Chapter 60 Top-Tier Level Two Alchemist
The next day, Wu Shaogan accompanied Zhong Cai to the Jiao Dou Arena.
Tang Lie did not accompany them, but instead accepted the invitation from Shao Ying and other powerful fusion experts to make friends with each other.
The others also went about their own business.
·
The Jade Dragon Battle Arena is different from the previous Battle Arena battles this time, as only three gates are open.
These correspond to Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, respectively.
When Zhong Cai reached the main entrance, she looked up.
The flag, pointing diagonally outwards, bears several lines of large characters indicating that the arena for level two alchemists and weapon makers is located here, and all participants must enter through this gate.
Zhong Cai laughed: "Perfect, no need to take a detour."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly: "It saved A-Cai several steps."
Zhong Cai glared at him, then grabbed his hand and excitedly went inside.
The guards did not stop them.
·
Upon entering, the layout inside was different from before.
Although it is still open-air, it is divided into four areas, each surrounded by jade-like walls.
To the due east is the arena for the Level Two Alchemists.
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "Those of the same level but different types are separated like this. Anyone who wants to see these crafts can go whichever side they want."
That's quite thoughtful.
Wu Shaogan chuckled: "Shall we go in?"
Zhong Cai had no objection and looked around again.
Although it was still early, many cultivators had already arrived, probably not wanting to miss out.
Most of them are ordinary cultivators, not people who want to show off their skills.
A few stood out from the crowd, surrounded by their companions; some looked solemn, while others appeared slightly nervous.
Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan to the right and excitedly said, "Let's go!"
·
Within the alchemist competition area.
In the very center there is a very large arena, which can hold at least a thousand people.
Each area, roughly ten feet in diameter, is a small zone, which should be the place assigned to a master alchemist for refining.
There is a prayer mat in the very center.
A quick count reveals that there are as many as 150 of these areas.
Defensive formations were arranged at the four corners of the arena and between different areas.
In this way, even if a pill refiner's furnace explodes, it will not affect the refining process of neighboring pill refiners.
The cultivators watching from the sidelines shouldn't even think about rushing onto the arena.
The arena is surrounded by several large tiered stands, each capable of seating many people.
Undoubtedly, this is the rule that cultivators who come to watch should not gather around the edge of the arena, but should instead sit obediently at a distance and watch.
·
Zhong Cai stood in front of the arena, examining the setup on it.
Wu Shaogan's gaze fell on the long table on one side, and he gently poked Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai turned his head and remembered that Shao Qing had told him about it.
"Let's go! Let's get our number!"
Zhong Cai then pulled Wu Shaogan over there and smiled at the middle-aged cultivator behind the table, saying, "Senior, I've come to get my number plate."
The middle-aged cultivator looked up and immediately smiled: "Is that Alchemist Zhong?"
Zhong Cai was taken aback: "Senior, do you know me?"
The middle-aged cultivator handed a number plate to Zhong Cai and explained, "Shao Qing is my nephew. I happen to be in charge of recording the numbers for the Level 2 Alchemist competition, so he mentioned the two young friends to me."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Senior Shao Qing is a very warm person."
The middle-aged cultivator, with a gentle expression, also said, "His judgment has always been good."
Zhong Cai raised his eyebrows and bid farewell to the middle-aged cultivator.
Wu Shaogan also nodded slightly to the middle-aged cultivator.
·
The middle-aged cultivator was named Shao Ling, a cultivator who had been practicing the Suspended Illumination Technique. He had always had a good relationship with Shao Qing.
In the previous arena battles, he was mainly responsible for attacking the arena by those at the Suspended Illumination Realm. Moreover, he had exhausted himself trying to interrupt the defense of one member of the Bai family, so he went back to rest early and was unaware of what was happening on the Opening Ceremony Arena.
Shao Qing was very excited last night and kept talking about it to him after they got back.
Today, Shao Ling came to manage the situation in the Level 2 Alchemist Competition Area and immediately recognized the two people that Shao Qing had been talking about.
His cultivation method is very special, and he has a very precise perception of energy.
Therefore, he noticed a very faint but complex medicinal fragrance emanating from Zhong Caidan, indicating that she could refine a wide variety of pills, including quite a few of higher-level ones—that is, reaching the second level.
The other party is only this young. Even if they started refining pills at a very young age, it would be considered exceptional talent to barely become a second-level pill refiner. Moreover, they have multiple kinds of pills, which is quite incredible.
