Chapter 278: Chapter 276: Emotional Value Maxed Out
The rules for the Refining Dao Convention changed with every session.
And the rules for the first round of this convention were as follows:
"Within two days of entering the examination grounds, contestants must gather materials on-site and craft three Tier Two items and one Tier Three item."
For example, a Pill Master contestant would have to craft three different types of Tier Two Pills and one type of Tier Three Pill within the two-day period.
Basically, this first round was enough to mercilessly eliminate the majority of cultivators who only dabbled in the refining arts.
It was worth noting that in duels between contestants, the emphasis had to be on using items like Talismans, Dan Poison, and Arrays.
In other words, contestants could not rely solely on their Cultivation Realm to overpower an opponent.
Any such action would be deemed a violation, resulting in immediate and merciless disqualification from the Refining Dao Convention!
The world rumbled.
Blazing, dazzling lightning flashed.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Master Lanwen lightly touched the empty air.
A moment later, a colossal portal materialized, stretching from the heavens to the earth.
Immediately, a series of creaks echoed.
With the sounds, the massive portal was pulled open inch by inch, revealing what lay within.
As it turned out, the massive portal was connected to the examination grounds!
Master Lanwen said, "The examination grounds are through this spatial gate. I wish you all the best of luck."
The moment he finished speaking, numerous streaks of light shot up from the grounds, heading straight for the spatial gate.
Most flew in groups of three to five; lone wolves were extremely rare.
Among them, Fang Hao waved goodbye to Fang Yang and went on ahead.
’The examination grounds for the first round...’ Fang Yang’s gaze was deep.
He was tightly gripping a rolled-up map in his hand.
A moment later, he and Sen Hui slowly flew forward.
Their appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention.
This was because, in this Refining Dao Convention, Fang Yang was one of the very few who possessed an excessive level of power.
By co-refining the Xuan Yuan Talisman Treasure, he had obtained Tier Six power.
With this Talisman Treasure, no matter how the rules changed, Fang Yang could craft "Xuan Yuan Talismans" at incredible speeds, placing him a cut above everyone else.
"Xiaorou, slow down." Murong Caiwei’s gaze was wary. She held her younger cousin back, pointedly letting Fang Yang and Sen Hui go ahead of them.
"Senior Sister," Sang Xiaowan couldn’t stop herself from warning Yu Qingyun. "Fang Yang is terrifying. Truly terrifying. You must be careful of him."
...
The sky was overcast, and a light, steady rain was falling.
A damp mist curled through the forest, shrouding everything in a hazy blur.
Fang Yang reached out and traced runes into the empty air.
The next moment, Fire Dao Primordial Qi surged, forming a Xuan-Huang Talisman.
The Talisman activated, forming a robe of orange-yellow flames around him that dispersed the mist and sheltered both him and Sen Hui.
Forming Talismans from pure Primordial Qi!
This was a technique that would give even some Tier Five Talisman Masters a headache to perform.
The reason was that this method placed an extremely high demand on one’s Soul Foundation.
But for Fang Yang, it was nothing. He possessed a ten-thousand-fold Soul Foundation!
It was now just past dawn.
Fang Yang consulted his map, carefully determining his direction.
Reaching Liuxi Cliff by sunset would be a good outcome.
Staying in the Divine Sparrow Bamboo Forest by sunset would be an average outcome.
Arriving at Twin Ram Hills by sunset would be a poor outcome.
Therefore, he naturally studied the map carefully to avoid taking the wrong path.
Taking the wrong path would be disastrous.
After a period of study, he led Sen Hui away. "Xiaohui, we’re heading for Liuxi Cliff."
Sen Hui had great faith in his arrangements and didn’t question his reasoning.
The light rain continued to PATTER down.
The mist in the forest still obscured a normal person’s vision.
Not long after they left, Murong Caiwei and her cousin walked over, holding oiled-paper umbrellas.
They weren’t nearly as capable as Fang Yang.
So they had no choice but to relive the kinds of days they’d experienced back when their cultivation was low.
"Xiaorou, what do you think? Which direction will Fang Yang and Sen Hui go?"
Caiwei asked, her bright eyes filled with caution.
