Chapter 225: I Want... to Win Once!

Chapter 225: I Want... to Win Once!

As the saying goes, experts show their prowess with their first move.

Chu Ning's understanding and mastery of pill refining was not far behind that of many Golden Core cultivators.

It was only because he lacked a True Flame that he was unable to refine higher-grade pills.

At this moment, just by looking at Leng Daichun's technique, he could tell that this person's pill refining skills were exceptional.

While he dared not say that he would definitely beat Yuan Rongzhang, the two were at least on par with each other.

Not only Chu Ning, but also Ling Cang and Yu Changge from the Jiuhua Sect could tell this.

Even Su Yuqing and He Yanmao, who arrived later, could vaguely sense that Leng Daichun's fire control technique was extraordinary.

The group exchanged glances and began to communicate via voice transmission.

"This person from the Great Ro Sect actually has pill refining skills that are no worse than ours. Brother Yuan might have met his match this time," Su Yuqing said to He Yanmao via voice transmission.

He Yanmao nodded, "I always thought that aside from Ao Xuan, the rest of the Great Ro Sect's pill refining skills might be good, but they might not necessarily be better than us. Especially after Brother Chu entered the Pill Refining Pavilion, we often exchanged insights, and our pill refining skills have improved significantly. I didn't expect that we were still too complacent."

As He Yanmao transmitted his thoughts, his brows furrowed slightly.

Su Yuqing nodded slightly but didn't say anything more. Her eyes, usually calm and indifferent, now held a hint of concern and worry.

This competition was extremely important for both the Pill Refining Pavilion and the Jiuhua Sect.

After some discussion, the group turned their attention back to the two competitors who were in the midst of pill refining.

At this moment, on the pill refining platform, Yuan Rongzhang and Leng Daichun had already added spirit herbs to their pill furnaces, and their fire control techniques had begun to change.

Yuan Rongzhang was currently using the Jiuhua Cong Yuan Dan (Jiuhua Condensing Yuan Pill) fire control technique.

What surprised Chu Ning was that although Leng Daichun's fire control technique appeared different from Yuan Rongzhang's on the surface, he could tell with his sharp eyes that there were some similarities between the two.

"These two fire control techniques should have the same origin. No wonder the people from the Jiuhua Sect have always held a grudge against the Great Ro Sect," Chu Ning's eyes flickered slightly. However, in terms of intricacy, the improved Jiuhua Cong Yuan technique that he had perfected should be slightly better.

What worried him was that Leng Daichun's spiritual power was obviously more refined, and he executed the technique with greater ease.

Before long, the two had almost finished extracting the essence from the spirit herbs and had begun the subsequent steps of melting and separating the liquids.

It must be said that Yuan Rongzhang's pill refining skills had indeed improved greatly over the years.

More than seven years ago, he couldn't even refine a high-grade Jiuhua Cong Yuan Dan.

But now, when faced with an entirely unfamiliar intermediate-high grade pill, he made very few mistakes.

However, his spiritual power was indeed not on par with Leng Daichun's, who had already started the pelletization process while Yuan Rongzhang had just finished the liquid separation step.

As Yuan Rongzhang began pelletization, Leng Daichun completed his pill refining process.

However, it seemed that he intentionally waited for Yuan Rongzhang to finish before revealing the results.

Leng Daichun did not immediately take the pill out of the furnace after refining it.

Instead, he coldly watched Yuan Rongzhang, who was working at the other pill refining platform.

Moreover, his expression remained unreadable, revealing no emotions.

Finally, Yuan Rongzhang also finished pelletization and looked at Leng Daichun, but he didn't rush to take out his pill either.

The elderly man with the surname Peng on the high platform saw that both of them had finished pill refining, so he stood up and said, "Since both of you have finished refining, let's take out the pills."

As his words fell, Yuan Rongzhang and Leng Daichun simultaneously tapped their pill furnaces.

"Five pills each? No, there's something wrong with Yuan Rongzhang's pills..." Chu Ning's gaze was sharp, and he immediately noticed that both of them had taken out five pills from their furnaces.

However, he also saw a fleeting change in Yuan Rongzhang's expression after the pills were removed.