He could also sense that Wu Shaogan's foundation was extremely solid, the most solid among all the enlightened cultivators he had ever seen. Moreover, deep within Wu Shaogan's aura was a hidden, extremely subtle, and dangerous pressure. Even he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease—this usually indicates that the cultivation technique the other party practices is not simple, or that the accompanying treasure is not simple.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Wu Shaogan is only currently undergoing enlightenment; he should still possess very strong defensive capabilities.
If you're unsure whether you can completely crush such a person, it's best to establish a good relationship with them.
·
In just a few brief encounters, Shao Ling had already discerned a great deal.
At that moment, a hand pressed down on Shao Ling's shoulder.
Shao Ling was familiar with the visitor, so he instinctively had no guard up and smiled, "You've arrived very early."
The newcomer then moved to his side; it was Shao Qing.
When Shao Qing came in, he saw Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan leaving the long table. But the couple seemed so intimate that even though he wanted to say hello, he felt it wouldn't be appropriate to disturb them.
So he moved closer to his uncle.
Shao Qing asked curiously, "Sixth Uncle, how is it?"
Shao Ling laughed and said, "Since you want to make friends, then make friends sincerely."
Shao Qing immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
If even Uncle Liu thinks it's good, then it must be very good.
Shao Qing smiled and said, "Then I'll find an opportunity to take them sightseeing in our city."
Shao Ling nodded and sent him away again.
Because another alchemist has come to get a number.
·
Zhong Cai was examining the license plate repeatedly.
"Old Wu, this is number nineteen."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "We did arrive very early."
Zhong Cai held up the number plate and discovered that there was also a miniature defensive formation on it.
Wu Shaogan also saw it and said, "If the furnace fire is too powerful when the alchemist explodes, this formation can protect the alchemist's safety."
Zhong Cai was a little surprised: "That's really thoughtful."
I thought that protecting oneself during a furnace explosion would also be part of the test for alchemists.
Wu Shaogan wasn't surprised and laughed, "Alchemists are precious, so it's only right to protect them."
Zhong Cai thought about it and agreed.
Being a master alchemist is both very important and very difficult. It is not easy to cultivate a group of people with this talent, so naturally we cannot let them fail in the test.
He guessed that the alchemists of those families probably carried such a defensive treasure with them when they were refining pills.
·
At this moment, alchemists began to jump onto the arena one after another.
Zhong Cai didn't rush over; she was still chatting with Wu Shaogan.
Gradually, many alchemists began to sit on the platform.
Seeing that time was almost up, Zhong Cai chuckled at Wu Shaogan, gestured to himself, and said, "Watch me!"
Wu Shaogan smiled gently: "We await A Cai's triumphant return."
Zhong Cai immediately beamed with joy, and in a flash, she was on the stage.
On the 19th, he quickly found his territory.
Wu Shaogan stood quietly in place, watching Zhong Cai sit down, and even winked at him.
He smiled and gave Zhong Cai an encouraging gesture.
·
Besides Wu Shaogan constantly communicating with Zhong Cai, there were also family members, relatives, and friends near the arena who were communicating with the alchemists they knew and encouraging them as well.
One hundred and fifty small areas, each with a master alchemist seated.
The vast majority of alchemists also wear robes in three fixed colors, indicating that they all come from the three top families of Jade Dragon City.
On the first day of the alchemist competition alone, each family produced thirty to forty level-two alchemists.
Those dressed in different clothes must be from other forces—or simply rogue cultivators.
·
Just before the duel.
All the cultivators still around the arena consciously stepped back.
Shao Ling walked to the front of the arena and loudly explained the rules of the competition.
"The competition for second-level alchemists lasts from the beginning of the Si hour to the end of the Zi hour, a total of eight hours."
"Alchemists can refine any level two pills they know how to make. They can prepare the necessary ingredients themselves or apply for them in advance. If they prepare the ingredients themselves, all pills produced belong to the alchemist. If they apply for them, they must hand over 30% of the ingredients."
"Alchemists who refine fewer than three types of pills will have their total score halved. Alchemists who refine three or more types will have their scores recorded as usual."
"The elixir is divided into: one point for inferior grade, two points for middle grade, three points for superior grade, and five points for top grade."
"Alchemists can either provide their own alchemy furnaces or apply for them."
"Alchemists can provide their own wood and fire or apply for it. Applicants must return the wood and fire afterwards and deduct 10% of the cost of the pills as a rental fee."
