Chapter 414: Alchemy Challenge 2

“What do you think?” Xuanyuan Yan asked, looking at Shen Xu with mocking eyes.

Hearing this, Shen Xu smiled, but his eyes were colder than ice.

“I think fellow Daoist Xuanyuan should stop pushing her luck.” He drawled and intentionally leaked a trace of killing intent.

After that, he looked at the sky, and his smile widened.

“Even the heavens can’t tolerate your nonsense.” He muttered.

Xuanyuan Yan clenched her hands when she heard this.

Although she had previously suffered a loss in Shen Xu’s hands, she didn’t expect the person to be even more arrogant and fearless than she remembered.

’Shen Xu, you are good-looking and talented. You could have been a powerful pillar of my Tianxuan sect, but I don’t allow anyone to undermine my prestige. Since you and Zhen Yuan can’t be tamed, I will have to eliminate you.’ She thought, and a trace of murderous intent flashed in her eyes.

Sensing the murderous intent, Shen Xu tilted his head, and a trace of mockery flashed in his eyes.

’You lost your cool so easily?’ He thought and sighed.

“Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, you have grossly overestimated the value of your three treasures if you believe they can equal my and Ayuan’s freedom.” Shen Xu sneered.

“What if I insist on this request?” Xuanyuan Yan asked, and the double narrowed his eyes with a solemn expression.

“Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, your first request is already more valuable than the sum of your three rewards. You should know when to stop.” He said.

Shen Xu was originally looking forward to the alchemy challenge.

However, Xuanyuan Yan’s nonsense had destroyed his mood, and the original excitement had turned into impatience.

’I will definitely teach her a lesson she will never forget.’ He thought, recalling how Zhen Yuan dealt with Zhou Yanyu.

“Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, forget the wager. Let’s get to the challenge.” Shen Xu said, ignored Xuanyuan Yan, and turned to Yang Zitao.

“Elder Yang, you can announce the challenge details.” He said, and Yang Zitao subconsciously glanced at Xuanyuan Yan.

“This…” He muttered.

“Let’s revisit the wager after hearing the challenge details.” Xuanyuan Yan said, and Yang Zitao sighed in relief.

As a Mahayana realm cultivator, he could naturally sense the murderous animosity between the two people.

However, he was just a junior elder and didn’t dare to mess with either Xuanyuan Yan or Shen Xu.

“The alchemy challenge has three tasks.” Yang Zitao started, and after seeing that the opponents were paying attention, he continued.

“The first task is to refine a level eight ice crystal pill.” The man said, and Shen Xu raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He didn’t expect that the first task was an ice-element level eight pill.

On one hand, the previous challenges were all level seven, and on the other, most alchemists didn’t like refining ice element pills.

After all, ice was the contrast of fire.

Without an ice-type fire, refining an ice element pill was not only difficult but also taxing on a cultivator’s qi.

That said, Shen Xu wasn’t worried.

When he first learned alchemy, he struggled with ice element pills.

However, at that time, Yang Shi only had the ice-element head and needed many ice pills. Because of this, Shen Xu refined many ice pills and became an expert along the way.

’An ice crystal pill is a little more complex than I am used to, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.’ He thought.

At the same time, he felt grateful that the quality and quantity of his qi had exceeded those of ordinary fusion realm cultivators.

Otherwise, he would not be able to refine the ice crystal pill even if he knew the recipe and had previously refined its lower-level version.

’They want to trip me, but it’s going to take a lot more than that.’ He thought and continued to listen to Yang Zitao’s announcement.

“The second task is to refine a level eight soul fixing pill.” Yang Zitao announced, and Shen Xu was once again surprised.

The ice crystal pill was a cultivation resource for ice element spiritual root cultivators and required pure qi to refine.

On the contrary, the soul fixing pill was used to stabilise the soul, preventing it from flying out, being displaced or devoured by another soul.

Because of its function, the soul fixing pill required pure soul power to refine.

’One requires qi and the other requires soul power. Not bad.’ Shen Xu thought and subconsciously nodded.

