novelraw Chapter 141 - 140 - Contest Begins
Chapter 141 - 140 - Contest Begins
The strange events a few days gone were buried as the Stardust Emporium put their all into getting the contest started. A massive coliseum was used at the heart of Cimmeria. It was used for various functions by the powers of the city, but once a century it was solely used for the contest.
The sands of the floor were divided into several areas so things could happen at once. Grades 1-3 for alchemy, formations, and refining were done all at once. The last area was used for battle. Body Refining Realms to World Realms could show off their skills but it was a minor part compared to the production jobs.
The alchemy quarter was also segregated for elixirs.
There were common seats until about halfway up the raised walls around the arena. After that there were reserved seats for a few rows for the competing sects and powers followed by VIP booths. There were also special booths for Cimmerian powers like the Stardust Emporium itself.
These booths were isolated from being looked in on by cultivator senses or sight.
Lind had been offered one by Lady Estelle but took the Heavenly Maiden Sect one. He had argued for several hours that he had nothing to do for a month so could just observe the competitors.
He was looking for a distraction from his nightmares and Qing was making sure he did not develop a heart demon or Qi deviation. He had also broken through to mid tier 9 on his foundation. He did not go all the way to the peak to make sure his foundation was as polished as possible.
Also, so long as he was not at the peak, he could repress his talent better and now there was far less tension between his cores and foundation.
He would also work on tier 9 Soul Arts extensively as they would help him comprehend the elements as he worked to figure out the World Realm.
For now, he was sitting comfortable next to Vice-Sect Masters Lydia and Cora. Cora had come after his little adventure but also she had planned to come for the contest as some itinerant cultivators could be recruited based on this contest.
They had both bowed to him for his efforts but like Delenn, refused to explain what he had fought. Cora had also discussed with him about Forging items for the sect but his skill topped out at peak grade 2 for now. Even so, they were interested.
Lind was happy to do so and was given a lot of material to study. Lind loved it but had barely scratched it before coming to the contest.
Most of the contestants were members of the powers visiting but Lind enjoyed watching. The VIP booths allowed the people inside to manipulate a display in the window to pick which part of the arena to watch.
Lind avoided the formations as he had little use of them, but the refining quarter included some of his former fellow apprentices. He cheered them on and loved some of their innovations.
Lind also enjoyed the alchemy quarter. He wished his mother could be here but he took some notes of the grade 3 alchemists to pass along to her. She might already have broken through but he would not pass up a chance to give her help.
"How are you feeling?" Lydia asked him once more if he was ok as he got tired easily but Lind smiled wide back at her.
"I love it here! I wish I could help with the elixirs." Lind had not been offered a spot to judge as it would have revealed him before he Forged an item. Even so, he observed the people making them and saw many errors.
The old men judging were supposed to be grade 3 experts like him but he noted those old men were flummoxed by a few of the creations made. Lind could do nothing though as it was already decided.
"If you see someone promising that is female, please let us know." Lind nodded before he froze. A Vice-Sect Master was asking him to help recruit?! Lind shifted his focus to the elixirs.
Most of the competitors were men, but a few women were there. He looked at those and spent the day making notes. None of the women were marked by symbols of sects or kingdoms but the men were all recruited long ago it seems.
Lind saw the men had trained hard but they were rigid. They made healing elixirs or imitations of his own creations but the women were making something different.
An aether child at the tier 8 of Soul Realm was water, fire, and air made something pale gray that seemed interesting. There was a human with dark blonde hair cut to her shoulders that failed once but then made one more with bright blue in her vial.
The last elixir master was a demoness that had the most of his interest. Her elements were shadow, cold fire, and dark light. It was an unusual combination but she made it work with a cauldron.
Her elixirs were virulent green to cobalt, but he wanted to know what they were badly. He noted them all down and frowned as the old men judging dismissed both the demon and aether child vials. The human succeeded but seemed to get the only nod of approval.
"Grab the demoness and the aether child. If the woman is not chosen, she too might be worth testing but the other 2 are worth investing." Lind had long since given the Heavenly Maidens Sect training regimens for elixir masters.
Both Lydia and Cora nodded as they manipulated their views as well. They also touched a jade on their chairs and spoke into it but he heard nothing.
In short order a Sand Tier elder had approached both the demoness and the aether child after they submitted their vials. Lind was floored at the show of trust in his judgment but he saw the human female frown.
He then saw another expert appear and talk to all of the women but the demoness and aether child shook their heads while the human went with him. Lind looked at the 2 Vice-Sect Masters but they only smiled at him. Apparently they had acted in time.
"Thank you Master Frey." Both bowed to him and he felt pressure a bit as they valued his opinion so much. "What do you think of the others?" Lind looked at his notes.
"They are not bad but a bit rigid. They are only mimicking my samples but that is not bad. It is something that can be built on." They nodded but he noted their smiles widened. He was not sure what they were thinking but just moved back to the pills.
"The Silverthorn Clan wishes to meet." An acolyte was with them in the booth but the women close to Lind had tried to be there. They were instead back to their duties as they had to get back to them.
