Chapter 803: Retaining Youth Elixir
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Chen was standing on the square, but what he cared most about was not the competition. He would certainly pass all three tests. However, the winner would be with the team with the most people passing the tests.
Jiang Chen knew none of the other nine participants representing the Elixir Association. He did not even know their names.
Just try my best. This was Jiang Chen’s plan, but there were always unexpected incidents arising. He found those from the Elixir Association all looked serious, as if they were going to confront a powerful enemy.
“What a dirty move.” He even heard someone cursing those representing the Elixir Fire Union.
Jiang Chen looked over out of curiosity and tumbled to the reason. Four days ago, they saw their ten rivals on the Elixir Emperor’s ship, and their rivals saw the ten of them too. However, today, they were seeing new faces among the representatives of the Elixir Fire Union, most of whom they had never seen before.
It was not difficult to guess why the Elixir Fire Union had done this.
The short-haired woman they had seen had been the leader of the ten. She had been walking at the front and sitting at the front of the team. However, today she was standing in the middle of the team, like a star outshone by the sun and the moon.
“Where did the Elixir Fire Union find these people?”
As an alchemist, Jiang Chen knew immediately that the new team sent by the Elixir Fire Union had a very high level. They were much stronger than the ten representatives of the Elixir Association.
Both the Elixir Fire Union and the Elixir Association could decide their own ten-person list, and they had the right to make adjustments to it even at the last minute before the competition. However, given how important the competition was, the Elixir Association did not see any point in playing tricks, so they sent their best ten people directly.
They did not expect the Elixir Fire Union to play such a dirty trick.
Chen Xi landed from the Elixir Emperor’s ship. She was an average young Venerable. Her prestige came from her identity as the Elixir Emperor’s descendant. However, she was obviously very confident. Her smile was quite touching.
“Any problem?”
Noticing what was going on with the Elixir Association’s team, she asked confusedly.
“No, no problem.”
Elder Zhuge was there too. He shook his head bitterly without spitting the problem out, since it was impossible for him to admit the Elixir Fire Union’s team was stronger than theirs.
“All right. Let’s start then.”
Someone from the Elixir Fire Union’s team walked over. It was the pretty woman who had confronted the men from the Elixir Tower in Beiwang City. Jiang Chen and Yang Jingchi exchanged a look. It was surprising to both of them that this woman would be in such a high position in the Elixir Fire Union.
Jiang Chen thought of the assassination aimed at him. He supposed this woman was the one behind it.
“As a new arising force, the Elixir Fire Union has recruited many talented people.”
Chen Xi noticed the ten people the Elixir Fire Union had sent as well. She was surprised also. As the Elixir Emperor’s descendant, she saw the gap between the two teams right away.
“Well, the Elixir Association is still greater. They have a 1,000-year history and inheritance.” The pretty woman looked extremely complacent. It seemed she had flattered the Elixir Association, but actually her tone was sarcastic.
“How modest you are. Let’s start then.” Elder Zhuge answered, though a little embarrassed.
Except for the 20 participants, all of the others walked out of the square.
Jiang Chen saw Elder Zhuge and Bai Xuan talking in low voices, trying to figure out a way to resolve the problem.
“The first test is to refine elixirs.”
Chen Xi was very relaxed. It was not a big deal for her to host this competition.
“Not average elixirs, but the Retaining Youth Elixir.”
All of the 20 participants on the square, including Jiang Chen, were surprised. The Retaining Youth Elixir was a very special elixir. Its name told its use. It was an elixir that could retain youth. It would not help with practicing. Neither would it increase one’s life expectancy. Even so, the Retaining Youth Elixir was still very popular, especially among women. However, it was very difficult to refine. The success rate was very low, and the herbs required were also relatively rare. Most important, the Retaining Youth Elixir’s drug properties were very limited.
The Retaining Youth Elixir refined by some alchemists could only delay the aging process for four or five days. It was almost useless.The Retaining Youth Elixirs that could delay the aging process for several months were more popular, but they could not reverse the course of nature either. They could not help white-haired old men become young again.
The investment was out of proportion to the return. As a result, only a few people would refine it. It was reasonable for Chen Xi to use the Retaining Youth Elixir to evaluate an alchemist’s level. However, except for Jiang Chen, all of the other 19 people on the square were very nervous. It was a huge challenge for them.
“Let’s start,” Chen Xi announced again.
Soon, the spiritual herbs needed by the Retaining Youth Elixir were left at each person’s feet. There was only one portion for each spiritual herb. Any mistake would be equivalent to failure. Then, the participants took out a furnace one by one. They put the furnaces in the slot connected to the fire.
“Look at the young one!”
An alchemists’ competition was not as intense or as dazzling as a competition of martial arts techniques. The audience were sizing each participant up calmly, watching what they were doing.
When they looked toward Jiang Chen, they started a heated discussion.
“Sis, what are they laughing at?” Seeing the people laughing, Ji Yinyi asked confusedly.
“His furnace. My master’s furnace is average compared with others’,” Ji Ruxue said.
There had been an Elixir Emperor from Heaven Divine City. So the citizens here knew more about refining elixirs. They also knew different furnaces had a great influence on the control of the fire and the end result of elixirs.
The alchemists in this competition were all privileged people, a bunch of youngsters with luxurious clothes and accessories. Naturally, everyone’s furnace could be compared to a spiritual ware. For example, the furnaces of the representatives of the Elixir Association were made of gold, silver, and gems. They gave out a dazzling light while refining elixirs.
However, Jiang Chen’s furnace seemed quite average. He could have bought it from any shop. It was not tasteful at all.
If Jiang Chen had not subdued the little fiery burning man on the Elixir Emperor’s ship, he would have been laughed at hard.
Some new representatives from the Elixir Fire Union were also talking about Jiang Chen with scorn and laughing at him. They thought his furnace was hilarious.
Chen Xi was the only one who did not laugh. There were only two reasons that an alchemist used such a furnace. First, he could not afford a good furnace. Second, a good furnace was unnecessary.
However, it was not easy to believe it was the second category that Jiang Chen fell into. It needed some courage to believe so. After all, it was the Retaining Youth Elixir that they were refining. It was extremely difficult.
Cut to the chase, the fire had been on and the 20 alchemists had started to refine elixirs wholeheartedly.
People from all over the Three Middle Realms were waiting for the result patiently.
“He, he, the Title Battle will start soon. There are so many great events this year.”
“Yeah, one after another. It’s nonstop.”
“That Jiang Chen will have the Divine Martial Trial with Jiang Zhe in the Title Battle. He achieved a high level in elixir refinement and martial arts techniques. That’s really something.”
“Whether he is something will depend on the results he gets. He will be something if he can get great results in both aspects.”
“Yeah. Practicing elixir refinement and martial arts techniques at the same time also means being mediocre in both aspects.”
It would take a long time to refine an elixir. Most of the audience were not alchemists. They were not interested in the details of refining an elixir either. So they started to gossip about all kinds of things.
About ten minutes later, the results were published on the square. However, it was not good news. Representatives from both sides were failing. The fire had been extinguished. Their furnaces were a mess. Soon, more than half of them had failed.
It’s just too difficult to refine a Retaining Youth Elixir, the audience thought to themselves.