Chapter 26: The Trial Begins, The Saintess Exposed

The Starry Plaza in Lingxiao City was bustling with life despite the deep night. The glow of lanterns and spiritual light intertwined, illuminating the night sky over the new city.

This was the most anticipated event since the founding of the Xia Kingdom. It was also widely considered by the people of Xia to be the greatest challenge their burgeoning power had faced since its inception—a trial that, in a subtle way, forged the collective will of the nation.

The Xia administration mobilized all eight of its executive departments; the entire Starry Plaza was meticulously arranged, and even all ongoing construction projects were temporarily halted. Leveraging the spirit ship transport routes, eight ships traveled between the eight cities of Xia daily, with a constant stream of people pouring into Lingxiao City.

Such an event could hardly compare to the Great Alchemy Assembly of the Five Continents, but for the Xia Kingdom, this was the pinnacle of spectacles. Emperor Jiang Cheng, rumored to be the reincarnation of a Great Emperor from the Divine Realm, was set to compete in person—staking his own marriage, his secrets of heritage, and even the very survival of the Xia Kingdom on the outcome.

"His Majesty, Jiang Cheng of Xia, is about to enter the fray!"

As soon as the news spread, tens of thousands of cultivators gathered around the plaza, with onlookers even packing the rooftops and city walls. How could anyone miss the chance to see the master of the newly established "Xia Kingdom" take action himself?

In the center of the high platform, a woman in red stood with her back to the crowd, her silhouette slender yet radiating a cold, haughty demeanor. The crimson flames flickering before her revealed she was demonstrating some extraordinary art of alchemy. She was none other than "Saintess Xuanji" of the Danxia Sacred Land—a formidable figure who, over the past three days, had effortlessly defeated several alchemists of the Xia Kingdom.

With a sudden flick of her sleeve, the furnace before her erupted in red light, like a volcanic eruption. A wave of scorching heat surged outward, forcing many onlookers who had crowded too close to scramble backward. This furnace was entirely fire-red, engraved with swirling auspicious clouds and Danxia runes. Golden and red hues flickered across its surface, as if wild flames were dancing in fury within.

Among the crowd, an elderly alchemist named Elder Yun—a former outer disciple of the Danxia Sacred Land and now an instructor at the Alchemy Academy—gasped, "The Crimson Cloud Nine-Turn Furnace...? That is a supreme immortal-grade artifact of the Danxia Sacred Land; it is not something one can possess casually."

Many disciples of the Xia Alchemy Academy were astonished: this woman truly had an impressive background. They had called her a "maidservant," but when had a mere maidservant ever been this formidable?

A Saintess of Danxia?

Xuanji pursed her lips, recalling how Jiang Cheng had forced her to take a Heavenly Dao Oath, compelling her to voluntarily serve as his dao companion.

"I hereby swear to the Heavenly Dao: This contest shall consist of three rounds. Each round shall be a fair duel, free from outside interference. I willingly accept the consequences previously agreed upon: I shall wed the Master of Xia, Jiang Cheng, as his... consort. Should Emperor Jiang lose this contest, this marriage contract shall be rendered void. Let the heavens witness this, and may the power of the Great Dao punish any breach. My own Dao heart is inscribed into this oath; should I violate it, I shall surely suffer the wrath of the heavens!"

Jiang Cheng had also taken a Heavenly Dao Oath, but to Xuanji, he seemed somewhat perfunctory, as if he were certain of his victory. Otherwise, how could he have taken such a grave oath so casually?

She pressed her right palm against the furnace wall, her mind racing through every step of the "Crimson Cloud Nine-Turn" technique. She struggled to remain calm. Her identity would inevitably be exposed, but she had to give her all to defeat Jiang Cheng.

Driven by her alchemy techniques and spiritual power, the furnace began to heat up slowly. At the same time, piles of precious spiritual materials provided by the Xia Kingdom lay before her: Black Soul Flowers, Emerald Cloud Ganoderma, Seven-Star Fruit... all essential ingredients for refining a ninth-grade "high-tier elixir."

"In this first round, I must unleash my full strength... I cannot let Jiang Cheng look down on me, nor can I leave myself any path of retreat."

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she reached for the pile of materials. One had to be extremely careful with the order and timing of the heat, a process that tested one’s experience to the extreme. The "Crimson Cloud Nine-Turn" was the signature refining method of the Danxia Sacred Land, and Xuanji had executed it flawlessly every time.

The clamor of the crowd faded into a blur, and in her ears, only the crisp, spiritual refinement sounds from within the furnace remained. Xuanji slowly picked up the Frost-Heaven Fruit. It was one of the primary ingredients, yet it conflicted with the "Nine-Star Lotus Seed." If the heat or the order were even slightly off, the furnace would likely explode.

She dared not slacken, using her spiritual power to create a small ring of fire around the rim of the furnace to draw out the frost from the fruit's skin. Only when she was certain the cold would balance the heat inside did she carefully drop it into the center of the chamber.

*Sizzle.*

A cloud of white mist rose as the fire erupted with tiny sparks—a gorgeous yet perilous display of frost and flame intermingling.

Xuanji’s expression tightened. *Fortunately, I prepared in advance and brought out an immortal-grade furnace. Otherwise, this surge of cold would have clashed with the Crimson Cloud fire, and I would have wasted countless hours trying to harmonize them.*

The rules of the alchemy match did not restrict the choice of furnace. Xuanji had intentionally left this open, confident that since she possessed the sacred treasure of her sect—an immortal-grade furnace—no one else could possibly compete. Even if Jiang Cheng possessed the inheritance of a Great Emperor, unless he held the inheritance of an Alchemy Emperor, he could not possibly own an immortal-grade furnace; not even a holy-grade one!

She felt the temperature inside the furnace shift violently against her palm and quickly shifted her footing, rotating to balance the flames. This required immense focus, high-quality alchemy techniques, and an exacting level of control over her footwork and spiritual energy.

"This is only the beginning. There are still thirty-four materials to be added in a specific sequence... I must remain steady."

Time slipped away. As round after round of materials entered the furnace, Xuanji entered the most critical stage: purification. By now, the sky was beginning to pale with the first light of dawn; the night had passed.

The cultivators in the Starry Plaza kept their eyes wide open, recognizing this as a rare learning opportunity. Usually, alchemy was never performed so publicly. Even the commoners of Xia held their ground, staying up all night to watch.

Xuanji did not stop to rest. Instead, she channeled the most difficult purification technique from her "Crimson Cloud Nine-Turn." With a flick of her finger, a thin, bright white thread of light flew into the furnace, colliding with the churning flames to produce a crisp sound.

In an instant, the onlookers felt the spiritual energy in the air thicken dramatically. The fire was divided by the strange light into several streams, each wrapping around the essence of the various materials.

Beads of sweat formed on Xuanji’s forehead, yet she calmly calculated the purification rate of each material. Hearing the faint vibration of the furnace wall, she felt a surge of pride.

"This is the 'Spiritual Light Separation' technique—a remnant of the Alchemy Immortal arts I only mastered after thirty years of secluded practice. It drastically increases purification efficiency. I shall use this to win and be recognized as the Alchemy Saint of the Five Continents!"

She forced herself to endure the exhaustion, not daring to relax. The vibration of the furnace signaled that the internal heat and spiritual energy were clashing violently. The slightest negligence could lead to the mixture of elixirs, a drop in quality, or even an explosion.

*Hoo...*

*Hoo...*