Volume 1 Chapter 43 A Decisive Victory
The next day.
The sun rises in the east, and the main peak of Jintop Mountain is shrouded in a misty aura, with thousands of strands of morning clouds.
The third round of competition officially began amidst the melodious bell tolls.
Due to his high-stakes gamble with Murong Chui, Qin Luo Yi became famous overnight.
More people came to watch the game than yesterday, and everyone's attention was focused on Qin Luoyi and Murong Jue. Of course, compared to this, more people were paying attention to Qin Luoyi, because everyone wanted to know how good her alchemy skills were, and she actually dared to make a bet with Murong Jue like that.
Qin Luo Yi and Murong Chui are gambling, and outside the venue, a high-stakes gamble is also unfolding. The question is, will Murong Chui emerge victorious or will Qin Luo Yi ultimately claim victory?
Most people think that Murong Chui can win, the fame of the tree and its shadow. Qin Luoyi is just a young maid in her early teens, no matter how good her alchemy skills are, she can't reach Murong Chui's level. Many people feel sorry for her, those were two ancient rare beasts, obviously hers, but because of a momentary carelessness, they're about to become the treasure of the Dongtian Fudi.
Looking up at the high platform, Wu Shan's face was cold enough to make people feel chilled, completely different from his smiling face yesterday. Those people were even more certain that Qin Luoyi would lose this time, and even Wu Shan, whose cultivation was profound and unpredictable, would suffer losses of two ancient exotic beasts.
The betting house is severely polarized, with too many people buying Mu Rong's absolute win and too few people buying Qin Luo's win. They are just some hypocrites who can't stand the sight of Dong Tian Fu Di and Mu Rong's arrogance every day, or those who have a grudge against them, buying Qin Luo's win purely to play a counter-attack against Dong Tian Fu Di and Mu Rong.
Yan Nan Tian spent a huge sum of money to win the heart of his beloved, and bought Qin Luo Yi's win. He also took over Yue Ge Tower and became its new master, Yan Gui Cang. He had thoughts of forming an alliance with Piao Miao Sect, but no one stopped him.
Due to the gambling house's relationship, the three elders of the Alchemist Guild on the high platform, including Zuo Gu and others, as well as several other sects' elders who were in charge of arbitration, had not paid much attention to Qin Luoyi before, but after the alchemy began, their deep eyes would occasionally fall on her.
The eighth-grade elixir on the Penglai Immortal Island is already considered a high-ranking elixir, and many powerful sects' alchemists can only refine elixirs of seventh or eighth grade at most.
Compared to the sixth and seventh grade elixirs, refining an eighth-grade elixir was much more difficult and time-consuming. Qin Luo Yi remained indifferent to the numerous envious gazes cast upon her, continuing to refine the elixir with elegance and poise.
By noon, with the sound of explosions, people began to withdraw from the competition one after another.
Qin Luoyi and Murong Jue were both skilled in alchemy, their techniques smooth from the competition to now.
By the afternoon, there were only a hundred people left in the alchemy arena. Bai Chen from the Piaoyan Sect also had to withdraw because he couldn't control the fire well.
Looking at the blue-robed, elegant and lovely Qin Luoyi still there refining elixirs, his eyes were both surprised and delighted, then he let out a sigh. He had always thought that his elixir-refining skills surpassed others, in the Floating Mist Sect, his innate talent for refining elixirs was second to none. Originally, he had thought that the first one to be eliminated from the competition would perhaps be Qin Luoyi... but unexpectedly, it turned out to be himself.
Seeing the distant betting platform, a glint of cleverness flashed in his eyes as he prepared to make a bet. In nearly two months of getting along, he had already known that Qin Shifu was an intelligent person. Since she dared to take out two ancient exotic beasts for betting, perhaps she really had some confidence.
Bang!
The third round of competition finally came to an end in the distant bell sound when the sunset was about to set in the west.
The Eighth-Order Dan medicine is not limited by time. The reason the bell rang was because, apart from those who had already given up and exited the stage, everyone else had succeeded.
Zuo Gu and a group of elder judges walked down from the high platform, but the eight-grade elixir would not be handed over to the high platform for them to taste and identify one by one. Instead, everyone walked off the stage and slowly tasted it in front of the alchemist and outsiders, which could guarantee that the alchemist's elixir would not be replaced midway.
"Taohuamen Li Zongshi: 8th rank middle-grade elixir!"
……
"Feng Lei Men Chang Ping: Eighth Rank Initial Product Dan Medicine!"
