Sect Competition

Yao'er went into seclusion with that jade tablet. Outside the mountain cave where she was in seclusion, Dan Fusheng and several junior brothers personally stood guard, clearly valuing the safety of the Great Luo Pill Scripture.

However, Dan Fusheng and the others would never have dreamed that Yao'er had already smuggled the Great Luo Pill Scripture to Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao, who only seemed to be extremely skilled at controlling fire and had mediocre alchemy techniques, was now, at least in theory, a generation's grandmaster alchemist. It could even be said that Lin Xiao, in theory, was already on par with all the elders of the Great Luo Pill Dao.

It's just that no one would believe that two monsters could memorize the vast Great Luo Pill Scripture in just a quarter of an hour. Therefore, Lin Xiao, the theoretical grandmaster, was still wasting time in the desolate grade alchemy room. Before Yao'er emerged from seclusion, Lin Xiao didn't know if Yao'er would be promoted to a Grade One alchemy room, so he remained here.

In front of him, several alchemy furnaces were blazing with flames. Wisps of medicinal and fiery energy intertwined in the air, faintly forming the shapes of several fierce tigers. These were for refining the "Tiger Soul Pill" for a small sect that specialized in body cultivation, the "Vajra Gate." The "Tiger Soul Pill" specifically stabilized the essence source and strengthened the body, laying a solid foundation for cultivators who practiced body refinement.

The price for refining these seven furnaces of "Tiger Soul Pill" was three stalks of "Green Ganoderma" with a thousand-year potency, which the Vajra Gate had accidentally discovered. This transaction would bring substantial profits to the Great Luo Pill Dao, so Daoist Danling had instructed the alchemy room disciples to refine these "Tiger Soul Pills" diligently, investing considerable capital. Lin Xiao, the disciple with the most exquisite fire control technique in the Huang grade alchemy room, was also assigned to specifically manage the fires of these seven alchemy furnaces.

Not having to manage over two hundred alchemy furnaces at once, this should have been a very easy and pleasant task. However, Lin Xiao was driven to the brink of madness by Hua Feng'er, who kept mumbling behind him, wishing he could burrow into an alchemy furnace to hide. Once again, Lin Xiao understood the terrifying nature of a resentful woman.

"Junior Brother! It's not that Senior Sister Hua is nagging, but you are simply too outrageous! It's just thirteen stalks of 'Midnight Orchid,' and you've spent almost half a year and still haven't gotten the fruit of the 'Midnight Orchid.' Alas, you're usually quite meticulous and reliable in your work, so why are you so unreliable in this matter?"

"You must know that 'Midnight Orchid' isn't a particularly rare medicinal ingredient, nor does it require any special technique to collect. Senior Sister Hua and Madam... uh, Senior Sister Hua entrusted this matter to you because she valued your caution and reliability. But look at you, the 'Midnight Orchid' has fruited twice, and you haven't collected a single fruit!"

"Junior Brother, are you worthy of my expectations? Are you worthy of my trust? Are you worthy of those 'Midnight Orchid' fruits that vanished with the wind?"

Hua Feng'er moved a meditation cushion and sat about three feet behind Lin Xiao, nagging and lecturing him incessantly. The nearby alchemists all moved far away, watching from dozens of feet away with sympathetic gazes, offering comfort to Lin Xiao, who was enduring a mental bombardment. Anyway, the seven furnaces of Tiger Soul Pills had reached the final stage of essence nurturing. As long as the fire was correct, these pills would be successfully refined. And with Lin Xiao's cultivation and composure, even if seven Hua Feng'ers were chattering in his ear, the alchemy fire would not go wrong.

Lin Xiao cast hand seals with a blank expression. He closed off his six senses, and Hua Feng'er's incessant chatter had no effect on him whatsoever. This was only the fifth day. Based on Hua Feng'er's previous behavior, she could continue chattering for another ten days. After ten days, he would also have to accept a reprimand from Danxia. The thought of this made Lin Xiao feel utterly dejected. It was just the ingredients for a "Beauty-Nourishing Pill," why were Danxia and Hua Feng'er so persistent about it? Yao'er Senior Sister was so well-behaved; why didn't she have these troubles?

