233: Chapter 231 Conflict

A middle-aged Cultivator wearing gray Daoist robes, his face flushed red, pointed at the nose of a tall, thin man opposite him and cursed, "It was you! If you hadn't been casting spells and interfering right next to me, would my furnace of Third-Order Peiyuan Pills have exploded? Do you know how long I saved up for those Materials? Third-Order Spirit Medicine, it took me half a year to gather it all!" The more he spoke, the angrier he became, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows to reveal a forearm with bulging veins.

The tall, thin man opposite him did not show weakness either, sneering, "Your Alchemy skills are lacking, yet you blame me for your furnace exploding? You were three zhang away, and I didn't even touch your furnace. Your Divine Sense is unstable, and you can't control your own fire, yet you blame everyone else! Besides, do you call that Alchemy? You spent three hours refining Third-Order Peiyuan Pills, and your success rate has never exceeded twenty percent—you should be ashamed to show your face!"

"What did you say?!" The gray-robed Cultivator's eyes widened, his hand already reaching for the opening of the Storage Pouch at his waist. A wisp of spiritual light emerged from his fingertips; he was clearly about to summon a Magic Treasure.

The tall, thin man did not hesitate either. He took a step back, flipped his hands, and a cyan Flying Sword was already hovering beside him, its tip pointing directly at the other party. "Want to fight? I'll oblige! It's the perfect time to see what else you can do besides exploding furnaces!"

Seeing this, the surrounding Cultivators reacted in different ways: some dodged, some watched, and others tried to intervene, but both men were so enraged that neither would listen. The soldiers from the Patrol Camp saw it from afar and were pushing through the crowd to get there, but it was too crowded, and they wouldn't be able to make it over anytime soon.

Just as the two were about to summon their Magic Treasures and were at daggers drawn, a hand reached out from the side and pressed, neither too lightly nor too heavily, onto the gray-robed Cultivator's shoulder.

The hand was not large, with slender, well-defined fingers, looking almost delicate. Yet, held by that hand, the gray-robed Cultivator felt as if he had been nailed to the ground, unable to move a single inch. The spiritual light he had been ready to unleash vanished the moment it was touched.

"This is not a place for dueling." A calm voice came from behind, neither loud nor soft, neither hurried nor slow, yet it clearly entered the ears of everyone present, "If you want to fight, go outside the city. Once you're done, don't come back."

The gray-robed Cultivator stiffly turned around, wanting to see who dared to meddle in his business. He saw a young man wearing moon-white robes, his expression calm and his eyes indifferent, as if he were looking at something trivial. The young man was holding a pure white fox in his arms. The fox's nine tails hung down, swaying slightly, its eyes narrowed as if it were dozing off.

The gray-robed Cultivator did not recognize this young man, but he could feel an elusive, bottomless sense of oppression emanating from him. He swallowed hard, and the Aura he had displayed just moments ago instantly deflated by more than half.

The tall, thin man also recognized the newcomer. Although he hadn't seen him before, he had heard him described. He hurriedly retracted his Flying Sword and bowed with cupped hands. "Mr... Mr. Yun. This Disciple did not know it was you. Please forgive my rudeness."

Yun Ming glanced at him, then looked at the gray-robed Cultivator, saying nothing more. He turned around, holding the fox, and walked away slowly. The crowd automatically parted to make a path, and not a single person made a sound.

The gray-robed Cultivator stood frozen in place, taking a long time to regain his senses, muttering, "He is... that judge?" The tall, thin man rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "Who else would you think it is? Hurry up and clean up your furnace; don't keep making a fool of yourself." Having said that, he also turned and left.

Seeing that the show was over, the onlookers gradually dispersed. When the Patrol Camp soldiers arrived, only the gray-robed Cultivator was left, squatting on the ground and silently picking up the fragments of his exploded furnace.

The day of the Alchemy trial had finally arrived.

Before dawn had even broken, Qingyao City was already awake.

