Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin An's Ambition

Although ordinary people and even most warriors were not permitted into the palace to witness the spectacle, this did nothing to dampen the fervor of the imperial capital. At dawn, the crowds had already gathered densely outside the palace gates.

“Do you really think Lin An’s servant is a sixth-tier alchemist?” someone asked.

“How could that be possible? No matter how mysterious Lin An’s background is, there’s no way a sixth-tier alchemist would serve as someone’s attendant. Wouldn’t it be better to stand at the pinnacle oneself?”

“I agree. I heard that Master Gu He plans to concoct a sixth-tier Breaking Mirror Pill this time. For Dou Emperor experts trying to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm, it can increase their chances of success by thirty percent.”

“Is that true? If he can really refine it, Master Gu He will surely attract even more peak Dou Emperor experts to his side.”

“It’s a pity... That person named Yao Chen—who knows what pill he intends to refine today?”

Those who had received invitation letters were all people of great prestige and power within the Jia Ma Empire, along with alchemists of the second tier and above from the Alchemist Guild. At this moment, the plaza was filled with no fewer than a thousand people.

They sat in the seats prepared for them, waiting for the alchemist competition to begin. To witness a sixth-tier alchemist refining a pill before such a crowd was a rare sight indeed.

Before long, Dan King Gu He arrived at his designated spot, not far from Yao Chen’s own position. The pill cauldrons had all been provided by the Alchemist Guild.

Soon after, Lin An and his entourage also appeared in the plaza. As the leader of the Cloudmist Sect, Yun Yun had of course prepared her seat in advance. Once Lin An and his companions were settled, Yao Chen made his way unhurriedly to his own place.

“I hope you won’t disappoint me. It’s been a long time since I’ve competed in alchemy,” said Gu He.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t even considered your alchemy skills a threat,” Yao Chen replied.

Though Yao Chen seemed quite young, to those present his words were brazen, showing no regard for Gu He and even daring to mock him openly.

“Then let’s see whose skills prevail. If you fail to refine your pill, I’ll make sure you learn what it means to offend a sixth-tier alchemist; your young master won’t be able to protect you then!”

With that, he paid Yao Chen no further heed. Refining a sixth-tier pill required his utmost focus, for even he could not guarantee success without complete concentration.

As with all alchemy competitions, three sets of ingredients had been prepared for each contestant. Should all three attempts fail, it would mean defeat.

Yao Chen, however, remained calm and composed from start to finish, in stark contrast to Gu He’s demeanor.

“Lin An, do you truly believe Yao Chen can refine a sixth-tier pill?” Yun Yun asked doubtfully.

“Rest assured. For Yao Chen, making a sixth-tier pill is a trivial matter. There’s nothing to worry about,” Lin An replied.

Standing off to the side, Xiao Xun’er shook her head helplessly. By now, she was certain that Yao Chen was indeed the legendary Medicine Sovereign. She didn’t know how he had come to serve Lin An, but that didn’t diminish his profound and unfathomable alchemy skills in the slightest.

“Once Yao Chen defeats Gu He, my plan can finally begin,” Lin An murmured to himself as he watched Yao Chen in the arena.

After Yao Chen’s victory, not only would he be able to win over Gu He, but he would also help Yao Chen—and himself—establish supreme prestige. Then, more powerful experts would be drawn to their banner.

With the strength of the Cloudmist Sect, the Nalan family, and Dan King Gu He combined, their forces would be sufficient to make a move against the imperial family. Once the Jia Ma Empire was firmly in their grasp, they could set their sights on neighboring empires.

Countless souls would perish then, and that would be the moment for the Hall of Yama to harvest soul points on a grand scale. After all, relying on his own efforts to gather enough soul points had proven far too slow in the early stages.

Soon, the two alchemists entered their state of focus. Gu He’s mastery was evident in every step—steady and meticulous, leaving not a single flaw for even Yao Chen to criticize.

Yao Chen, on the other hand, appeared at ease, handling the process far more smoothly than Gu He.

The crowd, though large, held its collective breath, not daring to make a sound lest they disturb the two masters at work. By now, everyone could see that Yao Chen was indeed an alchemist—one whose skills were in no way inferior to Gu He’s.

This only heightened the anticipation for the outcome.

As time passed, the competition reached its climax. Unfortunately, Gu He made a misstep late in the process, rendering all his previous efforts futile.

But such setbacks were not new to him; he calmly adjusted his mindset and began again.

Seeing this, Lin An knew that Yao Chen’s victory was all but certain. Now, he could focus on more important matters—finding Jia Xingtian of the Jia Ma Empire.

Before Yun Shan had become a Dou Ancestor, Jia Xingtian had been the empire’s foremost expert. Sadly, age and lingering internal injuries had left him with no hope of ever reaching the Dou Ancestor realm. Even so, he remained the guardian spirit of the Jia Ma Empire.

Lin An glanced back at Yun Shan, who stood behind him in his black robe, then departed quietly. At that moment, everyone’s attention was fixed on the contest, so no one noticed Lin An’s absence.

Finding a secluded spot, Lin An had barely stopped when Yun Shan appeared before him.

“Can you sense Jia Xingtian’s location?” Lin An asked.

“I can’t, but I have a way to draw him to us,” Yun Shan replied.

With that, Yun Shan released a trace of his own energy. Instantly, elsewhere in the imperial city, an aura undetectable to ordinary people arose in response.

“There you have it,” Yun Shan said, and he immediately took Lin An toward Jia Xingtian’s location.

Jia Xingtian was in the most forbidden area at the back of the imperial city—a place off-limits not only to the royal family but to all the prominent families of the empire.

When Yun Shan and Lin An landed, Jia Xingtian was already waiting by a tranquil pond.

“So it’s you, Yun Shan?” Jia Xingtian was surprised to see the former leader of the Cloudmist Sect.

A sense of foreboding grew in his heart.

“Yes, it’s been a long time,” Yun Shan replied, standing behind Lin An.

Now, Jia Xingtian was more puzzled than ever, unable to decipher the relationship between the two.