I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Alchemy Conference

The Main Peak, Alchemy Hall.

It was especially bustling today, as many disciples from the Five Peaks had gathered here.

When Yu Changsheng arrived at the Alchemy Hall, he saw many other Foundation Establishment Alchemists, along with Outer Disciples from Jade Cauldron Peak and a handful of Inner Sect Disciples.

Many disciples who couldn’t perform Alchemy still flocked to grand events like the Alchemy Conference. They came to watch the spectacle, get acquainted with some Alchemists, and make connections for when they might need Elixirs in the future.

Jade Cauldron Peak ranked third among the five Inheritance Peaks, but it held a special status. No disciple from the other four peaks was willing to offend them.

This time, the ones presiding over the Alchemy Conference were all elderly Alchemists. Gongsun Yang, the newly promoted Guardian Elder and Tier Three Alchemist, was among them, though he was slated to judge the third round of Alchemy.

The judges were different for each round, and the final victor would be determined by five Elders together.

"Is that Elder Huang the Alchemist? The last time I saw him was over a decade ago. I heard he’s on the verge of becoming a Tier Four Alchemist. I can’t believe he’s here to preside over the Alchemy Conference this year!"

"Huh, aren’t those disciples from Sword Control Peak? Their Sword Control is passable, but Alchemy? HAHAHA, they actually came to compete. Aren’t they just asking to be humiliated?"

"I’ll admit you disciples from Sword Control Peak are powerful, but when it comes to Alchemy, you should leave it to us from Jade Cauldron Peak."

"The Alchemy Conference doesn’t restrict which peak’s disciples can participate! It’s not just me from Sword Control Peak—look, a disciple from Beast Taming Peak even signed up!"

The red-faced disciple from Sword Control Peak pointed ahead, and the crowd’s gaze followed.

Sure enough, they saw a disciple in the robes of Beast Taming Peak registering, and they all burst into laughter.

It was one thing for disciples from Sword Control Peak and Magic Peak to try their hand at Alchemy for fun, but Beast Taming Peak, too?

They’d heard that the current disciples of Beast Taming Peak couldn’t even properly tame a beast, yet they were here for Alchemy? It was utterly ridiculous.

And that person was none other than Yu Changsheng.

Yu Changsheng glanced to the side, surprised to suddenly find himself the center of everyone’s attention.

’Figures. When you’re this handsome, you turn heads wherever you go.’

He shook his head with a sigh and quietly moved to the side to wait for the conference to begin.

Nearby, some mocked him, while others pointed and jeered.

Some of the Beast Taming Peak disciples who had only come to watch flushed red with embarrassment and hurriedly distanced themselves from Yu Changsheng, as if he weren’t one of them.

The more seasoned Beast Masters, however, were already used to it. They merely gave Yu Changsheng a surprised glance and paid no mind to the surrounding jeers.

As the weakest of the five Inheritance Peaks, the disciples of Beast Taming Peak had endured far too much over the past few decades. A little mockery was nothing.

"That’s Duan Ran. It looks like he’s participating too. The competition at this Alchemy Conference is going to be fierce!"

"Is he that good?"

"Of course! He’s one of the top talents among the younger generation of Alchemists at Jade Cauldron Peak. They say he is highly accomplished in the Tier Two Alchemy Dao. Anyone who’s seen him refine an Elixir admits his superiority."

"Then who’s better at Alchemy, him or Hu Liang?"

"That, I’m not sure about. Duan Ran reigns supreme in the Outer Sect, and his Alchemy is second to none. But Hu Liang entered the Inner Sect a few years ago, so outsiders don’t know how skilled he is now. People’s impression of him is still from the last Alchemy Conference."

"Hu Liang has great potential, too. He’s placed in the top three before."

Yu Changsheng’s Divine Sense was extremely powerful. Even without actively sending it out, he could hear discussions from hundreds of meters away with perfect clarity.

