Chapter 51: Open with One Punch

People looked in disbelief at Bai Jingtian's flushed face, never having imagined such an ending.

A fourth-grade alchemist refining a sixth-grade pill, and actually blowing up the furnace!

Bai Jingtian himself stared dumbfounded at the furnace, completely unable to understand what had happened. Such a loss of control over the medicinal properties leading to a runaway explosion was something that probably dated back to his days as an apprentice in his childhood; it hadn't happened at all in these past few decades!

Why is this!

Blame the wrong medicinal materials? They were the ones he personally selected.

Blame the wrong furnace? It was the one he personally chose.

Blame the earth fire? But there was no earth fire on the high platform; he was using his own flame technique!

Moreover, he had truly not detected any problems with the furnace or the materials, so how could he not control it?

No one would have thought that whether it was Lu Xingzhou's "guaranteed supreme quality" or Bai Jingtian's exploded furnace, it was all Anuo's doing. She could help Lu Xingzhou smooth out the medicinal properties, and she could also make others lose control of their medicinal properties.

In fact, Lu Xingzhou has yet to break through to sixth grade in his cultivation; refining a sixth-grade pill is possible, but somewhat strenuous. After all, his own flame temperature is insufficient and his control precision is not quite enough; guaranteeing a successful refinement is already very difficult, and no matter how talented one is, it is impossible to stably produce supreme quality. But as long as Anuo is by his side, it will definitely be supreme quality.

And this kind of enhancement and destruction is silent and imperceptible; among the people Lu Xingzhou has seen so far, besides Yuan Muyu, no second person has been able to detect it.

Amidst the uproar of the entire crowd, Lu Xingzhou's hateful laughter sounded from the side: "So... when will Bai Zhanglao fulfill the wager?"

If there were a crack in the ground, Bai Jingtian estimated he would dive right into it; unfortunately, there wasn't.

Fulfilling the wager is impossible; under the gaze of everyone, even if he threw his old face to the wind, he couldn't lose face for the Incense Tower in public. Bai Jingtian's lips trembled for quite a while before he finally squeezed out a sentence: "This old man was just unwell a moment ago; I must refine again!"

Everyone in the arena wore expressions of sarcasm, secretly thinking this old thing didn't even want his face anymore. The people of Tianxing Sword Sect even snorted with laughter, and Tang Yunzhong shouted loudly: "So this is the bearing of a fourth-grade alchemist; I've seen it!"

The Incense Tower guards all lowered their heads, faces red with shame, daring not to make a sound. Instead, Lu Xingzhou spoke with a smile: "It doesn't matter; since the elder has this intention, let's refine another batch. Hmm... how many batches this time?"

Bai Jingtian really wanted to refine just one batch, seeking stability. But in this situation, even if you refine just one batch, even if it is refined perfectly, it is practically no different from losing.

After struggling for a long time, he actually squeezed out a sentence: "Two batches."

The crowd couldn't hold it back anymore, and laughter finally erupted.

Lu Xingzhou was actually the one least bothered, still smiling: "Alright, Anuo, prepare two more batches of medicinal materials for the elder. Use my furnace this time."

This time, Shen Tang knew very clearly what Lu Xingzhou was doing.

Two alchemists releasing their flames and precise control with all their might was, in fact, an intense magical duel. The energy released by both sides had already been absorbed by the Spirit Gathering Array and transferred to the array core where the Original Merchant stood. Including the pills from the exploded furnace, although they exploded, the energy of the pills did not fully dissipate; all of it was absorbed into the array.

Even if a fourth-grade alchemist's combat ability is terrible, his energy is ultimately online; it might even be stronger than Anuo and Little Bai Mao, or at least comparable. Lu Xingzhou was hoping this old thing would exert even more effort; the harder he worked, the better, counting it as a merit for cracking the secret realm.

Bai Jingtian was truly exerting every ounce of strength he had; people could almost see the veins bulging on his flushed face as he urged on the flames.

Anuo was playing with him; the medicinal properties would go berserk one moment and then become calm and smooth the next, forcing him to unleash his full strength. Bai Jingtian had never refined such a difficult sixth-grade pill; this was simply harder than him attempting to refine a third-grade pill!

Anuo heard Lu Xingzhou's telepathic voice: "Let him get to the point where his brain is briefly congested and slightly confused, then let him succeed. Can you control it that precisely?"

Anuo once again revealed her neat eight white teeth: "Yes. His endurance is too poor; he hasn't been beaten up enough."

Bai Jingtian was truly so strained that his brain was about to congest; after finally smoothing out the medicinal power and fusing it into pills, seeing the furnace tremble slightly, his old eyes became a bit blurry.

Watching the pills slowly float up, Bai Jingtian felt exactly like when he successfully refined his first pill decades ago; the mixture of emotions in his heart was indescribable.

Lu Xingzhou's voice sounded: "Anuo, take the two pills the elder refined and have everyone verify them."

"Okay!" Anuo grabbed the pills with a bounce and dashed down the high platform in a flash.

Bai Jingtian never thought anything could go wrong under the gaze of everyone, nor did he think what such a child could do.

Until a sigh came from the arena: "Bai Zhanglao is old after all; exploding one furnace is one thing, but refining two and only getting superior quality... although it is very close to supreme quality, a little difference is still a difference; what a pity, what a pity."

The sighs grew louder and louder; after many people looked, they made similar remarks. Hearing the chaotic noise, Bai Jingtian's brain felt dizzy for a moment, and he suddenly snapped out of it: "Impossible!"