With the final hand seal cast, the phantom tiger formed by medicinal and fiery energy let out a silent roar towards the sky. After rapidly circling the alchemy furnace, it transformed into a stream of bright red light and shot into the furnace. Muffled bangs echoed from within the furnace, and the furnaces shook slightly. A fierce, stimulating, and pungent medicinal aroma immediately permeated the entire alchemy room.

With a flick of his finger, a spiritual spell shot out. The furnace fire surged, lifting the furnace lid several feet high. Thumb-sized, crimson pills flew out amidst the flames with a "whoosh." Lin Xiao called out, and the alchemy disciples present, holding jade bottles, collected all the pills. After all the Tiger Soul Pills were properly stored, Lin Xiao retracted his spiritual spell. The fiery energy in the furnaces dissipated, and the furnace lids fell back down with a "dong dong" sound. Casually flicking the dust off his sleeves, Lin Xiao turned around and grinned at Hua Feng'er, "Elder Sister Hua, you're here? Oh my, Junior Brother has been very busy these past few days. Do you have any advice for me?"

Hua Feng'er's face was all scrunched up. She gritted her teeth and snorted coldly, "Junior Brother, didn't you hear what I said a few days ago?"

Lin Xiao put his hands into his sleeves and looked at Hua Feng'er with a smile, "Well, Junior Brother was busy tending to the furnace fires. Alchemy is an endeavor that seizes the creation of heaven and earth; one cannot be careless or negligent. This furnace fire is the most crucial aspect of alchemy. Elder Sister Hua, you must understand this principle even more deeply than I do."

Hua Feng'er glared at Lin Xiao indignantly, spread her right hand, and snorted, "Hand it over!"

Lin Xiao feigned ignorance, "What? Elder Sister Hua, what are you asking for?"

Just as Hua Feng'er was about to jump up and smack Lin Xiao on the head, a light cough sounded from the entrance of the alchemy room. Danxia, with her hands behind her back, slowly walked in. All the alchemists in the room hurriedly stood up and bowed, respectfully exclaiming, "Greetings, Martial Aunt Danxia!"

Lin Xiao and Hua Feng'er also quickly bowed and said respectfully, "Madam!"

Danxia's eyes darted around, and she gently beckoned Lin Xiao, "Xiao'er, come here."

"Yes, yes!" Lin Xiao obediently walked to Danxia's side, a slight wry smile on his face. He bent over slightly and brought his ear close to Danxia, ready to accept her scolding. He remembered the last time it was like this, wasn't it? Because of Yao'er's bowl of medicinal soup, Lin Xiao had delayed the time to harvest the "Midnight Orchid." After Hua Feng'er had nagged Lin Xiao for half a month, Danxia personally intervened to give Lin Xiao a profound lesson on breaking his promises. This time, it was ten days earlier? Danxia must have been unable to contain her anger.

Still, it was just a "Beauty-Nourishing Pill," did the two women have to value it so much?

Lin Xiao helplessly glanced at Danxia's skin, which was as delicate and smooth as that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, completely unsure of what to say or do.

Danxia didn't say anything to Lin Xiao about the "Midnight Orchid." She merely said gently to Lin Xiao, "Go back and study it well. I'm giving you seven days of leave. After seven days, you must have thoroughly comprehended what I've given you." Her sharp gaze swept over the many alchemists in the room, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to look in Lin Xiao's direction. Danxia slipped a piece of yellow silk into Lin Xiao's sleeve, lightly stood on her tiptoes to pat Lin Xiao's shoulder, and chuckled softly, "Don't disgrace your Master and Madam, otherwise... you kid, how did you get so tall?"

Shaking her head, Danxia looked at Lin Xiao, who was a head taller than her, with a hint of surprise. She frowned and beckoned Hua Feng'er, "Hua Feng'er, let's go. Don't bother your junior brother for these few days." She paused and said with a knowing smile, "There will be plenty of opportunities and time in the future!"

Hua Feng'er's face darkened as she stood up and quickly walked to Danxia's side. As she passed Lin Xiao, Hua Feng'er let out a cold snort with an ambiguous meaning, causing Lin Xiao's body to tremble violently. Danxia's final sinister words made Lin Xiao glimpse some rather unfortunate prospects for his future.