Lind looked at the Vice-Sect Masters but they were looking at him. He just shrugged and nodded. No one knew who he was but he was past worrying about people learning about it. He pulled the hood up on the Sky Realm cloak and they nodded.
Only 2 people came in. Lind could immediately see they were not a massive power but a subsidiary power. He had reviewed the details and recognized the scarred woman as Magda Silverthorn. It was not a surprise given who asked to be let in.
"Thank you seniors for allowing us to visit." The old man had a mid chest length beard that was nearly white while the gray hat on his head likely hid a balding scalp as thin white hair floated on the sides. Lind noted that the old man was only in the peak Stone Tier.
It would put them on par with the Frey Clan.
"Your humility is appreciated but even we have heard of Magda Silverthorn. Your prowess as a grade 4 alchemist is well known and well deserved." The dark skinned woman bowed humbly to the 2 powerful Vice-Sect Masters.
Lind kept his face forward in the cloak as he felt the stares trying to bore into him.
"What brings you to our booth?" Cora was never one to waste time but Lind appreciated that while Lydia looked back at her monitor. Lind merely kept an ear open as he noted the alchemical contest.
"We were wondering if your guest elder could look at my disciple?" The old man bowed low and Lind barely stopped himself from turning. His gender was unknown to them but being in the booth made him important. Cora did not turn to him either but frowned.
"Why?" The old man smoothed out his silver robes carefully before glancing at Magda. The woman, herself, had said nothing but she had locked onto Lind since she entered. He finally sighed as he used his Eyes.
He was confused at what he saw.
The scar on her face was bad, it took out one of her eyes but it was not full of Qi, yet he also saw it was a kind of void. It swallowed Qi like a bottomless pit. It was odd.
He only nodded towards Cora but she saw it out of the corner of her eye. She extended a hand towards Lind as he stood up.
Both bowed to him but he waved them off. The cloak hid his realm but he felt it important they understood what he was as he pulled his hood back. Surprised at his youthful features but his serious look revealed his expertise.
"What caused that void?" Magda's eye widened as she glanced at her senior. He nodded at her and she seemed to relax at last.
"A manifested beast found me as a child. I was near the peak of the Body Refining Realm but acted as a decoy for my fellow clan members to escape. It had shimmering scales and moved on 4 legs but no one could identify it." Lind pondered and thought about the description.
"Did it have any horns on its head or maybe more than one tail?" Magda's eye widened once again. She looked at Lind and saw no doubt that he was a tier 9 Soul Realm.
"It had 2 tails and a single horn on it." Lind recognized it as a variation of the qilin. Having 2 tails meant it likely had a combination of elements. To create a void scar on something required darkness and earth at least.
Lind moved forward and carefully looked over the wound before he found what he was looking for. The void in her face was surrounded by powerful Qi. He glanced in his ring and smirked.
Before anyone could speak, he summoned water and fire as he had many times before and then 6 herbs with a World Stone. It was merely rote to him now as the essence was freed from each item before 4 vials were created.
They seemed to absorb light with as black as they were but Lind understood pills could never overcome the wound she had.
"This is not going to cure the scar, but it will resolve the issue preventing pills fixing it. There is a World Realm Qi scar on your face feeding on Qi. It will not allow pills to work on it as the healing Qi is absorbed before it can work. This will displace the Qi and push it out of your meridians." The elixir was peak grade 3 but it was hard to give it a name. Displacement Elixir maybe?
Magda examined the single vial given to her and then drank it. She assumed a lotus position and it did not take long before the fetid breath left her body. The foreign Qi was expelled and then Magda took what Lind recognized as a Restoration Pill.
They all saw the pill excite the scar and her other eye finally appeared. Tears formed as she looked around before bowing before Lind. She wept openly before him but he felt only nervous.
"Thank you, Master Frey. Thank you so much!" Magda was bowing before him but he picked her up. She was a peak Gold Tier yet he easily picked her up.
"I was raised by an alchemist who healed people. She taught me to heal those in pain and I was fortunate enough to be what I am. I know of your history, so don't worry about it. Go out there and show them what you can do." Magda smiled up at him and nodded before pulling him into a hug. Lind had no chance of resisting but felt the wetness of tears on his shoulder before she backed off.
"We thank you, Master Frey. The Silverthorn Clan will always welcome you if you ever return to Darkmoor Kingdom." Lind bowed to the old man and they left. He asked for nothing as he did not do it for payment.
"You need to be more selfish, Master Frey." Lydia admonished him a bit but it was playful. He nodded but did not say anything.
Only a few moments passed before the acolyte approached once more. She was rather reluctant this time, however.
"The, uh, Temptress, would like to meet Master Frey." Lind glanced at the dark haired acolyte but she only looked at him. He was a guest elder but this booth was not his to welcome guests indefinitely. He glanced at the Vice-Sect Masters but they both frowned deeply.
"Ask her why." Lydia was in charge in Cimmeria but Cora nodded in agreement. The acolyte stepped out and was gone long enough for Lind to turn back to the alchemist challenge.
The acolyte finally returned but she was sweating.
"She, um…Master Frey I am only relaying a message! She would like to bear his child!" Lind fell out of his chair as the 2 Vice-Sect Masters leapt up from theirs. What in blazes was going on?!