Chapter 24: Xuanji Sets the Stage, Jiang Cheng Sets Out

Night had fallen, yet Lingxiao City remained ablaze with lights. Construction on the plaza continued unabated, the glow of fires and golden light intertwining to illuminate the silhouette of the new city.

Xuanji, the future Saintess of the Danxia Sacred Land, stood in the midst of this furnace-like city. Clad in a cloak, she lingered in a dim corner, watching with cold eyes as a group of disciples from the Sacred Lands labored before her. This method—the "three-shift rotation"—was said to have been invented by the Emperor of the Xia Kingdom, the head of the Jiang family, ensuring that construction on the new city never ceased day or night.

The Saintess observed the crowd. Among them were elite cultivators from the eight major Sacred Lands who had been detained, working alongside commoners of the Xia Kingdom to transport stones and lay the foundations for the city walls. While the Xia Kingdom publicly claimed this was "building a beautiful city together," to her, it looked like a deliberate humiliation of the once-proud cultivators.

"Hmph..." A cold, disdainful smile curled her lips. "It matches the rumors exactly. This Jiang Cheng is using this to showcase the order of the Xia Kingdom, to emphasize how his kingdom stands apart. Yet, these detained cultivators are the pride of their respective Sacred Lands; some are even elders, now being ordered about like this. If this Jiang Cheng truly possesses the legacy of a Great Emperor as rumored, how could he resort to such grandstanding?"

She composed herself and turned to her handmaiden. "Do not alert them yet," she whispered. "There are no negative rumors circulating about the Danxia Sacred Land here, which implies they are somewhat reasonable. However, if I wish to uncover the truth as quickly as possible, I must use a more dramatic approach."

The handmaiden bowed slightly. "Does the Saintess intend to... issue a public challenge?"

Miaoxue Xuanji nodded lightly, her gaze sweeping with arrogant coldness toward the Xia Kingdom's Imperial Academy nearby. "What is the foundation of the Danxia Sacred Land in the Eastern Continent? Our alchemy is our most powerful proof. The eight Sacred Lands failed when they joined forces against Jiang Cheng, but we, the Danxia Sacred Land, were not among them. It seems he has yet to learn of the 'true power of Danxia'."

She smoothed her sleeves, her voice resolute. "First, I shall display my skills in alchemy to show him that the Danxia Sacred Land possesses both the ability and the confidence that sets us apart from those failures. Then, as a victor, I shall openly declare my identity as the Danxia Saintess. This will deter those who underestimate us and provide me with leverage to negotiate with Jiang Cheng."

The handmaiden understood and lowered her voice. "The Danxia Sacred Land’s alchemy is peerless in the Eastern Continent, and you, Saintess, are the pinnacle of your generation across all five continents. You are the favorite to win the Centennial Alchemy Competition of the Chenguang Realm!"

Miaoxue Xuanji’s expression tightened, tinged with pride. "Naturally. The secret alchemy techniques of the Danxia Sacred Land are unparalleled, and having practiced the 'Nine Revolutions of Red Clouds' since childhood, I have mastered our sacred arts. This time, we shall defeat the Xia Kingdom fair and square."

With that, she resumed her guise as a mere handmaiden.

The two made their way toward the most bustling street in Lingxiao City, heading for the platform she had chosen for the challenge: the newly completed Star Plaza. In the center of the plaza stood a temporary high platform, surrounded by alchemical shops, herb merchants, and curious cultivators.

Miaoxue Xuanji surveyed the area, suppressing her cultivation until she appeared to be nothing more than a young female cultivator with a cold and detached temperament. She stepped onto the stage and announced clearly, "My young mistress is an alchemist. We have long heard that the Xia Kingdom promotes the 'shared advancement of mortals and cultivators' and has gathered alchemical talent at the Imperial Academy using the techniques of the eight Sacred Lands. We are here to challenge your kingdom’s alchemists; will you accept?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The rumors of the Xia Kingdom opening up the secret skills of the Sacred Lands had been constant, and those present were more than happy to watch the spectacle. A Xia Kingdom alchemist stepped forward, frowning, his tone polite yet cautious: "Since you come to challenge, you must have your reasons. I am willing to try, but may I ask for your master’s name?"