……
"Floating and sinking, the sect of Qin Luoyi: 8th rank top-grade elixir!"
……
"Dongtian Fudi Murong Jue: Eighth-grade top-quality elixir!"
……
"Xuan Nü Men Zhu Yu Zi: Eighth Rank Initial Product Dan Medicine!"
……
As Zuo Gu and others walked and reported the grade of each pill refined by the alchemists, the crowd was in an uproar.
One hundred and forty-one people participated in the competition, excluding the twenty-one who exploded their furnaces, there were forty-five people who refined waste pellets, and seventy-five people who refined eighth-grade medicinal pellets.
Among these seventy-five people, twenty-four were first-class elixirs of the eighth rank, forty-one were middle-class elixirs of the eighth rank, and ten actually refined top-class elixirs of the eighth rank, more than any Golden Summit Competition.
What's even more unexpected is that Qin Luo actually refined an eighth-grade top-quality elixir, which made many people who originally didn't think much of her drop their jaws in shock.
Murong's expression was calm, but his heart was stirred up with a shocking huge wave. He had thought that Qin Luoyi's age would be able to refine the 8th-grade elixir, which was already an existence against heaven. Unexpectedly, she had also refined the 8th-grade top-quality elixir, just like him. Thinking of their bet, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. The Purple Fire Furnace must not be lost, and those two ancient beasts, he was even more determined to get them!
His gaze swept around the surroundings, and among the ten people who had refined the eighth-grade extreme pill, it was clear that the competition would continue. Next time, they should refine the ninth-grade pill! He didn't believe that Qin Luoyi could refine a ninth-grade pill! After all, even Jiang Zong, a senior from Piaomiao Sect who had reached the Purple Mansion realm, could only refine ninth-grade pills. She couldn't be more powerful than Jiang Zong, let alone the fact that in the entire Penglai Fairy Island, there hadn't been a teenager who refined a ninth-grade pill in countless years!
Even the master of the ice domain, who refined the 9th-grade elixir, was already fifty years old. It wasn't until later that his good fortune deepened and, combined with his exceptional innate talent, he finally became an existence capable of refining 15th-grade elixirs.
Thinking of this, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes, and he had several points of confidence that he could succeed in refining the Ninth-Grade Elixir!
His gaze was no longer on Qin Luoyi, but on the other eight people. His eyes finally fell on Tang Changshan, who was not outstanding in appearance or stature, and Ning Chou, who wore a black robe.
His opponent was not Qin Luoyi, but these two people. This time, those who can enter the Ice Domain are likely to be the three of them.
As for Qin Luo's ability to refine 8th-grade elixirs, Zuo Gu was also extremely shocked. Yan Gui of the Yueyue Pavilion was also shocked, and his idea of forming an alliance with the Piaomiao Sect became even more determined.
Zuo Gu and Wu Shan were quite familiar, yesterday after knowing about Qin Luo Yi and Murong Chui's gambling game, he even asked Wu Shan specifically about Qin Luo Yi's alchemy skills.
Wu Shan just smiled mysteriously and self-satisfactorily... Who would have thought that she had actually refined an eighth-grade top-quality elixir, which was far beyond his expectations! The gaze with which he looked at Qin Luoyi was as if he were looking at some kind of rare treasure, exceptionally scorching hot.
Ten people refined eight-tier top-grade elixirs, but not only did the person who entered the Ice Domain fail to decide, Qin Luo Yi and Mu Rong Jue also failed to decide the winner. This means that this year's alchemy master competition will have another day of competition, and the winning ten people will refine nine-tier elixirs to determine the final victory!
As soon as he walked out of the arena, Qin Luoyi easily found Jian Yuyan's figure in the crowd. Wearing a white brocade robe with a jade belt, she looked like a crown jewel, elegant and refined, with a hint of a gentle smile on her lips, making people feel refreshed at first glance.
Qin Luo's face lit up with a bright smile as she couldn't help but reveal her joy, her sparkling eyes shining brightly as she quickly walked towards him, the blue hem of her skirt fluttering and swaying, creating an enticing curve.
She was originally smiling at Jian Yu Yan, but standing there were not only Jian Yu Yan, but also countless spectators, watching the beautiful figure with a smile walking out of the sunset. The crowd felt like the flowers blooming in spring dawn, like the moon revealing its face in mid-autumn night, and suddenly, three souls and seven spirits seemed to have been taken away by half.
