Chapter 802: Xu Shao, Let's Make a Bet

At the judges' stand, the Alchemist Grand Assembly officially commenced its first round of competition. The eighteen judges' full attention was now fixed on the arena.

Upon seeing that all the elixir formulas and ingredients had been distributed, the five hundred contestants still hesitated to make a move.

The many old guild masters seated above chuckled mischievously.

“I wonder how many will be eliminated in the very first step of refining the Thirsty Profound Elixir this time, and how many will manage to reach the final pill condensation stage.”

“Haha, the recipe for this Thirsty Profound Elixir has been thoroughly verified; there's no error in it. It's just the three challenges embedded within it that will likely stop many in their tracks.”

“It’s an elimination round, after all. With over a thousand participants, we need to weed out a good number during the refining process to simplify the subsequent grading.”

“This old man believes that the Rank Six young man can succeed. What was his name again… Zhu Yan? Yes, a good name. As for the others, their success will depend on their enlightenment!”

Dong Ling gazed at the old men beside her, a wry smile playing on her lips. To facilitate the first round of the competition, all eighteen judges had collaborated from yesterday until this morning, revising the elixir formula repeatedly. This was, naturally, not merely to complicate the refining process. For elixirs, the efficacy of the finished product is paramount. The judges would not test simply for the sake of testing, nor would they intentionally include trivialities in the formula. On the contrary, to elevate the value of the Thirsty Profound Elixir, the old masters had painstakingly experimented with various spiritual herbs while also simplifying the refining process.

The result was an elixir formula that epitomized the alchemist's craft, a masterpiece of understated brilliance. Frankly, the refining process for the Thirsty Profound Elixir could only be described as "moderately difficult" among Rank Seven elixirs; it wasn't excessively complex, and the spiritual herbs used were mostly common.

The true challenge, however, lay in the three obstacles embedded within the formula. Firstly, assessing the special and hidden medicinal properties of common spiritual herbs. Secondly, addressing the problem of how to resolve conflicting medicinal properties between incompatible spiritual herbs in the formula by using other harmonized, previously conflicting ingredients. Thirdly, during pill condensation, perfectly balancing the entirely opposing characteristics of the 365 auxiliary ingredients and 18 main ingredients.

Undoubtedly, this elixir formula was a culmination of the old guild masters' extensive experience. After the assembly, the Thirsty Profound Elixir would also be a highly sought-after elixir in the market, not merely a ceremonial item to be kept in high regard. And every spiritual herb used in its formula, every contestant participating would undoubtedly be intimately familiar with. However, their application profoundly tested fundamental knowledge. Contestants with weak fundamentals, upon seeing the interlocking conflicting medicinal properties, would be at a loss, even if every step was meticulously detailed in the formula.

“I hope we can gather a hundred contestants for the next qualifying round…” Dong Ling expressed with some concern. What those old foxes devised overnight wouldn't be easy to master!

In the competition arena, time passed bit by bit. The anxious atmosphere within the arena likewise built up gradually.

A full fifteen minutes elapsed, and the contestants were still staring blankly at their jade slips and elixir formulas. Some even chose to give up, leaving their formations and being temporarily held in a "restricted area" by the attending staff. Witnessing this scene, the spectators outside the arena realized something was amiss.

“Is it really that difficult?”

“So much time has passed, and not a single person has begun. Is this Thirsty Profound Elixir truly a Rank Seven Innate Elixir?”

“Or are all five hundred Innate Alchemists in the arena simply inexperienced?”

Inexperienced they certainly were not. Everyone present was a bona fide young talent. Yet, the difficulty of the elixir formula was undeniably real!

Within spirit formation number 38, young Zhu Yan’s forehead was beaded with fine sweat. His spiritual sense repeatedly swept over the spiritual herbs and the elixir formula. He was somewhat incredulous. This alchemist assessment in East Heaven King City, wasn't it a bit too extreme?

“The first step: Blue-Parting Ice Grass, Red Flame Fruit, Grand Origin Drop, Profound Gold Liquid, Dust-Enduring Wood Root… gradually refine the medicinal liquids?”

