Crescent Moon Valley lay blanketed beneath a gentle fall of snow, the flakes drifting silently from the overcast sky. Within the warmth of the Alchemy Hall, the scent of spirit tea lingered in the air, soft and calming.
Luo Chen sat at his usual spot, a thick book in hand, engrossed in its contents. His gaze remained focused on the words, even as familiar footsteps echoed behind him—followed by a sigh so heavy it practically carried its own weight.
"Failed again?" he asked without lifting his head.
"...Yes," came Tang Quan's muffled reply.
The young alchemist stood by the door, shoulders slumped, eyes clouded with frustration. The weight of his disappointment was evident. He looked like a man carrying the remnants of too many shattered expectations.
His lack of energy stemmed partly from failing to refine the Myriad Wonders pill and partly due to his low cultivation stage, which drained his spirit heavily during alchemy.
"Failure is normal," Luo Chen said evenly, his tone calm and unaffected. "The birth of any pill—especially one of significance—comes after hundreds, even thousands of failures."
Tang Quan let out a long, defeated breath. He knew those words were meant to comfort, but somehow, they stung even more.
He had thought that being entrusted by Luo Chen to lead the Myriad Wonders pill refinement effort was proof of his potential. But after a full month of non-stop failures—with the best result being a semi-finished product—he could only wonder... am I truly cut out for this?
He glanced at Luo Chen, who sat so composed, reading with serene focus. Can the difference between two people really be this vast?
Luo Chen had begun his journey as a rogue cultivator. No sect, no mentor. No steady supply of resources. Every herb, every artifact, every opportunity—he'd earned it all by himself. And yet, despite such a foundation, Luo Chen had not only refined the Myriad Wonders pill but has refined a pill of significant grade.
Compared to him, Tang Quan felt like an utter failure. He even began to doubt whether he had any talent for alchemy at all.
Perhaps the Hall Leader really is a once-in-a-millennium alchemy genius. Otherwise, how else could he have refined mid-grade Jade Essence pills so quickly? Tang Quan thought to himself.
As he was about to leave, his gaze fell on the cover of the book Luo Chen was reading.
The Record of Dahe's Talents.
"Huh?"
"Huh?" Tang Quan paused, curiosity piqued. "Hall Leader... are you interested in the Debate Platform battles?"
Luo Chen let out a soft hum of acknowledgment. "A little."
The book had been purchased at Whitestone Plaza from a rogue cultivator who called himself the "The Bai Xiaosheng [1] of Dahe."
It contained records of many cultivators on Dahe Market's Elite Prodigy Board, including their battle records and techniques.
Tang Quan chuckled. "These secondhand stories are always exaggerated. Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators are painted like invincible gods. Late-stage ones supposedly flatten mountains with a flick of the wrist."
This time, Luo Chen actually looked up.
Grinning, Tang Quan added, "If you really want to know how they fight, you should ask my uncle—Zeng Wen."
Luo Chen's eyes lit up. Of course! Why sift through flowery prose and glorified rumors when Fellow Daoist Zeng Wen had fought on the platform himself?
***
Five days later!
Under the towering jade plaque of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Luo Chen arrived alongside Zeng Wen.
Oh, and a woman too.
A young woman clung gently to his side, petite and charming. Her eyes sparkled like peach blossoms in spring, and when she smiled, the entire valley seemed a little warmer.
This was Zeng Wen's new girlfriend. She was reportedly from a once-prominent cultivator family now in decline. Her reputation was clean, her background uncomplicated. Recently, Fellow Daoist Zeng Wen had reduced his visits to Tianxiang Tower due to the scarcity of Myriad Wonders pills and his involvement with the Battle Hall.
Perhaps he was turning over a new leaf, as he now seemed intent on settling down.
Now, standing at the ninth stage of Qi Refining, Zeng Wen had become the target of interest for many unmarried female cultivators. The family of this girl had welcomed him with open arms, and judging by their closeness, it wouldn't be long before they become Dao companions.
Luo Chen said nothing, his eyes focused on the large jade plaque at the base of the mountain—a glowing list of names and records from the Debate Platform.
Zeng Wen noticed and laughed heartily.
"Don't worry. I've seen that person on the platform a few times. Although he's at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining, his collection of enchanted artifacts is lacking. The only noteworthy one he has is a top-grade flying sword."
He clapped Luo Chen on the back. "With your strength? As long as you keep your head on straight and don't get careless, you'll beat him easily."
Luo Chen withdrew his gaze from the jade plaque, his eyes sharp with anticipation. The time had finally come.
After registering two days ago, today was finally his turn to step onto the platform.
Zeng Wen, and even the normally silent Duan Feng, had carefully helped him select a suitable opponent and devised a strategy for victory. Considering Luo Chen had staked a low-grade enchanted artifact as a bet and was only at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining, their conclusion had been simple, don't aim too high, not for the first fight.
His opponent was a cultivator named Huang Bin—a regular on the Debate Platform, whose record was mixed but respectable. Despite having more losses than wins, he had extensive combat experience and was at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining.
That made him a solid opponent for Luo Chen, who was still only at the seventh stage.
The match had been officially scheduled for the first round that afternoon by the Sword Pavilion cultivators.
"Let's go in," Luo Chen said with a confident wave of his hand, stepping toward the passageway that would take him to the contestant's lounge.
But Zeng Wen stopped him.
What followed was... not strategy. Not encouragement.
But snack shopping.
Zeng Wen strolled through the market outside the Debate Platform like a man preparing for a festival. First, he made a stop at the Chen Yue Snack Stall, returning with a bag of popcorn, a pouch of celestial beans, and a bottle of yellow pear wine. Then, he detoured to Mi Xu Ice City, bought a cup of milk tea, and handed everything to the peach-eyed girl by his side—his "future Dao companion," as some were starting to whisper.
Then, with a grin, he looked back at Luo Chen.
"Gotta support my boy," he said as he ducked into a betting booth nearby.
"Boss, ten spirit stones on Luo—"