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Chapter 7 - Qualifying for the tournament
Evening.
Several hundred clansmen were gathered outside the school under the blood red glow of the setting sun with members of the various branches of the clan present in addition to the families of the partic.i.p.ants. The school compet.i.tion serves not just as a means for qualifying for the medicine tournament, but also as an excellent opportunity to scout for talents.
Even if students were unable to qualify for the tournament, opportunities would await them if they performed well during the compet.i.tion.The clan has numerous businesses in the outside world which required plenty of talented personnel with a good future awaiting those who join.Furthermore, though the speed of cultivation in the outside world is inferior to that of the clan, the clansmen in the outside world were all highly respected and could be considered a different sort of honour compared to that of the tournament.
Currently, everyone was looking at the ranking results.
The top thirty were all people that everyone wanted to befriend and recruit while the top eight qualified for the tournament.
Yao Chen and Luo Shu arrived at the school and while the crowd gathered in front of the school gates could not be described as forming mountains and seas, it was still bustling with activity and the road was so crowded that not even a water droplet could squeeze through and several branch family headhunters had already begun recruiting.
“This is quite the crowd…”
Before Luo Shu’s voice had even faded the crowd had already parted for them, clearing out a small path for them.
Luo Shu’s eyes twitched and his legs were a little wobbly as he twisted his neck and looked at Yao Chen seemingly wis.h.i.+ng to ask him what’s going on.
The release of the results were but a formality as in reality, anyone with a certain amount of authority and influence was able to know the results before the official release of the results.
Eyeing the situation before them, it was obvious that the news of the top eight had already been leaked and Yao Chen had to be included in the top eight…. First place notwithstanding, it was likely that he was in the top three, how else would he elicit such a reaction from the crowd and have them clear a way for him?
Yao Chen took a deep breath.Though he had expected something like this to happen when he refined the VioletFlame pill with all indications pointing to a top grade pill, it would give him an eighty percent chance of getting into the top eight and qualifying for the tournament when the results actually coincided with his expectations, his heart was pounding and he was understandably nervous.
However, the actual ranking he got was unimportant to Yao Chen as he only wished to qualify for the tournament. To put it bluntly, he was only a nine starred martial pract.i.tioner and though he could explosively unleash the dou qi of a martial master with the a.s.sistance of his techniques, this had a major flaw as though it could be considered a killer move when in combat against an enemy, it was not as effective. In the medicine clan, the little increase in power was insignificant and could not be considered an advantage as there existed numerous refining techniques that far surpa.s.sed explosive techniques like his.
However, it wasn’t as if Yao Chen had no plans for what is to happen next, after all there is an entire month till the tournament starts.
Though time was tight, so long as he was determined,it was enough to force out his power that had been hidden by the medical baths all these years.
*Creak*...
Finally the school gates open and the elders filed out, with the first elder, Yao Lan, leading the way holding a ruler and a scroll in his hands.
This was the second ceremony for releasing the results of the compet.i.tion, though only the compet.i.tion that occurs in conjunction with the medicine tournament every five years had such pomp and ceremony to it.The top eight would have their names recorded into the school’s history and though it could not be compared to having their names recorded on the ancestral stele, it was still a great honour.
Yao Lan’s gaze swept across the crowd gathered in front of him consisting of not just students, but their families and people from the various branch families as well.These people would form the core of the medicine clan’s strength in the future! The young crowd, heirs to the clan, was lively and bustling with excitement, proof of the clan’s prosperity.
“Numerous talents emerged in this compet.i.tion. Fifty two contestants finished refining, compared with the previous compet.i.tion, seventeen people have agglomerated their powers.”
Though the words spoken were according to a predetermined standard format and template, the current atmosphere gave them a sense of solemnity and as he finished speaking, the twinkling stars rose into the night sky.
“The auspicious hour has arrived. Release the results.”
As firecrackers were set off, Yao Lan released the scroll he held in his hand, letting it float in the air.
“30th place, Yao He”
“29th place, Yao Kou”
The rankings were announced in descending order.
Every second name that was announced drew acclaims and shouts of ‘Bravo’ from the crowd.There were over three hundred people who took part in the compet.i.tion and those who made it into the top thirty were accorded great honour and prestige.However, the crowd was still restraining themselves, the true elites were those in the top eight that qualified for the tournament.
“9th place, Yao Yun…”
Loud exclaims were heard from the crowd.