It began with the Five Elements intertwining, yet required gradual refinement, not simultaneous processing. Zhu Yan felt a headache coming on! The most elaborate elixir formula he had ever encountered was for the Rank Six "Ice-Fire Glazed Elixir," which commenced with the simultaneous refinement of ice and fire medicinal liquids, where conflicting properties alone could wear a person down in the first step. But even that only involved the two attributes of ice and fire. The Thirsty Profound Elixir, a rank lower, beginning with "Blue-Parting Ice Grass" and "Red Flame Fruit," clearly drew inspiration from the first step of the "Ice-Fire Glazed Elixir." Yet, this was merely the beginning of the nightmare. Subsequently, the three major attributes of water, metal, and wood awaited, not even ordered according to the Five Elements' mutual generation cycle, presenting an extremely chaotic sequence. All of this, collectively, represented only the first step. Subsequent steps largely featured similarly outlandish and impractical concepts.

This made it difficult not to suspect... the elixir formula was incorrect!

“President Dong Ling…”

Zhu Yan couldn't help but look up, gazing towards the judges' stand, on the verge of speaking. Almost simultaneously, the contestants collectively exhaled in relief. Everyone was studying, yet everyone was also waiting. Zhu Yan's doubt was precisely everyone else's doubt. However, no one dared to openly question if the eighteen guild masters had made a mistake in their old age and written the sequence incorrectly. Thus, everyone was waiting for someone else to step forward. Zhu Yan had fewer reservations. He believed this might even be the first assessment—the courage to question established truth!

“President Dong Ling, and esteemed Presidents, this junior is somewhat confused and needs to…”

From the judges' stand, Lu Chenghui slammed the table, rising abruptly and cutting him off angrily: “This is the Alchemist Grand Assembly, an assessment! You’ve been lax in your studies, your foundations are weak, and now in the examination hall, you wish to question your elders, to ask questions?! What do you take this alchemist assessment for?! Is it a game?!”

The entire hall was startled, including the spectators outside the arena. No one expected President Lu to suddenly erupt in such fury; it seemed unwarranted!

Zhu Yan’s face stiffened, leaving him utterly mortified. Indeed, the one who speaks out first gets reprimanded. President Lu was just waiting for me, wasn't he?

Dong Ling let out a soft, knowing chuckle. She understood Zhu Yan's query and responded loudly, “There is absolutely no problem with the elixir formula. Time for the assessment is limited, so please manage your time wisely and continue refining your elixirs.”

Zhu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling completely unburdened. He offered President Dong Ling a grateful glance before picking up his jade slip once more.

No problem? He frowned, sensing something was amiss. The content of this first challenge, Zhu Yan vaguely began to understand.

“Medicinal properties?”

He didn't immediately begin. Because after Dong Ling's affirmation, too many people in the arena couldn't hold back their impatience. Since the elixir formula was confirmed to be correct, and they couldn't decipher it themselves, it was better to make an attempt rather than let time slip away. Numerous contestants immediately placed ingredients into their cauldrons, commencing the first step of medicinal liquid refinement.

What followed soon after... Within just three or four breaths.

“Boom!” “Boom boom!” “Boom boom boom…”

From all directions, the continuous sounds of exploding furnaces began to reverberate. Despite involving only two ingredients, the explosions caused by conflicting medicinal properties were terrifying, like an explosive symphony of ice and fire, slamming against the ash-covered faces of every failed participant.

“As expected…”

Zhu Yan observed his surroundings keenly. Within the spirit formation, spiritual sense could not probe outside, and the impact of external furnace explosions was also minimized. But the naked eye could still perceive things. Zhu Yan could discern that among the many contestants whose furnaces exploded, one or two incredibly fortunate individuals inexplicably succeeded in refining the "Blue-Parting Ice Grass" and "Red Flame Fruit." Even the successful ones seemed unsure of how they did it.

But everyone here was a genius. Once someone truly succeeded, upon careful thought, the others also grasped the core focus of the elixir formula’s assessment.

Fundamentals!