"There are a total of 150 participating alchemists. Therefore, the top 30 scorers will be able to participate in the final alchemy competition on the fifth day!"
·
Zhong Cai sat cross-legged on the futon, listening intently to all the rules.
It was largely the same as what Shao Qing had told them yesterday.
He naturally provided his own alchemy furnace, medicinal herbs, and firewood.
And what kind of elixirs to refine...
He decided to refine a few that were not so handy.
·
Zhong Cai then took out the alchemy furnace and other such items and placed them around himself.
Then, he glanced around at the other areas with a bored expression.
Each of the alchemists from the family took out a second-grade wood-fire.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but let out a "whoosh" in her heart.
In the area near their Kunyun City, while second-grade wood and fire could be bought, there weren't that many.
As a result, just a casual glance revealed that the three major families alone numbered over a hundred.
Moreover, there are many second-level alchemists participating here...
Zhong Cai couldn't help but think that Kunyun City was a level 5 city, and very few people in the entire city could summon alchemy furnaces. The huge Wu family only had a few alchemists of level 2 or above.
Jade Dragon City has only increased by one level, yet the number of second-level alchemists in just one family is many times that of the Wu family!
Besides, there are other level-four cities near Kunyun City, but I haven't heard of so many family alchemists there.
Is Jade Dragon City somewhat special?
Zhong Cai thought about it again and suddenly didn't find it strange anymore.
These three companies own mines.
With ample family wealth, one can naturally spend more to train alchemists. With the family backing them up, clansmen can hone their skills with greater peace of mind.
Moreover, these families have a larger population base, so the probability of producing alchemists with talent is higher.
·
While lost in these random thoughts, Zhong Cai's gaze remained fixed on Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly as he looked at him. Seeing Zhong Cai staring blankly, he lightly tapped Zhong Cai's brow.
Zhong Cai snorted and came back to her senses.
At this moment, some alchemists on the stage who were not from the three major families were familiarizing themselves with the wood, fire, and alchemy furnace they had just applied for.
A bell rang out.
Shao Ling announced loudly, "The time has come! Esteemed alchemists, please—"
Zhong Cai then turned her gaze away and focused her attention on her alchemy furnace.
He decided to refine three new second-level pills.
Detoxification Pill, Snow-Moistening Pill, Jade Marrow Pill.
These are all carefully selected second-level elixir formulas from Zhong Cai's inherited collection.
·
The antidote pill is used to detoxify. The ingredients are not very complicated. In addition to one essential main ingredient, there are two other main ingredients that can be substituted. Then there are nineteen auxiliary ingredients, nine of which are poisons.
The difficulty of refining a level-two detoxification pill is much higher than that of a level-one detoxification pill.
·
The Snow-Nourishing Pill is a elixir for preserving youth, which can be taken by both male and female cultivators at the Palace Opening Realm.
After taking it, cultivators can freeze their appearance at its peak. Even cultivators with insufficient aptitude or whose appearance has aged after a breakthrough will immediately regain their youth after taking it.
At the same time, the shelf life is quite long.
From the lowest grade to the highest grade, they can preserve youth for ten, thirty, fifty, and a hundred years respectively!
The effects of this elixir are similar to those of the Youth-Preserving Pill, but since the Youth-Preserving Pill came first, and its ingredients are quite different, it had to be renamed. In addition, this elixir has more skin-whitening effects, hence the name "Snow-Nourishing Elixir".
·
Jade Marrow Pill is a type of pill used for body tempering.
This elixir is peculiar; after ingestion, its medicinal power flows automatically according to a certain pattern.
If a cultivator quickly memorizes this pattern, takes this pill regularly, and uses their profound energy to travel along with the medicinal power according to these patterns after taking it, they can gradually cultivate a kind of "jade marrow" in their own flesh and blood.
Chalcedony has a great strengthening effect on flesh and blood.
During battle, cultivators who have mastered the Jade Marrow will unleash it, forming a layer of jade armor on their body surface.
This jade suit can protect cultivators completely. Although its defensive capabilities are only at the peak of level two and can weaken some attacks from level three Xuan weapons, it can resist any abnormal force that does not exceed level two.
For example, even a level-two poison, no matter how potent, cannot break through the jade garment and invade the cultivator's body.
For example, level 2 sedatives and other drugs are also kept out of reach.
