The Competition Begins

Zhao Li did not believe that after so many years of the Xiao Clan's decline, only the Gu Clan could find the Xiao Clan's location. Yet though the Xiao Clan had declined, it had always continued its lineage on the continent. In the end, it was nothing more than a kind of balance between the Ancient Clans.

Even with Hun Tiandi's scheming and methods, he had spent hundreds, even nearly a thousand years preparing to gather the Ancient Jade before making his move. If not for his ill fortune in running into the Son of Destiny, Xiao Yan, he might well have silently wiped out several of the Ancient Clans apart from the Gu Clan.

Drawing back his thoughts, Zhao Li considered it for a moment and did not want to make extra trouble for himself.

Zhao Li had no intention of going to the invitations from the major clans one by one. The Alchemist Competition was also one of the Jia Ma Empire's greatest events. After the competition ended, he would simply gather everyone together.

There were still three days before the competition began. Zhao Li found a teahouse and returned to his old trade, becoming a storyteller again. This was not the first time over the past two years.

The Dou Qi Continent resembled the ancient dynasties of his previous life. Some travelers embellished and narrated what they had seen on the road, and thus became storytellers. In restaurants and teahouses, with people coming and going, it was wonderful for everyone to rest and listen to strange tales and anecdotes told by others.

The story was good, and Zhao Li knew how to tell it. As a side effect, he even made the teahouse's business boom.

On the day the competition began, Zhao Li's stories had already spread through Jia Ma Holy City. It was just that with the competition starting, it was ultimately more attractive—after all, it was happening right beside them.

When the Alchemist Competition began, Zhao Li, as one of the judges, was not absent.

From the High Platform, Zhao Li looked at the sea of people before him and clicked his tongue in amazement. As expected of a prosperous era for an entire nation.

Ao Feng introduced everyone on the judges' seats, and when it came to Zhao Li, quite a stir arose again. There were no few people in the square who had heard him tell stories.

"I never thought this Storytelling Mister was actually an honored alchemist. No wonder he had such insight."

"When I heard the stories he told back then, I thought they were full of excitement. Tell me, could that Alchemist Huang be his own story?"

"Go ask him yourself. Why ask me? It's not like I know. He doesn't look old, but I never expected him to actually be a judge. He's probably a senior with some Face-Preserving Technique."

Fortunately, Ao Feng soon began speaking about the competition matters and drew everyone's attention back to the competition.

"In this Alchemist Competition, all young talents under the age of thirty may participate. Because there are many entrants, you will all proceed together, with screening and elimination through each round. Those who remain at the end will participate in the next round."

Ao Feng briefly explained the competition format and rules, then announced the start of the competition.

As Ao Feng's voice fell, Zhao Li saw nearly a thousand Medicine Cauldrons in the enormous square ignite with flames at the same time. Occasionally, there were a few clusters of Beast Flame, adding some color to the bright-yellow field of fire. It was quite a magnificent sight.

The first trial was merely refining Medicinal Ingredients. Though it was simple, as time passed, people gradually became unable to keep going and were eliminated.

"This first trial is only refining Medicinal Ingredients, yet it can already eliminate quite a few people. Senior, what do you think of them?"

Ao Feng pointed out a few people and asked.

Zhao Li looked at the people Ao Feng had indicated and nodded in approval. "Not bad. Proper and steady. Their foundations are solid, and their performance is stable."

Then he looked toward a black-robed figure in a corner. In Zhao Li's perception, this black-robed figure's Soul Power was stronger than that of every other participant in the square, and her Flame Control was also masterful. She already had the level of a Fourth-Grade Alchemist approaching that of a Fifth-Grade Alchemist.

Ao Feng followed Zhao Li's gaze and looked over. He did not feel there was anything special, so he was somewhat puzzled and asked.

"Senior, is there some problem with him?"

Zhao Li shook his head, smiled, and said.

"There's no problem with her. I just didn't expect to encounter such a genius in this competition."

With Zhao Li's strength, even without deliberately prying, he still saw through the black-robed figure's background.

Seeing that Zhao Li seemed to regard the black-robed figure in a special light, Ao Feng recalled for a moment, but truly had no impression. She was likely to be a dark horse.

