"This rubbish illusion is ruining my reputation!"
Chen Guan muttered to himself in the gray space, trudging forward.
The so-called illusion presented no obstacles or dangers; in his opinion, it was completely flawed.
Yun Yun and Yao Ye's simultaneous appearance was understandable, but then came Medusa, Little Medical Fairy, Cao Ying, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, Yao Yue, and others.
Each one's performance was distinctly inconsistent. Some sang, some danced, some played instruments, all masters of their respective crafts. Only Medusa avoided all the frivolous tricks.
Her constant calls of "Master" were so captivating that, were it not for her family's already high status, she would have been just a fraction of a second too.
Despite the numerous illusions along the way, Chen Guan remained unmoved. After more than ten minutes of this, the thick gray fog before him began to dissipate.
Then, a massive, twisting black hole, several feet in diameter, appeared not far ahead.
"This should be the spatial entrance to the second level of the Danta Realm."
Without hesitation, Chen Guan strode in.
As if penetrating an invisible membrane, the previous feeling of suppressed spiritual power vanished.
The dim light replaced the dimness, and Chen Guan adjusted slightly before looking up.
Before him lay a rather spacious open space. The space around it was distorted. Besides the exit beneath his feet, there was another passage not far away.
Clearly, this was a spatial resting point forcibly constructed by the Danta's powerful.
Already, this open space was filled with numerous figures, sitting and standing. Each one possessed a strong aura, the first contestants to pass through the illusionary level.
Most of these figures were scattered, gazing warily at one another. Only a few had gathered in groups of three or four, but their gazes toward one another were filled with wariness. From this point on, there were no friends, only rivals.
Chen Guan's appearance also attracted the attention of many people in the open space. Whether they recognized him or not, there was fear in their eyes.
A seventh-grade alchemist was already the most powerful opponent!
Amidst the various emotions, a look full of hatred was extremely obvious. Chen Guan turned his head to look.
It was Song again.
In the open space not far from him, Cao Ying and Dan Chen were also there.
Somewhat surprisingly, when Dan Chen saw him come out, he nodded slightly in courtesy. On the other hand, Cao Ying, the always generous senior sister who liked to tease him, had a flickering look and a slightly unnatural smile.
Before he had time to think about it, Song Qing, who had been kicked earlier, could not help but stand up angrily and was about to come over to seek revenge.
But seeing Chen Guan's teasing smile, he quietly put down his raised foot.
"So what if I'm strong? The Alchemy Competition isn't about Dou Qi cultivation. I'm the first to pass this level, and the second and third levels will be the same. I wonder how you'll be able to smile then!"
With this thought, Song Qing's face suddenly lit up with pride.
Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to him.
No, there was someone who was watching his every move.
In front of another spatial passage, an old man in linen sat cross-legged on the back of a giant turtle, its body pitch black like black iron. His deep eyes were as still as a pool, and no movement in the arena escaped his scrutiny.
Seeing Song Qing's smugness, he shook his head slightly.
Many fifth-grade alchemists could pass this level, but others treated it as a mere game. And yet, you, a fool, put all your energy into it, and even considered it an honor.
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The old man remained silent, his eyes narrowed, as if he might fall asleep at any moment. But with him there, no one dared to speak loudly.
After Chen Guan emerged, everyone waited for about a quarter of an hour. A steady stream of people streamed out of the illusory space, filling the spacious area.
But compared to the vast crowds outside, it was undoubtedly much sparser. Chen Guan took a quick glance and saw fewer than twenty thousand people.
Suddenly, a distinct ticking sound echoed in everyone's ears.
The next moment, the old man, half asleep and half awake, sitting cross-legged at the other end of the spatial passage, suddenly opened his eyes. The
moment he opened his eyes, everyone felt the soul power lingering between his brows tremble slightly, and they all fell silent and looked over.
The old man's eyes were like lightning as he scanned the entire audience. Then he slowly opened his mouth and said weakly, "The time has come. You can enter the Dan Realm."
"Everyone who enters there must come to me to get a task medicine list, a map of the Dan Realm and a space stone. The medicine list contains the medicinal materials you must find inside. Only when you have collected all the medicinal materials on it can you be considered to have successfully passed this level."
"I won't say much about the function of the map. It has the exit location of the Dan Realm on it. After you have collected all the medicinal materials, you can rush there."
"As for the space stone, it is used to save your life. When your life is at stake, you can crush it, and then you will be automatically sent out of the Dan Realm. But you must remember that crushing the space stone means losing the qualification to continue participating in the competition."
"Don't think that having a space stone will make you safe. If the opponent you meet is too different in strength from you, you may not even be able to crush the space stone. Therefore, act according to the circumstances and don't seek death."
At the end, the old man glanced at Song Qing inconspicuously.
It was a well-intentioned reminder, but Song Qing wasn't really listening.
Seeing his expression, the old man stopped interfering, took out the prescription list, and began distributing it, saying,
"The Alchemy Realm is dilapidated, and the energy is extremely violent, making it unsuitable for extended stays. Therefore, you only have ten days to search for the herbs needed for your mission. As for how to identify them, I don't think I need to teach you."
"Also, while the Alchemy Realm isn't suitable for human habitation, it's a haven for some magical beasts. After years of reproduction, the magical beasts within the Alchemy Realm are extremely powerful. If you encounter one, be careful and don't risk your life. No one will come to your rescue. You should be mentally prepared for this. The Alchemy Conference isn't a game or some ordinary competition; it's a true arena of bloody battles!"
Amid the old man's earnest instructions, alchemist after alchemist plunged into the spatial passage, like a pebble dropped into a lake, a slight ripple followed by silence.
Just like the first level, Chen Guan, Cao Ying, and the others didn't rush in. They waited until most others had left before simultaneously stepping forward to receive their tasks.
"Elder Liao, please give us a few simple tasks."
"Haha, Cao Ying, I haven't been to the Alchemy Realm in these thirty years. I don't know which herbs are more abundant or rare there, so it all depends on your luck."
The old man remained unmoved. He pulled out several closed prescriptions and placed them before him, letting them choose like a blind box. The others before him had done the same, selecting without knowing the specific herbs.
Cao Ying was only joking. Seeing the old man's seriousness, she stopped talking and followed the rules, randomly selecting one.
"Junior Brother, Danchen, you come."
The two nodded slightly and stepped forward.
Chen Guan casually picked up a prescription, not paying attention to the herbs required.
Instead, he was more excited about the next step in the Alchemy Realm.
He wondered if that girl would be there.