Abyss Sovereign 121 to 130

 

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 121

Meanwhile, inside the venue, upon witnessing the scene of Lin Xiao being admired by various beautiful women, Wu Gong instantly felt a sense of imbalance in his heart.

Originally, he had come to compete for the championship, but he hadn’t expected that before the alchemy competition even began, Lin Xiao had already stolen the spotlight. In his heart, he resentfully muttered to himself, “Hmph, once I win the championship, let’s see who outshines whom and who truly becomes the most prominent figure in this youth spirit master alchemy competition!”

Ye Yu also frowned. Feng Huo had indeed subtly expressed her admiration for him numerous times in the past. Although he didn’t have much interest in her, this matter was widely known. Now, seeing her suddenly turn her attention to Lin Xiao made him feel a slight insult to his dignity…

Taking a step forward, Ye Yu quickly walked out of the crowd and chuckled, “Heh, to have won the deep affection of Miss Feng Huo, Young Master Heimu is truly blessed with great fortune!”

“I just wonder if you’ll have the corresponding strength in the alchemy competition?” Ye Yu asked with a sarcastic tone.

“That’s not something for Young Master Ye to worry about,” Lin Xiao replied indifferently.

“I’m really looking forward to little brother Heimu’s performance,” Feng Huo said with a seductive smile before turning and walking away.

“Hahaha, it seems I’ve missed something, haven’t I?”

At that moment, a burst of hearty laughter rang out. A golden carriage soared through the air, its dazzling golden light shimmering brilliantly in the slowly rising morning glow, catching everyone’s attention.

A carriage seat entirely made of gold—this was simply too ostentatious! In the entire imperial city, only one person possessed such a thing: Prince Meng Sheng!

Prince Meng Sheng finally made a grand entrance at the last moment. Normally, such an arrival would have been eye-catching, but by now, much of the attention had already been snatched away by Lin Xiao.

“This disciple of mine just loves these superficial displays,” Le Zheng Hongmao, seated at the back of the VIP platform, shook his head with a wry smile. This golden carriage was famous throughout the imperial city, and Meng Sheng always loved making a dramatic entrance at the end… Though Le Zheng Hongmao knew this was Meng Sheng’s habit, he had still quietly worried when Meng Sheng hadn’t arrived earlier.

“Compared to the other princes, this brother of yours could be worth nurturing. However, he’s a bit too vain and lacks a solid foundation,” Emperor Meng also shook his head. He had once considered choosing Meng Sheng, but compared to Meng Ying’s composure, Meng Sheng fell far short.

“His mentality is decent, but he’s too straightforward and not suited to wield imperial power,” Meng Ying offered her assessment.

At that moment, the golden carriage landed outside the stone platform. Meng Sheng, clad in his handsome imperial robes, flew toward the centre of the venue.

Though his spotlight had been greatly diminished by Lin Xiao’s presence, his arrival still elicited excited screams from a group of young women.

“Brother Meng Sheng!” Seeing Meng Sheng land nearby, Zhou Ruoyi’s face lit up with excitement.

“Hmm!” Nodding at Zhou Ruoyi, Meng Sheng’s gaze settled on Lin Xiao. With a hearty laugh, he said, “As expected of a young talent from our Lanlan Empire—exceptional gifts and the affection of beauties. Brother Heimu, you truly make us all envious.”

“Surely Prince Meng Sheng has no fewer admirers than anyone present here,” Lin Xiao responded calmly.

“Not at all, not at all. Heh, Brother Ye Yu, Miss Wusha, I wish you all the best in the competition!” Meng Sheng saluted a few people, his gaze lingering on Wusha, which immediately displeased Zhou Ruoyi again.

“Ahem!” At that moment, a voice came from the VIP platform—it was Ye Fenghua. “Alright, have you all finished talking? If so, the first round of the competition begins now.”

As soon as he spoke, the previously noisy scene fell silent. Everyone knew that what had happened so far was merely a prelude; the real spectacle would unfold in the alchemy competition.

“Please take your seats, judges overseeing the competition,” Ye Fenghua said, his gaze shifting forward calmly.

At that moment, several figures flew in from the sky. Each was dressed in spirit master attire, with colours starting from standard yellow and above. Two of them wore light green robes, marking them as spirit masters.

In total, there were over a dozen of them, landing one after another below the VIP platform, on the seats in front of the stone platform venue. The two in the centre, dressed in light green robes, were none other than fourth-rank junior spirit masters.

This revelation caused another wave of astonishment among the crowd. Even the chief judges were fourth-rank junior spirit masters, underscoring the importance of this alchemy competition.

Lin Xiao was also slightly surprised. These two were indeed the fourth-rank junior spirit masters from the Spirit Master Alliance. On the surface, the Lanlan Empire only had two such individuals.

His gaze swept over them, but Lin Xiao couldn’t discern whether one of them might have been the assassin who targeted Meng Ying.

Once all dozen or so had taken their seats, Ye Fenghua scanned the crowd once more and spoke again:

“As I said, the first round tests the basics of alchemy. The task is to refine an ordinary healing pill. You may use your own ingredients or those provided by the Spirit Master Alliance. You can refine a first-rank pill or a third-rank pill—what we’ll assess is the pill’s grade and potency.”

“By ‘grade and potency,’ I mean how effective the pill is at healing a corresponding level of injury. For example, healing an injury from a Yuan Martial Realm strike with a first-rank pill versus healing an injury from a Xuan Martial Realm strike with a second-rank pill—which has the greater effect?”

“Ultimately, we’ll use a special testing stone to measure the strength of the pill’s grade and potency.”

“As long as it’s a high-quality healing pill, placing it on the testing stone will make it emit light—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Red indicates relatively weak potency, while violet is the strongest. Emitting orange light means you pass; anything less, and you’re eliminated.”

“Moreover, you only have half an hour to refine your pill. Now, prepare to begin.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd was visibly shocked. Most people focused on refining higher-rank pills rather than the potency of healing effects.

No one had expected the first round of the alchemy competition to test this, and only pills with high potency would emit light—orange light, at that, to pass.

The difficulty of this first round was undeniable. Truly, this was the alchemy competition; the challenges weren’t set lightly.

This so-called “basic alchemy” demanded an exceptionally high standard.

As Ye Fenghua spoke, wheelbarrows filled with spirit wood and various herbs were pushed in by a large team of prepared attendants. They lined up neatly across the plaza.

Each participant could freely choose a cart.

At this point, the previously scattered young participants each stood beside a cart, forming dozens of orderly rows.

Once the team delivering the carts left the plaza, Ye Fenghua scanned the prepared youths and said, “Now, begin.”

With those words, some couldn’t hold back and started working immediately. After all, time for refining was tight, and their first thought was to choose the healing pill they were most familiar with.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 122

Lin Xiao’s spiritual power first swept through the medicine cabinet, roughly familiarising himself with the herbs inside.

“I’ll just refine a first-rank Fuyuan Pill. These ingredients are just right, and with spiritual energy to refine it, the grade potency certainly won’t be lacking.” In the end, Lin Xiao decided to refine a first-rank beginner-level Fuyuan Pill, which could be directly made using the ingredients provided by the Spirit Master Alliance.

Comparatively speaking, the lower the rank of the pill, the stronger its grade potency might be. After all, the higher one’s spiritual power, the easier it is to control the refinement of a lower-rank pill, and it also saves materials and effort.

Besides, this was only the first round; there was no need to refine a highly difficult pill.

“Grade potency? Heh, perfect. I’ve prepared spirit wood from Huoyan Mountain. Using it to refine a pill, the grade potency shouldn’t be too low.” Not far off, Meng Sheng touched his storage ring, and immediately, a fiery red piece of wood emerged, standing before him.

“What? Spirit wood from Huoyan Mountain? That’s an extremely potent fire-attribute spirit wood! As long as it’s controlled well, it burns more thoroughly during refinement, increasing both the success rate and the pill’s quality compared to ordinary spirit wood!”

“Exactly! Prince Meng Sheng is probably going to shine in this first round.”

“Worthy of a prince, able to get his hands on such rare, top-tier items!”

“I’ve seen this Huoyan Mountain spirit wood at a pharmacy before. It’s worth a fortune, one piece costs ten thousand gold! Hardly anyone uses it for low-rank pills. To bring out such a treasure in the first round, only a prince with a golden carriage could afford such wealth.”

Even before the refining began, the crowd erupted into waves of gasps and exclamations.

For a spirit pill to have spirituality, it requires spirit fire, and the spirit wood used to generate that fire is crucial. Most people use ordinary spirit wood, but special spirit wood can produce unique flames. As long as these special flames are well-controlled, the quality of the refined pill naturally improves.

However, such special spirit wood is extremely rare, and few people go out of their way to acquire it.

Unless they’re wealthy or part of a major faction, few have the resources to master this method.