In front of the gates,a tall boy’s face was ashen with his eyes filled with disbelief.Yao Chen looked at him; Yao Yun was a well known figure in the school who was highly esteemed who was the best in terms of skills regarding pill refining, if one does not count the strength of one’s dou qi, and the top three elites of the school, Yao Xiu, Li Xin XIn and Zhuo Hong Le. Yet this time, Yao Yun was only ranked ninth and did not even break into the top eight.
“Ahh~~ Like i said, what comes around, goes around.A person like him who only relies on politics and his relations.h.i.+ps is bound to suffer misfortune at critical moments”
Zhuo Hong Le, who was usually ranked second or third burst out in mocking laughter without giving any face to Yao Yun, eliciting sn.i.g.g.e.rs from the surrounding crowd. In the past, Yao Yun was too arrogant, disregarding his peers and had unknowingly offended countless people.
Yao Yun’s arrogance was due to the fact that he was the underling of the main branch’s genius Yao Feng, and whenever Yao Feng required something done Yao Yun would almost always be the one to do so.
“8th place, Yao Dong…”
Yao Lan’s stern voice continued to announce the results.
When the 8th place was announced, the crowd heated up with a bang and Yao Dong, who was in 8th place, was immediately surrounded by well wishers and headhunters,in addition to people who wished to marry their daughters to him and had already taken out a long list of the dowry.
The top eight would qualify for the medicine tournament, which was a great honour and partic.i.p.ants would make their names known throughout the clan, proving their talents and abilities and the various branch families would be trying to get into their good graces,trying their hardest to recruit them.Though everyone was from the same clan,the size of the ancient medicine clan was enormous beyond the imagination of the common man and there were countless branches of the clans with their own businesses and industry, even the main branch had over ten families that owned their respective properties and industries.
“7th place….6th place…..”
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated with every name that Yao Lan announced,and the people whose names were announced were all abnormally flushed.In the clan, qualifying for the tournament is akin to getting two types of recognition, the recognition of their talent and intelligence.As for their qualifications and merits, though the medicine clan is enormous, it had a large territory too and no matter how much resources it had, there were also times when there were insufficient resources to go around, and if a person desired more resources but did not have sufficient talent, he could only exchange his merits and contributions for the resources desired.However, given that the majority of the people were only a martial pract.i.tioner, even if they were martial masters, how much merit and contribution to the clan would they be able to earn and how much merit was available to be earned?
That’s why qualifying for the tournament was equivalent to carving out a highway to the future, and this is why the students for fighting so fiercely to qualify.
“4th place…”
Elder Yao Lan’s voice paused and his gaze s.h.i.+fted to Li Xin Xin.
Li Xin Xin’s face changed, and his adam’s apple twitched as he took a breath.
“Li Xin Xin”
As expected, Yao Lan announced his name.
The surrounding crowd was stunned did not react boisterously as initially expected.
Ever since the school started,amongst the hundreds of students, Li Xin Xin’s name had always been in the top three and yet he actually placed fourth in this compet.i.tion of the utmost importance.Li Xin Xin’s gaze fell on Yao Chen.
“Looks like the rumours are true, Yao Chen’s entered the top three.”
“I thought the rumour was false..”
“It can’t be, i know about this kid Yao Chen, how can it be him when his dou qi has yet to reach the martial master realm?”
“I heard that he has a technique to explosively increase his strength, though i’m unclear about the specifics.”
“Impossible! How can there be such a technique? Using an explosive technique like that has an eighty to ninety chance of the pill being toxic with a high chance of the pill being useless.The reason why elder Yao Lan did not announce the quality of his pill back then should be due to this exact reason the fact that his name has yet to be called should be because he has been eliminated.”
“Come to think about it, in the school records, he blew up his cauldron quite a few times?”
Some people were envious while others were jealous as they were unconvinced even when word of the results got around as they spouted sarcastic remarks and dug up matters from Yao Chen’s past, such as him incinerating his potential.
“3th place..”
Yao Lan’s voice became the center of everyone’s attention and in an instant, everyone became silent.
“Zhuo Hong Le”
Exclaims broke out amongst the crowd once more.
Is third place was Zhuo Hong Le, who would second place be? Yao Chen? Afterall, the first place has always been Yao Tong and his position was una.s.sailable. However…it would be inconceivable for Yao Chen to be second!
“If Yao Chen were to be second….Ahh~~ This would be the greatest joke under heaven, an unbearably amusing joke.”