"Haha, Qin Shimei, you're too amazing! You've actually refined an 8th-grade extreme pill!" Just as Qin Luoyi and Jian Yuyan were about to approach, a mysterious figure in dark attire suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path. His handsome face was filled with a sly charm, and he was none other than Yan Nan Tian from the Xue Yue Tower.
At this time, his dark eyes were shining with a faint light, with surprise and joy. Just now when he heard Master Zuogu say that Qin Luoyi had refined the eighth-grade top-quality elixir, he was like everyone else, shocked to the point where his jaw almost dropped to the ground.
An eighteen-year-old eighth-grade top-quality alchemist... what kind of heaven-defying existence is this?
Even if she can't refine a 9th-grade elixir in tomorrow's final match, she will still make a name for herself throughout the land!
Today's Qin Luo Yi gave him too many surprises, last night his father asked if he wanted to form an alliance with the Piaoyou Sect, and he was still a bit hesitant. He knew he liked Qin Luo Yi, but that liking came too suddenly, and there were not a few people he had liked before. He didn't know how long this liking could last.
But that moment of hesitation had already vanished, and he was paired with her in a dual cultivation... He looked forward to it extremely!
The gaze that fell on Qin's body was no longer accompanied by a hint of evil and unscrupulousness as before, but instead carried a rare seriousness, along with a faint sense of intimacy.
In the distance, Yan Gui on the high platform had been paying attention to Qin Luoyi all along and naturally did not miss the change in his son's expression. As a father knows his child best, he knew that his son was moved. His eyes flashed, and he saw Wu Shan standing on one side, so he smiled and leaned over.
Qin Luoyi was after all his master's closed-door disciple, he first made friends with Wu Shan, and when the time came, he would marry into the Piaomiao Sect, with him speaking beautifully, this matter would definitely be successful.
Yan Nan Tian, who had been closely following Qin Luo Yi, made Jian Yu Yan's heart sink. How sharp was his mind? Of course, he also didn't miss the change in Yan Nan Tian's attitude towards Qin Luo Yi.
Pressed her thin lips together, the warm and jade-like pupils stirred up ripples, quickened her pace, and walked past.
Wen Ling Tian refined an 8th-grade middle-grade elixir, while Qin Luo Yi refined an 8th-grade top-grade elixir. He was both shocked and delighted, with a mix of emotions.
Because of the Ninth Grade Dan Medicine Competition the next day, although the people of Piaomiao Sect were excited, in order not to affect Qin Luoyi's performance the next day, they did not celebrate wildly.
"What? She refined an eighth-grade extreme pill... Are you sure you didn't hear wrong?" In a small town inn on the east side of Jintop Mountain Range, Liu Qingcheng's originally lazy and charming body suddenly stood up from the couch, looking incredulously at the blue-clothed man kneeling in front of her, with a cold glint in her eyes.
"It's true, the whole Jindingshan has spread." The man in black was expressionless, even when she stared at him with icy eyes, he didn't reveal a hint of emotion. They were the carefully selected and brutally trained dark guards of the Liu family.
This news made Liu Qingcheng both shocked and angry, and it was also very unexpected. She pursed her lips for a while, then suddenly laughed coldly: "An eighth-grade top-quality alchemist? Such talent is indeed not ordinary, no wonder he can be taken in as a closed-door disciple by the master."
Earlier, it was she who underestimated her!
The black-clad guard knelt silently on the ground, making no sound. After Liu Qingcheng waved at him, he vanished like a wisp of smoke.
Liu Qingcheng slowly walked to the window, gazing in the direction of Jintop Mountain. Her eyes turned ruthless and unfeeling: "What's the use of being an eighth-rank alchemist? What's the use of having a good innate talent? Qin Luoyi, someone like you should be dead."
She absolutely cannot tolerate the halo on her body being taken away by others, she is the one who should be admired by all, with the top cultivation talent, a strong family background, a powerful sect, and stunning beauty that surpasses all. What is Qin Luoyi? Just a small cultivator from the Sacred Dragon Continent with no background at all! She wants to crush her, just like crushing an ant, how easy it is!
The second day had not yet dawned, and tens of thousands of cultivators were rushing towards Golden Peak Mountain, wanting to witness the final scene today. Due to Mu Yuexuan's and Qin Luoyi's wager, many ordinary cultivators who hadn't come to watch the Alchemy Master Competition also rushed over, and Golden Peak Mountain was packed with people.
Bang!
As a melodious bell rings out, the final round of refining the Nine-Stage Elixir officially begins.
In all previous Golden Summit competitions, the winner was always decided at the 8th level of Dan medicine, and it has never been like this before, where they actually have to refine 9th level Dan medicine. This is an unprecedented event.
