Invincible

921-940

Chapter 921: Convening at the Divine Dan World

"I'm really curious who that person was. If such talent could be used by our Fortune Gate, would we need to fear the Wangu Clan?" On the way, Sun Yi lamented.

As the Fortune Gate Chief, Wang Yu nodded his head in agreement with Sun Yi, "Yes ah, what a pity he's dead. But this kind of monstrous genius is not a variable any sect or force could completely control, that person dying inside the Hellion Tower might not be a bad thing at all."

As the Fortune Gate group left the square, masters from super forces such as the Wangu Clan, Mu Clan, Zhou Clan, the Giant Tribe, and others also started leaving.

In these masters' eyes, several days without any movement indirectly equaled to having died inside. Even though, in another sense, this conclusion seemed a little surreal even to them, this was the truth displayed in front of their eyes.

Even the Gods were jealous of his talent ah!

Once a person's talent went beyond a certain level, even the Heavens couldn't tolerate it!

After two more days passed in waiting, the devil clan Patriarch Mo Dingtian and others still at the square finally dispersed.

Naturally, Devil Son Mo Su also followed Mo Dingtian's group. At this moment, he was thankful and finally able to relax. In his opinion, since that person had died, he was the final winner!

"Mo Su, the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's Grand Competition is coming. Get ready, a few days later I will have Mo Zhenru accompany you to the Divine Dan World." Mo Dingtian suddenly spoke.

Mo Su snapped out from his own thoughts, respectful and full of confidence as he said, "Yes, Patriarch. Please rest assured, I will definitely win the Pill God Ring in the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition!"

Other than divine pellets, precious herb elixirs, and being allowed to enter and cultivate in the Dan River, the first place winner also received a Pill God Ring.

This ring was forged from numerous precious materials gathered by the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, having a myriad of wonderful uses. Not to mention that the person possessing it would have a significant level of authority and special benefits.

Mo Dingtian nodded, "Both your cultivation and alchemy talents are very high, and with your current strength, winning the first place shouldn't be difficult for you. However, at that time, you must be careful of the Wangu Clan's Wangu Ye as well as the Fortune Gate's Li Lu. These two people's talent in alchemy doesn't lose to yours."

In terms of talent amongst the Wangu Clan's younger generations, Wangu Yanhui was the uncontested number one. But in terms of alchemy refining talent, it was Wangu Ye!

Moreover, Wangu Ye had several thousand years of cultivation under his belt. His cultivation was even higher than Wangu Yanhui's, already having stepped into Eighth Order Highgod Realm.

Mo Su nodded and heeded Mo Dingtian's words, then a light of confusion flickered in his eyes, "The Fortune Gate's Li Lu?"

He already knew of Wangu Ye but since when was there a Li Lu in the Fortune Gate? This was his first time hearing this name.

Noticing Mo Su's perplexed expression, Mo Dingtian explained, "This Li Lu is a personal disciple the Fortune Gate Ancestor took in over two hundred years ago. Since she has been cultivating inside the Fortune Gate Domain, not many people outside of Fortune Gate know about her existence, however, from the information I received, this Li Lu has a very high talent in alchemy, not lower than Wangu Ye. Perhaps, she even exceeds him by an inch."

"A talent higher than Wangu Ye's! How can that be?!" Mo Su exclaimed in shock.

Mo Dingtian went on, "It goes without saying that there might a few points of exaggeration by the Fortune Gate. From this action, we can be sure that this Li Lu's alchemy refining talent is definitely high, but her cultivation realm is not that high, most likely between Third Order to Fourth Order Highgod Realm, which is why she isn't that much of a threat to you."

Hearing this, Mo Su regained some composure.

"This Li Lu is a truly a charming beauty." Mo Dingtian added, "When you meet her, it would do no harm trying to get closer to her. I've heard that she's extremely favored by the Fortune Gate Ancestor, so if you can rein her in, it would be considered a great merit to our Ancient Devil Clan."

A confident smile spread over Mo Su's face, "Please rest assured, Patriarch, I definitely won't let you down."

In the Frozen River World, the snow-capped mountains painted a picturesque scene.

At this time, the Frozen River World's transmission array was flickering, followed by a figure walking out from it.

Who else but Huang Xiaolong!

Stepping out from the transmission array, Huang Xiaolong surveyed his surrounding environment, stretches of white snow-capped mountains entered his sight. He then sped off in a certain direction.

It had been a good few days since he exited the Hellion Tower.

In these last few days, Huang Xiaolong already determined his location. Based on his speed, he could arrive at the Divine Dan World in one and a half month's time, thus he wasn't exactly in a hurry to reach his destination. He planned to stay for a couple of days in this Frozen River World before traveling onward.

The sceneries of this Frozen River World were very famous, its name well-known in many galaxies.

After all, there were more than three months left until the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition, he had ample time.

A while later, Huang Xiaolong arrived at a giant ice city whose buildings and walls were all built from enormous blocks of ice.

Huang Xiaolong entered the ice city in large strides. The city was quiet, there weren't many people on the streets, giving it a tranquil beauty. No fights, no scent of blood.

'If there's a chance later, I'll bring Xiaofei and stay here for a few years.' Huang Xiaolong quietly planned in his mind.

He remembered that Shi Xiaofei liked ice and snow, and was certain she would be very happy to see this Frozen River World.

Huang Xiaolong stopped before a restaurant, then entered the premise and found a table. After placing his order of some small side dishes and a jug of wine, he sipped his wine leisurely while enjoying the view outside. Soft, white snow drifted from the sky. He was embracing a rare moment of tranquillity, his heart at peace.

"I heard there's someone who actually went all the way up to the twelfth floor of the Hellion Tower!"

"Yes ah, too bad that person died inside!"

Not far from his table was a group of cultivators, and the content of their discussion stumped Huang Xiaolong.

Died on the twelfth floor?

As he continued to listen in on their conversation, he was finally able to make a conjecture about what happened. The people waiting outside the Hellion Tower thought he died on the twelfth floor after they didn't see him come out.

Huang Xiaolong shook his head, smiling.

The several cultivators' discussion gradually moved to the upcoming Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition. There was a mention of Devil Son Mo Su, saying that he had the highest possibility of winning the first place.

From these disciples' conversation, Huang Xiaolong came to know that Mo Su had cleared the tenth floor, finally failing on the eleventh floor.

'Mo Su.' Huang Xiaolong repeated the name in his mind.

It was unexpected to him that this Mo Su would be participating in the upcoming Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition, but it was more interesting this way.

...

One month later.

As the Divine Dan World transmission array's light diminished, Huang Xiaolong was stepping out from it.

The Divine Dan World at last!

Huang Xiaolong did not linger around. Inquiring some information from one of the disciples guarding the transmission array, he flew straight toward the Divine Dan City.

The Divine Dan World's spiritual energy was extremely abundant. Its many mountain peaks were filled with countless medicinal herbs, causing weak medicinal properties to intermingle with the spiritual energy.

While Huang Xiaolong was making his way to the Divine Dan City, cultivators from various forces of numerous galaxies were also making their way there, forming something like human rivers.

The closer one got to the Divine Dan City, the more crowded it was.

'Did Master come, has he arrived?' Huang Xiaolong sighed inwardly watching the distance to the Divine Dan City narrowing as he moved forward.

Before he left Martial Spirit World, the Ascending Moon Old Man said to him that he would also come to the Divine Dan City when it was time for the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition.

Chapter 922: Meeting Wangu Yanhui Again

Shortly, Huang Xiaolong descended some distance away from the Divine Dan City's gates, landing on the main path, blending into the large stream of people heading forward into the city.

A while later, he reached the gates, paid ten high saint grade pills and stepped into the city.

In general, the payment to enter any super forces' cities was either made with money or spirit stones, only the Divine Dan City set the rule of using medicinal pellets as currency.

Once inside the Divine Dan City, Huang Xiaolong first inquired about the whereabouts of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's headquarters and headed there directly. Although there were roughly two months left until the Grand Competition, he still needed to acquire the official rank of an Alchemist beforehand.

After taking the Alchemist assessment, he could register for the Union's Grandmaster Competition on the spot and leave to search for a place to stay.

However, he couldn't help complaining a little, there were really too many people. Even a fly would find it hard to maneuver through the crowd.

Huang Xiaolong was moving forward step by step, covering a pitiful distance of the street after half an hour of walking. By this point, his brows were already scrunched up, feeling vexed.

At this rate, even if he were given half a month he still wouldn't be able to make it to the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters.

Huang Xiaolong tilted his head upwards, looking at the carriages that occasionally flew past in the air belonging to one family or another. It seemed like he should go and get one himself for convenience's sake.

The Divine Dan City had a rule that forbid any families or sect's carriages to enter or fly over the city. Moreover, individuals weren't allowed to fly as they liked within the city area either, nor could they use Greater Space Teleportation, with one exception. In order to fly freely inside the city, one could do so with the luxury carriages provided by the Alchemist Grandmaster Union.

Naturally, their rental fees were exorbitant. Then again, Huang Xiaolong didn't lack money.

He asked around for the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Chamber of Commerce and headed there.

The Chamber of Commerce had more than a hundred branches within the Divine Dan City itself. Saying that each street had a branch of it was no exaggeration, hence, Huang Xiaolong was able to find the closest branch in a short time.

After taking a step into the Chamber of Commerce's Branch building, Huang Xiaolong was bedazzled by the arrays of luxury carriages displayed inside.

There were no less than ten thousand carriages displayed inside!

These carriages were exquisite, grand, majestic, and of course, extravagant. With one look Huang Xiaolong could tell that the carriages were made from top quality spiritual wood and spirit stones,with profound flying formations inscribed on the wheels. Moreover, pulling these carriages were not the common flying horses, but rare and top breed spiritual beasts.

Because there was already quite a number of family disciples inside picking their carriages before Huang Xiaolong entered, he was left unattended, but this didn't bother him. He walked without the slightest hint of impatience, looking at the different carriage types. At last, Hung Xiaolong stopped in front of a luxurious carriage made from Phantasm Color Crystal.

This Phantasm Color Crystal carriage was pulled by a peak late-Tenth Order God Realm blue Luan Phoenix. The flying formation inscribed on the wheels of this carriage was one of the higher grades.

Huang Xiaolong called over a chamber employee, then pointed at the Phantasm Color Crystal carriage without even asking for the price, stating that he would rent it.

However, the employee revealed a difficult expression as he explained to Huang Xiaolong, "This Young Master, I am truly sorry, but this Luan Phoenix Phantasm Color Crystal carriage is Young Master Jiang Lei's long term rental carriage. We do not rent it out."

"Young Master Jiang Lei?" Clearly, Huang Xiaolong had no idea who this person referred to.

The employee elaborated patiently due to Huang Xiaolong's extraordinary bearing, "Young Master Jiang Lei is our Union's Eminent Elder Jiang Bi's personal disciple. Every time he comes over, he only takes this Luan Phoenix Phantasm Color Crystal carriage, therefore, our Chamber of Commerce President had already instructed that this carriage cannot be rented out."

The Alchemist Grandmaster Union's Chamber of Commerce was also managed internally by the Union's own members. Not to mention the fact that their Chamber of Commerce President was merely an Elder, if an Eminent Elder's personal disciple wanted to use this carriage, he naturally dared not rent it to others.

Right at this time, a young man in fine brocade robes walked in with his arms over two luscious women.

Seeing that young man, the chamber employee who was talking to Huang Xiaolong hurried over to greet him, "Young Master Jiang Lei, your excellent self is here."

That brocade robed young man was literally walking with his nose pointed to the sky, giving a crude snort as an answer to the employee.

Jiang Lei reached the Luan Phoenix Phantasm Color Crystal carriage, giving Huang Xiaolong a glance over, breaking into a satirical snicker, "What, brat, you want to rent this carriage? Do you know how much it costs? Let me tell you, renting this carriage costs one hundred high divine grade spirit pellets, do you even have them?"

Huang Xiaolong's eyebrows pulled into a faint frown.

Next, Jiang Lei burst into laughter, "Even if you do have a hundred high divine grade spirit pellets, you still can't afford to sit your ass on it, only someone with my status and identity could sit in this carriage. But if you can take out those spirit pellets, I'll be generous enough to consider letting you touch the carriage."

This Phantasm Color Crystal carriage was his private surrey. Hence, when Jiang Lei saw Huang Xiaolong fantasizing about renting his private carriage he was extremely unhappy and vented his irritation with sarcasm.

Jiang Lei let out a wanton laugh after saying that.

The two women in his arms were giggling so hard their milky white breasts were jiggling out of control.

The employee risked a furtive glance at the two young women, swallowing his saliva hard, 'His mother, these two wenches are really high-grade rumpus ah.'

Huang Xiaolong was as indifferent as ever, looking at Jiang Lei, "Is that so? You will regret your words today very soon."

Jiang Lei was stunned, but quickly recovered. He started laughing even louder, even more unbridled as he said to the two women in his arms, "Did you two hear him? There's actually someone who dared to threaten me, Jiang Lei, threaten me, Eldest Young Master Jiang!"

The two women giggled even harder.

"Young Master Jiang, that brat doesn't know how powerful you are, he's stupid and naive. Otherwise, if given ten thousand leopard guts, he wouldn't dare to threaten you." One of the women said, trying to flatter Jiang Lei.

Jiang Lei ceased laughing, his piercing gaze directed at Huang Xiaolong, "Brat, you're here to participate in the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Grand Competition, am I right? Do you know the consequences of offending me?"

Huang Xiaolong shrugged his shoulders, "I'm really curious."

Jiang Lei sneered, "You will know very soon." He looked over his shoulder at the chamber employee with a smile on his face, "This brat is displeasing to my eyes, get someone to throw him out."

The man was stupefied, then hesitated at Jiang Lei's request.

Jiang Lei's eyes narrowed maliciously, "Do I need to do it myself?"

Just as that employee was about to say something to persuade Huang Xiaolong, an authoritative voice interrupted, "What is happening here?"

Everyone turned over to look, seeing an old man clad in an Alchemist Grandmaster Union Elder robe walking towards them together with several young men with imposing bearing.

Huang Xiaolong was slightly dazed for a second: Wangu Yanhui!

The several young men with the Elder were all Wangu Clan disciples, and one of them was none other than Wangu Yanhui.

"President, you're here." That employee quickly scurried over to the old man in Elder robe. After a respectful greeting, he summarized the situation, "This young master wanted to rent the Luan Phoenix Phantasm Color Crystal carriage, conflicting with Young Master Jiang Lei." He pointed at Huang Xiaolong.

This old man was the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Chamber of Commerce's President, Lin Xin.

Lin Xin looked at Huang Xiaolong, but before he could say anything, someone else spoke first.

"Brother Huang, we meet again." Wangu Yanhui stepped forward, greeting Huang Xiaolong with a bright smile on his face, "You're also here to participate in the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition, right?"

Lin Xin was just about to reprimand Huang Xiaolong, but it never crossed his mind that Wangu Yanhui would know this brat, and judging from his demeanor, there was also caution and awe?

Lin Xin was greatly shocked, who was this black-haired young man? He knew very well Wangu Yanhui's status and identity, someone even he needed to be courteous to.

Chapter 923: Increase the Assessment Difficulty By Ten Times

The several Wangu Clan disciples with Wangu Yanhui were looking at Huang Xiaolong with barely concealed astonishment, wondering about his identity.

Although Huang Xiaolong attended the celebration banquet held by the Wangu Clan Patriarch, these disciples hadn't seen him at that time.

Due to this interruption, Jiang Lei was looking with surprise in his heart.

Wangu Yanhui was the Wangu Clan's most gifted disciple in terms of cultivation talent in the last ten million years, thus it was granted that someone like Jiang Lei knew about him. Even though his Master was one of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's Eminent Elders, as his disciple, Jiang Lei's status and identity were naturally higher than most people. However, compared to Wangu Yanhui, he took the back seat.

Huang Xiaolong nodded at Wangu Yanhui, replying, "En, I came to participate in the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition. You as well?"

Wangu Yanhui smiled, shaking his head, "Although my cultivation talent is not bad, my alchemy talent is only so-so. It may only be better than the average people by a tiny bit, so I'd better not embarrass myself at the Grand Competition."

At this time, the young man standing close to Wangu Yanhui spoke, "Yanhui, this brother is?"

Wangu Yanhui quickly introduced Huang Xiaolong, "Brother Huang, this is my Big brother, Wangu Ye." Then he went on to introduce the rest of his companions. After that, Wangu Yanhui said to Wangu Ye, "This is the first place winner of the Highgod Advancement Tournament, Huang Xiaolong, Brother Huang!"

The first place winner of the Highgod Advancement Tournament!

Huang Xiaolong!

Those who heard what Wangu Yanhui said couldn't help but feel shocked, including the President Lin Xin and Jiang Lei.

Some tried to guess Huang Xiaolong's identity, but none of them connected this young man to the Highgod Advancement Tournament's champion.

The chamber employee that served Huang Xiaolong was covered in cold sweat, he had nearly kicked Huang Xiaolong out from the branch. Whereas the two women in Jiang Lei's arms were suddenly staring interestedly at Huang Xiaolong, their coquettish gazes like a lover's caress, as if they were on the verge of swallowing Huang Xiaolong whole.

A second of brief astonishment later, Wangu Ye cupped his fists, greeting Huang Xiaolong with a smile, "So it's Young brother Huang. I've already heard of Young brother Huang's name, meeting today is truly eye-opening. Young brother Huang is truly a dragon amongst men."

The other Wangu Clan disciples also cupped their fists and greeted Huang Xiaolong.

Huang Xiaolong returned the courtesy, cupping his fists in greeting towards Wangu Ye and the others.

"Brother Huang, just now both of you were..." Wangu Yanhui couldn't help asking, his gaze swept over Jiang Lei.

Jiang Lei seized the timing, taking a step forward, flashing a radiant smile, "It's nothing, just some small misunderstanding. Brother Huang, right?"

Huang Xiaolong replied sharply despite his indifferent expression, "I don't think it was a small misunderstanding. Moreover, who is your brother?"

Jiang Lei's face turned ugly in a split second, fury flitted in the depth of his eyes. He hadn't expected Huang Xiaolong to not give him face when he already placed himself at a lower position, calling him brother.

Although Huang Xiaolong was the Highgod Advancement Tournament champion, Jiang Lei didn't really put him in his eyes. Just now, he was being humble because of Wangu Yanhui's presence, attempting to erase any misconception.

This Huang Xiaolong was so 'tactless'!

'Really, this Huang Xiaolong, I gave him face but he doesn't appreciate my kindness!'

Jiang Lei glared daggers at Huang Xiaolong, chastising, "Huang Xiaolong, you think winning the first place in the Highgod Advancement Tournament means that you're so great? I don't believe your alchemy ability is as good as your cultivation talent, winning the Grand Competition's first place as well!" Then he snapped at the two women: "We're leaving!"

Before leaving, Jiang Lei took the time to cup his fists to Wangu Yanhui, Wangu Ye, and the other Wangu Clan disciples and stormed off.

Watching this, Lin Xin hastened to follow behind Jiang Lei as if he were walking on burning coal, trying anxiously to explain something to him.