He unleashed his prowess only at the critical moment.
“Ahh~ You saying that just proves that you don’t know his life was like with only his mother and him and the fierce struggles they had.Take the Root Solidifying Musk pill for example,only 1 is distributed every quarter and without a man supporting the household, they are barely able to get by with just millet every month. He would never get any special support from the clan if he does not show his hidden strength and talent.”
The hidden strength and talent was actually destroying his future, and there was nothing more stupid than doing it.
“Huu...Shut up, they’re about to announce the second place.”
Yao Lan’s voice paused slightly and he waved the ruler in his hands, causing the voices of the crowd to die down and coughed lightly before continuing with the announcement once he had pindrop silence.
“In second place…”
He paused again and his gaze fell to Yao Chen. The crowd felt his gaze fall on Yao Chen and their faces collectively changed. Was this unremarkable kid about to shock the world?
“Yao Tong!”
Yao Lan announced the name loudly.
There was total silence..
Yao Tong, who had remained calm and collected thus far, heard his name called out and in the same instant, his facial expression contorted and changed greatly. Second place!!!
Ever since he had started school, Yao Tong was like a crane amidst chickens, standing out from the crowd.The position of first had always belonged to him and the oft mentioned three elites of the school were simply something that people had created themselves and was something he had always laughed at. He had never regarded Li Xin Xin and Zhuo Hong Le as his peers and the few private challenged he had with them were laughable to him, as he was totally out of their league.
It was unexpected that in this compet.i.tion of the utmost importance, the high and mighty Yao Tong would only place second, who then, was first place?
Yao Tong’s eyes narrowed for a moment and his face returned to it’s usual impa.s.sive expression, his line of sight focused on Yao Chen.
Could it really be him?
The only possibility was that the VioletFlame pill was appraised as a top grade pill because apart from that, there was no way anyone else would be able to compete with his Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill.Even so, Yao Tong still had confidence in himself, so what if it was really a top grade pill? Yao Chen had no way of competing with him, putting aside the fact that he was someone who was top ranked in the school,the fact that his Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill originated from an ancient formula held great meaning to it, by restoring an ancient formula before the compet.i.tion, the points that would be granted to him would be greater than that of a mere top grade pill.
The surrounding crowd understood his reasoning as well.In the compet.i.tion, Yao Tong’s Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill was heads and shoulders above the rest and was the best, with the other pills unable to hold a candle to it.Yao Chen’s VioletFlame pill on the other hand, to put it nicely,only had the indications of being a top grade pill and did not neccessarily mean that it was actually a top grade pill, furthermore what about it’s toxicity and side effects? A student who ranked outside the top forty year round without any improvements lacked the ability to convince the crowd.
However, who else could possibly be first place if not Yao Chen? Apart from the unexpected Yao Chen, there was no one else who could possibly compete with the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill.
Yao Chen’s heartbeat sped up as he knew the effects of the VioletFlame pill best, and even if it were a top grade pill it could not be compared to the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill and furthermore, the VioletFlame pill had numerous flaws…. Of course he had confidence because in Yao CHen’s mind, he would be able to get into the top eight, but currently the results for second place had already been announced but his name had yet to appear!
Did he fail?
Or was he…..first place?
First place….was it possible?
As Yao Chen was worrying about his placing in the compet.i.tion, elder Yao Lan gently waved the ruler in his hand solemnly.
“1st place…”
The crowd was deathly silent and a few clansmen even held their breaths , this was the first time in recent memory that the champion of the school compet.i.tion was not Yao Tong!
Could the champion be the ascending Yao Chen?
The gazes of the various recruiters fell on Yao Chen, if the champion was really him...in an instant, eyes flashed as the recruiters traded their gazes amongst each other as if they were clas.h.i.+ng with weapons ; With Yao Chen’s poverty stricken family and his lack of a power supporter, he was an ideal candidate for recruitmenet.
“Yao Chen!!”
Elder Yao Lan’s voice rang out like a sonorous bell.
As his voice faded, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of voices.
“It’s really him?”
“This, this is ridiculous!”
“Yao Tong doesn’t look too good.”
“Haha, Yao Tong will definitely make his move after this compet.i.tion ends.”
“I’m afraid the person who’s even more furious is Yao Yun.”
Yao Yun placed ninth in this compet.i.tion, though were the compet.i.tion the same as it was in the past,with his abilities he would definitely be amongst the top eight and it could be said that because of Yao Chen’s sudden ascent, he was not fated to enter the medicine tournament and had lost the qualification for the tournament that was originally his...