For example, if an opponent cultivates a high-level technique with attributes or exotic powers such as corrosion, fire, lightning, or ice, as long as their cultivation level is still at the Palace Opening stage, these powers are highly unlikely to penetrate the jade armor. At the very least, they will be significantly weakened by the jade armor.
·
After leaving Qianqiao Town, Zhong Cai and his group experienced some things, but most of the time, the flying boat simply flew without waves.
After a while, Zhong Cai got a little bored.
Wu Shaogan passed the time by making talismans and processing medicinal herbs for Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai would also activate several array plates to research the refining of some new elixirs.
Because his alchemy practice was intermittent, Zhong Cai had only barely learned how to make these few kinds of pills and had not yet studied or refined them in detail.
They couldn't even achieve a full set of pills, let alone produce a top-grade one.
Therefore, these kinds of pills are far from reaching the level of his refining of pills like the Golden Cauldron Pill.
However, now that he is refining pills in public, these are the most suitable choices for Zhong Cai.
It would prove his alchemy skills were good without being too blatant.
Of course, Zhong Cai would also keep an eye on the refining progress of other alchemists.
If there are many alchemists with excellent skills, it wouldn't be too late for him to bring out those few pills that produce top-grade pills.
·
In the stands.
Wu Shaogan sat alone on a certain floor, with a good view, directly facing Zhong Cai.
He smiled slightly as Zhong took out the medicinal herbs.
Last night, after they got back, the two lay in bed, and A-Cai whispered a lot of plans to him.
Naturally, Wu Shaogan is now fully aware of this.
Moreover, he recognized all those medicinal herbs.
Although only unprocessed medicinal herbs can be used during the competition, he had already processed them many times before.
Wu Shaogan even remembered the refining steps.
·
Zhong Cai flicked his finger, and the firewood he took out went into the furnace with a "whoosh".
At the same time, he had already taken out the three main ingredients of the antidote pill and was working with both hands simultaneously.
His right hand quickly removed the usable parts and threw the unusable parts aside, while his left hand threw the prepared main ingredient into the furnace and quickly made hand seals to manipulate the wood fire.
The whole process went very smoothly.
Before anyone knew it, seven or eight male and female cultivators had begun patrolling the vicinity of the arena.
They were Shao Ling's assistants.
One of the cultivators who happened to be patrolling the back saw Zhong Cai's technique and secretly praised it.
Although it is unknown where the alchemist came from, his series of actions clearly demonstrate that his refining skills are quite high.
·
Zhong Cai was completely immersed in the process of alchemy.
At that moment, he was completely oblivious to his surroundings, his mind solely focused on refining pills.
Before long, the main ingredients in the furnace were melted one after another.
Zhong Cai was multitasking, manipulating the firewood to burn them while simultaneously dealing with the poison that was about to be added.
Level 2 poisons aren't particularly powerful, but Zhong Cai is only a Heavenly Guidance cultivator, capable of refining pills beyond his level, so he naturally can't rely solely on his profound energy to envelop the poison.
Therefore, Zhong Cai had prepared a pair of special gloves in advance, and quickly extracted the usable parts.
There were no mistakes or omissions at all, both before and after.
·
Among the onlookers were quite a few second-level alchemists, or alchemists of other levels, who were preparing to participate in the competition in the coming days.
One of the alchemists who noticed Zhong Cai began to analyze the situation quietly with his companion.
"That alchemist's technique in handling poisons was exquisite. He removed the poison sac very smoothly, without any unnecessary movements."
"Indeed, the venom sac is in an awkward position and can be easily damaged."
"I remember that this kind of poison must be used in medicine with a complete venom sac; if something goes wrong, it can't be used."
A beautiful woman in her early twenties, upon hearing this, laughed and joked, "I remember my cousin Susu also used this kind of poison?"
Then a cute, round-faced girl popped her head out and said sullenly, "Sister Wen, please stop making fun of me."
She sighed, her expression filled with sorrow.
"I've never used this kind of poison before! I've fought it to the death! This thing is a golden-headed savage rat, and its venom sacs are extremely difficult to obtain. I've wasted at least a hundred of them! If it were cheap, that would be one thing, but it's ridiculously expensive!"
Someone asked curiously, "How expensive must it be?"
Qiao Su said, feeling frustrated, "Six hundred gold coins each!"
In an instant, everyone was shocked.
6600 gold coins?