Wangu Yanhui turned back towards Huang Xiaolong with a grin on his face, "Brother Huang, you came to rent a carriage? We have just rented several carriages, where is Brother Huang heading to? How about we travel together?"

Huang Xiaolong saw no point of concealing the fact that he was indeed planning to rent a carriage to head to the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters.

Hearing this, Wangu Yanhui's grin widened, "That's great, we were planning to head there as well." He then invited Huang Xiaolong to join them.

With Wangu Yanhui once again looping him in, Huang Xiaolong didn't feel good refusing.

Hence, he boarded one of the carriages Wangu Yanhui's group rented, leaving the Chamber of Commerce together and heading towards the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters.

Huang Xiaolong, Wangu Yanhui, and Wangu Ye shared a carriage, while the rest of the Wangu Clan disciples shared the other two.

The space inside the carriage was quite large, still comfortably spacious even with three people inside.

As the carriages headed to the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters, the three men inside passed the time with small talk.

Wangu Yanhui started, "Brother Huang, I heard the Fortune Gate's forces have been searching for you everywhere. Fang Chu's Master, Sun Yi, is one of the Fortune Gate's Grand Elders, since you're here in this Divine Dan City you must be careful. Also, although that Jiang Lei is nothing much to be feared, the friendship between his Master Jiang Bi and Sun Yi runs deep.

This caused furrows to appear between Huang Xiaolong's eyebrows.

He didn't expect such a layer of connections to exist between Jiang Bi and Sun Yi.

While Huang Xiaolong was on the way to the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters with Wangu Yanhui's group, inside one of the headquarters halls Sun Yi received a report from his subordinate, scoffing, "That Huang Xiaolong really has the guts to walk into the tiger's mouth."

"Master, since that Huang Xiaolong is here in the Divine Dan City, should we...?" The disciple standing behind Sun Yi, Liu Hao asked as he made a gesture of drawing a line across his neck.

Sun Yi tilted his head, a cold gleam in his eyes, "Letting him die so simply is luxury, you just said that he was heading to the union's headquarters?"

"Yes, Master. He's with Wangu Yanhui, Wangu Ye, and several Wangu Clan disciples. Judging from the situation, they are heading to the headquarters." Liu Hao quickly replied respectfully.

Sun Yi instructed with a sullen voice, "From my investigation, I found out that this Huang Xiaolong isn't a member of my Alchemist Grandmaster Union yet. Since he's heading there, he's most likely planning to get the certification from the union."

"Since it's like that, I'll force him to be unable to pass the assessment in front of countless families' and sects' disciples. If a Highgod Advancement Tournament champion can't even pass the most basic level of alchemy assessment, he would become the laughing stock of a hundred thousand galaxies!"

Liu Hao was trembling with excitement, "Master is really thorough, this way is much better than merely taking his life. But he is an Elder of the the four galaxies' Alchemist Grandmaster Union branch, moreover, he has won the first place in the four galaxies' alchemy refining competition, which shows that his alchemy refining skills aren't low. If it is the general assessment, it can't bring any difficulty to him. Also, he and you, Master, can be said to have some grudge, he is the Ascending Moon Old Man's disciple."

Sun Yi sneered, "The Ascending Moon Old Man? A disciple that old man taught won't have any real skills. Even Huang Xiaolong's useless Ancestral Master was no match for me, what's more a mere Huang Xiaolong? Well, if it's like that, then have the people below increase the assessment difficulty by ten times. The assessment task is now refining a batch of Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills."

"Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills!" Liu Hao sucked in a breath of cold air.

Amongst so many kinds of divine pellets, this Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill was one of the hardest to refine, frustrating some of the union's Elders. In a hundred batches, rarely more than one batch was successful. What's more Huang Xiaolong who only had one chance.

Liu Hao pulled his thoughts together, bowing respectfully, an evil snicker on his face, "Yes, Master; this disciple shall pass down the instructions." He then retreated.

Chapter 924: Can't Refine It?

The carriage Wangu Yanhui rented was fast, hence, their group reached the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters in a little over three hours.

In fact, their headquarters was more like a small city, formed by a cluster of both tall and low buildings. The number of halls was akin to mushrooms in a forest after the rain.

Alighted from the carriages, Huang Xiaolong, Wangu Yanhui, Wangu Ye, and the other Wangu Clan disciples strode towards the main entrance, stepping inside.

The main hall was undoubtedly built and decorated in a grand manner, yet at this moment it was crowded with people. Looking around, Huang Xiaolong saw an array of disciples in robes of various styles and colors, hailing from the numerous galaxies' families and sects. There were so many people in the main hall that one could hardly find room to maneuver.

Since Wangu Ye's group already had official Alchemist positions, they were here to register for the grand competition which was different from the location where Huang Xiaolong was going for the assessment. Thus, Huang Xiaolong separated from the Wangu Clan disciples, going on his own.

When he reached the assessment registration side hall, he was met with two queues as long as two dragons, with several hundred people in each of them.

Huang Xiaolong frowned. Lining up and waiting for these people to complete their assessments one by one, it still won't be his turn after a month of waiting.

"Brother, you're also here to take the trial to become an Alchemist, right?" At this time, a certain family disciple approached and spoke to Huang Xiaolong.

Huang Xiaolong looked oddly at this person, but answered "That's right."

"How about it, my brother is now lined up at the thirty-second spot in this queue, do you want it? I can sell the spot to you." The family disciple stated his intention.

Selling spots?

Huang Xiaolong was surprised, then immediately understood. These disciples were basically standing here to make the queue longer, having nothing better to do, then selling their spots to people who really came to take the assessment.

However, this was an unexpected good surprise to Huang Xiaolong. He was just troubled by this matter.

"Do you have any spots closer to the front?" Huang Xiaolong asked the question he wanted to know most.

The family disciple gave Huang Xiaolong a glance over, then chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "There are some spots closer. One is at the fifth spot, another one is at the sixteenth spot, and there's also one at twenty-third, which one is this brother interested in buying? You should know; the further up front, the higher the price."

Huang Xiaolong was deadpan, "How much is the fifth spot?"

The family disciple raised one finger: "One top divine grade spirit stone."

One top divine grade spirit stone was roughly eighty million.

One spot was selling for eighty million!

But Huang Xiaolong's brows didn't even wrinkle, and was too lazy to bargain. He directly threw a top divine grade spirit stone at that disciple.

The man looked dazedly at the top divine grade spirit stone in his hands, but in the next second his face turned red from ecstasy as he fawningly led Huang Xiaolong over to the fifth spot in the queue, having the disciple who was standing there give out his place to Huang Xiaolong.

Even though this scene was witnessed by more than a few Alchemist Grandmaster Union's disciplinary hall disciples, no one did anything to stop them.

Clearly, since these people dared to do this, they had already 'communicated' with these disciplinary hall disciples beforehand.

Thanks to being in the fifth spot, it didn't take long for Huang Xiaolong's turn to arrive.

However, when he spoke his name, the eyes of the person in charge of his registration, Alchemist Li Jiang, seemed to light up, asking, "You're that Highgod Advancement Tournament champion, Huang Xiaolong?"

Huang Xiaolong frowned hearing this. "That is so."

"What?! The first place winner of the Highgod Advancement Tournament, Huang Xiaolong!"

"It's Huang Xiaolong!"

The surrounding disciples definitely heard what Li Jiang said, hence all of them were looking at him with astonished expressions.

In an instant, Huang Xiaolong became the center of attention in the assessment side hall.

Alchemist Li Jiang stood up, chuckling meaningfully and saying to Huang Xiaolong's face, "So you're the Highgod Advancement Tournament's champion, but it seems your reputation precedes you ah. I can't see what's so great about you."

Huang Xiaolong was indifferent, "What exactly do you want to say?"

It was already clear in Huang Xiaolong's mind that this Alchemist Li Jiang was instructed by Sun Yi to make things difficult for him. He had expected early on that Sun Yi would not permit him to breeze through the alchemist assessment.

Watching Huang Xiaolong's calm manner, Alchemist Li Jiang was secretly surprised, but sneered outwardly, "Huang Xiaolong, your cultivation talent was hailed as hard to come by in a billion years, so I'm wondering if your alchemy refining skills are just as startling. How about this, as long as you can refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill right here in front of everyone, I'll deem you as having passed the assessment."

"What? He's actually telling Huang Xiaolong to refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill! Hasn't the assessment requirement always been refining the Exquisite Nine Flood Dragons Pill?"

"The Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, not even a Union's Elder could successfully refine it on the spot!"

"It's very obvious they're deliberately making things difficult for Huang Xiaolong! During the Highgod Advancement Tournament, he killed the Fortune Gate's Fang Chu, and Fang Chu's Master is an Eminent Elder of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union. Only being able to pass if he successfully refines a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, this must be Sun Yi's doing!"

"Sun Yi is one of the Union's Eminent Elder and no one can change his order, looks like there's a good show coming up. If Huang Xiaolong cannot to refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill and fails the assessment, how many people present will laugh?"

Various tones of voices sounded in the side hall, from guessing to schadenfreude. Some were anticipating a good show, others were indignant on Huang Xiaolong's behalf, while some felt pity.

Alchemist Li Jiang ignored the cries and mockery around, merely staring at Huang Xiaolong, "What? Huang Xiaolong, didn't you want to take the Union's alchemist assessment? Don't tell me that after hearing the condition you're being a scaredy cat. If you don't have the guts, then roll out of here this instant, don't take up space, there are other disciples waiting to take the assessment."

A sharp gleam shone in Huang Xiaolong's eyes. In the next moment, a sudden overwhelming pressure soared to the sky.

Facing Huang Xiaolong's terrifying pressure, Alchemist Li Jiang felt his soul tremble, his knees knocking against each other.

The noisy bunch of disciples paled considerably looking at Huang Xiaolong.

"This... Fifth Order Highgod Realm!!"

"Heavens, he's actually a Fifth Order Highgod Realm master, didn't the rumors say that Huang Xiaolong was just a Third Order Highgod Realm at the end of the tournament? Why is it Fifth Order now! Just how long has it passed?!"

Shock crashed onto the crowd of disciples.

Although in actual fact Huang Xiaolong had broken through to Seventh Order Highgod Realm, the time wasn't ripe for him to expose his true strength just yet, hence suppressing his strength to Fifth Order Highgod Realm. But even then, the pressure was already too much for these disciples.

"Huang Xiaolong, y-you, what are you doing?! This is the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, do you dare to commit murder here?" Alchemist Li Jiang detected the killing intent from Huang Xiaolong's body, forcing himself to calm down even though his voice was quivering.

The overwhelming pressure coming from Huang Xiaolong's body went away just as abruptly, looking coldly at Alchemist Li Jiang, "Don't worry, I won't kill you right now." Then his tone changed, "Can we begin the assessment, the refinement of the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill?"

Hearing Huang Xiaolong agreeing to refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, Li Jiang was confounded, and so were all present disciples.

Could it be that Huang Xiaolong thought he could scrape through by luck and successfully refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill?

However, after being burnt by Huang Xiaolong's terrifying pressure earlier, Li Jiang dared not spout any more words of mockery.

Chapter 925: Actually Succeeded!

Li Jiang immediately sent people to bring the pill refinement ingredients they had prepared earlier.

These ingredients were the most common grade of herbs, with a pitiful amount of spiritual energy in them.

The crowd turned noisy again, filling the hall with whispers and talks. Even the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Elders failed ninety-nine times out of a hundred when refining the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill while using the best grade ingredients, what's more these common herbs that had a meager amount of spiritual energy.

Initially, there were a few disciples that harbored some hope for Huang Xiaolong, hope that he could create another miracle as he did in the Highgod Advancement Tournament. But now, all hope was extinguished.

Afterwards, Li Jiang had some disciples bring out a cauldron.

Looking at the state of this cauldron, the crowd shook their heads and sighed.

This cauldron was no different than those bought at the side of the streets with several tens of Dan coins.

Dreaming to refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill using this cauldron?!

When everything was ready, Li Jiang pointed at the herbs and cauldron and said, "Huang Xiaolong, we have prepared both the ingredients and cauldron for you. As long as you can refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill within three hours, you pass."

Three hours!

Loud gasps came from the crowd.

Forget refining a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, even refining the most common saint grade divine pellet required more than three hours!

The level of trouble Sun Yi was causing for him was really extreme. He clearly didn't want Huang Xiaolong to have any chance of passing at all!

After Li Jiang finished, he looked at Huang Xiaolong cautiously. He himself knew very well that telling Huang Xiaolong to refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill with these ingredients and cauldron had gone beyond bullying, but Li Jiang had no choice in the matter. The order came from Eminent Elder Sun Yi, he dared not disobey.

"That's all?" Out of everyone's expectation, Huang Xiaolong looked at the herbs and cauldron, he calmly asked.

Li Jiang flinched, then nodded, "That's all."

Huang Xiaolong stopped speaking and slowly walked toward the center of the square. A force came from his palm, lining all the herbs high in the air.

Subsequently, a shocking scene emerged before the crowd's' eyes.

The long line of herbs danced in the air, forming different shapes of divine beasts.

"This is the Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram! The legendary Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram!!" Someone in the crowd suddenly shrieked.

In an instant, gasps of awe filled the square.

It was actually the legendary Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram!

This technique could only be performed by someone who had reached a certain realm in alchemy refining, proof of the alchemist's deep knowledge.

The Alchemist Grandmaster Union had more than a hundred Elders, but those who actually reached this realm numbered no more than ten people!

"Hehe, so what if that Huang Xiaolong can use the legendary Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram? Don't tell me you guys think he has a chance of refining the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill." At this time, a Union Alchemist spoke satirically.

This person was a Fortune Gate disciple.

The initially excited crowd instantly cooled.

That's right ah, even if Huang Xiaolong could use the Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram, it didn't mean he could successfully refine the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill.

In fact, it wasn't as if the Alchemist Grandmaster Union didn't have Elders that were versed in the Pill Refining Divine Beast Diagram. Still, that didn't mean they could successfully refine a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill on the spot, moreover, at a time limit of three hours.

The same Fortune Gate Alchemist looked at Huang Xiaolong again, mocking again, "Huang Xiaolong, this is just the beginning, the good show is yet to come. We will let you know the ugly ending of offending our Fortune Gate."

At this time, Huang Xiaolong manipulated the herbs, forming one divine beast after another in the air. There were precisely one hundred divine beasts. Following this, those divine beasts flew up and formed an ancient diagram.

Then, darkness element godforce surged out from Huang Xiaolong's body, wave after wave.

"Darkness element godforce!"

"Huang Xiaolong's godhead actually even has darkness element godforce!"

The quieted disciples stirred up again.

One of the reasons why the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill was so hard to concoct was the fact that the ingredients required darkness element force to be refined.

That Fortune Gate Alchemist stubbornly sneered, "So what if he has darkness element godforce, I don't believe he could even manipulate the galaxy's star force!"

In order to concoct a Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, other than darkness element godforce, star force from the depth of the galaxy was another essential factor.

Lacking either of them would only result in failure.

However, just as that Fortune Gate Alchemist finished speaking, there seemed to be an invisible hand squeezing his throat, his eyeballs protruding with disbelief.

In the void above Huang Xiaolong's head, streams of glimmering star force were falling down.

The surrounding disciples watched with mouths agape. 'Star force!'

That sparkling starlight was so brilliant, definitely the purest kind of star force!

It was no secret that even star force was divided into different grades.

When the star force began pouring endlessly from the void, the divine beasts formed from various herbs opened their mouths, absorbing as much as they could.

Moments passed and those herb divine beasts started glimmering with starlight.

At this time, Huang Xiaolong's left hand waved, sending a stream of darkness element fire that transformed into a black dragon, winding itself around the divine beasts as it flew into the air.

Every time the black dragon wound around a divine beast, the herbs within would light up with black fire, their essence blending together. Even as the herbs turned into essence, not only did the glittering starlight from the falling star force not diminish, it grew brighter instead.

Soon, more than half of the ingredients were turned into essence, then all of them, gradually combining into one. A dazzling light spread out from the center of the pool, expanding more and more. It was as if the light had jumped out from the pool of herbal essence to the square, filling the entire hall with a blinding light.

A clear melodious hum sounded in the hall. The crowd disciples watched on as round pellets appeared from the blinding light one after another.

Every pellet was as big as two thumbs, emitting a faint black glow like miniature suns, while glittering rays of sunlight shone from the depth of dark glow, exuding its own charm.

A mesmerizing fragrance spread out through the square.

Everyone stood woodenly on the spot, looking dazedly at twenty over Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills hovering in the air.

Succeeded!

Actually succeeded!

The person responsible for Huang Xiaolong's assessment, Alchemist Li Jiang and that Fortune Gate Alchemist both had extremely ugly expressions. Huang Xiaolong not only successfully refined the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills in public, judging from the medicinal fragrance emitted by those pellets, they were definitely the highest quality!

Not to mention that, from the beginning until now, Huang Xiaolong had merely used a little more than one hour!

He didn't even use the cauldron they prepared.

Almost at the same time, inside one of the buildings of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, Sun Yi sat comfortably on a chair, leisurely sipping on his cup of wine while muttering, "I wonder how that Huang Xiaolong's assessment is going."

His disciple Liu Hao replied, "How else could he fare? Very soon, a disciple will come to bring news of his failure to us. But Master, after Huang Xiaolong fails the assessment, what is the next step?"

Chapter 926: Sun Yi's Shock

"What are we doing next?" Sun Yi issued a sinister chuckle, "The Highgod Advancement Tournament champion failed to pass the Union's elementary Alchemist assessment. This kind of good news, surely we must ensure that it spreads far and wide at the fastest speed, sharing is caring after all."

Liu Hao grinned, flattering his Master: "Master is wise!"

Precisely at this time, Alchemist Li Jiang who was in charge of Huang Xiaolong's assessment ran into the yard, anxious and flustered. A film of sweat was on his forehead, sliding down the sides of his face. Only he himself knew whether it was because of the hot weather or the dread in his heart.

Both Sun Yi and Liu Hao were frowning slightly watching Li Jiang's flustered appearance. Li Jiang quickly saluted upon arriving in front of Sun Yi and Liu Hai, but his voice was quivering.

Liu Hao demanded directly, "That Huang Xiaolong failed already?" Even though Li Jiang's behavior was odd, Liu Hao did not put much thought into it.

Li Jiang stuttered and stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Sun Yi lost patience, snapping, "Speak, how did that Huang Xiaolong do?"

Li Jiang's voice shook even more, plopping to his knees, "That Huang Xiaolong, h-he, he passed!"

"What?! Passed...?!" Sun Yi and Liu Hao shouted in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.

"That Huang Xiaolong was truly successful in concocting the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill?" From the bottom of his heart, Sun Yi couldn't accept this result.

"Y-yes, yes, he refined it on the spot in the hall." Li Jiang dared not conceal anything, replying honestly.

Sun Yi urged, "He used the ingredients we prepared?"

"Yes." Li Jiang nodded.

Sun Yi was adamant, refusing to accept, "He used that cauldron we prepared?"