Prince Meng Sheng was one such individual, clearly a cut above the rest.

“Heh, as it happens, I’ve also prepared snow mountain spirit wood for this alchemy competition.” At that moment, Ye Yu, standing nearby, chuckled. With Prince Meng Sheng stealing the show, how could he, the disciple of Ye Fenghua, not have something to show for himself?

With a casual flip of his hand, an almost transparent piece of spirit wood appeared, floating in front of Ye Yu. A cold, icy aura emanated from it.

“What? Snow mountain spirit wood? That’s spirit wood grown in the snow mountains, infused with the essence of ice! It’s gentler during refinement, and it’s said it can even handle ice-attribute ingredients. With snow mountain spirit wood, both quality and success rate increase by several times!”

“This snow mountain spirit wood is even rarer than Huoyan Mountain spirit wood, and its value is several times higher! As expected of Ye Fenghua’s nephew, his resources as a spirit master far surpass Prince Meng Sheng’s!”

The crowd erupted into another round of astonished cries.

On the main platform, Emperor Meng nodded slightly in approval and said, “Alliance Leader Ye, it seems Ye Yu is very well-prepared!”

“You’re too kind, Emperor Meng. This spirit wood was something I stumbled upon while gathering ingredients. I had plenty, so I gave some to Ye Yu,” Ye Fenghua replied calmly. To him, snow mountain spirit wood wasn’t particularly rare.

Basking in the crowd’s envious gazes, Ye Yu smirked smugly. With a flick of his hand, several ingredients floated out of his storage ring and settled above the Huoyan Mountain spirit wood. As his spiritual power sparked, vibrant, fiery flames ignited, beginning to refine the ingredients.

Then, he turned his head toward Lin Xiao and said with a smile, “I suppose a super genius who can refine the Nine Flame Wood to ten revolutions must have some extraordinary spirit wood or special ingredients of his own?”

At that moment, the crowd was stunned again. Who refines pills while chatting with others? Probably only someone of Ye Yu’s calibre could manage that.

At the same time, everyone’s eyes turned to Lin Xiao, curious to see what kind of resources this super genius, who had been sought after by major factions even before the competition, possessed.

To their disappointment, however, they only saw Lin Xiao open the medicine cabinet drawers one by one, with a few ingredients rising out.

It was obvious that Lin Xiao was using the ingredients provided by the Spirit Master Alliance.

“Heh, as expected from someone from the countryside!” Zhou Ruoyi’s eyes flashed with thick disdain as she mocked him aloud.

Glancing at Ye Yu and Zhou Ruoyi, Lin Xiao gave a faint smile and said, “No special ingredients here. As for spirit wood, I don’t use that stuff.”

With that, Lin Xiao’s spiritual power stirred, and a cyan flame surged forth from between his brows.

“What, is that… spiritual energy?”

In that instant, everyone’s eyes widened in shock, staring dumbfounded at the cyan flame erupting from Lin Xiao’s forehead.

There was only one kind of energy that could be stored in the mind and summoned from it, an inexhaustible source of the world’s energy: spiritual energy!

“How is this possible? How could he have spiritual energy?” Ye Yu was utterly stunned. He had just been mocking Lin Xiao for not having rare spirit wood, only to find that Lin Xiao didn’t even need spirit wood, he used spiritual energy instead.

Spiritual energy, a treasure of heaven and earth, was worth thousands, tens of thousands, of times more than his snow mountain spirit wood. Even his uncle, the alliance leader, didn’t possess spiritual energy!

Zhou Ruoyi’s face turned pale. This “country bumpkin” had dealt her a massive shock.

“Spiritual energy!” On the main platform, Ye Fenghua’s eyes narrowed as he stood up in shock. Le Zheng Hongmao, Situ Guang, and the other spirit masters also rose to their feet.

Spiritual energy, it was something they had dreamed of obtaining! For countless years, no one in the entire Lanlan Empire had possessed it, yet here it was, in Lin Xiao.

Especially for Ye Fenghua, who had once led an expedition to Tianmo City for spiritual energy only to return empty-handed, seeing someone wield it now stirred his emotions beyond measure.

“Not simple, not simple at all. He actually has spiritual energy, no wonder he could refine the Nine Flame Wood to ten revolutions!” Le Zheng Hongmao exclaimed in awe.

Zhou Moyi and Zhou Xiong were equally stunned. For Zhou Xiong in particular, when he had fought Lin Xiao, the latter hadn’t even used spiritual energy. If he had, wouldn’t Zhou Xiong have been even more outmatched?

This made his plans for revenge far more difficult.

Nearby, Emperor Meng’s eyes lit up brightly, practically glowing. Though he wasn’t a spirit master, he understood the significance of this worldly energy. Then, his gaze shifted toward Meng Ying with even deeper meaning.

Beside him, Meng Ying, aside from her shock, had a strange glint in her eyes. This boy’s talents and methods were simply too terrifying, weren’t they?

Of course, she also noticed her father’s peculiar look.

On the main platform, the calmest ones were Chen Wendao, Chen Yan, and the Feng family members, because she had secretly informed them earlier that Lin Xiao possessed spiritual energy.

Yet even Feng Lanyue herself was more astonished now. She had seen Lin Xiao’s spiritual energy before as a cyan-black energy, so why had it now turned into a pure cyan flame?

This puzzled her greatly. But what shocked her even more was that this cyan flame spiritual energy matched the description the family head had once given her, someone they should try their utmost to recruit.

She never could have imagined that the boy with spiritual energy the family head had encountered was none other than the Heimu standing before her now.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 123

In reality, only Lin Xiao himself knew the full truth.

The spiritual energy formed from the fusion of the Cyan Flame Spiritual Energy and the Heaven-Devouring Spiritual Energy retained the properties of both. Not only could it unleash the combined energy, but it could also separately manifest the original attributes of each spiritual energy.

In other words, Lin Xiao could individually summon either the Cyan Flame or the Heaven-Devouring Spiritual Energy.

By this point, there was no longer any need to hide the fact that he possessed spiritual energy. Besides, Feng Lanyue had already discovered it back in Linshui City, so it wouldn’t stay secret for long. Thus, he decided to use it openly.

Since it was only the first round, the Cyan Flame Spiritual Energy alone would suffice.

Of course, just one type of spiritual energy was enough to stun everyone. If they knew he possessed two kinds, the entire crowd would probably go mad.

“This, this, this…” At a corner outside the venue, Fan Renlou stared dumbfounded at the cyan flame energy in front of Lin Xiao, utterly shocked.

As a third-rank senior spirit master, he understood what possessing spiritual energy meant. Lin Xiao, so young yet with such advanced spiritual power and spiritual energy, could hardly fail to attract the attention of the Spirit Master Alliance. Compared to his own disciple, if Ye Fenghua had to choose, he would undoubtedly pick Lin Xiao.

He had already begun to guess the outcome. The grudge he had once swallowed would likely remain unavenged.

“Good heavens, Wen Renliang, what kind of monster have you brought here?” At the Spirit Master Alliance’s section, Wu Meng and Pang Po both stood up, their faces filled with shock.

Wen Renliang merely smiled, though a trace of doubt flickered in his eyes. The spiritual energy Lin Xiao displayed this time seemed different from what he had shown in Linshui City. Could it be due to the unique nature of this spiritual energy?

“Goodness, this ugly guy actually has spiritual energy?” Near Lin Xiao, Xuanxuan’s small mouth gaped into a perfect circle, her face full of astonishment.

Wu Sha was equally stunned. Wu Gong, also on the field, was dumbstruck. Chen Qing’er, Feng Huo, and others were likewise overwhelmed with shock. Whether on or off the field, no one was unaffected.

“It doesn’t seem to be the same spiritual energy as the one from the Heavenly Demon Scorpion Scale!” After a moment of stunned silence, Ye Fenghua inwardly sighed and slowly sat back down. He was now certain that what Lin Xiao possessed wasn’t the spiritual energy they had been seeking.

Le Zheng Hongmao and the others also took their seats. At that moment, the entire scene erupted into a frenzy, with waves of discussion filling the air.

Yet the central figure, Lin Xiao, turned a deaf ear to it all. Amid the clamour, he immersed himself in refining the pill, controlling the spiritual energy to temper the ingredients at a leisurely pace, as if savouring the process.

“He’s already in a trance now. This ugly guy really is a strange one!” Xuanxuan, standing nearby, exclaimed in amazement again.

“Let’s start refining too,” Wu Sha urged.

Nodding, Xuanxuan summoned her spiritual power and began refining.

Wu Sha, Feng Huo, and the others followed suit. Though the crowd outside was abuzz, time couldn’t be wasted in the arena. Many participants quickly summoned their spiritual power and focused their efforts on refining, pouring their attention into the task.

