Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 322: Candidates, Paths, and Achievements
"This place is called Yaoshan, and these medicinal gardens all belong to different people. They are the lifeblood of those old guys. Don't try to take them..."

Hearing Lin Yuan's exclamation, Xuan Kongzi smiled and reminded him.

Then he took a quick look and walked towards the top of the mountain. Lin Yuan quickly followed him.
He walked towards the top of the mountain. Seeing this, Lin Yuan quickly followed. Along the way, he could see some old figures occasionally appearing among the lush sea of ​​medicinal herbs around.

These old men looked like ordinary herbal farmers busy in the fields, but faintly, they exuded extremely powerful soul fluctuations.

Obviously, these old men who look like herbal farmers have achieved quite high attainments in soul power.

In other words, they are all alchemists of extremely high level!

As the two of them walked, several old men came to Xuan Kongzi to say hello, but there was only one old man whose soul power clearly surpassed Lin Yuan's.

"Xuan Kongzi, I heard that old guy Yao Chen is not only alive, but also shamelessly came to Danta. Is it true?" Sensing Xuan Kongzi's presence, a thin old man in a gray robe flashed over from a distance and asked in a deep voice.

This old man's body is rippling with the soul fluctuations of the peak spiritual realm. His cultivation is far better than that of Hei Qing, who is a nine-star Dou Zun, and is not much worse than Xuan Kongzi.

"Tsk, Old Monster Hou, why are you still talking so harshly?"

Looking at the gray-robed old man, Xuan Kongzi shook his head helplessly, "We are all old now, we should let go of some things from the past, and stop being so obsessed..."

"Oh, that's easy to say. Can obsession be eliminated just by saying so?" Old Monster Hou sneered and said calmly, "Anyway, this is a matter between him and me, so don't bother yourself. Just answer me, is that old guy really here?"

Xuan Kongzi sighed, but answered his question: "Yes, he and his disciples are currently in Shengdan City..."

"Thank you!" Old Monster Hou nodded slightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes. "He has been missing for decades. I want to see what he has done..."

He exhaled lightly and looked at Lin Yuan behind Xuan Kongzi, "Is this little fellow the Medicine Lord Lin Yuan that you three praised so highly?"

Lin Yuan took a step forward and bowed: "Junior Lin Yuan, greetings to Senior Hou."

"What a strong soul power. He is indeed an excellent junior." Old Monster Hou nodded slightly and looked at Xuan Kongzi, but changed the subject, "But rules are rules. Even if a junior has outstanding talent, the rules should not be changed for him."

"As for the matter you three want to push forward, even I can only say I don't object, not to mention those old stubborn people..."

After saying that, he did not stop and flew towards the exit at high speed.

Looking at Hou Laogui's back, Xuan Kongzi's face darkened slightly. He cursed "old stubborn" in his heart, and led Lin Yuan to continue walking towards the top of the mountain.
-
Shengdan City.

After completing the sixth-grade alchemist assessment, Xiao Yan strolled around this unprecedentedly prosperous city for a while and then returned to the house where he was staying.

Sensing the atmosphere, he quickly walked towards the backyard.

In the elegant courtyard, Yao Lao was holding a kettle and watering a green plant with great interest.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan stopped and stood quietly waiting.

Two minutes later, Yao Lao put down the kettle in his hand and looked at his disciple with a smile: "Xiao Yanzi, you are back. How are the results of the alchemist grade assessment?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan chuckled and flipped his hand. A light blue badge appeared in his palm. On the badge, flames were swirling, revealing a tower shape. On the tower, there were six purple-gold stars, emitting dazzling light.

"Hehe, as your disciple, it is natural for me to easily pass the level of...sixth-grade intermediate alchemist!"

"Not bad, not bad!" Yao Lao nodded and said with a smile: "Don't be anxious because of others. You still have a long way to go in your cultivation... and cultivation is about the final height."

"Teacher, I understand." Xiao Yan nodded heavily.

After a pause, he looked at the old man in white robes who was like a teacher and a father in front of him. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Teacher, I want to go to the Thunder Clan to watch the First Thunder Ceremony... Is that okay?"

"I'm still wondering how long you can keep this to yourself!" Yao Lao smiled and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, saying gently: "With your strong character, it's not a bad thing for you to see the peak of your peers earlier!"

"However, Xingyun Pavilion didn't receive an invitation this time, so we have to make some arrangements. Hmm...it seems like I owe my old friend a favor!"
-
Xiaodan Tower, Yaoshan.

The two walked along several mountain paths and finally arrived at a stone house.
In the stone house, Tian Lei Zi and Xuan Yi were already waiting.

Seeing the two, Xuan Kongzi asked directly: "Xuan Yi, Tian Leizi, what is the ruling of the Council of Elders?"

