The Sycophantic Bird

Shi Yu teased it on purpose, sweeping her divine sense across it before taking out the pill furnace President Liang Guan had gifted her.

The little fellow flew up and down anxiously inside the Fate-Tapping Bell, its beautiful tail feathers leaving long trails of light in their wake.

“I'll let you out in a moment,” Shi Yu said, her eyes curving into smile crescents.

By this time, the other alchemists were also retrieving their pill furnaces one after another.

For a time, the dull thuds of pill furnaces of every shape and size landing on the stage echoed incessantly.

The pill furnace Shi Yu produced was a solid Tier-3 High-Grade pill furnace. It was dark gold all over, speckled with subtle glimmering light, and bound by multiple interconnected restrictions on its surface—a testament to the painstaking effort the craftsman had poured into it.

This was the finest furnace President Liang Guan could refine for her given the tight schedule. However, with everyone now laying bare their foundations, many long-passed-down furnaces were brought forth. Looking across the stage, Tier-3 pill furnaces were a common sight, and even Tier-4 pill furnaces could be seen. In comparison, Shi Yu's furnace appeared somewhat unimpressive.

In particular, Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu each produced a Tier-4 High-Grade pill furnace.

The furnace Yin Wenzhou held was named the Purple Cloud Wildfire Furnace, an heirloom treasure of the Hengze Prefecture Alchemist Association. Aside from the Tier-5 furnace currently in the hands of President Yin Shixiu, this was the finest furnace they possessed. The body alternated between purple and gold, carved with a coiling fire dragon whose scales were inscribed with numerous restrictions. One could tell it was extraordinary from its aura alone.

Master Ji cursed under his breath, “That old fox Yin Shixiu actually gave him this furnace.”

Looking at Qin Qingmu, the young mistress of the City Lord's Mansion, the furnace she presented was equally remarkable. It was pure green, shaped like a lotus, and exuded an ancient charm. It even seemed slightly superior to the furnace in Yin Wenzhou's hands.

Gently stroking the furnace, Qin Qingmu scanned the surrounding crowd. When she saw that Shi Yu lacked deep reserves just as she had expected—producing merely a Tier-3 furnace—a touch of satisfaction finally welled up in her heart.

This Jade Lotus Fragrance-Seeking Furnace was a fortunate find that the ancestors of the City Lord's Mansion had obtained from an ancient cave. Supposedly a treasure left behind by an ancient mighty figure, its internal restrictions were intricate and wondrous. When used for alchemy, it reduced the energy required for fire control and stabilized medicinal properties, making it exceptionally practical.

The appearance of these two furnaces immediately drew gasps of admiration and envy from all around.

Seeing this, President Song could not help but remark, “If only my Tier-4 furnace hadn't been soul-bound with a blood drop.”

That way, he could have brought it out for Shi Yu to use.

However, the moment he finished speaking, his expression froze, and his lips twitched. The evil cultivator named Pei Yanji drew a Tier-5 pill furnace from his sleeve.

The moment this pill furnace appeared, it drew every eye on and off the stage.

The furnace was pitch-black, covered in countless cracks as though it might shatter at any moment. It radiated a gloomy, ominous aura, with cold glints flickering across its surface. Frosty vapor rose from its mouth, giving off a bone-chilling cold that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Setting the furnace on the ground, Pei Yanji cast a disdainful glance at Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu, his lips curling into a cold sneer.

Yin Wenzhou and Qin Qingmu exchanged a glance, their expressions darkening. Qin Qingmu in particular had barely held onto her satisfaction before it was shattered, leaving her to grit her teeth in frustration.

A Tier-4 furnace and a Tier-5 furnace were worlds apart.

Shi Yu's eyes also swept over Pei Yanji's furnace as she slightly frowned. This furnace...

Possessing profound insight and a broad perspective, she recognized the function of the restrictions on the furnace at a single glance.

“Blood Demon Fiend... It can devour the blood of all living things to refine for its own use, using blood essence to boost medicinal potency during alchemy. Truly the methods of an evil cultivator.”

Judging by the dark runes surging with bloody light, who knew how many living beings it had devoured?

Shi Yu's eyes chilled slightly. She thought to herself that if an opportunity arose, she would definitely destroy this furnace.

For now, completing the test was what mattered.

Returning her gaze to her own furnace, Shi Yu did not feel it was lacking or inferior. Currently, she did not have high demands regarding a furnace's tier. While a furnace's quality certainly affected the process, alchemy ultimately depended on the alchemist's skill level.

So long as she wasn't refining Tier-4 pills or above, this Tier-3 furnace was more than sufficient.

By this time, the well-informed among the audience had already discovered Shi Yu and Pei Yanji's identities. Word spread rapidly from person to person through the crowd.

“He came from Wanchou Prefecture? So he really is an evil cultivator!”

“He better not snatch first place, or this grand competition will become a laughingstock!”

