Invite to join the team
"Wow, a fourth-grade alchemist!"
From a distance, Tao Yue spotted the medal on Qianluo's waist and came forward with Chi Zhao in his arms: "Let me feel it. What's the difference between a fourth-grade alchemist's medal and mine?"
As she touched the medal, she exclaimed, "Wow! You're amazing! You passed the exam on your first try! You became a fourth-grade alchemist! Some people even said you couldn't even pass the third-grade alchemist test!"
She was venting her anger on Qianluo's behalf. Who was it that those people looked down on Qianluo and accused her of speaking nonsense and being arrogant?
Chi Zhao climbed up to Qianluo's waist and hung on it. He hooked the green medal with his claws and sniffed it carefully: "It smells like Dan fire, and it smells quite good!"
Qianluo rubbed his head: "You are hungry again!" Why is this spiritual pet hungry every day!
Chi Zhao pouted. "Don't slander me. I'm not hungry at all! I'm just a little greedy. I wonder what the alchemy fire from the alchemy association in District 5 tastes like?"
Tao Yue smiled and patted Chi Zhao's head. "I'll take you to a big dinner later. It's my treat tonight! Qianluo, please don't be polite. You're a fourth-grade alchemist, and it's only natural for a third-grade alchemist like me to treat you to dinner! By the way, Fellow Daoist Meng Rui, you're also a fourth-grade alchemist. Would you like to have dinner with us?"
She deliberately told others that these people were so cocky, acting like fourth-grade alchemists before they even became them! She hated these pretentious people the most, but she had to brag about having two fourth-grade alchemist friends!
"Hey, Fellow Daoist Meng Rui? Where is he? He was here just now." Tao Yue turned around and found that he was gone. She felt a little strange. Fellow Daoist Meng Rui had not left for three hours, so why did he disappear as soon as Qian Luo came out? Was he shy?
"He waited for me for three hours?" Qian Luo was also very surprised. She and Fellow Daoist Meng Rui had never met before, but he could actually make him wait for three hours. Could it be that he wanted to see if she had the ability to obtain the Fourth-Rank Alchemist Medal?
It was dark outside and it was already evening. Qian Luo sighed. She guessed that Fellow Daoist Meng Rui was a little disappointed to see that it took her three hours to get the Fourth-Rank Alchemist Medal.
Forget it, Fellow Daoist Meng Rui already has teammates. He's still waiting to see how long it will take him to earn the Fourth-Rank Alchemist Badge. How strange.
Qian Luo touched the five bottles of pills in the storage bag and curled her eyes. She would sell the fourth-grade pills later. It was estimated that she could sell them for tens of thousands of spirit stones. She would return a part of it to Tao Yue first and then continue to refine pills.
Tao Yue and Qian Luo chatted and laughed as they walked to the Treasure Pavilion nearby. Several people in the hall whispered to each other and followed them.
…
Treasure Pavilion
Qianluo sold a fourth-grade elixir and some basic elixirs. The staff handed the spirit stones to Qianluo: "Hello, this is a total of 888 mid-grade spirit stones."
That's equivalent to 88,800 low-grade spirit stones. Wow, it's actually worth over 80,000 low-grade spirit stones! Alchemy is truly the richest profession!
Qian Luo nodded, and put part of the money into the bracelet and the rest into the storage bag: "Tao Yue, the hotel money has been transferred to you, please keep it."
Tao Yue declined: "Hey! Didn't we agree that I would treat you? With only 688 medium-grade spirit stones, you don't consider me a friend, do you?"
Qian Luo shook her head: "No! Even friends have to settle accounts. You treat me a meal, and I treat you a meal, that's fine, but the room rate is too expensive. I really don't feel comfortable using your money to stay in a hotel!"
Although Qianluo loves money, she also hates owing others and not paying them back. She always feels something is wrong.
"Okay, okay, I'm really scared of you, but I have to treat you to dinner!" Tao Yue accepted the 688 mid-grade spirit stones, a warm feeling rising in her heart. The Tao family wasn't wealthy, but they doted on her, so she never lacked money when she was away from home. When she met friends, she always wanted to spend money to help them out, and many people liked to hang out with her.
Because she was able to pay all the expenses, over time, she spent money lavishly and thought of herself as an ATM machine for her friends. Others put in the work and she paid, so no one lost out.
She had never expected Qianluo to say something like this, which made her feel particularly warm. She could have good friends without spending any money. In Tao Yue's mind, Qianluo was more than just a travel partner and future teammate.
