Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 535 - 534 - Competition of Opportunity

Master Ye was staring at Yuan in shock.

The slim young man had been excited as he spoke and his elders were not far behind him but then awe took over as they understood what they were told.  The pill recipe was profound as rather than strengthen the dantian, it made it easier to shatter the Sky Core!

The most dangerous step to advance to Star Tier was to shatter the Sky Core into tiny shards.  The way to do that was to absorb an obscene amount of Qi to intentionally make it burst without breaking the dantian shell.

That last part was the danger.  If the cultivator shattered the core incorrectly and broke their dantian, they would be crippled.  Worse, they could die instantly.

The force of the shattering was the problem but the pill Yuan described solved it elegantly.  Rather than force the crystal shards of the core to shatter by overloading on Qi, the pill would weaken the shards to make it far easier to shatter!

The genius of it was so simple that they instantly understood how close they were!  The Dantian Strengthening Pill would only need a slight modification to switch the focus to the Sky Core!  They had been so close!

If that was all, they would have been very happy, but the fact the recipe made it simple to comprehend and how to treat the herbs to get the best result solved any issue of teaching the recipe to others.

Master Ye was happy but a suspicion suddenly appeared in his mind.  It was never revealed what pill would be used at that part of the competition, only that it would be a test of skill under equal conditions.

Since that was all, few asked what pill would be chosen as they all assumed it would be something peak grade 5 but common for that grade.  Yet, the pill was clearly a gift to all of them!

There were 30 alchemists that now had it and were likely repeating the very same scene he was experiencing.  He then had a thought as he reviewed what had been made in the other fields.

"So peak grade 5 Qi condensers were made by the refiners.  A common but ideal artifact that makes gathering Qi immensely easier.  According to Fellow Daoist Harrigan, the refiners were given an ingenious schematic that increased efficiency to 5 times the density!"  Master Ye revealed what he had learned from the leader of Silver Wings Guild.

They specialized in artifacts so his refiners had been actually happy to work on the schematic.  The other refiners also were used to making one but the profound nature had impressed them.

It gave them a lot of ideas for future creations and better ways to inscribe various ores as well.  Again, it was more than just a test of skill, but the Forgers were harder to find out as almost all of them were from Moebius Sect.

Still, Harrigan knew a few Forgers that recognized the rod they thought was for tribulations.

It could be used like that, but the particular one they saw made were Resonance Rods.  They were ideal to induce elemental resonance between a dantian and a formation set up to help a peak Sky Realm break through as well!

Combined with the Shatter Core Pill, it was clear that breaking through to Star Tier was far easier already!

It made him wonder what the weaving did but none had made it to the top ten yet all 4 had completed their task of 2 per person.

He picked up the jade slip and looked at the highest one.

[78 - Jun - 15 points - Interstitial Weaving mid grade 5]

What did that weaving do?  The formation was easier as it was exactly what all of them used.  Elemental Alignment Formation was considered essential for those trying to breakthrough in seclusion.

Again, however, all the formation masters had been going wild with the profound arrays they learned to make the one they did for the competition.  Like all the rest, it was all vast improvements in efficiency as well as potency.

Master Ye suddenly felt a chill enter his spine but schooled his face as realization hit him.

The grade 3 contest was a fairly straightforward test of skill with further tests of results in practical use set for the next day.  It was in line with his expectations but the peak mortal grade contest actually gave him pause.

It was clear Lind Frey was doing more than testing at that moment to him, but why was he practically giving away such opportunities for free?

Master Ye suspected the reason and it made him fear the man even more.

Lind Frey did not just want to promote harmony between powers and the 2 parts of the realm, but make them stronger.  The grade 3 contest would lay a foundation with the techniques laid out in the schematics and recipes, but also showing how professions can cooperate with each other.

Grade 3 and below would benefit massively from such a practice as it made things both easier and let them experiment more if other aspects were taken care of by experts in their field.  It could also lead to their own progress to ask questions of how to improve their abilities.

Such a foundation would spread in both the lower world and the Floating Isles.  As the next competition came around, Master Ye suspected there would be further things added to make it even better but the peak mortal grade would likely stay the same.

The difference would be the amount of quality would jump massively as the knowledge would easily spread like wildfire among them all.

Master Ye excused himself as he took to the sky.  He slowly made his way over Saisei City and saw many celebrating not only the results of the current round but likely the new knowledge they had gained.

He was not sure where he was going but he was surprised when a shadow appeared not far off.

"I see you figured it out, Master Ye."  The old man felt a shiver as Lind Frey came into the light from below.  How did the man know?!

As if reading his mind, Lind pointed to his face.

"You are the third person I have seen with that grave face as you flew through the sky.  I was looking on in case people had questions.  For the record, Lady Cara, Master Puila, and her majesty Belinna all came to the same conclusion."  Master Ye was confused again as Lind laughed.

"Her majesty just straight up asked me."  Master Ye nodded but he had questions.

"Why?  Why are you doing this?  Are you being forced to?"  It made sense to the old man.  The Heaven Realm powers were always short of manpower so sharing secrets with a potential ally was not unusual but it seemed to Master Ye they were being offered up to slaughter.

Lind did not answer right away as he looked out over the city next to him.  It was a nicely warm evening and the stars glittered as the moon in crescent shape rose on the horizon.

"We are too weak.  We are letting our selfish interests drive us too much.  Most of all, we can be better able to defend ourselves."  Lind's dark green eyes were haunted.  "I saw what the Fiends would do with our realm if they got here.  I also saw what they were doing up there briefly in person.  It is worse than anything you can imagine."

Master Ye recalled the aborted attempt by the Path to Heaven coup against Moebius Sect and felt guilt.  He had no problem working behind the back of Moebius Sect or any power for his own benefits but he now understood.

Lind was not trying to rise above them, he was trying to lift them all up!

It was not a contest of honor and benefit, but a contest of opportunities!

"I was wrong about you."  Lind laughed but shook his head at Master Ye's words.

"I am still benefiting, Master Ye.  I am stuck.  I can't progress if I cannot figure out the 3rd circle of weaving.  Many think pushing ahead is the answer most of the time, but I don't think that is my problem.  I have been lucky in the first 2 but I am looking back to see where the foundation can be improved."  Master Ye nodded as he understood that.

The answers were not always in what came next but what came before.  Cultivators could become tunnel visioned on their path that they missed key information from the earlier stages that could help them.

Master Ye saw no issue with Lind's approach and still applauded him.  While he was gathering information for himself, he was also giving opportunities to others.

The point of the peak mortal grade made a lot more sense then as it gave another chance to study the next step of a cultivator's journey.  He was offering 10 cultivators the chance to advance from what Master Ye could see as well.

"I doubt any would complain of you learning as you teach.  Thank you for that."  Master Ye meant it.  The pill alone was a revolution that would make reaching Star Tier for humans and aether children incredibly easier.

"Just curious, but what will the Heaven grades be doing exactly?"  He knew it was similar to what he saw today but Lind smiled and said nothing.  Master Ye smirked as he bowed low and then returned to his still celebrating elders.

He was looking forward to the rest of the contest even more than before!