“The last task is to examine two sick cultivators and refine the necessary pills.” Yang Zitao said, and Shen Xu lowered his eyes.

He didn’t expect the alchemy challenge to be so comprehensive.

However, he wasn’t worried and saw the last task as a way to test his diagnosis skills.

After listening to the details, Xuanyuan Yan turned to Shen Xu.

“What does junior brother Shen think? Shall we continue the wager?” She asked, and Shen Xu sighed with an annoyed expression.

“Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan, you have nothing as valuable as my and Ayuan’s freedom. Change the request.” He said.

Xuanyuan Yan had also figured it out.

After thinking about it, she realised Shen Xu would never agree to her request.

However, she felt that her first request was almost as good as agreeing to the servitude contract.

After all, without the previous wins, Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan would be carted to the mines.

When that happened, she would find an opportunity to contract them and let them work for her.

“My three rewards for your forfeit. Do you agree?” She asked, but Shen Xu shook his head.

“Even if Ayuan and I lose the alchemy and inscriptions challenges, our previous wins guarantee our freedom, eight treasures, honorary elder positions, one-time passes to all blessed places, a lifetime library pass, and a private mountain. Why should I risk that for a mere three treasures?” He asked, and most of the spectators nodded in agreement.

Shen Xu didn’t mind betting.

However, he didn’t want to play the fool and accept an unequal wager.

“What does fellow Daoist Shen want?” Xuanyuan Yan asked, but Shen Xu shook his head.

“It depends on what fellow Daoist Xuanyuan has.” He said.

After all, he was not a roundworm in Xuanyuan Yan’s belly, so he didn’t know what things the opponent owned.

In the end, Xuanyuan Yan added ten high-grade spirit stone veins and twenty stalks of rare spirit grasses before Shen Xu agreed to the wager.

’Not bad.’ The double thought.

With the spirit stone veins, he and Zhen Yuan could not only nourish their future private mountain but also improve the spiritual aura in the space.

Thinking of the possibility that the spiritual lake may soon begin producing peak-grade spiritual water, Shen Xu couldn’t help but be excited.

’I didn’t expect this Xuanyuan Yan to be so wealthy.’ He thought and regretted not asking for more veins.

Spirit stone veins didn’t begin producing spirit stones until they were planted in the ground. Most importantly, a vein required tens of thousands of years before it began producing spirit stones.

Because of this, having spirit stone veins didn’t translate to having many spirit stones.

That said, Shen Xu was still amazed that Xuanyuan Yan had so many veins.

After settling the wager details, Xuanyuan Yan and Shen Xu turned to Yang Zitao.

At the same time, the threatening clouds disappeared, and everyone sighed in relief.

’I can finally breathe.’ Most thought.

“You have one day to complete the first and second tasks.” Yang Zitao announced with a solemn expression.

“Elder Yang, can we start with whichever we want or…” Shen Xu asked, and Yang Zitao nodded before speaking.

“It’s up to you to decide.” He said and quickly continued.

“The third task will begin right after the first and second tasks. At that time, you will have two days to examine, diagnose and treat two cultivators.”

“What if the treatment plan requires longer than two days?” Shen Xu asked, but Yang Zitao smiled and shook his head.

“Senior alchemists have already examined the sick cultivators. Treatment should not take longer than the challenge duration.”

Shen Xu nodded when he heard this.

However, he reserved judgment for when he personally examined the sick people.

“What about the assessment criteria?” Xuanyuan Yan asked.

“For the first and second tasks, points will be awarded to the pill grade. One point for low-grade pills, two points for mid-grade pills, three points for high-grade pills, four points for perfect-grade pills, and five points for perfect-grade pills. The maximum points are forty for a furnace of eight pills.” Yang Zitao said, and the two opponents nodded.

“As for the third task, three points will be awarded for a correct diagnosis, three points for a suitable treatment plan and four points for the treatment’s result.”

“Can we use our own materials for this challenge?” Xuanyuan Yan asked.

“You can use your own pill furnace, fire, pill bottles and plates, but everything else has been provided for you. You may choose as you like.” Yang Zitao said, pointing at the ingredients table.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep