Chapter 875: Preliminary Round

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Of the thousand plus candidates, a mere third remained, most of which were seasoned in deception. As for the rest, they looked at each other stumped, grumbling to themselves. 

[What kind of preliminary round is this?]

Baili Jingwei’s eyes flashed, “Now that the extras are out of the way, we can start the preliminary round!”

Everyone chilled, having lost their early disregard of this youth. It never crossed their mind the alchemist selection would be so cruel. It hadn’t even started and only a third was left…

“The goal of this round is to refine a 7th grade pill.”

Seeing them so tense, Baili Jingwei wore a playful smirk, “You’ve received the ingredient, now refine!”

Ugh!

Everyone was taken aback, with one scrounging up the nerve to open his mouth, “Uhm, sir, is that all we have to do in the preliminary round, refine a 7th grade pill? What about speed, quality or features?”

The people waited for Baili Jingwei’s answer.

With how harsh the alchemist selection started, the preliminaries had to be even crueler. One extra condition, at the least. 

[There’s no way it’s as simple as a 7th grade pill.]

“There are no hidden targets. All you have to do is make a 7th grade pill.” Baili Jingwei had a wide grin on his face.

The candidates were still skeptical. 

[Is it that simple? Most of us here can do it.]

The crowd was tittering from indecision, considering what they were after in the end.

“Don’t just stand there, hurry up and start!”

Baili Jingwei saw them with that dumb look and urged them. He was better off not saying anything as now everyone’s eyes shone, having figured out the aim of the test.

Speed!

All now wore knowing smiles. They heard him loud and clear ‘hurry up and start.’ 

The candidates ignited their flame and started refining with a smug grin.

[I’m so smart, getting sir’s condition so fast, ha-ha-ha…]

But as everyone raced to the finish, problems cropped up. The flames differed, some were heaven and earth spirit flames, others beast flames, and even the poorest, Yuan Qi flames. 

The most basic flame, that of Yuan Qi, was feeling the pressure of the other two types, so much so it was hard for it to even light up. 

[Curses, this is the worst fear of any alchemist in a competition, getting your flame snuffed out. How am I supposed to refine when it won’t even burn?]

They’d have to wait till the others finished. But with speed being the crux in this round.

[Dude, while others finish the race, I’m just running in place.]

That had the group of average alchemists with the most plain flame growing frantic by the second. They looked around with tense faces as the others showed off their precious otherworldly flames and the clear contempt in their eyes. 

Shangguan Yulin now took out his faint blue flame, releasing its own mighty aura, that of a rare heaven and earth spirit flame. 

It was what the three venerables had prepared especially for this Pill King Convention. 

With this wonder flame, coupled with his high cultivation and week of hell, he ought to barely make an 8th grade pill.  

Grinning, Shangguan Yulin glanced at his precious heaven and earth spirit flame then looked at the far Zhuo Fan in disdain.

He reckoned Zhuo Fan was just a 5th layer Radiant Stage nobody, chased out of his home land. What could he possibly amount to? 

[A Yuan Qi flame tops.] 

With so many promising candidates in the Pill King Convention, Yuan Qi flame was like a bug, trampled around by the other ones. 

[What can you do now?] 

[The punk must be panicking right about now, crying for his mommy, humph…]

Shangguan Yulin was relishing in his delusion of Zhuo Fan’s predicament. But then his eyes glazed over from shock. 

He wasn’t the only one, as many around Zhuo Fan were dumbstruck.

Hu~

A surge of a scarlet flame, ten meters high, burned hot as the sun. Zhuo Fan looked at the towering blaze with a flat look.

While all around him were bugeyed, unable to get over their shock. Shangguan Qingyan was even more so, “G-Gu, your flame…”

“Yuan Qi flame, why?” Glancing at her, Zhuo Fan spoke lazily, leaving her dull and the others with twitching faces. 

[Are you bloody kidding here?]

Shangguan Qingyan gasped, “I know that, but why is it the only one unaffected by the many beast flames and heaven and earth spirit flames? “

Everyone strained their ears to catch every word.

Zhuo Fan looked around then said, “I have better control. I’m sure you know that flame control is crucial to an alchemist.”

Bang~

Something just kept on falling in the background while Shangguan Qingyan merely staggered as she said in disbelief, “What alchemist here doesn’t have control? But look at their Yuan Qi flame, it’s not even out. So how is it that yours is so lively?”

The candidates had hopeful looks, wishing to know the secret. As alchemists, they all wanted to improve their skills.

“This is different.”

Zhuo Fan shook his head, putting on the most grave look he mustered as he ran his mouth and weaved inanity, “A fire has spirit, making it so a high grade fire would suppress a lower one. But people have spirit as well, just of different character from a flame’s and aren’t affected by higher grade flames. This is where the problem lies. If a flame spirit joins with a human’s, would it still be suppressed?” 

The people gapped in shock. They never heard of this theory in their lives. Wasn’t fire fire and man man? How could they join? 

Zhuo Fan smiled, “This is where your control lacks. If fire is fire and man is man, how can your control excel? I’m different, I reached that stage where I’m one with the flame. It is an extension of me, going where I want with a thought. I fear no higher grade flame and my Yuan Qi flame doesn’t by relation. This is the pinnacle of flame control!”

“Oh, I see, brother is a true genius. I’m in awe of your skill in control!”

“Brother is only in the Radiant Stage, but your skills are a marvel. Brother must’ve been focused on alchemy so much you forwent cultivation. Or you’d be in a much higher stage, brimming with power. I truly admire brother’s perseverance in alchemy.”

“Yes, we thought we knew enough about alchemy and came to the Pill King Convention. Now we witnessed brother’s amazing skill. It would be such a shame to fail because of your low cultivation. But from brother’s diligent focus, we’re sure that brother will one day soar. Your name will be known throughout!”

“Hear hear, ha-ha-ha…”

Claps resounded from all around Zhuo Fan. Shangguan Qingyan was looking at him with bright eyes and a wide smile.

Only Shangguan Yulin was seething in anger.

He never thought Zhuo Fan was so skilled, to make a Yuan Qi flame reach such heights. It was the miracle of a true underdog in making others look inadequate.

Even he had to admit Zhuo Fan’s control was out of this world, crushing the experts’ reality.

Totally unaware that Zhuo Fan’s so-called fancy control didn’t exist to begin with. It was a hoax.

His Yuan Qi flame stood taller than the rest because of the three mighty flames he had. Control had nothing to do with it. 

Chaos Flame, Decimating Golden Flame and the dreaded thunderflame.

These three were like emperors, housed in one body. While he only let out a Yuan Qi flame, it was backed up by the three emperors’ aura, so how would the beast flames and heaven and earth spirit flames be so blind as to not bow before true power?

It was akin to a four-year-old girl sucking her lollipop strutting cluelessly through a ghetto, under the greedy eyes of everyone around.

But looking closely behind the wee lass, they’d find a million strong army. Who’d be dumb enough to touch her at this point? 

This wee and frail lass was Zhuo Fan’s Yuan Qi flame, while the army was the three mighty flames, growling at the others to stay away.

Thugs could scare children, but scare the army behind them? That’s a no-no.

Though this was one secret only Zhuo Fan was privy to, while others were completely taken in by his guise of faux control.

This way Zhuo Fan didn’t have to use azure flame and scare off all the other flames.

When the emperor came, his way was paved. And that would be showing off a tad too much for his liking…

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