Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
People thought it was because Jiang Chen had no idea where to start that he let the fire burn.
“It’ll be good enough if you can get even one flaming lotus. Maybe none of those from the Elixir Fire Union will make it.” Someone said in a sarcastic tone. People burst out laughing.
Jiang Chen walked ahead with his hands open, as if he had heard all the vicious comments. As he walked, the ten fire pillars started to flicker, as if they were in a strong wind.
“What is he up to?”
People were both surprised and puzzled to see what he was doing. Although they had some assumptions, it was too crazy an idea for them to believe.
“Is he going to work on the ten flaming lotuses at the same time?!”
Not until they found everyone else was having the same ideas did they burst out exclaiming. Those from the Elixir Fire Union and the Elixir Association all held their breaths, staring at Jiang Chen.
Those from the Elixir Divine Valley also noticed what he was doing out of the corners of their eyes. They had butterflies in their stomachs. However, it was not time to get distracted. They hurried to concentrate on their own tasks.
“Will he really make it?” Gazing at Jiang Chen, Chen Xi was also shocked.
It was extremely difficult to make a flaming lotus appear in the fire. When she was designing the second test, she even thought about the possibility that none of these participants would pass.
However, Jiang Chen was so bold that she felt that all the things she had believed would be shaken. Soon, noticing the Holy Lotus Elixir dregs in the fire pillars were following a certain pattern to change, Chen Xi was shocked.
“Who on Earth is his master?!”
“He can’t succeed.”
The other people were standing farther away. Neither were their eyes as sharp as Chen Xi’s. After the surprise, they still could hardly believe Jiang Chen would make it.
“He is riding ten horses at once. If he succeeds, it almost means the alchemists from the Three Upper Realms aren’t even one-tenth as good as he is.”
That was it. Jiang Chen was great, but he could not be so great.
At the moment, Jiang Chen was super-concentrated. The talents he had in his previous life were unquestionable. The key to this success, however, was his current status. He felt lucky that he had used God of Fire Descends to the World twice so that the consumed Fire Meteorite had improved his lore of fire greatly. And thanks to the Fire God Scripture, he managed to do what he was doing. Otherwise, even though he was the Elixir Saint in his previous life, he would have been hugely limited by his current strength.
Soon, some from the Elixir Fire Union failed, while others succeeded. Those who failed were almost all disciples of the Elixir Fire Union from the Three Middle Realms, while those who had succeeded were the five from the Elixir Divine Valley. Those from the Elixir Fire Union did not look good. After their trick had been disclosed, people would just keep talking about their results and never let it go.
However, at the thought of the Ten Techniques, which they would get once they won, they swallowed it and pretended all of this was normal. Good news came before long. The short-haired woman also made it. Extending her hand into the fire pillar, she fetched out a burning flaming lotus. Although it was made of fire, the lotus had perfect details, as if it had been carved by a master.
In a very short time, three people from the Elixir Fire Union succeeded, and two were still working. The other five were eliminated.
Soon, exclamations came from the Elixir Fire Union, since their remaining two members had got their flaming lotuses too. In this way, they had five people who were successful, better than the first round, in which four people were successful. And this time disciples from the Elixir Fire Union were also among the successful ones. No matter what the Elixir Association argued, it would be useless.
“The Elixir Association will suffer a huge loss this time. They won’t be paramount anymore.”
“What a pity. If they had taken action against the Elixir Fire Union for those foreign helpers and had been more thick-skinned, they wouldn’t have to give away their techniques.”
“Hey, I know you. You just scorned the Elixir Association. You said they were shameless and not respecting the rules. And now you’re hitting them when they are down.”
“Ha, ha, ha. I’m free to do that. It’s none of your business!”
There were all kinds of people on the scene. The Elixir Association was always in a high position, and many people had to look up to them. What was happening on this day actually made many people vent their dissatisfactions.
“My master is still working. You sound like he has already lost. Stop doing that.” Ji Ruxue was young, but she was quite hot-tempered. She could not help but scream at those who were gloating.
The crowd went silent for a moment. Then they burst out laughing.
“Did you hear that? This Jiang Chen is already a master.”
“How old is he? Is he good enough to be a master? He is wasting this young girl’s time.”
“I guess he just talked her into it, like today.”
These harsh comments made Ji Ruxue feel falsely accused. Tears sprang to her eyes.
“Sis, don’t let yourself bothered by these people. Believe your master,” Ji Yinyi said.
“Okay.” Ji Ruxue nodded. She looked toward the square again.
Jiang Chen was doing ten people’s work alone. It was natural that it would take him a long time. However, the fire would not keep burning for him. The flames were getting weaker, and the fire pillars were shorter. This process would accelerate until the fire completely died out.
“Tut. Tut. Tut. The alchemist master said he would challenge us ten alone.” A guy from the Elixir Divine Valley said sarcastically, but at the thought of Chen Xi’s words, he shut up immediately after an embarrassed grin.
Chen Xi did not bother to warn him again. She was focusing on Jiang Chen’s progress.
When the fire pillars were only three meters high, Jiang Chen suddenly raised his hands. The fire started to burn fiercely again. The fire pillars soared to 30 meters. That was quite impressive.
“How come? He shouldn’t be able to control the fire.”
Those from the Elixir Divine Valley were dumbfounded. They had no idea how Jiang Chen had done it.
“It’s the holy lotus’s dregs. He is about to succeed!” Someone shouted in a high-pitched voice.
“What? He is about to succeed? In getting just one lotus or…all of them?!”
This was a question that no one could answer. Those who had scorned Jiang Chen were all petrified.
In the ten fire pillars, those sparkling dots finally gathered together to form one flaming lotus and another, which could be clearly seen.
Jiang Chen did not have to fetch them, since they had flown out of the top of the fire pillars into the air.
The ten glittering flaming lotuses were beyond compare. They totally outshone the five flaming lotuses of the Elixir Fire Union.
The flaming lotuses were whirling around the square with Jiang Che at the center.
“One, two, three….”
“Stop counting. There are ten!”
“Then it’s ten to five, twice as many as what his rivals have gotten!”
In the first round, the result was four to two. The Elixir Fire Union’s result was also twice as many as the Elixir Association’s result. However, it was not the same thing as what happened at that moment.
Jiang Chen fetched ten flaming lotuses from the fire alone, and each of his flaming lotuses was stronger than the Elixir Fire Union’s.
“What a freak!”
Those from the Elixir Divine Valley was completely speechless. They were frustrated. It was a hard blow for them. If they had another chance, they might not have allowed the Elixir Fire Union to say yes to this suggestion.
“Now, one to one.” Chen Xi announced the result of this round. She was surprised too, but she managed to hold back her emotions.
“The third round, also the last round, will be the deciding round! Now let’s take a rest,” Chen Xi continued.
Those flaming lotuses would turn back into dregs over time. However, the time it would take them to disappear depended on their level.
When the Elixir Fire Union’s five flaming lotuses had disappeared a long time, Jiang Chen’s had just started to vanish.
“Jiang Chen, apologies for what I said. I was too ignorant.” Coming up to Jiang Chen during the break, Yan Ruyu said this to him sincerely.
Everyone from the Elixir Association was shocked. The whole world knew what a proud person Yan Ruyu was. However, she had apologized to Jiang Chen so sincerely. They had to admit Jiang Chen was really great.
