“What, you ate the pill?” Elder Ma asked with a stern expression immediately after he recovered from his shock.
“That’s correct. I only figured out the few herbs I know from the taste and effects.”
“That’s…a very dangerous thing to do! What if you couldn’t handle the pill or if it was poisonous?”
“...I’m not sure what to say.”
“And you came out of the room so confidently…”
All I did was respectfully nod your way…
“Elder, I apologize if I have broken any rules. I have never been formally trained as an alchemist.”
“Elder Ma, we can’t be too harsh on Junior Li. We are expecting too much of someone so young and new to alchemy. As his seniors, we can’t really blame him for his deficiencies, but should help him improve instead,” Song Yun spoke up from behind.
“...You are right, but that is for another time… I declare the second round of the alchemy competition over. The top three know who they are. Please prepare for the third and final round after a short break. I can tell you the next round consists of refining a pill you’ve never seen before, so prepare yourselves.”
“Yes, elder!” The three who moved on to the finals replied in sync.
“For the rest of you. You may have failed in the second round, but the sect still recognizes your efforts. You will each be rewarded with fifty contribution points.”
The elder swiftly took hold of their sect tokens and returned them. With that, the alchemy competition was over for Li Lang. While he could stay, he wouldn’t be able to spectate the bits he was curious about, the actual refining session that took place within the refining room.
It was at times like these that he cursed how conservative the alchemy community was for keeping their techniques so close to their chest.
He shook his head as he made his way out of the building. However, he didn’t even make it very far before someone called out to him.
“Li Lang, would you like to go take a look around to see how the other competitions are going with me?”
The young man strode confidently toward Li Lang. He had a friendly demeanor, but he also gave off an air of naivety that was characteristic of a sheltered upbringing.
“You are…Senior…”
“Tong Baixuan, sixteen years old!”
“Apologies, Senior Tong… A lot of people introduced themselves to me just now.”
“It is fine. Anyway, as I was saying, want to check out the other competitions with me?”
“...Sure, I didn’t have anything particular in mind anyway, but is there a reason you’re inviting me in particular?”
“Don’t worry. I just wanted to get to know you. It’s not every day I see someone as young as you, being skilled enough to refine a pill already.”
While Li Lang was unsure if his senior had any ulterior motives, he felt that it shouldn’t hurt to tag along with someone knowledgeable.
“I see…Well, okay.”
“Great, I’ll take the lead then!”
The duo soon made their way back to the spacious room where they had split off from the other crafts professions. There were several people lingering around as well, contestants who had been eliminated in their respective competitions.
“Hmm, would you prefer checking out the Brushweavers or Artificers?” Tong Baixuan asked.
“I don’t really know much about either, but I’d prefer something we can actually see them in action. The reason I left the alchemy competition behind was because I wouldn’t be able to see them refine.”
“Then Brushweaver it is. Their techniques lie in Qi manipulation, so we can watch them work on their talismans.”
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Tong Baixuan nonchalantly led the way to the hallway with the word ‘Water’ above it.
They soon spotted the reception desk for the Brushweavers and were swiftly let in after a few questions.
They were easily able to spot where the competition took place as several spectators gathered in the main lobby, right outside the private rooms. Just like with the Alchemy competition, a majority of the losers remained to watch the procession.
The two alchemists silently went off to the side to join the other spectators.
In the middle of the hall were two dozen rectangular desks. Only five of them were currently occupied, while an elder walked along the aisles as they monitored the disciples.
“Do you know anything about Brushweavers, Junior Li?” Tong Baixuan asked, having noticed Li Lang’s wandering gaze.
“No, not really.”
“Well, most people don’t know much about them either, besides the fact that they craft talismans. What you should know is that they work closely with Artificers as well to craft artifacts. I doubt we’ll get to see much of that here today, though.”
Talismans like the warding one I used when I previously went to gather in the forests… Interesting. Wait, no. I have enough projects already. I can’t divide my attention further or I won’t be able to get anything done.
