Stealing Immortal

’It really is true that no matter where you go, you can’t escape the power of connections. It might not be obvious day-to-day, but it can give you that extra push at the most critical moments.’

The moment he saw Lu Qing step onto the stage, Chen Qingyang had been ready to give up. He never imagined the tables would turn so suddenly.

Lu Jinzhang, who had just been pontificating at length, stood up. He showed no sign of embarrassment or awkwardness, only calm composure. "Junior Brother Liu, you are mistaken. We who follow the Alchemy Dao value the superior quality of an Elixir, not the quantity. Though there is only one Pill, it is far superior to those three!"

At this, the woman from before also chimed in to agree.

But the man in green was a righteous sort. He laughed coldly. "Wrong. You’ve all seen them just now. Both Elixirs are of excellent quality, with negligible difference. In that case, quantity should determine the winner. Wouldn’t you all agree?"

On the high platform, some tried to persuade the man in green, others agreed with him, and still others tried to play the peacemaker.

Just then, Lu Jinzhang waved to someone below. "Lu Qing, come up and greet your uncles!"

After Lu Qing went up, Lu Jinzhang led him around to bow and pay respects to everyone present. Some, feeling put on the spot, felt they had to offer a few words of praise for the boy.

At this moment, the young Lu Qing was quite pleased with himself, even glancing over at Chen Qingyang as if he were nothing more than a stepping stone on his path to glory.

"This is Martial Uncle Liu. Since Martial Uncle Liu says your Elixir’s quality is on par with Chen Qingyang’s, why not have Chen Qingyang come up too? You two can each hold up your Elixirs and let all the martial uncles here judge. Each person can cast one vote. Wouldn’t that make it clear who’s better and who’s worse?"

After speaking, he didn’t forget to cup his hands toward the crowd below, adopting the air of a senior promoting the younger generation. "With all these worthy young men here to witness, it will be both fair and just. Junior Brother Liu, what do you say?"

In the Tai Xu Sect, one had to reach Foundation Establishment to be considered a master. Since the two addressed each other as martial brothers, it meant the man in green also possessed a Foundation Establishment Cultivation and, moreover, was not from the Separation Dragon Pill Institute.

"Haha..." The man in green burst out laughing. "How utterly ridiculous. This Chen Qingyang is currently just a Miscellaneous Task disciple with no background whatsoever. Yet you’re publicly introducing your descendant to everyone. Their Elixirs are already nearly identical in quality. This will make it even easier for you to muddy the waters and mislead everyone!"

Lu Jinzhang remained as calm and composed as ever, as if he paid the man in green no mind at all. He began to beckon to Chen Qingyang.

"My Separation Dragon Pill Institute has always considered it our duty to cultivate great talents for the Sect. Though he is but a Miscellaneous Task disciple, it is clear he is a moldable talent. Even if he does not take first place today, I am willing to accept him as my disciple, train him with care, and even gift him a Magical Treasure. That way, nobody is at a disadvantage. Are you satisfied now, Junior Brother Liu?"

"Hahaha..." The man in green laughed loudly once more. "What a brilliant tactic. A perfect blend of carrot and stick. How could the boy possibly resist such temptation? Weren’t you just arguing that talent should decide the winner? Well, I happen to have an Elixir that no one has ever seen. Let them light their furnaces and refine it on the spot. Whoever refines the higher-grade pill is this year’s champion. Wouldn’t that be perfectly clear!"

Lu Jinzhang seemed to realize something, but his expression remained a mixture of arrogance and nonchalance. "It seems Junior Brother Liu is still brooding over what happened before. You’ve come prepared this year, haven’t you? Why must you stir up such a fuss? You’re needlessly wasting this Miscellaneous Task disciple’s great opportunity."

With that, his gaze shifted back to Chen Qingyang. "What are you called?"

Chen Qingyang bowed with his hands clasped. "Chen Qingyang, a Miscellaneous Task disciple from Four Golden Peaks."

Lu Jinzhang nodded, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "Good, very good. You are quite impressive. Are you willing to become my disciple right now? I can bestow upon you an extremely powerful Magical Treasure and will fully dedicate myself to your training. Your skill is remarkable, but you are just a sliver behind Senior Brother Lu!"

"You..." The moment this tactic was deployed, not only did the crowd begin to whisper amongst themselves, but even the man in green was certain this Miscellaneous Task disciple would be unable to resist the temptation.

But to everyone’s surprise, Chen Qingyang simply bowed with clasped hands again, his bearing poised and respectful. "I must first thank you for your kind offer, Master. However, this is a Pill appraisal assembly. Its purpose is to distinguish the quality of the Elixirs. The truth, after all, becomes clearer with debate. I find Master Liu’s proposal to be excellent, and I am willing to try. Moreover..."

Chen Qingyang bowed with clasped hands once more, this time toward Lu Qing. "Senior Brother Lu’s abilities are inherently superior to mine. We can’t let anyone mistakenly believe that Senior Brother Lu won first place today because of nepotism. To help Senior Brother Lu clear his name, I am willing to compete!"

What a line about "nepotism," cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

This move was far more insidious than the man in green’s direct confrontation. Lu Qing, having just been puffed up with praise, was on top of the world. Now, hearing Chen Qingyang flatter him further, he naturally agreed without a second thought. "What you’ve said is reasonable. I’m willing to go along with it."

"You..." Lu Jinzhang clearly understood the trap and wanted to intervene, but it was already too late.

