56: Chapter 56 The Opening of the Conference and Undercurrents

"This person's figure... I always feel it looks familiar, but that aura is clearly just an ordinary Qi Refining Loose Cultivator, and the Death Qi on his left arm cannot be faked."

The suspicion in Steward Yan Song's eyes was like a startled viper, repeatedly licking at Lin Chen's lonely back, and he only slowly retracted his gaze until Lin Chen disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Having roamed the Immortal Realm for many years, he trusted his intuition regarding Spiritual Qi fluctuations more—the middle-aged Loose Cultivator's Meridians were withered, lacking the deep, rushing river-like substance of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; he was clearly just a bottom-feeder whose edges had been smoothed away by life.

Ge Yuan was still not satisfied, snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and sat back in his seat: "Steward Yan, why bother with such small fry?"

"In this Liuyun Market, only the victors have the qualifications to be remembered."

The central square of Liuyun Market in the early morning was shrouded in a layer of milky white morning mist as thin as a cicada's wing.

As the first ray of faint morning light broke through the clouds, the huge high platform in the center of the square, carved from a single piece of bluestone, instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.

Hundreds of Pill Furnace positions made of white jade were arranged neatly, and in front of each furnace position stood a bronze pillar engraved with a Fire-Avoidance Spell, gleaming with a cold luster in the sunlight.

Around the high platform, the circular, tiered spectator seats were already overcrowded.

The buzzing sound of Cultivators whispering to each other was like thousands of bees vibrating their wings; besides the morning chill, the air added a sense of restlessness caused by the gathering of a large number of Cultivators.

Lin Chen was currently standing three steps behind Su Qingyao.

His sallow face was hidden in the shadow of his wide, gray guard uniform, his eyes slightly drooping, making him look like a diligent yet somewhat dull follower due to his low cultivation level.

However, from an angle others could not see, his left hand was hidden in his sleeve, and although it still hung limply, his right hand was rhythmically rubbing the stone ring; the rough texture transmitted from his fingertips allowed his keen perception to expand to its limit.

He could smell the strange fragrance of various Spiritual Plants mixed together in the air, hear the whispers of Loose Cultivators arguing over an admission ticket a thousand meters away, and even feel that in this festive atmosphere, dozens of ill-intentioned spiritual power tentacles were stealthily roaming among the contestants on the high platform.

Su Qingyao was wearing a simple and elegant light cyan dress today, like a quiet lotus blooming in a cluster of rocks.

Her complexion revealed an abnormal paleness, a trace of not having fully recovered after her Origin was damaged, but her back was straight, her eyes were calm as water, and her whole person exuded a tranquility after washing away all vanity.

This temperament appeared particularly abrupt against the backdrop of the surrounding Alchemists who were either excited, anxious, or arrogant.

Lin Chen looked at her back, a trace of imperceptible heartache flashing through his heart.

He could feel the movement of Su Qingyao's fingertips gently rubbing her cuffs, which was her little habit when she was nervous.

Just then, a burst of noisy footsteps interrupted the tranquility of a local area of the square.

Surrounded by Steward Yan Song and several Ge Family disciples wearing gorgeous armor, Ge Yuan barged through the crowd.

They occupied the golden position closest to the judges' seats and with the most abundant Spiritual Qi.

As soon as Ge Yuan appeared, he became the focus of the crowd; he was chatting and laughing with several Sect disciples who were richly dressed and had arrogant expressions, but his gaze occasionally looked towards Su Qingyao's side—that look was not like looking at a competitor, but rather like looking at a piece of prey about to fall into a trap, carrying undisguised scrutiny and contempt.

Before the master of ceremonies had appeared, Ge Yuan suddenly stopped his conversation, stood up in front of everyone, and walked straight towards Su Qingyao's location.

With every step he took, the surrounding discussions quieted down by a fraction, until he stood three steps away from Su Qingyao, and the originally noisy small circle actually fell into an eerie silence.

"Is this the Su Alchemist who has recently risen to fame?"

Ge Yuan spoke loudly, his voice carrying a deliberately created heartiness, but to Lin Chen, it sounded more like the low purr of a cat playing with a mouse.

"I heard that Su Alchemist comes from the distant Eastern Region; surely the Alchemy Legacy there must have astonishing aspects."

