56 Skill Issue...
--- Chapter 55 ---
Hearing the task, the last five contestants moved and started preparing medical ingredients.
"Foolish Jia Ma Empire, this is why all of you are trash!" Yan Li suddenly laughed and brought out several ominous medicinal ingredients. He opened his black robe and revealed a youthful appearance, causing everyone's eyes to widen in shock.
He made a slitting-throat gesture toward Baek Ain and added, "I'll show the difference between you guys and me!!"
Baek Ain smiled politely and replied, "Good luck."
'Good luck if you ever made it out alive from this place...'
Fa Ma and other elders from the Alchemist Association look at Yan Li's medicinal ingredients with a frown. Not only are these herbs rare, but they are also hard to refine because of their evil natures.
"Black Ghost Vines, a dangerous herb that could suck one's blood to the brim."
"Crown Blood Flower, which could damage one's soul..."
"And lastly, Hundred Curse Leaves that can suck one's Dou Qi until there is nothing more left."
"With these ingredients, I'm sure Yan Li wanted to make a 4-Tier Soul Eater Pill." Fa Ma solemnly commented. "The quality should be around low to the middle-class range."
"A pill that can swallow other's strength and crystal it for others to consume... And the unlucky person who consumed it will fall to madness out of sheer pain."
The audience shuddered when hearing the description of the Soul Eater Pill because how could a pill have a horrible effect?
There is nothing wrong with making dark-orientated pills, but Yan Li is from the Chu Yuan Empire. The people there were known as violent Dou Masters, who killed others based on pure evil.
He created Soul Eater Pill to prove the Chu Yuan Empire was better than Jia Ma Empire, which means their evil method was the best.
"HAHAHA! If the Jia Ma Empire declared itself as "Light." then the Chu Yuan Empire would be its Darkness! I'll devour your light..." Yan Li shouted while burning his alchemist furnace with intense black flame.
However, in Baek Ain's eyes, Yan Li is a dumbass.
'Yi Xian, please deal with the poison in the Colosseum. I'll handle the one on the altar.' Since Baek Ain had read the Battle Through the Heaven, he knew Yan Li was planning to terrorize the Alchemist Grand Meeting. '
Unfortunately for Yan Li, Baek Ain has sent Yi Xian to cleanse any poison within the Alchemist Grand Meeting. A person with a Woeful Poison Body is such a bad matchup for people from the Chu Yuan Empire.
That was an hour ago, which means Yan Li's plan will fail.
Baek Ain expected drastic changes since this world is an alternative universe. However, as Alicia stated, most things stayed the same throughout this world's history.
"You want to play dirty, huh?"
"Let's get dirty then."
Baek Ain placed down his treasured Alchemist Furnace, a 6-Tier Furnace synthesized from his former 5-Tier Furnace. It's called Deep Earth Dome Furnace and has the shape of a brown-colored tree stump.
Don't be fooled by its appearance because this thing has an immense synergy with Fire and Wood Dou Qi, possessing the toughness to rival Dou Ancestor in terms of durability. After all, The interior is "actually." blessed with Space Tampering.
Baek Ain stretched his right hand and summoned Gnome's Four-Colored Heavenly Flame at full blast, illuminating the altar with greenish-brown color.
BOOM!
A pillar of fire ascended to the sky from Baek Ain's table, startling everyone with its heat.
"What?!" Yan Li's eyes squinted.
"What kind of flame is that?"
Fa Ma and the alchemist elders reacted with questioning looks as they couldn't identify Baek Ain's Flame. Its immense appearance and presence are similar to a Heavenly Flame, but they have never heard of any flame with a greenish-brown color.
Even Yao Chen couldn't recognize Baek Ain's Flame, which hurt his Alchemy Saint's pride. "I've lived for so long and roamed over the Dou Continent, but it's the first to see such a unique Heavenly Flame." He mumbled to himself.
"From its characteristics, it's a "Heavenly Flame." formed deep within the earth. And this intensity, even my Chilling Bone Flame couldn't compare."
"A new Heavenly Flame... It seems the list will change soon."
Baek Ain literally ignored everyone's gaze and focused on making his pill, measuring everything. His Alchemist's Instinct flared to the limit as he carefully refined the ingredients.
"Three slices."
"Six drops."
"Catalyst and mix..."
"Temper the refined ingredients for a few seconds."
Unlike everyone, who focused on one spot, Baek Ain constantly moved to mix his ingredients. He could have used Dou Qi and Gnome's Flame to force things away, but nothing can beat a human's touch.
Every time Baek Ain touched something with his finger, he could feel the change within the materials and prepared them for the next stage.
His silhouette becomes blurry and leaves some afterimage, rendering the audience and judges speechless.
"Move, move. Raise the temperature to 169°C and incorporate another drop of Mountain's Essence Drop to create a chemical effect."
Baek Ain grabbed a handful of roots and squished them with his right hand, dropping the juice into the mixture.
Swoosh!
Baek Ain's refined mixture changes color to a dim green, making people frown in confusion. The way Baek Ain makes pills is vastly different from others.
