On the final plaza of the Alchemist Competition in Qingmu Star Region, the circular stands were packed, and countless gazes focused on the square arena in the center.Four alchemists, who had stood out from tens of thousands of competitors, each stood in a corner of the arena, their medicine cauldrons glowing with an antique luster, and the air filled with the bitter scent of medicinal herbs and the scorching heat of spirit fire.The assessment pill for this final was a sixth-grade pill—the Ice Soul Protection Pill.This pill required extreme cold spirit grass as the primary ingredient, combined with seven rare soul materials. Not only did it demand precise control of the heat to avoid damaging the fragile soul materials, but it also required enveloping the soul power with the strength of ice in the final forming stage. Even a slight mistake would lead to the disintegration of the soul materials, rendering all efforts futile.As the referee gave the command, four light-blue defensive arrays suddenly rose, like transparent domes, enveloping the four contestants and isolating them from all external interference.The moment the formations activated, the four alchemists moved simultaneously.Dongfang Mingyue's movements were the first to attract everyone's attention.She wore a moon-white alchemist robe, her fingertips imbued with a faint Qingmu spirit charm. Her actions of taking and adding medicinal materials were fluid and graceful, like flowing clouds and water.Each herb seemed to come alive in her hands, precisely placed into the medicine cauldron in sequence. The spirit fire remained stable, neither too intense to harm the soul materials nor too weak to cause the herbs to stagnate.Her alchemy rhythm was like a meticulously arranged piece of music, every step seamlessly connected, exuding a pleasing sense of harmony.Not far away, Dongfang Xi displayed a completely different style.Also possessing the holy blood of Qingmu, her movements were more composed, even carrying a hint of extreme meticulousness.When taking herbs, she would carefully measure the weight of each one with spiritual energy, with a deviation of no more than a hair's breadth.Before adding them, she would gently brush the surface of the herbs with the spiritual charm from her fingertips, removing impurities invisible to the naked eye.Her spirit fire was more restrained than Dongfang Mingyue's, constantly circulating along the inner wall of the medicine cauldron, evenly distributing heat to every inch of space—if Dongfang Mingyue's alchemy was 'freehand landscape painting,' then Dongfang Xi's was 'meticulous brushwork,' every detail flawlessly sculpted.On the western arena, the fire control techniques of the white-haired elder, Ren Changhe, were eye-catching.The crimson flame in his hand seemed to have a will of its own, sometimes flaring up like a blazing sun, other times contracting like a candle flame, rapidly refining the medicinal materials inside the cauldron under its control.However, it was clear to discerning eyes that while his fire control was skilled, his analysis and fusion of medicinal materials were clearly inferior to the two geniuses of the Dongfang Family; at least, the entire process was not as smooth.Fu Ze, on the easternmost side, appeared more distressed.In terms of fire control, he was not as seasoned as Ren Changhe; in terms of analyzing and fusing medicinal materials, he was far inferior to the Dongfang sisters.His alchemy process was somewhat clumsy, and the medicinal mist above his cauldron remained slightly turbid. It was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that, barring an accident, he would not only be last but also whether he could successfully form a pill was an unknown.Time slowly passed amidst the hum of the medicine cauldrons and the flickering of the spirit fires, and the finals were nearing their end.When the timer showed 40 minutes remaining, a clear chime, "Ding!" suddenly rang out from Dongfang Mingyue's arena.A light-blue icy mist overflowed from the seams of the medicine cauldron lid, carrying a bone-chilling cold that even caused the spirit fire beneath the cauldron to waver slightly, almost «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» extinguishing.Immediately after, a pill, entirely pure white and faintly patterned with ice, flew out of the cauldron. After circling in the air, it was steadily caught by a white jade porcelain bottle that Dongfang Mingyue raised to retrieve it.She gently capped the bottle, a faint smile gracing her serene face, her movements as composed as if she had just completed an ordinary task."The first pill has formed! It's Dongfang Mingyue!" A murmur of exclamations rose from the audience.When Dongfang Xi saw this, the spiritual energy in her hand suddenly became unstable, and the once steady spirit fire abruptly flickered, causing the medicinal mist within her cauldron to instantly become chaotic.Although she reacted extremely quickly, immediately calming her mind and adjusting the heat, the judges outside the defensive array still keenly caught this momentary error, shaking their heads in silent disapproval—as a mature sixth-grade alchemist, to be so easily disturbed by another's progress, her mental fortitude was already a step behind Dongfang Mingyue. Surpassing her would likely be difficult.After only a moment, Dongfang Xi's medicine cauldron also chimed, and an Ice Soul Protection