Chapter 801: This Prescription Has a Problem?

There are two great Pagoda Cities in this world.

Unlike the chaotic situation in the City of Dead Pagodas, the City of Living Pagodas is the central hub for the headquarters of various spirit-refining auxiliary professions. It houses the continental headquarters of major associations like the Alchemists' Association, Spirit Array Masters' Association, and Artifact Forgers' Association, all well-known to everyone.

The continental headquarters of the Alchemists' Association is situated beside 'Calm Lake' in the City of Living Pagodas. Calm Lake is home to a celestial flame, born from the fruit of the Sky Tree which blossoms and bears fruit every ninety thousand years. After the fruit falls and splits, this flame emerges, known as 'Calm Lake Azure Blossom.' It contains infinite spiritual energy.

Legend has it that anyone who uses this flame for alchemy, as long as they are a spirit refiner with some mastery of alchemy techniques, can essentially succeed in forming a pill! Holy-grade pills, such as 'God's Blessing,' require the power of the Calm Lake Azure Blossom to assist in their refinement. Otherwise, if the refinement fails, the loss of spiritual herbs would be immeasurable...

'Calm Lake Lesser Azure Blossom' is an alchemical spirit flame derived from the 'Calm Lake Azure Blossom,' often called the 'Lesser Celestial Flame.' In terms of rank, it is almost on par with the president's 'Fallen Origin Purple Flame!'

Xu Xiaoshou listened, a look of astonishment on his face. He had seen the Fallen Origin Purple Flame before; it was incredibly powerful, only slightly less potent than the Cinderglow White Flame.

As Yu Chuchu spoke, she looked at Xiao Wanfeng's puzzled expression, then glanced back at Young Master Xu with suspicion. She felt it was impossible for a Half-Saint's inheritor not to know about the City of Living Pagodas and the story of the "Calm Lake Azure Blossom." But clearly, this guy was too lazy and disdained to spend extra words explaining so much history and legend to his subordinate. At that moment, Yu Chuchu's impression of Young Master Xu worsened a bit.

"Is your name Xiao Wanfeng?" She turned, her beautiful eyes surveying Young Master Xu's subordinate, finally settling on the wooden sword on the young man's back. "Are you interested in joining me? I can offer terms more enticing than Young Master Xu's," Yu Chuchu said earnestly. She had inquired about Young Master Xu and naturally knew about this mortal youth's glorious feat of winning the Heavenly Net Battle and displaying innate sword intent. This was a promising talent; it would be a real pity for him to stay by Young Master Xu's side.

Xiao Wanfeng was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that after hearing the story, Miss Yu would actually take an interest in him; he felt somewhat overwhelmed.

"Hey, hey!" Xu Xiaoshou couldn't hold back: "I was just asking a question on his behalf, and you're openly poaching him? Are you a shovel?"

Yu Chuchu rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Young Master Xu, you don't even know how to value a genius... Oh, perhaps your Half-Saint family isn't short on such talents, huh? So what if you let me have him? I won't hinder his future!"

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow, amused as he looked at the arrogant woman, then turned to Xiao Wanfeng: "She seems to have misunderstood something. Tell her, have I hindered your future?" That was naturally impossible! Following Xu Xiaoshou, Xiao Wanfeng had even met Mei Siyou and had been able to refuse him once. Could a mere Yu family from the Imperial City offer such an opportunity? Later, he might even be able to introduce Xiao Wanfeng to his idol, Bazun An!

Xiao Wanfeng was caught between a rock and a hard place. After a moment's hesitation, he declined: "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Yu, but I am Young Master Xu's subordinate, and I receive my salary from the First Building in Heaven. I will not betray him."

Yu Chuchu stated bluntly, "What I can offer you will only be more than Young Master Xu's!"

Xiao Wanfeng looked troubled: "It's not about how much. Young Master Xu actually treats people very well, you just don't understand..."

Yu Chuchu scoffed, casting a cold glance at the profligate Young Master Xu, knowing this was undoubtedly said under Xu's coercion. She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Xiao Wanfeng: "That's because you haven't seen someone who treats people better!" She said no more. Although, like most people, Yu Chuchu disliked Young Master Xu's demeanor, poaching someone in public, any normal person would surely refuse. Yu Chuchu understood this perfectly; she was actually quite simple-minded and merely wanted to annoy Young Master Xu, nothing more.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, was not annoyed. He proudly lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and finally patted Xiao Wanfeng's shoulder, gloating, "This young master knows how to manage his subordinates."

Yu Chuchu: "..." Instead of annoying others, she herself was annoyed by Young Master Xu!

"Received disdain, passive points, +1."

On the judging panel, after a pause, President Dong Ling spoke again: "Everyone here is an alchemist, and I believe you all understand the significant importance of the 'Calm Lake Lesser Azure Blossom' to alchemists. I won't elaborate further. I hope that at this alchemy convention, everyone will demonstrate their highest skill and achieve the glory they deserve."