Considering the difficulty of refining the 9th-grade elixir, the Alchemists' Guild and the Council of Elders from several major sects unanimously decided that everyone can bring their own alchemy furnace to refine the elixir. The spiritual plants were already prepared by the Council of Elders, and everyone was refining the same type of elixir - the 9th-grade Primordial Spirit Elixir.
Qin Luo Yi and Murong Chui's positions were just adjacent, seeing Murong Chui take out a purple light misty dan furnace, she knew that this was the legendary Purple Fire Furnace.
The purple fire stove was a deep purple color throughout, with many intricate patterns carved on the outside. At first glance, it didn't seem like an ordinary object. With a hiss, as soon as the fire was lit, a faint dragon's hum and whisper seemed to emanate from the stove.
Qin Luo Yi didn't rush to start refining the elixir, but instead stared at Murong Jue's crucible for a long time, getting more and more excited as she looked. The more she looked, the more extraordinary it seemed, worthy of being used by the master of the Ice Domain to refine 15th-grade elixirs. Thinking that after this competition, this purple fire crucible would change hands and become hers... her lips curled up into a bright smile that couldn't be concealed.
Murong Jue gave her a disdainful glance, and Qin Luoyi's gaze on the purple fire stove was as if it were his own property, which made him very displeased!
"Who wants my Purple Flame Furnace? What a joke!" He sneered in his heart.
If he were to use the Alchemist Guild's cauldron to refine the medicine, he might only have a 40-50% chance of successfully refining the 9th-grade medicine. Now that he has his familiar Purple Fire Cauldron, he at least has a 60% chance of refining the 9th-grade medicine!
The Amethyst Furnace is his, and those two ancient beasts will also be his. Today in this arena, he wants to make Qin Luoyi lose all face. Whoever dares to challenge him must have the awareness of becoming a laughing stock for the whole world.
Thinking of Xiao Tian and Gao... The chill in his cold eyes grew even more, this blood feud would eventually make her pay back with her own blood!
Qin Luo's clothes didn't miss the disdain and killing intent in his eyes, the bottom of his eyes was clear and cold, but the smile at the corner of his lips was radiant, he said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear: "Murong Jue, this will be your last time using this purple fire stove, cherish this last opportunity well, after this... you won't even be able to touch the edge of this stove!"
Blunt provocative words made Murong almost spit blood, his hand slipped and the spiritual plant he was refining almost went to waste. He suddenly came back to his senses, this was Qin Luoyi's provocation method, he had almost fallen into her trap!
"You can only boast with your mouth, wanting this Purple Fire Furnace is impossible even in the next life!" After throwing down a proud and disdainful sentence, Murong Zhuo didn't look at her again, focusing on refining the elixir.
Apart from Qin Luoyi, he also had to defeat two other powerful opponents, Ning Chou and Tang Changshan. Two ancient beasts that he needed, in the Ice Domain he must go!
Everyone in the arena has already started to refine their elixirs, but Qin Luo's alchemy furnace hasn't even been taken out yet. The crowd outside is in a state of confusion and can't figure out what she wants to do or why she still hasn't started refining her elixir.
Not just the crowd outside the field, but also the faces of Master Zuogu and others standing on the high platform had a look of confusion.
"What is this junior apprentice doing? Why hasn't she started refining the elixir yet, doesn't she have an elixir furnace?" After saying this, he himself felt that this statement was not reliable. A master alchemist capable of refining eighth-grade top-quality elixirs wouldn't have an elixir furnace?
How is this possible!
Wu Shan smiled faintly.
He had great confidence in Qin Luo Yi, refining the nine-tiered elixir was just a small dish.
He didn't say a word, just raised his chin slightly, indicating for him to continue reading.
Qin Luoyi actually didn't want to stand out, but was attracted by the purple fire stove and took a good look.
Murong Jue finally took out an ancient bronze-colored crucible from the storage space after she began to focus on alchemy, lit the alchemical flame and started to refine various spiritual plants.
This ancient bronze dan furnace was originally placed in the wrist space, and it came with her from Earth. The material is not bad either, she searched for many rare crystals on Earth, plus the rare Xuan Tong, and asked a master to refine it together. However, compared to the Purple Fire Furnace, it's simply no match.
Digression
Thank you CiYi for the lovely flowers (3), thank you Lu Jiahuan for the lovely flowers, thank you ZhuZhuLeLe for the drill bits, thank you Willma for the drill bits, and also thank you Yueyan for the lovely flowers and drill bits.
