Chapter 19

It was just a spirit-grade elixir, yet the furnace couldn't withstand it.

Jiang Liuya looked helplessly at the rickety alchemy furnace in front of her.

The scene of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill was still vivid in my mind. The violent tremors under the scorching heat still made me shudder. In the future, if I were to refine immortal-grade pills, this furnace would be even more overburdened.

Jiang Liuya thought to herself that she should definitely replace the alchemy furnace.

However, the Imperial Pill Sect is currently too poor; they can't even scrape together a few crystals.

“A few days ago, I saw that the market in Xingyun Town was recruiting cultivators to participate in a competition. The winner of the competition can get one hundred high-grade crystals.” Li Yuan mentioned casually, with a hint of longing in his voice: “But it requires cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage to participate.”

"One hundred high-grade crystals?" Jiang Liuya's eyes lit up.

One hundred high-grade crystals is no small amount. If one could obtain them, they would be more than enough to exchange for a fine alchemy furnace.

This competition was organized by Lingbao Pavilion.

Lingbao Pavilion is an organization that specializes in selling rare and exotic treasures, and it is said that it is backed by the Nine Netherworld Gate.

The Nine Nether Sect is a notorious evil cultivation sect in the Western Continent's cultivation world. Most of its members are Gu cultivators, and their actions are unpredictable and ruthless.

Lingbao Pavilion deals in all sorts of things, from rare treasures and exotic herbs to countless elixirs. Its long-term survival suggests it has powerful backers. However, for most cultivators, as long as they can benefit from it, who cares who's behind it?

"I've already reached the Foundation Establishment stage." She clenched one fist and gently patted it into her other palm.

Although she has only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage and is only at the threshold for participating in the competition, who knows if she doesn't give it a try?

Even if we don't win a game, we can still take it as a learning experience.

On the day of the competition, the market in Xingyun Town was bustling with activity.

The square was bustling with people, mostly low-level cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, who had gathered to watch the excitement.

The arena for the competition was set up in the center of the square, surrounded by flags that fluttered in the breeze. Below the arena, the audience was buzzing with excitement.

Jiang Liuya attracted attention the moment she appeared. Dressed in green, her robes fluttering in the wind, she stood tall and graceful. Her exquisite face was framed by captivating, mesmerizing eyes. The beautiful female cultivator's appearance instantly silenced the previously noisy scene, all eyes fixed on her.

Her opponent was a burly male cultivator, gripping a longsword tightly in his hand, radiating a sharp sword aura—clearly a swordsman. The swordsman had been fully focused, preparing for a thrilling battle. But when he saw his opponent's appearance, he was surprised; he hadn't expected to be facing such a beautiful female cultivator in this arena.

For a moment, the swordsman's palms sweated, and his body stiffened involuntarily. His originally firm fighting will wavered slightly in that instant.

"The competition begins!" The referee's booming voice echoed across the arena.

The sword cultivator stood frozen in place, somewhat bewildered. He seemed to have forgotten that he was currently in the arena, facing a battle.

Jiang Liuya frowned slightly. She had originally planned to wait for her opponent to attack first, then carefully observe their moves, find an opening, and launch a counterattack. After all, in battle, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. But now, her opponent was motionless like a puppet, and she couldn't just wait like this any longer.

She spread her arms and swung them forcefully. In an instant, the spiritual energies of water and fire burst forth. The water vapor and flames intertwined, forming a powerful and scorching force. Water and fire are two mutually restraining elements, but under Jiang Liuya's control, they were perfectly fused together.

When water meets fire, it instantly turns into billowing steam. The scalding steam, carrying intense heat, engulfs the sword cultivator. The sword cultivator feels a blinding white light before his eyes; the intense heat makes it almost impossible for him to breathe, as if he were inside a giant steamer.

Only then did he realize he was in a competition arena, and if he didn't show his true skills, he would be kicked off the stage soon. He swung his longsword with all his might, creating a series of sword shadows. The longsword seemed to come alive in his hands, emitting crisp whistling sounds.

However, he was already completely surrounded by this scalding heat and lost the initiative.

Jiang Liuya's attack was very strong. The steam not only blinded him, but was also extremely hot, making the sword cultivator feel as if he were in lava, his whole body was being burned, and every inch of his skin was enduring painful torment.

"We can't lose like this!" The sword cultivator's fighting spirit was ignited. He roared and swung his longsword with all his might, releasing a sharp sword aura. The sword aura was like a bolt of lightning, carrying the force to tear through the air, and attacked Jiang Liuya. Wherever the sword aura passed, the air was cut with a "sizzling" sound.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Liuya's defense was also very strong. The wind created by the interaction of hot and cold air formed an invisible barrier around her. That barrier seemed weak, but in reality, it skillfully deflected the sword energy, diverting it to the surroundings. It was like a transparent shield, tightly protecting her within it.

The sword cultivator's attack struck the barrier, but most of it was neutralized, leaving only a few weak sword energies that slowly approached Jiang Liuya, only to be easily dodged by her, unable to cause her any real harm.

Jiang Liuya moved swiftly, appearing behind the sword cultivator like a gust of wind. She formed a hand seal once more, her spiritual energy transforming into a hurricane. The wind, like an invisible hand, swept up and enveloped the male cultivator, throwing him off the arena.

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me!" Jiang Liuya smiled as she looked at the sword cultivator who had fallen off the stage, clasped her hands in a fist salute, her movements elegant and composed, as if those fierce moves just now were merely casual gestures.

At this moment, the sword cultivator lay disheveled below the arena, his clothes slightly disheveled. He stared at the graceful female cultivator on the platform, his eyes filled with shock. Initially, he had considered holding back, after all, it wouldn't be good to hurt such a beauty. He never expected that this stunningly beautiful, seemingly delicate female cultivator would possess such strength.

Although she was initially misled by her beauty and lost the initiative, her opponent was indeed exceptionally capable and cunning, and she accepted her defeat wholeheartedly.

"This female cultivator is amazing!" the onlookers exclaimed in amazement. "Not only is she beautiful, but her strength is also so formidable; she is truly admirable."

The following matches went surprisingly smoothly.

Jiang Liuya was very lucky; the opponents she was assigned were of similar cultivation level to herself, mostly cultivators in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

She was very confident that as long as the difference in cultivation level was not too great, she would definitely be able to defeat the opponent.

Soon, the finals arrived.

The final match drew a large crowd, with many cultivators arriving early to secure spots near the arena. Most of the spectators were Qi Refining stage cultivators; higher-level cultivators, focused on their cultivation, generally didn't participate in such events.

"This year's competition at Lingbao Pavilion seems to be more lively than in previous years," a passing cultivator casually remarked.

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but this year's competition is exceptionally pleasing to the eye," another cultivator replied from the side.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" the cultivator asked in confusion.

“You’ll see when you get there,” another cultivator replied.