"Rejected!" Xuan Yi bit his teeth lightly, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he snorted coldly: "There are a few old stubborn people who have been staying here for many years. Their brains have become quite rigid. They are not familiar with the changes in the world, and they always say rules..."

Tian Leizi was also somewhat dissatisfied: "Although the position of the giant candidate is indeed of great importance, I understand it, but their stubborn attitude, tsk..."

Hearing this, Xuan Kongzi also sighed, and a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.

At this time, Lin Yuan slowly opened his mouth and asked doubtfully: "Are the things you three are talking about related to me?"

Combining the attitudes of the three people and what Hou Laoguai said just now, he had some guesses in his mind - it seemed that the three giants were fighting for the position of giant substitute for themselves, but failed!

Xuan Yi hesitated for a moment and said frankly, "Yesterday Yao Chen warned us about something. Lin Yuan, your cultivation and alchemy skills are improving too fast, like a legend. Sooner or later, you will be coveted by others. He advised us to take action as soon as possible."

"After much deliberation, the three of us decided to grant you the position of candidate for the giant, so that we can use the power of Danta to deter the greed of the villains, but..."

Tian Leizi took over the conversation: "The position of candidate for the giant is extremely important. There are already rules in the tower on how to obtain it! If you want to make an exception, you need the consent of the Council of Elders..."

"Thank you, three presidents!" Lin Yuan bowed gratefully, and then asked in a low voice: "But, what exactly is this Great Elders' Council?"

"Look at my memory." Xuan Kongzi slapped his forehead and said gently: "Let me explain! Hou Laogui just disturbed my thoughts and I didn't have time to introduce you..."

"We have an ancestor in Danta, whose status is extremely respected and who can decide all matters in Danta with a single word."

"It's just that the old ancestor is traveling outside all year round. Generally, he only shows up to solve the crisis when Danta encounters a major crisis. When the old ancestor is not around, the real major events of Danta are decided by the vote of the Great Elders Council in the Small Danta."

"The Great Elders' Council has ten seats, and the three of us, as the three great leaders of Danta, are also among them... Because of this, both the great leaders and the great leader candidates are extremely important."

"After all, once you become a candidate for the title of Grand Master, unless something unexpected happens, you will almost certainly inherit the Grand Master's position and enter the Council of Elders that makes all decisions."

"In addition to how to obtain giant candidates, Danta also has rules!"

"The three of us jointly proposed yesterday to establish your status as a candidate for the giant."

"What a pity..." His voice was filled with annoyance. "Even though you showed extraordinary talent and even with the endorsement of the three of us, you still couldn't convince those old stubborn people who stick to the rules. The proposal only received four votes, two votes short..."

"I see!" Lin Yuan nodded and said thoughtfully, "Then may I ask, Master Xuan, according to the rules, how can I obtain the position of candidate for the giant?"

He never coveted power, but would try his best to gain it when he had the chance... The higher one's status was, the more it would make some people cautious and reduce the possibility of them having evil intentions. "There are currently three ways," Xuankong Zixu stroked his chin and introduced.

"The first way is that the champion of the Alchemy Contest will obtain the status of a candidate for a giant. The second way is to become a candidate for a giant through certain achievements. The third way is to gain the recognition of the ancestors... Of course, with this path, not to mention becoming a candidate for a giant, even the giants can be appointed and dismissed at will."

After a pause, there was a hint of regret in his voice: "The first one may be difficult for others, but it may be easy for you. What a pity..."

"It's still a long time before the Dan Conference... Is that right?" Lin Yuan shook his head and said helplessly: "Master Xuan, tell me the second option!"

Xuan Kongzi nodded and said in a deep voice: "The second method is the method of appointing candidates for giants in most cases. This method has two conditions - first, obtaining the recommendation of the three seats of the Great Elders Council; second, having sufficient achievements."

"In fact, the three of us took this path when we recommended yesterday!"

"Since you were nominated by the three of us, the first condition is naturally met. However, they are unwilling to make an exception for the second condition because of your talent. What a rigid bunch of guys..."

Speaking of this, Xuankongzi was extremely angry.

In his opinion, with Lin Yuan's current top talent, it won't take many years for him to become a truly powerful person. By then, what kind of achievements will he not be able to accomplish? Shouldn't the first priority now be to support him to grow up?

Moreover, with the false title of a giant candidate, a top talent can be bound to become a Danta member... What a good deal!

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

"A bunch of old stubborn people who stick to the old ways." Xuan Kongzi shook his head secretly.

"Merits?" Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment, then a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a deep voice: "May I ask, Master Xuan, what are the so-called 'merits'?"

“Well—”

Xuan Kongzi pondered for a moment and said seriously: "In Danta, there are two main types of achievements that are recognized: military merits and contributions to alchemy."

"When it comes to military exploits, they are mainly about the battles with the Soul Palace. The number of battles between Danta and the Soul Palace is far beyond the imagination of the outside world! However, most of the battles were not so large-scale, and both sides won and lost, so they were not overly publicized."

