Chapter 271: The Alchemy Pavilion

"Once this matter is over, you'll go back to the clan and accept the inheritance. Now even Shangguan Hao's cultivation has surpassed yours." Dan Wenshan glared at him fiercely, feeling greatly embarrassed.

Upon hearing this, Shan Qu fell silent, his eyes flickering. He wanted to forge his own path, just as Xing Hao had accepted the inheritance under pressure from within the sect.

But how difficult it was to forge one's own path? The path of martial arts required forging ahead courageously, experiencing the myriad facets of life, and engaging in life-and-death battles. Would one leap to become a dragon and walk the path of supremacy? Or would one live a mediocre life? All of this demanded extraordinary talent and a solid foundation.

At this moment, Shan Qu's gaze fell on Yang Tian, a mix of helplessness and determination in his eyes. Forging one's own path was incredibly difficult; cultivators were inherently ascetics.

Yang Tian's journey had been fraught with hardships, and he had experienced many life-and-death situations. Though he possessed great fortune, it was not certain that he could walk the path of supremacy. The continent was vast and boundless, with countless prodigies. This was a stage for the strong, an era of rising heroes. The rise of a resplendent age was also a difficult path.

"In this Alchemy Competition, the second place goes to Dan Chen, and the third place to Qin Shi!"

As the words of the Alchemy Sect slowly fell, the entire venue erupted in uproar. Some could not believe their ears. Dan Chen and Qin Shi indeed had the strength, but the pills refined by Yang Tian and Dan Xiaoxiao were far superior.

Yang Tian looked puzzled. The Marrow Cleansing Pill he had refined was slightly better than Dan Chen's, and Dan Xiaoxiao, possessing a divine body, would not have produced a subpar pill.

The third place went to Qin Shi, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes. His cultivation had just broken through to War King, and his soul power had also surged. He was somewhat dissatisfied with this ranking but did not question it.

"Those present must be quite puzzled." Gazing around, the Alchemy Sect leader smiled slightly. "In this Alchemy Competition, because the quality of the two pills was too close to judge, Meng Tian and Dan Xiaoxiao share the first place!"

Whoosh! The entire venue instantly erupted, with incredulous discussions. Two first places meant two seventh-grade pills had to be awarded, and Dan Xiaoxiao was from the Alchemy Valley. The Alchemy Valley could easily fabricate...

Some praised the Alchemy Valley for its fairness, claiming there was no trace of bias, and that it was so just...

Yang Tian was dumbfounded. Hearing the surrounding discussions, he didn't believe for a second that the old man would be so generous as to give away a seventh-grade pill. And Dan Xiaoxiao had a divine body; if she took first place, Yang Tian had nothing to say.

The Alchemy Sect leader was secretly lamenting, their faces darkening. The judges for this competition were all old monsters from the Alchemy Valley, and Yuan Xia was the decision-maker. She insisted on having two first places, leaving the Alchemy Valley people with no choice but to comply.

The Alchemy Competition came to an end. Tian Xin barely made it into the top ten, finishing with the last result. He nearly vomited blood on the spot, failing to regain face and even getting slapped by a girl.

The competition concluded, but many did not leave. The biggest highlight this time was not the pill rewards, but the flames within the Fire Domain, because a youth had once obtained not only a flame but also a fragment of an inheritance shadow!

Since that incident, outsiders had placed great importance on the Alchemy Competition, and the Alchemy Valley had an unwritten rule: the Fire Domain was left by ancient powerhouses and was not the exclusive property of the Alchemy Valley.

Among the flames within, there were even Heavenly Flames! But gaining the recognition of a Heavenly Flame was as difficult as ascending to heaven! Though those ancient powerhouses had fallen, these flames had long since developed intelligence.

Some powerhouses had attempted to seize them, but all failed without exception, and some even died within.

Yang Tian and the other ten gathered in a palace. Dan Xiaoxiao looked at Yang Tian with curiosity. Though young, she knew well how stingy the old fellows of the Alchemy Valley were. For them to produce an extra seventh-grade pill was truly unprecedented.