Zhu Yan had a sudden realization. Those two successful individuals might have simply been lucky, but such coincidental successes confirmed the elixir formula's accuracy. This was an elixir formula that *could* be refined! The key, then, lay in the hidden medicinal properties.

“Separation…”

Zhu Yan stared at the first spiritual herb in his hand, "Blue-Parting Ice Grass," and combining it with the timing of the two successful individuals' ingredient placement, he had a sudden epiphany. By utilizing the "parting" characteristic of the ice grass, one could temporarily isolate its conflict with the "Red Flame Fruit," thereby achieving a balance in medicinal properties. Correspondingly, every subsequent spiritual herb possessed a similar hidden property.

“What an ingenious elixir formula!”

In that moment, Zhu Yan grasped the immense value of this elixir formula. It was practically priceless! The old guild masters had leveraged their lifelong experience to consolidate the hidden medicinal properties of low-grade spiritual herbs into this textbook-level elixir formula. Mastering the Thirsty Profound Elixir was equivalent to mastering the hidden uses of over three hundred common spiritual herbs.

“No wonder he reprimanded me…”

Zhu Yan no longer felt wronged. He felt that President Lu's severity was entirely justified. How selfless it was to present such a priceless treasure so generously? He had just questioned the accuracy of the elixir formula; he was utterly foolish.

With this thought, Zhu Yan composed himself, began recalling his past studies, cleverly utilizing his foundational knowledge, and gradually commenced refining the elixir.

“Boom!” “Boom boom…”

As time progressed, the sounds of explosions were incessant. The waiting contestants and the spectators outside the arena were now dumbfounded. Well over a quarter of an hour passed, and still, not a single successful alchemist emerged from the arena. But the sheer number of furnaces that had exploded totaled over three hundred!

“There are only five hundred contestants, you know…” The faces of the waiting alchemists had already turned somewhat pale with shock.

Yu Chuchu, standing beside Xu Xiaoshou, was so nervous her small fists were clenched, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. One didn't even need to look at the success rate of the elixir refinement. The furnace explosion rate for a mere Rank Seven elixir formula alone was enough to reveal just how challenging the Thirsty Profound Elixir truly was.

“Only one chance…” The young girl's face was etched with bitterness. She felt she was in deep trouble. Because young Zhu Yan, who was also a Rank Six alchemist, was currently at the pill condensation stage and had been stuck there for a long time. Being far away, Yu Chuchu couldn't discern what was happening inside the spirit formation. However, calculating the refining process based on time, and thus determining which stage contestants had reached, was a skill every proficient alchemist should possess.

Zhu Yan was stuck. He was Rank Six, and she was also Rank Six… Was it truly necessary for this Thirsty Profound Elixir to be this outrageously difficult?

“Nervous?” Xu Xiaoshou turned his head and asked with a chuckle from the side.

He was carefree. Even if the spirit formation's shielding contained the power of the Great Void and possessed ingenious heavenly secrets capable of blocking even 'perception,' Xu Xiaoshou didn't intend to cheat. His 'Culinary Mastery' skill had imbued his mind with all the medicinal properties of low-grade ingredients. One could say he was a walking encyclopedia of spiritual herbs and spiritual meats. Innate-level elixirs, frankly speaking, didn't involve Dao concepts; they were merely fusions of medicinal properties. To him, it was akin to stir-frying, presenting no difficulty whatsoever. Heat, sequence, steps, seasoning… Perhaps an optional Dao concept sublimation could be added for a finishing touch, but nothing more than that.

Yu Chuchu didn't see it that way. But she gritted her teeth, refusing to show it. “How could I possibly be nervous?”

Xu Xiaoshou merrily exposed the girl beside him. “I see sweat on your forehead. Shall I wipe it for you?” He said, extending a hand seemingly in concern.

Yu Chuchu jumped back, startled. “Shameless!”

“How is that shameless? Or should I ask Xiao Wanfeng to wipe it for you?” Xu Xiaoshou sighed. “Didn't you realize I was trying to ease your tension? Honestly, you mistake good intentions for bad.”