Though a grudge like this was not equivalent to that of a life and death grudge, it was certainly not something that could be easily resolved as the tournament was too important to the youths of the clan.However, the path of cultivation is one of constant struggle,the person who does not fight against heaven, against other people and against himself is destined to lead a life of mediocrity without ever making a name for himself.
As for Yao Chen, he was in a trance and was oblivious to the discussions and murmurs around him. Champion ...he was the champion!
Though he said he was uninterested in fame and glory and only wished to enter the top eight and qualify for the tournament, when he was crowned the champion, his chest was filled with an inexplicable feeling that was both foreign and wonderful.However, there was always someone who would ruin a wonderful moment like this as Luo Shu, who was even more excited than Yao Chen, grabbed his shoulders and shook it non stop while wildly exclaiming
“Brother Chen… Champion, you’re the champion!!”
“Brother Shu.”
Yao Chen shook his head helplessly
“What is it brother Chen?”
“Could you let go? I’m still feeling weak.”
Although he had already rested for a few hours, the toll on him from using the Yuan Qi Explosion technique and the hand seals he used had left him in a weakened condition.
“Haha…. i forgot”
Luo Shu scratched the back of his head while laughing stupidly, he was simply too happy.
Yao Lan coughed gently and used channeled his energy, his voice booming across the crowd
“Yao Chen, Yao Tong, Zhuo Hong Le…… the eight people mentioned above have qualified for the tournament.I hope that you will continue to work hard and improve yourselves even more after the tournament....”
Not a single word of encouragement was registered by Yao Chen, whose mind was only filled with the fact that he was the champion of the compet.i.tion and that he had qualified for the tournament.
There was still a month before the tournament and the wall that Yao Chen had to climb next was advancing to a martial master within the month. If he was not a martial master, then regardless of how talented he was in refining, he would only serve as an accompaniment to the ones competing.
Suddenly, a voice rang out
“Elder, though the VioletFlame pill is not bad, it is still inferior to the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill and yet Yao Chen is ranked above Yao Tong. Why is that so?We find it hard to accept the results if the reason is not made known to us”
Evening.
Several hundred clansmen were gathered outside the school under the blood red glow of the setting sun with members of the various branches of the clan present in addition to the families of the partic.i.p.ants. The school compet.i.tion serves not just as a means for qualifying for the medicine tournament, but also as an excellent opportunity to scout for talents.
Even if students were unable to qualify for the tournament, opportunities would await them if they performed well during the compet.i.tion.The clan has numerous businesses in the outside world which required plenty of talented personnel with a good future awaiting those who join.Furthermore, though the speed of cultivation in the outside world is inferior to that of the clan, the clansmen in the outside world were all highly respected and could be considered a different sort of honour compared to that of the tournament.
Currently, everyone was looking at the ranking results.
The top thirty were all people that everyone wanted to befriend and recruit while the top eight qualified for the tournament.
Yao Chen and Luo Shu arrived at the school and while the crowd gathered in front of the school gates could not be described as forming mountains and seas, it was still bustling with activity and the road was so crowded that not even a water droplet could squeeze through and several branch family headhunters had already begun recruiting.
“This is quite the crowd…”
Before Luo Shu’s voice had even faded the crowd had already parted for them, clearing out a small path for them.
Luo Shu’s eyes twitched and his legs were a little wobbly as he twisted his neck and looked at Yao Chen seemingly wis.h.i.+ng to ask him what’s going on.
The release of the results were but a formality as in reality, anyone with a certain amount of authority and influence was able to know the results before the official release of the results.
Eyeing the situation before them, it was obvious that the news of the top eight had already been leaked and Yao Chen had to be included in the top eight…. First place notwithstanding, it was likely that he was in the top three, how else would he elicit such a reaction from the crowd and have them clear a way for him?
Yao Chen took a deep breath.Though he had expected something like this to happen when he refined the VioletFlame pill with all indications pointing to a top grade pill, it would give him an eighty percent chance of getting into the top eight and qualifying for the tournament when the results actually coincided with his expectations, his heart was pounding and he was understandably nervous.