She hadn’t forgotten that she and Sen Hui did not get along.
Judging others by her own standards, if she had the chance to knock Sen Hui out in the first round, she would absolutely not pass up such a golden opportunity!
"Sen Hui has a gentle temperament, and she’s a Yin Wood Spirit Body. She’ll probably head for the Divine Sparrow Bamboo Forest, though it’s also possible she’ll go to Liuxi Cliff."
Cairou pondered for a moment before giving her answer.
Hearing this, Caiwei smiled, as if looking at a promising student.
After some thought, Caiwei led Cairou straight toward Twin Ram Hills.
Before long, Yu Qingyun and the other disciples from the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life arrived.
Without much hesitation, they chose to head directly toward the Divine Sparrow Bamboo Forest.
The three parties had made different choices.
...
「Meanwhile.」
Fang Yang and Sen Hui were traveling, heading straight for Liuxi Cliff.
Along the way, Sen Hui would occasionally stop to search for various herbs, and even bits of soil and rock.
Meeting Fang Yang’s confused gaze, she said, "Hmph. Serves you right for not properly studying the path of the Alchemist Doctor. The properties of ingredients support and counteract one another. Follow the harmony, and it’s medicine; reverse it, and it’s poison."
Follow the harmony, and it’s medicine; reverse it, and it’s poison.
Fang Yang was astonished when he first heard this.
But when he compared it to the "Luck-Calamity Transformation" of the Fate Dao school, he understood at once.
Just as they were about to leave the forest, they both stopped in their tracks, their gazes fixed on what was ahead.
The next moment.
The mist parted, and a giant wolf emerged at a slow pace.
This was a Wind Wolf at Tier Two Peak. Its strongest Magic was Wind Blade.
It was as massive as a warhorse.
Its sleek fur was a deep green, and its eyes shone like emeralds.
When this type of wolf ran, the airflow it generated was as sharp as a blade, easily slitting its prey’s throat.
As it walked slowly forward, alternating its gait, it unexpectedly struck Fang Yang as elegant and noble.
However, Fang Yang’s gaze wasn’t just on the wolf, but also on the area behind him.
From behind him, the sound of running suddenly erupted.
Another Wind Wolf at Tier Two Peak!
’One wolf acts as a lure, the other ambushes. The cunning of beasts... is there any end to it?’
That phrase immediately surfaced in Fang Yang’s mind.
Just as he was preparing to act, Sen Hui smiled faintly. "Let me."
Her dark hair danced in the air as she opened her slender hands, the gesture like a butterfly spreading its wings.
But the crystalline powder between her fingers coalesced into flakes shaped like flying leaves, which shot outwards to slice through the air.
The Wind Wolf charging from behind suddenly faltered.
Its flesh dissolved into a bloody pulp, its skin festered, and it gradually melted into a pool of blood, leaving only a few bones visible.
The Wind Wolf approaching slowly from the front fared no better.
It let out a series of enraged howls, but it was powerless to stop the crystalline powder from seeping into its nostrils and skin.
Within a few breaths, it too had melted into a pool of blood.
*Hiss...*
Fang Yang raised a sharp eyebrow, slightly stunned. "It’s Dan Poison, but I can also see traces of Poison Skill and Wood Skill in it?"
"Hehe, you got it," Sen Hui said, glancing at him, her eyes brimming with a smile.
She wasn’t just for show, after all.
In other words, the legacy of Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint wasn’t limited to just Alchemy and healing.
"But this Dan Poison of yours is something else," Fang Yang said in admiration. "It must be the result of your hard work. Truly impressive."
Fang Yang didn’t hold back his words, taking the initiative to praise Sen Hui. This delighted her, providing an immense emotional boost.
He then used the Wind Wolf’s bones as the primary material and began to craft a Talisman right then and there.
Within a few breaths, he had crafted a White Bone Rocket Talisman, a Tier Two Talisman.
"Ah Yang, you’re incredible too! You can practically create a Talisman in a single thought," Sen Hui praised him in return, her smile as radiant as a flower.
Fang Yang smiled.
He thought he finally understood why kings of old were willing to risk their kingdoms for the sake of a beautiful woman.
The way Sen Hui made him feel... it was more than enough.
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