Li Jiang hesitated before replying, "No."

Sun Yi was stunned by the answer, then his anger roar resounded, "You really have guts! He used his own cauldron to refine, but you still allowed him to pass?!"

Dust from the hanging beam above fell from Sun Yi's roar.

Facing Sun Yi's angry roar, Li Jiang's face paled but quickly explained, "No no no, Eminent Elder Sun, t-that Huang Xiaolong, he didn't use a cauldron at all."

Did not use a cauldron? Sun Yi, who was throwing a tantrum, suddenly became dazed. Even Liu Hao asked in disbelief, "What you are saying is that Huang Xiaolong used the ingredients we prepared and, without using any cauldron, he successfully refined the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills on the spot?"

Li Jiang nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes! Also, from the beginning till the end, he used less than two hours!"

Less than two hours!! Sun Yi and Liu Hao blanked.

"Are you sure what he refined wasn't inferior pills?" It appeared as if Sun Yi was putting up one last struggle. If what he concocted was inferior Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills, then he could still use this as an excuse to hinder Huang Xiaolong from passing the Union's Alchemist assessment.

"Not inferior pills, but top quality pills!" Li Jiang quickly removed a jade bottle from his spatial ring, offering it to Sun Yi with both hands: "This is one of the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills that Huang Xiaolong refined just now."

Sun Yi took the bottle from Li Jiang's hands and pulled out the stopper. Instantly, refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the hall, followed by a small pill akin to a black sun that emitted glittering starlight floating out from the bottle.

Looking at the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill floating in the air, the last string of disbelief in Sun Yi's heart snapped.

His expression was extremely ugly.

Looking at the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pill, Liu Hao's face was stiff with shock, he could tell it was a fine quality top grade, close to tribulation grade divine pellet!

Medicinal pellets were graded from the bottom as low, mid, high, top, and tribulation grade. As long as one refined a mid-grade pill or above, they were considered as having passed the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's alchemist assessment.

It was thirty seconds later when Sun Yi sucked in a breath of air, his eyes sullen as he stared at Li Jiang, "Tell me in detail the entire sequence of Huang Xiaolong's assessment."

"Yes, Eminent Elder Sun." Li Jiang concisely recounted all that took place during Huang Xiaolong's assessment.

The more Sun Yi heard, the uglier his expression became.

It was out of his calculations that Huang Xiaolong was skilled in the Pill Refining Divine Beasts Diagram, even less that he would be able to manipulate high quality star force!

Star force not only could expel the ingredients' impurities, but such quality of star force would also raise the herbs' properties to the highest level possible during pill condensation.

Therefore, the ability to manipulate star force would brings unimaginable benefits and a myriad of usages to an alchemist. The problem was, being able to manipulate star force was simply a feat hard to attain. Perhaps, not even one person could be found amongst a hundred thousand Highgod Realm masters.

Only a person who had gained comprehension of the space law to a certain degree would be able to do so.

"You said Huang Xiaolong's cultivation has reached Fifth Order Highgod Realm?" When Li Jiang reached the part when Huang Xiaolong displayed his aura to pressure him, Sun Yi was greatly shocked. His words blurted out, cutting off Li Jiang.

Li Jiang frankly nodded, "Yes, that is so, Eminent Elder Sun. Furthermore, although Huang Xiaolong is only a Fifth Order Highgod Realm, his aura and momentum felt stronger than a Seventh Order Highgod Realm master!

The look in Sun Yi's eyes turned increasingly dark.

Barely ten years had passed since the Highgod Advancement Tournament, but Huang Xiaolong already advanced to Fifth Order Highgod Realm!

This level of heaven-defying cultivation speed gave Sun Yi a cold feeling.

If Huang Xiaolong was allowed to grow further, a decade later, even he himself wouldn't have the confidence to kill him.

One hour later, Li Jiang finished his report and Sun Yi waved him away.

Watching Li Jiang's leaving figure, Sun Yi's gaze was colder than ice.

"Who would have thought Huang Xiaolong actually has such high skill in alchemy, perhaps even better than his Master, that Ascending Moon Old Man." Liu Hao ventured carefully, his heart was still beating loudly from what Li Jiang had said.

Sun Yi's low gloomy voice sounded, "It doesn't matter even if that runt passed the alchemist assessment. During the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition's preliminary and semi-final stages, I don't believe he'll be able to pass again!" Saying this, a sharp gleam shone in Sun Yi's eyes.

During the preliminary stage of the grand competition, every participant would be ushered into a different chamber to refine pills, and each chamber would be equipped with ingredients and a cauldron provided by the union.

At that time, Sun Yi merely needed to have the people below him secretly change several ingredients. As skillful as Huang Xiaolong was, he wouldn't be able to complete the task.

On the other end, after Huang Xiaolong passed his alchemist assessment and obtained the Alchemist identity token, he headed straight toward the registration location to register for the upcoming grand competition.

Although the grand competition registration line also reached a great number, it was merely a registration procedure, thus the line moved along quite speedily. Roughly half an hour later, Huang Xiaolong had completed his registration and walked a complete circle around, but did not find Wangu Yanhui, Wangu Ye, or any of the Wangu Clan's disciples. He then left Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters without dallying further.

Next on his list was to find an accommodation and cultivate as he waited for the day of the grand competition two months later.

However, learning from previous experiences, Huang Xiaolong was too lazy to go searching for an inn, he went straight towards the property trading market, throwing out over four trillion to acquire a luxury residence at the center of Divine Dan City named Sun Moon Residence.

Naturally, when Huang Xiaolong took out more than fifty thousand top divine grade spirit stones to pay for the residence, it drew shocking gasps from the other customers.

This Sun Moon Residence's materials were many times more extravagant than the mansion he had bought in the Aeon City. Every stone and artificial mountain inside the Sun Moo Residence were made from Nine Yang Sunstones, Moontide Crystals, and other rare, precious materials.

The residence was also in a scenic location. It was especially beautiful at night, when the stones and crystals inside reflect the moonlight, looking like an ethereal landscape out of a dream.

Chapter 927: Cultivating the Heaven Splitting Tenet

Huang Xiaolong sat cross-legged inside the Sun Moon Residence, circulating the four divine fires. At the same time, from the void above him, the expected shimmering gray energy flowed out continuously.

At the current power of the four divine fire spirits, there were more thirty streams of gray energy, slightly thicker than an adult's thigh.

Those gray streams of energy were greedily absorbed by Huang Xiaolong's three supreme godheads, being converted into godforce.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed by.

Huang Xiaolong sat in cultivation within the Sun Moon Residence, ignoring the outside world, but the Divine Dan City was boiling with news of him.

"What?! When that Highgod Advancement Tournament champion Huang Xiaolong was taking the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's alchemist assessment, he merely used a little more than an hour to refine a batch of Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills? Top grade at that!"

"Sun Yi wanted to make things difficult for him, but who would have thought Huang Xiaolong would succeed in the end. This is slapping Sun Yi squarely in the face, that old man's face was really thrown into the toilet this time!"

"The toilet? More like stuck on a donkey's ass!"

The details of Huang Xiaolong's alchemist assessment were spread out by the crowd present in the hall back then, and were talked about with fervor in every corner of Divine Dan City.

There were already quite a number of people who disliked the Fortune Gate's overbearing behavior, thus the mocking words directed at Sun Yi were even harsher.

Even those Fortune Gate disciples who arrived in the Divine Dan City to spectate the Grand Competition could no longer walk down the streets with their chests out and head held high.

Thirty streets away from Huang Xiaolong's Sun Moon Residence, inside another luxurious mansion, a domineering young man clad in a black brocade robe snorted in dissatisfaction hearing the gossip about Huang Xiaolong, "Pill refining using the Divine Beast Diagram? Manipulating star force? Merely some insignificant tricks."

This black brocade-robed young man was none other than Devil Son Mo Su who had rushed over from the City of Devils to participate in the Grand Competition.

The devil clan Grand Elder Mo Zhenru smiled faintly, "What Devil Son says is right, above that Divine Beast Diagram are the Hundred Divine Beasts Diagram, the Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram, and the most difficult Ten Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram. What that Huang Xiaolong displayed is merely the lowest grade of all. Compared to Devil Son's Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram, the gap is obvious."

A complacent curve tugged at the corners of Mo Su's lips, "My Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram has already reached the perfection stage. With just one short step, my technique could advance into the Ten Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram."

This was also the reason why Mo Su had a hundred percent confidence in winning the Grand Competition's first place.

Mo Zhenru continued, still with the same smile on his face, "Although the star force Huang Xiaolong can manipulate has a lot of benefits to an alchemist, it is still far from the Underworld River force that Devil Son can control!" The Underworld River force was of a higher grade than star force, thus it's usage in alchemy refining was even better.

Mo Su changed the topic all of a sudden, "I've heard that Wangu Ye has also arrived at the Divine Dan City. More importantly, several days ago, he and Huang Xiaolong traveled to the union headquarters together."

Mo Zhenru nodded, confirming Mo Su's words, "That is so, Devil Son. It wasn't only Wangu Ye, Wangu Yanhui is also here, but he did not register for the upcoming grand competition."

Mo Su spoke, "Huang Xiaolong does not pose any threat to me. Wangu Ye, however, is an opponent worthy of attention. Oh right, has that Fortune Gate chick, Li Lu, arrive yet?"

Mo Zhenru answered, "Li Lu has reached the Divine Dan City, it's just that no knows where she is. Even the Elder we placed inside the Fortune Gate couldn't get wind of it."

Mo Su's gaze turned gloomy, "Find her, use all means. It is imperative for her to be found before the grand competition." Speaking of Li Lu, a fire of desire flitted in Mo Su's eyes.

Mo Zhenru nodded, complying with Mo Su's order.

Another three days passed.

Huang Xiaolong, who had been cultivating for the past two weeks inside the Sun Moon Residence, finally stopped and opened his eyes.

It had been two months since he exited the Hellion Tower. Compared to the time he left, Huang Xiaolong's godforce increased by a tiny bit again, however, there was still a distance from touching the peak early Seventh Order Highgod Realm.

Huang Xiaolong made a calculation based on his current cultivation speed and estimated that he could probably advance to peak early Seventh Order Highgod Realm before the competition.

After ending his cultivation session, Huang Xiaolong began studying that Heaven Splitting Tenet he obtained on the Hellion Tower's twelfth floor.

Although the Heaven Splitting Tenet manual was cryptic and difficult to decipher, too profound for the current Huang Xiaolong, he had gained a bit after some days of studying.

This Heaven Splitting Tenet was actually a flesh, soul, and godhead cultivation technique; a fabled supreme three in one cultivation technique!

In all his years of cultivation, even though he read every book in the three institutes' libraries, this was the first time Huang Xiaolong came across something like this. A cultivation technique that enabled the user to enhance their body, soul, and godhead at the same time!

Forget other benefits, just this one point was enough to earn this Heaven Splitting Tenet the title of greatest priceless treasure.

According to what was written in the technique manual, all lifeforms in the universe were made up of a combination of various energies, which were categorized into three states; gaseous, liquid, and solid.

The Heaven Splitting Tenet was based on swallowing solid-state energy to enhance one's own flesh, soul, and godhead!

Such as weapons, armors, ores and irons, etcetera. All were consumable.

Naturally, not everyone could cultivate this technique, the minimum requirement was a Highgod Realm cultivation.

'Weapons, armors, ores, and irons?' An idea flashed in Huang Xiaolong's mind. There were mountain high piles of weapons, armors, ores, and irons inside the Xuanji and Hailstone Treasures that he hadn't found any great use for. Right now, he could use them to cultivate his Heaven Splitting Tenet.

Once he made up his mind, Huang Xiaolong took out a large number of weapons and armors, cultivating in accordance to the Heaven Splitting Tenet.

In a short amount of time, different kinds of energy began floating out from those weapons and armors, entering Huang Xiaolong's body, soul, and godhead.

Roughly five to six breaths later, that pile of weapons and armors crumbled to nothing, disappearing from the world.

All of these weapons and armors Huang Xiaolong experimented with were created with top iron and ores from the Divine World, yet after absorbing their energies into his body, he did not sense any difference.

Thus, this time, he took out several hundred weapons and armors.

Outside, another day gave way to the night.

By the time the number of weapons and armors Huang Xiaolong had 'swallowed' reached a hundred thousand, he finally felt a tiny improvement in his flesh, soul, and godhead.

This improvement, however, caused Huang Xiaolong to shake his head.

Cultivating in this manner was too slow for his taste.

Based on his current freakishly strong body, soul, and godhead, only refining heaven grade divine artifacts would have a visible result.

Thus, at night, Huang Xiaolong activated the four divine fires to absorb the shimmering gray energy to cultivate his godforce, whereas during the day he would refine and absorb the energies coming from the myriad armors and weapons that were piled up like stretches of mountains inside the Xuanji and Hailstone Treasures.

Despite the great number of weapons and armors, with Huang Xiaolong's absorbing speed, both treasures' supply of weapons and armors was emptied out in half a month's time.

Huang Xiaolong then took out the five-footed cauldron he got from the Lightning God's dwelling. After a long time of deliberation, he finally decided against refining it.

This Lightning God cauldron was still useful for him during the preliminary and semi-final stages of the grand competition.

Putting away the Lightning God cauldron, Huang Xiaolong got to his feet, deciding to visit the Divine Dan City's weapon and armor trading market, as well as take a stroll around the city for a change of scenery.

Chapter 928: Running Into Mo Su

Stepping out from his manor for the first time in weeks, Huang Xiaolong asked a passerby for the direction of the weapon and armor trading market and headed there directly.

However, the result was disappointing. Although the Divine Dan City had a big trading market, the grades of weapons and armors available were simply too horrendous compared to the Xuanji and Hailstone Treasures.

Huang Xiaolong spent a long time searching, but only found twenty or so passable items.

Four hours later, he made his way out from the trading market. Seeing that it was still early, he decided to stroll around the Divine Dan City.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened and Huang Xiaolong headed back to the Sun Moon Residence.

On the way, on a street not far from his Sun Moon Residence, Huang Xiaolong passed by a lively restaurant, causing his footsteps to halt. As if tempted, he turned and walked inside.

He had been in seclusion in the recent days, thus knew very little of the news going around in the Divine Dan City. The best places to hear the latest news were none other than restaurants like this where a lot of people gathered.

After entering, Huang Xiaolong's gaze swept around, but his brows creased slightly after seeing just a few empty tables. He called for a passing waiter, tipped him a top saint grade spirit stone and told him to find him a good table.

A top saint grade spirit stone just for finding a good spot!

Hearing Huang Xiaolong's request, the waiter was shaking with excitement, close to hugging his thigh in happiness. With a beaming face and a blooming heart, the waiter led Huang Xiaolong to the second floor of the restaurant. Coincidentally, the customers sitting at a table next to the window were just leaving.

Taking his seat, Huang Xiaolong took out a top divine grade spirit stone and placed it on the table in plain sight then ordered the waiter to bring up the restaurant's best dishes and the best wine.

The waiter bowed repeatedly, scurrying away as fast as he could to prepare his order.

About five minutes later, the waiter returned with a tray laden with dishes emitting a tantalizing fragrance as well as two jugs of Celestial Blossom Wine.

As the waiter placed the dishes on the table, he introduced Huang Xiaolong to the Celestial Blossom Wine, their restaurant's signature drink made from several hundred kinds of spiritual flowers aged a hundred thousand years and above. Each jug cost two hundred thousand coins.

The waiter fawned, "Only people with exceptional bearing like yourself can afford to taste this kind of good wine."

Huang Xiaolong smiled. With a flick of his finger, the top divine grade spirit stone on the table flew into the waiter's hand: "You can keep the change."

The waiter's hands trembled as he caught the top divine grade spirit stone. For a second, it felt like his heart stopped beating. After what felt like a long time, the waiter shakily asked Huang Xiaolong if he meant it.

One top divine grade spirit stone was equivalent to eighty million ah!

Huang Xiaolong nodded.

The waiter suddenly gave Huang Xiaolong a kowtow then respectfully retreated. As the waiter walked away, the spring in his steps looked like he was walking on clouds.

After the waiter left, Huang Xiaolong opened one of the Celestial Blossom Wine jugs, causing a crisp floral fragrance to permeate the surrounding air, lingering for a long time. He then poured himself a bowl, gulping all in one go, immediately feeling a comfortable warm energy spread through his body. His pores opened as the fragrance of wine filled him.

Huang Xiaolong's eyes shone, this Celestial Blossom Wine tasted even better than the Heavenly Pill Wine he brewed himself, giving the drinker the illusion that they were right in a sea of flowers, forgetting all worldly troubles, their minds quiet and peaceful.

Huang Xiaolong started eating, occasionally taking a gulp or two Celestial Blossom Wine while listening to the conversations around him.

But, most of these disciples' conversations were centered around his alchemist assessment a month ago. At one point, Huang Xiaolong nearly laughed out loud when he heard the way someone described the scene of him refining the Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills.

That person went on, "That Huang Xiaolong merely waved one hand and ten thousand divine fire dragons instantly flew out. In the blink of an eye, he melted the divine beast diagram, followed by a ten thousand zhang bright light, covering the entire Alchemist Grandmaster Union. Right at this time, several hundred top grade Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills appeared in front of everyone's eyes!"

Huang Xiaolong remembered correctly that he had only condensed a single fire dragon, but from this disciple's mouth it became ten thousand; not to mention the pill condensation light wasn't as dramatic as that person described. Most importantly, his batch of Star Eclipse Heavenly Pills contained a little over twenty pills, definitely not several hundred of them.

"That Huang Xiaolong's alchemy refining skills aren't bad, but I say, compared to our Devil Son Mo Su, he's still worse off."

At this time, a black robed man interjected.

The surrounding people who were talking about Huang Xiaolong more or less idolized him. Hearing someone suddenly interjecting, moreover stating that Huang Xiaolong was worse than Devil Son Mo Su, they became upset. A few disciples were angered and about to snap at that black-robed man, but all of them held off noticing his robe.

An ancient devil clan disciple!

The surrounding cultivators' expressions turned gloomy.

"What, are you dissatisfied?" That ancient devil clan disciple watched the several disciples' black faces and sneered, "During his assessment, the technique that Huang Xiaolong used was the Hundred Divine Beast Diagram, but after that there is the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram that is a hundred times superior to it! Our Devil Son Mo Su's Thousand Divine Beast Diagram has already reached the perfection stage."

Thousand Beast Diagram!

All of a sudden, the restaurant's second floor was pin-drop quiet.

Only the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's twelve Eminent Elders could perform the Thousand Beast Diagram, and some of them could merely perform the technique without really mastering it or reaching the perfection stage like Mo Su. Did this mean that Mo Su's skills were even higher than the union's Eminent Elders?

Seeing that his intimidation had succeeded, the ancient devil clan disciple continued complacently, "What, frightened now? Let me tell you lot frankly, the first place absolutely belongs to our Devil Son!'

Huang Xiaolong listened on with a calm face.

He didn't expect that Mo Su to possess such a high talent in alchemy, achieving perfection stage in the Thousand Beast Diagram.