“Hmph, let’s see whose pill ranks higher!” Ye Yu felt a burning sting on his face. With a cold snort, he stopped chatting and threw himself into refining without further distraction.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, time gradually ticked by. When half the allotted time remained, Ye Yu was the first to finish, condensing a second-rank healing pill.

Shortly after, Feng Huo, Meng Sheng, and others completed their refinements as well. One by one, the young participants in the arena successfully condensed their pills. Almost none failed, since there were no restrictions on pill rank, and they all chose the healing pills they were most familiar with.

Of course, whether their grade potency would pass muster was another matter entirely.

While many watched, Lin Xiao, the focus of much attention, continued at a snail’s pace, as if chewing slowly. He hadn’t condensed his pill yet. It wasn’t until the time limit was nearly up, and everyone else had finished, that he remained alone, still refining.

At that moment, whether on the main platform or in the ordinary seats of the Spirit Master Alliance, many were silently sweating for him.

A third-rank junior spirit master genius with spiritual energy, who had captured the attention of various factions—if he were eliminated in the first round, it would be a colossal joke.

“This guy, he hasn’t gotten so absorbed that he’s forgotten the time, has he?” Sweat beaded on Wen Renliang’s forehead. It had taken so much effort for the Linshui City branch to produce such a genius for the competition. If he were knocked out in the first round, who knew how many years it would take to reach the top ten again?

“When he refined the Nine Flame Wood, he also finished at the last moment. This time, he should manage to make it too, right?” Wu Meng added from the side, though his tone carried uncertainty.

After all, not every last-second finish was a stroke of luck.

On the main platform, as the incense stick beside him neared its end, Ye Fenghua’s fingers tapped the table incessantly. For the first round of the alchemy competition to make him, the alliance leader, so tense was unprecedented.

“What’s this ugly guy doing? There’s barely a dozen breaths left, and he still hasn’t condensed the pill!”

Xuanxuan huffed in frustration nearby, though she didn’t dare raise her voice. The liquid tempered by the spiritual energy had reached a critical stage. Interrupting now would ruin the pill, and that would be disastrous.

“Should we, remind him?” Wu Sha hesitated, whispering softly.

“With just a few breaths left, so what if he has spiritual energy? He’ll still be eliminated in the first round, heh…” Zhou Ruoyi laughed at that moment, her face beaming with delight.

“If he’s eliminated in the first round like this, it’d be too boring,” Ye Yu shook his head and said.

At that point, the scene of tens of thousands fell into a breathless silence. All eyes were fixed on the liquid in front of Lin Xiao.

The green liquid, tempered by the cyan flame, seemed almost fused with it. The refining process appeared steady, but the pressing time limit had everyone holding their breath for him.

“Condense!” Just as the time ran out, Lin Xiao suddenly spoke. With a single word, the cyan flame spiritual energy abruptly withdrew. His spiritual power compressed the liquid, instantly forming a solid the size of a mung bean. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted from it.

The healing pill had finally condensed successfully. At that very moment, the flame on the incense stick in front of Ye Fenghua flickered out.

“Phew!” Many couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief for Lin Xiao.

This genius’s refining was far too thrilling, leaving countless people sweating on his behalf.

Of course, some secretly sighed in disappointment. Just a little more, and Lin Xiao would have been eliminated in the first round…

“This kid, always playing it so close!” Le Zheng Hongmao muttered under his breath in mild irritation. Last time, when he oversaw the Nine Flame Wood refining, Lin Xiao had finished at the last second too. And now, here he was again.

Though last time, he hadn’t had any expectations for Lin Xiao, so it hadn’t felt nearly as “exciting” as this.

“Alright, now, begin testing the grade potency of your refined pills,” Ye Fenghua’s voice rang out.

Below, a dozen or so judges placed the grade potency testing stones on their respective tables. There was ample space between each table, allowing the over two thousand young participants to line up and test their pills.

Lin Xiao joined Wu Sha and the others, walking forward.

“Hiss!” At that moment, the first youth in line placed his pill on the stone. A red light flared up, and the judge’s voice followed, “Grade potency, red light, eliminated!”

“How can this be? This is my best first-rank Fuyuan Pill! It’s the peak of my skill, how could it only be red light…” Hearing this, the youth broke down, complaining with a face full of disbelief and frustration.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 124

“Hiss!” At the same time, on another judge’s table nearby, the testing stone emitted a dazzling orange light. The judge’s voice immediately rang out, “Grade potency, orange light, passed!”

“Did you see that? Your alchemy fundamentals are shaky. Go back and practise properly!” the judge said coolly.

A look of shame and disappointment crossed the youth’s face. He walked out, head hung low, trudging towards the outside of the venue. Having fought his way through countless trials to reach the imperial city for this prestigious alchemy competition, only to be eliminated in the first round, it was a crushing blow.

As he stepped out, the next youth’s result was announced, “Orange light, passed!”

The departing youth’s expression grew even gloomier.

“Orange light, passed!”

“No light, eliminated!”

…

The potency results came one after another. Lights flashed incessantly in front of the main platform. Those who passed stood aside with excited faces, while those who failed walked reluctantly towards the outside, unwilling to accept their fate.

However, among this first batch of youths, even those who triggered a light and passed mostly achieved orange-grade potency. This showed just how difficult it was to refine a pill with exceptionally high-grade potency.

“Yellow light, passed!” After quite a while, a higher-grade potency was finally announced.

“Just yellow light? This grade potency is ridiculously tough,” said Zhou Ruoyi of the Zhou family. Her words left the crowd stunned. Zhou Ruoyi, a second-rank senior spirit master genius, had only managed a yellow-grade potency. This highlighted just how challenging the grade potency test was.

At that moment, all eyes turned to the three or four rows ahead of Lin Xiao, where the most注目 figures of the competition, the four great young masters, the four great beauties, and Lin Xiao himself, were lined up.

Next in line after Zhou Ruoyi was Prince Meng Sheng.

“Don’t be upset, little sister Ruoyi. Reaching a grade that triggers light is already quite impressive, and yellow light is no small feat,” Meng Sheng said, comforting Zhou Ruoyi.

Hearing Meng Sheng’s consolation, Zhou Ruoyi’s mood instantly brightened.

“Let me give it a go and see what this grade potency looks like!” Immediately after, Meng Sheng placed his pill on the testing stone.

“Hiss!” A green light shot skyward, drawing admiring gazes from the crowd. It was the first green light to appear.

“As expected of Prince Meng Sheng, finally triggering the first green light!”

“Even a third-rank junior spirit master like Prince Meng Sheng could only manage green light. That must mean green-grade potency is already an exceptionally high level. This green light might even rank among the top few!”

The onlookers erupted into fervent discussion, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Many looked at Meng Sheng with outright adoration, especially those who had been eliminated. Only they truly understood how lofty and unattainable a green-light grade potency was.

“Deputy Alliance Leader Le Zheng, your disciple isn’t bad at all!” Ye Fenghua nodded in approval. Green-grade potency was indeed impressive, its healing effect on injuries of corresponding severity was extraordinarily strong.

Le Zheng Hongmao nodded with satisfaction, “When Meng Sheng gets serious, he’s got some decent skill.”

Below the main platform, though Meng Sheng had sparked waves of astonishment, the testing continued across the dozen or so rows.

“Hiss!” In the row just ahead of Lin Xiao’s, to the right of Meng Sheng, a yellow light flared up. It was Chen Qing’er. Her pill’s potency matched Zhou Ruoyi’s, but unlike the latter, her face showed no trace of dissatisfaction. She simply nodded slightly, retrieved her pill, and stepped aside.

To the right of Chen Qing’er was the most注目 contender for the championship, Ye Yu.

Before testing, Ye Yu turned back towards Lin Xiao and the others with a smile. He said nothing, but his expression was clear, brimming with contempt and confidence.

“Hiss!” As he placed his pill on the testing stone, a brilliant cyan light burst forth in front of Ye Yu. Instantly, gasps of amazement echoed both inside and outside the venue.

“Cyan light, it’s cyan-grade potency! A whole grade above Prince Meng Sheng! As expected of the top contender for the championship, Ye Fenghua’s nephew!”

“Cyan-grade potency, aside from Ye Yu, I doubt anyone else can reach that level.”

…

At the same time, on the main platform, Emperor Meng and the others offered their praise. Ye Fenghua nodded and responded modestly with a few words.

In the arena, Ye Yu retrieved his pill and stepped aside. Turning to Lin Xiao, he said provocatively, “I wonder how strong the grade potency of a pill refined with spiritual energy will be?”

“I’m quite looking forward to it myself!” Lin Xiao replied calmly. Having refined it with spiritual energy right up to the last moment, he had pushed this pill’s potency to the absolute limit of what he could achieve. He was eager to see the result too.

“Heh, this grade potency isn’t as easy as refining ingredients,” Ye Yu teased with a laugh, noting Lin Xiao’s confidence.

