Chapter 815: Alchemy King's Throne Three Kings Sect

"Xu Shao has succeeded in alchemy!"

The audience excitedly spread the word, each person more thrilled than if they had achieved a breakthrough in their own cultivation.

From start to finish, that man had never disappointed anyone.

And for those who bet on him in the final round, even with the odds dropped to the lowest, it was undoubtedly a huge win!

"Xiao Fu Qu Dan, superior quality."

The first pill submitted to the judges' panel was from the most difficult Spirit Array No. 1 to refine successfully, something no one had expected.

Now, the elders had nothing left to say.

Xu Shao's strength had truly convinced everyone present.

"From a ten-grade alchemy novice to a five-grade alchemy master, this young man did it all in just one alchemy conference..." Lu Chenghui was speechless.

Only at this moment did he fully admit it.

The Chi Jin Liquid from Xu Shao was here to stay; he could never reclaim the market for Chi Jin Dan.

"The competition is over," Dong Ling said with a laugh.

"Yes, at this point, the competition is essentially finished," Shi Ti said, a bit at a loss for words. Xiao Fu Qu Dan was already superior quality—who could compete with that?

Even if Zhu Yan managed to produce a supreme Tian Xing Dan...

In this round, his score would still be higher than Xu Shao's!

But the gap between them from the previous rounds was like heaven and earth.

And if Zhu Yan truly had the strength of a top five-grade alchemy master, he wouldn't have been so utterly outmatched earlier, so he couldn't possibly produce a supreme Tian Xing Dan.

All those "what ifs" were just hypotheticals...

The other alchemists on the stage had clearly witnessed Xu Shao's success in alchemy.

With just a glance at the faint Dao rhythm lingering in Spirit Array No. 1, they knew Xu Shao had refined a master-level pill.

"Utterly unbeatable..."

But since they had prepared themselves earlier, no one stopped their own alchemy; they just sighed inwardly, realizing there are always masters beyond masters and heavens beyond heavens.

"Wanfeng, how much time do we have left?"

Inside Spirit Array No. 1, Xu Shaoxiao had nothing to do and didn't want to miss this last chance to pull off something big, so he turned and asked.

"Xu Shao, you just spent about half a shi chen on alchemy," Xiao Wanfeng replied, puzzled.

That means I still have half the time left... Xu Shaoxiao thought briefly, his heart stirring.

Xiao Fu Qu Dan was difficult.

But relying on his experience, he had succeeded.

With this experience of refining a five-grade pill, he basically had a grasp on where his own strength stood.

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream of it, but now that he'd reached this point, Xu Shaoxiao had to start thinking about it.

In this world, alchemists were highly sought after.

Acquired pills could be used by Xian Tian Lian Ling masters.

Master-level pills were the hard currency in transactions among Wang Zuo powerhouses.

A five-grade alchemy master was strong enough, but not enough to make Wang Zuo-level experts or above pledge their loyalty.

But a four-grade alchemy Wang Zuo, just with that badge alone, would have terrifying influence across the continent.

Especially if he was not an old man, but a young man with unlimited potential.

Four grades might be the limit for others.

For a young person, it was far from it.

Given time, reaching three grades as a Wang Zuo, or even two grades, one grade as a Dan Sheng, or beyond one grade as a Dan Shen... anyone could see that potential.

In the past, Xu Shaoxiao truly hadn't dared to think he would touch the boundary of a four-grade alchemy Wang Zuo so quickly, so he had always treated alchemy like a game.

But now, he was just one step away...

The "culinary mastery" at Wang Zuo level didn't just provide basic knowledge—it brought advanced techniques.

With that, he seemed capable of refining four-grade Wang Zuo pills even while "culinary mastery" was still at Wang Zuo Lv.1.

Xu Shaoxiao never aimed too high; his reasoning was based on facts.

As a five-grade pill, Xiao Fu Qu Dan's refinement difficulty approached that of a typical four-grade pill.

And for four-grade pills, the minimum requirement was for the alchemist to have Wang Zuo-level Dao realm insight.

Most veteran alchemists fell short in cultivation; they only succeeded after living long enough to gain deep life philosophies, allowing them to imbue the pills with basic Dao realm insight.

Unfortunately for them, Xu Shaoxiao was young, but he was a Wang Zuo in both body and sword Dao.

He was a dual-Wang Zuo master!

His insight into the Dao realm already met the minimum standard for refining four-grade pills—and even exceeded it!

All the hard conditions were met; all that remained was to take the leap.

So why not seize this alchemy conference opportunity to directly claim the alchemy Wang Zuo badge?

"In the past, the people I relied on were either Lao Sang's friends or Ba Zun An's friends. The people I've dealt with, among my peers, were at most Wang Zuo level."

"But once I get the alchemy Wang Zuo badge, with this potential, I could wave it in battle and even recruit Tai Xu experts under my banner—it's not just a dream."

Xu Shaoxiao thought to himself.

He wasn't daydreaming.

At the Zhan Dao or Tai Xu levels, there weren't many things that could truly move them.