Reining in his growing curiosity, Li Lang continued to listen to Tong Baixuan’s explanation.
“Look, they’re crafting talismans right now. Seeing their strained expressions, they must be crafting something they aren’t familiar with.”
“I’m not surprised. I have been to a talisman store before. I believe there is quite a large variety of talismans out there,” Li Lang added.
They watched on as each disciple by the desk was carefully holding onto a brush. They wrote at a dramatically slow pace, but everyone could feel the Qi from their actions.
A nascent talisman one of the disciples was working on soon began to shine brightly, drawing the eyes of all the spectators. They could feel the talisman sucking in the air around them as a small breeze swept over them.
While one talisman only had a minor effect, when it happened to all the other talismans, the entire hall was stirred. However, it didn’t last long as each talisman soon ceased all activity, becoming a motionless piece of paper.
“Very good. Please bring your work up one by one for me to examine.” The elder in charge declared.
The entire process wasn’t much different from Li Lang’s own experience with the alchemy competition, and the elder soon went through each disciple’s work and graded them.
However much it ignited Li Lang’s curiosity and stirred his impulse to investigate the new mysterious profession, he was still able to rein himself in the end.
Nevertheless, after the event ended, he quickly urged his companion to leave for the next event.
“Where did you want to go next?” Tong Baixuan asked as they got back into the main hall shared by the five professions.
He glanced at the other paths labeled ‘Metal’, ‘Earth, and ‘Wood’ and turned to Li Lang.
“Let’s… go check out the combat section outside.”
“Oh, want to go to the main event already. Sure, why not?”
Li Lang was curious about the other crafts, but that was exactly why he decided not to go view their events. It would only urge him to delve into those crafts when he didn’t have the time to afford to do so.
The two soon made their way back to the coliseum erected specifically for the sect competition and returned to the spectator stands. There were already numerous other disciples there, cheering on their fellow disciples.
There was even a flat clearing toward the central spectator platform where many elders and deacons could be seen. They were sitting around sipping tea or playing mahjong while occasionally glancing down at the competition below.
Li Lang and Tong Baixuan soon got into seats themselves and both channeled Qi into their eyes to get a better view of the fighting below.
“Did you have any friends you’re searching for?”
“Not particularly. I just want to see skilled fighters for my own reference. How about you, Senior Tong?”
“Hmm, my acquaintances aren’t combat-inclined, so they should have been eliminated by now. In your case, if you are looking to learn, it is better to spectate the fights around your level. You won’t be able to learn much from the flashy fights between the older disciples as you are now.”
The two alchemists directed their gaze at the new disciple section. It wasn’t long before they were both drawn to a fight in particular. It was because of the numerous disciples crowding below the arena, where two young women were about to fight.
The deacon in charge shouted out at the spectators to quiet down before he gathered the two contestants at the center of the ring to explain the rules to them.
One of the contestants was a slender woman of average height. She drew the eyes of many spectators thanks to her exquisite skin, feminine figure, and beautiful features.
Standing next to her opponent, they contrasted each other significantly. It wasn’t because the other girl was unattractive, rather her charm came from her valiant demeanor and imposing figure. She stood over six feet tall with an athletic build and kept her hair short.
After a short while, the deacon in charge signaled the start of the new round and the two ladies immediately sprang into action.
They both charged at each other despite their different builds, but the next thing Li Lang saw stunned him into silence. The slender young woman effortlessly blocked a high kick from her opponent before launching a palm strike that sent her target flying off the arena.
“Winner, Ling Xue!” the deacon declared.
The match was over as soon as it started, and the surrounding crowd’s cheer rang out thunderously.
However, the splendid display of martial prowess wasn’t the only thing that shocked Li Lang. It was because he recognized the woman as the one he had encountered with Wei Ping on the streets of Xiang Yang the other day. It was the woman who had saved them.