But just as he stood there smiling, a cyan light suddenly flared up beside him.

Ye Yu’s expression froze. He turned his head to see a youth of about twenty standing there, his face full of pride, disdain, and provocation as he looked at Ye Yu.

Then, that gaze dismissed Ye Yu entirely and shifted to Lin Xiao. The youth chuckled, “Heh, I’m also looking forward to seeing how high the grade of a pill refined with spiritual energy can be.”

“It’s Wu Gong!” Wu Sha’s face tensed slightly as she exclaimed.

Lin Xiao was mildly surprised too. Wu Gong could actually match Ye Yu? No wonder he had claimed he was here to seize the championship, he clearly had some real skill.

Wen Renliang and the others also showed looks of astonishment. The crowd buzzed with heated discussion. This was an unexpected dark horse, truly an eye-opener that made the scene even livelier.

As expected of the alchemy competition, it was full of hidden talents. Ye Yu’s championship was now increasingly uncertain.

The judges and several prominent figures on the main platform also lit up with interest.

“I didn’t expect he’d reach this grade too,” Ye Fenghua nodded, forced to admit that this youth brought by Fan Renlou was another super genius.

“Another super genius. When this is over, we must try to recruit him into the family!” Several family heads were already quietly making plans.

Amid their surprise, Fan Renlou, seated in the ordinary section, looked smugly at the shocked Wen Renliang and Ye Fenghua. He relished moments like this.

In the arena, Wu Gong wore a similarly mocking expression as he eyed Lin Xiao, ready to use Lin Xiao’s own words to humiliate him ruthlessly if his potency grade turned out low.

“Hiss!” But at that very moment, a scene that left the entire venue breathless unfolded. From another row still undergoing testing, a blue light shot skyward from a testing stone, its dazzling brilliance illuminating all directions.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 125

“What? Blue light?”

Wu Gong and Ye Yu’s expressions stiffened abruptly. At the same time, the crowd was struck with astonishment. Even the group on the main platform widened their eyes in shock.

They knew full well what blue light signified, an extraordinary grade potency. Even Le Zheng Hongmao, Situ Guang, and the others inwardly sighed that they couldn’t surpass this level.

If even they were this stunned, the reaction of the onlookers was unimaginable. After a few moments of silence, the entire venue erupted.

Waves of gasps and exclamations filled the air.

This surpassed the results of both Ye Yu and the dark horse Wu Gong!

Looking again at the black-robed youth who retrieved the pill, he appeared to be nearly thirty, with a face so ordinary it couldn’t be more plain. This only reinforced their belief that this alchemy competition was teeming with hidden talents, another obscure dark horse, and a super one at that.

Sensing the crowd’s fervent discussion, the youth merely turned back, gave a slight smile, and glanced at Ye Yu, Wu Gong, and Lin Xiao. With an arrogant tone, he declared, “Ye Fenghua’s nephew Ye Yu? A dark horse? A super genius with spiritual energy? Sorry, I don’t even consider you worth my notice!”

The scene reached a fever pitch, boiling over once again.

“Arrogant, outrageously arrogant!”

“Dominant, utterly dominant, especially that line about not even caring about Ye Fenghua’s nephew!”

“No idea where this guy came from, this skill level is simply heaven-defying!”

“Ye Yu’s been outright dismissed, this alchemy competition just got interesting!”

Some were furious, others exhilarated. Many felt their blood boiling. This was the true alchemy competition, one dark horse after another, each stronger and more audacious than the last, with tension thick in the air.

Ye Yu’s expression was the ugliest. For the first time, he heard someone say they didn’t take him, Ye Fenghua’s nephew, seriously. Yet with the facts before him, he had no rebuttal.

Being matched by an unknown youth was bad enough, but now another nameless figure had surpassed him. Ye Yu found it utterly intolerable.

This dealt him a massive blow, far greater than when he refined the Nine Flame Wood. Refining materials and refining pills carried vastly different weight.

Now, in pill refining, he’d been blatantly scorned.

Of course, Wu Gong wasn’t feeling much better. His target had been Ye Yu alone, but now a bigger dark horse had emerged, something he too couldn’t accept.

He’d gone from being the most thrilled person in the arena to having the wind knocked out of him in an instant.

“This guy… he’s definitely not simple!” Lin Xiao frowned slightly as he observed the nearly thirty-year-old youth. He couldn’t sense the man’s true spiritual power at all.

He hadn’t expected someone like this to appear. This person might well be a formidable rival.

“But having opponents is what makes this competition meaningful,” Lin Xiao suddenly smiled, then stepped forward, took out his pill, and placed it on the testing stone.

“Look, that Heimu’s starting his test now!” someone shouted. All eyes turned towards Lin Xiao.

“With a blue-grade potency already out there, even if his grade is high, it’ll pale in comparison,” someone shook their head.

“It definitely won’t beat Brother Meng Sheng!” Zhou Ruoyi muttered to herself.

Ye Yu and Wu Gong both fixed their gazes on Lin Xiao. Now, they only hoped his grade would be low, so they could vent their frustrations on him.

After Lin Xiao placed his pill and waited a moment, no light emerged. The atmosphere in the venue thickened once more.

“Uh… it’s not… failing to reach a light grade, is it?” someone stammered.

“Quite likely, he condensed his pill at the last second, probably rushed it and messed up…”

“This’ll be a huge joke…”

After waiting a while with no response, the crowd began buzzing with discussion. On the main platform, Ye Fenghua and the others stared at the testing stone with rigid expressions, their faces a mix of vivid emotions.

Outside the arena, Wen Renliang and his group were dumbfounded. If a miracle didn’t happen, this would indeed become a massive embarrassment, a humiliation spread across the nation.

“No light, haha…” The black-robed youth let out a burst of raucous laughter.

But just as Wu Gong and the others were about to join in the mockery, “Hiss!”

A dazzling, radiant purple light shot skyward, illuminating all directions, filling the heavens and earth.

The black-robed youth’s expression froze on his face.

“What!” The crowd gasped, their eyes and jaws nearly dropping to the ground.

Ye Yu, Wu Gong, Zhou Ruoyi, and the others practically turned to stone.

“Purple light, it’s actually purple-grade potency!” Even Ye Fenghua lost his composure, standing up in excitement. Le Zheng Hongmao and Situ Guang did the same.

These three were the top spirit masters of the Lanlan Empire. Even for them, crafting a purple-grade healing pill required their utmost effort, the best ingredients, and refining a low-rank pill, with only a slim chance of success.

Because purple light represented perfect grade potency!

“This kid, he’s too good at stirring people up, ugh, my old heart, cough…” Wu Meng couldn’t help but grumble. First giving the impression of a no-light failure, then unveiling the highest purple grade, the rollercoaster of emotions was just too thrilling.

Wen Renliang and the others shared the same sentiment.

“Didn’t expect there’d be such a figure in the Lanlan Empire. If this lad doesn’t join a faction here, fine, but if he joins a major power, he’ll absolutely be a massive threat to the Moyu Empire in the future!”

Among the crowd outside, a black-robed elder narrowed his eyes, regarding Lin Xiao ahead with intense wariness.

In the stone platform arena, Lin Xiao retrieved his pill, then muttered to himself in confusion, “Cough, this grade, how’d it get so high…”

Hearing this, the young spirit masters around him felt an urge to go up and smack him. This was blatant, shameless showing off!

The expressions of the black-robed youth, Ye Yu, Wu Gong, and the others stiffened further, their faces burning with embarrassment.

Especially the black-robed youth, whose face turned somewhat purple. He’d boasted about not caring about anyone, and now it felt like another heavy slap had struck his face ruthlessly.

“No wonder he’s the little man I saw Feng Huo kiss!” Watching Lin Xiao step out, Feng Huo beamed brightly, swaying her graceful figure as she walked towards him.

As Lin Xiao emerged, receiving praise from Feng Huo, Wu Sha, and a few others, the grade potency testing resumed. Feng Huo’s grade was cyan, matching Ye Yu and Wu Gong. Wu Sha’s was green, and Xuanxuan’s was yellow.

After another half-stick of incense burned, all the results were finally tested. This round eliminated over five hundred participants, all outstanding young spirit masters from various regions. This underscored the sheer difficulty of just the first round.

But out of over two thousand, eliminating five hundred wasn’t an excessively high rate.

The remaining fifteen hundred smoothly advanced to the second round.

“The second round, also basic alchemy,” Ye Fenghua’s voice rang out again as the first round concluded. Yet none of the youths present believed this was mere “basic” alchemy, it was clearly their utmost limit, far from easy.

“We’ll provide you with pill recipes and ingredients. Refining a qualified pill counts as passing. There are two sets of ingredients in the medicine cabinets, and you’ll have half an hour. Prepare to begin now!” With that, Ye Fenghua’s spiritual power stirred, sending delicate jade slips inscribed with pill recipes flying towards the over one thousand youths in the arena.

