The lightning peninsula had changed a lot in the past 15-plus years since the lightning had stopped covering the sky.
The land had transformed into one full of growing trees and plants, and beasts from all around the land had moved in there as well.
People had yet to migrate completely as they were still afraid of the lightning strikes that fell previously. They didn't know what the cause of the lightning strike was, so they were more than scared to move just in case it all started again.
There was a giant arena established in the center of a massive flower field that was actually an alchemy garden established here as this was now the Alchemy peninsula.
People were gathered in the arena as the alchemy tournament was being held in this location.
People from various sects, families, and organizations had come here to take part or watch the Alchemy tournament, which was held by the Five ancient sects.
The judges were from the Five Ancient sects as well and they were sitting around, watching everything take place.
"Lady Li is not even 100 years old, is she?" someone from the Nether Poison sect asked an older woman that was sitting close by.
"Of course," the old lady said. "She still has a decade or two before she reaches that age."
The old lady was Tai Guan, Liz's master. She proudly watched her disciple make pills on the arena down below, just as she had for years after years ever since the tournament had been established.
At first, she wasn't very good at making pills at all. However, slowly over the years, she had improved to the point that she was better than most alchemists that had been practicing for centuries.
With just 15 years of training, she was starting to rank very high amongst all the cultivators in the entire continent.
Tai Guan had asked her disciple about how she got good at Alchemy many times, but she had never gotten any answers back. However, she knew it had to do with Alex most likely. She could see no other way in which she could've gotten better.
'Hopefully, she wins a spot in the top 5 once again. Maybe even top 3,' the old lady hoped.
The people cheered from everywhere as the many participants in the arena made as good a pill as they could.
Liz was somewhere in the middle, focusing on the pills herself.
Yes, she had received some knowledge from Alex on alchemy back when she had first met him. However, she couldn't read it immediately as Alchemy was still shunned at the time. Even 10 years later, she couldn't begin to study it just yet as the Mad Immortal was still around.
However, after the Mad Immortal had died and Alchemy was encouraged by everyone, she finally started learning it.
In 15 years, she was confident in making any sort of pill of reasonable quality.
She finished making the pill and took it out to have it checked. Her pill had reached a comfortable 62% in harmony, which was much better than what most people could reach here.
Once she was done, she walked away to the waiting area. As she did, she noticed the cauldron that was kept on a pedestal.
It was a heavy cauldron, made mostly with the Starforged Tungsten that was found in the endless tunnel. There had apparently been many cauldrons during the aftermath of what had happened 15 years ago, and all of them had already been distributed away.
This one, however, was kept here because no one could seem to find a way to take it away at all. Not only was it extremely heavy, apparently it was also extremely arrogant, not that Liz understood what that really meant.
'Everything Alex left behind was already taken away. I need to at least not let them take this away as well. So, I must get the first place this time around no matter what it takes. I need to gain permission to do so,' Liz thought to herself.
Suddenly, she saw the cauldron shake a little.
"Huh?" she thought for a moment. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things or not. However, it moved once more and she was sure the cauldron was definitely shaking.
'Earthquake? No,' she thought, and yet the cauldron kept moving somehow. 'What's going on?'
By now, some other people were starting to notice as well and were pointing toward it. Not only that, the cauldron shook more and more visibly, and very soon everyone became aware of the phenomenon that was happening.
Five elders from the five different sects gathered around the cauldron to try and figure out what was happening, and yet none of them could realize exactly what was going on at all.
They were conversing amongst themselves to see if they could come up with a reason when they suddenly heard someone speak up from up above.
"Excuse me? Would you seniors mind moving away from my cauldron? He's a little shy around people."
Everyone looked up to the sky to see who the voice belonged to. When they did, they saw Alex slowly float down from the sky with a smile on his face.
"Yu Ming?" one of the women there asked with a surprised look on her face.
Alex looked at the woman and smiled even brighter. "Elder Xuan, how do you do? It's been a while, hasn't it? How's the Frozen Heart sect doing these days?" he asked.
"Yu Ming! You're still alive?" another man asked.
"Oh, hey senior Huang. Yes, I haven't died. I was just somewhere else," Alex said as he landed in between them.
The five of them watched with wide eyes as they couldn't believe that Alex was alive and back after so many years. Many questions ran through their head, but somehow they weren't getting able to get their questions across at all.
"Please excuse me for a moment," Alex smiled and made the group move back a few steps.
He walked up to the cauldron on the pedestal and smiled as he touched its surface. "Hey, Memory! Did you miss me?" he asked.
As if to answer him, the cauldron shook a little.
"Yeah, I missed you too. I'm sorry I left you behind. I should've made sure to take you along with me," Alex said. "Thankfully, I'm back now, and I'm never going to leave you ever again."
The cauldron suddenly shrunk in size as it flew into Alex's storage, surprising every single person there.
"That is your cauldron?" one of the elders asked.
"Yes, I made this cauldron while I was here. I had to leave it behind because of some problems, but I'm back here again to take it," Alex said. "I hear you have made this cauldron a prize for the Alchemy competition you hold. I'm sorry, but I fear that will have to change now."
"Of-of course," the elders quickly said. "It's yours, we can never take it."
"Thank you," Alex said and turned around to look for his aunt who was way too stunned to realize that she was actually seeing her nephew.
"Aunt Liz!" Alex shouted while waving his hand. "I'm back, and look who I brought along with me."