"These old bastards..." Rubbing his nose, Yang Tian noticed the resentful gazes of some elders nearby and couldn't help but curl his lips, muttering inwardly.

The Alchemy Sect leader walked over slowly, surveyed the surroundings, and produced a divine spear in his hand. With a flick of the spear, a strange luster leaped forth, and at the same time, a portal appeared ahead.

Having done this, the Alchemy Sect leader nodded. A powerful surge of soul power swept over the group, scanning them for a long while before withdrawing.

"Next, we go to the Alchemy Valley to receive the rewards. This is a void passage. Let's go." The Alchemy Sect leader waved his hand, and the group stepped into the void passage.

Arriving at the Alchemy Valley again, Yang Tian was not particularly surprised. Only Meng Kang looked around with a naive expression, showing great curiosity about everything.

"Meng Tian, this place is even better than my home." Meng Kang observed for a while and whispered to Yang Tian. Along the way, Yang Tian had become quite familiar with him. Initially, Meng Kang had been very defiant, but now he had completely lost his arrogance.

"Ignorant fool. You call this place good? The energy is too weak." Tian Xin cast a cold, sharp glance at Yang Tian and the others, snorting softly. Though his voice was low, it reached everyone's ears.

Several elders of the Alchemy Valley pursed their lips but ultimately said nothing. The Alchemy Sect leader was full of anger but had to swallow it. Although the remark was not directed at them, the Alchemy Sect leader naturally disliked him.

Dan Xiaoxiao's big eyes widened, her small hands clenched, and her little eyelashes trembled. She wished she could kick him out.

Meng Kang's eyes widened, his face full of fury. Just as he was about to curse, a hand stopped him.

Yang Tian glanced at Tian Xin and snorted coldly: "Is your skin itching again? If it is, I don't mind loosening your bones for you!"

The forceful words landed, and the周围的人 were momentarily stunned, then felt a surge of satisfaction. The image of Tian Xin with a bruised and swollen face, slapped flying by Yang Tian, instantly appeared in their minds.

Some of the Alchemy Valley elders' resentment dissipated, and a smile crept onto their old faces.

"Meng Tian, is it? We'll see about that!" Tian Xin sneered coldly, surprisingly not flying into a rage. The venom in his eyes sent a chill down even Yang Tian's spine.

"Don't end up like before." Shrugging, Yang Tian watched Tian Xin's retreating figure, squinted, and said with a faint smile: "If the air here is too bad, you can leave. No one's stopping you. A fifth-grade pill isn't worth the trip, is it?"

The unexpected words made Tian Xin's steps falter slightly, but he continued on without any response.

The fat man sneaked over, grinned widely, and gave a thumbs-up.

The elders exchanged glances, a hint of vigilance appearing in their eyes. In the past, many audacious fellows had sneaked into the Alchemy Valley to steal pills. Though none succeeded, the pills had suffered.

The farce soon passed. Many young disciples of the Alchemy Valley sized up the group. Some young women had sparkling eyes, and a few bold ones even cast flirtatious glances.

Among them, most disciples looked at Tian Xin with contempt. But Tian Xin was unusually calm, which gave Yang Tian an ominous premonition. If he couldn't restrain himself during the Alchemy Competition, how could he endure such looks?

After a while, the group arrived at a complex of palaces. The halls stretched in a grand and imposing manner. Above this complex floated a massive palace, shrouded in mist, indistinct and unclear, like a celestial palace suspended in the void.

Among these sprawling halls, the group walked until they reached a palace and finally stopped.

It was an ancient and majestic hall. Yang Tian looked up, his gaze resting on the words 'Alchemy Pavilion.' His heart immediately burned with excitement. The Alchemy Valley had not specified which pill to choose, leaving it to their own discretion.

The Alchemy Sect leader looked at the hall's gate, his expression respectful. He cupped his hands and said, "The top ten of this Alchemy Competition have been determined. Please open the door, Elder Gu."