Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Jiang Chen, what’s going on?”
Elder Zhuge intuited that there was something tricky. He walked over quickly. He was quite anxious. If everything went on like this, the result of the next two tests could also be anticipated.
“Elder Zhuge….”
Jiang Chen thought about how he would put it. Then he told the elder through holy awareness what was going on.
“Are you sure?” The furrows of Elder Zhuge’s brows relaxed. He looked serious.
Jiang Chen nodded. He was sure about what he had found out.
“What trick are you playing?” The pretty woman had a hunch. She said loudly, “You people from the Elixir Association can’t afford to lose?”
“Shut up!” Elder Zhuge scolded her in anger.
This created a great disturbance on the square. The leaders of both sides quarreled openly. It was not the same thing as a quarrel among the younger generation. Those from the Elixir Fire Union came up behind the pretty woman instantly in a quite aggressive manner.
To show their resolution, the Elixir Association also entered the square.
“He, he, how arrogant, you Elixir Association. You just lost the test. Do you want to find an excuse to deny your defeat?” The false smile on the pretty woman’s face disappeared. It turned into a cold smile.
The audience was in a heated discussion, talking to each other in low voices.
“What’s going on?” Chen Xi, the host, also came up to figure out what the problem was.
“The Elixir Fire Union is a union based in the Three Middle Realms. So is the Elixir Association. However, an alchemist from the Three Upper Realms is representing you in the competition. What are you up to?!” Elder Zhuge said in a profound voice.
What he said turned everyone on the scene deadly serious.
“Great!”
“I was wondering where these people were from.”
Those from the Elixir Association flew into a rage. It turned out the Elixir Fire Union had played a trick. They had gotten foreign aid to help them.
“Elder Zhuge, even though you can’t afford to lose, you don’t have to resort to such an excuse.” The pretty woman sounded scornful, trying to avoid the heart of the issue.
“You!” Elder Zhuge flew into a temper, but he did not know how to respond to her. He looked toward Jiang Chen.
“The Candle Dragon Secret Technique is a technique of the Elixir Divine Valley of the Seventh Realm, which they never impart to people out of the valley. The four of you, oh, no, the five of you have covered it very well, but, still, you can’t escape my observation.”
Jiang Chen looked toward the four people who had refined the Retaining Youth Elixir successfully.
The four did not refute him. Standing there, they did not say anything. Their looks were as sharp as knives.
“Miss Chen Xi is from the Seventh Realm. Even she doesn’t find anything wrong. You, an insignificant guy, are your eyes even sharper than the eyes of the Elixir Emperor’s descendant?” The pretty woman was still trying very hard to cover, like a dog whose tail has been stepped on.
Looking toward Chen Xi, Jiang Chen said, “Miss Chen Xi, the Candle Dragon Technique has many variations. That’s what’s so special about it….”
“…so, if someone wants to conceal it intentionally, it will be difficult to find it out.” Chen Xi finished the sentence for him. She knew what he was going to say.
Then she came up to the four people. Unlike their attitude toward Jiang Chen, they were very nervous facing the Elixir Emperor’s descendant.
“What a joke. The Elixir Association can’t afford to lose. They’re using an excuse that can’t be proven true. What do you want? You want today’s competition to be canceled? He, he. Is this the Elixir Association with a 1,000-year history?” The pretty woman couldn’t stop talking. She was still trying to roil up the situation.
“If these four people had been well known in the Three Middle Realms, we certainly would not have been skeptical of them. However, they appeared just before the competition. It’s natural that they raised our doubts,” Elder Zhuge said in a cold voice.
“Why didn’t you say anything about your doubts before your loss?” The pretty woman asked in a mocking tone.
“How could Jiang Chen see through the technique they used before the competition? How could he draw the conclusions?” Someone from the Elixir Association refuted her.
“I think it’s just an excuse you’ve found to justify your loss,” the pretty woman said.
“Enough!” Chen Xi stopped the meaningless quarrel. She was still gazing at the four people.
