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墨書 Inktalez
The Centennial Danbi of Void Bright, as the name suggests, is an Alchemy Grand Tournament held once every one hundred years. Each Grand Tournament showcases one or several prodigies of the Alchemical Path, whose significance to Void Bright is undeniable. More importantly, these individuals have the opportunity to enter a higher realm. It is a chance for both fame and fortune that no one would dare to miss, especially those who are the elite among the Alchemical Path.
The Centennial Danbi can be considered a grand event for Void Bright. However, at this moment, Young Master Zuo's mind was not preoccupied with such thoughts; he was focused on how to restore the powers of Huang Xishi and Feng Fei Fei, the two women.
This time, due to their complete loss of cultivation, the two women were restrained by Zuo Dao within the Nine Monoliths. Only in this way could he bring them to Void Bright.
The two women remained in a deep slumber, and Zuo Dao had tried many methods but could not awaken them. Although he possessed some background, it was all inherited from others. He would not be arrogant enough to think that these legacies alone could elevate him above the various forces in the court.
The Centennial Danbi represented an opportunity amidst his pursuit of wealth and glory. He wanted to see just how powerful Void Bright had become and whether there was hope of finding a way to awaken the two women.
However, he did not intend to participate; instead, he wished to observe as an outsider. Only in this way could he gain a clearer understanding of this world.
Both entering and exiting the world are realms in themselves; participating and observing are also forms of cultivation.
Zuo Dao's principle in dealing with the world was simple: results.
He aimed to see if there were any Spirit Pills at the Danbi that could restore the two women's powers. Previously, he had underestimated the situation, thinking they had merely lost their cultivation. However, he later discovered that they seemed to be in a profoundly mysterious realm. They could not harbor even a trace of Vitality within them. Their meridians were like solid walls, while their energy channels resembled a sieve full of holes.
He had exhausted all methods but could not resolve these two issues. With his current level of expertise in the Alchemical Path, he could not conceive any elixir capable of healing these conditions.
The Danbi was an opportunity, but he would not hold out much hope; at least he knew that greater hope often led to greater disappointment.
Void Bright's Centennial Danbi was initiated by a force known as Doushuai Palace. The first time Zuo Dao saw this name, it reminded him of the Supreme Old Lord.
In mythological tales from his past life, the Supreme Old Lord was renowned as a foremost Dan Immortal Master. The ability to bring life back from death was merely routine for him. Zuo Dao had once yearned for his Bagua Furnace, wondering when he might also enter it to refine something extraordinary and perhaps achieve an indestructible body like Qi Dasheng's.
His time in Void Bright had not been long, and there were many things he had yet to encounter. When he finally found Doushuai Palace, he discovered it was already teeming with people—most of whom were there to compete.
Every Dan Immortal Master was surrounded by admirers; however, upon reaching Doushuai Palace's entrance, they all reined in their aura and pride. Each Dan Immortal Master entered the palace with a demeanor akin to that of pilgrims.
"Look, that's Cai Wuqiu, the recently risen Dan Immortal Master from the Cai Family. I've heard that his Alchemical Path has reached a transformative state; more importantly, he's only five hundred eighty years old," remarked an observing Cultivator.
"Competing? What is Cai Wuqiu compared to Qiu Wuyi! Now that's the real Alchemical Path. Creating the ‘Five Flowers Nine Divine Pills’ has even earned praise from Dan Sheng of Doushuai Palace." Another apparent supporter of Qiu Wuyi retorted mockingly.
"What are you all shouting about? The two of them combined can't even compare to Mu Chen, known as ‘Dan Sheng’, Supreme Mu." When a Cultivator said this, the previously excited two fell silent.
Hearing this, Zuo Dao couldn't help but become intrigued by the Dan Sheng known as Mu Chen. In this short time, Zuo Dao had almost grasped the details of this Danbi.
Doushuai Palace is not unique to Void Bright, as they have branches in many domains. Each branch holds a Danbi once every hundred years. The top three from each Danbi have the opportunity to enter Doushuai Palace for study.
Right now, it was just a preliminary selection; the real highlight of the entire alchemy event would be during the actual competition. The gathering of so many people was because various factions were seizing this opportunity to recruit Alchemists.