Afterward, she successively introduced the many presidents seated on the judging panel, from Shi Ti, to Lu Chenghui, and others. Each of these seated individuals was a highly respected elder in the Eastern Heaven's alchemy world. The young alchemists naturally knew them all and understood the importance of this alchemy convention even more clearly.

The people on the viewing platform didn't need introductions, but everyone knew clearly that these prominent figures might just be their future path. Once noticed and invited, a swift ascent to success and a bright future would no longer be just a dream.

Xu Xiaoshou recognized few judges, only knowing Dong Ling and Shi Ti. However, he had met most of the people on the viewing platform once before. These were all prominent figures he had seen after the Spirit Market Auction. Their faces were familiar, but he couldn't recall their names. However, it was clear that the highest powers in the Imperial City, even hegemon-level forces, greatly coveted alchemy talents. Many of their leaders had personally come to observe the event. Through the discussions at the scene, he could even match the leaders of groups like the Great String Heavenly Sect and Guiyin Pavilion, whose names he had heard before but couldn't place. It was easy to imagine how high their prestige was in the Imperial City.

Dong Ling also seemed weary of lengthy explanations. After introducing the key figures, she immediately got to the point. "Now, the first round of the Alchemy Convention's elimination match officially begins!"

"Contestants with registration numbers from one to five hundred, please take your positions in order. Due to limited space, all other contestants should stand back and await the next assessment."

Five hundred people were being assessed at once. This scene was truly magnificent, something rarely seen on a normal day. It's important to know that alchemists typically refine pills either in the Alchemy Pagoda's exclusive refinement chambers or within their respective factions' private spaces. Ordinary spirit refiners usually don't even get to witness the entire alchemy process. At that moment, the spectators outside grew excited, pushing forward to catch a glimpse of the esteemed alchemists.

"It's starting, it's starting!""I wonder what the assessment content for the first elimination round will be? I think it should at least start with Innate-grade pills, to separate the wheat from the chaff and weed out those trying to muddle through!""Haha, I suspect you're alluding to something.""Heh, no need to suspect, I'm specifically referring to certain tenth-grade alchemists.""Certain ones?""One!"

Outside, there was a bustling crowd pushing and shoving, but the alchemists within the arena displayed remarkable discipline. After President Dong Ling gave the order, those entering the array did so, and those waiting for their turn queued up, all in an orderly fashion.

"Indeed, highly skilled individuals..." Knowing his number was later, Xu Xiaoshou stepped back, feeling a surge of admiration for the young alchemists' composure. If it were some martial artists competing, like in the chaotic Heavenly Net Arena battles, wouldn't they strip bare and fight until heads were bashed in?

"By the way, what's the assessment for the elimination round?" He nudged Yu Chuchu with his elbow. She was President Dong Ling's senior disciple, an insider, and a relatively amiable young woman. Xu Xiaoshou seized the opportunity of their previous encounter and asked whenever he was confused.

Yu Chuchu showed her disdain, discreetly patted her sleeve where his elbow had touched, and subtly shifted half a step sideways to create distance. Then she retorted, "How would I know?"

"Aren't you half a staff member? You don't know either?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, curious.

Yu Chuchu rolled her eyes: "If I knew beforehand, wouldn't that be cheating? Like most people, I only know that this elimination round will likely involve refining a new pill."

"A new pill?"

"Mhm." Yu Chuchu nodded: "If we were refining well-known Innate-grade pills, everyone would be proficient, and the results would be largely similar, making it hard to differentiate."

"Oh." Xu Xiaoshou realized, concurring, "So this time, your master will provide a new pill formula?"

"Perhaps!" Yu Chuchu didn't know either.

Xu Xiaoshou turned to Xiao Wanfeng and said emphatically, "If I were organizing a competition and you were participating, I would definitely leak the questions to you beforehand. Fairness and justice aren't important; our own people are what matter most!"

Xiao Wanfeng: "..." He was speechless for a while, muttering inwardly, but on his face, he could only offer a gentle smile: "Young Master Xu is truly good to me."

Yu Chuchu's lips twitched, and a dark line appeared on her forehead as her impression of Young Master Xu was once again refreshed. Isn't he too petty? Still dwelling on previous trivial matters?

"Received a curse, passive points, +1."

"Here, for you." She suddenly extended a slender hand and handed Xiao Wanfeng a communication pearl. "Take it."

Xiao Wanfeng: ??? The young man hesitated, looking at his master.

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked! Isn't she too petty? Still not giving up? Still poaching? He looked at the girl beside him. Yu Chuchu kept her gaze straight, but her eyes held a hint of cunning and triumph. Others might fear him as a Half-Saint's inheritor, but Yu Chuchu couldn't stand his behavior and wanted to put him in his place!

Xiao Wanfeng was once again in a dilemma. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand grandly: "Take it. How many people dream of Miss Chuchu's contact information? When you can't sleep at night, you can take it out and call her for some romantic chatter. And if you don't want it anymore, you might even be able to sell it for a high price."

Yu Chuchu turned back, her eyes wide with disbelief. What was he thinking... She shot a furious glare at Young Master Xu, shoved the communication pearl into Xiao Wanfeng's hand, and whispered, "Don't let anyone else use it, especially not your Young Master Xu!"