Although this emotional fluctuation was subtle, it was caught by Chu Ning, who had been paying close attention.

However, the Jiuhua Sect disciple on the field could not see it clearly.

"Could you see how many pills they refined?"

"Five each. Both of them have five pills."

"What? Both of them have five pills? Does that mean this match is a tie?"

"We also need to consider the pill quality, but we can't tell that just by looking."

"Senior Brother Yuan is the second-best pill refiner after Brother Chu in the Pill Refining Pavilion. He must be able to win one match."

"Yes, he must be able to win one!"

The crowd from the Jiuhua Sect anxiously watched as the two competitors on the field each threw a jade bottle to the elderly man with the surname Peng.

To avoid any mix-ups, the two sects used different colored bottles. The Jiuhua Sect used a greenish-blue jade bottle, while the Great Ro Sect used a white one.

The white-haired elder with the surname Peng and the other four witnesses stepped forward and first opened the greenish-blue jade bottle, pouring out the five pills inside to examine them.

Then, they poured out the pills from the white jade bottle and inspected them as well.

After some discussion, the elderly man with the surname Peng walked to the center of the high platform and slowly announced, "In this match, both competitors have refined five pills, with the same success rate. However, one of the pills refined by Yuan Rongzhang of the Jiuhua Sect has a slight flaw, and his refining speed was also slower. This match is won by the Great Ro Sect."

"Wow!"

As the white-haired elder with the surname Peng announced the result, the entire field fell into an uproar.

"How is that possible? Senior Brother Yuan lost? Pill refining is his specialty!"

"What do we do now?

...

The Jiuhua Sect disciples murmured among themselves. At this moment, on the high platform, Ling Cang stood up and flashed over to the elderly man with the surname Peng.

"Friend Peng, may I take a look at the two bottles of pills?" Ling Cang requested.

The white-haired elder with the surname Peng nodded and agreed, "Friend Ling is also a master pill refiner. You can take a look and you'll know."

He handed over the two jade bottles to Ling Cang.

Ling Cang opened the bottles and examined the pills within using his spiritual sense without pouring them out. After a moment, he silently returned the bottles to the white-haired elder.

As he returned to his seat, he shook his head slightly at Yu Changge and the others.

Ling Cang's actions implicitly confirmed that he agreed with the result announced by the elder with the surname Peng.

This caused another uproar among the Jiuhua Sect disciples in the arena.

Chu Ning looked at Yuan Rongzhang on the pill refining platform, his face filled with unwillingness and shame.

Chu Ning sighed inwardly. This competition must have been a huge blow to Yuan Rongzhang.

After all, Yuan Rongzhang had always been proud and arrogant, even after Chu Ning joined the Jiuhua Sect.

It was only after Chu Ning improved the Jiuhua Cong Yuan Dan's fire control technique and provided the formula for the Dizang Hunling Dan that Yuan Rongzhang truly acknowledged his skill.

Over the years, Yuan Rongzhang's pill refining technique had indeed improved rapidly, surpassing He Yanmao.

Among the numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Pill Refining Pavilion, he was second only to Chu Ning.

Now, within the Great Ro Sect, their most skilled pill refiner, Ao Xuan, had not even made a move yet.

Yet, this lesser-known Leng Daichun had already bested Yuan Rongzhang.

Although the difference in their skills wasn't significant, the impact on Yuan Rongzhang would likely be substantial.

Moreover, this turn of events put the Jiuhua Sect at a disadvantage.

If Yuan Rongzhang couldn't win in the artifact forging and combat rounds, there would be no need for the final round of the competition.

The Jiuhua Sect disciples were clearly aware of this, and their faces showed their anxiety as they looked at Yuan Rongzhang.

At this moment, Yuan Rongzhang and Leng Daichun had received the jade slips containing the Nine Luo Refining Essence Law from the middle-aged scholar using his driving technique.

From Yuan Rongzhang's unsightly expression, the others could vaguely guess the outcome of the upcoming round.

Artifact forging was indeed not Yuan Rongzhang's forte.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when he lost the next round.

Yuan Rongzhang couldn't even properly smelt and refine the materials required for the competition.

After five rounds, the Jiuhua Sect had only won one.