Not every Alchemist is fortunate enough to reach the finals. Among those who did not make it, there are still outstanding individuals, making them the top choices for various factions.
What surprised Zuo Dao was that, aside from the preliminaries, the spots for observing the semifinals and finals were limited. These spots became highly sought after.
Every time there’s an alchemy event, the invitations sent out by Doushuai Palace are quite limited, especially for the finals. Zuo Dao discovered that obtaining an invitation was even harder than entering the finals. This left his previous plans in disarray.
Currently, as someone familiar with both places, he found it troublesome just to secure an invitation to watch the alchemy event. After much thought, he decided to attend the event himself.
However, when he stood at the entrance of Doushuai Palace to register, he encountered a rather awkward situation. Every Alchemist wishing to participate in the Danbi must possess a Dan Badge issued by Doushuai Palace. Since it was his first time in Void Bright, he had no idea about this requirement.
"This young master, to participate in the Danbi, you must have a Dan Badge issued by us at Doushuai Palace," said a polite Cultivator responsible for registration.
Nearby, other waiting Alchemists looked at Zuo Dao with strange expressions upon hearing this. It was rare for them to encounter a participant without a Dan Badge.
"I apologize; I have been following my master in seclusion deep in the mountains and was only recently permitted to come out for some experience. I truly had no knowledge of this regulation," replied Zuo Dao, maintaining his politeness in response to their courteous demeanor.
Yet, his inner frustration was unspoken.
"I see," nodded the Cultivator from Doushuai Palace. There are indeed many such Cultivators among various Celestial Realms, who isolate themselves from the world and devote themselves entirely to their path.
"We have an Assessment Hall for Alchemists. If you pass, it will be equivalent to registering. If you wish to take the assessment, we have dedicated personnel available."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble." Zuo Dao clasped his hands in gratitude.
"Forget it, I'll do a good deed and take you over there, lest you cause any more trouble," the Cultivator said as he stood up, leaving his companion to handle the registration while he led Zuo Dao to the Alchemist assessment.
Kun Ru Tao was in high spirits during this time. His progress along the Alchemical Path had garnered the favor of an elder from Doushuai Palace, leaving him feeling refreshed. Encountering Zuo Dao was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but another reason was that he sensed an aura around Zuo Dao that closely resembled that of the elders in Doushuai Palace.
It should be noted that even an elder from a branch of Doushuai Palace would be considered a top figure in any domain.
The aura emanating from Zuo Dao made Kun Ru Tao perceive this Cultivator as extraordinary. Since handling registrations at the entrance was rather dull, he thought it better to take Zuo Dao for the assessment; perhaps it would even yield a pleasant surprise.
Zuo Dao followed closely behind Kun Ru Tao as they entered the hall. He noticed that the entire hall was quite simple, lacking any vibrancy.
Kun Ru Tao, walking ahead, seemed to know Zuo Dao's thoughts without turning around.
"Do you think the hall is too plain?"
"Yes." Zuo Dao hadn't expected such a question and answered honestly.
"In truth, being an Alchemist is quite tedious; dealing with plants and herbs gets old quickly. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet!" Kun Ru Tao chatted with Zuo Dao as they walked.
"Zuo Dao."
"The Zuo Dao of the Unorthodox Path?" Kun Ru Tao smiled broadly.
"That's right."
Kun Ru Tao replied, "That's a good name. I'm Kun Ru Tao. You seem younger than me; you can call me Kun Shixiong. After all, this assessment shouldn't be much for you."
Zuo Dao said, "Thank you very much, Kun Shixiong."
"It's nothing. You should know that your participation in this assessment is beneficial for me as well; once you pass, it counts as my merit," Kun Ru Tao admitted without reservation.
"It seems that Kun Shixiong is also a person of deep feelings; otherwise, he wouldn't treat me so well," Zuo Dao said with a smile, subtly flattering his companion.
"Not at all, it's because you are in Doushuai Palace," Kun Ru Tao replied, pride evident in his expression. "I may not dare to say much else, but within Doushuai Palace, every Cultivator is like this."
"I see. It seems that Doushuai Palace is quite an impressive place," Zuo Dao remarked. Throughout his journey, he had indeed noticed that every Cultivator he encountered would greet him with a friendly smile, just as Kun Ru Tao had described.
