Chapter 572: Turning Waste into Pills

Another day passed.

Only four people remained in the alchemy arena. Bao'er added the final bits of herbs into the furnace in a different sequence.

Two more days went by, and almost everyone had either succeeded in creating eighth-grade pills or failed, losing their chance to compete for the Eternal Alchemy Platform.

The plaza was silent. Word had spread that the female alchemist was trying to make pills from waste residue.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Yet, the Alchemy Sage did not stop her, so everyone waited. Somehow, there was a glimmer of hope mixed with disbelief, a paradoxical feeling.

Another day passed, and finally, Bao'er's hand seals decreased the intensity of the flames, indicating the pill was about to form.

Could she really succeed?

With a wave of her right hand, the lid of the furnace flew open.

A burst of golden light shot out from the furnace.

"It's done? How is that possible? Pills from waste residue?" someone exclaimed.

As a round, golden pill flew out of the furnace, everyone was stunned. She really did it. How could this be? This female alchemist was amazing!

It seemed impossible!

Not until Bao'er caught the pill on a jade plate did everyone snap out of their trance, staring intently at the pill.

"Alchemy Sage, please inspect it," Bao'er said seriously.

The Alchemy Sage, filled with astonishment, examined the pill. He could achieve this too but didn't expect Gan Bao'er to do it so effortlessly and successfully.

After a careful inspection, he declared, "An eighth-grade Bitter Vulture Pill! Congratulations, Friend Gan!"

"Impossible, how can it be an eighth-grade pill?" someone shouted in disbelief.

He couldn't accept that the female alchemist succeeded with waste residue, something he couldn't do with proper herbs. It was too much to bear.

The Alchemy Sage looked around. Everyone's eyes mirrored the same disbelief.

The Alchemy Sage smiled slightly, "Please pass it around for inspection."

He handed the jade plate out, and almost everyone eagerly wanted a closer look.

Not far away, Crown Prince Chongtian's eyes were filled with coldness. She succeeded? Creating an eighth-grade pill from waste residue, while the Taishui Empire's alchemist exploded his furnace? His face darkened.

"Hmph!" Crown Prince Chongtian snorted coldly.

But the snort was too soft for anyone to hear. Everyone's focus was on the pill made from waste residue.

Bao'er returned to Zhong Shan.

"Master, I did not let you down!" Bao'er said excitedly to Zhong Shan.

"I knew you could do it. Here is the servant who tampered with your work. You can deal with him," Zhong Shan replied.

"Thank you," Bao'er nodded gratefully.

"Blue Flame Emperor, Dragon and Tiger Alchemy Sage, do you have any objections?" Zhong Shan asked them.

The Dragon and Tiger Alchemy Sage smiled wryly and nodded, while the Blue Flame Emperor, Lan Tianwei, looked coldly at the servant, "Emperor Zhong, Friend Gan has proven her point. This matter is our fault. You may deal with him as you see fit. I will not interfere."

After Lan Tianwei spoke, the servant's body tensed, his face filled with panic. He glanced at Crown Prince Chongtian in the distance but didn't dare to plead for help. Gritting his teeth, he faced Bao'er with a look of resigned determination and said, "I acted alone. Do what you will with me!"

He admitted it? Everyone was shocked. This servant was courting death!

Moreover, to cause trouble at the Grand Alchemy Gathering was to antagonize everyone present. Almost everyone glared coldly at the servant.

"Since the Blue Flame Emperor has said so, I won't hold back. I need to trouble the Emperor with one more thing," Bao'er suddenly addressed Lan Tianwei.

"Friend Gan, feel free to ask. As long as it is within my power," Lan Tianwei nodded.

"I want the Blue Flame Emperor to investigate his entire family. I will exterminate his whole clan!" Bao'er said coldly.

Exterminate his whole clan!

The words from Bao'er's mouth made everyone shudder.

Exterminate his whole clan? This woman was ruthless!

Even the Blue Flame Emperor showed a hint of reluctance. This...

The servant, hearing the words "exterminate his whole clan," trembled. His earlier resolve to face death vanished, replaced by sheer terror as he looked at Bao'er.

Bao'er only showed her soft side to Zhong Shan. Against enemies, she was merciless and decisive. She believed that sparing enemies was akin to betraying oneself. Bao'er was not that kind of person.

Killing him meant killing his entire clan!

The Dragon and Tiger Alchemy Sage frowned but said nothing. The Blue Flame Emperor, however, became hesitant.

"Exterminate his whole clan? Friend Gan, isn't that too much?" the Blue Flame Emperor frowned.

"Your Majesty, it's all my fault. It has nothing to do with my family. Your Majesty!" the servant immediately knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

Bao'er looked at the Blue Flame Emperor in surprise. Was this the kind of statement an emperor would make?