Xuanji replied expressionlessly, "My mistress prefers to remain low-key. We have no desire to win or lose; we have simply heard that the Xia Kingdom is newly established and holds peerless legacies, so we have come to learn. I, as her handmaiden, shall represent her. If no one dares to compete, then the Xia Kingdom shall be considered to have conceded, and you will be spared further humiliation."

The words caused a stir of offense among the Xia people. Though the kingdom was young, the fact that Jiang Cheng had opened up the arts of the eight Sacred Lands to the Imperial Academy had deeply earned the loyalty of its instructors and students. To look down on the Xia Kingdom was to look down on every alchemist studying within its walls.

"Big words!" someone muttered. Others, however, looked at the woman in red with growing interest, wondering if she truly had the skill to back up her arrogance.

Miaoxue Xuanji stood quietly behind her "handmaiden," a flash of confidence in her eyes. *Jiang Cheng cannot appear so easily. I will give these alchemists a taste of what real skill looks like.*

Several Xia alchemists took the stage one after another. Though not top-tier, they were well-known in the city and hoped to use this opportunity to make a name for themselves. They assumed the two women were likely just trying to gain entry into the Imperial Academy.

However, the "young mistress" did not even lift a finger. The handmaiden simply produced a fiery red cauldron and ignited the "Red Cloud Flame." The temperature soared instantly, and the speed at which she refined the spirit herbs was staggering.

The techniques of the "Nine Revolutions of Red Clouds" were displayed to perfection. Within half an incense stick’s time, a batch of "Red Sun Pills" took form, glistening and translucent. The medicinal fragrance that drifted out left the onlookers in awe.

The Xia alchemists tried in turn, but each could barely keep up; their purification speed and the quality of their pills were vastly inferior. "This woman is only a handmaiden to that young mistress, yet her speed is incredible!" the crowd exclaimed.

The woman disguised as a handmaiden held her head high, basking in the attention as if declaring the superiority of her alchemical arts.

*These Xia people do not even dare to mount the stage,* Miaoxue Xuanji sneered inwardly. *Is this so-called peerless legacy all it’s cracked up to be? How disappointing.*

"Feng Zhongzi, instructor of the Xia Imperial Academy’s Alchemy Department, accepts your challenge."

"Oh! That’s the legendary Feng Zhongzi, who once studied at the outer sect of the Danxia Sacred Land! He’s a guest elder of the Dong family and a master recruited by the Jiang family for the Academy!"

"Show these girls what you’ve got!"

"Even the Saint Sons of the Sacred Lands were defeated by Lingxiao City; what chance do two unknown girls have?"

...Yet, how could a mere outer-sect disciple—or even one who had been selected for the inner sect—possibly defeat the Saintess of the Danxia Sacred Land?

For three consecutive days, the Xia Kingdom suffered defeat after defeat!

Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng had been busy researching the "Emperor's Cauldron" gifted by the system.

"Alchemy really does require talent. Unfortunately, Ruoxi doesn't understand alchemy either. System, explain this—what are the attributes of this bird-brained cauldron, and what is the point of the 'Partner Attribute'?"

The cauldron acted like a copier; once a batch of pills was successfully refined, it could record the process and replicate it indefinitely. The catch was that it only recorded processes performed by him or his partner.

*Could the system have given me a piece of junk?*

"My Lord, the instructors of the Imperial Academy have submitted a joint petition! Someone has set up an alchemical challenge at Star Plaza. The Xia Kingdom has been losing for three days, and no one dares to step up!"

"Oh? I was just worrying about the headache of alchemy. Come, let’s go take a look!"