Immortal Rebellion: Investing in Cause and Effect, Unexpectedly Hijacking Li Muwan's Deal

Lu Xuan's performance put Xu Yuan in a great mood.

He laughed heartily, then offered some advice.

The "Alchemy Competition" consists of three rounds: identifying herbs tests knowledge accumulation, controlling fire tests basic skills, and refining elixirs tests comprehensive abilities.

With the fire control skills you just demonstrated, getting into the top three in a game shouldn't be difficult.

However, identifying medicinal herbs requires broad knowledge, and since you are still a beginner, you may suffer some losses.

The final alchemy process depends more on one's temperament and performance under pressure; you must be prepared.

He paused for a moment, then added, "The prize for first place in the small competition is a fourth-grade 'Nurturing Essence Pill,' which is of great use to stabilize the cultivation of Core Formation cultivators."

In addition, one can choose any cultivation method or elixir recipe from the fifth floor of the Sutra Repository.

If you can rank in the final top three

I can make the decision.

The Earth Fire Palace will allocate you a better cave dwelling, with the Earth Fire quality reaching at least the 'Golden Flame' level.

In addition, the Earthfire Palace will provide you with extra spirit stones and medicinal herbs.

This is blatant and naked encouragement.

But this is also a good thing.

Lu Xuan understood, stood up and bowed again: "This disciple will do his best to live up to the expectations of Master and Elders."

"Okay." Xu Yuan waved his hand. "The small meeting will be held in five days at the sect square. Go and prepare well."

After bowing respectfully, Lu Xuan turned and left the No. 1 alchemy room, heading straight back to his cave.

The next five days,

Besides his daily cultivation and nurturing of karma, Lu Xuan

I spent most of my time studying the alchemical formulas and insights in the jade slips given to me by Zhao Mu.

Furthermore, by combining the classics read in the library, we can further deepen our understanding.

Five days later, the triennial "Dan Ding Small Meeting" began at the Luohe Gate Sect Square.

Ten stone platforms, each three feet high and ten feet wide, were erected in the square. Each platform had an outlet for ground fire and a rack for medicinal herbs.

The square is now packed with people.

Almost all the inner disciples were present, and quite a few outer disciples also attended.

Even some reclusive patriarchs deliberately appeared to observe the ceremony.

On the high platform sat several high-ranking officials from within the organization.

In the center is a woman with a slender figure, wearing a blue and white long dress.

She wore a unique lace eye mask, which added a touch of mystery, majesty, and allure to her stunning beauty.

This person is none other than Lan Ruo, the founder and leader of the Luohe Sect, a cultivator whose strength has reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

To her left and right were the elders in charge of other departments such as the Earth Fire Hall, Spirit Medicine Peak, and Law Enforcement Hall.

There were more than 120 inner disciples participating in the small meeting. They were divided into ten groups by drawing lots and first conducted the first two rounds of competition on their respective stone platforms.

The first round: identifying medicinal herbs.

One hundred kinds of medicinal herbs are placed on each stone platform.

It contains thirty easily confused varieties that are similar in appearance but have very different medicinal properties.

There are also ten kinds of specially processed or incomplete medicinal materials used as traps.

The disciples participating in the competition must write down the names, main medicinal properties, common uses, and contraindications of all medicinal materials on a jade slip within half an incense stick's time.

This is actually the most disadvantageous aspect for a newcomer who has only been in the business for three months.

But Lu Xuan is different; he's not an ordinary newcomer...

As a half-step Nascent Soul expert, his divine sense was exceptionally powerful, and his knowledge and memories far surpassed those of other Foundation Establishment disciples.

The results were announced half an incense stick later.

Lu Xuan identified all one hundred types without a single mistake, ranking first in his group and successfully advancing!

This achievement drew surprised everyone.

Many elders cast envious glances at Zhao Mu, who was sitting on the platform.

Zhao Mu sat on the table, grinning from ear to ear.

After hundreds of years in the sect, today I can finally hold my head high!

Next up was the second competition: fire control.

The rules are to simultaneously control the earth fire and complete three tasks: "Nine Flames Separation and Combination", "Flame Transformation (requires two or more forms)", and "Continuously and steadily calcining the specified materials".

Finally, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted based on speed, accuracy, and stability.

This is Lu Xuan's forte.

Zhao Mu and Xu Yuan both straightened their backs a little.

Lu Xuan also held nothing back.

While the other disciples were still struggling to divide the flames into nine evenly sized streams...

On the stone platform where Lu Xuan was,

Nine crimson flames were already neatly arranged.

They instantly coalesced, transforming into a fiery dragon.

