Chapter 826 - 261: Mu Qingge’s Alchemy Dao
"Grandfather, will Big Sis win the championship today?" The grand spectacle of the Alchemy Conference made a faint unease stir in Mu Xuewu’s heart.
King Sang Shun, however, had full confidence in Mu Qingge. At his age, he was long past the point of being easily overawed by a scene. So he nodded and said to Mu Xuewu, "Rest easy, Qingge won’t lose."
His words were heard by the Divine Envoy sitting in the middle. The man couldn’t help but turn his head, glance at him, and say, "Family Head Sang, you’re quite confident in this granddaughter of yours. I had thought the Sang Clan had produced an out-clan descendant gifted in Artifact Refining, yet I did not expect that this Holy Level Refiner would actually also be an Alchemist."
The words sounded like ordinary small talk.
But King Sang Shun’s heart gave a jump. He carefully savored the Divine Envoy’s words in his mind, then cautiously replied, "Divine Envoy overpraises. It’s nothing but a stroke of luck."
"A stroke of luck?" The Divine Envoy’s expression carried a trace of arrogance as he drawled, "Such talent cannot be explained by mere luck."
King Sang Shun’s lips pulled into a smile, but he did not speak.
Since he did not pick up the topic, the Divine Envoy gave him a meaningful look, then withdrew his gaze and no longer continued speaking about Mu Qingge.
The end of the topic allowed King Sang Shun to quietly let out a breath of relief.
Mu Xuewu tugged lightly at his sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Grandfather, what did that Divine Envoy mean?"
What did he mean?
Emotions flickered in King Sang Shun’s eyes as he thought to himself, "I fear the Divine Hall has set its sights on Qingge and wants to recruit her into the Divine Hall, to be at their beck and call."
"Grandfather?" King Sang Shun’s silence made Mu Xuewu grow nervous as well.
King Sang Shun gathered his thoughts, reached out and patted the back of Mu Xuewu’s hand, signaling her to stay calm.
In any case, once this Alchemy Conference was over, he had to have a proper talk with Qingge and carefully discuss how the road ahead should be walked.
"This Alchemy Conference truly is a spectacle worth watching!" In the stands, fervent discussions rose up.
"Isn’t that so! Who would have thought that the only Holy Level Refiner in our Middle Ancient Realm would also be an Alchemist, and I hear her Level isn’t low either—she was extraordinarily admitted straight into the Inner Courtyard. This Alchemy Conference can truly be called a clash of dragons and tigers!"
"Yao Family’s Yao Xinghai is the chief disciple of the Alchemy Institute. The previous dean of the Alchemy Institute once said that he would become the number one in the Alchemy Dao in the future. And this City Lord Mu is also the hope of the Sang Clan, and the only Holy Level Refiner. These two tigers meeting, yet choosing to compete in Alchemy Dao to decide who ranks higher—you tell me, which of them will lose and which will win?"
"No matter who loses or wins, today will definitely be a stunningly brilliant performance!"
"I think, perhaps Young Master Yao still has a slightly higher chance of winning."
"Oh? How so?"
"Think about it. Whether it’s Artifact Refining or Alchemy, both require time and effort. A person’s energy is limited. No matter how exceptionally gifted this City Lord Mu is, it’s impossible for her to stand at the peak in every field, right? Being ranked first on the Green Talent List already marks her as the foremost in cultivation among the younger generation, and becoming a Holy Level Refiner is not easily achieved either. Just these two aspects have already consumed countless amounts of her energy. Even if she can refine Elixirs, it’s impossible for her to surpass Young Master Yao, who has studied the Alchemy Dao since childhood and is himself extraordinarily talented, right?"
Mu Qingge was splitting her focus three ways, while Yao Xinghai devoted himself solely to the Alchemy Dao.
This analysis, which seemed very reasonable, drew many nods of agreement.
"Mm, that does make sense. In that case, no matter how intense or exciting the process of their clash is, the outcome is already set?"
"But of course!" The one who had been analyzing earlier spoke with complete assurance.
"However..." someone hesitated and questioned, "I have a relative in my family who is studying Alchemy Dao in the Inner Courtyard of the Alchemy Institute. He secretly told me that this City Lord Mu is anything but simple. The Twelve Pill Paths that took Young Master Yao three years to comprehend, she fully comprehended in just four months."
Hiss—!
His words prompted a chorus of sharp inhalations from those around.
Even the person who had been so certain earlier, insisting that Yao Xinghai would win, couldn’t help but have his face darken, a hint of wavering appearing in his eyes.
"B-but even if she has comprehended them, so what? Young Master Yao still came into contact with the Alchemy Dao earlier than her and has been comprehending it for far longer. I’m afraid the insights he’s gained from it are still greater than hers." Someone raised a rebuttal.
"That way of putting it is not wrong either."
"So then, we’re saying that Young Master Yao’s chances of winning are still greater?"
"Mm—!"
After several rounds of thorough analysis, those participating in the discussion all nodded in rather strong agreement.
And outside the grounds of the Alchemy Conference, outside the Outer Court of the Alchemy Institute, the many people unable to enter the venue also began fervently discussing Mu Qingge and Yao Xinghai.
The key point was that no one knew who had leaked the news that Mu Qingge would be participating in the Alchemy Conference.
It was even spread that she had comprehended the Twelve Pill Paths in four months and had agreed to face Yao Xinghai at the Alchemy Conference to pit their Alchemy Skill against each other.
Two tigers fighting naturally drew everyone’s attention.
To the point where even the original meaning of the Alchemy Conference had been considerably diluted.
...
Behind the square lay a quiet courtyard, untouched and undisturbed.
