Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

"The alchemy forces in the city are mainly divided into two factions. One faction is the Pill King Valley, which is backed by a top sect in Zhongzhou and monopolizes 70% of the alchemy market in Blackwater City. They are determined to win this Alchemist Conference. Their direct disciple, Li Mo, is participating in the competition himself and has already declared that anyone who dares to compete with him for the championship is going against the entire Pill King Valley."

"The other faction is Baicaotang, a long-established local alchemy force that has been suppressed by Danwang Valley. They have a long-standing cooperative relationship with our Baodanlou and hope to take this opportunity to turn the tide at this alchemy conference."

"In addition, evil cultivation forces such as the Blood Fiend Sect and Yin Wind Valley have also set up strongholds in the city. They have also sent people to this Alchemist Conference. Their specific purpose is unknown. If you encounter them, it is best to avoid them."

Manager Wang explained everything in great detail, even the key figures and grudges of the various factions, as if afraid that Xu Yuan might accidentally fall into a trap.

Xu Yuan listened quietly, memorizing all the information, his eyes growing increasingly clear.

The strength of Danwang Valley, the covetousness of Xue Sha Sect, and the conflict between Baicaotang and Danwang Valley—all of this information can become bargaining chips for his next move.

After seeing Manager Wang off, Xu Yuan immediately activated all the restrictions on the courtyard. Only after confirming that there were no signs of eavesdropping or spying did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, remove his disguise, and restore his original appearance.

From Qingyafang to Heishui City, a journey of a thousand miles, he finally landed safely, with a secure place to stay and stable resource channels, making thorough preparations for the Alchemist Conference.

Just as he was about to sit cross-legged and familiarize himself with the second-tier alchemy furnace in the alchemy room, a faint fluctuation suddenly came from the restrictions of the courtyard. Someone had moved into the neighboring courtyard.

Immediately afterward, a familiar yet arrogant voice came from behind the courtyard wall, clearly reaching Xu Yuan's ears: "Keep a close eye on everyone! During the Alchemist Conference, no one is allowed to approach this courtyard, especially those from Pill King Valley. Anyone who dares to step inside will be crippled!"

He is Xue Wuya, the young master of the Blood Fiend Sect.

He also lived in the backyard of Baodan Tower, right next to Xu Yuan.

The arrogant voices from the neighboring courtyard faded away, followed by the sound of guards bowing in response, which still carried clearly through the courtyard walls and barriers.

Xu Yuan stopped abruptly and quickly calmed down.

Xue Wuyai lives next door, which seems like a crisis, but is actually the best opportunity to find out the enemy's true strength.

Without the slightest hesitation, he flipped his finger and two top-grade concealment talismans instantly stuck to his body, suppressing his Qi Refining Level 8 aura completely, even making his breathing weak.

He moved with extremely light steps, silently reaching the base of the courtyard wall. He suppressed his spiritual power to the extreme, and his divine sense transformed into an extremely fine thread, silently probing into the neighboring courtyard through the cracks in the wall.

After breaking through the first layer of spiritual aperture seal, his eight-inch spiritual aperture not only brought about a surge in cultivation speed, but also made his spiritual sense strength more than twice that of cultivators of the same level. Even through the courtyard wall and the simple restrictions set up by the other party, he could clearly capture every movement and every conversation in the courtyard.

The moment his divine sense probed in, Xu Yuan's brows twitched slightly.

In the neighboring courtyard, Xue Wuya wasn't the only one.

In the main hall, Xue Wuyai sat in the main seat, playing with a blood-red dagger in his hand. Opposite him sat a young cultivator dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a handsome face and refined temperament. A jade pendant with the three words "Danwang Valley" engraved on it hung at his waist. He was Li Mo, the direct disciple of Danwang Valley and his number one competitor in this alchemist competition.

Both of them dismissed all their guards, and the hall doors were tightly closed, clearly indicating that they were plotting something shady.

