Chapter 73-Part 2

Huangfu Ling was already used to the fervent stares of her admirers. She chose a dan furnace and stood there, expression blank.

Around the same time, a good-looking man and woman also walked in, looking like siblings. When they passed by Lin Xiao, the young man suddenly turned his head and winked at Lin Xiao.

After his initial shock, Lin Xiao realized who it was. Huangfu Jiquan!

With his true appearance, Huangfu Jiquan radiated an regal quality. And the woman standing next to him was probably Huangfu Jixuan. Lin Xiao remembered how, when at Yunqi Academy, that Huangfu Jixuan would straightforwardly target him.

At first, Lin Xiao hadn’t understood why Huangfu Jixuan was so resistant to him being around Huangfu Jiquan. Now he knew. Huangfu Jiquan and Huangfu Jixuan had been childhood companions, and Huangfu Jixuan was subconsciously defensive of anyone getting close to Jiquan.

Most everyone had arrived at the venue. The competition was about to start.

On a high platform in the distance stood an old, white-haired man. He covered his mouth and coughed a few times. He looked doddering, but he was not one to look down upon. He was the founder of the Xuan Huang Refining Pavilion, Baili Dongfeng.

He was the only person on the mainland who had cultivated to celestial heights, and his refining level was also extremely high. He had hardly any real peers, and no reason to be humble. His presence was partly why so many cultivators were attending the assembly. If they won the championship, perhaps Baili Dongfeng would take a fancy to them, and they’d be taken on as an apprentice?

To be his apprentice, what young cultivator wouldn’t go crazy at the chance?

However, there had been many years of assemblies and many champions, and Baili Dongfeng had accepted almost none, as he had extremely high standards.

Baili Dongfeng’s voice was not loud, even carried a tinge of frailty. But when he spoke, the venue went deathly quiet, and his voice reached every ear. “Presumably, you already know the rules of this assembly. I will not repeat them to you. If anyone attempts to cheat by special methods, I think you’re all aware of the consequences. All right, we’ll get started. This old man is sitting here, watching you.”

He waved his hand, and the competitors sprang into action.

The name and ingredients needed to make the first dan had been placed beside the furnaces. Before the competition, they and the furnaces has been sealed, so that could be no access.

But with Baili Dongfeng’s wave, the seals broke.

Lin Xiao, on finding out what dan they were supposed to make, was dumbfounded. The dan required complex refining, and used a large quantity of spirit grass that was inherently tricky to work with. Just one small mistake and it would end in failure.

Lin Xiao wasn’t the only one who’s mouth was hanging open. Many people around him, looking at the difficulty level of the dan, were desperately making silent calculations.

However, Lin Xiao closed his eyes, recalling himself. His cultivation was high enough, his control over refining high enough. He had the strength to make this dan, so after settling himself, he started refining.

Carefully feeding the furnace, Lin Xiao focused all his mind and spirit on the task. Finally…with no accidents, Lin Xiao had almost finished and looked up around him.

Many people had already departed.

Black ash covered their spots, the dan they’d been refining clearly destroyed.

But seeing the people familiar to him still refining, Lin Xiao turned his attention back to the last step of his dan.

Yet…someone had already succeeded.

Ling Luo. At his furnace there was a bright flash, and the crisp ringing of bells, attracting most everyone’s attention.

Suddenly, after the bells, from many directions came plop-pop-pop sounds as cultivators saw their dan ruined. Distracted or disheartened by the light and sound of bells, they had lost control of their refining, and were now left despairing.

Lin Xiao’s hand had trembled too, almost making a mistake. Cursing in his heart at this fraudulent assembly, Lin Xiao concentrated intently.

Soon, his dan finished. The light fell and bells rang.

After Ling Luo, one other person had finished before Lin Xiao. So he was the third to successfully complete the refining. He believed his effort to be good enough.

Baili Dongfeng, waving again, had the finished dans brought to where he was seated. He rolled them in his hands, inspecting them, then returning them to their refiners, knowing their quality.

The bells clanged a few more times. Murong Xue, Yu Weiwei and a small number of others successfully finished.

Baili Dongfeng watched many others leave, their dan ruined and smoking. Still, he called out a few names, “Bao Haifeng, Lian Yicheng, Sang Boyang,” and so on, finishing with “Eliminated!”

With unwilling faces and inward anger, those whose names Baili Dongfeng said left the assembly. They didn’t dare vent their feelings, though, surrounded as they were by a hundred miles of Baili Dongfeng’s powerful cultivation.

Originally, almost every furnace had been taken. Now, looking around, Lin Xiao realized more than half of the refiners had been eliminated. There were only about thirty people left.

A cruel competition, Lin Xiao lamented.