’I thought a Golden Core True Master would be presiding, but it looks like the highest-ranking judges are only at the Foundation Establishment Realm.’

Yu Changsheng glanced at the Elders in the distance and felt a great sense of relief.

He wasn’t sure if his current Divine Sense could avoid detection by a Golden Core True Master.

But since only Foundation Establishment Elders were presiding, he felt no pressure at all.

’Duan Ran and Hu Liang. They must be the favorites for this Alchemy Conference.’

Yu Changsheng followed the gazes of several disciples and saw the two men in question, Duan Ran and Hu Liang.

The two of them sat cross-legged in the plaza, with dedicated disciples standing guard to keep others at a distance. Both were quite handsome, exuding an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

’One’s at the Peak of Qi Refining... and Hu Liang is already at the First Layer of Foundation Establishment.’

Yu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed as he instantly saw through Hu Liang’s Cultivation Realm. After all, his Divine Sense was now so powerful that very few disciples could hide their Cultivation from him.

’He is an Inner Sect Disciple, after all. There are indeed a few Inner Sect Disciples participating this time, and they’re all from Jade Cauldron Peak.’

The Alchemy Conference was mainly aimed at Outer Disciples and Qi Refining Cultivators. The participating Inner Sect Disciples were either at the Peak of Qi Refining or, like Hu Liang, at the First or Second Layer of Foundation Establishment.

Inner Sect Disciples who had already reached Foundation Establishment generally looked down on the rewards from the Alchemy Conference. The activities that would interest them were typically exchanges with other sects or even combat training expeditions.

Even if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Hu Liang took first place, the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill would be of little use to him. At most, he could use it to gather other materials and practice his Alchemy.

Regardless, Yu Changsheng’s opponents were still quite strong.

’Good thing they’re all around the Tier Two Alchemy Dao. Surely no one who has already broken through to Tier Three would bother with an event like this, right?’

Yu Changsheng scanned the crowd and smiled to himself after hearing the nearby conversations.

"Silence!"

With the resonant CLANG of a bell, an elder levitated in mid-air and boomed at the disciples in the plaza.

Instantly, the entire plaza fell silent. The disciples who had been resting with their eyes closed opened them, straightened their backs, and adopted serious expressions.

"I am Li Xiuci, a Guardian Elder of Jade Cauldron Peak. You may call me Elder Li."

Li Xiuci began, "The Alchemy Conference has been held for many years, once every five years. I trust many of you have witnessed it before and know the rules."

"This time, however, by the decree of the Sect Leader Master, the rules have changed. We will still provide the Elixir ingredients, but all finished products must be left behind. Every Elixir you successfully refine will be exchanged for a corresponding amount of Sect Contribution points as a reward."

After he spoke, many of the Cultivators in the plaza looked surprised, but their expressions quickly turned to delight.

In reality, many of the Elixirs they might refine were of no use to them, even if they were allowed to keep a few. Exchanging all of them for Sect Contribution would be much more beneficial.

They could be used to redeem Cultivation Resources or even entry passes to a Secret Realm!

Once everyone had accepted this, Li Xiuci continued, "This competition will be divided into five rounds."

"The first round: refining a Tier One Elixir. Within two hours, you must produce more than six Formed Pills to pass. A single elixir with One Pill Pattern will be counted as two."

"Alright, let us begin. All participating disciples, please ascend to the stone platforms."

As his voice fell, Li Xiuci clapped his hands together, and rows of stone platforms immediately emerged from the plaza floor.

The disciples who had registered for the competition leaped onto the platforms and brought out their Alchemy Furnaces.

Yu Changsheng did the same, and a round, Three-legged Two-eared Pill Furnace appeared before him. This was the very furnace Gongsun Yang had used back when he was a Tier Two Alchemist; it possessed an impressive degree of Spirituality.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Li Xiuci waved his sleeve. A portion of ingredients and a Pill Formula appeared on each stone platform as he announced,

"The first Elixir is the Five Poison Pill."