The youths reached out to catch the recipes, glancing over them briefly. Almost instantly, they all let out the same exclamation.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 126

“Second-grade elementary elixir recipe, you just need to follow the recipe to refine it, isn’t that too simple?” A series of voices rang out one after another.

The difficulty of the first round was so great, yet this second round, merely refining a second-grade elixir, as long as one’s spiritual power reached the second-grade elementary level, many people could refine it. It seemed a bit too easy.

“Healing Vein Elixir? Lie Zhi, Mohei, Lengqi, Wusha?” However, when Lin Xiao received this recipe, his brows immediately furrowed.

Because this Healing Vein Elixir existed in the memories of the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor, who had refined it many times. It was an elixir specifically used to treat minor damage to the meridians. Yet, the recipe of the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor didn’t use these herbs at all.

Based on the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor’s experience, he was absolutely certain that the three herbs listed in this recipe, Lie Zhi, Mohei, and Lengqi, when mixed and calcined together, would neutralise each other due to their properties, inevitably resulting in a useless waste pill. This was practically common knowledge in alchemy.

“This second round can’t possibly be this simple, there must be something wrong with this recipe!” Lin Xiao made this judgement instantly.

Immediately, Lin Xiao turned his head to glance at Ye Fenghua and the others on the main platform, their expressions suggesting they were waiting to watch a good show. This only reinforced his conviction.

To doubt the recipe in such a setting required immense courage and confidence. Most spirit controllers would likely follow the rules rigidly, placing too much trust in the Spirit Controller Alliance’s recipe. This was also why many spirit controllers struggled to improve their alchemy skills.

The fact that the competition presented such a test must be intended as a reminder to them, and the fusion of those specific herbs resulting in a waste pill was indeed basic alchemy knowledge. Any spirit controller with a bit of insight would know this.

As his gaze swept towards Ye Yu and the others, Lin Xiao noticed that they too showed contemplative expressions.

A few third-grade spirit controllers also displayed faint traces of suspicion, but ultimately, they dismissed their doubts and prepared to start refining the elixir.

Meanwhile, the lower-grade spirit controllers, after reading the recipe, began mentally simulating the refining process without the slightest hint of suspicion.

With a quiet sneer, Lin Xiao summoned the herbs already prepared in the medicine cabinet. A pile emerged, and with a surge of spiritual energy, he became the first to start refining.

On the main platform, Ye Fenghua and the others were slightly taken aback.

“This chap, he’s not that careless, is he? Starting to refine without even considering if there’s an issue with the recipe…” Ye Fenghua shook his head inwardly, already picturing Lin Xiao producing a waste pill with his first batch of herbs.

At the same time, the disciples in the arena began refining one after another. Only Ye Yu, Feng Huo, and a young man in a black robe remained still, pondering how to perfect the recipe.

It wasn’t until a quarter of an hour had passed that they finally began.

By this time, Lin Xiao, who was familiar with the Healing Vein Elixir, was already nearing completion, beginning to condense the elixir. This test of spotting the recipe’s flaw and knowing the correct formula was, for him, far too easy, something he could resolve in a quarter of an hour.

“Chi!” Just as Ye Fenghua and the others started refining, an elixir successfully condensed.

“How is this lad refining so quickly?” A chorus of surprised voices erupted from the crowd. This was, after all, the second round, which should be somewhat harder than the first. How could someone refine an elixir in just a quarter of an hour?

“No wonder he’s the genius who achieved purple-grade medicinal potency in the first round, condensing an elixir in just a quarter of an hour in the second round.”

“With such speed, it seems this Heimu has a strong chance of ranking near the top. If his spiritual power were one grade higher, he’d surely take the championship.”

“His speed is impressive, no doubt, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. Look at Ye Yu and the others, they hesitated for quite a while before starting to refine…”

Amid the crowd’s admiring chatter, some felt that something about this second round seemed odd, though they couldn’t pinpoint what.

Lin Xiao, however, stood calmly in place, watching the others refine their elixirs with a composed expression, showing no sign of sensing anything amiss.

Seeing that Lin Xiao hadn’t noticed anything and had no intention of refining again, Ye Fenghua, Le Zheng Hongmao, and the others frowned. Could it be that Lin Xiao hadn’t spotted the trick in the recipe and would be eliminated in the second round?

This thought made them both worry for him.

“Hmph, refining Lie Zhi, Mohei, and Lengqi together results in a waste pill, and he can’t even see that? I overestimated him!”

Observing Lin Xiao’s demeanour, Ye Yu couldn’t help but show a look of disdain, silently mocking him in his heart.

“What an idiot!” The black-robed youth also let out a mocking sneer. With his knowledge, those three herbs would absolutely produce a waste pill. Yet Lin Xiao had refined it without a second thought, even seeming proud of his speed. The youth couldn’t help but feel a mix of contempt and schadenfreude.

“There are two sets of herbs and plenty of time left. I’ll just refine two elixirs, one according to the recipe, and one based on my deduction!”

On the other side, a clever spirit controller came up with this strategy: after refining one elixir according to the recipe, he’d refine a second based on his own reasoning. Surely one of the two would be correct, which should be enough to pass.

At this point, Ye Yu also successfully condensed his elixir. He was confident his method was correct and saw no need to refine a second one.

Soon, the other spirit controllers finished refining one by one, many of them beaming with joy, inwardly remarking how easy this second round was.

After half an hour had passed, all the spirit controllers had successfully condensed their elixirs. Their hopeful gazes turned towards the judges’ position.

Sweeping his eyes over the smug youths in the arena, Ye Fenghua spoke, his tone calm, “Perhaps you all think the second round was rather easy, but I must tell you that this stage tested your basic alchemy knowledge. The recipe given to each of you was flawed. Lie Zhi, Mohei, and Lengqi, when mixed together, produce a waste pill. This is fundamental alchemy common sense. So, those of you who followed the recipe exactly as it was, there’s no need to come up for inspection, they’re all waste pills.”

“What?”

At that moment, a large group of participating disciples were dumbfounded. The elixirs they’d refined according to the recipe were all waste pills?

“Don’t believe me? Then bring your elixirs forward for testing. Only those that pass are deemed successful, the rest of you are eliminated,” Ye Fenghua said.

“I don’t believe it!” Several disciples stepped forward one after another, testing their elixirs on the judging stone in front of the referees. The stone showed no reaction, proving their elixirs were waste pills that failed to pass.

“It’s, it’s really a waste pill?” At another spot, a young man stood dazed, his face filled with disbelief and deep disappointment.

“To think, after preparing for so long, I’d be stopped at the second round…”

After testing their elixirs, a group of youths left the arena in regret. They had indeed followed the recipe, and their elixirs were indeed waste pills. They had lost this round.

Lin Xiao was slightly stunned too. As expected, it was an issue with the recipe. Those with weaker foundational alchemy knowledge had all been weeded out.

“Hahaha, Heimu, are you stunned? Are you shocked? Refining so quickly, did you think you were impressive?” At this moment, Ye Yu strode over with a loud laugh, openly mocking him, then took his own elixir for testing. The testing stone lit up, his elixir passed.

“What a waste of spiritual energy on someone like you!” The black-robed youth also passed by Lin Xiao, tossing out a scornful taunt.

“So what if you have spiritual energy? You still can’t even pass the second round!” Wu Gong gave Lin Xiao a harsh, contemptuous glare, feeling utterly satisfied inside.

“Is that so?” Seeing their reactions, a mocking smile curled at the corners of Lin Xiao’s lips. He then walked towards the testing stone.

“Hmph, rushing to refine according to the recipe and still not giving up? Wait until the results come out, let’s see how you…”

“Chi!” Before Wu Gong could finish, the testing stone lit up, and the referee’s voice immediately rang out, “Elixir qualified, passed.”

“What?” Wu Gong was instantly dumbfounded. Ye Yu and the black-robed youth froze in place. Heimu’s elixir had actually passed?

“How is this possible? Referee, can you check his recipe to see if it’s the same as ours?” After a moment of shock, Wu Gong called out in suspicion.

Finishing the refinement in a quarter of an hour and it not being a waste pill, this was hard for him to believe. Ye Yu and the black-robed youth also showed doubtful expressions. After all, Lin Xiao had refined far too quickly in this round.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 127

Originally, questioning the fairness of the alliance leader was enough to anger the referee, but in truth, this referee also harboured some doubts deep down. Coupled with the desire to demonstrate the impartiality of the competition, he addressed Lin Xiao, “Heimu, show us your recipe.”

Lin Xiao casually handed over the jade slip containing the recipe. The referee quickly scanned it and immediately said, “No issues here, have a look yourselves!”

Using his spiritual power, the referee sent the recipe flying towards Wu Gong. Wu Gong examined it, and his expression grew grim. This recipe was indeed identical to his own.