Qian Luo had no idea what Tao Yue was thinking, and happily accepted the other mid-grade spirit stones. Listening to the clinking sound of the spirit stones, her mood improved.
"My two fellow Taoists, please stay. I wonder if I could have the honor of treating you to dinner?"
Six cultivators, both men and women, walked in from outside. Tao Yue and Qian Luo exchanged glances, their gazes settling on the cyan medals on their waists. "They are alchemists."
"Yes, we are all alchemists. I am the fourth-grade alchemist Gu Xianyun, in the middle stage of foundation building, from the fourth district." A delicate-looking female cultivator stood up and spoke, seeming to be the leader of this group.
"We have something we'd like to discuss with you two fellow Taoists. How about treating you to a simple meal so we can discuss this over dinner?"
Tao Yue tugged at Qian Luo: "What day is it today? It's not even my turn to pay for the meal?"
Qian Luo looked at the six alchemists in front of her and made a plan in her mind: "Okay."
Gu Xianyun showed surprise and made a gesture of invitation: "Thank you, fellow Taoists. We have already booked a private room at Hui Mei Zhai."
The eight people in the group, all of whom were at the foundation-building stage, flew on their swords and soon arrived at the restaurant. The bustling avenue was crowded with people, and the flashing neon lights illuminated every house. Huimeizhai was no worse than Baiwei Zhenxiu. A long queue was seen before they even reached the door.
Gu Xianyun announced her name, and the waiter led them into a private room with a quiet environment and elegant decoration. The group of eight sat down. Gu Xianyun asked Tao Yue and Qian Luo what they wanted to eat. Chi Zhao climbed onto the table and volunteered: "I'll order!"
Having seen talking pets at the alchemy meeting a long time ago, Gu Xianyun smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Qianluo's pet is so cute."
Qianluo raised an eyebrow: "Were you also at the alchemy meeting just now?"
Gu Xianyun nodded. "I went there to help my teammates advance to third-grade alchemy masters. I happened to meet two fellow Taoists and realized that there are always better places. I used to think I was a fourth-grade alchemist and was often proud and complacent. I didn't expect that teammate Qianluo is even better than me. She's so talented at such a young age, and she's sure to rise to great heights in the future!"
These words praised Qianluo to the sky. Tao Yue raised an eyebrow at Qianluo and said, "What a genius!"
Qianluo smiled awkwardly; she wasn't very good at dealing with people. Tao Yue understood immediately and turned to Gu Xianyun, "Fellow Daoist, please speak frankly. I see that you have six people, but we only have two, making a total of eight. I think you're probably worried about forming a four-person team for the second round!"
Even though his intention was exposed, Gu Xianyun was not annoyed: "This Taoist friend is articulate, sharp-eyed and sharp-witted. He will definitely have a bright future!"
Tao Yue blushed. "My name is Tao Yue, a third-rank alchemist, in the early stages of foundation building, from District Six. Fellow Daoist Gu has said so much, why don't you let the others introduce themselves as well?"
Gu Xianyun nodded. To her left was another girl who looked similar to her. "Gu Qiuchi, early stage foundation building, third-grade alchemist, from District 4."
"Gu Ci, mid-stage foundation building, third-grade alchemist."
"Li Mi, mid-stage foundation building, third-grade alchemist,"
"Liu Tai, mid-stage foundation building, third-grade alchemist."
"Gu...Gu Teng, late stage of foundation building...! Forty-four..."
The last person stumbled, and Tao Yue was worried for him: "Alright, alright, a fourth-grade alchemist, right? I get it!"
Gu Teng, whose face was originally red, blushed even more: "Yes, that's right!"
Gu Xianyun coughed a few times: "Excuse me, this is my cousin. Although he stutters, he has the highest cultivation among us and is a fourth-grade alchemist!"
The waiter brought a few dishes, and Chi Zhao hurriedly started eating. Qian Luo slapped him: "Don't use your claws! How can others eat!"
This fat cat was becoming more and more unscrupulous. Qianluo picked up some dishes for him, but Chi Zhao was still not happy. He puffed out his cheeks, glared with his eyes, and looked stubborn.
Qianluo smiled: "If you don't eat it, it will fall down."
Chi Zhao immediately became anxious: "No, no!" He rushed in and ate it.