Could such a person become a great emperor?

"Such a person doesn't deserve to have their whole clan exterminated!" a voice suddenly spoke up.

Everyone turned to look and saw it was Xu Fu, the first to complete his pill.

Xu Fu had watched Bao'er's alchemy until the end, a hint of admiration in his eyes. When he saw Bao'er about to deal with the servant, he spoke up.

"Sir, please persuade this Lady Gan. My family is innocent!" the servant pleaded to Xu Fu.

Xu Fu looked at the servant with a cold smile, "Persuade? You brought this upon yourself. The Grand Alchemy Gathering cannot tolerate your impudence. I said his whole clan shouldn't be exterminated, not that they shouldn't be punished. You deserve to have your nine clans exterminated!"

With Xu Fu's words, the servant froze.

Exterminate nine clans? How ruthless!

The servant shrank back in fear.

Others looked at Xu Fu.

"This is the law of Great Qin!" Xu Fu said solemnly.

The law of Great Qin? The crowd suppressed their unease.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" the servant again pleaded to the Blue Flame Emperor.

"Friend Gan, I promised to give you an explanation earlier. Rest assured, I will fulfill your request," the Dragon and Tiger Alchemy Sage suddenly spoke.

With the Alchemy Sage's words, the servant knew it was over. Pleading to the Blue Flame Emperor was useless now.

Exterminate my entire clan? Exterminate nine clans? Gan Bao'er's demand was to exterminate the entire clan. Would his whole clan really be wiped out? He had acted so heroically just now, hoping to ensure a better future for his family. But now, it was all gone! All because of him!

Turning his head, the servant looked towards Crown Prince Chongtian in the distance.

"Crown Prince Chongtian, please save my family, save my family!" The servant immediately crawled towards Crown Prince Chongtian.

"Get lost!" Crown Prince Chongtian kicked the man away.

"Crown Prince Chongtian, I did everything you told me to do. Even if you won't save me, at least save my family!" the servant cried out in terror.

"Whoosh—"

The servant's plea instantly caused an uproar in the crowd.

So, Crown Prince Chongtian was the mastermind behind this. No wonder he had entered so arrogantly before; he had planned this all along.

"I knew it! He did it on purpose, even caused the furnace explosion to sabotage many alchemists!"

"Does the Taishui Empire want to disrupt the Grand Alchemy Gathering's rules? Is he challenging the whole world?"

The crowd quickly began to discuss, their gazes turning accusatory towards Crown Prince Chongtian, their collective rejection palpable.

As the servant's words echoed, he realized his mistake and looked up to meet Crown Prince Chongtian's cold stare.

From the start of the Grand Alchemy Gathering, Crown Prince Chongtian had been holding back his anger, which had been building up until it finally erupted.

Rising, Crown Prince Chongtian stepped towards the servant.

Suddenly, a golden foot, formed entirely of energy, appeared above the servant.

With a mighty stomp, it brought down a vast pressure directly onto the servant.

"Boom—"

A thunderous crash echoed, leaving a ten-zhang footprint on the ground, sending a powerful wave of energy and dust in all directions.

At this moment, everyone was abruptly reminded that Crown Prince Chongtian was an unparalleled powerhouse, with an Emperor's realm cultivation and the Three-legged Golden Crow, capable of overwhelming most people here.

"Crown Prince Chongtian, I demand an explanation!" the Alchemy Sage suddenly said coldly.

An explanation for what? For that stomp, or for orchestrating the servant's sabotage of the Grand Alchemy Gathering?

Crown Prince Chongtian snorted coldly, ignoring the Alchemy Sage, and turned to Zhong Shan's group.

"Today's humiliation, I will repay a hundredfold!" Crown Prince Chongtian's voice was icy, sending shivers down the spines of those around him.

"I will remember your words," Zhong Shan replied coldly.

"Let's go!" Crown Prince Chongtian turned and flew away.

His followers quickly trailed behind him. For Crown Prince Chongtian, the chance to compete for the Eternal Alchemy Platform was lost. He had stayed only out of a lingering hope and curiosity about Bao'er's results with the waste residue.

Now, having incurred public wrath, there was no reason to stay. There was nothing left to keep them there.

They came in high spirits but left in defeat.

Crown Prince Chongtian's mood was foul as he left, his departure uncomfortable.

The others watched Crown Prince Chongtian leave in silence.

Once he was gone, Bao'er turned to the Dragon and Tiger Alchemy Sage and said, "Thank you!"

"It was the least I could do. I apologize for the trouble you faced," the Alchemy Sage said, a trace of guilt in his voice.

Bao'er nodded, saying no more, and sat behind Zhong Shan. The icy, murderous demeanor she had displayed was gone, replaced by a gentle, loving woman.

Many who saw this scene swallowed hard, feeling a mix of emotions.