Then You Wouldn't Hold Back
Although Little B always spoke Lu Ping's mind.
However, the price of growing up is wearing a mask.
As for Little C, Lu Ping suspected that Little C had taken the wrong medicine today.
Lu Ping chose Little A.
[You chose A.]
"Understood."
You bowed slightly, your tone calm.
[The Flattery has taken effect.]
Yan Xuanyao gave you a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
[The semi-finals have officially begun.]
The number of people at the martial arts training ground has doubled compared to the previous few days.
[Tickets for the outer perimeter have been sold for as much as 50,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones each.]
[The Heavenly Pill Pavilion seed team stands on the opposite side of the battle platform.]
[Xiao Han, seated at the head of the table, wore a brocade robe with cloud patterns, his chin held high.]
[As the last disciple of a reclusive old monster, he's been looking down on everyone these past few days.]
[The commentary from the commentary booth rang out at the right moment.]
"They're here! They're finally here! Fellow Daoists! The first match of the semi-finals is here!"
["Heavenly Pill Pavilion, the favorite to win the championship, faces off against the Azure Dragon Merchant Association, the biggest dark horse of this year's competition!"]
"Young Master Xiao Han has won the previous matches with overwhelming dominance. I wonder if the two from the Azure Dragon Merchant Association can continue their good luck today?"
["Start!"]
[The list of medicinal herbs on the water mirror began to scroll, and then one hundred herbs appeared in the center of the array platform.]
[You look at the medicine pool, and there appear Firefloss Grass, Blazing Sunstone Powder, Earth Dragon Vine...]
[This is the first time we've seen such similar combinations after so many rounds.]
[Then you won't hold back anymore.]
Xiao Han swiftly snatched a "Crimson Flame Fruit".
His movements created a blur of afterimages.
"Flowing Cloud Hand! Xiao Han actually used the Heavenly Pill Pavilion's secret technique right from the start! He's going to refine the Explosive Flame Poison Pill! It seems the Heavenly Pill Pavilion wants to finish this quickly!"
[You ignored the explanation and took the Firefloss Grass first.]
[When Liang Yishou saw you Firefloss Grass, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and then he offered to help you take the Blazing Sunstone Powder.]
[The drug selection process ended quickly.]
[You slapped the cauldron handle with one hand, and the auxiliary herbs were instantly shredded by your Spiritual Power and swept into the furnace.]
[Earthfire rises.]
[Artisan Spirit, Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement, I Love Working, effective.]
[Over there, Xiao Han's Crimson Flame Fruit had just melted into medicinal liquid. He was preparing to infuse it with the second Method Formula.]
[The lid on your side of the cauldron has been lifted.]
[A dark red pill landed in your palm. It contained no poison, only a pure, violent fire-attribute aura.]
[You flicked your finger.]
[The pills were filled into the core of the Great Expansion Alchemy Formation.]
[Boom.]
[The Array Patterns erupted with a blinding red light. This red light crossed the center line, but instead of attacking Xiao Han, it followed the Spirit Veins of the Taiyan Formation and burrowed directly into the ground.]
[Xiao Han had just cast his second Method Formula, preparing to unleash the full power of the Explosive Flame Poison Pill.]
The Array Patterns beneath his feet suddenly began to flicker at an eerie frequency.
[The once docile Earthfire suddenly erupted into a raging torrent.]
Xiao Han's hands froze as he tried to suppress the fire with hand seals, only to find that the Earthfire had already surged upwards, directly rushing into his Azure-Pattern Bronze Cauldron.
[The Explosive Flame Poison Pill was already extremely unstable, and then it was hit by this violent Earthfire...]
["Bang!"]
[A loud bang.]
The Azure-Pattern Bronze Cauldron exploded into countless fragments.
[The raging firewave, mixed with scalding hot medicinal residue, blasted Xiao Han and his teammates away, slamming them against the Restriction at the edge of the array platform, where they immediately lost consciousness.]
Xiao Han's brocade robe was mostly burned through, leaving him in a sorry state.
[Meanwhile, Liang Yishou beside you is pretending to refine pills, though he hasn't even lit the furnace.]
[The entire audience fell silent.]
[The commentary abruptly stopped, as if someone had suddenly grabbed its throat.]
No one cared how badly Xiao Han was injured.
All the gamblers' eyes were fixed on the Betting Jade Wall holding the betting odds in mid-air.
[The odds from the Azure Dragon Merchant Association, which started at 1 to 100, fluctuated wildly, plummeting to 1 to 10.]
