Supreme Alchemist-Chapter 2392 - 2382: Making a Name

Turning over the thought, Gu Yuan swiftly dismissed it from his mind. What a joke—everyone knew Thunder Leopard had never deceived them, and he was the only one to ever endure Long Yan’s attack. Since even the boss confirmed he was at the Divine Emperor Second Order, what reason did they have to doubt?

Gu Yuan swallowed hard, then stood by Long Yan’s side. He remained convinced that Long Yan was merely hanging on for appearances. It was only under Tianshan Sect’s pressure that their biased methods were forced to halt. Right now, he believed Long Yan wouldn’t even reach his previous mark.

If Long Yan heard Gu Yuan’s thoughts, he would only give a calm smile. After all, Long Yan had truly employed the White Tiger’s Secret to grasp the true essence of the Path to Immortality. Jian Wuchen, standing in a challenger’s position nearby, observed Long Yan with a hint of contemplation on his face.

"Could this guy really be a genius?"

Gu Yuan, too, could be considered a genius within the Sacred Continent, though that was merely a broad categorization. He wasn’t one of those rabble-filled talents. Without Thunder Leopard, Gu Yuan’s cultivation base in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect would certainly make him one of the top talents.

Yet, on this day, Gu Yuan seemed to face the greatest setback of his life. Though he often played the role of Thunder Leopard’s dogleg, being Leopard Brother’s follower was, to him, a badge of honor. But today, that radiant dreamlike sentiment was shattered by Long Yan in one swift move.

"What’s the matter? Can’t keep going?"

Long Yan turned his gaze to the now sweat-drenched Gu Yuan and mockingly uttered the taunt. The two had already reached the second-tier position, and even Long Yan couldn’t help but muster some respect for Gu Yuan. Despite being only at the mid-stage of Divine Emperor Second Level, Gu Yuan clearly outperformed those useless drunkards, though his strength was not unlimited.

"Don’t get cocky. You won’t last, either."

For Gu Yuan, who frequently trailed behind Long Yan by a mere step, his heart was now seething with resentment. Even his earlier resolute determination had long been thrown aside. The Long Yan before him still displayed that same indifferent demeanor, not even breaking a sweat.

In contrast, Gu Yuan looked as if he had been soaked in water. He simply couldn’t fathom why Long Yan was such a naturally gifted prodigy.

"Damn it!"

At the mountain peak, Thunder Leopard furiously slammed the wall beside him, causing the entire room to tremble. Tianshan Sect had shown those spectating remarkable hospitality, equipping every room with mirrored copper panels projected through True Qi onto a large screen.

Thus, all onlookers could clearly see what was happening in the trial. The previously noisy crowd had now fallen silent, and the vast room was eerily quiet.

"The cultivator just now is called Long Yan, right?"

As the question hung in the air, the room erupted like boiling water, filled with intense chatter and debate throughout.

"To leap an entire tier like that—his talent is likely even more terrifying than Su Meng, the Princess of Qi Country!"

"Indeed. I saw Su Meng in an earlier trial, but she seemed nowhere near as effortless as that young man before us."

The room’s conversation revolved around the unexpected dark horse in the competition. The focus, which should have been on Sword Saint Jian Wuchen for clearing the challenge, was instead fully stolen by Long Yan.

Jian Wuchen, of course, remained indifferent to such attentions due to his aloof nature. As for Long Yan, he was unaware that he had become the center of intrigue.

A glint of hatred flickered in Thunder Leopard’s eyes. However, he understood all too well that Long Yan, being such a Heaven’s Proud Son, would undoubtedly attract others seeking to recruit him. If Long Yan wasn’t dealt with during the Tianshan Conference, even the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect might be powerless to handle him in the future.

"But there’s no good opportunity to act right now."

His "secret weapon" had already arrived at the foot of Tianshan, but Lu Wujue’s cultivation base was nothing to scoff at. If that lunatic climbed the mountain, he’d likely be sensed by Lu Wujue immediately. After all, the title of Sword Saint was not merely inflated—every strike of his blade was earned atop mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

There was even the possibility that Long Yan wouldn’t descend the mountain at all. With the principle of proximity to advantage, it was only natural for Tianshan Sect to understand. Thunder Leopard couldn’t believe that after witnessing Long Yan’s talent, Lu Wujue would remain unmoved.

Lu Wujue, indeed, was tempted. To leap an entire tier in cultivation—that level of genius thrilled him. He wanted desperately to take Long Yan under his wing. Even Elder Tiancheng seemed tempted, though the idea of recruiting Long Yan conflicted with Shu Mountain’s established legacy. Shu Mountain’s doctrine, passed down for centuries, prided itself on righteous conduct and couldn’t accommodate disciples whose principles diverged.

Long Yan, at the moment, knew nothing about everyone’s hidden calculations. He sat on the steps, casually watching Gu Yuan crawl toward the third tier’s fourth step at a snail’s pace. His current sorry state caused most onlookers to stifle chuckles.

In his desperate bid to catch up to Long Yan, Gu Yuan had resorted to scrambling on hands and knees, yet the step remained stubborn as an impregnable mountain. Despite exerting all his strength, he couldn’t gain even an inch.

"Should I lend you a hand?"

Long Yan’s tone was kind, but laced with taunting mockery as he watched the laboring Gu Yuan. Faced with the utterly composed Long Yan, Gu Yuan was furious but couldn’t manage a single response. Overwhelmed by anger and the trial’s pressure, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious. freeweɓnovel~cѳm

The outcome was clear. Everyone present could see the results: Gu Yuan had failed even to pass the challenge, while Long Yan remained as calm as he had been at the start.

With a casual wave, Long Yan sent Gu Yuan’s body flying from the mountain, landing in the hands of Tianshan Sect servants tasked with care. To Long Yan, individuals like Gu Yuan weren’t even worthy opponents.

Long Yan then, without breaking a sweat, advanced effortlessly to the third tier’s ninth step. Stabilizing his position as the frontrunner seemed inevitable. Though Long Yan could have ascended all the way to the summit, that would be overly shocking. Thus, he deliberately stopped at the ninth step. The trial ranked participants based on comprehensive performance scores to calculate first and second places.

All Long Yan needed to do was maintain his lead. He didn’t wish to make himself the target of too much attention. Yet, evidently, he had underestimated things. By now, he was already the center of everyone’s focus. The cultivators and onlookers present had their eyes locked onto him, though he remained blissfully oblivious.

Still, many spectators felt irritated. Long Yan, clearly capable of charging toward the fourth tier, had chosen to stop abruptly. This left an uncomfortable air hanging in the room, especially for the defeated Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan had been firmly reduced to a stepping stone in Long Yan’s triumphant climb—an undeniable truth.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m