Turning his head, he saw countless people looking at him with sympathy; that gaze seemed to hold something else besides sympathy... mockery, contempt, and so on.

In the world of cultivation, being weak is the original sin.

Sheng Yuanyao pinched Anuo's cheek and whispered in her ear: "Although we can't tell the quality of the original goods on the high platform, since they passed through your hands, hmm."

Anuo smiled apologetically: "I've already let you pinch me..."

Sheng Yuanyao coughed dryly: "My Demon Suppression Bureau values evidence; this time there is no evidence, so I'll let you off."

Lu Xingzhou asked very politely on the platform again: "Elder, do you want to try once more?"

"Impossible!" Bai Jingtian suddenly stood up: "I couldn't possibly have only refined two superior-quality pills; you must have swapped them!"

A sigh came from afar: "Brother Bai, forget it; it's a five."

Bai Jingtian turned his head to look; it was actually Wu Jianchen, the Sect Master of Cangshan Sword Sect, also a fourth-grade powerhouse.

The alchemists in Cangshan Sword Sect were also from our Incense Tower; our relationships are very close. Even Wu Jianchen says so, so it must be true. Bai Jingtian stood stunned for a long time, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the high platform.

Two guards hurriedly stepped forward to carry him to his seat; they didn't make a sound from beginning to end.

Incense Tower lost face big today; under the gaze of the multitude, a fourth-grade alchemist couldn't beat someone of seventh grade. How could they dare to make a sound... no, Lu Xingzhou isn't seventh grade; he is definitely sixth grade; the Hero List just released a new version, it must be changed again... but whether it is sixth grade or seventh grade, Incense Tower's reputation after this battle is likely to plummet.

That Wu Jianchen looked at Lu Xingzhou, then at Shen Tang, and his eyes held an extra three parts of caution.

No one likes to offend powerful alchemists; having more alchemists means having more backdoors... but as the master of a sword sect, his conflict with Tianxing Sword Sect is more direct than Incense Tower's; therefore, while others sent elders or vice-patriarchs to check the situation, he came in person as the Sect Master.

Seeing his gaze, Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Sect Master Wu, what advice do you have?"

Wu Jianchen said solemnly: "Nothing much... I just wanted to ask if your sect has other plans besides relying on pills?"

"We are both sword sects; Sect Master Wu knows very well that the foundation of a sword sect is nothing more than those few items. We indeed have plans to get involved in flying sword refinement." Shen Tang responded very calmly: "I know your sect also has such an industry; currently, almost all flying swords in Xiazhou are imported from your sect. However, the flying swords your sect sells to Xiazhou are all low third-grade; we have no intention of competing for this market. We will only refine high-grade flying swords for a small-scale auction, which may not necessarily conflict with your sect."

Wu Jianchen paused: "Selling high-grade flying swords in Xiazhou?"

Xiazhou has thin spiritual energy, and cultivation is generally mediocre...

Shen Tang said indifferently: "We know the market is small. We are new here and still need the help of fellow Daoists; we have racked our brains and do not wish to offend too much... but it seems now that it is you all who are against our sect. I established this sect, the ceremony is not yet finished, Bai Zhanglao was domineering, and Sect Master Wu followed closely behind. Are you really bullying Tianxing Sword Sect for having no one, or bullying me, Shen Tang, for being young!"

As her words fell, she waved her slender hand, and an ancient flying sword hovered before her, its sword qi solemn and restrained.

Having been caught by her logic, Wu Jianchen's momentum declined by three parts first; he stepped back half a pace with some gravity: "What does Sect Master Shen mean by this?"

"This is a fifth-grade flying sword just refined by Master Fang of our sect's Sword Casting Hall, named Duan Yue. Why not ask Sect Master Wu to appreciate it for everyone?" Shen Tang formed a sword seal, and the Duan Yue sword flew forward with a boom, thrusting at Wu Jianchen.

The people of Xiazhou were dumbfounded.

On one hand saying they are new and need help from fellow Daoists, on the other hand slapping both sides, beating Incense Tower on the left and Cangshan Sword Sect on the right; it was all you who initiated the challenge. Your Tianxing Sword Sect really wants to go to heaven!

Only a few sharp-eyed people clearly understood in their hearts that out of the ten attending the ceremony, nine wanted to embarrass Tianxing Sword Sect; the best strategy is to open with one punch to avoid a hundred punches. Exactly taking advantage of the Emperor's intention of "support," even if Tianxing Sword Sect offended everyone, it would not lead to a siege or sect destruction. If not to establish authority in one go at such a time, when else?

No wonder Lu Xingzhou immediately provoked someone into a pill-refining duel, fearing nothing would happen. As for Shen Tang, she went all the way, openly challenging a sword fight instead... They never intended to hold the ceremony properly from start to finish; they were just waiting for war to break out, even saving on the cost of wine.

One should admire these two young people's courage to fight and their decisiveness. But on one condition: you must win...

Look at those uninvited guests, the Dongjiang Gang and the Lingyun Gate... This battle won't be the only one. If they lose even once, all the momentum they've built will be washed away.

Judging by this match alone, Shen Tang is fourth grade, and Wu Jianchen is also fourth grade, but Shen Tang is using only a newly forged fifth-grade flying sword, which she hasn't even nurtured yet... Can she win?

Recommend my wife's new book "Doomsday Messenger"~



(End of this chapter)