Time slipped by quietly, and the second phase of the Dao Court's grand assembly of immortals finally commenced.
Compared to the first phase's sword-fighting tournament, filled with the glint of blades and the chilling aura of killing intent, the second phase was limited to the realm of "scholarly contests," significantly toning down the tense atmosphere.
Alchemical Dao, weapon forging, talisman inscription, formation arrays, Heavenly Secret Art, and mechanical puppetry… The categories were numerous, exceeding a hundred. Any cultivator with expertise in a particular field could choose to participate, and the victors would receive substantial rewards.
Take alchemy, for example. There were ten rounds of competition in total. Each round was set by the Dao Court's elders, who also provided the alchemy furnace and ten sets of herbal ingredients. As long as a cultivator could refine the specified elixir within the allotted time, they would pass. Then, based on the quantity and quality of the elixirs produced, the final victor would be determined.
Those unlucky enough to cause an alchemy furnace explosion or fail in their alchemy would face early elimination.
Cultivators not participating were allowed to watch from the sidelines, cheering for their fellow sect members, but they could not interfere with the competition in any way.
Outside the alchemy competition venue, the spectator stands were lined with countless golden-threaded sandalwood tables, laden with spiritual fruits, pastries, and drinks. Disciples from various sects gathered in groups, finding places to sit amidst the bustling and lively crowd.
"…It seems there aren't many people."
Near a table at the edge of the venue, Qing Muling, adorned in a luxurious cloud-patterned purple robe and a golden crown, looked curiously at the neatly arranged three thousand-plus alchemy furnaces. His clear and spirited eyes, perfectly sculpted features, and the noble aura that shone through his mysterious depth attracted the gazes of countless female cultivators. Even the elders and disciples from female-centric sects like the Goddess Sect and Qingqiu Hall frequently cast their eyes upon him.
"Compared to the previous sword-fighting tournament, there are indeed fewer participants this time."
Yu Lingzhou explained with a smile, "These auxiliary disciplines are extremely draining, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. Therefore, not many cultivators are willing to dedicate themselves to these fields. Moreover, to achieve mastery, one must possess sufficient talent and guidance from a renowned master. After multiple levels of selection, very few can stand out."
"That makes sense."
Qing Muling nodded slightly. Alchemists, as technical talents, are indispensable to any Dao Lineage. The number and skill level of alchemists are key indicators of a Dao Lineage's strength.
However, training alchemists is extremely resource-intensive. Taking Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace as an example, to cultivate a qualified True Person Realm alchemist, aside from finding a suitable candidate, the cost is enough to train more than thirty core disciples of the same level. Dao Lineages with insufficient economic strength simply cannot afford too many alchemists.
The same is true for technical talents in other fields.
Some forces try to poach talents from outside, but the cost is even more exorbitant, and luck plays a part. After all, no leader is foolish enough to let their hard-trained talents be poached by others.
Among the new generation of disciples from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, there were five skilled in the Alchemical Dao, but only the eldest sister, Xuebing Xuan, had exceptional alchemy skills. The rest were merely at the level of ordinary alchemists, lacking the confidence to embarrass themselves at this grand Dao Court assembly.
"Junior Brother, how do you find the taste of this fine wine?"
To the left of Qing Muling, a voluptuous beauty with crescent brows and starry eyes gently lifted a delicate wine jar, speaking in a soft and gentle tone.
He took a sip and nodded slightly, expressing satisfaction with the taste of the wine. The Yu family had some secret techniques for brewing, which even he, who had tasted countless spiritual wines, found satisfactory.
The beautiful woman smiled, her eyes curving with joy. Dressed in a gorgeous crimson gown, adorned with pearls and jewels, her rosy cheeks and fluttering eyelashes gave her a radiant look.
This was Yu Binghua, a descendant of the Supreme Elder Yu Lingzhou. She had a good relationship with Qi Shuyu, Su Yunmo, and other ladies, and was one of the senior core disciples of the sect. Now, she was at the initial stage of the Feather Transformation Realm.
In fact, her talents were not inferior to Xuebing Xuan and the other four sisters from before. They were once considered peers of the same caliber, even harboring ambitions for the position of Dao Heir.