"Many wars are naturally accompanied by a lot of military exploits. Tian Leizi has accumulated military exploits for a long time and has just become a candidate for the giant."

"However, in the past few decades, the number of wars has decreased significantly compared to before. It is difficult to accumulate enough merits simply by doing this!"

Lin Yuan nodded slightly. Through his identity as Yuan Tianzun, he knew a lot about the battle between Soul Palace and Danta.

The great war with Danta was something that the Soul Palace's top brass were happy to see happen - it was a stable way to collect the souls of alchemists. As for the consumption of consumables such as Dharma protectors and even ordinary venerables in the war, they did not care.

One of the reasons why the Soul Palace did not kill Danta was that it wanted to use him to cultivate a batch of high-quality alchemist "leeks" and then reap the harvest through the war between the two major forces.

Without Danta, the holy land of alchemists, who will train a large number of high-quality alchemists?
Although it is extremely cruel, this is the law of the jungle in the Douqi Continent... The growth and death of the weak may be the nourishment for the progress of the strong.

To the Soul Palace, or the Soul Clan, the Medicine Clan and the Dan Tower are both leeks that they are carefully waiting for to grow.

As for the reason why the wars with Danta and the Ancient Clan have decreased in recent years, Lin Yuan guessed that it was not only to reserve strength for the Millennium Plan, but also that it was a critical juncture for Emperor Hun Tian to recover from his injuries, and the top leaders wanted to avoid unexpected situations as much as possible.

However, the Soul Palace's period of "silence" has also come to an end. As far as Yuan Tianzun knows, the Soul Palace's top brass are intentionally relaxing the controls on the guardians.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Soul Palace will launch an all-out attack soon and capture souls across the entire continent.

In other words, the time for a showdown between the Soul Palace and the Soul Clan is not far away.

"These are all things for the future, let me focus on the present!"

Lin Yuan collected his thoughts and said softly, "I understand the military merits! Then what about accumulating merits through contributions to alchemy?"

Hearing this, Xuan Kongzi's eyes flashed with pride: "Haha, this path is how I got the position of candidate for the giant! In short, it is to make contributions recognized by everyone in the field of alchemy research."

"Alchemy is all-encompassing, including pill formulas, soul skills, alchemy secrets, medicinal material cultivation, medicinal material processing... There are many aspects that can be studied."

"Among these many fields, if you research something new or reproduce an ancient skill and submit it to the Dan Tower, it can be counted as a great or small merit in alchemy."

"By the way, I have a lot of experience in cultivating medicinal herbs..."

“For example, the method of spiritual ascension created and perfected by Yao Chen is a great innovation. If this secret technique is submitted to the Dan Tower, it will be sufficient to complete the assessment of alchemy merit.”

After a pause, he added: "Although the soul-controlling array you deduced is not as good as Yao Chen's soul-raising method, it can also be transformed into a lot of merits in alchemy. If you have talent in this area, you might as well develop it in this direction..."

Speaking of this, Xuan Kongzi couldn't help but feel a little distressed. Whether it was military merit or merit in alchemy, it seemed that it would take a lot of time to accumulate.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yuan clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Master Xuan, for clearing up my doubts. I now fully understand the second method of obtaining the position of a candidate for the giant!"

Xuan Kongzi said it very tactfully, but Lin Yuan knew it very well that the soul-controlling array was naturally far inferior to the soul-raising method.

He stroked his forehead and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

According to Xuan Kongzi, it is not difficult for Lin Yuan to become a candidate for the top three of Danta based on his merits...

If he takes the military merit route, he can ask the Soul Palace to make arrangements and send some guardians or venerables to gain military merit.

However, this method would take a lot of time to arrange and it would definitely not be in time for the First Thunder Ceremony. There is also the possibility of being discovered, so it is not a good choice.

If one were to pursue merit in alchemy, it would be related to the art of alchemy, better than the method of spiritual ascension, or it was a secret method created by Lin Yuan himself that met these three points… It was already in his mind, and that was the method of cultivation that achieved the unity of man and elixir.

This method is a perfect match for alchemists. Once released, it will be enough to cause a huge shock in the alchemy world.

With such merit, it would be no problem for him to be a candidate for a giant in a certain area, or even directly become a giant in Danta.

"However, this is the secret of my cultivation, and it is far from the time to make it public! Let's try this..."

Lin Yuan flipped his palm and several thick notebooks appeared on it. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "I didn't expect that a joke I made many years ago could actually become a reality now. It's really unpredictable!"

Clearing his throat, he handed out several notebooks in his hand and said, "Please help me see if this can be turned into merit for alchemy!"

Feeling the young man's slightly high spirits, the three of them raised their eyebrows and became a little interested.

They took the letter and saw the big characters on the cover: "Medicinal Dietology·General Principles·Eleventh Edition."

(End of this chapter)