"However, our Southern Region Alchemy Conference has never been an ordinary sparring session; the rules here are numerous, and the medicinal Materials are even more strange and varied."

"If Su Alchemist is feeling unwell, it is still not too late to withdraw now, so as to avoid making a mistake later and losing face under the eyes of everyone; that would be a loss that outweighs the gain."

After he finished speaking, the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking arc; although his words were full of concern, the condescending sense of charity made many surrounding Loose Cultivators show expressions of indignation.

Steward Yan Song stood not far away, his pair of narrow fox eyes staring closely at Lin Chen's reaction, as if wanting to find the shadow that made him restless from every move of this guard.

Su Qingyao raised her eyelids and calmly looked at Ge Yuan.

She noticed the trace of vicious complacency deep in the other's eyes; that was the arrogance of someone who had victory in their grasp.

Her fingers subconsciously pinched her cuffs, then quickly let go, her fingertips gently pressing against her lips, pressing out a glaring white.

"Many thanks for Fellow Daoist Ge's concern."

Su Qingyao's voice was clear, soft, and steady, like a clear spring flowing over mountain steps; there was neither the sharpness of being provoked nor the humility of seeking perfection. Since she had come to participate, she was prepared.

"Regardless of the Southern Region's rules, Alchemy is ultimately based on pharmacology; Su believes she can handle it."

The smile at the corners of Ge Yuan's mouth froze.

He had expected this weak woman to show a look of shame or cowardice, but he did not expect to punch cotton; that resistance, soft yet hard, made him feel his face burning.

On the judges' seat, Master Chiyang, who had been keeping his eyes slightly closed and seemed isolated from the world, raised his eyebrows slightly at this moment.

His fire-red robe rustled in the morning wind, and the pressure of his Golden Core Early Stage was like a steady mountain, making the noisy square instantly silent.

He opened his eyes, his deep gaze lingering on Su Qingyao and Ge Yuan for a moment.

That gaze was as sharp as a sword, seemingly able to see through all disguises.

Under his gaze, Ge Yuan's originally arrogant aura involuntarily lowered by three points, and he sheepishly cupped his hands, turned, and retreated to his own position.

Taking advantage of the trivial speech segment of the opening ceremony, Lin Chen sent a secret sound transmission to Su Qingyao: "Guard the Pill Furnace position well, wait for my return."

He used the excuse of feeling unwell, lowered his head, exited from the edge of the spectator seats, and quickly disappeared into the dense tea stalls and booths on the periphery of the square.

In an open-air tea stall on the outskirts of the market that hung a tattered wine flag and was in an extremely remote location, Liu Yuan was bowing his head, drinking a bowl of coarse tea.

Beside him sat a figure wearing a large bamboo hat, the whole person huddled in a wide black robe.

That was Liu Ming; after several days of Su Qingyao's Origin conditioning and Liu Yuan's needle Formation suppression, although his consciousness was still somewhat dull, he was already able to barely utter a few simple words in the gaps of the Gu force that controlled him.

And on the other side of the table, an old Loose Cultivator with a bulbous nose and a face full of weathering was picking dirt from his fingernails; he was the famous old slicker in the market—Wu Iron-Mouth.

Although this person's cultivation was not high, his information was extremely sharp, and because he had been forced to sell a top-grade Fire Lingzhi to the Ge Family in his early years, he hated the Ge Family to the bone.

Lin Chen sat down, without any nonsense, directly took out a dull-colored Jade Slip from his bosom, pressed it on the table, and pushed it towards Wu Iron-Mouth.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, long time no see." Lin Chen's voice was deliberately kept low.

Wu Iron-Mouth glanced at the Jade Slip, then quickly scanned the black-robed person next to him who was emitting a strange medicinal smell, and chuckled: "Fellow Daoist Lin has always been generous; this job is probably a bit hot to handle, right?"

"This Jade Slip records a 'surprise'."

Lin Chen looked straight into his eyes, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"The thing planted in Liu Ming's body, I have already asked Old Liu to replicate its general outline."

"In a moment, when the first round of competition begins and the situation is at its most chaotic, find a way to 'accidentally' deliver this thing to Master Chiyang's desk, or let those rival competitors of Medicine King Pavilion see it."