A huge roar erupted from the stands.
"This is a cover-up! This is absolutely a cover-up!"
"Heavenly Pill Pavilion rigged the match! Xiao Han took the money!"
"My Spirit Stone!"
You brushed nonexistent dust off your hands, turned, and walked off the platform.
[Liang Yishou quietly followed behind you.]
[The finals are in two days.]
[The opponent is the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower team.]
[The Ye Hongshan, stares into your eyes with a chilling glint.]
The semi-final match the day before yesterday completely shattered everyone's predictions.
[Before the final match began, the betting odds experienced an unprecedented upheaval.]
A massive influx of funds is pouring into the Azure Dragon Merchant Association's betting platform.
[The odds from the Azure Dragon Merchant Association were bought out at a 1:1 ratio.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Continue the fast attack, giving the opponent no chance to breathe.]
[B: Intentionally delay, wait for the opponent to refine their strongest Poison Pill, then crush them with an even stronger Poison Pill, enjoying the ultimate show of bravado.]
[C: Simultaneously triggering "Friend of Women" and "Workwear Thug," he ripped open the collar of the Azure Dragon Merchant Association uniform with one hand, tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, and gave Ye Hongshan a wicked and arrogant smile: "Woman, looking at me like that is playing with fire..."]
Little C, is this correct?!
Little B and Little C are indeed a pair of crazy people.
Go ahead and act crazy, I, Lu, will not keep you company.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
["Start!"]
[Ye Hongshan has clearly figured you out thoroughly.]
[She abandoned all the high-level poisons that required long purification periods and directly seized the three most potent poisonous herbs that had the fastest onset of action.]
She's going to use her speed to overpower yours.
She was quick.
But you're faster.
[You're too lazy to even pretend anymore. With your Divine Sense fully open, a massive spiritual force comparable to that of the Nascent Soul Realm is directly forced into the Pill Furnace, forcibly shaping the medicinal properties.]
[Before half an incense stick had burned.]
[The Poison Pill of the Ye Hongshan has just solidified.]
[On your side, a grayish-white Pills has already been inserted into the array's core.]
[The grayish-white aura of elixir silently slid past the Array Patterns of the Taiyan Formation.]
Just as Ye Hongshan was about to fill the array's core with the Poison Pill, gray energy already began to coil around her wrist.
[Laugh--]
[The veil covering Ye Hongshan's face was corroded by the elixir energy, leaving a large hole. She screamed, covered her face, and collapsed onto the platform.]
The Pill Furnace went out of control and exploded again.
[Azure Dragon Merchant Association, Victory.]
[On the martial arts training ground, the commentator's voice was trembling.]
"The Azure Dragon Merchant Association Team... wins!"
"They have successfully qualified for the next round representing Baodi City!"
The entire audience erupted in cheers.
[No, it was a chorus of groans from the entire audience.]
Countless gamblers lost everything, collapsing to the ground and wailing. Only a very few desperate gamblers became rich overnight, laughing wildly.
[You walk out of the square.]
You glanced up at the main odds for the Seven-City Dao of Alchemy Grand Competition.
The odds for the Azure Dragon Merchant Association to advance have dropped to 0.8 to 1.
That night, the Restriction around your cave abode were gently activated.
[You open the door, Yan Xuanyao is standing outside, followed by two other people.]
[One was a middle-aged man dressed in Shen Household attire, with a refined demeanor and a kind smile on his face.]
[The other one was dressed in the robes of an elder of the Azure Dragon Merchant Association, his expression indifferent.]
[Three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.]
[They deliberately concealed their immense pressure, but the aura of those in high positions still made the air inside the cave abode thick and viscous.]
"Lu Ping, won't you invite us in for a seat?"
Yan Xuanyao spoke with a smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
[You step aside.]
[The three entered the cave abode and each found a chair to sit down.]
[A situation where three Nascent Soul are powerless against other Golden Core cultivators.]
[For someone like you Early Leave, and for someone who has a home field filled with Spirit-Chaos Lure and Spirit-Winding Threads, the advantage lies with you.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Play along and observe the situation.]
[B: You little Nascent Soul, you're getting too big for your britches.]
[C: Immediately rip off his hair, tear open his coat, raise Recording Stone, and shout, "Workplace unspoken rules! Three senior executives assaulted a junior male employee in the middle of the night!" He then hands over a "Crisis Management and Hush Money Tiered Price List," suggesting the three of them scan a QR code to pay together.]