Qiao Wen pondered for a moment: "A second-tier savage beast would cost at least five hundred gold, so this savage rat shouldn't have been sold for a high price. Since only the venom sac is used in medicine, the other parts can be resold."
Qiao Su felt even more aggrieved: "Once the poison sac ruptured, the entire savage rat was poisoned."
In short, it can't be sold!
Several alchemists showed expressions of sympathy.
A level-two alchemist can sell each pill for at least a hundred gold coins, but Qiao Wen wasted at least 60,000 gold coins just to fight this poison! Even those with good skills would feel the pinch!
Qiao Wen asked in a low voice, "What kind of pill are you going to refine? After you use this stuff, how much can you sell each one for?"
Qiao Su almost choked up.
"I'm refining a kind of poison pill, the kind that can fight poison with poison. The ingredients are nine kinds of poisons. The Golden-Headed Savage Rat's venom sac is the main ingredient, and the other eight poisons are auxiliary ingredients. After the pill is made, even a low-grade poison pill will cost five hundred gold coins."
“The auxiliary medicines are easy to collect and inexpensive. I originally thought that although the savage rat was a bit expensive, the venom sacs alone were only a few dozen gold, so the total cost of one dose of medicine was only eighty gold…”
The alchemists all understood.
So even if only one or two pills are produced, and the success rate is only 10% or 20%, there will still be no loss.
A little more will make a lot of money.
Qiao Wen pondered, "Does this poison sac of yours have to be extracted from the flesh of the barbarian rat...?"
Qiao Su nodded silently.
Qiao Wen chuckled and said, "If you want to refine this pill again in the future, just hire a member of the Enlightened Clan to help you. They can help you remove the poison sac, and you can just focus on refining it. Why did you have to be so stubborn and insist on doing it yourself?"
Qiao Su nodded silently again, then pointed to the stage.
"Look, that person is about to release their elixir!"
The other alchemists immediately looked over.
Sure enough, the young alchemist who had removed the poison sac with exceptionally smooth skin had already put all the necessary medicinal materials into the alchemy furnace.
The furnace body trembled slightly.
Several alchemists understood that this was because the medicinal power was rapidly fusing and condensing.
If they were near the stove, they should already be able to hear its low hum by now.
Qiao Su sighed, "I'm far inferior to this person."
Qiao Wen's expression also turned serious: "With the furnace shaking like this, he definitely produced more than three pills."
Level 2 pills, nine in total.
The alchemists all believed that as long as this final step went smoothly, the furnace would produce at least three pills.
In other words, he would at least be at the level of an extraordinary alchemist.
·
Besides the alchemists from the Qiao family, alchemists from the Bai and Shao families each occupied a corner not far away, their gazes sweeping over the alchemists on the various platforms.
They were experts in these alchemy techniques and could understand many of the intricacies involved.
One can judge a person's skill level simply by observing their performance during the refining process.
Naturally, both companies also took notice of Zhong Cai.
Although the alchemists from the Bai and Shao families might not have known that the recipe used the Golden-Headed Savage Rat's venom sac, they still had the insight to see the difficulties involved. Just by watching Zhong harvest the venom sac and then thinking about how they would deal with it, they knew how difficult it was.
They then focused more attention on Zhong Cai.
There are also discussions about Zhong Cai's extraction of elixirs.
·
Wu Shaogan also looked at the alchemy furnace and smiled.
Beside him, Shao Qing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
In fact, he had been sitting here next to Wu Shaogan for more than half an hour.
Over such a long period of time, Shao Qing asked himself if he would glance at Wu Shaogan from time to time, but Wu Shaogan seemed not to notice him at all from beginning to end.
Wu Shaogan has smiled suddenly like this several times.
He would demonstrate his abilities when Zhong Cai successfully prepared certain medicinal herbs, overcame certain difficulties using wood and fire, and put all the herbs into the furnace. Even a layman could roughly see the key points of these things.
Shao Qing felt a bit conflicted.
When Wu Shaogan was defending his title, Zhong Cai could hardly see anyone else—many times it was only when Wu Shaogan took the initiative to talk to Zhong Cai that Zhong Cai would respond.
Now Wu Shaogan is even more outrageous.
Zhong Cai would occasionally consider his presence and show some politeness.
As for Wu Shaogan, he is simply... nobody exists.
Shao Qing shook his head helplessly.
·
Before the alchemy furnace.
Zhong Cai formed a hand seal, guiding the wood and fire to complete the final condensation of the elixir.