“How is it possible that you improved it so quickly?” Wu Gong voiced the question that puzzled everyone, his tone filled with confusion.

Seeing Wu Gong’s expression, Lin Xiao explained everyone’s doubts with a single sentence, calmly stating, “Because it’s basic stuff.”

Wu Gong’s face stiffened, and the crowd was momentarily stunned. This response was a bit too humiliating.

Basic stuff? Then how come so many people were eliminated, struggling desperately just to refine their elixirs?

However, they had to admit that Lin Xiao’s talent shone through once again in this round, stealing the spotlight.

“Hmph, let’s see if you can stay this lucky in the later rounds!” Wu Gong snorted coldly at Lin Xiao, returned the jade slip to the referee, and stormed off.

Watching this, Wen Renliang below the stage secretly broke out in a sweat. In this second round, Lin Xiao had once again given them quite a scare.

It might be nothing to Lin Xiao, but to them, it always felt so thrilling…

Soon, the elixir testing concluded. Only thirty percent of the participants had refined effective elixirs, while the majority of the youths were eliminated.

Those who failed to refine a successful elixir left the stage with regret.

But for many of them, making it to the second round was already a decent achievement. Compared to those who didn’t even qualify for the competition, they had something to brag about.

In total, five hundred participants remained, including Wu Sha Xuanxuan and others, who naturally advanced to the third round.

“Now, the third round begins: speed refining,” Ye Fenghua’s voice rang out again at this moment, “The elixir to be refined is a second-grade advanced elixir, the Explosive Yuan Elixir. We will provide the correct recipe and a pile of herbs. You have one hour, and your score will be based on the number of elixirs refined. The top fifty who successfully refine the Explosive Yuan Elixir will advance to tomorrow’s final round.”

Whoa!

As soon as Ye Fenghua finished speaking, the crowd erupted in astonishment.

A second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixir could drastically boost the vitality of a Mysterious Martial Realm warrior. It was an extremely valuable elixir, and even the herbs alone were worth a fortune. To provide a pile of them all at once showed just how much the Spirit Controller Alliance was investing in this event.

What shocked them even more was the difficulty of refining a second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixir. For a second-grade advanced spirit controller to refine even one within an hour was already an impressive feat. Refining multiple elixirs was incredibly challenging, especially for those below the second-grade intermediate level.

In other words, this round was designed to filter out second-grade advanced spirit controllers. Among all the competing youths, there were only about seventy or eighty second-grade advanced spirit controllers or higher.

Only those at or above this level stood a chance of making it to the finals.

For spirit controllers below second-grade intermediate, refining a second-grade advanced elixir required the ability to refine across grades. Due to the limitations of their spiritual power, unless their alchemy skills were exceptionally refined or their spiritual power had the strength to fight above their grade, it was nearly impossible to produce a cross-grade elixir.

Even if they managed to refine one, it would likely be just one. Competing with second-grade advanced spirit controllers and above in terms of quantity, and aiming for a top-fifty spot to reach the finals, was borderline impossible!

Most of the young spirit controllers shook their heads inwardly, already resigned to failure. Some second-grade intermediate youths adopted a try-it-and-see attitude, while only a handful remained eager, their eyes burning with determination to push their limits.

Soon, a small pile of herbs for the second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixir was distributed to each participant in the arena.

Looking at the herbs in the medicine cabinet, Lin Xiao quietly marvelled. The Explosive Yuan Elixir demanded a tremendous amount of spiritual power and energy.

Even for him, refining one Explosive Yuan Elixir would take about half an hour. To safely secure a spot in the finals, he’d need to refine at least two or three.

“Refining them one by one, in an hour, I’d probably only manage two at most…” Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiao made up his mind, “Looks like I’ll have to refine them simultaneously.”

Turning his head to glance at Ye Yu and the others, Lin Xiao noticed they wore similar expressions.

Refining one at a time wouldn’t cut it; they’d have to refine multiple elixirs at once. This third round was likely testing their ability to refine several elixirs simultaneously.

Simultaneously refining multiple elixirs was something ordinary spirit controllers could hardly achieve.

“One more thing: if there’s a tie in the number of elixirs refined for the top fifty spots, the younger spirit controller by bone age will advance. Right, now, begin refining!” At that moment, Ye Fenghua’s voice echoed from the platform once more.

If everyone only refined one elixir, the younger participants would advance to the finals. This prompted many second-grade advanced spirit controllers and above to resolve to refine more than two elixirs.

This added immense pressure even to those at the second-grade advanced level and higher.

As Ye Fenghua’s words fell, the youths in the arena activated their spiritual power, lifting the herbs in front of them and beginning to refine.

Time was short, and every second could determine success or failure, so they hurried to refine, ignoring everyone around them.

To Lin Xiao’s side and front, the black-robed youth glanced at Ye Yu, then at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Then, he controlled all the herbs in his hands, sending them floating up simultaneously.

“He’s refining all the herbs at once? How many Explosive Yuan Elixirs is he planning to make?” Seeing the black-robed youth’s actions, the crowd outside the arena buzzed with surprise and uncertainty.

“It looks like that pile of herbs could yield about five elixirs at most, and that’s only if they’re refined with extreme precision. Even if he manages to refine the entire pile successfully, he’ll probably only get three or four at best,” an elder remarked.

“Three or four? That’s a lot, isn’t it? Usually, you don’t hear of spirit controllers refining three or four elixirs at once. I wonder if he’ll succeed.”

“The more you refine at once, the harder it gets. He might end up overreaching, and not only fail to get three or four, but not even manage one. Then he won’t even make it to the finals.”

“That’s hard to say. This youth isn’t ordinary. To dare to refine so many at this stage, he must have some confidence.”

“Spirit controllers are arrogant by nature, especially the top young geniuses of the empire. I reckon Ye Yu and the others won’t aim too low either…”

Amid the crowd’s discussions, a hint of seriousness crossed Ye Yu’s face. After glancing at the black-robed youth, he too began controlling all his herbs.

“Look, Ye Yu’s refining all his herbs too!”

“As one of the contenders for the championship, how could Ye Yu stand to fall behind? Plus, as Ye Fenghua’s nephew, he’s surely had top-notch training. If anyone’s most likely to succeed, it’s probably him.”

The crowd erupted into discussion again, and at the same time, Wu Gong began controlling all his herbs.

While the buzz focused on the two of them, everyone’s attention turned to Lin Xiao. After all, he’d been the standout in the first two rounds.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 128

People speculated that Lin Xiao would also use all the herbs, while others believed he didn’t have the skill for it. After all, Lin Xiao was so young and lacked the guidance of a renowned master, so his expertise in refining high-grade elixirs was thought to be inferior to that of Ye Yu and the others.

Yet, just as the crowd harboured their doubts, a pile of herbs rose simultaneously in front of Lin Xiao. Immediately after, a surge of cyan flame energy burst from his forehead, beginning to calcine them.

“He’s really calcining them all at once!”

“It’s either a grand success or a grand failure, this refining competition just got interesting.”

The crowd buzzed again. With everyone using the same amount of herbs, if they all succeeded, the rankings would depend on who could refine with greater purity, producing more elixirs from the pile.

Wu Sha, Feng Huo, and Meng Sheng also began calcining all their herbs. Chen Qing’er, Zhou Ruoyi, and a few others drew out most of theirs, while Xuanxuan only took two or three portions.

Other spirit controllers varied, some taking half the herbs, but the vast majority of youths only used two or three portions.

For most, refining a single second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixir was already difficult. Only genius-level youths dared to attempt more than two.

“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!”…

As time slowly passed, the sound of exploding elixirs rang out repeatedly. Especially among those aiming to refine two elixirs, countless had failed. Even many attempting just one elixir mostly met with failure.

With a quarter of an hour left until the deadline, over three hundred participants had already failed. Refining another Explosive Yuan Elixir in time was impossible, leaving them to watch the others with helpless sighs.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao and the other most eye-catching super geniuses hadn’t finished yet. Refining multiple elixirs at once was simply too challenging.

Half a quarter of an hour later—

“Bang!”

A relatively loud explosion echoed.

A wave of heat blasted out from in front of Zhou Ruoyi, rippling in all directions. Fortunately, the third round had fewer participants, and the space was wide enough, with the explosion’s force not too strong, so it didn’t affect anyone else.

“I actually failed!” Zhou Ruoyi’s face flushed red with frustration. Glancing at the incense on the platform, with less than half a quarter of an hour remaining, she stomped her foot in anger.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, she had no time to refine another second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixir.

This meant she’d failed to advance to the fourth round. Forget the top thirty, she couldn’t even make the top fifty. For someone who’d basked in the halo of genius since childhood, this was hard to accept.

Zhou Moyi on the main platform showed a wistful expression. He could tell Zhou Ruoyi had only been attempting two Explosive Yuan Elixirs simultaneously. He hadn’t expected her to fail.