The fiery dragon circled the stage once, then dispersed into nine fiery butterflies, which fluttered and danced.

Finally, the butterflies regrouped, transforming into a stable flame shield that encased and heated a hard "black iron stone".

The entire process took less than fifteen breaths, with smooth and precise flame switching and flawless temperature control.

After calcination, the surface of the black iron stone softened uniformly, but there was no scorching.

The entire room fell silent.

Immediately, another gasp and a murmur of discussion erupted.

"This fire control... it's ridiculous!"

"This Lu Qing must have been cultivating in our sect for a long time, right?"

"No, he only joined the sect three months ago!"

"He's only been doing this for three months? That's a lie!"

"He's also number one in 'medicine identification,' making him number one in both categories!"

"Holy crap! The Earth Fire Palace is going to be awesome this time!"

On the high platform, Xu Yuan finally couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter, then looked at Zhao Mu.

Although Zhao Mu tried his best to maintain a serious expression, even Xianbao couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

Even the sect leader, Lan Ruo, who was sitting in the center, couldn't help but glance at Lu Xuan a few more times.

Unsurprisingly, Lu Xuan ranked first in the number of fire control incidents.

He won first place in both competitions.

Ultimately, he advanced to the final alchemy arena as the first-place winner.

Xu Yuan suddenly sent a telepathic message to Zhao Mu, asking, "Old Zhao, have you taught Lu Qing how to refine pills?"

Zhao Mu replied, "I passed on all my knowledge to him, what do you think?"

"That's good..." Xu Yuan chuckled, thinking to himself, "Our Earth Fire Palace is going to make a big splash this time!"

Only twenty people remained in the alchemy field.

The rules of this competition remain very simple:

Within three hours, using the standardized materials provided by the Earth Fire Palace, each person must refine their most skilled elixir, with the quality, quantity, and difficulty of the finished product being comprehensively evaluated.

This is the real test of true skill.

The atmosphere on the field suddenly became tense.

Lu Xuan glanced at the list of materials and made a preliminary decision in his mind.

He planned to refine a kind of unorthodox elixir recorded in Zhao Mu's notes, called "Wood Spirit Nourishing Elixir".

It belongs to the top of the second-tier pills, approaching the threshold of the third tier.

It has remarkable effects on stabilizing the foundation and nourishing the soul of cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage or even the Single Qi Condensation stage, and its value far exceeds that of ordinary Qi Gathering Pills and Qi Condensation Pills.

If I master the technique, I'll be guaranteed a spot in this final competition.

Lu Xuan held his breath and focused his mind as he activated the Azure Flame Furnace.

When the warm, jade-colored alchemy furnace appeared, the disciples on the nearby stone platforms couldn't help but glance at it slightly.

The quality of this alchemy furnace alone surpasses that of the standard iron furnaces used by most of the disciples in the room.

"Hmph, so what if it's a third-grade alchemy furnace? In the end, alchemy depends on skill." On the stone platform to the right, a young man dressed in the attire of the Spirit Medicine Peak and with an arrogant expression glanced at it and thought to himself.

His name is Zhou Yun. He is a disciple of a late-stage Core Formation elder on Lingyao Peak, and has been a disciple for over ten years.

Zhou Yun had already shown his talent at the previous small conference, but he lost to Li Muwan, who was too talented.

Li Muwan did not participate in the small group meeting in this competition, so Zhou Yun naturally became one of the recognized favorites to win the championship.

But no one expected that Lu Qing would suddenly appear out of nowhere!

Zhou Yun summoned his alchemy furnace.

Inside, a strange, pale blue flame burned, its temperature extremely high yet remarkably stable, eliciting murmurs of surprise from many.

"Look, it's 'Blue Crystal Fire'!"

"I never expected Senior Brother Zhou to have tamed the spirit fire!"

"This is far more powerful than ordinary ground fire!"

"So what if it's a third-grade alchemy furnace? I'm betting on Senior Brother Zhou to win this time!!"

Zhou Yun's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile; this was exactly the kind of preemptive strike he wanted.

This time, he was going to refine a second-tier peak pill called "Ice Heart Cleansing Pill," which was extremely difficult to refine.

In his view, once the "Dust-Cleansing Pill" is successfully refined, its quality will be enough to crush all the contestants.

He glanced at Lu Xuan, who seemed to still be examining the medicinal herbs, and thought disdainfully, "Good at controlling fire and good at identifying herbs, but he is still just a newcomer."

The art of alchemy, the subtle mastery of controlling the heat and the fusion of medicinal properties, requires years of refinement.

Today, I, this genius, will show you who the true genius of alchemy is!!!