However, the actual ranking he got was unimportant to Yao Chen as he only wished to qualify for the tournament. To put it bluntly, he was only a nine starred martial pract.i.tioner and though he could explosively unleash the dou qi of a martial master with the a.s.sistance of his techniques, this had a major flaw as though it could be considered a killer move when in combat against an enemy, it was not as effective. In the medicine clan, the little increase in power was insignificant and could not be considered an advantage as there existed numerous refining techniques that far surpa.s.sed explosive techniques like his.
However, it wasn’t as if Yao Chen had no plans for what is to happen next, after all there is an entire month till the tournament starts.
Though time was tight, so long as he was determined,it was enough to force out his power that had been hidden by the medical baths all these years.
*Creak*...
Finally the school gates open and the elders filed out, with the first elder, Yao Lan, leading the way holding a ruler and a scroll in his hands.
This was the second ceremony for releasing the results of the compet.i.tion, though only the compet.i.tion that occurs in conjunction with the medicine tournament every five years had such pomp and ceremony to it.The top eight would have their names recorded into the school’s history and though it could not be compared to having their names recorded on the ancestral stele, it was still a great honour.
Yao Lan’s gaze swept across the crowd gathered in front of him consisting of not just students, but their families and people from the various branch families as well.These people would form the core of the medicine clan’s strength in the future! The young crowd, heirs to the clan, was lively and bustling with excitement, proof of the clan’s prosperity.
“Numerous talents emerged in this compet.i.tion. Fifty two contestants finished refining, compared with the previous compet.i.tion, seventeen people have agglomerated their powers.”
Though the words spoken were according to a predetermined standard format and template, the current atmosphere gave them a sense of solemnity and as he finished speaking, the twinkling stars rose into the night sky.
“The auspicious hour has arrived. Release the results.”
As firecrackers were set off, Yao Lan released the scroll he held in his hand, letting it float in the air.
“30th place, Yao He”
“29th place, Yao Kou”
The rankings were announced in descending order.
Every second name that was announced drew acclaims and shouts of ‘Bravo’ from the crowd.There were over three hundred people who took part in the compet.i.tion and those who made it into the top thirty were accorded great honour and prestige.However, the crowd was still restraining themselves, the true elites were those in the top eight that qualified for the tournament.
“9th place, Yao Yun…”
Loud exclaims were heard from the crowd.
In front of the gates,a tall boy’s face was ashen with his eyes filled with disbelief.Yao Chen looked at him; Yao Yun was a well known figure in the school who was highly esteemed who was the best in terms of skills regarding pill refining, if one does not count the strength of one’s dou qi, and the top three elites of the school, Yao Xiu, Li Xin XIn and Zhuo Hong Le. Yet this time, Yao Yun was only ranked ninth and did not even break into the top eight.
“Ahh~~ Like i said, what comes around, goes around.A person like him who only relies on politics and his relations.h.i.+ps is bound to suffer misfortune at critical moments”
Zhuo Hong Le, who was usually ranked second or third burst out in mocking laughter without giving any face to Yao Yun, eliciting sn.i.g.g.e.rs from the surrounding crowd. In the past, Yao Yun was too arrogant, disregarding his peers and had unknowingly offended countless people.
Yao Yun’s arrogance was due to the fact that he was the underling of the main branch’s genius Yao Feng, and whenever Yao Feng required something done Yao Yun would almost always be the one to do so.
“8th place, Yao Dong…”
Yao Lan’s stern voice continued to announce the results.
When the 8th place was announced, the crowd heated up with a bang and Yao Dong, who was in 8th place, was immediately surrounded by well wishers and headhunters,in addition to people who wished to marry their daughters to him and had already taken out a long list of the dowry.
The top eight would qualify for the medicine tournament, which was a great honour and partic.i.p.ants would make their names known throughout the clan, proving their talents and abilities and the various branch families would be trying to get into their good graces,trying their hardest to recruit them.Though everyone was from the same clan,the size of the ancient medicine clan was enormous beyond the imagination of the common man and there were countless branches of the clans with their own businesses and industry, even the main branch had over ten families that owned their respective properties and industries.
“7th place….6th place…..”
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated with every name that Yao Lan announced,and the people whose names were announced were all abnormally flushed.In the clan, qualifying for the tournament is akin to getting two types of recognition, the recognition of their talent and intelligence.As for their qualifications and merits, though the medicine clan is enormous, it had a large territory too and no matter how much resources it had, there were also times when there were insufficient resources to go around, and if a person desired more resources but did not have sufficient talent, he could only exchange his merits and contributions for the resources desired.However, given that the majority of the people were only a martial pract.i.tioner, even if they were martial masters, how much merit and contribution to the clan would they be able to earn and how much merit was available to be earned?