It is systematic and precise.
However, looking at it, such a method is hard to copy.
Even if they did, would they achieve the same efficiency and result as Baek Ain?
Baek Ain snapped his finger and blasted Gnome's Flame into the Deep Earth Dome Furnace, making the stump release a faint green hue. Rocks and roots-like illusions appear when Baek Ain uses the 6-Tier Treasure, which charms people because of its beautiful sight.
Crackles!
Black clouds gathered in the sky and released a loud thunderclap.
BOOM!
Everyone was speechless.
What kind of pill did Baek Ain make to trigger Heaven's anger?
"How could he be so skilled?" Xiao Yan witnessed the scene before him with a shocked expression.
Yao Chen slapped Xiao Yan's head and shouted, "Xiao Yan, focus! You can't look at others when your pill is in a crucial stage!"
"Crap. Sorry, teacher." Xiao Yan returned his attention to pill-making.
Since Xiao Yan didn't go on any journey and went straight to Jia Nan Academy, he doesn't possess Green Lotus Core Flame and is too weak to absorb Fallen Heart Flame.
That's why Xiao Yan absorbed an alternative flame from two 6-Rank Magical Beasts called "Silver Moon Beast." and "Earth-Fire Swallowing Toad.", using Flame Mantra to combine them in harmony.
Sometimes, Yao Chen even allowed him to use Bone Chilling Flame.
Xiao Yan is far weaker and only reached 3-Rank Dou Grandmaster, but his alchemy skill is higher than his canon self. He could make 3rd Tier Pills easily and have some success in creating 4th Tier ones.
Well, 4-Tiers Pills means nothing to Baek Ain.
Baek Ain could make a 4-Tier Pill with half-opened eyes. No, even in his sleep, he could do it.
The intense pill-making swept over the altar with extreme heat. The royal princess and Liu Ling finished their pills but hurriedly ran away because they couldn't resist the heat.
Hai Bodong stepped forward and created a thick ice barrier around the altar, regulating the temperature so none would get injured.
Jia Xing Tian followed shortly after, adding a layer of the rock barrier to support Hai Bodong. "Tch, I admit it. Your little brat is better than my granddaughter, Old Bastard." He said in annoyance.
Hai Bodong grinned and replied, "Haha, I hope you prepare and send that thing for me tomorrow."
"Fine..." Jia Xing Tian felt a bleed in his chest. The Royal Treasury will lose its millennium treasure tomorrow.
CRACKLE! BOOOOOM!!
As if Heaven was furious, white lightning descended from the sky and struck the altar. Baek Ain is fine because his body is extremely sturdy, and Yan Li possesses a treasure to resist lightning.
However, Xiao Yan is different.
"Arrrrghhh!" Xiao Yan's whole body burnt like roasted chicken.
He struggled to finish his pill and shouted vigorously, "I WON'T LOSE AGAIN!"
"HIYAAAAH!" Xiao Yan stood proudly and raised his right arm, grabbing his 4-Tier pill. "BREAK FOR ME!!"
'Ew, cringe.' Baek Ain thought to himself.
'Is this the side effect of living in a Cultivation World? I hope my future self won't be like him.'
Yan Li snickered and declared, "Only that? Let me show you the real 4-Tier pill!"
An ominous black pill appeared before everyone's eyes, releasing an eerie feeling.
"THE DARKNESS SHALL SWALLOW THIS EMPIRE, HAHAHA!!"
'And you too! Stop being edgy, for fuck sake.' Baek Ain glanced at Yan Li with a skeptical look.
BOOOM!
As Baek Ain finished condensing his pill, thunder struck him again. He yawned under extreme natural force and heard a notification.
[Ding! Unrecorded Body Refining Technique has reached level 30]
[Ding! You have unlocked "White Lightning Mortal Body."]
"Done." Baek Ain squeezed the pill from his Alchemist Furnace, showing everyone a golden brilliance under the dark clouds.
He opened his palm and let out the shine, sweeping everyone within 100 meters in divine light.
[Ding! You have created a Transcendent 5-Tier Pill: "Fire Origin Returning Pill."]
Fa Ma and other alchemists leaned on the fence with speechless look on their faces.
"T-That glows..."
"F-Fifth Tier Pill!" Fa Ma couldn't hide his surprise.
"Baek Ain successfully made a GODDAMN FIFTH TIER PILL!"
"GENIUS, GENIUS OVER THE HEAVEN!"
Baek Ain smiled at the other contestant and said, "What, You could only make 4-Tier pills?"
"I see... Skill Issue."
"..." Xiao Yan.
"..." Yao Chen.
"..." Yan Li.
Fa Ma doesn't even wait and announces, "The Winner of the 8th Alchemist Grand Meeting is Baek Ain!"
"WOOOOOAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"BAEK AIN!"
"BAEK AIN!"
"BAEK AIN!"
"Hmm, not bad." Baek Ain raised his right arm victoriously. He basked in glory as everyone chimed his name.
[Ding! You have finished the "Alchemist Grand Meeting." event]