Suddenly, Huang Xiaolong spotted a familiar figure on the other end of the street. He was dazed briefly before jumping to his feet; his gaze swept over the street several times, but that figure disappeared. Not even his divine sense was able to detect it.

Huang Xiaolong smiled faintly, shaking his head. Had he imagined things? A sigh sounded in his heart; so many years had passed, had she been doing well all this time?

For a second time, the restaurant's second floor was eerily quiet, everyone's gazes were focused on the staircase. Feeling strange, Huang Xiaolong followed everyone's gaze, the result slightly unexpected.

Devil Son Mo Su!

The person coming up the stair was none other than Mo Su.

Following behind him was the very same person who had a conflict with Huang Xiaolong some days back at the Union's Chamber of Commerce, Jiang Lei!

Mo Su had never seen Huang Xiaolong before this. Jiang Lei, on the other hand, immediately saw Huang Xiaolong who was sitting close to the window almost immediately. He was stunned for a second, then snickered, pointing at him as he said to Mo Su, "Brother Mo Su, that brat is Huang Xiaolong!"

Huang Xiaolong!

The quiet restaurant was noisy again, everyone slowly turned to look at Huang Xiaolong with disbelief and shock.

At Jiang Lei's words, Mo Su's eyes narrowed, walking toward Huang Xiaolong's table together with Jiang Lei.

Standing in front of Huang Xiaolong, Mo Su looked at him with a condescending gaze, "You are Huang Xiaolong? You really know how to enjoy yourself, still in the mood to drink wine. Or are you so confident that you're going to win the first place in the upcoming preliminaries?"

Chapter 929: Are You Afraid?

Huang Xiaolong appeared unperturbed despite suddenly being the center of attention, "Whether I can get the first place or not... it doesn't seem to be related to you. Who are you?"

Who are you?

Mo Su's condescending expression froze, then his face turned extremely ugly.

Jiang Lei had just referred to him as Devil Son Mo Su, he didn't believe Huang Xiaolong hadn't heard Jiang Lei's words and was unable to guess his identity. Yet he actually dared to ignore him in public!

A nefarious glint flitted across Mo Su's eyes, killing intent exploding from his body. The air current in his proximity stagnated.

After he had passed through the Hellion Tower's tenth floor, his cultivation had risen to peak late-Eighth Order, just one step more and he would be able to break through to Ninth Order Highgod Realm.

Therefore, the moment Mo Su's killing intent erupted, the average low and mid-level Highgod Realm cultivators in the vicinity felt an overwhelming pressure. The patrons in the restaurant quivered fearfully.

Huang Xiaolong continued as if he didn't feel anything, "If there's nothing else, please roll away. Don't stand there and block my view, you're affecting my drinking mood."

'What?!'

Both Mo Su and Jiang Lei were enraged. Just as Mo Su was about to attack, a figure wearing a wide brocade robe appeared. From this middle-aged man's appearance, he was most likely the restaurant owner.

The owner arrived in front of Huang Xiaolong and the others, wearing a benign smile on his face, "Several guests, our restaurant is only a small business and the building is made of common wood and other such materials,thus it cannot withstand any fights. Please give me some face, how about these guests set another day to exchange pointers?"

A sharp glint shone in the depths of Mo Su's eyes. He decided to kill the restaurant owner as well, but before he could make a move, Jiang Lei anxiously rushed to send him a sound transmission, beseeching him not to do anything.

Mo Su frowned at Jiang Lei's plea, but was inwardly shocked as he took another glance at the restaurant owner. Obvious hesitation flashed across his face several times until his killing intent gradually converged.

Seeing this, Huang Xiaolong glanced meaningfully at the restaurant owner.

What exactly was this restaurant owner's identity? Huang Xiaolong was sure that Jiang Lei must have said something to Mo Su in secret, causing him to be cautious.

After converging his killing intent, Mo Su fixed a piercing cold stare on Huang Xiaolong, saying "Huang Xiaolong, I hope you can still be this arrogant the next time we meet. Don't think you're going to win the first place just because you can use the Hundred Beast Diagram. In my eyes, you don't even have the qualifications to be my disciple!"

Huang Xiaolong's expression remained deadpan, "Then, just because you're skilled in the Thousand Beasts Diagram, it means you are certainly going to win the grand competition?"

Mo Su was stunned for a second, then erupted into laughter, "If I, who have achieved perfection stage in the Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram cannot win first place in the grand competition, are you saying that you, who merely grasped the Hundred Divine Beast Diagram can?"

Jiang Lei also erupted in loud laughter, "Didn't I already say this brat is an idiot? But this level of idiocy exceeds my estimation!"

Huang Xiaolong's gaze was cold as frost as it fell on Jiang Lei.

Mo Su spoke again, "if I hadn't been in seclusion some years ago in order to comprehend the Supreme Devil Art, missing the time to participate in the Highgod Advancement Tournament, you would never have had the chance to touch the first place. Let me tell you frankly that I have passed the Hellion Tower's tenth floor, reaching that point in less than ten years' time. If you could achieve the same, passing through the first to the tenth floor of the Hellion Tower in less than ten years, I shall acknowledge your talent as being equal to mine."

Huang Xiaolong shook his head in response: "I've no such need."

He had already went all the way up to the twelfth floor, clearing every floor's trial, and obtained the Heaven Splitting Tenet.

Naturally, Huang Xiaolong didn't need to compare himself with Mo Su.

Mo Su's thoughts, on the other hand, were different: "Are you afraid?"

Huang Xiaolong did not answer, returning to his wine. He was too lazy to bother further with these two clowns.

Seeing Huang Xiaolong's attitude, Mo Su and Jiang Lei did not linger around, leaving to find a table. Half an hour later, Huang Xiaolong got and left the restaurant.

Before leaving, Huang Xiaolong called for the same waiter, buying the remaining Celestial Blossom Wine using more than two billion.

A sharp glint flickered in Mo Su's eyes as he watched Huang Xiaolong's departing figure, his voice extremely cold, "I'm going to let this brat understand the consequences of offending me, Mo Su!"

Jiang Lei flashed a smile, "Actually, Brother Mo need not do anything. The Fortune Gate would never let this Huang Xiaolong leave the Divine Dan City alive."

Mo Su nodded and stopped mentioning Huang Xiaolong.

Back in Sun Moon Residence, Huang Xiaolong continued his semi-seclusion, spending his days in cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed.

There were now two days left until the start of the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition. Huang Xiaolong's cultivation finally reached the peak of early Seventh Order Highgod Realm.

But during this period, due to the lack of divine weapons and armors, his Heaven Splitting Tenet saw little progress.

As his cultivation reached peak early Seventh Order Highgod Realm, Huang Xiaolong ended his days of dull cultivation. Taking out over a hundred jugs of Celestial Blossom Wine, he drank alone.

'That old man still hasn't arrived at the Divine Dan City?' Huang Xiaolong wondered where the Ascending Moon Old Man could be as he raised a wine bowl to his lips.

He had been in Divine Dan City for several months now, but there was still no news of the old man.

Logically, if the old man arrived in the Divine Dan City, he would have heard about his alchemist assessment that had been the talk of the city, and if the old man knew he was here, he would have surely come to find him.

Thinking of this, Huang Xiaolong's brows scrunched together, 'Did something happen?' Right at this time, someone triggered the Sun Moon Residence's outer formation.

Huang Xiaolong was surprised. When he came out, he saw Wangu Yanhui and Wangu Ye at his doors.

Wangu Yanhui smiled when he saw Huang Xiaolong, "Brother Huang, us brothers came over, I hope we didn't disturb your cultivation."

Huang Xiaolong returned a smile, "Of course not, I was just thinking how boring it is to drink alone, you guys arrived at the right time." He invited both to enter.

Arriving at the yard, Wangu Yanhui saw the jugs of Celestian Blossom Wine and his eyes lit up as he exclaimed: "Celestial Blossom Wine!"

Even Wangu Ye's gaze turned a little hot.

Wangu Yanhui laughed happily, "This Celestial Blossom Wine is the Divine Dan City's most famous wine, ranked amongst the top three in the hundred thousand galaxies. Looks like us brothers are really lucky today."

Huang Xiaolong smiled, "If you two have the time, we can finish these hundred jugs of wine."

Hearing Huang Xiaolong's invitation, Wangu Yanhui and Wangu Ye said they have all the time in the world.

When the brothers stepped out from the Sun Moon Residence, it was already the next day.

The three of them talked about a lot of things, most of them related to the grand competition.

Of course, when the two left, all hundred over jugs of Celestial Blossom Wine were emptied, not a drop left.

...

Deep into the quiet night.

As the first ray of sunlight shone on the roof of the Sun Moon Residence, Huang Xiaolong who was adjusting his breathing in the yard slowly opened his eyes.

Today, the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Competition would begin!

Stepping out from his residence, Huang Xiaolong headed off in the direction of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union headquarters.

By the time he arrived, there was already a large crowd gathered.

"Huang Xiaolong!"

The instant he appeared, someone in the crowd shouted upon recognizing him, raising a wave of exclamation.

Holding the token in his hand, Huang Xiaolong walked into the fenced off section of the square where only registered disciples could enter.

However, even this section of the square was densely crowded. Even though the number of disciples participating in the competition was much less compared to the Highgod Advancement Tournament, it still reached 1.2 million people!

After the preliminary round elimination, there would only be ten thousand participants remaining.

Chapter 930: Alchemy Refining Failed?

Even after entering the competition venue, many participants were pointing at and talking about Huang Xiaolong.

There was nothing that could be done about this, there was practically a huge sign above his head that said 'Highgod Advancement Tournament Champion.' Wherever he went, once his identity was made known, he couldn't escape from being the center of attention.

Of course, the attention increased further after Huang Xiaolong displayed the Pill Refining Hundred Divine Beast technique during his alchemist assessment.

When Mo Su, standing amongst the participating disciples, saw Huang Xiaolong becoming the center of attention the moment he appeared and a cold light flitted in his eyes. He snorted, "This brat is really unpleasing to look at."

Jiang Lei who was standing next to Mo Su smiled with ease, "Don't worry, Brother Mo Su. I found out that Eminent Elder Sun Yi already made preparations to have his competition ingredients changed. At that time, as high as his skills are, there's no way he can succeed."

Hearing that, Mo Su's face relaxed into a smile, "If it's like that, it's truly a pity ah. I cannot let him taste defeat myself and open his eyes to this Devil Son's alchemical greatness."

Jiang Lei chuckled, "With Brother Mo Su's status, there's no need to act personally just to teach that Huang Xiaolong a lesson. He is someone who can't even pass the preliminary round, whereas Brother Mo Su is fated to win the grand competition's first place. That Huang Xiaolong is not even qualified to carry your shoes."

Laughter rose from Mo Su's chest: "You're right."

Because they were covered by a soundproof enchantment, neither of them was worried that their little talk would be heard by others.

As registered participants continued to trickle in, the sectioned off competition ground became increasingly packed.

Roughly an hour later, the Grand Competition overseer for the preliminary round appeared, an Elder called Wang Zhe. He then briefly explained the rules of the preliminary round and motioned a union supervisor to activate the transmission array.

When the transmission array finished activating, it would transfer all participants to individual alchemy refining chambers which contained ingredients and a cauldron prepared by the union. In the preliminary round, all participants were required to refine the same Divine Essence Pellet.

The Divine Essence Pellet was a pill that rapidly aided the godforce recovery of a Highgod Realm master, a low-level scared grade divine pellet.

This Divine Essence Pellet wasn't difficult to refine, however, according to the competition rules, only the first ten thousand participants who first completed refining would be considered as having passed the preliminary round, allowing them to move onto the semi-final. Standing out from a pool of 1.2 million disciples was quite a task.

For this preliminary round, the time given to the participants was three days.

Three days later, whether they were successful or not, they would be sent out by the array inside the chamber.

Shortly, like the other participants, Huang Xiaolong was sent into an individual refining chamber which wasn't very big, about thirty square meters.

Inside the chamber was an extremely common cauldron, and the over four hundred ingredients were placed on the table in front of the wall.

Huang Xiaolong's divine sense swept over the herbs and immediately noticed that, among the four hundred over ingredients, five of them had been replaced.

Seeing this, Huang Xiaolong sneered.

'As expected!' He already knew that Sun Yi would not let him pass the preliminary round smoothly, and the most obvious trick was tampering with the pill refining ingredients.

According to the competition's rules, if a participant noticed any problems with the provided ingredients, they could have the union disciples outside change them through the array inside the chamber.

It goes without saying, the disciple in outside should have received instructions from Sun Yi. Therefore, it was impossible for Huang Xiaolong to request another set of ingredients, it was nothing but deluding himself.

A bright light glowed from his palm as five different herbs appeared.

These were precisely the five ingredients that were changed by Sun Yi.

Two evenings ago when he was drinking with Wangu Yanhui and Wangu Ye, he found out from them that the preliminary round's task was to refine a Divine Essence Pellet. Thus, Huang Xiaolong himself had prepared a set of herbs for refining this pill.

Also, these individual chambers were monitored. If any participating disciple changed the prepared herb ingredients without authorization, their eligibility would be revoked. But for Huang Xiaolong, this monitoring function of the chamber was nonexistent, even if he changed all the ingredients in the chamber, the disciple outside wouldn't find out a thing.

After replacing the five herbs, the remaining ingredients flew toward him with a wave of his hand as Huang Xiaolong began refining.

Similar to the scene during his alchemist assessment, these herb ingredients danced in the air, gathering into the shapes of various divine beasts.

Huang Xiaolong continued to refine the impurities using the fire element energy around him and not his four divine fires, forming a long fire dragon that finally melted the divine beasts.

Then, following the Divine Essence Pellet's refining method, Huang Xiaolong continued to merge the herb essences together.

From the beginning until the end, his refining process proceeded smoothly, without any hindrance. It was seemingly easy, but the slightest mistake could result in failure during pill condensation.

Those divine beast images were refined following a certain sequence. Some earlier, some later, while a portion of them needed to wait until several others had blended before they could be added, otherwise a sudden conflict in the medicinal properties would cause everything to explode.

The crucial point was to stimulate all medicinal properties to their highest level before merging everything, or it would also result in failure during pill condensation.

Still, refining this Divine Essence Pellet didn't require Huang Xiaolong to use his full set of skills, so he went on using the Hundred Divine Beast Diagram.

As more and more herb essences merged together, they gradually emitted a bright glow.

Half an hour later, a crisp hum of pill condensation rang in the chamber Huang Xiaolong was at.

This humming was a sign of successful refinement, but more importantly, only a mid-sacred grade divine pellet and above could produce this type of sound during pill condensation.

Right at this time, outside the competition area on the square, a flickering light appeared as a figure walked out from one of the chambers. This figure was Mo Su.

When the spectating devil clan disciples saw this, their faces lit up, cheering for him.

The devil clan Elder Mo Zhenru stepped forward, congratulating, "Congratulations to Devil Son in obtaining first place in the preliminary round."

From the time the competition started, no other disciple had emerged yet.

Mo Su beamed, "It's merely the preliminary round and doesn't count for much, there's still the semi-final round's first place waiting for me."

"That is true, that is true!" Mo Zhenru laughed, "Winning this competition's first place, for Devil Son, is akin to taking something out from your own bag."

Mo Su was exceptionally pleased hearing that, then his tone changed, "I wonder how that brat Huang Xiaolong is doing..." sneering, he added, "He should be coming out very soon."

With incorrect ingredients causing conflicting medicinal properties, what Huang Xiaolong was refining was going to explode soon, resulting in him being disqualified from the competition.

In the meantime, a union disciple entered the chamber Mo Su was in to take out the Divine Essence Pellet he had refined and hand it over to the overseer for judging.

After the pill was assessed by the Elder, the Divine Essence Pellet that Mo Su had refined was determined to be a top sacred grade divine pellet; refinement time, thirty-one minutes and twenty-three seconds.

Pass!

Just as Mo Su, Elder Mo Zhenru, and the present devil clan disciples were about to leave the square, another flickering light appeared on the square as a figure stepped out from the chamber.

When Mo Su saw the person's face, he smiled widely, for the second person who came out was none other than Huang Xiaolong.

Although he predicted that Huang Xiaolong would be coming out very soon due to failure, he did not expect it to be so soon.

He approached Huang Xiaolong joyously.

"Huang Xiaolong, I didn't expect you to be the second person to come out." Mo Su smiled was extremely wicked, "Just that little bit slower than me, but my result is a top sacred grade Divine Essence Pellet, what about you? Don't tell me you came out early due to failure!" By this point, Mo Su could no longer contain his laughter.

Chapter 931: Kowtow In Apology

The devil clan disciples around Mo Su broke out in mocking laughter, sounding especially harsh to the ears.

The gazes of the cultivators waiting outside the square perimeter inevitably fell on Mo Su and Huang Xiaolong.

"A failed refinement? What is happening over there? Could it be that Huang Xiaolong has failed to refine the Divine Essence Pellet?"

"Who knows, maybe his assessment a few months back is fake, just people trying to exaggerate things. I've already said early on, Huang Xiaolong might have incredible talent for cultivation, but it is impossible for him to also have that kind of flair for alchemy!"

In an instant, everyone in the crowd seemed to be talking about it.

The overseer, Elder Wang Zhe, already received instructions from Sun Yi beforehand, understanding what Mo Su meant by Huang Xiaolong's pill concocting having failed.

Wang Zhe announced: "Huang Xiaolong, refinement unsuccessful, pill forming failed. Time used: thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds."

In Wang Zhe's eyes, since the ingredients were incorrect, no matter how high Huang Xiaolong's alchemy refining skills were, his pill would never form successfully, which was why Wang Zhe didn't even bother to send any disciples to check Huang Xiaolong's chamber.

At Wang Zhe's announcement, the crowd gathered around the square was in an uproar, those in doubt earlier made noises of realization.

"Huang Xiaolong really failed!"

"He can't even refine something simple like the Divine Essence pellet, looks like the stories going around about his alchemist assessment are really fake!"

As the crowd at the edge of the square was clamoring, Mo Su laughed even louder as he looked at Huang Xiaolong, "Thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds; Huang Xiaolong, you've already broken the Grand Competition's record. For billions of years, there has to appear yet any participant who failed in their pill concoction so fast."

Huang Xiaolong completely ignored Mo Su. His sharp gaze was directed at Elder Wang Zhe instead, speaking with an aloof tone, "You're called Wang Zhe, right? You didn't even check my chamber, yet you so easily announced the result, perhaps you already knew the result beforehand? Or can you foretell the future?"

Wang Zhe stiffened, his expression darkened. In terms of status, Huang Xiaolong was merely one of the many average alchemists within the union, how dare he address him by name?

At Huang Xiaolong's words, the crowd quieted slightly, seemingly thinking about what he had just said.

Wang Zhe stared coldly at Huang Xiaolong, "You only managed to pass your alchemist assessment by luck on that day. Huang Xiaolong, are you perhaps trying to tell me that your pill concoction did not fail and, like young master Mo Su here, you successfully refined a top grade Divine Essence Pellet?"

His derisive tone did not escape the notice of the present people.

