"Lu Dachong, just you wait. You'll regret this very soon!" Zhou Tianming declared, sweeping his sleeves as he led the Tianxuan Sect members away.
He knew that Lu Dachong's strength was no weaker than his own. Even if a fight broke out, the Tianxuan Sect would gain no advantage.
"Master Liuyun, don't worry. As long as I, Lu Dachong, am here, Zhou Tianming won't dare lay a finger on you," Lu Dachong assured Ye Yunfei.
"Guild Leader Lu, Zhou Tianming definitely won't let this go! If he truly leverages his connections with the Alchemy Tower, I'm afraid our White Tiger Gang won't fare well! You were truly foolish to provoke Zhou Tianming!" the white-haired elder admonished Lu Dachong.
"What's there to fear? When soldiers arrive, we block them. When water flows, we build a dam! Master Liuyun is my benefactor. Can I possibly abandon him? Enough, Elder Sima, say no more," Lu Dachong stated firmly.
Seeing that further persuasion was useless, the white-haired elder could only shake his head and sigh repeatedly.
"Guild Leader Lu, I thank you," Ye Yunfei said, feeling genuinely grateful for Lu Dachong's actions.
"Master Liuyun, you are my benefactor. Please don't say such formal words," Lu Dachong quickly replied.
"Guild Leader Lu, at the First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm, you've been stuck for at least seven or eight years, haven't you?" Ye Yunfei inquired after sensing the aura of spiritual power emanating from Lu Dachong.
"That's correct. I broke through to the First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm eight years ago, and my cultivation hasn't advanced since. However, that's perfectly normal. The higher a martial artist's level, the greater the difficulty of breaking through, and the more time it requires. Master Liuyun, why do you ask this?" Lu Dachong answered, somewhat puzzled.
"I can help you break through to the Second-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm tonight," Ye Yunfei stated calmly.
"What?! Master Liuyun, are... are you serious?!" Lu Dachong trembled all over upon hearing this, his face immediately lighting up with wild joy.
"Of course, I am serious," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Wonderful! Master Liuyun, just tell me how much money you need! I'll pay anything within my means!" Lu Dachong declared in an extremely excited, trembling voice.
"No money is needed. It's a gift from me," Ye Yunfei smiled.
Since this Lu Dachong had gone to such lengths to protect him, Ye Yunfei naturally wished to repay the kindness by offering some benefits.
"This..." Lu Dachong was so elated he kept rubbing his hands together.
"Guild Leader Lu, you should return to your quarters first. I will send you a message when the time comes," Ye Yunfei instructed.
"Excellent!" Lu Dachong nodded, then departed with his White Tiger Gang members. Their temporary lodgings were in a nearby inn.
Upon returning to his room, Ye Yunfei immediately entered the Illusory Shadow Tower and refined two Heaven-Horn Origin Elixirs.
Last time, he had given two Heaven-Horn Origin Elixirs each to Dean Shangguan and Dean Zhou, enabling them to advance from the First to the Second-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm.
Ye Yunfei was confident these elixirs could help Lu Dachong break through with ease.
"Better to refine one more," Ye Yunfei thought to himself. To ensure Lu Dachong could make the breakthrough tonight, he specifically refined a third Heaven-Horn Origin Elixir!
After finishing the pills, Ye Yunfei used a sound transmission jade slip to send a message to Lu Dachong.
Lu Dachong had been on tenterhooks all along. Upon receiving the transmission, he rushed over like a bolt of lightning.
Ye Yunfei handed him the three Heaven-Horn Origin Elixirs.
That very night...
BOOM!
A powerful surge of spiritual power erupted like a volcano from Lu Dachong's room in the inn.
Fortunately, Ye Yunfei had lent him a set of Formation Flags beforehand, instructing him to lay down an isolation formation within the room before attempting his breakthrough, to avoid drawing too much attention.
Otherwise, Lu Dachong's breakthrough could have flattened the entire inn.
This set of Formation Flags had been taken from that Master Mu in Tianlan City last time and was exceptionally effective.
"Master Liuyun! I've broken through to the Second-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm!" Lu Dachong, ecstatic after his success, immediately sent Ye Yunfei a message.
Soon enough, it was the next day.
The Alchemy Competition Conference finally officially began.
In the center of Alchemy City, next to the tall, spire-topped tower, there lay an enormous plaza.
This plaza was the designated venue for the Alchemy Competition.
At this moment, the plaza was already a sea of people, the clamor shaking the heavens.
In the central area of the plaza, a large open space was reserved, with dozens of dueling platforms lined up in a row.
These platforms were the designated stages for the alchemy competition.
On the eastern side of the plaza, numerous viewing platforms hovered in the air.
These platforms served as VIP seats, occupied by various powerful figures whose auras were astonishing.
Among those seated on these platforms were high-ranking members of the Alchemy Tower, representatives from several top-tier forces of the Central Continent, and delegates from many first-rate sects and families.
Among them, Lu Dachong, leading his White Tiger Gang members, occupied one platform.
Zhou Tianming and his Tianxuan Sect members also occupied their own platform.
"Dean Shangguan!"
As Ye Yunfei entered the plaza and swept his gaze around, he unexpectedly spotted Dean Shangguan on one of the platforms!
Dean Shangguan, accompanied by three of his deacons, had secured a platform.
Other top-tier Central Continent forces, such as the Fengyun Family, Xiao Clan, Su Clan, Divine Wind Sect, and Flaming Heaven Sect, had all sent large contingents comprising elders, deacons, and disciples numbering at least in the hundreds, each occupying a platform.
The only exception was the platform occupied by the Guardian Academy, which seemed the loneliest with just four people.
Moreover, Ye Yunfei noticed that members of the other top forces would occasionally cast mocking, hostile glances toward the Guardian Academy's platform.
"Those alchemy masters who have received invitations from our Alchemy Tower are kindly requested to take their seats on Platforms Five, Six, and Seven!" a Dan Tower elder announced in a loud, clear voice.
These three platforms were reserved specifically for invited alchemy masters.
Only those with official invitations from the Alchemy Tower were eligible to participate in the Alchemy Competition.
Others could only be spectators watching from the sidelines.
Ye Yunfei strode toward Platform Six.
On Platform Six, an Alchemy Tower deacon stood ready to receive guests and inspect their invitations.
Only those with invitations were allowed to enter.
Approaching the platform, Ye Yunfei retrieved the invitation he had received and presented it.
"Master Liuyun? You are not qualified to sit on this platform. Get lost," the deacon stated after a brief glance at the invitation, a hint of scorn flashing deep within his gaze.
"This is the invitation sent to me by your Alchemy Tower. Why am I not qualified?" Ye Yunfei's face darkened.
"If I say you're not qualified, then you're not. What's it to you? Do you take issue with that? Are you thinking of causing trouble at our Alchemy Tower's competition? Perhaps you should first weigh your own worth," the deacon sneered coldly, radiating utter disdain for Ye Yunfei.
"Is that the Master Liuyun? He's been in the limelight lately! But why would the Alchemy Tower obstruct him like this? Did he offend the Tower?"
"He hasn't directly offended the Alchemy Tower, but he has offended the Tianxuan Sect. The Tianxuan Sect Master and the Sixth Elder of the Alchemy Tower are related by marriage."
"So that's the reason!"
...
Many among the crowd in the plaza began whispering and commenting after witnessing this scene.