After the Shen brothers left, Lu Wenxing added to Shi Xuan, "These two brothers are major landowners in the Langya Sect. Most of the properties in the Langya Sect's market area belong to their family, and the whole family is rich by collecting rent."
"Such a good thing!" Shi Xuan exclaimed in surprise, "Then who owns all the properties in our Lianfeng Sword Sect's market?"
Lu Wenxing replied, "As far as I know, most of them are in the hands of the sects."
Shi Xuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly revealed a sly smile and said, "Next time the sect leader asks me what reward I want, I'll say I want a shop in the market!"
While meeting with other sect leaders, Shi Mingxiu felt a chill. He thought to himself, "It's been so many years since I reached the Nascent Soul stage. Today is really strange."
Xuan didn't see how Li Gou Dan's matter developed, but he heard from his fellow disciples that in the evening, a disciple of the Shen Ding Sect loudly apologized to Shen Wu Yang in front of the Fu Yuan Sect's mountain gate, which made Shen Wu Yang very happy. He then treated all the disciples from the Lang Ya Sect to a lavish meal at the market.
*
The second round of the Six Sects Alchemy Competition was held as scheduled. Although four of the six sects did not have any spots for the second round, they still came as a group to observe.
After three days of rest, Fan Hongde recovered and sat with the other five judges with a cold face, giving off a "don't talk to me" vibe.
Since there were only ten participants this time, the Fuyuan Sect built a slightly lower platform directly opposite the judges' platform so that all ten participants in the second round could stand on the platform to refine pills on the spot, allowing the judges and disciples to see more clearly.
The disciples participating in the second round all brought their own materials to the stage, and the experienced judges could basically guess what kind of pill they were going to refine just from what they presented.
Surprisingly, all eight disciples from the Lianfeng Sword Sect who went on stage displayed the exact same materials, without any discrepancy. Upon closer inspection, the judges realized they were materials for eight sets of Rejuvenation Pills!
The Spirit Recovery Pill, a first-tier pill, is one of the most basic pill formulas learned by beginner pill cultivators, even more rudimentary than the Pain Relief Pill drawn in the first round of the competition. Now, it seems as if the members of the Lianfeng Sword Sect had planned it all out, and they all brought out a complete beginner pill cultivator set, including Shi Xuan, who won first place in the first round.
Several judges looked at Shu Yuanguan in unison, but he remained calm and showed no surprise whatsoever. Could it be that the Lianfeng Sword Sect was preparing some big move again?
In contrast, Fan Mingzhu from the Divine Cauldron Sect presented materials for a set of second-tier beauty-enhancing pills, while Gu Zhusheng presented materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the most difficult of the second-tier pills.
If we disregard the subsequent matches and only consider the materials presented earlier, the Divine Cauldron Sect would undoubtedly have won.
Just like in the first round, after the sect leader of Fuyuan Sect announced the competition rules, the executor disciple sounded the retreat to signal the official start of the competition.
The two disciples of the Divine Cauldron Sect immediately began to process the prepared materials, clearly demonstrating their proficiency in refining the pills they had chosen. Their movements were methodical, and they knew exactly how much of each material to use.
On the other hand, the eight disciples of the Lianfeng Sword Sect, except for Shi Xuan, moved in perfect unison, looking like they were rehearsing dance moves, almost identical.
Only Shi Xuan, just like last time, put all the materials into the alchemy furnace, then concentrated on extracting the essence, filtering impurities, and integrating multiple steps into one.
In the first round, with so many people together, many didn't notice her. But now, as the first-round winner, she naturally attracts the attention of most of the audience.
The audience felt that watching her refine pills made them unconsciously nervous, afraid that if she made even the slightest mistake, the whole batch of pills would be ruined.
The two new friends they made yesterday, the Shen brothers, were also among the audience, watching Shi Xuan's moves with great tension. After all, they had reached a comprehensive and in-depth cooperation agreement after yesterday's events. Their new friends were capable and loyal, and the two brothers silently prayed that Shi Xuan would win.
Mistakes are impossible; this one-pot method is what she uses most often in her daily alchemy practice.
Just like in the first round, Shi Xuan was the first to finish refining the pills in no time. She cast several complicated pill-making incantations, and a fragrance wafted out of the pill furnace, then suddenly subsided.
"open!"
The audience eagerly awaited the results, curious to see how this batch of pills would differ from the first batch of pain-relieving pills. However, at best, it would likely be the same as the first batch, since the first batch of pain-relieving pills was not only of flawless quality but also had a perfect yield, truly astonishing everyone.
However, in this second round, they chose a pill that was not as difficult to refine as the first round. Even though it was still a flawless full pill, compared to the amazing results of the first round, it still left people with a sense of disappointment.
As the time-honored alchemy was completed, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, no pills emerged from the alchemy furnace.
Suddenly, a strange light appeared in the sky: a streak of five-colored rays descended vertically, landing precisely on the alchemy furnace. As the light arrived, the nine pills in the furnace finally emerged, rushing out to meet the colorful glow. They bathed in the dazzling light for a moment before contentedly returning to the porcelain bottle.
This whole thing left the disciples of the six sects watching dumbfounded. Could it be... could it be the legendary Dao Seal? The Dao Seal that only exists in legends, bestowed with blessings and marks by the Heavenly Dao?
Not to mention the disciples of these six sects, even the six judges present had never seen such a scene in their lives.
For a moment, apart from the gasps of some people in the audience, no one spoke.
Even Shi Mingxiu and Shu Yuanguan from the Lianfeng Sword Sect were speechless with astonishment. They knew this disciple was skilled in alchemy, but they never expected him to be this skilled, even managing to create the legendary Dao Seal!
The one with the worst expression was Fan Hongde. As the dazzling sunset descended, his mind raced with countless thoughts.
This disciple should have belonged to their Divine Cauldron Sect! If he were still a member of their Divine Cauldron Sect, still his disciple, how proud he would be to have achieved such a magnificent feat at the Six Sects Alchemy Competition! One can imagine the envious looks the sect leaders and elders of the other five sects would have given him!
Conversely, while the seal did appear, it landed in the Sword Sect! This was unbearable for him. This wasn't a sword Dao seal, but a pill Dao seal! So far, the only Dao seal to appear in the Qian Yuan Western Region was related to pill cultivation, yet it didn't originate from the Divine Cauldron Sect, a sect primarily focused on pill cultivation! How could he possibly save face?!
In particular, the feud between him and Shi Xuan has spread throughout the Six Sects. What role will he play in the history books of the cultivation world in the future? He can admit that he is a ruthless person who will do anything for his daughter, and that would make him a powerful figure. But the fact that he discarded the owner of the Dan Dao Dao Seal like trash will probably put him on the pillar of shame for being blind.
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