Huang Xiaolong remained aloof, "Just check and you'll know the answer."

Wang Zhe looked at the closest union disciple, ordering, "Go, check Huang Xiaolong's refining chamber and bring out the evidence of his failure so everyone can see."

The union disciple complied respectfully and hurried away.

Everyone waited. About fifteen minutes later, that disciple returned. Wearing an ugly expression on his face, he extended his hand, in which was held a bottle. If one looked clearly, they would be able to see that his hand was shaking.

Noticing this, Wang Zhe's brows couldn't help but crease into furrows, did Huang Xiaolong really succeed in refining the Divine Essence Pellet?

"...E-Elder Wang, these are the Divine Essence Pellets found in Huang Xiaolong's chamber." That disciple stood in front of Wang Zhe, even his tongue seemed to be quivering as he spoke.

Divine Essence Pellet!

A stunned Wang Zhe quickly recovered, "Is it low grade pellets?" If the ingredients were wrong, an alchemist with extraordinary skills could turn them into low grade pellets, albeit there would only be a slim chance. Of course, low grade pellets were also considered failures.

The union disciple stammered: "N-no."

Wang Zhe was taken aback. 'No?' He took the bottle from the disciple's hand. Then, before Mo Su and everyone's baffled gazes, Wang Zhe released the bottle's restriction. Instantly, thumb-sized pills of jade green color appeared one after another, resembling morning dew on tender leaves.

Medicinal fragrance permeated the air, reaching the edge of the square. Even those at the back of the large crowd could smell the fragrance coming from the pills.

"These are?!"

"Tribulation grade pellets!"

"Heavens, they are actually tribulation grade pellets!"

Exclamations sounded from various corners of the crowd, a wave of surprise and shock filled the air. Disbelief was obvious in everyone's expressions.

This was the tribulation grade they had only heard of ah! Every single Divine Essence Pellet exuded a faint tribulation lightning aura.

"Impossible! Impossible!" Mo Su shouted the same words twice, then pointed at Huang Xiaolong, "You cheated! These Divine Essence Pellets weren't refined by you!" The certainty in Mo Su's tone sounded as if he was the overseeing Elder from the Alchemist Grandmaster Union.

"That's right, you cheated! These tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets were definitely not refined by you!" Wang Zhe regained his wits, biting hard on his statement, almost shrieking as he pointed an angry finger at Huang Xiaolong, "Some big guts you've got, how dare you cheat in the competition! I'm revoking your participation qualification this instant, and you are forever forbidden from participating in the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition!"

The ingredients were wrong, how could Huang Xiaolong have refined any tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets?!

'This is absolutely impossible!'

Wang Zhe was adamant that Huang Xiaolong cheated, blurting these words by reflex.

The corner of Huang Xiaolong's lips faintly curved at a derisive degree, "Cheated? Where's the evidence? Wang Zhe, as a Union Elder, don't tell me you can't even determine that these tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets were refined just now."

Wang Zhe flinched.

With his eyesight, of course he could see that the pills were just refined.

"Whether he cheated or not, just look at the chamber's recording and see. We'll know what is what." Mo Su sullenly stated.

"That's right, Elder. We can check the chamber's recording." The union disciple quickly said.

Under Wang Zhe's agreement, a short while later, the union disciple returned with the video recording array from Huang Xiaolong's chamber. Channeling his godforce into the formation, it replayed the process of Huang Xiaolong's refining process."

Watching Huang Xiaolong easily manipulate the herbs with his alchemy refining skills until he attracted pill tribulation lightning, producing tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets. There was no sign of cheating that could be detected. Wang Zhe's face grew increasingly uglier as he watched on.

Were the ingredients inside Huang Xiaolong's chamber not replaced?

Mo Su's expression was just as ugly.

Huang Xiaolong sneered, "Wang Zhe, do I pass the preliminary round now?"

Wang Zhe struggled internally for a while, then he took a deep breath, revising his announcement, "Huang Xiaolong, refinement successful, rank one tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets; time used: thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds!"

Huang Xiaolong nudged, "And?"

Wang Zhe was confused: "And? There's more?" He didn't understand what Huang Xiaolong was implying.

Huang Xiaolong spoke coldly, "Earlier, you announced that I failed without even checking my refining chamber, and after you did, you were adamant that I cheated, wanting to rescind my qualification as well as forbid me from ever participating in the grand competition! Do you really think this matter is so easily solved just by you announcing that my refinement was successful and that I passed? I want you on your knees, kowtow to me as an apology!"

"What?!" Wang Zhe's face was red with outrage.

Before Wang Zhe could say another word, the spectating crowd was shouting: "Yes, kowtow in apology!"

"Kowtow in apology to Huang Xiaolong!"

The voices grew louder, reverberating like thunder in the square.

Wang Zhe's face looked darker than muddy water, his loathful gaze fixed on Huang Xiaolong, "This matter ends here. If you continue to make trouble, I can still rescind your participation qualification."

Chapter 932: Mo Su Wounded

Make trouble? Hearing Wang Zhe accusing him of making trouble pushed Huang Xiaolong's patience over the edge. A sharp gleamed flitted across his eyes.

Noticing this, Wang Zhe mocked, "What? Want to fight?"

Wang Zhe was aware that Huang Xiaolong was no weakling, however, he was a long standing Elder of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union. Even though his alchemy refining skills were lackluster compared to Huang Xiaolong's, his own cultivation wasn't bad.

He was a peak late-Seventh Order Highgod Realm master, which was why he believed that Huang Xiaolong was no match for him in terms of strength.

Huang Xiaolong's tone turned icy, "You will regret this very soon." He then turned and left. In a brief moment before Huang Xiaolong left the square, he sent an unnoticeable line of frigid force into Wang Zhe's body.

When he was passing by Mo Su, Huang Xiaolong gave him a disdainful glance before looking away.

Mo Su was already fuming after knowing that Huang Xiaolong actually refined those tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets. Adding on that disdainful glance, the anger he had been reigning in exploded.

"Huang Xiaolong, stop right there for this Devil Son!" Mo Su bellowed, his fist already striking out at Huang Xiaolong's back.

"Ten Thousand Ghosts Soul-locking Fist!"

In the next moment, devil qi surged high like a tsunami, enveloping heaven and earth in darkness.

Nefarious howling ghost heads appeared, locking onto Huang Xiaolong.

Those ghost heads condensed from Mo Su's devil qi formed a giant fist with devil symbols swirling around it that covered Huang Xiaolong.

Mo Su was already a peak late-Eighth Order Highgod Realm after he exited the Hellion Tower, and the Ten Thousand Ghosts Soul-locking Fist was one of the ancient devil clan's supreme techniques, the momentum of this combination made even the masters watching from the edge of the square palpitate.

Just as everyone watching thought that Huang Xiaolong would be vomiting blood after being struck by Mo Su's sudden attack, Huang Xiaolong spun around, striking out a palm attack of his own in counter.

The Earthen Buddha Palm!

There were no other techniques such as the Godly Xumi Art incorporated into Huang Xiaolong's attack. It was a straightforward Earthen Buddha Palm that was used to counter Mo Su's attack.

In a split second, the palm and fist collided. Tremors passed under the crowd's feet and their ears buzzed from the booming collision. The seemingly powerful Ten Thousand Ghosts Soul-locking Fist exploded in the air; all ten thousand ghost heads scattered like dust and Mo Su himself tumbled in the air like a broken kite, crashing heavily. It did not stop there though. His body rolled until the edge of the square, miserably lying there.

Blood was flowing from Mo Su's mouth like it wasn't worth a penny.

The crowd was stupefied, sucking in a breath of cold air as their senses returned.

Wang Zhe felt his heartstrings twitch, he hadn't expected Mo Su to end up so embarrassing. After all, he was a peak late-Eighth Order Highgod Realm master, not only had his sneak attack failed, he was even sent flying by Huang Xiaolong!

Cold sweat trickled down Wang Zhe's back remembering that he had just taunted Huang Xiaolong moments ago. Had Huang Xiaolong really acted just now...!

Goosebumps ran down Wang Zhe's neck imagining the worst possibility.

Huang Xiaolong spared no glance at the figure that had rolled to the edge of the square. He turned and left with astonished gazes following him.

The devil clan masters were enraged, but just as they wanted to encircle Huang Xiaolong, their impulsive actions were stopped by Elder Mo Zhenru.

Mo Zhenru watched as Huang Xiaolong left the square, making no move to stop him.

Not long after he left the square, another light flickered and a figure stepped out from one of the isolated chambers, Wangu Ye. When he stepped out from his chamber, the first thing he saw was Mo Su lying in a puddle of his own blood, something that genuinely shocked him.

In a few short moments, he inwardly summarized what happened to Mo Su from the noisy crowd, which caused his shock to multiply.

Huang Xiaolong did this!

A peak late-Eighth Order Highgod Realm Mo Su was sent flying by Huang Xiaolong with a single palm strike!

This...!

'This matter must be reported to the Patriarch at the earliest!' Wangu Ye noted, still feeling shocked in his heart.

Although their Wangu Clan had a friendly stance towards their association with Huang Xiaolong, it wasn't to the point of publicly standing on Huang Xiaolong's side in the matter against the Fortune Gate. But now, in Wangu Ye's eyes, it seemed their clan would need to reevaluate their stance towards Huang Xiaolong.

Some time later, Mo Su regained consciousness after Mo Zhenru treated his injuries.

At this time, another light flickered from the direction of the refining chambers and a young woman walked out. She was dressed entirely in white, including the thin veil that covered her face yet was unable to conceal her beauty.

Seeing this young woman, one of the devil clan disciples whispered into Mo Su's ears: "Devil Son, that's the Fortune Gate's Li Lu."

Li Lu!

Hearing this, Mo Su quickly turned to look, desire shining in the depth of his eyes. But that dissipated just as quickly. Mo Su barked an order to the devil clan disciples around him: "We're leaving!"

If it was any other time, Mo Su would have approach Li Lu and attempted to strike a conversation, but right now, he was wounded by Huang Xiaolong, blood stains all over his robe. How embarrassing he appeared right now!

He then turned and left without another word. Inwardly, his killing intent towards Huang Xiaolong soared higher and higher.

On another side, Huang Xiaolong was back in the Sun Moon Residence.

In his yard, Huang Xiaolong circulated his four divine fires, absorbing the shimmering gray energy until three days later when the preliminary round would end and he would return to the square for the next round.

In the next round, the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's twelve Eminent Elders would be present.

Even if Sun Yi and Jiang Lei's Master, Jiang Bi, wanted to make trouble for him, they couldn't use underhanded tricks. Hence, Huang Xiaolong wasn't worried about it.

While he was cultivating in his Sun Moon Residence, within one of the many courtyards of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, Sun Yi had been waiting for news when he saw Wang Zhe walking in. Not waiting for Wang Zhe to speak, Sun Yi already asked, "Is the result of Huang Xiaolong's preliminary round out?"

Sun Yi had instructed Wang Zhe to report to him once Huang Xiaolong's result was known.

Yet Wang Zhe's head was so low that his forehead was about to stick to his chest. He dared not look at Sun Yi. "Huang Xiaolong, he, he passed the preliminary round."

"What did you say?" Sun Yi, as well as Liu Hao standing behind him, thought they had misheard Wang Zhe.

Wang Zhe cautiously took half a step forward, offering a bottle containing one of the tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets that Huang Xiaolong had refined, explaining, "This is one of the Divine Essence Pellets refined by him using thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds."

Sun Yi grabbed the bottle from Wang Zhe's hands and wiped away the restriction. A round Divine Essence Pellet floated into the air, emitting a refreshing herb fragrance.

Tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellet!

Both Sun Yi and Liu Hao looked as flabbergasted as they felt, brimming with disbelief.

"This is the refining chamber's recording." Wang Zhe then handed over a monitoring bead obtained from the formation to Sun Yi, who imbued godforce into it.

Half an hour later, he finished watching the entire process of Huang Xiaolong refining Divine Essence Pellet, looking extremely solemn by the end.

"Eminent Elder Sun, I, I still need to oversee the remaining participants. Y-you see, may I...?" Wang Zhe cautiously sought permission.

Sun Yi waved his hand, "Alright, your business is done here. Return to your duty."

Wang Zhe was inwardly relieved, but on the surface, he respectfully bowed to Sun Yi and retreated. However, before leaving, as an afterthought, Wang Zhe decided to report to Sun Yi how Huang Xiaolong sent Mo Su flying with a single strike.

Listening to Wang Zhe's report, Sun Yi and Liu Hai couldn't hide the astonishment from their faces. Until Wang Zhe's figure disappeared, the master and disciple duo were still standing in the same spot, barely moving an inch.

A long, long time later, Sun Yi mumbled under his breath, "Even the Eighth Order Highgod Realm Mo Su wasn't his match? It appears that we must absolutely not allow Huang Xiaolong to leave the Divine Dan City no matter what!"

As Sun Yi was saying this, a whelming murderous aura froze the air in his immediate proximity.

The news of Huang Xiaolong successfully refining tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets during the preliminary round spread throughout the Divine Dan City like wildfire. Every corner of the city was filled with exclamations of awe, shock, and astonishment. Naturally, the incident of Mo Su sneaking an attack on Huang Xiaolong but was sent flying with single a palm strike also spread through the city at rapid speed.

In the blink of an eye, two days came and went.

Huang Xiaolong stepped out from his manor. Tomorrow was the day of the semi-final round, but for unknown reasons, his heart seemed unable to calm down. In fact, it was a downright feeling of unease as if something bad was about to happen.

Unable to calm his heart to cultivate, Huang Xiaolong decided to take a stroll outside, inquiring about the latest news around the Divine Dan City while replenishing some Celestial Blossom Wine.

Chapter 933: Huang Xiaolong Injured

Stepping out from the Sun Moon Residence, Huang Xiaolong strolled idly around, but the feeling of unease in his heart grew stronger instead. At last, his feet brought him to the same restaurant he bought the Celestial Blossom Wine from.

Huang Xiaolong sat at the same table as previously, next to the window. His patronage was naturally welcomed with enthusiasm by the same waiter who served Huang Xiaolong last time.

Similarly, Huang Xiaolong ordered some dishes and two jugs of Celestial Blossom Wine, giving the waiter a top divine grade spirit stone. Similarly, the change was given to the waiter as a tip.

The waiter was over the moon, giving Huang Xiaolong a kowtow in thanks.

After the waiter left, Huang Xiaolong drank his wine without really tasting it while listening to the conversations around him, but most of them revolved around him refining tribulation grade Divine Essence Pellets during the competition's preliminary round and injuring Mo Su.

Listening to the exaggerated descriptions all around, he wryly shook his head.

"Did you hear, yesterday, six masters from the Inert Sword Faction were murdered!"

"It isn't only the Inert Sword Faction, several masters from the Eternal Galaxy's Mu Clan and Zhou Clan have also been killed. From what I've heard, a Wangu Clan Elder died miserably in the vicinity of the Virtuous Legend Square. All of those people were Highgod Realm masters! The scary thing is, after they died, their heads were cut off, leaving only incomplete bodies behind!"

At this point, Huang Xiaolong's ears caught the conversation of a few cultivators that were huddled at a corner table.

Even a Wangu Clan had been killed! Huang Xiaolong was shocked by this news.

Who was it, so daring as to provoke the Wangu Clan? It didn't escape Huang Xiaolong's notice that the victims were all masters belonging to various galaxies' super forces and prominent sects.

"There is a black handprint on those people's body, some say it's the sinister Ghost Refining Palm!"

"Really? The Ghost Refining Palm?! The Ghost Refining Sect's supreme technique! Could it be a disciple from the Ghost Refining World that has come out from the Path to Hell?!"

"Hopefully, it is not. Every time one of those Ghost Refining Sect disciples emerges, a storm of carnage follows. In the last few days, more than three hundred Highgod Realm masters have been killed. At this rate, won't all the Highgod Realm masters inside the Divine Dan City be slaughtered until there are none left?"

"Is the Alchemist Grandmaster Union keeping their hands off this matter?"

"Who said they are keeping their hands off? In the last two days, the Alchemist Grandmaster Union had ordered their enforcer disciples to lock down various points of the city and were given the authority to check all suspicious Highgod Realm masters! But if the killer is truly a Ghost Refining Sect disciple, do you think the union's enforcer disciples are capable of restraining him? Even if the union's twelve Eminent Elders joined hands, they still may not be able to capture this Ghost Refining Sect disciple!"

Listening to these cultivators' conversation, Huang Xiaolong was stunned for a minute.

'The Path to Hell's Ghost Refining Sect?' He had heard the Ascending Moon Old Man mention this Ghost Refining Sect, claiming that even the Wangu Clan, Fortune Gate, the Ancient Devil Clan, Zhou Clan, the Giant Tribe, the Dark Elf Tribe, as well as other super forces walked on eggshells around this Ghost Refining Sect.

He didn't expect a Ghost Refining Sect disciple to have emerged from the Path to Hell at this point of time! If he remembered correctly, those from the Ghost Refining Sect supposedly to appeared every hundred thousand years? Counting the time since their last appearance, barely half of that had passed.

It was more than three hours later when Huang Xiaolong left the restaurant and headed back to the Sun Moon Residence.

Just like last time, before leaving, Huang Xiaolong bought more than a hundred jugs of Celestial Blossom Wine.

Back in the Sun Moon Residence, he didn't enter cultivation as he would normally do, but sat in the yard, thinking about what he had heard about the Ghost Refining Sect.

Without a doubt, this sect was the strongest force within the Path to Hell, not just one of the strongest. But where exactly on the Path to Hell the Ghost Refining Sect was located was something that no outsider knew.

Who was the founder this Ghost Refining Sect or how long it had been founded for, this kind of questions about the sect were shrouded in a big mystery. Even more baffling to the people was why every time a Ghost Refining Sect disciple appeared in the outside world, they deliberately hunted Highgod Realm masters.

Was it to cultivate a certain high level ghostly technique? Huang Xiaolong's eyes gleamed.

Time passed, night pulled a blanket of darkness over the sky.

Huang Xiaolong, who had been drinking alone in the yard, abruptly leaped far away from where he just sat. Almost in the same instant he seemed to be avoiding something, the whole Sun Moon Residence started to shake.

The yard Huang Xiaolong had been sitting in crumbled into rubble and part of the land below sunk in.

Out of nowhere, a large black handprint appeared on the floor, ghost qi surging violently from it.

Watching this, Huang Xiaolong's eyes narrowed dignifiedly, his attention fixed on the black-robed young man standing opposite him.

A thin curtain of devil qi veiled this black-robed young man, obscuring his features. The only part that was visible were his faintly glowing green eyes.

"A Ghost Refining Sect disciple." Huang Xiaolong spoke in an unhurried tone, breaking the silence

The young man cackled with glee, although it sounded hoarse and harsh, resembling an owl in Huang Xiaolong's ears. However, there was a kind of medicinal pellet that could alter a person's voice within a certain time period after consuming it, thus, this person's voice may not be his real voice.