However, after Qing Muling joined the sect, the eldest sister received his supreme fortune, and her cultivation soared, leaving her former competitors far behind, extinguishing their ambitions.
What followed was natural. To secure a chance to stay by Qing Muling's side, Yu Binghua and the other ladies put in a lot of effort. Supreme Elder Yu Lingzhou also lobbied Mu Yinghua on behalf of her outstanding descendant.
If she could achieve her wish, Yu Binghua thought, she could soar to new heights and catch up with the eldest sister and the others.
Yu Lingzhou chuckled, "Knowing that Junior Brother likes to drink, this girl has brought out the best wine from our family's cellar. If you wish, you can come and drink as much as you like here."
Qing Muling agreed. Although they were separated by more than a dozen generations in seniority, Yu Lingzhou still looked like a girl of eleven or twelve, while Yu Binghua appeared much more mature than her Supreme Elder ancestor.
Of course, both women had similarly sinfully enticing and voluptuous figures, and their stunning beauty was in no way inferior to Xuebing Xuan and the others.
The result of the last draw was Yu Binghua, so she had been accompanying Qing Muling these past few days to cultivate a relationship, and Yu Lingzhou was also very attentive to this descendant, taking every opportunity to join her in visiting Qing Muling for tea and discussions.
However, Qing Muling always felt that Yu Lingzhou's intentions were not so simple, and she was overly enthusiastic towards him.
As the appointed time approached, on the high platform in the venue, thousands of talented disciples from various sects registered their identities with the elders, received their talismans and herbal ingredients, and then entered the venue under the guidance of Dao children, each choosing an alchemy furnace.
All three thousand-plus alchemy furnaces were of the same specification, all top-grade magical treasures with a small time-accelerating formation array inside to significantly shorten the time needed for elixir formation. Of course, such alchemy furnaces also demanded higher cultivation from the alchemists, and those not confident enough usually dared not attempt to use them.
This gave Qing Muling a deeper understanding of the terrifying foundation of the Dao Court. Other top schools, Supreme Dao Lineages, and Immortal and Divine Dynasties could not afford such a lavish display, casually providing over three thousand top-grade magical treasure-level alchemy furnaces.
Compared to other types of magical treasures, alchemy furnaces are more complex and difficult to forge, with high costs, hence their value is the highest among treasures of the same level. For ordinary major sects, having a few top-grade magical treasure-level alchemy furnaces is already a considerable asset.
Dressed in white, with a white jade duster in hand, Xuebing Xuan had already taken her place in front of an alchemy furnace. With her hair neatly coiffed and her face exquisite and radiant, she calmly cast her spells, activating the formation array around the base of the furnace. Intricate patterns lit up layer by layer, with the sound of wind and thunder stirring faintly.
After checking that the alchemy furnace was in good condition and finding no issues, Xuebing Xuan paused and waited for the Dao Court elders to announce the start of the competition.
"With Junior Brother's help… the first place will still not fall into the hands of others."
Xuebing Xuan pondered to herself, touching the luxurious gown she wore. It was taken from her Junior Brother, imbued with his aura. After refining it with a secret method, she could share his terrifying fortune, making it perfect for this occasion.
For this alchemical competition, the eldest sister had made thorough preparations. Nourished by the innate Harmony spiritual root within her, she was in an unprecedented peak state, and performing beyond her level was not out of the question.
Glancing sideways, Xuebing Xuan's clear, water-like eyes looked towards Qing Muling on the spectator stand, giving him a bright and charming smile before turning her attention back to the task at hand.
***
Qing Muling frowned slightly, subtly touching his waist. Last night, several sisters, citing the need to participate in the competition, clung to him and made various demands, which were undoubtedly thrilling and stimulating. However, the feeling of being almost drained was not pleasant.
At this moment, Cheng Yulan and Luo Huan, two other sisters, had also gone to other venues to compete, while Qi Yalan and Luo Wanqing had followed to watch their competitions.
"Can your eldest sister take first place?" Yu Lingzhou asked.
"Of course, there's no doubt about it."
Qing Muling replied. The first-place prize was a post-celestial Spirit Treasure-level alchemy furnace, three volumes of ancient alchemy scriptures, and three hundred divine herbs, all of which the eldest sister could make good use of. With these benefits, Xuebing Xuan's alchemy skills would surely advance further, and he would benefit greatly as well.