He was basically aware of the situation inside the furnace.
The next instant, a rich aroma of medicine burst forth from the furnace, quickly filling the surroundings.
The furnace emitted a crackling sound, as if many beads were colliding with each other, and also striking inside the furnace.
Zhong Cai sat calmly and composedly.
A short while later, all the sounds disappeared, and the strong medicinal fragrance also dissipated.
Zhong Cai then stood up, opened the furnace lid, and took the pills out.
At this moment, a transparent box floated up from one side of the cushion.
Zhong Cai simply threw the pills into the box.
The pills were pale yellow in color, but their brightness varied.
Quality is inherently differentiated.
·
Upon seeing the pills, Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "A-Cai has made progress again."
It was at this moment that Zhong Cai on the stage looked over and their eyes met.
Wu Shaogan gave him a gesture of admiration.
Zhong Cai's smile immediately brightened.
Then, he took out a talisman and waved it at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan's smile deepened.
Zhong Cai directly activated the talisman, channeling its power into the alchemy furnace.
The alchemy furnace was quickly cleaned up.
This talisman is a top-grade, level-two purification talisman, which Wu Shaogan spent a considerable amount of time drawing.
It can very easily and completely remove impurities from the furnace.
Next, Zhong Cai began refining the second batch.
Wu Shaogan continued to look at Zhong Cai with a gentle smile.
·
After Zhong Cai produced the pills, several alchemists who had been following him quickly counted the number of pills.
Qiao Su paid special attention and quickly counted, "One, two, three... seven!"
The others also quickly counted out their names.
Someone frowned and said, "Two low-grade, four mid-grade, and one high-grade."
Qiao Wen's expression was serious: "It's even better than we expected."
Qiao Su took a deep breath: "He's actually already at the level of a top-tier alchemist!"
—A top-tier level two alchemist can produce seven to nine pills, including high-grade pills.
Many alchemists were shaken.
The family has abundant resources and uses a considerable amount of medicinal herbs to cultivate them, all in order to train enough outstanding alchemists.
Over the years, the Qiao family has accumulated a considerable number of elixir formulas, which they have generously shared with their clansmen.
Some of Qiao Wen and the others summoned their alchemy furnaces directly, while others had insufficiently powerful companion treasures and were very interested in alchemy... The fact that they could reach the level of second-level alchemists already shows that they have considerable talent.
Qiao Wen and Qiao Su are among the best of the second-level alchemists in the Qiao family.
Their skill level is that of an extraordinary alchemist.
The two sisters are skilled in four types of level-two pills, each with a yield rate of around 40%. Each batch produces four to six pills, with half being of medium and low grade.
If they take another step forward, they have a very high chance of becoming top-tier alchemists.
But this step is not easy.
Although several alchemists had comforted Qiao Su and suggested she seek help from enlightened cultivators to remove the poison sac, they were actually well aware of why Qiao Su was determined to fight the poison sac to the death.
Besides her stubbornness, Qiao Su also wanted to use this method to hone her patience and improve her skills.
Unfortunately, it ultimately failed.
Otherwise, Qiao Su might have been able to make progress and find an opportunity for a breakthrough.
·
The alchemists of the Qiao family were all somewhat heavy-hearted.
After counting the pills, Qiao Su suddenly asked in surprise, "What is that alchemist looking at?"
Qiao Wen and the others were stunned for a moment, and sure enough, they found that after the alchemist finished collecting the pills, he looked towards a certain spot on the stands.
They followed the alchemist's gaze and looked towards the third level of the stands on the right.
In the middle of that floor sat an extremely handsome young man.
Qiao Wen narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly: "He is an enlightened cultivator."
Qiao Su looked closely and said somewhat embarrassedly, "That alchemist and that cultivator seem to be a couple."
Qiao Wen and the others hadn't noticed this before, but upon closer inspection... it really was true.
The top-tier level two alchemist wasn't particularly surprised by the number of pills he produced; instead, he immediately began exchanging flirtatious glances with the enlightened cultivator.
For a moment, Qiao Wen and the others fell silent.
Qiao Su thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "Perhaps that top alchemist's skill level has always been very high, so he doesn't care."
Qiao Wen and the others also thought about it.
"Maybe."
"Does that alchemist seem to be trying to curry favor or seek praise?"
"They must have a very deep relationship to do this."
"I really didn't expect this. I thought that a skilled alchemist would only have his mind on alchemy."