"The Highgod Advancement Tournament champion Huang Xiaolong. Well, it looks like you are stronger than what I estimated, even the average early Tenth Order Highgod Realm master wouldn't be able to dodge my ambush." The Ghost Refining Sect young man added as an afterthought, "Your strength is higher than what it's rumored to be."

Huang Xiaolong was clearly frowning.

"But..." As the Ghost Refining Sect young man was saying this, a hint of bloodlust filled his eyes, smacking his lips, "This only makes killing you more meaningful. What rank is the godhead you condensed? High emperor rank or top emperor rank? I'm lacking a top emperor rank godhead."

Huang Xiaolong snickered in response, "Many galaxies' cultivators say that you lot from the Ghost Refining Sect are all peerless talents, possessing unfathomable strength. I too am very interested in what kind of godhead you've condensed."

The Ghost Refining Sect young man let out a sonorous laugh, "Then I shall satisfy your curiosity." His palm was already striking out at Huang Xiaolong before his last word sounded.

'So fast!' The thought flashed in Huang Xiaolong's mind. With his current strength, he merely captured a blurred image.

Huang Xiaolong did not hesitate, immediately displayed his martial spirit innate ability, Space Concealment, vanishing from the spot.

He had just concealed himself when the Ghost Refining Sect young man's eyes shone with a blinding green light, striking out another palm towards the concealed space where Huang Xiaolong was hiding in without a lapse in his actions.

Huang Xiaolong was alarmed, his vigilance peaked. All three of his supreme godhead rotated madly as he struck out an Earthen Buddha Palm.

Rumble~!

The impact from their palms torn open a large space rift.

The pavement cracked and exploded, even the Sun Moon Residence's courtyards that were protected by formations became ruins.

Huang Xiaolong fell out from his concealed space, tumbling in the air for several hundred li before he managed to shake off the force of the impact.

'I'm injured!' Many years had passed since Huang Xiaolong was actually injured.

Knowing how tough his current True Dragon Divine Physique was, there weren't many things that could pierce through his body's defenses in this lower realm. Never had imagined that he would actually be injured by this Ghost Refining Sect cultivator. Moreover, he could feel a strange and powerful corrosive force inside his body, trying to devour his blood essence.

Although Huang Xiaolong couldn't determine the exact cultivation of this Ghost Refining Sect, he still estimated his strength to be around late-Tenth Order Highgod Realm.

"Eh, still alive?!" It was evident that the young man was shocked. He had confidently assumed that Huang Xiaolong would die without doubt from the earlier attack, yet he only vomited some blood.

After brief seconds of shock, the black-robed young man regained his composure, issuing a soft laugh. Following that, his body suddenly expanded to twice its size, attacking Huang Xiaolong once more.

The black-robed young man's palm force ripped the fabric of space. The starlight disappeared as ghost qi devoured everything in sight, swallowing the world into the abyss of hell.

This attack was four to five times more powerful than his last attack.

Chapter 934: A Five-Year Covenant

The mansions neighboring Huang Xiaolong's Sun Moon Residence were easily lifted into the air by the Ghost Refining Sect young man's palm force. Those mansions had their own defensive formations, but against the young man's palm force that was red like blood, their effects were insignificant.

The residents inside the buildings had no time to escape at all. Caught under the terrifying palm force, they died, exploding into scattered blood mist in the air. Their blood essence and godforce were all sucked away by the giant palm.

After drinking those cultivators' blood essence and godforce, the blood-red palm actually grew bigger again.

At this point, Huang Xiaolong no longer hesitated. His Buddhism godforce roared, expelling the corrosive force out of his body. Simultaneously, his body swayed, transforming into a primordial divine dragon.

A blue primordial divine dragon seemingly ten thousand zhang long suddenly appeared in the air above the Divine Dan City, letting out an earth-shaking roar.

Huang Xiaolong's dragon claw slammed down as hard as possible.

The Eleventh move, Dragon Astounding the Fiendgod! Godforce from his Holy Dragon Supreme Godhead burst forth.

Waves of dragon qi formed a giant divine dragon, flying straight at the ghost palm.

Another thunderous boom reverberated in the air from the collision.

Destructive shockwaves swept outward in all directions, destroying everything in their path.

The impact also sent Huang Xiaolong, in his primordial divine dragon form, spinning back another several hundred li. At a closer look, blood was seeping out from underneath his dragon scales, flowing down his claws to the ground below. There were more scales shattered than those intact.

On the other side, the Ghost Refining Sect young man also tumbled back, but merely a dozen meters or so. The ghost qi enshrouding him roiled violently as he regained his balance.

"Primordial Divine Dragon Clan!" The Ghost Refining Sect young man exclaimed. Seeing Huang Xiaolong's primordial blue divine dragon body, he was dumbfounded. Since when had a blue dragon existed in the universe?!

Just when the Ghost Refining Sect young man wanted to attack again, sounds of whistling wind came from several different directions.

Obviously, his fight with Huang Xiaolong had created too much disturbance, alerting other masters within the Divine Dan City. Quite of few of them exuded powerful auras.

Sensing this, the Ghost Refining Sect young man decisively gave up on the idea of attacking Huang Xiaolong again, but not before flashing him a sinister grin, "Huang Xiaolong, you really did gave me a big surprise. Blue divine dragon? Interesting! Five years later is the time when I will succeed the position of Ghost Refining Sect Chief, I wonder if you dare to step on the Path to Hell for a battle with me."

Hearing this, Huang Xiaolong was slightly caught off guard.

This young man was actually the successor to the Ghost Refining Sect Chief's position?!

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you. When a new Chief is taking up the position in our Ghost Refining Sect, they would kill a group of Highgod Realm masters during the ceremony as an offering to the Ghost God, and I am no exception. After coming out this time, I also captured a bunch of Highgod Realm masters, one of them seems to be called Ascending Moon Old Man. He is your Master, yes?" The Ghost Refining Sect young man chuckled again.

Huang Xiaolong's face completely sank. His Master actually fell into the hands of this young man?

Having said what he wanted, the Ghost Refining Sect young man vanished from sight in a flicker.

In this short time, the masters rushing towards them further narrowed the distance.

In order to save himself from further trouble, Huang Xiaolong also vanished from the spot, deciding to leave first.

A few breaths after he left, the first of the masters arrived above the ruins of the Sun Moon Residence. This person was Sun Yi.

Surveying the appalling scene of damage below him, Sun Yi's face looked extremely grim, and beneath it was ill-disguised trepidation. From the extent of damage he was seeing right now, the people who battled here were more likely than not a little bit stronger than him.

Sun Yi was still looking around when two figures arrived at the sound of whistling wind.

These two were none other than the devil clan Grand Elder Mo Zhenru and the Devil Son, Mo Su. Looking at the scene below, their faces weren't that much better than Sun Yi's.

"Huang Xiaolong's Sun Moon Residence was around this area?" Mo Su suddenly spoke.

There was astonishment in his eyes, "Could one of the parties battling just now be Huang Xiaolong?"

Mo Zhenru shook his head, disagreed, "Judging from the remnant destructive energy here, it cannot be Huang Xiaolong. He doesn't have such strength, merely one of the fishes in the same pond." Mo Zhenru took another glance at the surrounding, "It's just... did he die or has he fled?"

As more and more masters arrived at the scene, each of them revealed a grim expression seeing the ruins below.

When the Alchemist Grandmaster Union's law enforcement team arrived, Sun Yi ordered them to lock down the main streets within the vicinity and search any suspicious people, as well as check if there were any survivors nearby.

Above an empty courtyard at the edge of Divine Dan City, a faint light rippled as Huang Xiaolong appeared.

In a flicker, he easily entered the courtyard and randomly picked a yard, arranging a formation before he could relax slightly to sit cross-legged in meditation. He then swallowed an Undying God Pill and adjusted his breathing.

Although the Ghost Refining Sect young man's ghost palm contained horrifying force, it was just some external injuries to Huang Xiaolong. This level of injuries didn't count for anything. Adding his Instant Recovery ability, in less than half an hour, Huang Xiaolong had returned to his peak condition.

However, his eyebrows were tightly scrunched together at this moment. The old man actually fell into the hands of that Ghost Refining Sect young man's hands. This was a problem, and not a small one at that.

Five years...

It seems it was inevitable for him to make a trip to the Path to Hell. That, however, was another problem. Even though it was common knowledge that the Ghost Refining Sect was located in the Path to Hell, where exactly was it? How was he supposed to rescue his Master at that time?

Huang Xiaolong shook his head as if he was trying to shake away every thought until the Grand Competition ended. Only then would he think of a way to save the Ascending Moon Old Man.

The night gradually gave way to morning. Soft crepuscular rays were shining on the horizon, the sign that another day had arrived.

Getting up, Huang Xiaolong's figure blurred and disappeared from the yard faster than one could blink. Out on the street, he headed in the direction of the Union headquarters.

Today was the day of the Grand Competition's second round. Regardless of others, he had to win the first place today in order for him to challenge Sun Yi. He planned to defeat Sun Yi with alchemy and take his life afterwards.

But the cherry on top was the fact that he could enter the Dan River to cultivate.

The Dan River was vital to improving his strength, helping his cultivation advance further, increasing his winning chances against that Ghost Refining Sect young man.

When reached the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, appearing the competition square, many participants who had successfully advanced to the second round were already there, talking about the battle yesterday that ruined several residences.

"Huang Xiaolong!"

"Didn't they say Huang Xiaolong was killed yesterday? How is he still alive?!"

When the participants and people in the crowd spotted Huang Xiaolong, their expressions clearly reflected their surprise and shock.

The Sun Moon Residence's damage led everyone to assume that he was already waiting in line for his next reincarnation.

Sun Yi, who was at the main terrace overlooking the square, appeared right in front of Huang Xiaolong in a flicker, snapping curtly, "Huang Xiaolong, what exactly happened last night? Where did you run to?"

From his tone and manner, anyone would think that Huang Xiaolong had committed the most unforgivable crime.

Huang Xiaolong didn't even spare a glance at him, walking past him with an aloof expression.

Seeing Huang Xiaolong actually ignoring him, Sun Yi was outraged.

"Enough, Eminent Elder Sun. Today is the Grand Competition's semi-final round, leave all other matters for later." At this time, an Eminent Elder on the main terrace spoke.

This Eminent Elder was one of the Wangu Clan's Grand Elders, Wangu Biran.

Several other Eminent Elders echoed their agreement to Wangu Biran's words.

Sun Yi struggled. In the end, he snorted coldly but no longer insisted, returning to his seat on the main terrace.

Huang Xiaolong watched Sun Yi, a murderous glint in the depth of his eyes that went unnoticed. When the end of the grand competition came, it would also be the end of Sun Yi.

Chapter 935: Li Lu, Is It You?

Huang Xiaolong looked away from the main terrace, his gaze sweeping over the rest of the participants.

Soon, he saw Devil Son Mo Su amongst the participants, but when his gaze moved onto the figure clad in a white dress next to Mo Su, Huang Xiaolong trembled slightly. Excitement rose to his eyes.

Li Lu!

'Is it Li Lu?!'

'Yes, it's her! It's Li Lu!'

Although she was wearing a veil, Huang Xiaolong recognized her at a glance. This person could only be Li Lu.

Huang Xiaolong walked over to Li Lu in hurried steps.

It was obvious that she saw Huang Xiaolong walking towards herself. For a split second, there was panic in her beautiful eyes.

In a span of two to three breaths, Huang Xiaolong reached Li Lu, his eyes bright like stars fixed on her, "Li Lu, is it you?"

A second before this, Huang Xiaolong had thought that his past with Li Lu had faded into memories that were sealed away in the deepest parts of him, yet now, seeing her right in front of him again, Huang Xiaolong realized that she has always been on his mind.

"I'm sorry, you've got the wrong person." Li Lu's response to Huang Xiaolong seemed cold as she added: "I don't know you."

Huang Xiaolong was stupefied.

Although Li Lu hid it very well, the flash of agitation in the depth of her eyes was clearly captured by Huang Xiaolong. He was convinced that she recognized him.

She was lying!

That year, after he killed the Deities Templar's Preceptor, Li Lu's memories and consciousness should have recovered.

Mo Su interjected, his tone hostile, "Did you hear that, Huang Xiaolong? Miss Li Lu says she doesn't know you! Quickly scram!"

After seeing Li Lu, Mo Su was completely conquered. Though his hundred over concubines were beautiful, they couldn't compare to Li Lu. In Mo Su's heart and mind, she already belonged to him. Once he reined her in, she would be the empress of his harem.

Now, right in front of him, this Huang Xiaolong actually struck up a conversation with his woman, Mo Su was extremely upset. Naturally, if this was someone else instead of Huang Xiaolong, he would have killed the bastard with a punch.

Huang Xiaolong turned to Mo Su, looking at Mo Su with a chilling killing intent as he spoke in a low voice: "Get lost!"

Get lost!

Huang Xiaolong's voice thundered, containing overwhelming murderous aura.

Other disciples all turned to look in Huang Xiaolong and Mo Su's direction.

The anger in Mo Su's heart spiraled into a frenzy. In his life, there were only times he told others to scram, and this, this Huang Xiaolong was telling him to get lost? In front of so many people?! His knuckles turned white from clenching his fists hard, devil qi surged around him, but the scene from two days ago when he was sent flying by Huang Xiaolong flashed in his mind.

The flashback was equivalent to icy cold water poured down Mo Su's head, extinguishing his anger.

"Good, good!" Mo Su took a deep breath while glaring at Huang Xiaolong. He then fumed through gritted teeth, "Huang Xiaolong, I admit that you're a tad stronger than me, but dare you compete with me in alchemy refining skills? Later, we'll determine the winner according to our ranking in the semi-finals!"

Huang Xiaolong retorted, "In terms of strength, you're inferior to me, and in pill concocting you're even less qualified to compete with me."

Mo Su laughed madly in anger, "You say I'm not qualified to compete in alchemy with you? I'm the first ranker of the preliminary round, whereas you, you're number two! Don't overestimate yourself, don't you feel ashamed to say that I'm not qualified to compete with you? It's you who isn't qualified!"

Huang Xiaolong scoffed, "Since you're adamant to compete, let's put our lives on the line!"

Betting their lives! Mo Su choked.

"Bet your life and mine. Whoever loses shall implode their godhead on the spot!" Huang Xiaolong coldly stated the terms.

Destroy their own godhead on the spot! Mo Su's expression was getting uglier. Although he was confident that his alchemy refining skills were a level above Huang Xiaolong's, he didn't have the guts to stake his life on it.

"What? Too scared? No guts? Then don't stand here and bark like a mad dog, scram this instant!" Huang Xiaolong snapped.

Mo Su's face was on the verge of collapsing but said nothing in the end. He turned around in a huff and left. When he was out of Huang Xiaolong's sight, killing intent soared in his eyes, surging frenzily. He would let Huang Xiaolong know who was truly unqualified!

Huang Xiaolong turned his attention back to Li Lu, his voice gentle, "I don't know what happened since back then, but after so many years passed I have never given up on finding you. I will not give up on you."

Without waiting for a reply, Huang Xiaolong turned and left.

The semi-final round of the competition would begin shortly, thus everything would need to wait until after.

Although Huang Xiaolong didn't know what happened to Li Lu at that time, how she fared since then, one thing he could be sure of was that Li Lu still had a pure body. In other words, after so many years passed, she did not have any male cultivation companion, she still hadn't forgotten him.

Li Lu watched Huang Xiaolong's back. Her eyes turned slightly red, but due to her veil, no one noticed anything. Moreover, her composure returned almost immediately.

In the main terrace, Sun Yi's face was as black as it could be watching what took place. Huang Xiaolong and Li Lu's relationship seemed to lean towards...

Because of the fact that Li Lu was received as a personal disciple by their Ancestor while passing through a hinterland galaxy, adding the fact that Li Lu had never mentioned her origins, no one in the Fortune Gate knew anything about her past.

Sun Yi's eyes glimmered, no one could guess what he was thinking.

As time trickled by, about ten minutes later, the semi-final round of the grand competition finally began.

Huang Xiaolong and the other ten thousand participants from various galaxies drew sticks. According to the number on their sticks, each participant went and stood at the allocated location.

A formation was arranged above the competition square and its perimeter, locking down the whole area. The space within was then further separated into ten thousand uniformed spaces of one hundred square meters. When each of these ten thousand spaces' array was activated, the participants would be isolated from the outside world, hindering any disturbance during refinement.

On the other hand, these arrays were like invisible walls, all the participants could see the situation of other participants.

The semi-finals had a total of twelve rules.

The union's twelve Eminent Elders on the terrace each took turns to state one of the rules.

After the rules were announced, Wangu Biran declared the beginning of the semi-final round.

The instant Wangu Biran's voice sounded, the many chambers below lit up with different colored flames.

Even though it was said there were twelve rules, things were actually very simple.

Each of the divided spaces below was equipped with pill refining ingredients and a cauldron. The participants merely needed to refine the Myriad Cure Holy Pill within three days utilizing the prepared materials and cauldron.

The ranking would be determined by the grade of the pills!

If the grade and quality of the pills were similar, the time used to refine them would be taken into account to determine the ranking.

The Myriad Cure Holy Pill belonged to the category of healing pellets, a top sacred grade divine pill and also the highest grade of pellets in numerous galaxies. It was one of the hardest medicinal pills to refine.

In the past, when Huang Xiaolong was preparing for the Highgod Advancement Tournament, he had spent a large sum in the Wangu Clan's commerce hall to acquire the Undying God Pills, Extraordinary Divine Pellets, and Myriad Cure Holy Pills. Therefore, the Myriad Cure Holy Pill was no stranger to him.

"Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!" Just when Huang Xiaolong was about to begin, some people in the crowd outside the square shouted.

Huang Xiaolong turned to look. Not far from him, following Mo Su's hand manipulation, the materials in his chamber flew into the air in a row, forming various divine beast manifestations, exactly one thousand divine beasts!

Subsequently, in Mo Su's refining space, a stream black qi that glittered like crystals rushed up.

"Underworld River force!"

The crows stirred with excitement.

Seeing Mo Su being able to manipulate the Underworld River force, the Eminent Elders on the main terrace looked on interestedly.

Chapter 936: Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram

"Look over there! The Fortune Gate's Li Lu is also skilled in the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!"

A loud voice rang in the air, a person was seen pointing somewhere.

Huang Xiaolong was stunned hearing that and he turned over to look in Li Lu's direction. The herbs she controlled gathered into various divine beast figures that seemed alive, vivid, and exuded a greater amount of spiritual energy!

This was a sign that someone had flawless control over each herb's properties.

Although it was the same Thousand Divine Beast Diagram, it was clear that Li Lu's skill was a whole level above Mo Su.

Then, two different glimmering energies, one red and one black, flowed out from the void above her.

"The fabled Yin Yang force!"

"Heavens, it the Yin Yang force!"

The Yin Yang force was graded higher than the Underworld River force.

Initially, Mo Su's ability to manipulate the Underworld River force had already shocked the crowd and other participants, who would have thought that Li Lu, who most of them had never heard of, was able to utilize an even higher leveled energy, the Yin Yang force!

Even the twelve Eminent Elders watching this from the main terrace revealed a touch of surprise in their expressions.