She said, “It’s my master, the Elixir Emperor, who sent me to host the competition today. If you trick me, it’s the same as tricking the Elixir Emperor. I’ll pay a visit to the Elixir Divine Valley in person after I go back. If I see you there….”
“Miss Chen Xi, please don’t involve the Elixir Divine Valley in this.”
“We were invited here. We didn’t know there were so many rules.”
“That’s right.”
“Miss Chen Xi, we don’t have the nerve to trick the Elixir Emperor.”
Before Chen Xi could finish speaking, these people could not help but cut in.
The Elixir Emperor’s prestige was obvious. He was as mighty as a mountain for the alchemists from the Seventh Realm.
Since they had made a confession, the crowd went into an uproar.
The pretty woman’s face looked ferocious, but she did not dare scold those from the Elixir Divine Valley. They had chosen to submit to Chen Xi instead of the Elixir Fire Union. It meant they did not value the Elixir Fire Union so much. They were here only because the Elixir Fire Union had paid them a great amount of money.
“You didn’t say that we couldn’t get any help before the competition. Our friends from the Elixir Divine Valley valued the Elixir Fire Union’s potential, so they came to join us. They didn’t violate the rules of the Elixir Divine Valley.” The pretty woman was still arguing.
“How could you be so shameless?” Elder Zhuge did not want to argue with a woman. Fluttering his sleeves, he was leaving with his men. It was certainly unnecessary for this unfair competition to go on.
“The Elixir Association fled without competing with us. Although we can’t get the Ten Techniques, the world will know the Elixir Association lost to the Elixir Fire Union. This is a fact you can’t deny!” The pretty woman was shrieking now.
Elder Zhuge stopped. “Shame on you, Elixir Fire Union. You think a victory like this is worth bragging about?”
Even Yan Ruyu could not help but scold them in anger. “The competition rule is: The Elixir Fire Union and the Elixir Association will find ten great alchemists respectively to compete.”
“It’s never explicitly said what we did isn’t allowed.” The pretty woman said, “If you insist on suspending the competition, we won’t rob the Ten Techniques from you, but you should bear in mind who won this competition.”
“None of these people is a member of the Elixir Fire Union!” Yan Ruyu said again.
“Why? The Elixir Association doesn’t have any alchemists from the Three Upper Realms. It doesn’t mean the Elixir Fire Union doesn’t have any either,” the pretty woman said.
She really pissed the Elixir Association off.
Jiang Chen also realized why the pretty woman had managed to achieve such a high position in the Elixir Association. No one could beat her silver tongue and her thick skin.
“Miss Chen Xi, thanks for coming here, though you came for nothing. When you go back, please tell the Elixir Emperor that it’s the Elixir Association that has violated the rule, so the competition couldn’t continue.” The pretty woman said to Chen Xi, since she knew it was impossible for the competition to go on.
Frowning, Chen Xi was pondering something. “When the Elixir Association was in its heyday, they recruited alchemists from the Three Upper Realms, too. And the Elixir Association was pretty proud of that.”
“But this is a different case. This is a competition.”
“However, since no one said in advance that this wasn’t allowed, nobody should be blamed for that.”
“A rule is a rule. As long as they don’t violate the rule, we can’t say they are shameless, but honestly, it’s unfair to the Elixir Association.”
The audience on the square also started to discuss the matter.
Standing in the Elixir Association’s shoes, the Elixir Fire Union’s behavior was intolerable. However, the onlookers could not consider the situation from such a profound level. They only thought the Elixir Fire Union was too smart. Sure, they also understood that the Elixir Association had refused to continue the competition. However, as the pretty woman had pointed out, the Elixir Association canceled this day’s competition after losing the first round.
“I have an idea.” Jiang Chen suddenly said. Pointing at the ten fire pits on the square, he said, “I, alone, will represent the Elixir Association to compete with the Elixir Fire Union. Each furnace will represent one place.”
The whole city dropped into silence after hearing his suggestion.
If there was another way to mention arrogance, that would absolutely be: Jiang Chen!