After finishing his day's duties, feeling that his cultivation had improved significantly, Lin Xiao went to the kitchen to get a small steamed bun and returned to his small wooden house, eating it along the way. He still used the fire-attribute spirit stone to complete his evening practice. Only then did Lin Xiao remember the yellow silk Danxia had given him. He hurriedly took it out of his sleeve and carefully read it by the moonlight outside the window.

The yellow silk contained a pill recipe, the method for refining a rare and wondrous spirit pill called the "Blazing Flame Pill." Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes and compared it with the "Blazing Flame Pill" recipe recorded in the Great Luo Pill Scripture in his mind. He found that the recipe on the yellow silk was much simpler. The refined pills' effects were weakened by about thirty percent, but the required spiritual spells were simplified by about eighty percent, and the success rate of pill formation was more than doubled. The Blazing Flame Pill was a high-grade spirit pill, specializing in treating various cold-toxin injuries. Among the eight grades of pills in the Great Luo Pill Dao—Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow, Universe, and Great Desolation—the Blazing Flame Pill was a true Cosmos Grade pill. That is to say, it was a high-level pill that only the elders of the current Dan generation could refine.

However, this improved recipe, although its finished product was much weaker, allowed someone of Lin Xiao's cultivation to refine the "Blazing Flame Pill"!

"What does Madam want me to do with this pill recipe?" Lin Xiao stared blankly at the fine, elegant handwriting on the yellow silk. After a long while, he shook his head, "Hmm, Madam must have her reasons. Since she told me to comprehend it thoroughly, then... I'll comprehend it." When he said the word "comprehend," Lin Xiao's expression became somewhat strange.

Danxia had given Lin Xiao a seven-day leave. The disciples in charge of the alchemy room didn't bother Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao comprehended the pill recipe in less than the time it took to eat a meal. For the remaining seven days, he took advantage of this rare leisure time to make a rough tour around the Spring Return Valley. More than two years had passed, and Lin Xiao had been buried in the alchemy room as a Fire Worker Daoist. He had no idea what the Spring Return Valley looked like. These seven days opened his eyes; the Spring Return Valley was truly vast!

Seven days later, Lin Xiao was standing at the foot of a peak in the southeast, quietly observing the life-and-death struggle between a Crested Serpent and an Iron Claw Rock Eagle. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the Great Luo Pill Dao's golden bell and jade chime summoning all its disciples. Lin Xiao froze and quickly used his movement technique, rushing towards the Pill Qi Lingxiao Hall. He suddenly jumped out from behind the rocks, startling the eagle and the snake. The two beasts hastily flew into the sky and slipped into the rock crevices.

Lin Xiao, panting heavily after sprinting over twenty miles using the Earth Soaring Technique, rushed to the front of the Pill Qi Lingxiao Hall. He saw that the disciples of the Great Luo Pill Dao were already lined up according to their attire on the square in front of the main hall. Those in white were the newly admitted novice daoist boys; those in blue were the officially admitted daoists; those in green, like Lin Xiao, were disciples with a certain cultivation level and official duties; those in apricot-yellow robes were esteemed daoists with profound cultivation, close to the Golden Core Stage; those in light purple robes were elders whose cultivation had broken through the Golden Core Stage or were close to the Nascent Soul; those in dark purple robes were like Daoist Danling, having formed a Nascent Soul, possessing profound daoist magic, and outstanding comprehension of the pill dao—true masters.

At a glance, there were only five elders in purple robes in the Great Luo Pill Dao, about fifty in light purple robes, approximately three hundred disciples in apricot-yellow robes, over two thousand disciples in green and blue robes, and the rest were all novice disciples in white robes still in the Heart Tempering Period.

Lin Xiao, covered in sweat from his frantic run, squeezed into the line of green-robed disciples somewhat disheveled. He vaguely saw that among the elders standing on the steps of the main hall, Danxia seemed to glare at him fiercely. Danxia's gaze was filled with warning and threat. Lin Xiao looked at Danxia blankly, not understanding what she wanted to warn him about. Danxia merely glared at Lin Xiao, then withdrew her gaze and stood quietly on the steps, her eyes focused and her mind tranquil.

Lin Xiao cast a pleading look at Hua Feng'er, who was standing at the foot of the stone steps. Hua Feng'er simply rolled her eyes and made a "good luck to yourself" gesture to Lin Xiao.

After waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the disciples of the Great Luo Pill Dao, except for the mountain patrol disciples and those stationed at crucial points who could not leave their posts, were gathered on the square in front of the main hall.

Daoist Danling, holding a purple jade ruyi scepter, stood on the highest tier of the stone steps in front of the main hall. He swept his gaze majestically over the thousands of disciples below and said in a deep voice, "The sect disciple grand competition, held once every ten years, will officially begin tomorrow. All disciples in green and blue robes must participate in this competition. The first-place winner among the green-robed disciples will receive a high-grade flying sword, a defensive treasure, ten high-grade spirit stones, fifty mid-grade spirit stones, and two hundred low-grade spirit stones; the first-place winner among the blue-robed disciples will receive a mid-grade flying sword, twenty mid-grade spirit stones, and one hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

"Whoosh~~~" A tidal wave of gasps erupted from the green-robed and blue-robed disciple ranks simultaneously. The rewards were too abundant; all the disciples' hearts were stirred.

Lin Xiao's heart itched even more. He had been at the Great Luo Pill Dao for over two years, almost three. He had only seen his fellow senior brothers, senior sisters, and many elders fly with their swords, but he had never even seen what a flying sword looked like. As for defensive treasures, he didn't even know what they were. And those piles of sparkling spirit stones... Lin Xiao was practically drooling. Perhaps with these spirit stones, he would have hope of breaking through to the Golden Core Stage?

The Golden Core Stage! A Golden Core Stage cultivator with immense power! A Golden Core Stage cultivator who could transform the True Fire of Leaving Fire into the True Samadhi Fire!

With the True Samadhi Fire, perhaps Lin Xiao would be qualified to enter the Cosmos Grade alchemy room! Then the benefits he received would no longer be the low-grade pills he got now.

Cosmos Grade alchemy room? Lin Xiao's heart stirred slightly. He casually touched the yellow silk tucked into his sleeve. Then, he looked up at Danxia. Danxia, standing expressionlessly on the stone steps, turned her head to look at Lin Xiao. Her gaze was still full of that fierce, threatening meaning. Lin Xiao then looked at Hua Feng'er, who was also looking at him. She bared her teeth and sneered at Lin Xiao, then crossed her arms, squinted, and looked up at the sky.

Daoist Danling coughed lightly and said indifferently, "This competition will still follow the old rules from previous years. All disciples in green and blue robes will select their own materials to refine a furnace of pills. The ranking will be determined by the grade of the pills refined and the success rate of pill formation. The master of the winning disciple will receive an ancient rare treasure, the 'Hundred Treasures Rainbow Robe,' a protective garment close to the level of an immortal artifact, which offers immense defense and protection!"

The master of the winning disciple would receive a magical artifact passed down from ancient times! 'Hundred Treasures Rainbow Robe,' judging by the name, it must be a dazzling and beautiful garment!

The ranking would be determined by the grade and success rate of the pills refined by the participating disciples! The improved version of the "Blazing Flame Pill" in Lin Xiao's hand was a genuine Cosmos Grade spirit pill, and its success rate was more than double that of the usual methods! Moreover, the Blazing Flame Pill was a pure fire-attribute spirit pill, and Lin Xiao's physique perfectly matched the attribute of the Blazing Flame Pill, making the refining process much easier!

"This is cheating! Naked cheating!" Lin Xiao suddenly understood! It must be that Danxia fancied that Hundred Treasures Rainbow Robe, which was why she was acting so strangely!

If, by any chance, Lin Xiao unfortunately lost this competition!

On the stone steps, Danxia glared at Lin Xiao fiercely again! Her gaze was now filled with a murderous intent!

"Heavens! This Hundred Treasures Rainbow Robe is probably much more valuable than that Beauty-Nourishing Pill, isn't it?"

Lin Xiao's back was already covered in cold sweat. He stared blankly at the nearly a thousand green-robed disciples on the square, who were all extremely excited, and wailed inwardly, "Madam, I might not be able to win!" With so many disciples in the Great Luo Pill Dao, were there not many geniuses besides him, Lin Xiao?

If Lin Xiao lost...

Heavens! Lin Xiao almost collapsed to the ground! (To be continued)