"Looks like this term's grand competition is a lot more interesting than the last ah. Two participants who can use the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram have appeared, and even the two legendary Yin Yang force and Underworld River force have also appeared. However, that Li Lu's cultivation isn't that high, her ranking might end up being lower than Mo Su's." An Eminent Elder sighed a little ruefully.

"That may not be the case." Sun Yi disagreed. "Although an alchemist's cultivation plays a role during the pill condensation stage, their skill in concocting, or lack of, plays a more crucial role in determining success or failure."

Below on the square, Wangu Ye's alchemy refining skills also attracted the crowd's attention.

He was also displaying the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram and was able to manipulate the Metal Jade force, which was comparable to Mo Su's Underworld River force.

"Mo Su, Li Lu, and Wangu Ye; all three are skilled in the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram, makes me wonder if that Huang Xiaolong has advanced to the same level." Eminent Elder Wangu Biran of Wangu Clan shifted his gaze in the direction of Huang Xiaolong's refining chamber.

But Huang Xiaolong stood there without moving.

Sun Yi snickered watching this, "Whether it was during his alchemist assessment or the preliminary round, this Huang Xiaolong used the Hundred Divine Beast Diagram. This doesn't mean he is hiding his true ability, I think his skills definitely haven't reached the level of using the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!"

"Don't be so sure, that may not be true." An Eminent Elder that hailed from the Dark Elf Tribe, You Wushang, couldn't resist interjecting.

While these elders were exchanging tit for tat, Huang Xiaolong began to move.

Under his fine control, the herb ingredients inside his refining chamber flew up, forming the shapes of divine beasts. Not one more, not one less, there were exactly one hundred divine beasts.

Watching this scene, Sun Yi's mocking laughter rang on the main terrace, "Eminent Elder Wangu Biran and You Wushang, see that? Didn't I already say that this runt only knows the Hundred Divine Beast Diagram? Therefore, when his pill forms, it can only be a rank three tribulation grade at most!"

Wangu Biran and You Wushang's foreheads furrowed deeply, but with the fact right in front of them, neither of them could refute Sun Yi's words.

Inwardly, the two of them couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Even though Huang Xiaolong would be able to refine a rank three tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill which was astonishing in itself, he was destined to have no connection with the first place in this competition.

Perhaps he wouldn't even make it into the top three.

All of a sudden, Sun Yi's beaming face distorted as if he had just seen a ghost, staring in disbelief in Huang Xiaolong's direction. Noticing his expression, both Wangu Biran and You Wushang looked curiously towards Huang Xiaolong.

The hundred divine beasts that he was controlling were beginning to subdivide. Each divine beast turned into ten!

'Is this a new method?!'

Wangu Biran and You Wushang's eyes protruded in shock, neither of them had ever heard of or seen this kind of alchemy refining method!

Not to mention, Huang Xiaolong's subdivided herb divine beasts remained vivid and spirited, exuding a powerful spiritual energy aura.

When other Eminent Elders saw this, consecutive praises sounded from their lips.

Recovering from their shock, Wangu Biran and You Wushang issued a satisfied chuckle, glancing sideways at Sun Yi.

"Eminent Elder Sun Yi, didn't you say that Huang Xiaolong can't perform the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram? Care to explain what we're seeing now? Could it be that my eyes have become blurry with age, or is that the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram?" Wangu Biran took a stab at Sun Yi.

Despite the ugly expression on his face, Sun Yi stubbornly retorted, "Even if that Huang Xiaolong is capable of using the Thousand Divine Beast Diagram, so what? Who can say for sure he won't end up in the fourth place?"

In the next second, terror flickered in Sun Yi's eyes like he was seeing something inconceivable.

Once again, Wangu Biran and the others were stoked by Sun Yi's expression, thus followed his gaze. Some distance away on the square below, Huang Xiaolong's one thousand divine beasts began splitting, subdividing again!

"Ten, Ten, Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!!" Fixing his gaze on the ten thousand beast shapes exuding whelming spiritual energy in Huang Xiaolong's chamber, Sun Yi became tongue-tied, his body subconsciously trembled.

A few of the Eminent Elders were clutching the arms of their seat in shock.

The Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition had been organized over a hundred times since the Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram had last appeared!

And now, after several hundred thousand years, they were able to see it once more!

"The Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!" Outside the competition square, cultivators amongst the crowd were in an uproar, trembling with excitement.

In an instant, Huang Xiaolong became the center of attention.

Mo Su's face darkened watching this. That Huang Xiaolong's skills already reached the Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram!

"Even if it's Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram, so what? He can merely manipulate some lousy star force, it's far from enough to win the first place." Sun Yi forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart, insisting on his view.

Just as Sun Yi's voice fell, in the space where Huang Xiaolong stood, glittering star force started to rush out from the void.

Seeing this, Sun Yi's tension loosened slightly, his eyes shone: "Star force!"

"That is not our lower realm's star force!" Suddenly, Mu Clan's Eminent Elder Mu Li, exclaimed in amazement: "That's Chaos Star force!"

"Chaos Star force!" Wangu Biran, You Wushang, and the rest stared at Huang Xiaolong with mouths agape.

The Chaos Star force was something they had only heard of but never witnessed. In all truthfulness, amongst all of the union's past chiefs, there were only a rare few who were said to be able to manipulate this Chaos Star force!

Chaos Star force!

Mo Su paled considerably when he heard Mu Li's exclamation. Li Lu and Wangu Ye were astounded.

At this time, inside Huang Xiaolong's one hundred square meters chamber, ten thousand divine beasts opened their mouths, swallowing the flowing Chaos Star force. In a short time, those divine beasts' bodies were glittering with brilliant starlight, their spiritual energy multiplied to another degree.

Up until this point, Huang Xiaolong had yet to summon any flames to refine away the impurities, but the refreshing fragrance coming from his herbs was enough to intoxicate everyone present.

After bathing his herb ingredients in Chaos Star force, the medicinal properties were brought to their peak. Only then did Huang Xiaolong summon his four divine fires; icy-blue, crimson red, metallic white, and azure. Four colors of flame shone bright and radiant.

Looking at the dancing flames formed from the Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Azure Dragon Divine Fire spirits, another wave of amazement swept through the crowd, everyone was guessing what kind of flame Huang Xiaolong was using!

Under Huang Xiaolong's control, the four divine fires flew towards the ten thousand herb divine beasts, circling and weaving between them.

The divine beasts lit up with flames from the four divine fires one after another. A burst of herbal fragrance, stronger than before yet not stifling, lingered in the air.

About two hours later, all ten thousand divine beasts were refined by the four divine fires. Subsequently, Huang Xiaolong slowly merged those different portions of essence into one.

As he began merging the herb essences, the whole square seemed to fell into a silence, everyone watched nervously with their hearts hanging in the air.

Chapter 937: Rank Nine Tribulation Grade Pellet!

On the main terrace, Sun Yi watched intently as Huang Xiaolong's herb essences smoothly merged together, his hands hidden beneath the sleeves were tightly clenched together until his knuckles became white. Inwardly, Sun Yi repeatedly prayed, "Burst, burst, burst, burst for me ah!"

Sun Yi watched on without blinking, all of his focus was on Huang Xiaolong's every movement. However, those herb divine beasts and merging essence did not explode.

Instead, as more and more herb essences merged together, the glow emitted grew increasingly bright, like a lustrous gem. As it grew brighter, the herbal scent became stronger as well, giving everyone in the crowd the illusion of bathing inside a fragrant ocean.

Time flowed by.

More and more divine beasts were refined and merged together.

Watching all ten thousand divine beasts being completely refined and merged into one, Sun Yi who had been praying incessantly in his heart was finally enraged seeing that it still hadn't exploded, bellowing. "Goddamn son of a b*tch, burst for me!!"

The unusually quiet competition square was shaken by Sun Yi's abrupt outburst that rumbled like thunder through the square, rendering everyone stupefied as they slowly turned towards the main terrace.

Sun Yi himself was stunned silly, however, the words that had left his mouth couldn't be taken back.

Wangu Biran had always found Sun Yi displeasing to the eyes, hence, when he stumbled, Wangu Biran was right behind him, mocking, "What is Eminent Elder Sun Yi hoping to burst? Your 'chrysanthemum'? I didn't expect Eminent Elder Sun Yi to have such a hobby."

'Chrysanthemum'?

Hearing such a classic jab from Wangu Biran's mouth, the Dark Elf Eminent Elder You Wushang guffawed. A few drops of saliva flew out from his mouth and his body bowled over, shaking. His laughing seemed exaggerated, infecting the other Eminent Elders as well.

Sun Yi's face was black as charcoal, turning uglier from the snickers coming from around the square.

On the square, when all of Huang Xiaolong's herb essences had completely integrated, a crisp humming sound could be heard, brilliant light expanded outward as the herb fragrance gradually evolved into pill fragrance, like never-ending waves.

This phenomenon lasted for more than twenty minutes before a lilting hum of pill condensation rang out from Huang Xiaolong's cauldron.

The light coming from the integrated herb essences became too blinding to look at. In the next moment, thunder rumbled high in the air as a dark cloud swirled above the square.

Although many people had estimated that Huang Xiaolong was likely to produce tribulation grade divine pellets, the crowd still stirred anxiously upon seeing the dark tribulation clouds swirling above the square.

All twelve Eminent Elders wholly focused their attention on one figure.

"The tribulation clouds appeared so fast, I'm curious how many waves of tribulation lightning he will attract!" Wangu Biran commented.

"Considering his use of the Ten Thousand Divine Beasts Diagram, adding on Huang Xiaolong's current strength, it should be seven waves; eight waves is a little difficult, even more so nine!" You Wushuang said with a serious expression.

The other Eminent Elders nodded in agreement hearing You Wushang's conjecture.

Commonly in the past, the participant who could refine a rank seven tribulation lightning pill was inevitably the first place winner. Still, there were a few exceptions. Sometimes, an eight wave of tribulation lightning could appear, but even so, a ninth wave was nothing more than a record in their Alchemist Grandmaster Union's archive. It hadn't occurred in the last several hundred thousand years because the conditions for refining a rank nine tribulation divine pellet were simply too harsh.

First, the concocting had to be done using the Ten Thousand Divine Beast Diagram. The second condition was cleansing all ingredients with Chaos force; the third being the flames used to integrate the herb essences together must reach a certain level, and the fourth condition, the person concocting the pill must have a cultivation of Tenth Order Highgod Realm!

The last condition was easy to understand since only a Tenth Order Highgod Realm master could withstand the power of the ninth wave of tribulation lightning!

Any one of these four conditions was indispensable.

Sun Yi scoffed, "Until the pill condensation completes, any mishap could happen. Who knows, the cauldron might explode in the next second!"

Some alchemists were lacking in terms of cultivation, yet fantasized about attracting rank eight or rank nine tribulation lightning. Unable to withstand the might of tribulation lightning, at the last moments of pill condensation it would be struck by tribulation lightning, causing an explosion and resulting in failure.

By this point, the first strike of tribulation lightning flashed towards the pill cauldron. Huang Xiaolong pointed a finger at the streak of lightning, easily dispersing it, causing pure lightning force to fall and integrate into the pool of herb essence.

The next lightning strike was already rumbling in the dark clouds above, stronger than its predecessor by several times.

Huang Xiaolong dispersed the second strike without any effort.

Half an hour later.

"This is the sixth wave, Huang Xiaolong has attracted six waves of tribulation lightning!" The crowd watched on with anticipation, their hearts in their throats.

Huang Xiaolong steadily proceeded with another finger attack, dispersing the lightning, allowing the pure lightning force to blend with the pill.

"Say, do you think Huang Xiaolong can attract the seventh wave?" This was what everyone in the crowd wanted to know the most.

"I heard that Huang Xiaolong's cultivation is at Fifth Order Highgod Realm, but judging from how easy it was for him to withstand the sixth wave, I think he can withstand the seventh as well."

As the crowd shared their thoughts with their companions, lightning struck again.

This seventh lightning wave consisted of seven lightning bolts akin to dragons. The overwhelming destructive power they emitted gave the present cultivators great pressure.

In a split second, the tribulation lightning reached Huang Xiaolong. Each streak of lightning was as thick as an adult's thigh. The average Seventh Order Highgod Realm master would be hard pressed to take on any single streak.

Whereas Huang Xiaolong turned his palm to the sky, slamming out an Earthen Buddha Palm towards the falling lightning.

The seventh wave's streaks of lightning scattered before Huang Xiaolong's palm force.

Watching this, Sun Yi's face warped with anger, a hint of crimson tinged his eyes.

That runt actually withstood the seventh wave of tribulation lightning!

"The eight wave! Huang Xiaolong attracted the eight tribulation lightning wave!"

The crowd was in a frenzy, Sun Yi heard the commotion and looked to the sky. Above the crown of Huang Xiaolong's head, the eighth wave of tribulation lightning formed and struck.

Looking at the eight streaks of thick lightning, Huang Xiaolong's Holy Dragon Supreme Godhead spun quickly, causing lightning element godforce to flood out through his fist as he punched out.

An ear-splitting boom shook the square.

During this short span of time, Sun Yi felt his heart twitching.

Mo Su who was still in the midst of refining felt dizzy watching Huang Xiaolong withstanding the eighth wave of tribulation lightning. He felt like he was going to faint the very next second.

"The ninth wave! This is f*cking crazy man! Huang Xiaolong actually attracted the ninth tribulation lightning wave!!"

Everyone in the crowd was talking, shouting, exclaiming all at once. Mo Su took another peek at the brewing lightning above.

On the main terrace, Sun Yi, Wangu Biran, You Wushang, and the other nine Eminent Elders jumped to their feet in astonishment.

"How many hundred thousand years has it been since someone attracted rank ninth tribulation lightning?! If Huang Xiaolong's refinement is successful, it will shock countless galaxies! This term's first place winner would be none other than Huang Xiaolong!"

"He's overestimating himself! The ninth wave isn't so easy to pass. I'm willing to bet that Huang Xiaolong's pill will burst!"

Those who heard Sun Yi whispered in hushed voices

A manic light flickered in Sun Yi's eyes as he stared fixedly at Huang Xiaolong's every movement. Inwardly, he was hollering like a madman, 'Burst, burst, burst, this old man wants you to burst!'

Looking at the falling ninth tribulation lightning wave, the calmness on Huang Xiaolong's face rippled. In the next second, one thousand arms fanned out from his back.

The Godly Xumi Art!

His Holy Dragon Supreme Godhead roared: "The Fifteenth Move, Unrivaled Myriad Dragons!"

Thousands and thousands of divine dragons flew up, flying through the nine streaks of lightning, scattering them.

"He actually withstood it!"

"Rank nine tribulation grade divine pellet! Huang Xiaolong's getting the first place for sure! The question now is, will Huang Xiaolong be able to attract the tenth wave of tribulation lightning and refine a divine pill that only existed in the ancient times?!"

Chapter 938: Challenging Sun Yi

The excitement of the crowd boiled over after Huang Xiaolong managed to survive the ninth wave of tribulation lightning.

Rank nine tribulation lightning divine pellet!

It goes without saying that a rank nine tribulation divine pellet was priceless, something that couldn't be bought with money.

Now that Huang Xiaolong had withstood the ninth wave, when his pills successfully formed, there would at least be a dozen within a batch. If it was on the higher end, the number of pellets could even exceed twenty!

There were also a few people who, after recovering from their shock, wondered if Huang Xiaolong could attract the tenth wave of tribulation lightning. But Huang Xiaolong's movements had stopped.

In the ninth wave of lightning, each streak was sufficient to heavily injure an early Tenth Order Highgod Realm master. Even if Huang Xiaolong transformed into his primordial divine dragon body, there was no guaranteeing he would be able to take on the tenth wave. After all, with his rank nine tribulation grade divine pellets, it was absolutely sufficient for him to win the first place.

His goal was to become this term's champion.

Seeing that Huang Xiaolong had stopped and did not attempt to attract the tenth wave, the crowd sighed, feeling dispirited.

The herb essences inside Huang Xiaolong's cauldron, after having absorbed pure lightning force from nine waves of tribulation lightning, released bright rays of light and a medicinal fragrance much stronger than before.

A humming that contained a heaven and earth force reverberated in the square.

Following that, golden round pellets that emit a radiant luster flew out from the cauldron.

A total of twenty-six golden pellets akin to miniature suns were floating in the air!

Looking at the twenty-six rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills, Sun Yi's face was blacker than the bottom of a pot. He had underestimated Huang Xiaolong again.

Not only had he underestimated Huang Xiaolong's alchemy refining skills, but he also underestimated his strength!

Being able to withstand the ninth wave of tribulation lightning clearly proved that Huang Xiaolong's strength was on par with him! And he was a peak early Tenth Order Highgod Realm master!

The problem was, how long had Huang Xiaolong been cultivating compared to him?

When Huang Xiaolong tested his bone-age for the Highgod Advancement Tournament, it was merely two hundred-something. From that time until now, even though some time had passed, Huang Xiaolong's age was still below three hundred years old!

Mo Su had turned completely ashen seeing that Huang Xiaolong actually refined rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills. His previous complacency and high spirits all vanished without a trace, his gaze dull.

In terms of strength, you're inferior to me, and in pill concocting you're even less qualified to compete with me!

His alchemy talent and skills were incomparable amongst the ancient devil clan, even their Patriarch Mo Dingtian lamented about the fact that he wasn't as good as Mo Su in this aspect. Now, however, the alchemy skills he had always been proud of were squashed, worth nothing in front of Huang Xiaolong!

Wangu Ye and Li Lu had been paying attention to the movements on Huang Xiaolong's side, and just like all others, they were amazed that he actually refined rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills.

A short while later, a union Elder arrived at Huang Xiaolong's chamber, placed one of the twenty-six rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills into a high-grade jade bottle, and brought it to the twelve Eminent Elders on the main terrace for the assessment.

The remaining pills were put away by Huang Xiaolong.

Truthfully, it was obvious that Huang Xiaolong's Myriad Cure Holy Pill need not be assessed by the Eminent Elders. After all, it had been refined on the spot. Everyone present witnessed Huang Xiaolong attracting nine waves of tribulation lightning and withstanding the ordeal.

Then again, the Eminent Elders couldn't be blamed for wanting to take a closer look at such a rare pellet. Staring at the rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill, these Eminent Elders praised it, whispering in low voices among themselves.

Soon, the group of Eminent Elders finished their assessment and officially announced the result.

"Huang Xiaolong, result: rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill. Time used: Three hours, thirty-six minutes, twenty-nine seconds!" Wangu Biran's voice reached every corner of the square.

Even though Sun Yi was extremely averse to this result, he was powerless to change it.

Hearing Wangu Biran's announcement, Huang Xiaolong sat down on the floor where he was, waiting for the competition to end.

According to the rules, regardless of the participant, once they finished refining, they would have to remain where they were and wait out until the time ended.

Three days quickly passed.

This term's Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition finally came to an end.

In the end, without any suspense, Huang Xiaolong won the first place!

In the second place was Wangu Ye, having refined a rank seven tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill in two days and a little over three hours!