"Brother Li, I have done what I promised you." Xue Wuyai spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of ruthlessness. "I have cleaned up all the rogue cultivators around Qingyafang who dared to compete with you for alchemy resources. In this Alchemist Conference, my Blood Fiend Sect will clear all obstacles for you and ensure you win the championship. But you must give me a definite answer on what I want."

Li Mo picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and spoke calmly, yet with a hint of ruthlessness: "Young Master Xue, rest assured, I've already found clues about the whereabouts of the Talisman Seal. As long as you help me win the championship and secure my position as the number one alchemist in Blackwater City, I can use the power of the Pill King Valley to dig out the Talisman Seal for you and deliver it to you. After all, we have the same enemy."

Xu Yuan hid under the courtyard wall, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

No wonder the secret letter he forged earlier made Xue Wuyai rush straight to Blackwater City to find Li Mo without hesitation. It turns out that the two of them had been secretly colluding together and were just using each other.

Li Mo wanted the championship of the Alchemist Conference to monopolize the alchemy market in Blackwater City, while Xue Wuyai wanted the ancient talisman to help his father break through to the Golden Core stage. The two hit it off and set up this scheme.

The ensuing conversation allowed Xu Yuan to fully understand the intricate web hidden within this alchemist conference.

The ensuing conversation allowed Xu Yuan to fully understand the intricate web hidden within this alchemist conference.

"Don't worry, I've already tampered with the test questions for this Alchemist Competition." Li Mo put down his teacup, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "The third round of the competition is to refine a second-grade superior Rejuvenation Pill using designated medicinal materials. I've already had someone add a colorless and odorless Spirit-Locking Powder to the medicinal materials distributed by the organizing committee."

"This Soul-Locking Powder will activate when it comes into contact with the alchemical fire, disrupting the cultivator's control over the alchemical fire. At best, the alchemical fire will go out of control and explode, causing serious injury and withdrawal from the competition. At worst, the meridians will be damaged, completely destroying the foundation of alchemy. Apart from me having the antidote, all the contestants will be affected and will not be able to survive until the finals."

Upon hearing this, Xue Wuyai burst into laughter: "Brother Li, what a brilliant move! This way, we don't even need to lift a finger; those arrogant rogue cultivators will simply roll out of the arena on their own!"

"This is just the first layer of insurance." Li Mo's voice grew increasingly sinister. "Even if there is a truly talented rogue cultivator who can withstand the effects of the Spirit-Locking Powder and make it to the finals, they still absolutely cannot defeat me. The pill formula for the finals is an ancient incomplete formula provided by my Pill King Valley. I have already changed the proportions of two key medicinal ingredients. Apart from me, no one can refine a qualified pill."

Xu Yuan's fingertips tightened slightly, and he understood.

No wonder the system intelligence said that Danwang Valley would secretly eliminate all the rogue cultivators who dared to compete with Li Mo for the championship. It turns out that they had already turned this Alchemist Tournament into their own possession from the very beginning. In their eyes, all the rogue cultivators who participated were nothing more than pawns to accompany Li Mo, and they didn't even have the chance to leave the arena alive.

Sure enough, the ensuing conversation confirmed his suspicions.

"Aside from the traps inside the tournament, the cleanup outside will be left to the Blood Sect Master," Li Mo said calmly, his tone devoid of any warmth. "All the rogue cultivators who make it to the finals will be dealt with after the tournament to prevent future troubles."

"No problem." Xue Wuyai readily agreed, his face contorted with rage. "My Blood Fiend Sect is best at this kind of thing. I guarantee they won't survive Blackwater City."

"What if there really is a genius who breaks through your trap and wins the championship?" Xue Wuya asked again.

Upon hearing this, Li Mo sneered, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes: "Even better. I will present the original pill formula of Danwang Valley on the award stage and falsely accuse him of stealing the core pill formula of Danwang Valley. The City Lord's Mansion owes Danwang Valley a great favor. At that time, with just one word from me, the City Lord's Mansion will cripple his cultivation on the spot and hand him over to your Blood Fiend Sect to deal with as you please."

"At that time, let alone a genius alchemist, even if he is really related to the Fuxi, he will not be able to escape our grasp."