After I left the sect, the entire sect knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

Chapter 42 Alchemist Competition
I won't offend others unless they offend me! These two messed with her first, so they can't blame her for being sarcastic.

Both are two spirit stones, one of which is of superior quality and the other of medium quality; the meaning behind them is self-evident.

The pills used in this competition were not of a very high grade, and the cultivators on the flying boat were only betting on small amounts. Most of them were betting with a low-grade spirit stone, and very few were betting with a mid-grade spirit stone, let alone a high-grade spirit stone.

The vendor in charge of the betting stall persuaded, "Fairy, are you sure you want to bet two high-grade spirit stones?"

"Sure, I'll just bet randomly and have some fun."

"Okay, here is the voucher. If you win, you can bring the voucher to collect the spirit stones."

Lin Yan took the betting slip from the vendor and found a spot to stand and watch the game on the stage.

The competition began, and the two alchemists on the stage started their contest. They first processed the materials for refining pills, including various spiritual herbs and demonic beast ingredients. Their techniques were similar, and their processing speed was also roughly the same. Since she didn't understand alchemy, she couldn't immediately tell who was more skilled.

She didn't care about the result of the competition; she just watched the alchemy process with a learning mindset, her face relaxed.

The cultivator she had questioned earlier approached at some point and asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist, aren't you afraid of wasting your two high-grade spirit stones?"

"Of course I'm not afraid. Just consider it a ticket to watch alchemy. You rarely see alchemists competing."

On the Canghai Continent, aside from the Alchemy Grand Assembly, it's rare to see alchemists refining pills in public. The Alchemy Grand Assembly, like the Immortal Sect Competition, is held only once every three years. The difference is that tickets are required to watch the Alchemy Grand Assembly.

At this moment, the two alchemists on the platform had already prepared the materials. They used their spiritual power to put the materials into the alchemy furnace one by one, and then condensed a ball of flame in their hands. With a gesture, the flame flew towards the alchemy furnace.

At first, the two handled the situation quite well, but as time went on, fine beads of sweat began to appear on their foreheads. She didn't understand alchemy, but she knew it was a sign that their spiritual energy was gradually depleting and that they lacked sufficient control over it.

Just then, the alchemist she was holding suddenly changed his incantation, and the flames in the alchemy furnace grew larger. When his spiritual power was completely exhausted, he stopped casting the spell, the flames went out, and the alchemy furnace returned to silence.

He opened the lid of the alchemy furnace, and the medicinal fragrance that had been processed and not overflowed spread out. Several pills flew into the box containing the pills, guided by his spiritual power.

Judging from the quality, it has reached grade two. A total of ten were refined, and the success rate was about 50% to 60%.

The cultivator standing next to her immediately commented, "It's a second-grade healing pill, and the success rate is quite good. This pill cultivator looks so young and has a bright future. It seems like the chances of winning are very high."

She offered no comment, and her face remained largely expressionless.

At this moment, another alchemist also finished refining his pill. He also refined a healing pill.

In a one-on-one alchemist competition, the pills being refined are naturally the same; the competition depends on the quality of the pills and the success rate.

He used the same method to take the pills out of the furnace, and they were also ten second-grade pills.

This match should be a draw, and as usual, there should be an overtime period. That is, both alchemists must refine the same pill within a specified time. If both alchemists succeed in refining their pills when the time is up, the winner will be determined by the quality of the pills and the success rate.

If neither alchemist has finished refining the pill by the time limit, the outcome will depend on the degree of pill condensation. The one with the higher degree of pill condensation wins.

These overtime rounds are very time-sensitive, taking into account the alchemist's skill. Many cultivators below were discussing whether to extend the time limit, when the alchemist who finished refining the pill spoke up: "Wait a minute, judge, I refined more than ten pills!"

He used his spiritual power to move half a pill out of the furnace and put it in a box. He then addressed the crowd, saying, "According to the competition rules, if the quality of the pills produced is the same, the success rate will be the deciding factor. I produced half a pill more than him, so why doesn't that count as a win?"

The referee was somewhat perplexed. Under normal circumstances, half a pill is not considered a complete pill and is therefore not included in the calculation.

The cultivators below who bet on him to win spoke up for him, saying that even half a pill counts as a elixir. Those who bet on the other alchemist to win, however, naturally objected to the idea that even half a pill should be considered a finished product.

With the argument deadlocked, Tao Zhizhi stepped forward and used her spiritual power to speak. This ensured that everyone present could hear her.

"I think whether half a pill counts as a finished pill depends on whether the quality and medicinal properties of the half pill are the same as the finished pill. If they are the same, it is considered a finished pill; if the quality is poor, it cannot be considered a finished pill."

After hearing Tao Zhizhi's explanation, everyone thought it made sense and praised her for her intelligence in coming up with such an impressive solution.

After receiving everyone's praise, Tao Zhizhi looked smugly toward where Lin Yan was standing.

Lin Yan didn't notice Tao Zhizhi's gaze at all. She took the red demon off her shoulder, hugged it in her arms, and said to it, "You've gotten fatter again. My shoulder is numb from sitting on you."

The Crimson Demon sighed in dissatisfaction, closed her eyes, and ignored her.

She wasn't annoyed. Without waiting for the results of the elixir's analysis, she headed straight for the pavilion.

The Chamber of Commerce quickly came out the appraisal results. The effect of that half pill was not much different from that of a second-grade pill, so it was considered a half-grade second-grade pill. The final winner was naturally the pill cultivator who refined the pill later.

The defeated Danxiu looked dejected and told the winner that he was inferior in skill and that he was willing to accept defeat. The winner, however, did not press the matter further, but reflected on his impulsiveness and promised to be more careful with his words in the future.

Instead of the expected kneeling scene, they presented a display of brotherly affection and respect.

Tao Zhizhi pouted, somewhat disappointed. She had thought there would be some excitement, and she had waited and stood there for so long. The only good thing was that she had won spirit stones from her bet, while the female cultivator who had given her a hard time had lost two high-grade spirit stones!

She wanted to say a few more words, but saw that the person had already left. Tao Zhizhi pouted and went to exchange spirit stones with her third senior brother.

As Lin Yan entered the main hall, the person in charge of the flying boat immediately came forward to apologize to her again. He also said that the apology gift had been placed in her private room and that she must accept it.

The gifts were already in the private room; it would be impolite for her not to accept them. So she nodded and went upstairs.

Upon entering the private room, the furnishings had changed. Perhaps because the cultivator who assassinated her had died in this room, the original items had become unlucky, so the merchant guild members simply replaced everything. New beds, coffee tables, chairs, vases, calligraphy and paintings, carpets, cushions…

On the table sat a rectangular box, plain and simple in appearance. She opened the box, and inside lay a wooden hairpin.

Lin Yan picked up the wooden hairpin and examined it closely. The hairpin was carved with intricate patterns; upon closer inspection, it was discovered that it depicted the layout of a defensive formation.

Thank you! Thank you everyone for your votes~ I'm so touched I could cry (*)
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(End of this chapter)