The square was bustling with noise, and the seats around the high platform were filled with Cultivators who had rushed in from all over.

Some had occupied seats overnight, some had arrived before dawn, and others had simply slept on the ground in the square for the night.

The Patrol Camp soldiers had doubled their manpower, weaving through the crowd to maintain order.

In the center of the high platform, three chairs were set up, prepared for the judges. The middle chair was for the Fourth Elder, the left for Yun Ming, and the right for Su Mubai. Behind the chairs was a long table, upon which were placed brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with several Jade Slips for recording scores. Below the platform on both sides were the waiting areas for the participants, divided into three zones: Second-Order, Third-Order, and Fourth-Order. Each zone had numbered spots, and the participants entered according to the order drawn by lot.

The Fourth Elder arrived the earliest. He wore brand-new gray-green Daoist robes, his hair groomed meticulously. Standing on the high platform, he looked down at the dense crowd in the square with a calm expression. Su Mubai followed behind him, holding a list containing the names, numbers, and Alchemy ranks of the Alchemists participating today. He lowered his head to look at the list, then looked up at the crowd, his eyes searching for something within the throng.

Yun Ming arrived late.

He walked slowly through the crowd, holding the fox. The fox lay in his arms, its nine tails hanging down and swaying, its eyes narrowed as if it hadn't woken up yet. The crowd automatically parted to make a path, and some who recognized him began whispering.

"That's Yun Ming? A Fourth-Rank Alchemist?"

"That's him. I heard that when he refines Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pills, he succeeds in nine out of ten furnaces."

"Really? Even the Fourth-Rank Alchemists of the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion wouldn't dare say such things."

"I don't know, but the rumors are very legendary."

Yun Ming turned a deaf ear, walked onto the high platform holding the fox, and sat down in his chair. He placed the fox on his lap, and the fox yawned and went back to sleep.

The Fourth Elder glanced at him and smiled. "Mr. Yun, you are very punctual."

Yun Ming picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "When does the trial begin?"

"At the hour of Chen," the Fourth Elder said. "There is still half an hour left."

Su Mubai walked over to Yun Ming and handed him a Jade Slip. "Mr. Yun, this is the list of participants and the scoring criteria for today. Please take a look."

Yun Ming took the Jade Slip, probed it with his Divine Sense, and scanned through it. The list contained one hundred and twenty people: sixty Second-Order Alchemists, forty Third-Order, and twenty Fourth-Rank. The scoring criteria were simple: the success rate of the Medicinal Pill accounted for forty percent, the quality of the Medicinal Pill accounted for thirty percent, and the utilization rate of the Spirit Medicine accounted for thirty percent. Each person was limited to refining one furnace, the Medicinal Pill could be chosen by themselves, and there was no limit on the rank. The time limit was two hours; those who exceeded the time would be directly eliminated.

Yun Ming returned the Jade Slip to Su Mubai and nodded. "Understood."

Su Mubai added in a low voice. "The Fourth Elder said that you and he are responsible for scoring today, while I am responsible for recording and coordination. If anyone questions the scores, I will explain." Yun Ming glanced at him. "You are not scoring?"

Su Mubai shook his head. "My seniority is not enough. Sitting on the platform is already an exception; if I were to also score, I fear there would be those who are unconvinced."

Yun Ming did not ask any further.

The hour of Chen arrived. The Fourth Elder stood up, walked to the front edge of the high platform, and raised his hand in a gesture to press down. The noise in the square gradually quieted down, and everyone's eyes fell upon the platform. "Everyone," the Fourth Elder's voice was not loud, but with the support of spiritual power, it clearly entered the ears of everyone present, "I am the Fourth Elder of the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion. Entrusted by the Third Prince and the City Lord's Mansion, I, along with Mr. Yun Ming and Mr. Su Mubai, will serve as the judges for this trial. I believe you are all already clear on the rules, so I will not repeat them. I will only say this—be fair and just, and let the Medicinal Pill speak for your Dao."