coobybook Chapter 23 Sect Grand Competition 2
Chapter 23 Sect Grand Competition 2
Zhang Yunling racked his brains to think about all the knowledge he had about herbs and plants. He also pondered to himself, "This shouldn't be. The highest alchemist here should be around the fifth rank, while I have some knowledge of even the sixth rank."
The female disciple seemed confident of victory and stopped stimulating the tree root in her hand. Instead, she looked at Zhang Yunling with great interest. The quality of the tree root in her hand was only slightly different from that of hers, but even with this slight difference, the female disciple was certain that Zhang Yunling would have no chance.
She was, after all, a fifth-grade alchemist. Although she had only just reached the threshold of the fifth grade and was still quite unfamiliar with the alchemy of this level, she was still capable enough to handle Zhang Yunling's mere third-grade strength.
What should I do...?
More than half an hour had passed, and many disciples were exhausted and slumped on the ground, clutching tree roots that were only a few inches long. The few pitiful green shoots on them proved that these disciples would not achieve good results.
Zhang Yunling looked around, and the disciples who were still desperately trying to impart knowledge about plants and trees gradually became blurry in his eyes. He also put the female disciple's voice out of his mind, and his heart began to contemplate in the purest way.
I have put all the knowledge of alchemy I have learned to use. Although I have never refined a fifth-grade elixir, my theoretical foundation is already qualified for the fifth grade.
Reviewing the old helps one gain new knowledge. If I can master what I've learned before, I will learn faster and more than other alchemists of the same level...
Dragon Vein Tree!
This is the key to breaking the deadlock! I only knew how to use the knowledge I already had, but I ignored this brand new herb that I had just come into contact with!
Zhang Yunling immediately used his divine sense to carefully examine the roots of the dragon vein tree from beginning to end, slowly sensing the spiritual energy and medicinal power within, and combining this with his more than ten years of experience in alchemy...
Aha! The principle behind this herb is simply to store the spiritual energy absorbed from the outside, and then release it when needed.
The fact that the tree withers after being separated from its mother tree means that the connection between the tree root and the dragon vein tree has been forcibly severed, and the power stored within it is rapidly lost to the outside world.
According to his understanding, the pills made from these herbs have a strong effect on restoring a cultivator's physical and spiritual strength. They can also be made into one-time consumable pills for external use, which have the effect of stealing the enemy's spiritual power. This is the truth he has come to realize!
Once these thoughts were clear, the branch in Zhang Yunling's hand suddenly grew rapidly, quickly surpassing the quality of the branch in the female disciple's hand. It was even covered with bright red and purple flowers, vibrant and full of life.
Spiritual power is power, divine sense is also power, but enlightenment is the ultimate power! A moment of enlightenment can save a cultivator from decades or even centuries of arduous cultivation.
Zhang Yunling finally understood.
With the female disciple's incredulous and horrified gaze, the first round of the competition officially ended. Those disciples who did not achieve their goals were directly separated from the arena by the elders, along with the tree branches.
Zhang Yunling looked at the exasperated female disciple with a beaming smile and slowly said, "What, is that all you've got? So what if you're a fifth-rank disciple? How much did Lin Yue pay you? I'll pay double. Go and beat him up."
The female disciple was already furious. She threw away the branch in her hand, pointed at Zhang Yunling with her left hand, and shouted: "Xu Tianli! Don't be too smug. This first round is just the basics of alchemy. You have the nerve to be arrogant and beat me by using your petty tricks!"
"Tch, let's give it a try then." Zhang Yunling waved his hand fearlessly, waiting for the second round of the competition to begin.
The old man, who was in mid-air, raised his hand and flicked it, instantly drawing all the tree branches on the field into his right sleeve by an invisible force.
"Everyone, rest here for a quarter of an hour and wait for the second round." After saying this, the old man disappeared into the space, and all the participating disciples sat down cross-legged to rest.
Upon seeing this, Lin Yue, who was in the audience, rushed to the elders' seats and quietly found his father, Lin Shan, an inner elder of the Daoist Elders' Pavilion.
"Father, look! It's him!" Lin Yue pointed in Zhang Yunling's direction and said to Lin Shan, "He used to be Xu Tianli, an outer disciple who got along well with me. But now he's not Xu Tianli; he's a dangerous person who has infiltrated the sect under a false identity!"
Lin Shan frowned, looking in the direction Lin Yue was pointing, and said impatiently, "What do you mean by impersonating someone to sneak into the sect? You're being a bit too impulsive. As one of the three major sects, how can someone like Qiankun Dao just sneak in like that? Besides, what kind of trouble can a mere outer disciple cause? What do you want me to do?"
Hearing his father's somewhat reluctant tone, Lin Yue could only feel anxious. But before long, another bad fart escaped his lips.
"That's it! I can bribe Elder Wang, who's in charge of the sect competition, and have him secretly tamper with Xu Tianli's affairs... Hmph, let's see if he gets eliminated this time!"
A terrible idea popped into Lin Yue's head, and he quickly got up and walked toward Elder Wang, who had taken away the tree branches earlier.
At that moment, Elder Wang was packing up his competition equipment for the second round in a cubicle behind the audience seats when he heard a knock on the door. Elder Wang impatiently replied, "Who is it?"
"Disciple Lin Yue has an important matter to ask of you."
"Let's talk about it when we get inside!" Elder Wang continued to tuck the various herbs on the table into his sleeves. Lin Yue entered the room, closed the door, and then scurried over to Elder Wang's side, whispering:
"Elder Wang, I have an enemy participating in this competition. Could you secretly give him a low-quality herb to eliminate him? I will prepare a generous reward to thank you, Elder Wang. What do you think..."
Upon hearing this, Elder Wang angrily rebuked, "You brat! I thought it was something important, but it turns out you've come here to cause trouble! Get out, get out of here now! As an elder of the Qiankun Dao, I believe in doing things with integrity and never harm others without reason. For the sake of your father, Lin Shan, I will not pursue this matter. Now get out!"
Seeing Elder Wang's tactlessness, Lin Yue could only smile helplessly. "Elder Wang, don't be impatient. My father's treasured jar of Daughter's Red wine is aged for 1,800 years. You see..."
Lin Yue knew that Old Wang had no other hobbies but drinking. Every day after finishing his affairs within the sect, he would always have a few drinks to satisfy his craving for alcohol when he had nothing to do in the evening.
Lin Yue was well aware that Lin Yue had been eyeing Lin Shan's fine wines for some time, and that this precious jar was a very ruthless way to bribe him.
He didn't consider whether it was worth it; he was just used to being arrogant and domineering over the years. Relying on his father's status and power as an inner sect elder, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish if he wanted to get to the bottom of things.
Elder Wang had initially intended to decline, but after hearing Lin Yue's conditions, he couldn't help but be tempted. He was just a disciple; it wouldn't be a big deal to persecute him. Besides, would that disciple be so easily discouraged by a single competition defeat?
After much internal struggle, he finally whispered in Lin Yue's ear, "You brat, keep your word. This time, I'll risk losing face to help you out. Bring me the wine right afterward!"
With half of his underhanded scheme already completed, Lin Yue's face was immediately filled with coldness and malice: "Alright, it's a deal."