That’s why qualifying for the tournament was equivalent to carving out a highway to the future, and this is why the students for fighting so fiercely to qualify.
“4th place…”
Elder Yao Lan’s voice paused and his gaze s.h.i.+fted to Li Xin Xin.
Li Xin Xin’s face changed, and his adam’s apple twitched as he took a breath.
“Li Xin Xin”
As expected, Yao Lan announced his name.
The surrounding crowd was stunned did not react boisterously as initially expected.
Ever since the school started,amongst the hundreds of students, Li Xin Xin’s name had always been in the top three and yet he actually placed fourth in this compet.i.tion of the utmost importance.Li Xin Xin’s gaze fell on Yao Chen.
“Looks like the rumours are true, Yao Chen’s entered the top three.”
“I thought the rumour was false..”
“It can’t be, i know about this kid Yao Chen, how can it be him when his dou qi has yet to reach the martial master realm?”
“I heard that he has a technique to explosively increase his strength, though i’m unclear about the specifics.”
“Impossible! How can there be such a technique? Using an explosive technique like that has an eighty to ninety chance of the pill being toxic with a high chance of the pill being useless.The reason why elder Yao Lan did not announce the quality of his pill back then should be due to this exact reason the fact that his name has yet to be called should be because he has been eliminated.”
“Come to think about it, in the school records, he blew up his cauldron quite a few times?”
Some people were envious while others were jealous as they were unconvinced even when word of the results got around as they spouted sarcastic remarks and dug up matters from Yao Chen’s past, such as him incinerating his potential.
“3th place..”
Yao Lan’s voice became the center of everyone’s attention and in an instant, everyone became silent.
“Zhuo Hong Le”
Exclaims broke out amongst the crowd once more.
Is third place was Zhuo Hong Le, who would second place be? Yao Chen? Afterall, the first place has always been Yao Tong and his position was una.s.sailable. However…it would be inconceivable for Yao Chen to be second!
“If Yao Chen were to be second….Ahh~~ This would be the greatest joke under heaven, an unbearably amusing joke.”
He unleashed his prowess only at the critical moment.
“Ahh~ You saying that just proves that you don’t know his life was like with only his mother and him and the fierce struggles they had.Take the Root Solidifying Musk pill for example,only 1 is distributed every quarter and without a man supporting the household, they are barely able to get by with just millet every month. He would never get any special support from the clan if he does not show his hidden strength and talent.”
The hidden strength and talent was actually destroying his future, and there was nothing more stupid than doing it.
“Huu...Shut up, they’re about to announce the second place.”
Yao Lan’s voice paused slightly and he waved the ruler in his hands, causing the voices of the crowd to die down and coughed lightly before continuing with the announcement once he had pindrop silence.
“In second place…”
He paused again and his gaze fell to Yao Chen. The crowd felt his gaze fall on Yao Chen and their faces collectively changed. Was this unremarkable kid about to shock the world?
“Yao Tong!”
Yao Lan announced the name loudly.
There was total silence..
Yao Tong, who had remained calm and collected thus far, heard his name called out and in the same instant, his facial expression contorted and changed greatly. Second place!!!
Ever since he had started school, Yao Tong was like a crane amidst chickens, standing out from the crowd.The position of first had always belonged to him and the oft mentioned three elites of the school were simply something that people had created themselves and was something he had always laughed at. He had never regarded Li Xin Xin and Zhuo Hong Le as his peers and the few private challenged he had with them were laughable to him, as he was totally out of their league.
It was unexpected that in this compet.i.tion of the utmost importance, the high and mighty Yao Tong would only place second, who then, was first place?
Yao Tong’s eyes narrowed for a moment and his face returned to it’s usual impa.s.sive expression, his line of sight focused on Yao Chen.
Could it really be him?
The only possibility was that the VioletFlame pill was appraised as a top grade pill because apart from that, there was no way anyone else would be able to compete with his Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill.Even so, Yao Tong still had confidence in himself, so what if it was really a top grade pill? Yao Chen had no way of competing with him, putting aside the fact that he was someone who was top ranked in the school,the fact that his Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill originated from an ancient formula held great meaning to it, by restoring an ancient formula before the compet.i.tion, the points that would be granted to him would be greater than that of a mere top grade pill.