Whatever enemies offered to make them act, the temptation of a Sheng Dan would be greater!

Even if not for battlefield maneuvers, in daily life, if I met someone I admired with Zhan Dao or Tai Xu cultivation and a clean background, waving the alchemy Wang Zuo badge would ensure followers.

And these would be my own foundation.

Not from Sheng Nü, not from Sheng Gong, not answering to anyone else...

"Only loyal to me!"

As he thought this, Xu Shaoxiao's eyes flashed with determination.

The alchemy conference had been too peaceful.

That peace came from Xu Shaoxiao not wanting to stir trouble and from Sheng Nü's internal participants.

But after the conference, just like storm clouds gathering...

Xu Shaoxiao could imagine the massive upheaval that the Wang Zuo trials plus Void Island would cause.

Then, after the trials, the Four Symbols Secret Realm would open, and given Ba Zun An's forceful approach—even sending Cen Qiao Fu to persuade me—it's clearly setting up for a bigger chaos!

By then, anything could happen; everything was uncertain.

Maybe in a brawl, Ba Zun An dies, my identity is exposed, and I'd never get the chance for the alchemy Wang Zuo badge in my life.

Then, it would all be too late.

"Turns out, without realizing it, the remaining peace is only now..."

Xu Shaoxiao thought with a sigh. He snapped back, saw Xiao Wanfeng still looking at him in confusion, steadied his heart, and patted his shoulder.

"Go on, go to the judges' panel and request the herbs for a Wang Zuo Dan. If the miracle I'm about to create is something everyone can predict, then it wouldn't be a miracle."

Xiao Wanfeng was stunned.

At that moment, inside the Spirit Array, there was no wind, yet Xu Shao's clothes rustled and his hair flew, with faint treasure light shimmering around him.

After saying that, the young man felt inexplicably excited and loudly replied, "Yes, sir!" before hurrying off to the judges' panel.

"What is he up to?" The audience was thrilled.

Is Xu Shao stirring things up again?

In the final round of the finals, there was still nearly half the time left.

They thought Xu Shao refining a pill would secure the championship, which was already impressive.

But now, this guy was staying true to his style—stirring things up even after stirring them up.

True to form for Xu Shao!

Xiao Wanfeng was negotiating with the judges' panel.

The outsiders couldn't hear the content, but visually, it was a scene of the veteran presidents yelling and cursing, looking utterly frustrated.

This naturally sparked everyone's curiosity.

Until Xiao Wanfeng, under Dong Ling's protection, returned to Spirit Array No. 1 carrying the herbs and wiping sweat from his forehead, as if dodging a storm of spittle.

And right then, a new line of text flashed above Spirit Array No. 1.

The audience exploded.

"Wang Zuo Dan!"

Those three blood-red characters had a natural dominance compared to the plain small text above the other nine Spirit Arrays.

The other competitors on the stage were clueless, but midway through their alchemy, influenced by the atmosphere, they glanced back and saw tens of thousands in the outer stands cheering wildly, faces flushed as if in worship.

The competitors panicked.

"What happened?"

Yu Chu Chu looked blankly toward Spirit Array No. 1.

She had been focused on her alchemy and hadn't even noticed Xiao Wanfeng's trip to the judges' panel.

But if the outer stands were this lively, it had to be Xu Shao's doing!

Alchemy was at its final stage, so Yu Chu Chu didn't dwell on it and quickly refocused.

After condensing the pill, her cauldron burst with colorful light and Dao rhythms.

"Supreme master-level pill!"

Yu Chu Chu was content; she had performed perfectly this time.

Even with time left, there was no need to push further.

First, her alchemy assessment didn't require it here at the conference.

Second, no matter how hard she pushed, refining a five-grade pill took as much or more time than a six-grade master pill.

Yu Chu Chu knew she couldn't compete, so she took her best result, stepped out of the Spirit Array gracefully, and headed to hand it to the judges' panel for her master.

But as soon as she left the array, the wild cheers from the outer stands hit her, the sound waves nearly bursting her eardrums.

"Xu Shao! Xu Shao! Xu Shao!"

Yu Chu Chu: ???

She stared at the outer stands in a daze, realizing her supreme master-level pill hadn't drawn even a single spectator's attention.

Everyone's eyes were still fixed on Spirit Array No. 1.

"Hadn't he already succeeded?"

Yu Chu Chu looked doubtfully at Spirit Array No. 1 and was instantly stunned by the blood-red characters above it.

Wang Zuo Dan!

Yu Chu Chu: ???

"Are you kidding me?"

The young girl widened her eyes to the extreme, almost popping them out: "He's refining a Wang Zuo Dan? He's aiming for four grades? He's going for alchemy Wang Zuo?"

Yu Chu Chu stood frozen for three full breaths, then suddenly clutched her head.

Alchemy Wang Zuo!

What did that mean?

The judges on the panel were only at the alchemy Wang Zuo level!

Though the lowest among them was three grades.

But three grades still counted as alchemy Wang Zuo.