"Haha..." The man in green let out a great laugh this time. "How about that? Even your own Lu Family descendant doesn’t want to rely on your nepotism. Can you still deny him this opportunity?"

The arrow was nocked and had to be loosed.

’I’ve always been patient and cautious,’ Chen Qingyang thought, ’but today I have to be bold. I know I have to fight when it’s necessary, or I’ll lose even what should have been mine.’

’Even if I accept his offer now, it will not end well for me in the future. I’d be bullied relentlessly after joining, and I’d be denied all the opportunities that should have been mine.’

"Very well, then. Let’s give them a chance. We can consider it adding a little extra excitement to this year’s appraisal assembly!"

Though extremely reluctant, Lu Jinzhang had no choice. What had been a sure thing was now saddled with an added risk.

Orders were given, and Miscellaneous Task disciples came from all sides to clear away the long tables. They were replaced by two identical-looking Pill Furnaces and a supply of prepared Alchemy Raw Materials.

"Junior Brother Liu, are you satisfied now? You may present the Pill Formula!"

The man in green pointed to Chen Qingyang from afar. "You... are very capable. I hope you continue to demonstrate that capability. Now, come before me!"

Only as he drew closer did Chen Qingyang get a clear look at the man.

He looked to be about thirty, with a scholarly air about him. He had a short beard and a disposition as gentle as jade, but his resolute eyes held a hidden, free-spirited wildness. As he raised his hand, a Pill Formula appeared, written on a sheet of paper.

"This Elixir of mine is currently nameless. It is my own creation, an imitation of the Ancient Immortal Grade Elixir, Glazed Heaven Repairing. I can personally refine it to Tier Four. Although its effects are decent, it’s still far from its full potential, so I won’t require a specific tier from you. Just successfully refining it at all will be an incredible feat!"

The paper was presented to the two competitors. It was covered in densely packed script. The required medicinal ingredients alone numbered sixteen, making it far more complex than even a Tier Four Yang Replacement Powder.

When Chen Qingyang heard the words "Glazed Heaven Repairing," a thought surfaced in his mind. ’If this Elixir is continuously improved, could it one day rival the true Glazed Heaven Repairing Pill? If I can’t find the real thing in the future, could I use this as a substitute?’

After a glance at the Pill Formula, Lu Jinzhang’s expression grew solemn. "Are you sure you didn’t just invent this on the spot? I’ve never seen an Alchemy Dao like this."

"Ah, Senior Brother Lu, it seems you either look down on both of them, or perhaps you just look down on one of them in particular?"

Lu Jinzhang ignored the man in green once again, his gaze falling on Chen Qingyang, now carrying a threatening tone. "Young man, don’t be so rash. I have already offered you substantial benefits. You will not succeed in refining a Pill from this formula. Do not gamble away your future!"

Chen Qingyang simply bowed with clasped hands, his attitude exceedingly humble. "Master, Senior Brother Lu is willing to try, and so am I."

Sure enough, Lu Qing played his part perfectly. "Please, Steward Lu, do not stand in our way any longer. Grant us this chance!"

His voice held an obvious, instinctual rebellion against his family’s arrangements. And just like that, Lu Jinzhang’s last chance to control the situation vanished.

The man in green then took back the Pill Formula. "With your skills, you’ve surely memorized the formula by now. Senior Brother Lu, you may announce the start!"

Lu Jinzhang could only bite the bullet. His voice rang out clearly across the grounds as he addressed the crowd, his former composure restored. "Since this is an Elixir competition, the rules remain the same. The time limit is four hours. The one who successfully refines a Pill wins. If both succeed, the one who refines a higher-grade Pill wins."

When the competition started, both contestants began searching for their required ingredients in unison, piling them up before slowly beginning to process them.

Lu Qing worked with intense focus and care, a clear sign of his considerable skill.

Chen Qingyang, however, was lost in thought. ’Is refining just a Tier One pill enough?’ he wondered. He could see how incredibly complex this Elixir was. Just reaching Tier One would consume three hundred units of his Immortal Seedling, nearly six times the cost of an ordinary Elixir.

While he was still deliberating, his opponent had already begun putting the ingredients into the Pill Furnace. While he was still deliberating, his opponent had already begun Fire Control. Soon enough, however, he no longer needed to worry about which tier to aim for. A plume of black smoke billowed from the other Pill Furnace—a clear sign of failure.

Chen Qingyang could have attempted it with his own raw skill, but that carried an undeniable risk of failure. Instead, he immediately spent 300 units of his Immortal Seedling to instantly master the Pill Formula.

"One has failed, and the other has yet to make a move. I’d say the outcome of this competition is already decided!" Lu Jinzhang announced.

"Senior Brother Lu, don’t be so hasty!" Despite his words, the man in green was also growing nervous, because from his vantage point, Chen Qingyang still hadn’t moved.

Finally, the raw materials were processed. Finally, the Miscellaneous Task disciple was about to make his move.

From the first display of his Fire Control technique, an expression of disbelief appeared on the face of the man in green. He began to study Chen Qingyang with great care, and the more he watched, the more questions flooded his mind...

Then, more and more people began to notice it. His Alchemy technique was remarkably steady, and the flames within the Pill Furnace remained perfectly controlled. It seemed he might actually succeed!

From the moment he began the refinement, Chen Qingyang shut out the outside world. When his "Late Fire" stage concluded, the man in green walked over and took the flawless, snow-white Elixir in his hand.

"He... he actually succeeded!"