"Although our Doushuai Palace may not be considered a major power among the various factions, we have branches in nearly all thirty-three regions. We focus solely on the Alchemical Path and pay little attention to other matters. Being kind to others is a very important virtue for an Alchemist," Kun Ru Tao explained, his words carrying a tone of pride in being an Alchemist of Doushuai Palace.
Listening to Kun Ru Tao's words, Zuo Dao thought that if what he said was true, then Doushuai Palace was indeed a remarkable place.
As they conversed, they soon arrived at a door.
"This is the Assessment Hall," Kun Ru Tao said as he lightly knocked on the Door Knocker.
"Please come in," a deep voice called from within.
Kun Ru Tao pushed the door open and led Zuo Dao inside to stand before a screen.
"It turns out that the Second Elder is personally on duty today, and here comes Tao with someone for the Alchemist assessment," Kun Ru Tao said respectfully, even though they were separated by the screen.
"Oh, it's you, Tao. So you've brought someone yourself today," the Second Elder's voice came from behind the screen, though he did not appear. "Wait a moment; I'll modify this Spirit Pill and be right there."
Zuo Dao curiously surveyed the room's furnishings and found it to be quite simple.
Aside from a few meditation cushions on the floor, there was only the screen before him. He couldn't tell what material it was made of, but it surprisingly blocked Divine Sense. The walls were adorned with various illustrations of medicinal plants; Zuo Dao glanced at them and realized that at least twenty percent were unfamiliar to him.
Once Kun Ru Tao recognized that the Second Elder was present in the Assessment Hall, he became accustomed to his words and continued chatting with Zuo Dao.
"You are here for the first time; actually, this is just one of Doushuai Palace's branch halls called Xuming Hall. Each of our branch halls is named after the local region."
As Kun Ru Tao spoke in detail, Zuo Dao began to gain a general understanding of Doushuai Palace.
Each branch hall has nine elders, and each branch hall is composed of the Assessment Hall, Herb Hall, Dan Hall, and Fire Hall.
Each hall serves a different function. The Assessment Hall is responsible for evaluating Cultivators on the Alchemical Path; the Herb Hall specializes in cultivating medicinal plants; the Dan Hall focuses on Alchemy; and the Fire Hall manages various types of fire.
After some explanation, Zuo Dao realized that the foundation of Doushuai Palace was not ordinary. Take Dan Fire, for instance; it is essential for Alchemy and a necessary item for any Alchemist. It is difficult for most people to obtain, yet a single branch hall of Doushuai Palace actually has a dedicated department for it.
Moreover, from Kun Ru Tao's tone, it seemed that every branch of Doushuai Palace would have these four halls.
As they continued their conversation, time passed without them noticing. Eventually, when Kun Ru Tao had nothing more to introduce, the Second Elder still had not appeared. Zuo Dao couldn't help but furrow his brow.
This small action did not escape Kun Ru Tao's notice.
"The Second Elder is considered the foremost authority in Alchemy within the branch hall. He is usually so engrossed in his work that he often loses track of time."
"Kun Shixiong, that's not what I meant. I just didn't expect the Second Elder to be merging Dragon Beard Grass with Teng Tian Mu," Zuo Dao clarified, realizing that his earlier gesture had caused a misunderstanding.
"Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu? What's wrong with that?" Kun Ru Tao asked, suddenly enlightened. "It seems the Second Elder is still researching the Transmutation Spirit Pill?"
"Transmutation?" Zuo Dao was slightly puzzled.
"This is an Ancient Alchemy Formula that the Second Elder stumbled upon. Due to its incompleteness, he has been letting everyone study it for a while. Later, he managed to find the complete Spirit Pill formula but hasn't succeeded in refining it yet. You know how we Alchemists are; we usually try to figure things out when faced with such situations."
After hearing Kun Ru Tao's words, Zuo Dao nodded in agreement. As an Alchemist, this was a fundamental principle.
"But Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu must have been added later, right?" Zuo Dao suddenly said.
"Huh? How did you know? The Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu along with Iron Star were indeed added by the Second Elder later," Kun Ru Tao said, looking at Zuo Dao with newfound respect.