Pill flew out.Subsequently, Ren Changhe also completed his pill, though its surface bore a faint scorch mark, clearly the result of a subtle error during the process.When the bell signaling the timer's zero rang, Fu Ze's medicine cauldron remained silent, the medicinal mist beneath the lid turbid and murky, clearly a complete failure.The referee stepped forward to announce his automatic elimination. Fu Ze walked off the arena, his face pale, never once looking up.Soon, the three pills were sent to the judges' panel.Ten high-level alchemists from the Alchemist Association sat together, carefully evaluating the pills from multiple dimensions: color, ice patterns, soul charm, and more. The scene was silent, even the audience's breathing softened considerably—the champion of this final would not only receive generous rewards but also gain the opportunity to enter the Imperial Star Alchemist Association headquarters for advanced studies as the top alchemist of the Qingmu Star Region, receiving personal guidance from a ninth-grade alchemist.For any alchemist, this was a life-changing opportunity."Ren Changhe, 75 points." The first judge announced the score loudly. The white-haired elder heard the score, a hint of regret appeared on his face, and he gently shook his head—this score was far from enough to contend for first place. He proactively stood up and cupped his hands towards the judges' panel, his posture open and honest."Dongfang Xi, 85 points."Upon hearing this score, Dongfang Xi's expression subtly changed.85 points was already a very high score, but her tightly clenched fingers betrayed her inner reluctance—her original goal was above 90 points, wanting to prove that she was no worse than Dongfang Mingyue, but in the end, she failed to meet expectations."Finally, Dongfang Mingyue, 95 points!"The moment the words fell, the scene suddenly erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.Xiao Yu, sitting in the front row of the audience, suddenly jumped up, waving her arms and shouting, "Miss won! Miss is first place!"The Dongfang Family bodyguards around her also showed joyful smiles, their tense expressions finally relaxing.And Dongfang Xi stood on the arena, watching the spotlight on Dongfang Mingyue, her face gradually turning grim—This was not the first time she had lost to Dongfang Mingyue in an important competition. From internal family assessments to star region competitions, no matter how much she refined her techniques or polished details, she was always unable to cross that seemingly invisible yet truly existing chasm.She stared fixedly in Dongfang Mingyue's direction, her nails almost digging into her palms, the feeling of unwillingness almost drowning her soul.When Dongfang Mingyue stepped off the stage, Xiao Yu immediately rushed over, excitedly grabbing her arm, "Miss, you're amazing, champion, we are the champion."The bodyguards nearby also offered congratulations: "Congratulations, Miss Mingyue.""Thank you, everyone."A smile bloomed on Dongfang Mingyue's serene face. Winning this Alchemist Competition not only fulfilled her wish but was also a reward for her more than ten years of diligent study, day and night.Those late nights spent in the alchemy room, those fingertips burned by fire control, those hundreds and thousands of times of failure and renewed efforts, all transformed into the most shining medals at this moment.She could finally go to Imperial Star and fight alongside her brother, facing that cruel but hopeful destiny together.In the audience, many close-by spectators also rose to offer congratulations, including familiar alchemist colleagues and unknown supporters.Dongfang Mingyue politely responded to each one, a faint smile always on her lips, yet a sense of inexplicable emptiness arose in her heart—like a grand celebration, bustling with activity, but always feeling as if something was missing, leaving a small piece of the puzzle missing from this joy.Just then, the noisy cheers and congratulatory sounds seemed to be muted, and a clear and familiar voice, precisely cutting through the noisy environment, reached her ears: "Mingyue, congratulations."The voice was gentle, carrying a familiar steadiness that she knew so well, like a spring breeze Brushing a lake, instantly smoothing the emptiness in her heart.The smile on Dongfang Mingyue's face suddenly widened, like an Epiphyllum blooming quietly under the moon on a cold night, shedding all composure and politeness, leaving only pure joy and tenderness.Three days later, Frost Flower Star Spaceport.The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the silver-white starship on the tarmac gleamed with a cold metallic luster.Xiao Yu held Dongfang Mingyue's hand tightly, her eyes slightly red, her voice full of reluctance: "Miss, you must take good care of yourself when you reach Imperial Star. I will come to find you as soon as I finish things here."Dongfang Mingyue gently patted her hand, comforting her warmly: "Don't worry, it's not my first time traveling.".Xiao Yu nodded, her gaze sweeping over the three people beside Dongfang Mingyue: Xiahou Wen, Xiahou Wu, and Qin Tian.Seeing these three strong individuals accompanying her, her worries for Miss largely dissipated—with them escorting her, plus the secret route already planned by the Dongfang Family, Miss would surely arrive safely at Imperial Star."Miss Mingyue, the Captain has sent word that the starship is about to depart. We should board now," Xiahou Wen said softly, looking down at his communicator.Dongfang Mingyue replied, "Okay," then turned to look at Xiao Yu and swept her gaze over the several bodyguards she had been with for many years.Besides Xiao Yu, some bodyguards would accompany her to Imperial Star, while others, due to family ties, chose to remain in the Qingmu Star Region.She waved to everyone: "Everyone, I'm off now. We'll meet again!""Miss Mingyue, have a safe journey!" The bodyguards responded in unison, their voices resonant and strong, their eyes filled with sincere blessings for the girl they had protected for many years—they watched her grow from a young girl into a top alchemist, and now she was heading to a broader world, and they had nothing but heartfelt wishes.Dongfang Mingyue followed Qin Tian and The Xiahou Brothers, turning to walk towards the "Star Moon Ship." The silver-white hull was like a drawn sword, its hatch slowly opening to reveal soft interior lighting.The moment they stepped onto the gangway, the heavy metal door slowly closed behind them, completely isolating the hustle and bustle of the spaceport."Miss Mingyue, Mr. Xiahou Wen, Mr. Xiahou Wu, Mr. Qin Tian, welcome aboard the Star Moon Ship!" A middle-aged man in a dark blue captain's uniform, accompanied by several crew members, came to greet them. He was Captain Jin Zhiyong of the Star Moon Ship.His face bore an enthusiastic smile, yet his eyes conveyed composure—to be chosen by the Dongfang Family to serve as the escort captain for this mission spoke volumes about his ability and loyalty."Captain Jin, you're too kind."Dongfang Mingyue responded with a smile. She knew that every crew member on the Star Moon Ship was an elite carefully selected by the family from its core members, not only having experienced life-and-death trials but also possessing absolute loyalty to the family.For the upcoming journey, they would pilot the starship through a little-known secret route, directly to Imperial Star.At Captain Jin's command, the starship slowly started, its engine emitting a low hum, steadily pulling away from the tarmac and flying towards the vast starry sky.Outside the viewport, the outline of Frost Flower Star gradually shrank, eventually becoming a faint blue dot, disappearing into the darkness.Subsequently, Captain Jin took the four on a tour of the starship.The Star Moon Ship was a luxury business vessel, not enormous in size, but its internal configuration was top-tier—the holographic navigation system in the cockpit could precisely locate interstellar coordinates, the resting areas in the passenger cabins were luxuriously decorated and fully equipped; even more astonishing, it not only featured the most advanced subspace navigation device but also concealed twelve high-energy ship cannons on its sides, sufficient to handle medium-scale interstellar conflicts."Miss Mingyue, next we will enter subspace travel, heading directly to the Euler Star Sector, passing through the Rosetta Stargate into the Central Star Region, and then continuously passing through three more stargates, finally arriving at Imperial Star. The entire journey will take approximately 75 days."Captain Jin brought up the holographic star map and informed Dongfang Mingyue about the details of the journey.Dongfang Mingyue looked at the winding glowing lines on the star map and nodded to Captain Jin, saying, "I'll leave the rest of the journey to you all.""Miss Mingyue, you are too polite, this is our duty." Captain Jin respectfully replied, then turned and walked towards the cockpit, speaking in a deep voice into the communicator: "All units, attention. Subspace navigation device will activate in ten minutes. Energy room, adjust power to maximum. Defense system, enter Level One alert!"A chorus of crisp affirmative responses immediately echoed in the cockpit, and indicator lights throughout the starship rapidly turned red. The engine's hum gradually intensified, transforming from a low tremor into a sharp roar.Qin Tian and The Xiahou Brothers stood by the viewport, their gazes fixed on the starry sky outside—the scattered stars seemed to be pulled by an unseen force, beginning to show subtle distortions, and ripples like water waves appeared on the black curtain of cosmic space."Buzz—!!!"At Captain Jin's command, the subspace device at the bottom of the starship suddenly erupted with a blinding blue light. A circular energy ripple spread outwards from the starship, fiercely impacting the cosmic space barrier.With a crisp sound, as if metal was tearing, an irregular fissure opened on the black curtain of space. Chaotic colors surged within the fissure, like a spilled paint palette, yet it exuded a terrifying sense of void."Subspace channel open, preparing to enter!"The starship, like an arrow released from a bow, plunged violently into the fissure.Qin Tian felt a slight dizziness, as if his body was enveloped by an invisible force, and the scene outside the viewport instantly changed dramatically.The familiar starry sky disappeared, replaced by a chaotic and disordered realm of chaos: the sky was filled with rolling dark purple clouds, through which eerie green electric arcs occasionally flashed, like the eyes of some colossal beast lurking in the shadows."Subspace."Qin Tian looked out the window, his eyes deep.

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