Immortal of the Nine Realms

"Alright, you can all start practicing the method. I'll watch," the Era Immortal King said, smiling and nodding at the crowd.

Xia Ji stepped onto the stage, appearing approachable.

Everyone held their breath, seemingly trying to recall the method they had just learned. Some began attempting to condense the pill fire, but halfway through, they forgot a crucial step, resulting in only a wisp of green smoke without any flames.

A light laugh came from below. "Haha!"

One of the people who only managed a wisp of green smoke—his face turned beet red. He lowered his head and left the stage.

He was sure he remembered the method earlier. He didn't understand how he had suddenly forgotten how to execute it.

Several others in the Middle Three Realms experienced similar failures, each leaving the platform after unsuccessful attempts to condense their pill fire. It wasn't until then that one person finally succeeded in condensing it.

A wisp of spiritual flame danced around Ji Liang's fingertips.

"As expected of the Ninth Prince. He grasped the essence of condensing a pill fire in such a short time," someone praised.

"Hmm, you did well," the Era Immortal King remarked, nodding at Ji Liang.

Ji Liang respectfully bowed as he extinguished the pill fire and stood silently to the side, watching the others. The second person to successfully condense pill fire was a young female cultivator. Upon succeeding, she immediately displayed a proud expression and playfully stuck out her tongue toward the plain-clothed woman in the audience.

"The Fifth Princess actually has a talent for alchemy; that's impressive," the plain-clothed woman remarked in a teasing tone.

"Looks like the Fifth Princess will be delving deeper into this path," someone commented.

Another added, "There are no mediocre individuals among the royal sons and daughters; it's only natural for the Fifth Princess to be talented at alchemy,"

The third person to successfully condense a pill fire was a familiar face. He was a kid around eight or nine years old, accompanied by a green ox. It was none other than Ning Tieniu, the young cultivator who had pursued Fairy Yu and had cultivated in his mother's womb for five hundred years.

Ning Tieniu laughed proudly. "Hehehe…."

Seeing that three people had already condensed the pill fire, Feng Ya, who had spent years studying pill alchemy, was now drenched in cold sweat.

He cried out in frustration, "It can't be! I clearly remembered the method; why can't I condense it? Why?"

"What? This is the pill fire? It doesn't seem that difficult," someone remarked nearby.

Feng Ya raised his eyes and saw a wisp of spiritual flame already appearing above Xia Ji's palm….

"You four truly have the talent for alchemy. Would you like to follow me to the Desolate Academy to study the craft?" the Era Immortal King asked with a faint smile.

Many cultivators from various sects gasped in surprise.

The Era Immortal King really intends to take in disciples….

Some others appeared composed, as if they had already known the news and were not surprised at all.

"I'm willing to go," Ji Liang said, taking the lead in bowing respectfully.

Next were the Fifth Princess and Ning Tieniu.

Xia Ji, however, wore a contemplative expression.

"What? You're not willing?" the Era Immortal King asked, looking at Xia Ji with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Xia Ji looked at the Era Immortal King with a calm expression. "It's not that I don't want to, but I'm just thinking... why me?"

Below the stage, the expression of the woman in plain clothes turned taut, her gaze becoming colder. She transmitted her voice into his mind. "Xia Ji, this is your father's wish, as well as that of my royal family. If you want to marry me, you need this status; otherwise, you lack the necessary qualifications." 𝐑ÂɴỔΒË𝘚

"When did I ever say I wanted to marry you?" Xia Ji exclaimed in surprise, then realized why he had felt a strange force pushing him forward.

So it turned out he had already been pre-selected. Had he been kept in the dark all along?

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out, "Era Immortal King, if you want to take on disciples, why not inform us in advance? If you just take on disciples without warning, I suspect there are predetermined spots, which is unfair to the rest of us!"

The crowd was taken aback.

Who dared to speak such rebellious words openly? Were they not afraid of dying?

Everyone looked around but could not find the source of the voice.

