Before the alchemy competition had even begun, the moment Jiang Chen sensed Ding Tong's killing intent, he knew there could never be any compromise between them.
Ding Tong hadn't sought him out with genuine intent to recruit him. He'd simply realized he couldn't surpass Jiang Chen's ranking in the alchemy competition, so he'd tried this underhanded tactic to bluff Jiang Chen into withdrawing from the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition.
Jiang Chen wasn't a three-year-old child—how could he be deceived by such a crude trick?
Still, Ding Tong was someone Jiang Chen genuinely had to be wary of. His background was shrouded in mystery, and Jiang Chen was certain the man was no mere disciple of the Three Star Sect.
As to Ding Tong's true origins, Jiang Chen had no idea. But he suspected the man harbored some hidden agenda by participating in the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition.
What Jiang Chen couldn't determine was whether Ding Tong had deceived the Three Star Sect itself, or whether the sect was in on it all along.
Based on his speculation and what he knew of Sect Master Zhu from the Three Star Sect, Jiang Chen suspected the sect likely had a hand in this as well.
Because when Sect Master Zhu had watched Ding Tong take the test, his composure hadn't been quite as calm as Palace Master Dan Chi's, even though he'd controlled himself well.
But with Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil cultivated to its current level, he could see through things as clearly as fire. The faintest flicker of emotion on Sect Master Zhu's face had not escaped his notice.
However, this was still only speculation on his part—it would be hard to make anything of it.
Moreover, the matter involved too many parties. With his current status and standing, even if he spoke up, few would believe him. On the contrary, it could drag Dan Qian Palace into an awkward position.
Besides, he'd already been subjected to suspicion because of his extraordinary results in the alchemy competition. If he suddenly started raising concerns about Ding Tong, it would look utterly suspicious no matter how he framed it.
Jiang Chen decided to stay quiet for now and quietly observe Ding Tong instead.
After a night's rest, the competition resumed the next day.
The third round of the contest involved Spiritual Medicine.
This stage had Mu Gaoqi practically burning with eagerness to compete.
The Spiritual Medicine challenge wasn't simply about cultivating medicinal herbs.
"Now, all contestants, please enter your assigned plots according to your numbers. Before each of you are three thousand seeds. You must find five seeds of Saint Grade Seventh Level Spiritual Medicine among them, corresponding to the five elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Then, you must cultivate these five seeds into Spiritual Medicine seedlings within seven days!"
The rules announced for this stage of the Spiritual Medicine competition were far more complex.
Not only did contestants have to identify five Saint Grade Seventh Level Spiritual Medicine seeds out of three thousand, each corresponding to one of the five elements, but they also had to cultivate those seeds into seedlings.
And all of it had to be completed within seven days.
"Remember, the total score for the Spiritual Medicine stage is six hundred points. Identifying the five types of medicinal seeds earns one hundred points—that is, twenty points per seed identified. Then, for cultivation, each medicinal herb cultivated earns one hundred points."
"However, simply cultivating the herb won't earn you the full hundred points. Each seedling's quality will be evaluated. If the quality is lower grade, you receive only thirty points; medium grade earns sixty points; upper grade earns eighty points; only top-grade quality earns the full hundred points."
"So, if you want to score the full six hundred points in this stage, you must first identify all five corresponding medicinal seeds and then cultivate all five into top-grade seedlings."
Identifying all five medicinal seeds in this stage would only net one hundred points.
"Naturally, if you misidentify any seeds from the start, everything that follows becomes moot. Remember—it must be Saint Grade Seventh Level Spiritual Medicine. If you get the grade wrong or the elemental attribute wrong, you receive zero points for that item. This stage has a massive spread in scoring—perform poorly, and your ranking could plummet dramatically."
Every contestant felt a chill. This stage was a double-edged sword: perform well and you could gain huge points, but underperform and you could lose just as much.
"See the ground beneath your feet? This area is your cultivation plot. All the necessary materials have been prepared for you. Remember—in addition to these materials, if you possess any extraordinary materials of your own, you may use those as well. Other than not being allowed to leave the competition area, there are no restrictions on this Spiritual Medicine challenge."
Each competition plot was sealed, cutting off all communication with the outside world. Every contestant could employ any means at their disposal, but absolutely could not seek outside help.
"Very well. The competition begins now. It will last seven days. During these seven days, no one may leave this competition area. Step beyond the boundary and it will be treated as cheating—your entire score for this stage will be zeroed."
The penalty for cheating was severe.
Once your score was judged to be zero, you might as well withdraw from the competition entirely. There would be absolutely no possibility of achieving a good ranking.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes and focused his mind, listening carefully to every rule. Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the woodcutting. He wouldn't rush into things in a panic.
Once he'd absorbed every detail, there would still be plenty of time to act.
After the presiding judge announced the start of the competition, Jiang Chen slowly opened his eyes.
This stage allowed a full seven days—plenty of leeway. Jiang Chen had no intention of rushing for speed's sake. Haste makes waste.
Three thousand seeds was an enormous number.
For alchemists with even slightly lower cultivation, identifying the five specific Saint Grade Seventh Level Spiritual Medicine seeds corresponding to the five elements from among three thousand candidates would be extraordinarily difficult.
This was perhaps only feasible for the geniuses of the Myriad Phenomena Territory. If you sent someone from the Treasure Tree Sect instead, even if Ancestor Qianye did it personally, they might not manage it.
Of course, for Jiang Chen—who had a million years of alchemy mastery in his previous life—this sort of thing was as easy as wiggling a finger.