Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 60 - Targeting

Roughly fifteen minutes later, a huge plaza appeared before them, surrounded by walls. The central plaza spanned roughly a thousand square meters and could accommodate a few hundred people simultaneously.

All the prominent guests of Zen City had already gathered there. The plaza was sectioned into different areas for observation, competition, and judging.

Three old men were seated on the first row, and they were the judges sent by the headquarters. The man in the center appeared to be in his sixties, with a white beard and gentle features, exuding an air of transcendence. Each person had a nameplate in front of them displaying their name and other information.

The man on the left was Sang Yan, a three-star alchemist from headquarters. The man in the middle was a renowned four-star alchemist from headquarters, known only as Master Mao, as his real name had long been forgotten. The man on the right was Zhou Xinsheng, another three-star alchemist. All three held high positions and were overseeing the competition.

Four-star alchemists were rare, with only a handful in the Great Yan Dynasty. Among all the alchemists participating in the competition, the best were three-star alchemists, who were ahead of many old-generation alchemists.

Despite having lived most of his life, Master Huo had only achieved the rank of a two-star alchemist. It was no wonder that he coveted Liu Wuxie’s Heavenly Spirit Pill. By mastering the method of refining this pill, Master Huo could be promoted to a three-star alchemist.

In the second row sat pavilion masters from thirty-five cities. The first seat was occupied by Shangguan Cai, the pavilion master of Serene Tomb City. Next to him was Li An, the pavilion master of Zen City and host of the competition. The third seat was taken by Wang Hongcai, the pavilion master of Manifest City. Following them were Che Jiajun from Camp City, Ke Wen from Wu City, and Mo Shidao from Ning City. Zuo Hong, who had placed third in the previous year’s competition, represented Manifest City, while Du Mingze represented Ning City. The final seat was occupied by Bi Gongyu from Azure Billow City.

Among the thirty-five pavilion masters, those ranked in the top five held a higher status and were eagerly greeted by lower-ranked pavilion masters. Azure Billow City, on the other hand, was seated last due to their poor performance in the previous year’s ranking.

To obtain a high ranking, the branch had to obtain considerable achievements, and the competition was a medium to test the standards of each branch.

The third row of seats was occupied by guests who had been invited to watch the competition. These included members of the prominent clans in Zen City, as well as some experts. Among them were five representatives of the Kuang Clan: the patriarch, grand elder, second elder, and two juniors. One of the juniors was the white-clothed youth who had accompanied Kuang Zhan the previous day, indicating his high status in the Kuang Clan.

“Second Elder, is that the brat who discovered the fake painting?” Kuang Qiu’s eyes landed on Liu Wuxie. The incident at the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce had already been reported to the clan, and they had traced the source of the fake painting to a workshop in Pear Square Town, a hundred miles from Zen City. This workshop specialized in producing cheap but profitable forgeries, which were sold for large profits. The Kuang Clan had swiftly dismantled the workshop overnight.

“Patriarch, that’s him!” Kuang Zhan quickly stepped forward and answered respectfully.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a young alchemist. I hope he won’t disappoint us today,” remarked the patriarch as he observed the competition that drew countless attention each year. This year, it was being held in Zen City, allowing them to watch it closely.

“He’er, what do you think of him?” Kuang Qiu asked the white-clothed youth beside him, seeking his thoughts on Liu Wuxie, who had also been present at the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce the previous day.

“Father, he might seem young, but he is more mature than his age. He’s calm and composed in his actions. So even if he might seem to be sixteen or seventeen, he has a mature mentality. He’s not simple, and I’m inferior compared to him,” replied Kuang He. He had observed Liu Wuxie’s actions closely the previous day and had come to this conclusion.

“I am glad that you are aware of your shortcomings, my son. Learning from the strengths of others to improve upon your own weaknesses is the way of cultivation. But do not underestimate yourself, for you are far ahead of your peers in painting,” said Kuang Qiu, pleased with his son’s response.

Kuang He was the most talented painter among the younger generation of the Kuang Clan, having displayed an extraordinary aptitude for painting from a young age. In his teens, he was already capable of creating paintings with artistic expression. While artistic expression was not martial intent, it was still a formidable skill.

In the observing area, two hundred people were seated, discussing and speculating about who would emerge victorious in this year’s competition.

“It’s time for the annual competition again, which is being held in Zen City this year. On behalf of the headquarters, I would like to thank Pavilion Master Li for setting up this venue!” announced a middle-aged man with a powerful voice that carried to every corner of the venue. As he spoke, the entire place fell silent.

“Deacon Hua, you’re too polite. This is just part of my job.” Li An stood up and cupped his fists together, thanking everyone for their support.

“Let us not waste any more time. My name is Hua Xingquan, and I am a deacon from the competition’s headquarters and your emcee for today. Now, please join me in welcoming the forty alchemists to the venue! There are a few new faces this year, so I will go over the rules of the competition.”

As Liu Wuxie and thirty-nine other alchemists entered the venue, they saw forty tables arranged with sealed boxes, each about a foot tall and presumably containing herbs. The seating arrangement was based on the previous year’s rankings, with Liu Wuxie’s table located near the edge of the venue.

On the first day of the competition, the alchemists would be tested on their ability to identify pills. They would have to write down not only the name of each pill but also its age and effects. Most importantly, they would have to devise a formula on the spot—a feat that even a four-star alchemist would find challenging.