Era Immortal King slightly raised the corner of his mouth, glancing in a certain direction. "Young Master Bai, what do you think would be fair?"

"Is it him?" the audience murmured.

All eyes turned to Bai Qingming, filled with wariness, disdain, solemnity, and anger.

"To be honest, Era Immortal King, I have a junior brother who is exceptionally talented. I believe he is also qualified to study alchemy at the Desolate Academy. If I had known earlier that condensing a pill fire would grant entry into the Desolate Academy, I would definitely have let him come up and give it a try," Bai Qingming said, grinning widely.

Fang Chen felt a sense of foreboding and instinctively looked toward Bai Qingming.

"Little Fang, the Void Immortal Sword Sect has never produced a true alchemist. Since even the Heavenly Cloud Emperor has taken notice of you, I think you should give it a shot. Don't miss out on the opportunity your senior brother has found for you. The Immortal King values his reputation; now that I've mentioned it, he certainly won't refuse," Bai Qingming's voice echoed in Fang Chen's ear.

Fang Chen bitterly smiled. He had no interest in going to any Desolate Academy; he was already reaping the benefits of the Heavenly Supreme Pill Technique.

Upon hearing Bai Qingming's words, the crowd immediately became curious. Who was this junior brother he spoke of?

Many influential figures' gazes had already fallen upon Fang Chen. Bai Qingming and Fang Chen might be able to keep things under wraps from ordinary people, but how could they hide it from those influential figures?

"Isn't a sword cultivator from the Void Immortal Sword Sect only focused on the sword? How can he possibly divert his attention to alchemy?" someone murmured.

Xia Ji's gaze shifted, and he immediately cupped his fist toward the Era Immortal King. "Immortal King, while I have some talent, I have a brother whose talent surpasses mine. Could you give him a chance to study alchemy in the Desolate Academy alongside me?"

"How audacious! How can the Immortal King take in disciples with your interference?" someone shouted coldly.

However, the Era Immortal King chuckled, as if recalling something, then nodded gently. "Alright, I admit that I acted on impulse and didn't clarify things in advance, causing many younger generations to lose some opportunities. Here's what we'll do. I'll give you all another chance. Anyone willing to try the pill fire condensing method can come to the stage."

The previously despondent Feng Ya immediately reignited his hopes. He couldn't believe that his talent was worse than Xia Ji's.

As long as he could condense the pill fire, he would surely be able to push Xia Ji out of the way!

Xia Ji and Bai Qingming spoke at the same time.

"Fang Da, come up!"

"Little Fang, go up!"

As the crowd followed their gazes, Ning Tieniu transformed into a streak of blue light and appeared before Fang Chen.

He looked up at Fang Chen with uncertainty and exclaimed, "Brother Fang!?"

Fang Chen smiled faintly. "I thought you've already formed your Nascent Soul; why are you still at the grand completion stage of the Golden Core Realm?"

Ning Tieniu was momentarily taken aback, muttering, "Forming the Nascent Soul isn't that easy. This is the last step of the Lower Four Realms. I need to go steadily."

The crowd wore strange expressions.

"That is Fang Chen, the sword leader of the Void Immortal Sword Sect, right? I seem to remember seeing him in the Ancient Demon Wasteland before."

"When did he arrive in the capital? Why didn't I notice him just now…"

"Is he the junior brother Bai Qingming was talking about? Hmm, compared to those sword cultivators who only think about swords, he might really have the talent for alchemy since the art… also originates from the Daoist sects…"

The woman in the elegant attire, along with Feng Ya and others, flashed a look of surprise as they realized that the cultivator who came with Xia Ji was an extraordinary person.

At that moment, the Era Immortal King spoke again with a smile. "I can give them another chance, but one thing remains unchanged. Only four of you can come with me to the Desolate Academy to study alchemy. It will depend on who among you is the most outstanding."

Upon hearing this, the crowd, including Ji Liang and others, revealed a serious look.

The initially internal decision seemed to have been disrupted by Bai Qingming's words….