A four-grade alchemist could serve as a vice president in various branches or even become a branch president in a remote county.

Xu Shao, this young man... a peer!

Was he already charging toward four grades?

"And he wants to refine the most precious Wang Zuo Dan?"

Among breakthrough pills, Wang Zuo Dan was the most sought-after and rare.

Because before Wang Zuo, even as a master, you were just a local figure.

But once you became a Wang Zuo, the world was vast, and you could go anywhere.

If your talent was high enough, Tai Xu forces or even Ban Sheng forces would extend olive branches!

Thus, Wang Zuo Dan was in short supply on the market.

It was too hard to refine, time-consuming, and demanded immense Dao realm insight.

Veteran alchemists often lacked cultivation; after refining it, they were exhausted and needed half a month to recover.

Now, with only half a shi chen left in the competition, Xu Shao wanted to attempt this?

He must be mad!

Shocked, Yu Chu Chu held her pill bottle and stood still, walking closer to Spirit Array No. 1 to observe Xu Shao's alchemy.

Until the staff stepped in to stop her, keeping her at a distance.

She used her status to dismiss the staff, insisting she wouldn't interfere, and handed over her pill bottle for them to deliver to the judges' panel.

Then, she stood nearby to learn...

Xu Shao opened the furnace.

The black chicken selected the herbs.

The process unfolded smoothly, his alchemy rhythm flowing like water.

"Does he even recognize Wang Zuo herbs?" Yu Chu Chu was amazed.

She had seen the formula for Wang Zuo Dan, which included many new Wang Zuo-level herbs, but she hadn't studied them, knowing not to aim too high.

There were already so many master-level herbs to memorize—their properties, details—it was tough enough.

Yet Xu Shao seemed completely familiar with Wang Zuo herbs...

One ke zhong.

Two ke zhong.

Time kept passing.

Everyone at the site forgot about the other competitors.

And in the final round, almost no one was rushing to submit exactly on time.

When there was just over one ke zhong left until the end, everyone had finished their alchemy.

After stepping out of their arrays, they all, as if by agreement, gathered near Yu Chu Chu in shock and awe, watching Xu Shao's alchemy up close.

"He's gone completely mad," someone murmured.

"He's stolen all our spotlight..." Zhu Yan muttered.

His Tian Xing Dan had succeeded as mid-grade, so from now on, he was truly a five-grade alchemy master as he had dreamed.

But at that moment, not a single person cheered for him.

Everyone, including the judges, was focused solely on Xu Shao.

Inside Spirit Array No. 1, Xiao Wanfeng could hear the audience's heavy breathing; he noticed all the stares and felt a sense of pride.

And Xu Shao's alchemy clearly couldn't be finished in one ke zhong.

It was only halfway done... with so many herbs left...

Time was up.

The final round's one shi chen finally ended.

Xiao Wanfeng gritted his teeth, feeling he needed to go out and ask the judges not to interrupt Xu Shao's rhythm.

But as soon as he moved, he heard Dong Ling's serious voice:

"Don't interrupt his alchemy!"

Xiao Wanfeng froze, stopped in his tracks, and looked toward the judges' panel.

The eighteen presidents on the panel were on their feet, and even though time was up and the bell had rung, not a single one called for the end.

A staff member hesitated, approached the panel, and reminded them: "Presidents, the finals have gone overtime..."

"Shut up!" Lu Chenghui snapped without turning around.

He disapproved of Xu Shao's style and his playful black chicken alchemy technique.

But at heart, he was an alchemist too. Having risen to be the president of the Tian Yuan City Alchemists Association branch, Lu Chenghui knew what it meant if Xu Shao succeeded.

Who cared about the finals' time limit?

If that young man refined a Wang Zuo Dan today, Lu Chenghui would even set aside his pride and invite Xu Shao to be the honorary vice president of the Tian Yuan City Alchemists Association branch!

Because that talent was terrifying!

The staff member backed away awkwardly.

Time kept ticking.

The finals overtime reached one ke zhong, two ke zhong... half a shi chen!

Finally, Xu Shao reached the last step.

On the viewing platform, Hua Song, like everyone else, was standing; her lips moved as she counted down, and then—boom—it happened.

At the site:

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted, and the Spirit Array shattered in an instant.

Dong Ling vanished in a flash from the panel and reappeared, having pulled Xiao Wanfeng out of the blast zone.

Then, she set Xiao Wanfeng down and landed in front of Xu Shao.

"How did it go?"

At that moment, Dong Ling's voice actually sounded tense.

Xu Shaoxiao looked troubled, hesitant to speak.

Dong Ling's heart sank.

Sure enough, even after breaking the rules and extending the time by half a ke zhong, the Wang Zuo Dan still hadn't succeeded...

But then, Xu Shaoxiao reached into the cauldron and pulled out a pitch-black pill. He brushed off the ash, revealing a golden glow inside, and hesitated as he turned back.

"If it's just mid-grade Wang Zuo Dan, it should still be usable, right?"