Chapter 57: Alchemist Grand Meeting's End
--- Chapter 56 ---
[Ding! You have finished the "Alchemist Grand Meeting." quest]
[Rewarding 2x Random Skill and 1x Random Elemental Soul]
"I can't accept this?!" Yan Li shouted to everyone's faces.
"Don't you realize how ridiculous it was for a kid like him to make a 5-Tier Pill? It doesn't make sense."
Baek Ain smiled and commented, "Are you saying I'm cheating in the Alchemist Grand Meeting? How funny because I put the Miteer Family's reputation on the line when entering this competition."
"And cheating isn't my style."
"You, on the other hand." Baek Ain frowned at Yan Li.
"Is very suspicious..."
Under everyone's eyes, Baek Ain grabbed a handful of black crystals from the 1st round and threw them at Yan Li. It caused Yan Li to panic and use his Dou Qi, breaking all the worthless crystals into dust.
Baek Ain grinned and flicked his finger, triggering the wisp of Gnome's Flame within those crystals. A fireworks-like explosion occurred and washed over the area where Yan Li stayed.
BOOM!
"D-Did he just kills him?" A male audience was speechless.
"No way, Baek Ain is a winner. He couldn't be so brave." The other audience commented solemnly.
The charmed female audience cannot accept such slander toward her star. "There is no way Hero Ain would do such a thing. There must be a reason behind it."
"You people are just too blind!"
"Yeah, booo~!!" The other female audience agreed immediately.
Every male audience witnessed this with complicated feelings. They are awed and jealous because Baek Ain could gain such massive popularity and followers in just five hours. But again, he's the winner of the 8th Alchemist Grand Meeting.
'Damned Baek Ain! You lucky bastard!'
Baek Ain's hazel-gold eyes shone with a dim redness, seeing the real Yan Li appear in the cloud of dust. Even though Yan Li consumed a pill to alter his appearance, he couldn't hide from Baek Ain's Cinder Eyes.
As the explosion and dust swept over, everyone could see Yan Li in his new appearance. Or precisely, his actual appearance.
The former young man with an arrogant bearing is "suddenly." replaced by a white-haired elder with a crooked smile. It seems like Yan Li has aged more than fifty years in one breath.
The surroundings become increasingly hot as Yan Li's cultivation bursts from 7-Star Dou Grandmaster to 7-Star Dou Spirit in one swoop, shocking everyone in the Alchemist Grand Meeting.
"Good, good... Brats these days don't know how high the sky is."
"I might die today, but I'll bring at least half of the people here to Yama Realm alongside myself!"
"Catch him, quick!" Fa Ma warned all the powerhouses nearby. He could feel something horrible was about to happen, and his instinct was never wrong.
Hai Bodong and Jia Xing Tian jumped from the altar's edge and approached Yan Li quickly. They watched the wretched man moving toward Baek Ain, widening the audience's eyes.
"No, Ain!" Several female shouts echoed on the altar.
Yan Li clearly has an absolute advantage against Baek Ain, who is just a 5-Star Dou Grandmaster. He released a thick poisonous gas from his body and charged Baek Ain.
"Die, BRAT!"
Baek Ain smiled because a familiar presence appeared, passing through the wind and countering Yan Li.
BAM!
To everyone's surprise, a mysterious lady in black appeared. She wore a yaksha mask and let her long bluish-silver hair sway like a mysterious river.
She stood before Baek Ain and faced Yan Li with a cold aura around her body. "How brave of you to attack Ain..." Her voice is unbearably cold, making every male's heart in the area sink for some reason.
"2nd Place is Yan Xiao. The association will reward him with the 5th Alchemist Pill Recipe and 4-Tier two Medicinal Ingredients of choices."
"or 5-Tier Medicinal Ingredients from our treasury."
"And lastly, 1st Place."
"Bael Ain will be rewarded with a 6-Tier Alchemist Pill Recipe and two 5-Tier Medicinal Ingredients from our treasury."
"Congratulations, young alchemists!"
"You have shown us your talents. I hope you'll become even better in the future!!"
Baek Ain shrugged and accepted the reward without much question. He walked down from the altar with shouts of his name echoing in the back.
"BAEK AIN!"
"BAEK AIN!"
"BAEK AIN!"
As Baek Ain walked to the corridor, the Royal Princess and Liu Ling bowed before him. "Hmm?" He was confused by their sudden act.
"Congratulations on being the 1st Place, Alchemist Baek." Liu Ling praised him with a smile.
"Mm. You're so cool back then." Royal Princess added with a blush.
"It's nothing much." Baek Ain waved his hand casually, showing his humbleness.
They walked together to the preparation hall and heard a shout from behind.
"Wait!" Xiao Yan stopped them.
Baek Ain lazily glanced back and responded, "Yes. Do we know you?"
"I..." Xiao Yan felt a weird sensation when those hazel-gold eyes land on him. "I just want to congratulate you for winning the Alchemist Grand Meeting."
"Oh? Many thanks." Baek Ain smiled faintly. Of course, he knows this guy is Xiao Yan, but he doesn't bother to expose him.
"Then... Goodbye."
Baek Ain knew someone close to Xiao Yan is 1st Singularity, but he couldn't touch the annoying protagonist. He should have laid a better plan and waited for the right moment.
Royal Princess and Liu Ling gazed at Xiao Yan weirdly, following Baek Ain shortly after.
Standing alone in a dark corridor, Xiao Yan watched Baek Ain's back disappear into white light.
He clenched his hands and mumbled, "I won't lose next time..."
Unknown to Xiao Yan, Baek Ain has placed a tracker on him.
...
...
Within a VIP room, Baek Ain stretched his body a little.
[Ding! The system has placed a tracker on Xiao Yan] Alicia reported calmly.
Baek Ain maintained a poker face and replied internally, 'Report his location to me per week.'
[Noted]
'I might leave you alone, but that doesn't mean you are free, Xiao Yan...'
'I'll lure 1st Singularity with your presence.'
'And finish my quest.' Baek Ain closed his eyes while sitting on the sofa.