Yu Lingzhou pondered, "It seems that Luo Huan and Cheng Yulan can also take first place?"
Qing Muling thought it was obvious. Their cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of the Elemental Immortal stage, and their competitors, no matter how talented, were rare to match them in terms of cultivation alone. Considering the gap in fate and fortune, it was not easy to surpass them.
Yu Binghua poured him another cup of spiritual wine and gently held his arm, asking, "Most of this is thanks to Junior Brother's efforts, right?"
Qing Muling smiled without saying a word. Inside the sect, this was hardly a secret anymore. All the sisters and junior sisters close to him had benefited more or less. Bai Qingyu, for example, had already advanced to a core disciple, with rapid progress in her cultivation. The inner disciples personally selected by Qing Muling were the same, and even the ten personal maids like Ice Falcon had gained a lot.
Of course, a group of Supreme Elders, including Yu Lingzhou, had also recovered thanks to the divine herbs Qing Muling found in the Misty Illusion Secret Realm. Ice Falcon was healed by his own hands.
"Junior Brother, when you have time, could you think of a way to help me too?"
Yu Lingzhou rummaged through Qing Muling, smiling, "My mastery in the art of forging has been stagnant for many years, and I'm quite troubled by it!"
This Supreme Elder was skilled in the art of weapon forging, and most of the magical treasures Qing Muling used came from her hand or were forged by her leading other elders.
Qing Muling was somewhat speechless, "Your realm is too high, and I'm afraid I can't help you now. Moreover, to advance further, you need to break through to the next realm."
Yu Lingzhou's eyes lit up, "Isn't that still asking for your help? How about…"
Yu Binghua coughed lightly beside him, changing the subject, "Junior Brother, they've started."
Qing Muling's gaze returned to the center of the venue, where the Dao Court elders had already displayed the first question. All participating cultivators had to refine a furnace of Spirit-Nourishing Qi Pills within three hours, and the winner would be the one with the most pills and the highest quality.
There were ten such questions in total, each more difficult than the last. Only those who won all rounds and achieved the best overall score would be recognized as the first place by the Dao Court elders.
In the venue, all three thousand-plus cultivators were in place. As the flames at the bottom of the alchemy furnaces rose, the protective formation around the edge was activated to prevent accidents from harming the spectators outside.
Xuebing Xuan focused her mind, adding the herbal ingredients to the alchemy furnace in batches, then busily and methodically casting spells.
The Spirit-Nourishing Qi Pill was not high-grade, only considered an entry-level elixir that any ordinary alchemist apprentice could try to refine. However, to produce a high-quality pill and maximize the number of pills was not easy, testing the alchemist's control ability.
Of course, for Xuebing Xuan, this was all effortless. Every step was clear in her mind, and the entire alchemy process was smooth and flawless, without any mistakes.
"The Arrival of Heaven"
Time passed quietly, and the guests on the spectator stands enthusiastically tasted fruits and pastries, drank and discussed. As cultivators with long lifespans, what they did not lack was patience.
"The elixirs are about to come out of the furnace!"
Yu Lingzhou said, reaching for a milky white snow fruit, peeling off the skin, and personally feeding it to Qing Muling, "How many pills do you think the eldest sister can refine this time?"
"Probably three to five hundred?"
Qing Muling caught the spiritual fruit she fed him, biting down lightly. The crisp, sweet, and delicious juice burst on his tongue, giving him an extremely refreshing feeling. The taste of the snow fruit from this Supreme Elder was also irresistible.
In the center, as Xuebing Xuan cast the last few spells, the alchemy furnace emitted a pleasant tremor. The heavy gilded lid slowly lifted, and the strong scent of medicine filled the air. Thick mist rose and gathered into a cloud shaped like a spiritual mushroom in mid-air.
Then, thousands of flawless, thumb-sized azure pills appeared. The prepared Dao children quickly stepped forward, collecting them one by one and sealing them in pill bottles for preservation.
Before long, all cultivators had finished their work. Next, the elders would count the number of pills, assess their quality, and then determine the winner.
Xuebing Xuan was confident. She had refined over a thousand Spirit-Nourishing Qi Pills this time, and the quality was top-notch. Therefore, the champion of this round was undoubtedly her.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan