In the wide rocky clearing between the end of Pei Xuan’s eight-lane asphalt highway and the towering stone gates of Tiger-Jaw Pass, two hundred thousand pairs of eyes stared at the center ring.
On the eastern side of the clearing stood Immortal Advisor #3: Master Pill-Fire.
Even though his lower stomach was still rumbling softly from the sour-plum breeze—forcing him to stand with his ankles crossed like a crane with a twisted leg—the old Rank 5 Alchemist held his chin high in the air. In front of him gleamed his six-foot-tall Rank 5 Nine-Dragon Purple-Copper Cauldron, carved with nine snarling fire-dragons whose open mouths glowed with crimson spirit-runes.
Up on the pass walls behind him, tens of thousands of Royal Guards who had finally finished emptying their stomachs leaned over the battlements, pale and shaky-legged, watching eagerly to see what kind of healing medicine would be refined.
On the western side of the clearing, right on the white stop-line of the highway, Boom-Pot Sun walked forward carrying his battered, five-foot-wide Unbreakable Black Iron Wok on his shoulder, followed closely by Pei Xuan, Old Guo, and four supply wagons loaded to the brim with crates of mountain herbs, jars of golden spirit-honey, and whole carcasses of clean, pink desert lamb!