To succeed in this task, the alchemists would need to have a thorough understanding of the nature of herbs and their attributes. If they were not matched correctly, it could cause the cauldron to explode.

“Like the previous years, you will be required to identify herbs,” continued Deacon Hua. “The box in front of each of you contains forty-five herbs of the same age and effect. You may or may not recognize them, as they are new varieties cultivated by our headquarters. You will have six hours to determine the age and effects of these herbs. The total score is 100 points: one point for each correct identification, for a total of 45 points. The remaining 55 points will be awarded based on the formula you create.”

The rules of the competition were straightforward: one point was awarded for each correct identification of a herb. However, despite the apparent simplicity of the task, no one had ever achieved a perfect score in this history of the competition. The highest score ever recorded was 70 points, earned by correctly identifying forty-five herbs and devising half of a formula. Liu Wuxie had already familiarized himself with the rules before arriving at the competition.

“Deacon Hua, I have something to say,” Yun Lan stood up and interrupted Hua Xingquan. When Yun Lan spoke out, he immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

“Pavilion Master Yun, please go ahead,” replied Hua Xingquan, gesturing for Yun Lan to speak and raise any objections he might have.

“The competition is a sacred event held annually by the Treasure Pill Pavilion, but some people intend to participate with subpar skills. This is disrespectful to the competition, and I suggest that such individuals be removed so as not to tarnish the reputation of the Treasure Pill Pavilion,” declared Yun Lan passionately, his gaze fixed on Liu Wuxie. His disciple had been humiliated the previous day, and he himself had suffered embarrassment as a result. He was not about to let this matter go so easily.

Yun Lan’s words caused an immediate uproar among those present. The incident at the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce the previous day, where Xiao Mingyi of Boundless City had spent 1,000,000 gold coins on a fake painting and been exposed on the spot, had already spread throughout Zen City.

“Yun Lan, what nonsense are you talking about? The competition has not even begun, and you are already making baseless accusations? In my opinion, it is you who are the one tarnishing the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s reputation!” exclaimed Bi Gongyu, standing up in defense of Azure Billow City, which had been targeted by Yun Lan’s words.

“We shall see soon enough whether my words are nonsense. Do you dare to let me question him?” retorted Yun Lan, sneering as he pointed at Liu Wuxie. The competition had not yet started, but the air was already thick with tension. Some pavilion masters remained indifferent, while others sneered in disdain.

Xiao Mingyi had not been the only one to suffer embarrassment the previous day. Wan Yizhun from Balance City, Xue Chou from Plum City, and Du Mingze from Ning City had also been present.

Liu Wuxie, who had been standing in a corner, was taken aback to find himself singled out. But he quickly regained his composure and became aware of the hundreds of eyes fixed on him, including those of the thirty-nine other alchemists. Some looked on with glee, some with mockery, and others with curiosity.

“Pavilion Master Yun, you can go ahead.” Liu Wuxie had no hint of anger in his tone and even bowed, which surprised everyone present.

“He’s handling this well. Pavilion Master Yun is just trying to make things difficult for him. He should ignore him. After all, Pavilion Master Yun doesn’t have the power to disqualify him from the competition,” whispered the observers among themselves. In a situation like this, it would be best for Liu Wuxie to disregard Yun Lan’s provocations, as responding would only play into his hands.

Bi Gongyu wanted to intervene, but it was already too late. He believed that questioning Liu Wuxie publicly in this manner was a great insult to Azure Billow City.

“First question: how old are you?” This was a simple question that was beyond everyone’s expectations. They thought Yun Lan wanted to test Liu Wuxie’s knowledge as an alchemist and embarrass him.

“I just turned eighteen!” Liu Wuxie replied with a slight bow. His reply surprised many people because there had never been an eighteen-year-old alchemist in the Great Yan Dynasty.

“Have you read the Hundred Herbs Classic and Shennong’s Herbs Classic?” The two books contained a wealth of knowledge about herbs. If one could master these two books, one would be able to recognize most of the herbs in the market.

“I have not,” answered Liu Wuxie honestly, admitting that he had never even heard of those two books. His response elicited surprise from everyone present. They all looked at him with disbelief, and the other alchemists rejoiced at his admission. The two books were considered basic reading for any alchemy apprentice, who were required to memorize their contents. The fact that Liu Wuxie had never even read them was astonishing.

“See? Let me ask all the alchemists present. What were you guys doing when you were eighteen? I bet you guys are still alchemy apprentices memorizing the books and trying hundreds of herbs daily, right? This is why someone trying to make up for the numbers should be removed from the venue!” declared Yun Lan with a sinister smile. He had anticipated that Liu Wuxie would not have read those books or experimented with herbs.

Many of those present nodded in agreement with Yun Lan’s words. Although he had been somewhat excessive in his remarks, they were not without merit. Even Master Mao had only been an assistant at the age of eighteen.

Becoming an alchemist was not something that could be achieved overnight. It required a deep understanding of herbs, as well as countless hours spent refining pills and learning from failures. Even then, not every alchemy apprentice would succeed in becoming an alchemist.

Yun Lan’s words resonated with many of those present, including the pavilion masters of the top-ranking branches. Allowing someone who had never even read the Hundred Herbs Classic and Shennong’s Herbs Classic to participate in the competition would be an insult to the Treasure Pill Pavilion.