The surrounding crowd understood his reasoning as well.In the compet.i.tion, Yao Tong’s Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill was heads and shoulders above the rest and was the best, with the other pills unable to hold a candle to it.Yao Chen’s VioletFlame pill on the other hand, to put it nicely,only had the indications of being a top grade pill and did not neccessarily mean that it was actually a top grade pill, furthermore what about it’s toxicity and side effects? A student who ranked outside the top forty year round without any improvements lacked the ability to convince the crowd.
However, who else could possibly be first place if not Yao Chen? Apart from the unexpected Yao Chen, there was no one else who could possibly compete with the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill.
Yao Chen’s heartbeat sped up as he knew the effects of the VioletFlame pill best, and even if it were a top grade pill it could not be compared to the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill and furthermore, the VioletFlame pill had numerous flaws…. Of course he had confidence because in Yao CHen’s mind, he would be able to get into the top eight, but currently the results for second place had already been announced but his name had yet to appear!
Did he fail?
Or was he…..first place?
First place….was it possible?
As Yao Chen was worrying about his placing in the compet.i.tion, elder Yao Lan gently waved the ruler in his hand solemnly.
“1st place…”
The crowd was deathly silent and a few clansmen even held their breaths , this was the first time in recent memory that the champion of the school compet.i.tion was not Yao Tong!
Could the champion be the ascending Yao Chen?
The gazes of the various recruiters fell on Yao Chen, if the champion was really him...in an instant, eyes flashed as the recruiters traded their gazes amongst each other as if they were clas.h.i.+ng with weapons ; With Yao Chen’s poverty stricken family and his lack of a power supporter, he was an ideal candidate for recruitmenet.
“Yao Chen!!”
Elder Yao Lan’s voice rang out like a sonorous bell.
As his voice faded, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of voices.
“It’s really him?”
“This, this is ridiculous!”
“Yao Tong doesn’t look too good.”
“Haha, Yao Tong will definitely make his move after this compet.i.tion ends.”
“I’m afraid the person who’s even more furious is Yao Yun.”
Yao Yun placed ninth in this compet.i.tion, though were the compet.i.tion the same as it was in the past,with his abilities he would definitely be amongst the top eight and it could be said that because of Yao Chen’s sudden ascent, he was not fated to enter the medicine tournament and had lost the qualification for the tournament that was originally his...
Though a grudge like this was not equivalent to that of a life and death grudge, it was certainly not something that could be easily resolved as the tournament was too important to the youths of the clan.However, the path of cultivation is one of constant struggle,the person who does not fight against heaven, against other people and against himself is destined to lead a life of mediocrity without ever making a name for himself.
As for Yao Chen, he was in a trance and was oblivious to the discussions and murmurs around him. Champion ...he was the champion!
Though he said he was uninterested in fame and glory and only wished to enter the top eight and qualify for the tournament, when he was crowned the champion, his chest was filled with an inexplicable feeling that was both foreign and wonderful.However, there was always someone who would ruin a wonderful moment like this as Luo Shu, who was even more excited than Yao Chen, grabbed his shoulders and shook it non stop while wildly exclaiming
“Brother Chen… Champion, you’re the champion!!”
“Brother Shu.”
Yao Chen shook his head helplessly
“What is it brother Chen?”
“Could you let go? I’m still feeling weak.”
Although he had already rested for a few hours, the toll on him from using the Yuan Qi Explosion technique and the hand seals he used had left him in a weakened condition.
“Haha…. i forgot”
Luo Shu scratched the back of his head while laughing stupidly, he was simply too happy.
Yao Lan coughed gently and used channeled his energy, his voice booming across the crowd
“Yao Chen, Yao Tong, Zhuo Hong Le…… the eight people mentioned above have qualified for the tournament.I hope that you will continue to work hard and improve yourselves even more after the tournament....”
Not a single word of encouragement was registered by Yao Chen, whose mind was only filled with the fact that he was the champion of the compet.i.tion and that he had qualified for the tournament.
There was still a month before the tournament and the wall that Yao Chen had to climb next was advancing to a martial master within the month. If he was not a martial master, then regardless of how talented he was in refining, he would only serve as an accompaniment to the ones competing.
Suddenly, a voice rang out
“Elder, though the VioletFlame pill is not bad, it is still inferior to the Still Wind Lunar Invitation pill and yet Yao Chen is ranked above Yao Tong. Why is that so?We find it hard to accept the results if the reason is not made known to us”