Wu Iron-Mouth took the Jade Slip, scanned it with his Divine Sense, and his face instantly turned from yellow to white, then from white to green.

Although his Alchemy attainments were average, he had been in contact with various obscure Materials for many years, so he naturally could see what kind of vicious forbidden methods were in the images.

"The Ge Family... these grandsons are actually playing with this kind of head-lopping work?"

Wu Iron-Mouth gritted his teeth, "Although that old man Master Chiyang is stubborn, he hates it most when Alchemists neglect their proper work and engage in these crooked, Evil Paths."

"As long as he becomes suspicious, the Ge Family's good days will be over."

"Fellow Daoist Wu, take care; after the matter is done, there will be a heavy reward."

Lin Chen stood up and took a look at the muddled Liu Ming before leaving.

This bait had been laid; the next game of chess would depend on Su Qingyao's performance on the high platform.

When Lin Chen returned to the square, the opening ceremony was just nearing its end.

The master of ceremonies' excited voice, amplified by spiritual power, spread to every corner.

"First round, Identify Medicine!"

Following the order, the Formation around the high platform started with a boom.

Translucent milky white light curtains rose, isolating hundreds of competing Alchemists into independent square spaces.

This was both to prevent plagiarism and to shield against external interference.

In each compartment, a pitch-black tray was placed, covered with red silk.

The rules were simple: within half an hour, identify fifty types of medicinal Materials in the tray that had been deliberately mixed, processed, or even soaked in Yao Beast blood.

Not only must one write down the names, but one must also analyze the subtle differences in their medicinal properties and list three different compatibility schemes for their uses.

For most Alchemists, this was not just a test of eyesight, but an ultimate test of their foundation in herbal knowledge.

Such first-round questions were usually checked by the association's steward in previous years.

But just at the moment the red silk was lifted, Master Chiyang, who was sitting in the main seat, suddenly stood up slowly, his powerful voice resounding throughout the venue.

"Wait."

"To show fairness, this seat will randomly select twenty portions from the distributed medicinal Materials, check them personally, and announce the results in public."

As soon as this was said, Steward Yan Song, who had been calm, suddenly crushed the jade teacup in his hand.

The muscles at the corner of his eyes twitched violently twice, and his gloomy gaze swept towards the medicinal material trays that had just been transmitted down; although it was only for a moment, that feeling of being on pins and needles could not escape Lin Chen, who had been observing him.

Lin Chen stood outside the light curtain, his gaze locked tightly on the compartment in front of Su Qingyao.

He took a deep breath, and the System light point in his Sea of Consciousness that had been sleeping for many days, under the frantic urging of his consciousness, finally rippled slightly.

That was the characteristics of several medicinal Materials with strong corrosiveness and camouflage that he had forcibly deduced through the System using the information obtained from studying the Gu insect corpses earlier.

Although the System was still in a low-energy state and could not directly help her identify them, through the unique contract resonance of the Lin Family, he could transmit an extremely vague 'dangerous rhythm' over.

"Qingyao, pay attention to those seemingly withered roots and stems."

Lin Chen's voice sounded in Su Qingyao's heart lake, like a stone thrown into water.

"Avoid all combinations that carry a faint cold attribute but reveal a dry, fierce aura at the end of their medicinal properties; the Ge Family's method of processing medicinal Materials is accustomed to making a fuss about 'igniting fire'."

Su Qingyao's body in the compartment trembled slightly.

She was frowning at the pile of disorderly medicinal Materials in front of her, which even emitted bursts of nauseating fishy smell.

Hearing Lin Chen's reminder, the confusion in her eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by an extreme calmness.

Her hand hovered above the pile of medicinal Materials, and the slight trembling of her fingertips due to tension had already disappeared.

She did not rush to take the precious and easily identifiable Spiritual Flowers, but moved her gaze to a piece of charred, carbon-like dead wood in the corner that looked like waste.

Under Master Chiyang's gaze that scrutinized everything, and Steward Yan Song's cold, snake-like stare, Su Qingyao's slender fingertips gently touched that charred blackness.

A strange, viscous coldness spread along her fingertips; that feeling was by no means the texture that any orthodox medicinal material should have.

Outside the high platform, Lin Chen's hand had tightly gripped the edge of the stone ring, and the situation was already at a knife-edge.