The atmosphere in the arena turned frigid.

Although the Jiuhua Sect disciples didn't say anything, their eyes and expressions revealed their disappointment.

Many of them had lost their fighting spirit.

In contrast, the Great Ro Sect's side was lively, with the hundred-plus Foundation Establishment cultivators chatting and laughing.

On the high platform, a smile spread across Ao Langtian's face.

As Yuan Rongzhang and Leng Daichun flew into the competition area, Ao Langtian, the late Golden Core cultivator leading the Great Ro Sect, laughed and said, "Nephew Leng, this Yuan Rongzhang is the son of our friend Yuan from the Jiuhua Sect. Remember to go easy on him."

Ao Langtian's words caused Yuan Rongzhang's face to twitch slightly.

However, he didn't look towards the high platform but stared directly at Leng Daichun, his eyes flashing with madness and obsession, as if he wanted to devour his opponent.

As soon as the white-haired elder with the surname Peng announced the start of the competition, a longsword appeared in Yuan Rongzhang's hand.

In the next moment, he brandished the sword, sending sword beams towards Leng Daichun.

Yuan Rongzhang then cast a defensive shield and flew straight towards Leng Daichun, sword in hand.

This aggressive approach was completely different from Lu Kegang's steady and cautious style.

Chu Ning, on the high platform, silently nodded in approval.

Having faced off against higher-level cultivators multiple times during his early and middle Foundation Establishment stages, Chu Ning had gained valuable experience.

In a battle between cultivators of different realms, seizing the initiative was crucial.

If one also had some hidden tricks up their sleeve, their chances of victory increased even further.

Otherwise, if the higher-level cultivator dominated the fight, there would be no opportunity to fight back.

Evidently, Yuan Rongzhang was thinking along the same lines.

However, Chu Ning was slightly taken aback by Leng Daichun's actions. Although Leng Daichun had displayed proficient fire control during pill refining and artifact forging, he seemed to be a dual cultivator of fire and earth attributes. Without the aid of external artifacts, talismans, or spells, he had activated an earth-attribute defensive shield around himself.

The shield, shimmering with a thick yellowish aura, clearly indicated superior defensive capabilities, suggesting that it was some kind of secret technique.

Yuan Rongzhang's fierce sword strikes were completely blocked by this shield.

His crimson flame sword couldn't penetrate the shield at all.

At this moment, Leng Daichun waved his hand, and a long whip appeared in his grasp.

With a flick of the whip, it transformed into a fire snake and struck Yuan Rongzhang's defensive shield.

Yuan Rongzhang's shield, formed by talismans, instantly shattered.

Startled, Yuan Rongzhang could only retreat.

In just one exchange, the difference in their realms became apparent.

In terms of the thickness and potency of their spiritual power, Yuan Rongzhang couldn't compare to Leng Daichun.

Leng Daichun, acting on the counter-attack, continuously whipped his fire snake, relentlessly attacking Yuan Rongzhang.

However, Yuan Rongzhang's swordsmanship was also exceptional. Sword beams flashed, blocking the incoming attacks.

"He's using a magic treasure so soon?" Chu Ning was slightly taken aback, his heart sinking a little.

It was clear that Yuan Rongzhang had realized during the fight that his pure artifacts and spells were no match for Leng Daichun.

So, he had brought out his trump card.

However, Leng Daichun might also have a magic treasure.

Indeed, as this thought flashed through Chu Ning's mind, a yellow, ink-like treasure appeared in Leng Daichun's hand.

Just as Yuan Rongzhang activated his black sword, causing it to turn into a streak of fire and shoot towards Leng Daichun, a yellow glow emerged from the yellow stone ink, meeting the attack of the treasure sword head-on.

For a moment, the two forces were deadlocked.

In the next moment, they flew back simultaneously, returning to their respective owners.

Chu Ning watched this unfold, his eyes flickering slightly.

"It seems that the black sword in Yuan Rongzhang's hand has slightly higher potency than the yellow stone ink.

However, Yuan Rongzhang's spiritual power is insufficient to support the full power of the sword.

On the other hand, Leng Daichun's spiritual power is more robust, allowing him to unleash most of the potential of the yellow stone ink, despite it not being a very powerful treasure."