Yu Chuchu: “…”

“Scorned, Passive Point +1.”

Xu Xiaoshou turned to Xiao Wanfeng and said earnestly, “Wanfeng, let me tell you, Innate-level elixirs are essentially just fusions of medicinal properties. If the old guild masters want to make it difficult, they will inevitably focus on this aspect. Therefore, if I were the one designing the test, I would use the most common spiritual herbs, cleverly leveraging their special hidden properties, to assess everyone's fundamentals. Those who can't refine it can be criticized for weak foundations, and those who do succeed… even if they succeed, the finished product is unlikely to be of high quality, because hidden medicinal properties are not something most people bother to master. So, from the examiner's perspective, this is the optimal solution. What do you think, Wanfeng?”

Xiao Wanfeng wore a blank expression; how could he possibly understand alchemy? “Young Master Xu is amazing, Young Master Xu is insightful, Young Master Xu sees everything clearly.” He simply flattered, then handed over a teacup. “Young Master Xu, you've said so much; are you thirsty? Here, wet your throat.” The young man's true intention was for Young Master Xu to focus on savoring the tea, creating a facade for onlookers, and then cease his rambling. This way, his own ears could finally get some peace.

To his surprise, this deferential scene caught Yu Chuchu's eye, sparking her indignation. “Is that how you treat your subordinates? This was Innate Sword Intent!”

After chastising Young Master Xu, Yu Chuchu stepped towards Xiao Wanfeng, taking the young man’s hand. “Come here, little brother. Big sister won't make you serve tea and pour water.” Her large eyes sparkled keenly.

Xiao Wanfeng's face flushed. He had never had his hand held by such a beautiful girl before. But, serving tea and pouring water, isn't that my job? This work is already incredibly easy! You haven't seen Brother Xin bustling about like a grand steward, yet still complaining to me about not getting paid… Xiao Wanfeng thought to himself.

After a moment of distracted thoughts, Xiao Wanfeng snapped back to reality, unsure how to refuse. As he gently pushed Yu Chuchu away, he blurted out, “Sorry, you're a good person, but I prefer… uh!”

Yu Chuchu's face turned livid.

Xu Xiaoshou almost burst into laughter.

Xiao Wanfeng realized his blunder and quickly clamped his mouth shut, glancing at Xu Xiaoshou with a pleading "Young Master Xu, save me" look.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, chuckling, “Trying to poach my subordinate? You're still too green!”

Yu Chuchu was fuming. This Young Master Xu, who knows what kind of enchanting potion he gave Xiao Wanfeng to make him so utterly devoted! No, I need to find a way… The young girl's mind raced. Malicious thoughts like “if I can't have it, I'll destroy it” were certainly not something a kind girl would entertain.

Yu Chuchu had a sudden inspiration and challenged, “Young Master Xu, let's make a bet!”

Xu Xiaoshou tilted his head, chuckling. What was this impulsive girl up to, putting on a show of "I'll sell myself"? “What kind of bet?” he asked.

Yu Chuchu pointed her slender finger at Xiao Wanfeng. “You're participating in the Alchemist Grand Assembly, aren't you? If your final ranking is below mine, you'll hand him over to me!”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow. “How impressive. A Rank Six challenging a Rank Ten. And if you lose?”

Yu Chuchu flushed. This was indeed bullying, but for Xiao Wanfeng, she grit her teeth and pressed on. “If I lose, I'm at your disposal!”

“Alright, then I want you to…”

“Stop right there!” Yu Chuchu quickly interrupted, her face flushing. “No, that's too disadvantageous for me.”

Xu Xiaoshou's expression was odd. “I hadn't finished speaking. If you lose, you'll become my alchemy assistant too. You and my Wanfeng, one male and one female; a mixed pair makes work less tiring.”

Xiao Wanfeng's face flushed. He wasn't an adult yet; he didn't quite grasp the meaning of Young Master Xu's words.

Yu Chuchu’s dainty fists clenched, and her ears turned crimson. But if it was just an alchemy assistant, and not her whole self, then it wasn't so bad… He's only Rank Ten!

“Alright, I agree!”