"Hmph, just wait. When I beat you in the competition, let's see how arrogant you'll be then," Liu Ling thought to himself, clenching his fists tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the pressure.
Xiao Se noticed Liu Ling's change in demeanor, but he paid it little mind. His purpose for attending the Alchemist Competition was simply to fulfill his promise to Fu Lan Ke and to obtain the six-grade Spirit Fusion Pill formula for Queen Medusa. He also planned to use the opportunity to gather information about Little Doctor Immortal through the alchemists from the Izumo Empire. What others thought was irrelevant to him.
Sitting quietly in his seat with his eyes half-closed, Xiao Se patiently waited for the competition to begin. Suddenly, a commotion arose from beneath the VIP section, drawing Xiao Se's attention.
A group of people were greeting acquaintances. Leading the group were Nalan Jie, Miteer Tengshan, and an unfamiliar elderly man. Following behind them was Mu Zhan.
Judging from the grand display and the powerful aura of a Dou Wang emanating from the old man, Xiao Se guessed that this was Mu Chen, the head of the Mu family, one of the three great families.
Among them was Ya Fei, the woman who had taken Xiao Se's first kiss the day before. She was walking behind Miteer Tengshan, her exceptional charm and beauty instantly drawing the attention of the crowd.
Perhaps she was the true source of the commotion.
After greeting the elders, Ya Fei blushed slightly and turned her gaze towards Xiao Se.
They exchanged smiles.
However, when Ya Fei saw Yao Yue and Nalan Yanran sitting next to Xiao Se, the blush on her face disappeared, and her eyebrows subtly raised, revealing a slight hint of jealousy in her heart.
Just yesterday, he had kissed her, and now he was surrounded by other women.
But upon noticing that Xiao Se wasn't particularly close to the two beauties beside him, she felt a bit relieved. Smiling sweetly, she took a seat behind Xiao Se and said, "Xiao Huo, little brother, you better perform well this time. Everyone's watching."
"Although I'm not an alchemist, with Xiao Huo's strength, I believe making it into the top three shouldn't be an issue," Nalan Yanran chimed in with a smile, surprising everyone.
"You're right, Sister Yanran," Ya Fei replied, her slender eyebrows arching slightly before she nodded in agreement. She had already sensed that while Nalan Yanran may not yet be in love with Xiao Se, she was clearly developing a strong interest in him. And when a woman begins to show interest in a man, it's often the start of affection. Just like herself!
Sitting nearby, Yao Ye noticed the subtle rivalry brewing between the two beauties, both equally stunning as herself, and smiled. She realized that these two women might be starting to compete for Xiao Se's attention. As she glanced at Xiao Se's relatively ordinary yet fair face, she thought, "He's not even that handsome. So why does he attract such outstanding women so easily?" [T/N- MC is wearing a mask ]
Recognized as three of the most beautiful women in the imperial capital, with Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect Master, seated nearby, Xiao Se found himself surrounded by four extraordinary beauties, drawing envious and resentful gazes from the crowd. One might think Xiao Se had wronged them in some way to evoke such intense jealousy.
Under Xiao Se's bright presence, Liu Ling, who was sitting next to Nalan Yanran, felt utterly overshadowed. Once the center of attention, he now seemed insignificant.
Breathing in the mix of four distinct floral fragrances and sensing the waves of envious stares, Xiao Se felt both pained and amused. Straightening his posture, he closed his eyes and patiently awaited the start of the competition, trying to ignore everything around him.
However, to some, Xiao Se's calm demeanor seemed like arrogance.
At that moment, Liu Ling's gaze was like a venomous snake, filled with cold malice.
He swore that he had never hated anyone as much as he hated Xiao Se at that moment.
Therefore, he was determined to win this competition. He had to crush the person in front of him underfoot and prove to Nalan Yanran that he was the only man worthy of her.
As time passed, the moment for the competition finally arrived.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the vice president of the Alchemist Association, Qie Mi Er, struck the bronze gong on the VIP platform, its loud sound silencing the entire venue.
As the gong's sound slowly faded, the old and wise Fa Ma's previously clouded eyes sharpened. Standing at the front of the VIP platform, his gaze swept over the thousands of alchemists participating in the competition, and he announced loudly:
"In the name of the president of the Alchemist Association of the Jia Ma Empire, I hereby declare the official start of the First Alchemist Competition of the Jia Ma Empire!"
The sound of thunderous applause filled the air as the crowd erupted in excitement.
"Now, would all the contestants please take their seats!" Fa Ma smiled faintly as the heated atmosphere intensified, his voice, empowered by his immense Dou Qi, reaching everyone present.
Among the contestants, led by Liu Ling, many alchemists, frustrated by Xiao Se's monopoly over the capital's three most beautiful women, were boiling with indignation. They all wished they could leap from the VIP platform, dozens of meters above the ground, to demonstrate their boldness.
However, the height seemed to exceed the abilities of these pampered alchemists. Reluctantly, they took the stairs down from the sides to reach their seats.
"Useless bunch," Liu Ling sneered disdainfully as he watched them. Approaching the edge of the VIP platform, he unfolded an iron fan, tossed it into the air, and lightly tapped the ground with his toe, leaping from the platform. He landed gracefully on the fan, which cushioned his fall before spinning back into his hand, earning him applause and admiration from many girls in the crowd.
After landing smoothly, Liu Ling cast a provocative glance at Xiao Se.
"What a show-off," muttered Yao Yue, sitting beside Xiao Se, as she turned her gaze towards Xiao Se, surrounded by three beautiful women.
At the same time, everyone in the arena, including the three beauties, the strongest among them, and even the four Dou Huang experts and the Dan Wang experts, instinctively turned their attention to Xiao Se.
Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Xiao Se smiled awkwardly and said, "It seems I have no choice but to jump today."
"Haha, young man, sometimes being a little arrogant isn't a bad thing," Fa Ma chuckled.
Xiao Se reluctantly nodded and stood up.
Without warning, a burst of green Dou Qi erupted from within him, and in an instant, he disappeared from where he stood.
He reappeared in the air above the VIP platform, flashing through several green afterimages before landing beside a stone platform near Liu Ling.
His robe and hair fluttered in the air, surrounded by a wave of green energy. As the energy dissipated, his robe and hair settled back into place. Throughout the entire process, Xiao Se had kept his hands behind his back.
The thousand alchemists participating in the competition stood in stunned silence, staring at the stone platform where Xiao Se now stood.
At that moment, he seemed like a god to them.
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