As Chu Ning pondered this, the two combatants in the arena had already reactivated their treasures and clashed once more.

This time, Yuan Rongzhang's black sword held its ground for a shorter duration, and the crimson glow surrounding it dissipated as it flew back.

However, the yellow glow emitted by the yellow stone ink did not completely disappear.

Instead, it followed the black sword in its retreat.

Yuan Rongzhang's expression changed slightly, and he successively activated his artifacts and talismanic defensive shields.

The yellow glow, being an attack generated by a treasure, managed to break through most of the defensive shields Yuan Rongzhang had erected, despite being partially blocked by the black sword.

Seizing this opportunity, Leng Daichun once again unleashed an attack from the yellow stone ink.

Although this move seemed to deplete a significant amount of his spiritual power, it put Yuan Rongzhang in an even more unfavorable position.

Already a step behind, Yuan Rongzhang now had insufficient time to reactivate the black sword, especially considering the substantial amount of spiritual power he had expended in the previous two attacks.

Consequently, the black sword's potency was noticeably lacking.

It was quickly repelled by the yellow glow, which then struck Yuan Rongzhang once more.

As Yuan Rongzhang hastily gathered various defensive shields, the spectators from the Jiuhua Sect paled in unison.

Leng Daichun still had the upper hand, and as he brandished his whip, he pursued the yellow glow towards Yuan Rongzhang.

Yuan Rongzhang, clearly aware of this, had his expression transformed with shock.

As the yellow glow shattered the defensive shields in front of him, he flickered and attempted to dodge Leng Daichun's whip.

However, the whip, agile as a fire snake, suddenly changed direction at the last moment, wrapping around Yuan Rongzhang and striking him with full force.

The tremendous impact sent Yuan Rongzhang flying, and he collided with the outer defensive restrictions of the arena.

Leng Daichun showed no mercy, and as his body swayed, the fire snake formed by his whip struck again.

Just as Yuan Rongzhang stabilized himself, Leng Daichun was upon him once more.

Yuan Rongzhang hastily erected a defensive shield, but it was not enough to withstand the assault.

However, without the yellow glow's attack this time, he managed to dodge after the shield shattered.

But he was still grazed by the fire whip, adding to his previous injuries.

At this point, Yuan Rongzhang took out a talisman and swiftly activated it.

The talisman's defensive capabilities were evident, and after forming a protective shield, Yuan Rongzhang ignored the approaching fire whip and instead swallowed a pill, channeling his spiritual power once more to activate the black short sword in his hand.

Leng Daichun coldly hummed in response, and the fire snake retracted.

He, too, took out a pill and consumed it, reactivating the yellow stone ink treasure.

Thus, a scene similar to the previous one unfolded. The short sword was repelled, and the yellow glow struck Yuan Rongzhang's defensive shield.

However, this time, it was blocked.

Yuan Rongzhang paid no heed and took out another pill, swallowing it before channeling his spiritual power once more to activate the short sword.

"Let's see how many times you can do that," Leng Daichun said coldly, taking out and consuming a pill himself.

He then activated the yellow stone ink treasure once more.

Evidently, the consecutive uses of his treasure had also depleted a significant amount of his spiritual power.

But Leng Daichun was well aware that Yuan Rongzhang was in an even worse state.

Even with good pills, the recovery of spiritual power could not keep up with the rate of consumption.

Almost simultaneously, both combatants reactivated their treasures and launched them at each other.

And at that moment, a look of madness and obsession, similar to the one he had when he first entered the arena, flashed in Yuan Rongzhang's eyes.

"I want... to win once!" he roared.

As he shouted, Yuan Rongzhang suddenly performed a set of intricate hand seals.

In the next instant, the black short sword, which had been flying straight towards Leng Daichun, abruptly changed direction in mid-air.

It veered away from the yellow glow emitted by the yellow stone ink and instead, struck directly at Leng Daichun!

"Wow!"

The audience erupted in astonishment at this unexpected turn of events.

They had already witnessed the power of the yellow glow, and without the black sword to block it, Yuan Rongzhang would have to withstand its full force.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end