Wei Jianbai was quite confident, after all, his opponent was only at the early stage of Immortal Monarch.
In his eyes, they were like undeveloped children.
He was a genuine Immortal Emperor powerhouse, already considered one of the most formidable figures atop this world.
An Immortal Emperor could occupy a city and become its lord.
In the Immortal Realm, all confidence stemmed from strength.
Without strength, everything was mere talk; even alchemy or artifact forging required the backing of power. Without it, who would grant you such respect?
No one was foolish. If the Alchemy Sect wasn't supported by an ancestor at the late stage of Immortal Venerable, would ordinary cultivators grant them such deference?
It would truly be a case of doing whatever refining they asked you to do.
This was also why sects like the Alchemy Sect or the Artifact Sect, despite their own immense strength, maintained a group of people within their ranks.
It was all for the sake of their own power.
After all, if nothing else, only immense strength was truly reliable.
Seeing Wei Jianbai's assurance, Bei Jisi's eyes held a smile. "Jianbai, your master is truly fortunate to have such an outstanding disciple as you. It is also a blessing for our Artifact Sect."
Wei Jianbai was the disciple of Elder Zhang, a prominent figure in the Artifact Sect, and the most outstanding young disciple in recent years.
Not just within the Artifact Sect, but Wei Jianbai's exceptional talent, when placed anywhere in the Immortal Realm, marked him as a favored child of heaven, one of the very best.
After both sides had outlined the rules, Mu Liangchen turned to Bei Jisi and asked, "We are ready. Are you?"
"We have been ready for a long time. If you weren't, we would have waited for you," Bei Jisi replied, his eyes filled with unshakeable confidence.
"No need. We are already prepared," Mu Liangchen stated calmly.
"Then let us begin." As Bei Jisi finished speaking, he produced one half of a pill furnace.
The other half was brought out by Mu Liangchen. This pill furnace was specially designed for their competition.
Its structure was unique: the sect masters of both sides would each cast a flame into it, and the contestants would then begin to control the fire. The side with the largest and strongest flame would emerge victorious.
Of course, flames varied in intensity, distinguished by color: red, blue, green, orange, and purple.
A purple flame was naturally the most powerful, and only with such a flame could high-grade pills or artifacts be forged.
As both groups took their positions, the two halves of the furnace were brought together, forming a large cauldron.
Then, Mu Liangchen and Bei Jisi each threw a cluster of flames into the cauldron, officially commencing the competition.
Whether refining pills or forging artifacts, the process of fire control could involve multiple people working together. This ensured the flames burned continuously and prevented them from extinguishing prematurely, leading to an embarrassing situation.
This was why the competition involved five people controlling the flames.
Of course, if one was exceptionally skilled, they could manage it alone.
Xia Feng stood beside Lu Siyao, their eyes meeting with a shared smile.
Lu Siyao, in particular, was both excited and thrilled.
She hadn't expected Xia Feng to accompany her to the competition. In fact, it no longer felt like a competition, but more like a flirtatious game between the two of them.
At the signal, the competition officially began.
The Artifact Sect disciples were the first to act. They approached the match with utmost seriousness, missing no detail. As the competition started, they began to fuel their flames, all five exerting their power, and the fire from the Artifact Sect's side grew increasingly vigorous.
Meanwhile, the Alchemy Sect's side remained slow to react, as if uninvolved.
"Brother Xia, shall we begin?" Lu Siyao asked.
"If you wish to start, then you may go first," Xia Feng replied casually.
"You say start, and I'll start. I'll do whatever you say."
"Then you start. I'll rest for a while."
"Then I'll begin. You rest and come back later."
"Alright, you start."
Damn it...
The Artifact Sect disciples, overhearing their conversation, almost cursed aloud.
If they hadn't seen them competing, they would have assumed they were engaged in some illicit affair.
Furthermore, if it's a competition, why the public display of affection?
With this behavior, even winning wouldn't bring them joy.
Regardless of what the Artifact Sect members thought, Lu Siyao paid no mind. She began to manipulate the flames, slowly transforming them into fire. Under Lu Siyao's control, the flames grew larger and larger.
An expert's touch was evident from the start. As Lu Siyao made her move, the flames instantly ignited, and the momentum of the flames was about to catch up to the Artifact Sect's team of five.
Bei Jisi watched, secretly startled. Lu Siyao's individual effort was already nearly matching their five-person team, so it was natural for him to be worried.
At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief, assuming Xia Feng was merely a spectator with no real utility.
Otherwise, why would a young girl be working so hard to control the flames?
However, he also genuinely admired Lu Siyao. In terms of individual strength, this young girl was indeed stronger than their Artifact Sect's genius disciple, Wei Jianbai.
Of course, this was his private thought; he would never openly admit such excellence.
Many arrogant individuals find it extremely difficult to acknowledge the brilliance of others.
Watching the approaching flames, Wei Jianbai grew anxious. Only when he saw Lu Siyao's dwindling momentum did he finally relax.
If his team of five were defeated by Lu Siyao alone, he felt he might as well die.
Simultaneously, Wei Jianbai mused inwardly: Lu Siyao truly is a genius. If she were my companion, with her assistance, the Artifact Sect would eventually be mine to lead.
Lu Siyao strained to control the flames, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead and the bridge of her nose, her beautiful brows furrowed.
It wasn't that she was striving for victory, but rather that Xia Feng was watching. She didn't want to disappoint him; she wanted to present her best self before him.
In reality, she misunderstood. The best side of a woman is often when she is unclothed, her beauty revealed.
Xia Feng watched Lu Siyao diligently controlling the flames, his mind racing with thoughts.
The first time he met her, although she was already accomplished, she was merely a novice alchemist.
Now, only a few decades later, she was a ninth-grade alchemist, an Immortal Emperor, and possessed considerable skill in fire control.
Lu Siyao could truly be considered a genius.
Unlike himself, who relied on cheats, her talent was truly exceptional.
Of course, people like Susanoo, who also relied on cheats, were a different matter.
Excluding himself and Susanoo, Lu Siyao was the most talented person he had ever seen, without exception.
"Siyao, you've done wonderfully. I never expected you to grow to this extent in just a few decades," Xia Feng said, nodding with great satisfaction.
Hearing Xia Feng's praise, Lu Siyao felt as if her heart were filled with honey. She smiled happily:
"Brother Xia, you're teasing me again. Compared to you, I'm like a firefly next to the radiant moon."