Still, considering the difficulty of refining two second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixirs within an hour, he didn’t blame her.

The crowd quietly marvelled. Even Zhou Ruoyi, one of the four great beauty geniuses, had failed, showing just how tough it was to refine Explosive Yuan Elixirs simultaneously.

In contrast to Zhou Ruoyi, not far away, Xuanxuan, a second-grade intermediate spirit controller one level below her, successfully began condensing an elixir. A gleaming golden Explosive Yuan Elixir floated in the air.

“Cross-grade refining, I did it!” Xuanxuan let out a jubilant cheer.

Refining across grades, even if just one elixir, drew gasps of admiration from the onlookers. Pang Po outside the arena nodded with satisfaction, stroking his beard.

“How is that possible? How could she succeed at cross-grade refining!” Zhou Ruoyi inwardly raged. Her own failure already stung, and seeing someone else succeed was unbearable. Gritting her teeth, she snorted inwardly, “Hmph, so what if she succeeded at cross-grade refining? It’s just one elixir, she still won’t make it to the finals!”

“Chi! Chi!” At that moment, Wu Sha, to Xuanxuan’s side, also finished condensing. Three gleaming golden Explosive Yuan Elixirs floated in the air.

Zhou Ruoyi was dumbfounded. She couldn’t even manage two, yet Wu Sha had refined three…

“Three, she actually refined three Explosive Yuan Elixirs at once!”

“Worthy of a third-grade elementary spirit controller genius!”

The crowd erupted in astonished exclamations, and Wu Meng and the others beamed with delight.

Shortly after, amid the crowd’s gasps, Feng Huo, Meng Sheng, and Chen Qing’er also successfully condensed their elixirs. Feng Huo and Meng Sheng each produced three, while Chen Qing’er managed two.

This made it even harder for Zhou Ruoyi to accept. By all accounts, Chen Qing’er was on par with her, yet Chen Qing’er succeeded while she failed…

A few breaths later, a burst of hearty laughter rang out, “Hahaha, four elixirs, nothing special…”

With this laughter, a wave of astonished murmurs followed.

“That’s Wu Gong, he actually refined four second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixirs at once!”

“This guy’s incredible, outnumbering Feng Huo, Meng Sheng, and Wu Sha, and faster than Ye Yu and Heimu!”

“He might just become this year’s champion!”

The crowd’s exclamations peaked for the first time, while Wen Renliang outside the arena couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, “This Wu Gong is quite the genius.”

Glancing at Wu Gong’s master, Fan Renlou, he saw Fan Renlou’s smug, contemptuous gaze directed at him. Wen Renliang snorted coldly and turned anxiously to Lin Xiao, still refining.

“Chi! Chi!” At that very moment, five perfectly round, gleaming golden elixirs condensed successfully in the air before Ye Yu.

“Five, Ye Yu actually refined five, reaching the maximum limit of the herbs!”

An elder let out a cry of amazement.

Even on the main platform, the fourth-grade intermediate spirit controller Le Zheng Hongmao exclaimed in awe, “Truly a disciple of a great family, Alliance Leader Ye, your nephew is remarkable. Refining five at once pushes the limits of both herbs and time.”

“He’s learned a few tricks, but it’s not refined enough,” Ye Fenghua nodded, a faint look of approval on his face.

The others nearby twitched slightly. Refining five second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixirs in half an hour, the top youth alchemist of the moment, and it was just “a few tricks” and “not refined enough”?

But considering Ye Fenghua’s own talent, they could only accept his perspective. His achievements spoke for themselves.

Perhaps only Ye Fenghua had the authority to call such genius-level alchemy “not refined enough.”

In the arena, Ye Yu took out an empty jade bottle, happily collecting his five elixirs. He glanced at Lin Xiao, still refining, then at the black-robed youth nearing condensation, his eyes brimming with provocation and disdain.

“Heh, there’s still a few minutes left. I hope you lot don’t blow it up, or this round and the next will get boring.”

“Oh, really?” As Ye Yu’s words fell, a mocking voice replied. The sound of condensing followed, and above the black-robed youth, six golden gleams shone. Six elixirs took shape.

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 129

“What, six? How is that possible?” Ye Yu’s gaze froze, his face showing utter disbelief. Five was already the极限 of this pile of herbs, so how could he possibly refine six?

It wasn’t just Ye Yu, even Ye Fenghua, Le Zheng Hongmao, Situ Guang, and others on the platform were visibly shocked. Refining six elixirs simultaneously within an hour pushed both time and materials to their absolute limits.

It was hard to imagine a third-grade spirit controller reaching such a level.

Even those unfamiliar with spirit control techniques, like Emperor Meng, the Zhou family head, and the Chen family head, showed astonishment.

“Genius!” After a pause, Le Zheng Hongmao uttered just those two words.

Though the black-robed youth was older than Ye Yu, nearing thirty, someone of that age refining six second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixirs at once was a rarity seen once in a century.

Ye Fenghua’s face also revealed deep admiration.

“We must recruit this one!” Emperor Meng’s eyes gleamed with determination, already mentally preparing his offer, using all the leverage Empress Meng Xi had given him before he left.

The big shots on the platform were stunned, and the crowd in the stands erupted in exclamations.

“Six, he actually refined six! With such difficulty, he managed to produce six, one more than Ye Yu!”

“Who is this guy? His alchemy skills seem to surpass even Ye Yu’s!”

“This year’s competition is brimming with talent, full of dark horses!”…

“Hahaha…” At that moment, a burst of laughter echoed across the arena. The black-robed youth surveyed the crowd and declared loudly, “Among the younger generation, I am the top spirit controller!”

His voice was undeniably arrogant, yet he had the credentials to back it up, forcing many to silently agree with his claim.

Of course, some turned their eyes to Lin Xiao, still refining with his spiritual energy.

But most shook their heads. Simultaneously refining six Explosive Yuan Elixirs was simply too daunting a number.

Moreover, with time running out and Lin Xiao yet to produce a single elixir, it was uncertain if he could even manage one.

Ye Yu’s face darkened. As Ye Fenghua’s nephew, heavily nurtured by him and usually treated like a star, he was hailed as the Lanlan Empire’s top genius spirit controller. Yet today, someone dared to proclaim themselves the top genius of the younger generation right in front of him.

This enraged him beyond measure.

What made him even angrier was that, in this round, the other party had indeed outdone him.

“Hmph, you only refined one more elixir than me at once. The finals haven’t even started, isn’t it a bit early to claim first place?” Ye Yu stared at the black-robed youth, snorting coldly.

“Which round have you ever beaten me in? The first round, yes. The second was nothing special. The third is the same, and the finals will be no different. You, Ye Yu, have just lived in your own halo for too long. Tomorrow, I’ll show you what a true genius looks like,” the black-robed youth sneered disdainfully.

“You!” Ye Yu flared with anger, his face turning grim. This was the first time someone dared to insult him in front of his uncle, in front of a crowd.

“Very well!” Ye Yu’s expression grew as dark as water, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes.

Seeing the murderous glint in Ye Yu’s eyes, the black-robed youth smirked, “Heh, once I claim the championship tomorrow, let’s see what status you, Ye Yu, can use against me. To me, you’re nothing but a stepping stone.”

“Who told you you’d be the champion? Who said you’re first in the third round?”

Just then, a calm voice interrupted their standoff.

“Chi! Chi!” As the voice sounded, the cyan flames in front of Lin Xiao vanished abruptly. Ten elixirs took shape, a rich medicinal fragrance wafting outwards, golden light shimmering across the ten orbs hovering in the air.

“What, ten?”

The entire scene froze.

Wasn’t this amount of herbs supposed to yield five or six at most? How could someone refine ten Explosive Yuan Elixirs? And in just half an hour, how could anyone produce ten at once?

A third-grade elementary spirit controller refining ten second-grade advanced elixirs simultaneously, it was too unreal.

Forget third-grade spirit controllers, even fourth-grade ones might not manage it. What level had Lin Xiao’s alchemy reached?

The moment Lin Xiao’s elixirs appeared, the black-robed youth was dumbfounded. He’d thought that, with his hidden third-grade advanced spirit controller power, refining six elixirs to the absolute limit of the herbs made him untouchable.

He’d just been taunting Ye Yu, claiming to be the top genius spirit controller of the younger generation.

Yet, right as he basked in his triumph, someone surpassed him, and not just by a little, but with ten elixirs, four more than him…

His ambitious, spirited resolve crumbled in an instant.

“This, how is this possible?” The black-robed youth couldn’t fathom how Lin Xiao had managed ten.

It wasn’t just him, Ye Yu was also reeling. The black-robed youth surpassing him had already been hard to swallow, and now Lin Xiao had outdone him too, doubling his count.