This was the resting area the Alchemy Institute had specially prepared for the contestants. In Alchemy, what mattered was the state of mind, so before going on stage, calming one’s heart and keeping one’s Spiritual Sense in peak condition was something every Alchemist would do.
Mu Qingge was naturally no exception.
Only, unlike the others who were all sitting in meditation to regulate their breathing and prepare, she was sprawled lazily in a chair, legs crossed and propped on the edge of the table, leisurely drinking tea.
Compared to her ease, everyone else’s dead-serious attitude instead turned into an awkward contrast.
Clearly, she was the one who didn’t fit in!
Quite a few participating Alchemists felt wronged inside, quietly edging away from the area where Mu Qingge was, afraid their mood would be affected by her and shake the foundations of their Spiritual Sense.
"Sigh, it was already something that Senior Brother Yao wanted to compete this time. But now City Lord Mu is here too. Looks like in this Alchemy Conference, we’re destined to be nothing but sparring partners."
"Isn’t that the truth! We worked our asses off preparing for so long, only to run into two freaks going head-to-head. Talk about bad timing and bad luck!"
"I’ve already lost the mood."
"Don’t be like that. The Alchemy Conference is a grand event for the entire Middle Ancient Realm. Even if first and second place have nothing to do with us, as long as we put in the effort and refine good Elixirs, we’ll still shine in our own way."
"Sure, that’s not wrong. But honestly, the moment I heard those two were participating, I thought about withdrawing."
"Withdrawing? You’re not seriously planning to lose without even fighting, are you?"
"No! I just feel that if I withdraw, I can watch those two refine Elixirs with a lot more peace of mind. You don’t get to see a spectacle like this every day!"
"Hiss—!"
That line made quite a few Pill Masters suddenly feel a mysterious sense of awe.
They all thought it made a lot of sense. Yeah... since they couldn’t win anyway, they might as well watch two freaks do Alchemy and see if they could gain something from it.
"I heard Senior Brother Yao has already comprehended his own Alchemy Dao. This time, he’ll probably refine a Holy Level Elixir and be promoted as our Alchemy Institute’s second Holy Level Alchemist!"
"Eh? I heard that too. But City Lord Mu’s talent is terrifying. She comprehended twelve kinds of Alchemy Dao in just four months. With this extra month, even if she can’t comprehend her own Alchemy Dao, by drawing on those twelve Dao, she might still be able to refine a Holy Level Elixir! Plus, I heard... City Lord Mu has that Perfect Realm we all dream of!"
"Tsk tsk, this is going to be fun! Way too fun!" After saying that, this person turned and briskly walked outside.
The others were baffled and opened their mouths to ask, "Hey, where are you going?"
Without looking back, that person replied, "I’m going to withdraw from the competition! The Alchemy Dao Conference can be joined again later, but today’s Dragon-Tiger duel only happens once. I absolutely can’t miss it!"
His words were like a bolt of lightning cracking over the heads of this group of Pill Masters, instantly waking them up.
Without the slightest hesitation, these seven or eight people all headed in the direction he’d left in, also going to withdraw. On the way, whenever they ran into other Pill Masters, they pulled them in too, egging everyone on to withdraw together.
Their discussion naturally couldn’t escape Mu Qingge’s ears.
It wasn’t that she was deliberately eavesdropping; it was just that her five senses were different from ordinary people’s. Even if she wanted to shut her ears, she couldn’t stop those conversations from drilling into them.
Watching a group of people hurry off to withdraw, Mu Qingge lazily played with the teacup in her hand, the corners of her lips lifting in a light smile.
She wasn’t laughing at their sense of self-awareness, she just found it amusing.
Perhaps both Alchemists and Artifact Refiners shared a certain obsession: in their hearts, witnessing an absolutely spectacular Dan Fighting match or Artifact Refining session was a rare experience.
"Where is everyone?" At that moment, a voice filled with surprise came from by the door.
Mu Qingge slowly turned her gaze over, looked at the person standing at the door, and said with a smile, "They all went to withdraw."
"Withdraw?" Yao Xinghai froze, then immediately understood. He smiled faintly and shook his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the others’ choice. Instead, he flicked his robe and walked in, sitting across from Mu Qingge, his back straight as he looked at her.
Seeing how relaxed she looked, his eyes narrowed slightly and he chuckled, "Seeing you like this actually makes my pressure skyrocket."
Mu Qingge’s eyes held a hint of laughter. "I thought Young Master Yao had absolute confidence in his Alchemy Dao."
"Confidence, of course I have." Yao Xinghai nodded. "But I’m really curious what you’ve gained in this one month."
He suddenly reined in the relaxed expression on his face, eyes fixed on Mu Qingge, and asked in an extremely serious tone, "Have you found the Alchemy Dao that belongs to you?"
"That question..." Mu Qingge lifted an eyebrow and smiled without answering.
"Mu Qingge." Suddenly, a woman’s voice cut in, interrupting the two of them.
Mu Qingge and Yao Xinghai both turned their heads at the same time, looking at Lian Qiao, who had stepped over the threshold and walked in. Completely different expressions appeared on their faces.
"Old Ancestor!" Yao Xinghai immediately stood up and saluted Lian Qiao respectfully.
Lian Qiao didn’t even look at him, simply saying impatiently, "I have something to say to Mu Qingge. You leave first."
Yao Xinghai didn’t dare disobey. He only cast a slightly grave look at Mu Qingge, and seeing she was completely calm, he left the room. After he left, Mu Qingge also put away her relaxed expression, took her legs down from the table’s edge, and frowned as she looked at Lian Qiao walking toward her.