group of people were glaring at him. He knew without question that they were from the Song family.
"Go ahead and watch, Senior Sister. I'm going in."
"Yes."
Watching Chen Guan go ahead, Cao Ying slowed down, spoke a few words to Cao Dan and the others behind her, and then followed closely in.
In less than a quarter of an hour, all the contestants had entered the illusionary space, allowing the once-crowded square to finally relax.
However, the clamor of heated discussion didn't abate, but rather intensified. Many began to speculate: how many would be eliminated in this round?
On the stone platform,
Xuan Kongzi smiled and glanced at the Great Elder, whose expression was not very good.
"Over 26,000 people. I remember the last Alchemy Conference only saw a little over 20,000. More and more alchemists are emerging, which is a good thing, but there are also some veterans who have participated three or four times in a row. They're really putting their skin on the line for the Three Thousand Flames."
The top ten in the Alchemy Conference had a hidden bonus: a chance to refine the Three Thousand Flames.
While this wasn't stated explicitly, it was no secret.
Tian Leizi, standing beside him, took over the conversation with a serious expression.
"Keeping that thing is a hidden danger. If they refine it, it's not a big deal. However, it absolutely must not fall into the hands of the Soul Palace! I wonder who they've sent to the Alchemy Conference this time."
Cultivating high-level alchemists is difficult, even for a power like the Soul Palace.
Furthermore, rashly interfering with the grand event of the Alchemy Tower carries considerable risks.
Therefore, they can be certain that there will be Soul Palace personnel in attendance, but the number won't be large, most likely just one.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi, dressed in palace attire, frowned slightly.
The Soul Palace's actions were despicable, but they were undoubtedly a formidable threat.
Xuan Kongzi, however, remained unfazed, his smile unwavering.
"If we gain it, we're lucky; if we lose it, we'll die. We'll ensure fairness and justice. If the Soul Palace does take it, it's simply because we're inferior in skill. There's nothing much to say. Trust these youngsters; they're not necessarily any worse than those veterans."
Hearing Xuan Kongzi's words, Xuan Yi and Tian Leizi both glanced at him.
...
the other side.
Chen Guan felt his vision blur, and upon regaining consciousness, he was already within the surrounding space.
Almost instantly, a strange force enveloped him, like an invisible barrier obscuring his mind, greatly reducing his spiritual perception. Even with his mental power, he could only detect an area of approximately five meters in radius, a testament to the suppression. Even with
this level of mental power, let alone the naked eye,
everything he could see was a deep gray.
Marveling at the strangeness of the illusionary space, Chen Guan remained unhurried. He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled through it, awaiting the arrival of his so-called illusory world.
Having mastered the "Great Sound, Silent Voice," he had developed a basic understanding of illusions. This was a rare opportunity to observe them more closely, making his own illusions more convincing.
Time passed, and Chen Guan's spiritual power expanded, yet nothing unusual occurred.
As he muttered to himself, he finally felt a distinct sense of daze. When he regained consciousness, the surrounding scene had undergone a drastic transformation.
What caught his eye was a sect shrouded in mist.
"Don't look outside. It's getting late. Let's rest early."
A familiar voice rang in his ears, and Chen Guan suddenly burst into laughter.
Curiously turning back, he saw Sect Master Yun dressed boldly, wanting to speak but shyly. Her delicate hands grasped the corners of her translucent gauze clothes, looking at him with a reproachful look.
Even more shocking was that next to her, there was an unexpected person, with an equally seductive posture.
"Sister Yaoye, why are you here too?"
Hearing this, Yaoye bit her lower lip lightly, her cheeks flushed.
"Today is your big day. I am keeping my word and am here to fulfill my promise."
(End of this chapter)