"Oh, oh, alright..." Xiao Wanfeng wondered if his luck had recently changed. Not only had the Profound Azure Sword Spirit taken an interest in him, but why had Miss Yu inexplicably developed a fondness for him too?

Not long after, the alchemists had taken their positions, each taking out their prized alchemy cauldrons, their spiritual flames blazing, poised and ready. The scene instantly became lively. Alchemy cauldrons of various shapes and colors were on display. Alchemy flames of myriad colors, strange and wonderful. A surging mist ignited in the arena, drawing shouts of excitement from the outer spectators. Meanwhile, inside the arena, the many young alchemists heating their cauldrons were eagerly looking forward to the upcoming assessment content, a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

Dong Ling surveyed the entire venue, an inexplicable smile on her face. "The pill to be refined in this elimination round is a brand-new, never-before-seen seventh-grade spirit recovery pill—the Profound Thirst Pill!"

"The formula for the Profound Thirst Pill was just finalized this morning, cooperatively researched and supervised by eighteen judges in the Void Realm. Therefore, there's no possibility of a leak."

"Since this is an elimination round, contestants have only one chance to refine the pill. You have two *kekong* (thirty minutes) to decide and manage your time. Those who fail will be eliminated. Successful refiners will be ranked based on the quality of their pills, with one hundred points being the highest. The top one hundred will advance to the next round."

"Now, I invite the staff to distribute the jade slips."

Staff members entered the arena. The alchemists who had entered the array listened to the introduction in a daze, completely bewildered. Upon receiving the jade slip formula and scanning it with their spiritual sense, they all stared blankly.

Seeing this, the outer spectators and waiting alchemists simultaneously began discussing animatedly.

"Goodness, it looks like the difficulty is quite terrifying...""Profound Thirst Pill? Never heard of it!""I've only heard of the eighth-grade Spirit Thirst Pill, which is the best spirit-restoring pill among eighth-grade ones. Judging by the name, the Profound Thirst Pill should be an advanced version?""That's not what's important, alright!""What's important is that it's a seventh-grade pill... And look at the sinister smiles on those old men on the judging panel; the refining difficulty is definitely 'hell' level for a seventh-grade pill.""Seventh-grade pills are already peak Innate-grade pills. With this formula, I doubt even ten percent of the thousands of contestants will succeed in forming a pill.""It's not that exaggerated, is it? These aren't just talents from the Eastern Heaven Realm; people from all five domains have come. Ten percent success rate? Wouldn't that mean thousands of cauldrons exploding and pills failing? Only a few hundred would succeed in refining the pill?""Perhaps even a few hundred is too many...""Yes, I think so. Those old alchemists are all full of mischief.""During this time of testing the younger generation's alchemy skills, they've definitely gone to great lengths to devise the questions!"

Most of what the laymen discussed was mainly for amusement. What the alchemists waiting for their turn discussed, however, was completely different.

"Profound Thirst Pill? Seventh-grade?""We're doomed. The Spirit Thirst Pill is already extremely difficult among eighth-grade pills. I struggle with that, and they start directly with a seventh-grade one? What kind of game is this!" Someone immediately looked dejected."Isn't this just an elimination round?" someone else said, sounding confident.

The thousands of registered participants in the arena almost brought together the strongest alchemy talents from the entire Eastern Heaven Realm, along with the alchemy prodigies who had rushed here from various domains over the past few days. Eighth-grade alchemists, at this age, would be considered geniuses outside, but at the alchemy convention, they were merely considered average. They wouldn't be at the very bottom, but there were plenty of them; it was practically the baseline. Seventh-grade was the true path. And within the seventh-grade, barely reaching seventh-grade was different from being a fully mature seventh-grade alchemist. But it could be said that these individuals were the true main force of this competition. As for master-level sixth-grade and fifth-grade alchemists, they were truly rare, just like a young Sword Sovereign. Yu Chuchu's sixth-grade proficiency, even among those present, was top-tier. After all, alchemy is not like spirit refining, where one might achieve an epiphany and become Innate in three breaths or a Sword Immortal in three years. Instead, it requires extensive time for accumulation, technical refinement, and steady progress, step by step.

"Profound Thirst Pill..." Yu Chuchu frowned, looking at the hundreds of people in the arena. She noticed something unusual. The first group to enter the array were of no low rank; the lowest were eighth-grade. The highest, there was even a talented young man who had rushed from outside the Eastern Heaven Realm, appearing to be about the same age as Xiao Wanfeng, yet his badge was sixth-grade!

But without exception, after receiving the pill formula, even though the medicinal ingredients had been delivered, not a single person in the arena began refining. Instead, they all fell into a state of deep thought. Including the sixth-grade contestant! Yu Chuchu watched as the contestants examined the jade slip, compared it with the medicinal ingredients, then re-examined the jade slip, and re-compared it with the ingredients. Her frown deepened. Even for Innate alchemists refining Innate-grade pills, no matter how difficult, it shouldn't lead to such a widespread state of confusion across the entire venue.

So... "Is there something wrong with this pill formula?"