At the third place was Li Lu, with a rank five tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill concocted in two days and one hour!

On the other hand, the person who everyone thought was going to win the first place, Devil Son Mo Su, came in fourth, dumbfounding everyone! Despite refining a rank five tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills as Li Lu did, he took four hours more to complete the concoction.

In fact, based on Mo Su's strength and alchemy refining skills, refining a rank seven tribulation grade pill was nothing difficult. However, watching Huang Xiaolong successfully refine rank nine tribulation grade pellets had impacted him, causing his mind to be in a turmoil. He was unable to calm down, further affecting the quality of his refinement, resulting in rank five tribulation grade pills.

In the crowd's eyes, the fourth place was a glorious spot. To Mo Su, however, it was humiliating!

Grand Elder Mo Zhenru who accompanied Mo Su didn't look that good either.

During the rewards ceremony, Huang Xiaolong received from Wangu Biran a spatial ring that contained one hundred rank nine tribulation grade divine pellets, one hundred two-million-year-old medicinal herbs, one hundred sacred grade immortal spirit stones, and one hundred Flame Crystal Stones.

After the top ten rewards were distributed accordingly, Wangu Biran genially said to Huang Xiaolong, "According to the rules, other than entering the Dan River to cultivate, every term's champion can also challenge one of the Eminent Elders, competing in alchemy. Which Eminent Elder would you like to challenge?"

Huang Xiaolong decisively pointed at Sun Yi, his cold, "Sun Yi, as an Eminent Elder of the Alchemist Grandmaster Union, dare you compete with me?"

Dare you compete with me!

As he infused godforce into his voice, Huang Xiaolong's words thundered through the square. Everyone present turned to look at Sun Yi seated on the main terrace.

From the time Huang Xiaolong took the alchemist assessment and preliminary competition, Sun Yi had been making things difficult for him. The grudge between Huang Xiaolong and the Fortune Gate was already common knowledge, thus everyone watched Sun Yi with the attitude of waiting for a good show.

Sun Yi snickered, "Huang Xiaolong, who do you think you are? What qualifications does a common union alchemist like you have to challenge me in an alchemy competition?!"

Everyone waiting for a good show was stunned silly by Sun Yi's response.

Although he didn't say it directly, the refusal was clear in his words! Sun Yi was refusing Huang Xiaolong's challenge!

It never occurred to those present that Sun Yi could be so shameless!

Not only was he refusing Huang Xiaolong's challenge, but he also said it so righteously!

Huang Xiaolong was the grand competition's champion, challenging an Eminent Elder was within his rights and part of the rules, yet this Sun Yi claimed that Huang Xiaolong wasn't qualified!

A deep frown sat between Wangu Biran's brows as he said to Sun Yi, "Eminent Elder Sun Yi, as one of the Union's Eminent Elders, you should know very well the rules of the grand competition. Huang Xiaolong can challenge any Eminent Elder."

Sun Yi gave a satirical reply, "Wangu Biran, is it stated in the grand competition's rules that an Eminent Elder cannot refuse the challenge?"

Wangu Biran, You Wushang, and the others stiffened.

Indeed, although the grand competition's rules stated that the champion could challenge any Eminent Elders in alchemy refining, it did not state that the challenge had to been accepted!

Wangu Biran was caught in a dilemma. After all, he wasn't the Union Chief, thus couldn't order Sun Yi to accept Huang Xiaolong's challenge.

Sun Yi then turned to Huang Xiaolong with undisguised mockery on his face, "Huang Xiaolong, I know what you're planning. I defeated your Ancestral Master through alchemy refining competition, causing his miserable death at the end, and you, you want to repeat that on me in order to avenge your Ancestral Master! But what if I don't accept your challenge? What can you do? Of course, if you're capable, you can go challenge the Sacred Dan Temple's five sections instead and become our Union Chief. At that time, you can just order me to compete with you!"

Then, Sun Yi's tone changed to ridicule, "But, no one has had such luck for the past million years, do you think you can do it?"

Chapter 939: That Person Is Me

Huang Xiaolong's cold gaze turned sharp for a second.

All of a sudden, Huang Xiaolong's momentum shot up, violent and mad, earth-shaking. In the next second, an intimidating giant black blade with a length of several hundred li appeared in his right hand.

Oppressive devil qi swirled out from the length of the black blade, deterring anyone from approaching.

A low bellow came from him as all three of his supreme godheads spun quickly, sending godforce into his body as the black blade in his hand slashed down toward Sun Yi.

Sun Yi's expression changed greatly, letting out a roar as if he was trying to gather all the strength inside of him, swinging a punch at the incoming black blade.

Rumble!

A resounding boom was heard, followed by the collapse of the main terrace.

An appalling blade mark split the competition venue and main terrace into halves, whereas Sun Yi was struck into the air, crashing heavily on the ground. Warm liquid rushed up his throat, his mouth spurted blood.

Everything happened too fast, too quick for anyone to react.

Only when everyone saw Sun Yi vomit blood did they realize what happened—Sun Yi, one of the Union's twelve Eminent Elders, a peak early Tenth Order Highgod Realm master, lost!

Huang Xiaolong withstanding all nine waves of tribulation lightning was less shocking than the scene in front of them. Quite a few people were staring at the black blade in Huang Xiaolong's right hand.

'That is...?!'

"The Devil Blade!"

"A several hundred li long devil blade! How is that possible? I've seen Mu Qi who passed the fourth floor of the Hellion Tower, and the devil blade he condensed is only two to three meters! How could Huang Xiaolong's devil blade be this big, this long, this horrifying!"

"When did Huang Xiaolong clear the Hellion Tower's fourth floor?! Why does the devil blade he condensed have such length?!"

All of a sudden, the atmosphere turned tumultuous.

Out of nowhere, a thought flashed through Mo Su's head, and his face turned a shade paler. He subconsciously pointed at Huang Xiaolong with a trembling finger, stammering, "S-some, some time ago, the p-pe-person who climbed all the way up to, to the twelfth floor, was you?! You actually didn't die inside!"

This matter was a hot topic even now, everyone was trying to guess who the person who had managed to reach the twelfth floor of the Hellion Tower was, which sect or family did that person hail from. The burning question was, did he really die inside the tower?

Mo Su's words attracted the crowd's attention. Hearing that the person who had stepped onto the Hellion Tower's twelfth floor could have been Huang Xiaolong, they looked at him with incredulity, eyes widened as never before.

Wangu Biran, You Wushang, and other Eminent Elders directed their shocked gazes at Huang Xiaolong, waiting for him to admit or deny.

"That's right, that person is me." Huang Xiaolong admitted without any ripple of emotion on his face.

At this point, Huang Xiaolong didn't bother concealing the matter.

"What?! It was really Huang Xiaolong!"

"Really, it was Huang Xiaolong, Huang Xiaolong cleared the twelfth floor of Hellion Tower!!"

"The Hellion Tower has been in existence for God knows how many millions, even billions of years. No one has ever reached the twelfth floor, what's more clearing it. Huang Xiaolong actually passed, how monstrous is his talent to achieve that?!"

Hearing Huang Xiaolong admit that he was that mysterious person who passed the twelfth floor, the crowd was on the verge of losing control.

Everywhere in the crowd were exclamations of shock and amazement! Disbelief and excitement spread throughout the square!

Sun Yi was just getting up to his feet again when he heard Huang Xiaolong's words, the admission was like a great hammer smashing at his heart. His legs quivered, forgetting to retaliate at that moment.

Facing these people's shock, Huang Xiaolong appeared as indifferent as usual, but his gaze turned slightly cold when he looked at Sun Yi once more, "Since you said that I can't pass through the Sacred Dan Temple, then I will pass it for you to see. Then, I will take your life!"

At the end of the day, Sun Yi was still an Eminent Elder, if Huang Xiaolong insisted on killing him here and now, he would end up as the common enemy of the entire Alchemist Grandmaster Union.

On the other hand, if he passed the Sacred Dan Temple trial, becoming the Alchemist Grandmaster Union Chief, he could kill Sun Yi without any scruples.

At that time, he would take care of the Fortune Gate as well, once and for all!

As Huang Xiaolong was leaving, none of the union enforcer team disciples dared to block his path, leaving the rest in a daze after they heard that he planned to challenge the Sacred Dan Temple.

Although, for the last million of years, no one has succeeded in passing all five sections of the trial, no one dared to utter a single sound of contempt. No one thought Huang Xiaolong was bluffing.

After all, he was the person who had passed the twelfth floor of Hellion Tower!

Not long after Huang Xiaolong left the competition square, the news of him refining rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills, thus winning the first place of the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition, spread at a terrifying speed. Gasps of shock sounded in various galaxies!

Whether it was about Huang Xiaolong winning the first place in the grand competition or about him being the mysterious person who cleared the Hellion Tower's twelfth floor, each piece of information was enough to send waves of shock through numerous galaxies, super forces and prominent sects jumping in agitation!

The City of Devils.

Inside the great hall of the ancient devil clan, Patriarch, Mo Dingtian was totally flabbergasted when he heard the report, "What?! The person who passed the twelfth floor was Huang Xiaolong? He didn't die inside?! On top of that, he refined rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pills, winning the first place in the Alchemist Grandmaster Grand Competition!"

The present Grand Elders were just as dumbfounded.

After what seemed like half a day, Mo Dingtian stared at the Elder who came in to report the matter, "What about our Devil Son? What place did he get? Is it the second place?"

The devil clan Elder hesitated for a moment, eventually, he honestly reported. "The fourth place! Wangu Ye is in the second place, while the Fortune Gate's Li Lu took the third place!"

"Damnation! The fourth place?!" Mo Dingtian jumped up from his seat, his face warped in fury, "Rubbish! Rubbish!"

The present Grand Elders were stunned, their Devil Son actually got the fourth place?

A few minutes later, a Grand Elder stood up and carefully spoke, "Patriarch, if the person who passed the twelfth floor was really Huang Xiaolong, then could the person who snatched our Devil Bead be somehow related to him as well?"

All these years, Patriarch Mo Dingtian had been investigating the whereabouts of the stolen Devil Bead.

Mo Dingtian and the other Grand Elders froze slightly at the possibility.

His solemn voice sounded, "You're saying that the Devil Bead could be in Huang Xiaolong's hands?"

That Grand Elder replied, "The time when our Devil Bead went missing coincides with the period when Huang Xiaolong entered the hellion Tower. More importantly, when the Devil Son had a conflict with him during the grand competition, that palm Huang Xiaolong struck out with was a Buddhist palm technique, it was said to exude extremely pure Buddhism energy."

At the spot where the Devil Bead went missing, amazingly pure Buddhism energy lingered in the air, which led the devil clan to suspect that someone from the Bodhisattva Faction stole it.

"Since Huang Xiaolong is planning to take the Sacred Dan Temple trial, he won't be leaving the Divine Dan City for the time being." The same Grand Elder went on, "If we depart for the Divine Dan City right now and capture Huang Xiaolong, we'll know for sure after we interrogate him."

Mo Dingtian's expression hardened, a piercing glint flickered across his eyes, "Pass down my order, have Mo Zhenru keep his eyes on Huang Xiaolong at all times. All of you, follow me to the Divine Dan City!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

In less than a few minutes, the devil cultivators clan set off in an imposing manner, heading to the Divine Dan City.

At the same time, in the Fortune Gate's headquarters, the Sect Chief also received a report from Sun Yi, leaving him stunned.

"This Huang Xiaolong has such devilish talent, we cannot allow him to grow further. Otherwise, our Fortune Gate will...!" A Fortune Gate Grand Elder stressed with killing intent surging from his body, "What we should do now is head to the Divine Dan City while he's still there and eliminate him completely!"

Chapter 940: To The Dan River

"That's true, this is a great chance to kill him, we must not let him escape. If he manages to flee, where would we find him then? Killing him would be a thousand times harder!"

"Based on his devilish talent, he would be unmatched in a short few decades!"

All Grand Elders clamored to get rid of Huang Xiaolong as soon as possible.

The extent of Huang Xiaolong' talent had planted a seed of fear in these Grand Elders' hearts, and it was germinating at a rapid speed.

The Fortune Gate Chief Wang Yu stood up, a frenzied murderous aura bursting out from his body as he issued an immediate order, all Fortune Gate Grand Elders were to depart to the Divine Dan City with him.

...

Silvery moonlight shone down on the calm and quiet night.

Huang Xiaolong was standing in his yard, pondering about the Sacred Dan Temple.

Initially, he planned to challenge the Sacred Dan Temple tomorrow but changed his mind afterwards.

According to what his Master the Ascending Moon Old Man told him before, a Seventh Order Highgod Realm could merely pass the first section of the Sacred Dan Temple trial. Even though Huang Xiaolong was confident in his strength, he wasn't so sure about the fifth section of the trial.

The last section of the Sacred Dan Temple most likely required the strength of a late-Tenth Order Highgod Realm to clear, which was why Huang Xiaolong decided to cultivate in the Dan River first, starting tomorrow.

With his current peak early-Seventh Order Highgod Realm cultivation, borrowing the accumulated medicinal energy in the Dan River would help him to break through to mid-Seventh Order Highgod Realm at the very least, which would give him a higher chance of passing the trial.

However, the reason for the frown on Huang Xiaolong's forehead right now was Li Lu.

It had been over ten hours since the Grand Competition ended. During this time, he found out that Li Lu was the Fortune Gate Ancestor's personal disciple!

Whilst Huang Xiaolong was contemplating about Li Lu, all of a sudden, in a certain corner, space rippled as a young woman clad fully in white appeared.

Huang Xiaolong was stunned, then joy rushed to his face: "Li Lu!"

The night visitor was naturally Li Lu!

Because the Sun Moon Residence was blasted into dust in his fight with the Ghost Refining Sect young man, Huang Xiaolong was currently staying in an independent courtyard inside a large inn.

He didn't expect she would be able to find him, nor that would come to find him. Overexcited, Huang Xiaolong crossed the distance between them in a few large strides, reached out and held Li Lu's hands.

Li Lu struggled for a while to pull her hands out of Huang Xiaolong's grip to no avail.

He let out a low chuckle at her effort, looking a little silly, "I was right, your memories already came back, you do recognize me!"

Looking at the silly smiling face in front of her, the cold and tightly sealed door in Li Lu's heart loosened, sighing, "The reason I came today is because of the matter between you and the Fortune Gate."

Huang Xiaolong did not interrupt her, waiting for her to continue.

Li Lu hesitated then said, "I only just found out what happened between you and Fortune Gate. Can you put this matter down and spare the Fortune Gate?"

Spare the Fortune Gate?

Huang Xiaolong heavily sighed in his heart, his voice solemn, "Others, I can spare, but Sun Yi and Wang Yu, these two must die!" Huang Xiaolong somehow felt he owed Li Lu a lot in the past years, however, this was also his biggest concession.

After all, his original plan was to kill Sun Yi first, then exterminate the Fortune Gate.

Li Lu fell into silence, knowing this was Huang Xiaolong's bottom line. After a minute or so of silence, her cherry lips moved, "Thank you." With that said, she turned to leave.

Huang Xiaolong tightened his grip, looking at Li Lu with deep affection, "You really can't stay? In fact, Xiaofei knows about you and hopes I could find you. She hopes to be good sisters with you."

Good sisters!

The meaning of Huang Xiaolong's words was obvious enough.

A trace of panic flashed across Li Lu's eyes, shyness and inexplicable happiness mingled together. Still, she shook her head, "I only want to concentrate on my cultivation right now, other matters can be discussed later."

Discussed later?

Needless to say, Huang Xiaolong was dejected, but the latter part of Li Lu's words meant that there would be a chance in the future.

"I haven't seen you in so many years, I want to see what you look like now." Huang Xiaolong no longer insisted, changing the subject.

Even now, she was wearing a thin veil that covered her entire face.

Li Lu was reluctant. She hesitated briefly before, revealing an alluring face that could bring ruin upon a kingdom.

Compared to the time she was still in Martial Spirit World, Li Lu's features actually didn't change much. But now, there was a hint of maturity on her beautiful face, a tranquil quality, and also a hint of sorrow in her eyes that aroused others' pity.

At the receiving end of Huang Xiaolong's feverish gaze, a touch of red colored her cheeks. Unable to bear it any more, Li Lu turned her face to the side, putting her veil on again. In a flicker, she disappeared right before Huang Xiaolong's eyes.

Huang Xiaolong stood dazed on the spot, feeling lost.

A while later, he let out a sigh.

As moonlight dimmed, the morning light peeked out from the east.

Huang Xiaolong sat all night in his yard. When morning came, he left the inn, walking towards the Alchemist Grandmaster Union.

Because the inn he stayed at was on the same street at the union headquarters, he was already walking through the entrance in a short few minutes.

Waiting for Huang Xiaolong were two Eminent Elders, Chen Man and Zhang Xinchen.

Huang Xiaolong's arrival was warmly welcomed by the two Eminent Elders.

"Young hero Huang wants to enter the Dan River to cultivate?" It was a little unexpected for Chen Man and Zhang Xinchen that to hear that Huang Xiaolong planned to cultivate in the Dan River before taking on the Sacred Dan Temple trial.

Everyone assumed he would be taking the trial today.

Huang Xiaolong nodded, "May I enter the Dan River to cultivate now?"

Chen Man was quick to compose himself, smiling as he said, "Young hero Huang is joking, you've won the first place in the grand competition, you can enter the Dan River anytime you like. We'll lead you over to the back mountain now."

With that said, Chen Man and Zhang Xinchen led Huang Xiaolong through the Union's corridors and buildings, arriving at the back mountain a while later.

Upon arriving at their destination, Huang Xiaolong saw a river several hundred li in length and a few hundred meters wide. Right above the water surface, the medicinal energy accumulated within actually formed qi dragons!

Each of these dragons had obviously given birth to their own intelligence!

Not to mention the fact that they were no soft persimmons. The weakest one had strength equivalent to a First Order Highgod Realm master, and there were also dragons with Fourth Order, Fifth Order, Sixth Order, even Seventh Order Highgod Realm strength!

Huang Xiaolong was secretly smacking his lips.

Such splendiferous amount of pill qi, how long of an accumulation did it take to form these qi dragons?

Zhang Xinchen pointed at the river in front of them, explaining to Huang Xiaolong, "This is the Dan River. After young hero Huang enters the river, you must be careful. Although with young hero Huang's strength you might not be wary of these qi dragons, they have given birth to intelligence after all. They can form a battle array to attack. Moreover, their intelligence has begun merging with the Dan River itself, hence being extremely hard to kill."

Chen Man and Zhang Xinchen subsequently informed Huang Xiaolong about things he needed to look out for in detail.

Although winning the grand competition gave Huang Xiaolong a chance to cultivate in the Dan River, it was limited to a one-time entry. Therefore, Chen Man and Zhang Xinchen advised him to use this chance to the fullest.

Huang Xiaolong nodded, indicating he had remembered everything, then the two Elders simultaneously opened a door through the restrictions. In a flicker, Huang Xiaolong flew in, arriving above the river water.

He had just appeared, but those qi dragons flew towards him like a moth to a flame, attacking Huang Xiaolong from every angle.