“I don't think so. Yin Wenzhou possesses formidable strength and seasoned experience, while Miss Qin studied at Shiyan Academy for ten years. Pei Yanji came out of a chaotic place like Wanchou Prefecture; can he really compare to their heritage and background?”

“He brought out a Tier-5 pill furnace, for goodness' sake!”

“Stop arguing, stop arguing! Just keep watching. Though it's truly surprising that Miss Shi comes from Lingtai Prefecture.”

...

After the pill furnaces came the flames.

Shi Yu intended to conserve her strength, so she did not plan on bringing out the Void Fissure Spiritual Flame. The others had clearly been advised similarly, as many held back and brought out fire seeds they had prepared beforehand.

Qin Qingmu drew a stack of charcoal glowing with spiritual light from her spatial ring, carefully placing it into the furnace. With a flick of her hand, she lit it with a small spark, and instantly, bright flames flickering with azure light leaped within the furnace.

Someone knowledgeable in the audience gasped: “Charcoal made from Azure Cloud Willows! A single catty costs over a thousand spirit stones... How extravagant!”

Looking at Yin Wenzhou, he produced a piece of tree trunk as thick as a barrel, within which a faint deep-blue flame flickered. Channeling his spiritual energy, he guided the flame into the furnace.

“Thunder-Struck Wood Heartwood Fire! Hss... All of them are top-rate treasures!”

The crowd couldn't help turning their eyes toward Pei Yanji.

Earlier, he had awed everyone by producing a Tier-5 furnace. What kind of fire would he use now?

A smile touched Pei Yanji's pale, handsome face. He swept his hair back behind his head, and when his hand returned to the front, a bright red toad was perched on his palm.

He tossed the toad upward. It landed firmly atop the chamber of the furnace, opened its mouth, and spat out a clump of flame as thick and red as blood.

“Is that...”

Someone cried out in shock, eyes filled with disbelief: “Fire-Absorbing Blood Toad! That's a Fire-Absorbing Blood Toad!”

A commotion rippled through the spectators, who showed expressions of terror, disgust, or greed.

This kind of spirit beast inhabited the deep underground beneath war-torn lands, feeding on magma steeped in blood. The flame contained within its body was exceptionally scorching and tyrannical, offering incredible efficiency when refining spiritual plants—outperforming both the Azure Cloud Willow charcoal fire and the Thunder-Struck Wood Heartwood Fire.

Both Qin Qingmu and Yin Wenzhou suffered slight shifts in expression, realizing that whether in furnace or flame, they had fallen behind.

Both felt as though facing a formidable enemy, realizing that what had seemed a guaranteed victory might genuinely suffer a sudden turn of events.

President Song and Qin Yu exchanged a silent glance, apprehension and murderous intent arising in their hearts toward Pei Yanji. If his alchemy skills were lacking, it wouldn't matter. But judging by this, he was not only supernaturally strong but also deeply backed. If so, the outcome of this grand competition was up in the air.

They could not possibly allow an evil cultivator from Wanchou Prefecture to seize first place. That would be the biggest laughingstock under the heavens—to the point where anyone mentioning the Alchemy Exchange Conference in the future would only laugh mockingly and shake their heads.

While everyone was lost in thought, Shi Yu finally released the Seven-Color Luan from the Fate-Tapping Bell.

A clear, resonant bird cry echoed as a bird dragging long tail feathers flew out from thin air, hovering and circling high above while radiating an extraordinarily lively aura.

The bird was hardly larger than a palm, yet its tail feathers measured four or five feet in length. Unlike the scarlet down feathers covering its body, its tail feathers displayed seven distinct colors, bathed in a brilliant radiance. Its body was light and nimble; as it danced through the air, its spread tail feathers dragged behind it glowing streams of seven-colored light like flickering fireflies—dazzling and vibrant, as if a rainbow were slowly dancing in the sky.

“A Five-Color Luan?!”

“No, wait, its tail has seven colors! That's... a Seven-Color Luan!”

“How... How is this possible...”

Seven-Color Luans existed only in legends and ancient texts; no one had seen a single trace of one for centuries. Furthermore, their nature was intensely proud—they would die before submitting, making them nearly impossible to tame as spirit pets.

And yet now...

The crowd watched dumbfounded as the beautiful figure of the Seven-Color Luan flew joyously through the air before descending upon Shi Yu's shoulder with immense intimacy and affection, rubbing its head against the young woman's cheek.

Shi Yu curled her fingers and stroked its fluffy head.

The Seven-Color Luan narrowed its small eyes in bliss. When Shi Yu slightly pulled her hand back, intending to stop, it hopped up anxiously and nudged her hand with its head.

This entire scene was captured clearly through the shadow-recording stone mirror for everyone to see.

In fact... one could even faintly sense a trace of sycophancy emanating from the Seven-Color Luan.

All doubts and confusion harbored by the crowd vanished completely when the Seven-Color Luan, following Shi Yu's command, breathed a burst of Seven-Color Glazed Fire into the pill furnace.