At this moment, everyone was in utter shock, evidently not expecting that the mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage would have such an attitude towards the young prodigy. This was simply unbelievable!

Who exactly is this young prodigy? This is a bit too incredible! It should be known that the position of that mid-aged man in the City Lord's Mansion is not trivial, yet he is so courteous to this young prodigy. Some cultivators in the City Lord's Mansion had only seen this man act this way towards the City Lord, after all, this mid-aged man was known for his impartiality!

Not only were the surrounding people in shock, but the cultivators of the City Lord's Mansion were the most astounded. Clearly, they never expected that this mid-aged man would ultimately adopt such an attitude towards the young prodigy. This is somewhat too incredible. Not only did he let the young prodigy off, but he also allowed him to enter the Great Alchemy Competition through the VIP passage. It is simply too astounding!

Some had already noticed something unusual, clearly, the jade plate that the young prodigy showed was not ordinary. After all, the mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage initially looked at the young prodigy with some disdain, but once he saw the jade plate in the young prodigy's hand, he completely changed his attitude. Evidently, the key lies in the jade plate, leading many people to speculate about what extraordinary object Ding Fan's jade plate could be, to make even the City Lord's people so respectful.

The one with the deepest impression of the jade plate was undoubtedly that mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage. Initially, when he saw Ding Fan's youthful appearance intending to participate in the Great Alchemy Competition via the VIP passage, he was filled with doubt and even disdain. Obviously, he first thought of Ding Fan as a troublemaking cultivator or an unruly and ignorant youth.

But when the mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage saw the jade plate in the opponent's hand, he was completely shocked. He never imagined that the young prodigy was truly a VIP, and not just any VIP but the most honored participant in the Great Alchemy Competition. After all, the mid-aged man was somewhat clear about the jade plate. It wasn't something that ordinary people could obtain.

Thus, when the mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage saw Ding Fan's jade plate, he did not doubt where it came from. After all, the mid-aged man knew that those who had such a jade plate were among the top existences in the Donglai Continent, and even in the entire Cultivation World. Unless those great Gods personally distributed them, there would be no reason for the youth to possess the jade plate.

The mid-aged man remembered that long ago, the City Lord had told him and others, that seeing this jade plate was akin to seeing the City Lord. The jade plate held an extremely prestigious status in Dancheng. He knew the jade plate itself wasn't particularly valuable, but the identity it represented was extremely high both in Dancheng and in the Alchemist Realm.

Therefore, when the mid-aged man at the Nascent Soul Mid Stage saw Ding Fan's jade plate, he immediately understood everything. It must have been his subordinates who made a mistake. A cultivator with such a jade plate wanting to register for the Great Alchemy Competition through the VIP passage was nothing out of the ordinary. Clearly, the guards did not recognize the significance of the opponent's jade plate, leading to such a misunderstanding.

Subsequently, the mid-aged man at the Nascent Soul Mid Stage immediately apologized to Ding Fan and then directly cleared the way for him to register through the VIP passage. At that moment, the mid-aged man also wanted to explain to the cultivators of the City Lord's Mansion, but evidently, time was already scarce. As the registration time for the Great Alchemy Competition was only two hours, delaying any longer might have meant the young prodigy couldn't sign up.

After all, the Great Alchemy Competition was not just any contest; it was likely the largest alchemist competition on the Donglai Continent. Wanting to break the rules for a cultivator could cause significant trouble, so the mid-aged man immediately facilitated Ding Fan's registration to ensure he could participate, believing that anyone who held such a jade plate was undoubtedly not simple, and perhaps his alchemy skills were quite impressive.

The Cultivation World is full of wonders, and the mid-aged man had recently heard that a legendary young prodigy had accomplished something groundbreaking in the alchemist realm and even on the Donglai Continent: restoring an ancient pill preservation method. The mid-aged man had heard of this event, and although he did not know who the prodigy was, he believed it wasn't baseless rumor.

Hence, the mid-aged man no longer looked down on Ding Fan but was greatly respectful. After all, among those in the Donglai Continent, not more than five possess such a jade plate, and the fact that this young prodigy had one indicated his extraordinary nature. If the City Lord found out that due to his own reasons, the youth holding the jade plate could not participate in the Great Alchemy Competition, he would undoubtedly be in serious trouble!

Afterward, the mid-aged man at the Emergence Stage directly led the way for Ding Fan and his companion, making their journey notably smooth. At that time, Ding Fan felt a bit of appreciation towards the mid-aged man, acknowledging that although the initial misunderstanding was his fault, without this mid-aged man's involvement, he might not have been able to participate in the Great Alchemy Competition.