After teaching Chi Zhao a lesson, Qian Luo looked at the six people in front of her: "I see that there are only four people from the Gu family, why do you have to care about the other two outsiders?"
Gu Xianyun sighed, "Originally, my sister Gu Qiuchi was only at the second rank and didn't plan to participate in this alchemy conference. We had already decided on a four-member team: me, Gu Teng, Li Mi, and Liu Tai. Later, my sister broke through and was able to successfully refine third-rank elixirs. We went to the alchemy conference today for her advancement."
"Since my sister wants to go, the elders at home are worried, so they let cousin Gu Ci go. Although he is a third-grade alchemist, he has superb swordsmanship and can protect us two sisters."
"This would add two more people, but we already discussed this with Li Mi and Liu Tai. If we leave them behind and form another team, I, Gu Xianyun, don't want to do that. It would be a betrayal."
"So, I saw two fellow Daoists at the alchemy meeting. We got along really well. It seems like you two haven't formed a team yet, and we're just short of two people." Gu Xianyun said earnestly, "We can let cousin Gu Teng join you. He's in the late foundation building stage and has the highest cultivation level. He will definitely be able to protect you!"
Li Mi and Liu Tai were two ordinary-looking male cultivators. "We are not members of the Gu family. If you two Daoists are unwilling to join us, we do not want to embarrass the Gu family. We will simply leave the team. Thank you Daoist Gu for your kindness!"
"This..." Gu Xianyun looked embarrassed. It would be good for Li Mi and Liu Tai to leave, but by doing so, she would be breaking her promise, which was not her style.
Qian Luo didn't expect the two male cultivators to be so kind, but when she thought about it carefully, if they wanted to leave, why did they leave at the beginning, so as not to embarrass Gu Xianyun and instead say this in front of her and Tao Yue.
It seems that if they don't join, they will be heartless and will make Gu Xianyun embarrassed. Isn't this moral kidnapping of the two of them?
Tao Yue coughed twice and said, "I'll listen to Qianluo." She was only a third-grade alchemist, so it wasn't her turn to choose. She also felt embarrassed to refuse Gu Xianyun and eat his food.
After much deliberation, Qian Luo looked at Li Mi and Liu Tai. They were both of ordinary appearance, decent-looking, and not evil. However, when out in public, one should not judge people by appearances; one should be more cautious. Each simulation now gave 1,000 points, and she would not waste them on these people.
Besides, she had only been in District 5 for one day, so she couldn't completely believe Gu Xianyun's one-sided statement. There would be auditions and a round of competitions afterwards, and she could choose teammates during the competitions.
Qian Luo: "Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Gu. We still need to give it some more consideration."
Hearing this, Gu Xianyun looked disappointed and forced a smile: "It's okay, it's okay. Meeting is fate. Maybe we can still be friends."
She was indeed disappointed, because with the addition of Fellow Daoist Qianluo, their two teams could work together to attack others in the second round. The combat power of eight people was certainly better than that of four people, and there was more hope in the subsequent alchemy competition.
Qian Luo glanced at her and inadvertently caught a glimpse of Li Mi and Liu Tai. The two men had no expression on their faces and just lowered their heads to eat.
This... could it be that she guessed wrong?
But they seemed to be taking it for granted, eating so quickly? It was so weird no matter how you looked at it.
Forget it, let's just go with her intuition. There must be something wrong with Li Mi and Liu Tai in front of her. She will not join this team.
Qianluo and Tao Yue were unwilling to stay any longer, so they hurried out of the private room. Qianluo took out the bill, but Tao Yue held her back: "Qianluo, don't spend your money carelessly! Fellow Daoist Gu said he would treat us both, so why are you still paying? Are you feeling bad about rejecting Fellow Daoist Gu?"
Qianluo: "Uh... a little."
Chi Zhao in his arms snorted: "What a fool!"
Tao Yue: "I'm on Chi Zhao's side this time! Don't pay! I'll treat you to a meal, let's go!"
Qian Luo nodded, but then frowned as she glanced towards the private room. Should she tell Fellow Daoist Gu about Li Mi and Liu Tai? But she had no concrete evidence, and the other party might not believe her. And how could she know they weren't all in the same group? She'd better not meddle in other people's affairs. Exposing her identity would be more trouble than good.
…
In the next few days, Qianluo and Tao Yue registered for the audition competition online. After paying the spirit stones, the number of people changed within ten seconds after the update. Not only two people were added, but dozens of people were added.
The total number of auditions: 152,898, and still increasing.