"Senior thinks well of him?"

Zhao Li nodded, signaling that he would know if he kept watching.

The difficulty of the competition gradually deepened, and fewer and fewer people remained on the field. Now, there were only a sparse dozen or so left, and that black-robed figure was impressively among them!

After Zhao Li nodded, Ao Feng also began paying attention to the black-robed figure. Her performance had always been proper and steady, yet she remained on the stage in every round. He also realized something was off.

"Senior truly has eyes like torches."

The competition had continued until now, and the participants' performances could be considered outstanding. To Zhao Li, however, it was rather boring, especially since he almost knew what the result would be. In response to Ao Feng's compliment, he merely smiled.

As the sky gradually darkened, Ao Feng spoke about the subsequent competition arrangements.

"Today's competition ends here. The eighteen people still remaining on the stage will continue the competition three days from now."

Everyone had seen the state of the competition with their own eyes, so there was no real objection. It was just that the audience was extremely interested in the sudden dark horse who had appeared.

In the few days before the second round of the competition began, the common people of the Imperial Capital could not avoid the topic of the Alchemist Competition in their idle chatter. They all discussed the contestants they favored, and some people had even started betting pools.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Alchemist Competition continued. Some new faces appeared on the High Platform.

"Today's competition is for each of you to refine one pill. There is no restriction on Pill Rank. The final Pill Formation will be jointly judged by the judges. The one with the higher Pill Rank wins. If the ranks are the same, then the one with better quality wins. Now the competition begins. Use your full strength."

After Susan finished explaining the matters for this round and announced the start of the competition, she withdrew and chatted with Zhao Li and the others.

Susan was the president of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Guild, a Sixth-Rank Alchemist. She had returned from a trip some time ago, and after learning of recent events, she had also visited Zhao Li. The two had already become acquainted.

With only eighteen people participating in the broad square, it appeared extremely empty. Every person stood in an extremely conspicuous position.

The competition began, yet not a single person lit a fire to refine medicine. All the participants were frowning in thought, considering how they should win.

With such competition rules, if they refined an ordinary pill, they might not win. If they refined a top-tier pill, they might not succeed. Everyone seemed to have fallen into a dilemma.

Zhao Li looked at Yun Xin'er, who was still hiding beneath the black robe, and did not know whether she would continue hiding.

Although she had performed in a proper and steady manner in the previous competition, among those who still remained in the arena now, not one could avoid drawing attention.

As time passed, everyone made up their minds one after another. People on the field began lighting fires in succession and started refining medicine.

As the refining began, the audience also grew lively. Naturally, they could not see the psychological confrontation. Most of them had only come to join the excitement and see the lofty alchemists, who were rarely seen on ordinary days.

"Senior Lin, according to our investigation, she isn't from our Jia Ma Empire. If she really takes the championship, wouldn't we lose all face?"

Ao Feng spoke in a low voice. Over these days, more than one household had investigated Yun Xin'er. Though she had been cautious, how could one person alone compare to several factions? Even so, the investigation had only confirmed that she was not from the Jia Ma Empire. As for anything else, they knew nothing.

It was just that Zhao Li seemed to regard her differently, so none of them had moved to eliminate her ahead of time.

When Zhao Li heard this, ripples rose in his heart.

Even alchemists, who stood above others even among cultivators, could be treated like this over the championship of a single competition—let alone ordinary commoners.

With something weighing on his mind, Zhao Li's words turned somewhat heavy.

"A grand competition held by the Alchemist Guild, yet not only does it fail to guarantee the safety of its participants, it even resorts to despicable means because it does not want the championship to fall into another's hands. How could it still have any credibility? Winning is naturally good, but if you kill off geniuses for the sake of victory, then you lose both face and substance. If you lose, then learn shame and strive bravely on, bury your head in work, and catch up."

Ao Feng felt ashamed when he heard this and lowered his head. With such a narrow outlook, he truly had been petty.

Zhao Li recalled the wisdom of the Analects and drew from it.

"If one is upright, others will follow even without orders; if one is not upright, others will not obey even when ordered."