He couldn’t accept it, couldn’t believe it.

“Good heavens, ten? Am I seeing this right?”

“It doesn’t make sense, how did he do it?”

“First in all three rounds, Heimu is the true top spirit controller of the youth!”

The crowd’s exclamations filled the plaza.

Even the leading spirit controllers on the platform, Ye Fenghua, Le Zheng Hongmao, and Situ Guang, showed shock on their faces.

If the black-robed youth had surprised them, Lin Xiao left them utterly astounded.

Because even they couldn’t refine ten elixirs from such a small amount of herbs.

“This kid, he didn’t just churn out ten half-finished products, did he?” Ye Fenghua wondered inwardly, drumming his fingers on the table. Refining ten Explosive Yuan Elixirs was simply too unbelievable.

Glancing at the incense beside him, he saw the last stick had burned to its base. Suppressing his impatience, Ye Fenghua tapped the table lightly. After a few breaths, as the incense extinguished, he stood and announced loudly, “The third round is over. Next, we begin testing the elixirs!”

At that moment, over a dozen participants were still refining. Hearing Ye Fenghua’s voice, they nearly broke down, rushing to condense their elixirs in a final desperate push.

A series of explosions followed, and of the dozen-plus, only one succeeded, a third-grade elementary spirit controller who condensed two elixirs. Overcome with exhilaration, he felt the thrill and significance of that last-second success.

The others wore expressions of dejection.

“Right, test their quality. Heimu’s elixirs can’t possibly be finished products!” The black-robed youth, initially stunned by Lin Xiao’s sheer number, now latched onto this thought.

Ye Yu and others reacted similarly, quietly breathing a sigh of relief.

Yet, shortly after Ye Fenghua’s words, Lin Xiao was the first to approach the referee at the arena’s edge, placing his elixirs on the testing stone provided.

Ten perfectly round beams of light shone from the stone. The fourth-grade elementary spirit controller acting as head referee paused, then announced in astonishment, “Second-grade advanced elixirs, all passed, of extremely high quality!”

Abyss Sovereign Chapter 130

“How is this possible!”

Ye Yu, who had just felt a fleeting sense of relief, immediately showed disbelief again. Ten Explosive Yuan Elixirs, all flawless?

Ye Fenghua let out a long breath, and the prominent figures on the platform were seized with an intense desire to recruit Lin Xiao, determined to bring him into their fold no matter the cost.

“Good thing the quality isn’t too low!”

Lin Xiao had been immersed in refining earlier. Producing ten elixirs at once had nearly drained his spiritual energy, plunging him into a unique refining state that greatly enhanced his alchemy skills. His spiritual power was now brushing the edge of third-grade intermediate.

Hearing Lin Xiao’s words, the crowd outside erupted. He’d refined ten elixirs, and his concern wasn’t whether they were finished products but their quality?

That was just too demoralising!

“Heimu, how did you manage it?” Ye Fenghua’s puzzled voice came from the platform.

At this, everyone else turned curiously toward Lin Xiao.

With a light chuckle, Lin Xiao said calmly, “Alliance Leader, actually, refining the Explosive Yuan Elixir doesn’t require that many herbs. By tweaking the recipe a bit, you only need half the materials listed.”

“What, you improved the recipe?” Ye Fenghua asked, stunned.

“Yes, of course, it requires spiritual energy to refine,” Lin Xiao replied honestly.

“…” Ye Fenghua was speechless.

A recipe that saved so many herbs, usable only by him!

Hearing Lin Xiao’s explanation, the crowd relaxed. So it was a modified recipe, otherwise refining ten elixirs from that amount of herbs would’ve been terrifying.

Still, even with enough materials, refining ten at once was something they deeply admired and revered.

In truth, Lin Xiao hadn’t improved the recipe, he’d used the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor’s version, which cut the required herbs by nearly half.

His actual refining process had been an immense ordeal, though no one else could see that.

“Everyone else, start testing to confirm the fourth-round qualifiers!” Glancing at the nearly sixty youths clutching elixirs, Ye Fenghua spoke again.

Immediately, the others began testing their elixirs. Apart from one or two failures, the rest passed one after another.

Over twenty had refined two or more elixirs, while more than thirty managed one. After checking bone ages, fifty were selected to advance to tomorrow’s final round.

“Everyone, tomorrow’s final competition offers just one refining chance. Now, I’ll announce the details.”

Unexpectedly, Ye Fenghua revealed the rules right then, “Final rule: each person provides their own herbs. Within half a day, refine the highest-grade elixir you can. The one with the highest-grade elixir wins the championship.”

His words sparked a wave of gasps. Comparing elixir grades was a common spirit controller contest, simpler than the first three rounds’ assessments.

Yet, comparing grades directly tested a spirit controller’s peak ability, making it the fairest method.

After the gasps, anticipation surged through the crowd.

“Also, per tradition, to avoid disturbing the alliance’s young disciples competing tomorrow, the alliance will bar all outsiders tonight. Tomorrow, our gates will open wide for everyone,” Ye Fenghua added.

“Damn it!” At this, many cursed inwardly.

Everyone knew the stated reason, avoiding disturbance, was a front. The real aim was to stop outsiders from poaching the alliance’s standout disciples early.

But since the youths staying in the alliance tonight were its disciples, Ye Fenghua’s guest ban left them with no retort.

He cast a glance at the family heads and others. He knew once the guild opened, these old foxes would swarm in to recruit exceptional disciples, especially a genius like Lin Xiao, who’d shone in all three rounds.

Until the competition ended, these competing spirit controllers remained part of the alliance, free to join any faction afterward.

Ye Fenghua wasn’t about to let the geniuses he’d nurtured be snatched away early.

This guest ban had been a longstanding practice for that reason.

Of course, there’d been cases before where standout disciples from the first three rounds, lured or threatened with promises, underperformed in the finals due to emotional turmoil.

So, the ban seemed reasonable on the surface, and no one could challenge the rule.

“Fine, tomorrow it is!” Emperor Meng sighed helplessly, his gaze drifting to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was the one the imperial family most wanted to recruit. If he could bring Lin Xiao into the fold, his mother, the empress, would be overjoyed and full of praise.

Naturally, other factions harboured the same intent.

Lin Xiao, meanwhile, fully supported Ye Fenghua’s decision. Without it, visitors today would’ve kept him from resting.

Amid the clamour, Lin Xiao exchanged pleasantries with the group before leaving the plaza, following Ye Fenghua into the Spirit Controller Alliance.

The crowd dispersed, still buzzing with discussion.

…

“I never imagined our alliance had such a genius!” Along the way, Ye Fenghua praised Lin Xiao repeatedly. Even the vice-presidents could barely get a word in, leaving the group marvelling. Ye Fenghua himself was a prodigy, rarely lavishing such praise on any disciple.

Ye Yu, nearby, turned liver-red with frustration and finally stormed off.

“You flatter me, Alliance Leader. I just got lucky with spiritual energy,” Lin Xiao said, surprised by Ye Fenghua’s warmth. He hadn’t expected the nation’s top spirit controller, the illustrious Ye Fenghua, to be so approachable and generous with praise.

His words were true, though. Refining ten second-grade advanced Explosive Yuan Elixirs at once and excelling in the first two rounds relied heavily on his spiritual energy.

Without it, even with the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor’s memories, he couldn’t have done it.

“Possessing a rare phenomenon like spiritual energy isn’t just luck. In the entire Lanlan Empire, I’ve never heard of anyone else obtaining it,” Ye Fenghua said, marvelling again.

“And even if you got it, you must’ve faced life-and-death trials to refine it, right?” he continued. Spiritual energy was elusive, and even encountering it didn’t mean one could harness it easily.

Lin Xiao nodded honestly. Refining spiritual energy indeed involved life-threatening risks.

“Your talent is truly rare. I have high hopes for you in tomorrow’s final,” Ye Fenghua concluded, startling those nearby. Few earned such confidence from him.

Lin Xiao was mildly surprised too, wondering what Ye Yu would think if he heard this.

“Heimu, since you’re a guest vice-leader from a branch, you’re entitled to alliance privileges. For tomorrow’s competition, request any recipe or herbs you need. I won’t stint on what I can provide,” Ye Fenghua said again.

His words moved Wu Meng, Pang Po, and others nearby. Access to any recipe or herbs at will was a privilege even they didn’t have!

“Thank you, Alliance Leader. I don’t need a recipe, but I do need some herbs,” Lin Xiao replied without hesitation. Tomorrow’s competition pitted him against top third-grade intermediate geniuses, so after a moment’s thought, he said, “I need red tamarisk, yellow cloud fruit, unicorn flame whisker, and some auxiliary herbs for the Ascension Elixir. Does the alliance have them?”

Ye Fenghua was taken aback, “You’re refining the Yellow Heaven Elixir? That’s a third-grade advanced elixir!”