In no time, Ding Fan completed his registration at the VIP area. At this point, the mid-aged man sighed with slight relief and then said to Ding Fan:

"About today's incident, young prodigy, I apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Ding Fan gave a gentle smile and responded to the mid-aged man kindly:

"It's nothing, just a misunderstanding. I also need to thank you today, how should I address you?"

"Just call me Zhang Meng!"

At this moment, the middle-aged man heard Ding Fan's words and spoke very straightforwardly. Ding Fan could tell that Zhang Meng was indeed the kind of very forthright and loyal person. From Zhang Meng's attitude towards him, Ding Fan knew that his jade plate was obviously highly valued in Dancheng, and Zhang Meng treated him with great respect. To put it simply, Zhang Meng was evidently very loyal to the City Lord Mansion.

If the cultivators from the City Lord Mansion weren't loyal, they wouldn't care about what kind of jade plate you were holding. Clearly, Ding Fan understood that Zhang Meng was not that type of person.

Afterwards, Ding Fan and He Qianyao followed Zhang Meng to an exceptionally beautiful house, evidently designed by VIP alchemists for resting during the Great Alchemy Competition. After Ding Fan and He Qianyao entered, they couldn't help but be very satisfied. This place wasn't inferior to the previous inn; the cultivation area had a small Spirit Gathering Array, and it featured various tools for alchemy, including a superior-looking alchemy cauldron.

Furthermore, a few maidservants were always present outside the VIP resting room, serving them. The environment was evidently excellent, and the service very attentive. Ding Fan was quite satisfied with the VIP lounge, although he was not very interested in these places. Even if he were to stand outside to watch the Great Alchemy Competition directly, Ding Fan wouldn't have any objections.

After all, outside, Ding Fan could connect with more cultivators, inquire about the whereabouts of Zhou Ruoran and Gusu Qingwen, and learn what schemes the Wild Wolf Gang might have.

In contrast, He Qianyao clearly felt much better about this place compared to Ding Fan, even delighting in it. After the two entered the room, Zhang Meng left directly, telling Ding Fan and He Qianyao that if they encountered any trouble, they could go to the City Lord's Station at Wuji Square to find him anytime. Ding Fan politely agreed, and then Zhang Meng left directly.

To Ding Fan, he was simply there to participate in the Great Alchemy Competition and wouldn't have too many things needing to trouble Zhang Meng. Yet, at this moment, Ding Fan couldn't help but have mixed feelings about the City Lord Mansion. When he and He Qianyao first arrived in Dancheng, they saw people from the City Lord Mansion openly robbing a young boy's alchemy cauldron. Had he not intervened, the boy's cauldron would have definitely been seized by them, and even the boy's safety would be questionable.

At that time, Ding Fan's impression of the City Lord Mansion was not very good, but since Zhang Meng recognized the jade plate, he must be an important figure in the City Lord Mansion. Still, Ding Fan felt Zhang Meng left a relatively positive impression, leaving him uncertain about the City Lord Mansion. Ding Fan decided not to overthink it; no matter what the City Lord Mansion was like, it had little to do with him.

To Ding Fan, as long as he could figure out the relationship between the City Lord Mansion and the Wild Wolf Gang, and what schemes the Wild Wolf Gang was planning, everything would be clear with no issues.

With that, Ding Fan rested inside the VIP room, knowing the maidservants outside would immediately inform him of everything regarding the Great Alchemy Competition outside. All he needed to do was participate when the time came.

Of course, Ding Fan didn't plan to stay in the room all the time; he needed to gather some information. Otherwise, his purpose of attending the Great Alchemy Competition wouldn't be very meaningful.

As time passed, the entire Wuji Square became incredibly lively, packed with cultivators. Among them were alchemists, ordinary cultivators, and those seeking medicine pills. The place with the most people was evidently the Wuji Grand Square, as it was where the official contests of the Great Alchemy Competition were held.

It's clear that many cultivators had already arrived at the Wuji Square, and the spectator area in front of the grand square was crowded. Many cultivators came early just to secure a close-up position. This was beneficial for both alchemists and ordinary cultivators, as they could learn something valuable by watching the competition from up close.

Besides the Wuji Grand Square, the tea houses around the square were the most popular. You should know that the tea houses surrounding the Wuji Grand Square had small windows where one could view the Great Alchemy Competition. Though the view wasn't as close as in the square, the environment was the best. One could drink tea with friends, boast, and admire the thrilling alchemy contest, which was quite an interesting activity. However, the price at these tea houses wasn't ordinary; it was beyond the means of most cultivators.

Even though they were expensive, each tea house was incredibly lively and full.