"Oh my god, so many people! No wonder they signed up online! If this were an offline event, the crowds would have been overwhelming!" Tao Yue's eyes widened. This was her first time attending an alchemy conference, so she was naturally curious and shocked. "Isn't the final number of participants going to be over a million?"
Qianluo was also participating in the competition for the first time. A minute later, the number of participants had exceeded 300,000. "People who didn't win awards in previous years are also participating. The auditions can eliminate 50% of the people."
The audition rules have been announced. Anyone who can refine ten pills within an hour, regardless of grade, can participate in the first round of the official competition.
Tao Yue: "This is not difficult. I am a third-grade alchemist. It is more than enough for me to refine ten first-grade pills within an hour!"
Qian Luo: "There are many second-grade alchemists who are also participating in the competition. They are the ones who are being brushed."
Auditions only consider speed, not quality.
The Alchemy Conference lasts for two months, including three days of auditions. After the auditions, the first round of the official competition of the Alchemy Conference will begin three days later.
Before the official competition even started, the streets were empty. People were either buying spiritual plant materials at the Treasure Pavilion, refining pills in the hotel to improve their speed, or studying and practicing diligently in the alchemy room.
Most of the people participating in the competition are second-grade and third-grade alchemists, and they are also the group that is eliminated the most. They intensify their training, dare not slack off in the slightest, and concentrate fully.
Even Tao Yue, who said he had plenty of time, hid in the hotel to make elixirs.
Qian Luo decided to refine a first-grade elixir in the audition competition. She didn't seek to make a splash, but to be steady and make steady progress, and win the first battle!
Soon, the audition competition arrived.
——
The auditions were held at Baodan Square in District 5, stretching as far as the eye could see from south to north, covering 500,000 square meters and accommodating 500,000 people. By the day of registration, over 450,000 people had participated in the auditions. Participants were divided into three batches, one per day, totaling over 150,000 people each. They were ranked according to the order of registration.
"Ah! I'm on the second day! Why ahhhh! I have to be nervous for one more day!"
Tao Yue saw her number and scratched her head in frustration. She turned around and looked at Qian Luo, her eyes widening: "Why are you on the first day?"
Qianluo glanced at her number plate and said, "We're separated. It's okay. Just stay calm."
Both of their numbers were after 150,000, hers at the end of the first day and Tao Yue's at the beginning of the second day.
"Okay!" Tao Yue saw that she was very steady, so he also covered his chest, calmed down, and said with great ambition, "Little First-class, get it!"
The next day, the auditions.
Tao Yue got up early in the morning and was busy running around. Even though it was not her exam today, she was worried and anxious like a mother.
As soon as Qianluo opened the door, she saw Tao Yue standing at the door with breakfast in her hand: "Good morning, would you like something to eat?"
A full plate of buns and a full glass of milk.
Qianluo: “?”
She was clearly not in a hurry, but with this attitude, she actually felt a bit anxious. In the end, Chi Zhao ate it all up: "Awoo! Delicious! Better than the strange fire!!!"
"Oh my! Why are you eating this? I prepared it carefully for Qianluo!" Tao Yue was so worried. She didn't sleep all night, tossing and turning, and couldn't concentrate on her practice. She got up early in the morning to buy buns, for fear that the monks would buy all the buns and milk, leaving Qianluo with no breakfast.
Afterwards, Qianluo entered the examination room, which was crowded with people. Tao Yue waved to her and followed her with his eyes. In a short while, Tao Yue was pushed by someone and could no longer see Qianluo. There were too many people here, and it was a sea of heads.
All kinds of conflicts broke out in the crowd: "You squeezed me, you stepped on my feet!"
"Why am I so unlucky? My bracelet! My temporary residence permit is lost!"
"The stench of Qigong cultivators' sweat, ugh!"
"I can't stand it either. Whose feet are so smelly?"
"Damn, there's body odor!"
Finally, Tao Yue couldn't stand the smell of the Qigong monks. They hadn't really cultivated to immortality yet, and hadn't practiced fasting, so there were all kinds of strange smells. Pinching her nose, she summoned the Jade Plate Flying Saucer, flew away from the crowd, and flew outside the formation to check the situation of the auditions in the inner field.
Not only her, there were countless foundation-building cultivators around who were flying outside the Baodan Square formation, overlooking the earth with worried looks on their faces.
Tao Yue joined them and became a parent who sent his child to take the exam.
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