Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Another five or six minutes later, there were more changes on the square. The remaining participants were using various techniques to control the fire. The fire instantly burned strongly and soared into the clouds.
Except for Jiang Chen, all the Elixir Association’s alchemists were using a technique called Illusive Fire Technique. It was one of the Ten Techniques the Elixir Association had mastered, good for young people to use. Its effect on the fire depended on each alchemist’s proficiency level.
Dong! Dong!
These two consecutive noises meant another two alchemists from the Elixir Association had failed. They had been very close to success, but it was just too difficult to refine a Retaining Youth Elixir. They had made a mistake while adjusting the degree of heating. In this way, all of the previous efforts were wasted. The two were very frustrated. They retreated to the edge of the square. The Elixir Association only had three alchemists remaining, while the Elixir Fire Union had five.
Anyone could see the situation was not favorable for the Elixir Association. What made things worse was someone from the Elixir Fire Union had succeeded in refining the Retaining Youth Elixir. He had gathered all of the fire into the furnace. One second later, the top of the furnace opened automatically. With foggy vapors arising, people smelled a delicate fragrance.
“Ha, ha, ha.” He burst out laughing when he realized that he was the first person who had succeeded. He took the Retaining Youth Elixir out of the furnace. Due to the particularity of the Retaining Youth Elixir, it was difficult to refine, but refining it did not take long. Otherwise Chen Xi would not have used it as a test during the competition.
Another two people from the Elixir Fire Union succeeded in refining the elixir. Both of them were new entrants to the team.
“Why is this happening? Where are these people from?”
“Did the Elixir Fire Union train them secretly?”
“Will the Elixir Association lose?”
People were nervous. Those from the Elixir Association were downcast. Elder Zhuge’s thick dashing eyebrows even stood on end. Fortunately, not all of the entrants from the Elixir Association were mediocre. Someone finally succeeded – he was the leader of the ten.
Before the Elixir Association could cheer for that, another of their participants failed. And someone from the Elixir Fire Union succeeded again. The Elixir Association was losing badly in the first round.
Four people from the Elixir Fire Union had succeeded, but only one from the Elixir Association had. All of the others except Jiang Chen had failed. Even if Jiang Chen would make it, the score would be four to two.
Those from the Elixir Fire Union laughed complacently. By comparison, no one from the Elixir Association looked happy.
“Hey, finish quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you can make it or not.” The man representing the Elixir Fire Union who had finished first had been waiting for a few minutes. He was quite unhappy that Jiang Chen was still working on the elixir.
“There is no time restriction. You’ll get disqualified if you try to disturb others,” Chen Xi said to him. The man shut up immediately. And people believed what they had heard by hearsay. Chen Xi cared about Jiang Chen a lot.
However, the Elixir Association did not cheer up because of that. Instead, they looked embarrassed, because Jiang Chen did not use any normal techniques to refine elixirs. He was using a normal way, as if he was refining a panacea.
“Doesn’t he know any techniques, or doesn’t he dare use any?”
How would he adjust the degree of heating quickly and use the heat energy for different spiritual herbs without using any technique to refine the Retaining Youth Elixir? The Retaining Youth Elixir could be compared to the Heaven Elixir. The way to refine panaceas was not enough to do it.
“Why did the Elixir Association send someone like him to embarrass themselves?” The entrants from the Elixir Fire Union were scornful.
“He could subdue the little fiery burning man. It means he knows how to manipulate fire. However, not anyone can master those techniques.”
“It’s not enough for an alchemist to be good at one thing. An alchemist should be good at everything.”
“He is too young. Such a high-level contest doesn’t suit him so well.”
Everyone could hear them talking. However, they were not speaking to Jiang Chen, so Chen Xi could do nothing about it.
“I should have gone to compete with them.” Yan Ruyu had been persuaded by Jiang Chen’s performance the previous night, but now she felt frustrated. She was very confident about refining the Retaining Youth Elixir. If she had been in the competition, at least the Elixir Association would not lose too badly.
A few more minutes passed. Jiang Chen was still controlling the fire in some ordinary way. His average furnace could not be compared to the other 19 people’s furnaces at all.
“Even if you persist longer, it doesn’t mean you are better.”
“It’s useless to stall for time.”
Even those from the Elixir Association wanted him to give up. However, at that moment, Jiang Chen started to extinguish the fire.
“Will he succeed?”
Those on the square were confused by what he was doing. If he had failed, he would not have been able to control the extinguishing of the fire. However, if he had succeeded, it would not have been so quiet either. When the fire had completely died out, the red furnace did not seem anything special.
“Ha, ha, ha.”
When those from the Elixir Fire Union started to laugh at him, the furnace before Jiang Chen suddenly started to shake violently. Then vapors like angry waves soared into the clouds. After the vapors disappeared, something was sparkling in the furnace.
“Gosh! This is a Retaining Youth Elixir of holy level!”
“A Retaining Youth Elixir that can delay the process of aging for a few years?!”
“I want to buy it! Middle-aged women will definitely buy it!”
The crowd was extremely excited. They understood what the sparkles meant.
“He managed to refine a holy elixir without using any technique? How is it possible?!”
The four people from the Elixir Fire Union, who had succeeded, could not believe it. They walked toward the furnace to see what on earth had happened.
“Did I say that you could have a look at it?” Jiang Chen stared at them with a haughty look. The four were pressured to step back. He had been focusing on refining the elixir, but the noises from these people had still affected him a little.
The four flew into a rage, but they controlled themselves before their anger broke out. Curling their lips, they walked back to their side.
Chen Xi came up to the furnace. Regardless of the high temperature, she reached into the furnace for the Retaining Youth Elixir.
“It is indeed a holy level. Young Master Jiang Chen, could you sell it to me?”
No women could resist the charm of the Retaining Youth Elixir, not even Chen Xi. Chen Xi was not good at practicing. As a result, she had aged faster than talented female practitioners.
“Miss Chen Xi, just take it if you like it. After all, you gave me the Source Heaven Stone,” Jiang Chen said.
“How generous he is!!”
Many people wanted to grab him by the collar to ask him whether he knew how much a Retaining Youth Elixir of holy level was worth. He had just given it away so casually.
“Okay. I’ll take it then. Thank you, Young Master Jiang Chen.”
Chen Xi put the Retaining Youth Elixir into a box. Numerous women felt jealous of her.
Pah! Pah! Pah!
The pretty woman from the Elixir Fire Union walked over, clapping her hands. She said, “Congratulations on the holy-level Retaining Youth Elixir. However, according to the rules, we of the Elixir Fire Union have won this round.”
Not until then did the others realize it. The result of the first round was four to two. The second and the third round would be the same, with 20 people on either side competing at the same time.
Best of three. The Elixir Association would have to win the next two rounds.
“Of course.” Chen Xi had not forgotten about the rule. She felt bad for Jiang Chen.
“Wait.” Jiang Chen suddenly shouted in a loud voice.
“Why?”The pretty woman thought that he was reluctant to admit defeat. She said, “A rule is a rule. Even though you refined to a holy level….”
“It’s not about that.”
Throwing her a glance, Jiang Chen came up to the four people from the Elixir Fire Union who had succeeded. He said, “The Elixir Fire Union and the Elixir Association belong to the Three Middle Realms, don’t they?”
Most people were puzzled by his question. However, the pretty woman’s smile froze on her face.