"I think it's only natural that a top alchemist would be captivated by such a handsome cultivator!"
Qiao Wen said irritably, "Alright! We've already started the second batch. Let's watch the top alchemists' skills instead!"
After this announcement, everyone indeed turned their attention to the next batch of pills.
·
Shao Qing sat to Wu Shaogan's right, feeling somewhat uneasy.
One moment he was marveling at Master Zhong's superb skills, the next he found Master Zhong and Brother Wu gazing at each other tenderly.
That's fine, he's already used to it anyway.
But in an instant, all eyes turned toward them.
Although the gazes weren't directed at him, Brother Wu didn't react at all, and numerous eyes swept over him...
Shao Qing hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to take the initiative to speak and break the awkward silence.
"Brother Wu? We meet again."
Wu Shaogan's gaze slowly turned and landed on Shao Qing.
"Brother Shao."
Shao Qing felt a little relieved and praised with a smile, "I knew that Master Zhong's skills must be extraordinary, but after meeting him today, I realized that I had underestimated him. I was really impolite."
Wu Shaogan calmly said, "A Cai's alchemy skills are unparalleled in the world."
Shao Qing: "..."
Here it comes, it feels so familiar!
Shao Qing paused for a moment, then echoed, "Indeed unparalleled."
Although Brother Wu's words were very straightforward, judging from the 150 people on the stage alone, Master Zhong certainly deserves this praise.
·
Of all the alchemists on the stage, only Zhong Cai has produced an elixir so far.
For cultivators of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, it takes at least an hour to refine a level-two pill and successfully extract the pill.
A master alchemist at the Palace Opening Realm can refine a second-level pill in as little as half an hour.
Of the 150 alchemists, fewer than ten are at the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
Now that Zhong Cai has produced the elixir, the time has been exactly one hour.
Of all those alchemists, not a single one succeeded.
In fact, at least more than a hundred alchemists have already had their furnaces explode.
They were all surrounded by protective light shields.
This was precisely the effect of the numbered array being activated, blocking the residual impact of the explosion.
These alchemists also took out their tools for cleaning the alchemy furnaces, and some of them also used talismans.
However, it takes them some time to clean it up, and many of them use high-grade talismans before personally cleaning the details.
·
When Zhong Cai's second batch of pills was halfway through, other alchemists finally produced pills.
These alchemists were very careful, taking out the pills and placing them into the boxes provided at the venue.
The cultivators watching were also counting the number of pills.
The vast majority only have one to three.
There were about five or six people, and they put out four or five.
After this first batch of pills, only Zhong Cai reached the top level!
·
Countless eyes fell on Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai's excellence is unique.
Just like when Wu Shaogan was defending the arena, he kept knocking other cultivators off the stage, which attracted the three major families to send people to attack the arena and take turns to challenge him. Countless topics also fell on Wu Shaogan.
Zhongcai today is experiencing a similar situation.
There's no need to call for reinforcements now. Most of the alchemists who aren't participating in today's competition have come to the stands to watch in order to improve their skills and learn about their final opponents.
They were fully aware of Zhong Cai's abilities.
A strong sense of crisis also arose in their hearts.
This young alchemist is their formidable rival!
Among the various families, the most skilled alchemists are also on high alert.
Of all the pill formulas they refined, the most skilled ones had reached the pinnacle.
However, such cases are very rare.
These alchemists all paid close attention to Zhong Cai.
They were trying to figure out whether this young alchemist's top-level achievement was a fluke like theirs, or something that could be achieved simply by producing an alchemy pill.
The two are vastly different.
·
Zhong Cai's second batch of pills exploded amidst the watchful eyes of many alchemists.
This is normal; he's not very skilled at making antidote pills, and his success rate is only around 50%.
The previous batch was successful, so it's only natural that this one failed.
What he didn't know was that the alchemists watching the explosion breathed a slight sigh of relief the instant his furnace exploded.
·
After exhaling, Qiao Wen realized that she was a little tense.
She said with a hint of helplessness, "This alchemist is putting too much pressure on me."
The other members of the Qiao family who made similar gestures to her also chuckled.
Indeed, they watched with their breath held until the alchemist's furnace exploded, at which point they finally reacted.
Qiao Su's gaze followed the alchemist's movements again.
This time, when the alchemist looked at his lover, he seemed to pout slightly.
She didn't see the handsome young man's reaction clearly.
However, the alchemist seemed comforted and immediately smiled brightly.
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