"Then it seems this time the Second Elder has failed again." With that, Zuo Dao pulled Kun Ru Tao toward the hall's entrance.
Kun Ru Tao was puzzled by Zuo Dao's actions when suddenly a muffled sound came from behind the screen. Given Kun Ru Tao's level of expertise, he certainly understood what that meant.
Indeed, with a dull thud, a figure emerged from behind the screen.
"Zuo, how did you know I would fail?" Second Elder Su Ziqing was feeling incredibly frustrated. After finally obtaining the Spirit Pill for Transmutation, he discovered it was incomplete. Although he and the Alchemists of Xuming Hall had worked hard to restore the Spirit Pill, they still could not successfully refine it.
This latest failure had occurred right after he heard Zuo Dao's words, which made him even angrier.
"There's nothing wrong with Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu, but Second Elder, have you considered what might happen if these two herbs are not aged enough?" Zuo Dao subtly brushed off Kun Ru Tao's hand that was tugging at his sleeve from behind.
"I used Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu that are both one hundred and fifty years old. At this age, both herbs possess their strongest medicinal properties and are most suitable for use in medicine," Su Ziqing replied, looking at Zuo Dao as if he were an idiot.
This was basic knowledge; as the elder of the largest Alchemist organization, Doushuai Palace's Xuming Hall, how could he possibly make such a mistake? If Zuo Dao hadn't been brought by Kun Ru Tao, he would have wanted to spit in his face.
Zuo Dao ignored Su Ziqing's gaze.
"Do you know the effects of Transmutation?"
"The effects of Transmutation?" Su Ziqing's expression grew increasingly grim, causing Kun Ru Tao to inwardly curse himself for bringing such an ignorant person to the Assessment Hall.
"Let me tell you," Zuo Dao interjected before Su Ziqing could finish. "Transmutation is a pill specifically crafted to resolve the issues of Cultivators who have fallen into madness. It effectively eliminates all negative emotions resulting from a Cultivator's descent into madness. In other words, it is a pill targeting the Sea of Consciousness of Cultivators."
"That's correct." Su Ziqing's face remained dark. "But what does that have to do with Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu?"
"Both Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu have certain benefits for a Cultivator's Sea of Consciousness. However, if they are one hundred and fifty years old, then they become poison," Zuo Dao's words stirred something within Su Ziqing. Kun Ru Tao grew even more anxious; while he had a slight fondness for Zuo Dao, he could not allow him to offend Second Elder.
"Zuo Dao, hold your tongue; don't forget why you're here."
"Let him continue," Su Ziqing interrupted Kun Ru Tao, looking at Zuo Dao with a hint of curiosity.
"Second Elder, you must know the saying 'overly anxious leads to mistakes,' right?"
Although Zuo Dao had never refined Transmutation himself, the complete Spirit Pill existed vividly in his mind, along with detailed knowledge of its refining methods—especially emphasizing the aging requirements of various herbs, particularly Dragon Beard Grass and Teng Tian Mu.
Zuo Dao held a deep admiration for Second Elder Su Ziqing. The fact that he could complete a fragmented ancient formula was impressive, even though there had been a mistake in the handling of the medicinal materials. Zuo Dao understood that if he were in Su Ziqing's position, he would only be able to achieve a similar level of understanding at best.
"Are you here for the assessment?" Su Ziqing suddenly changed the topic upon hearing Zuo Dao's words.
"Reporting to Second Elder, Zuo Dao came with Kun Ru Tao for the assessment because he does not have a Dan Badge due to his participation in Danbi," Kun Ru Tao quickly stepped forward to explain. His meaning was clear: it was his responsibility for bringing Zuo Dao, so any blame should fall on him.
Zuo Dao felt a bit moved by Kun Ru Tao's actions. They had only just met, yet he was willing to take such responsibility. It seemed that Doushuai Palace had done well in cultivating the virtues of its cultivators, completely unlike the hypocrisy found outside.
"Uh." Hearing Kun Ru Tao's words, Su Ziqing was momentarily taken aback, then suddenly seemed to recall something. "Since you are here for the assessment, that makes things easier. As long as he can identify the reason for this Transmutation failure, he will pass."
"Second Elder, this..." Kun Ru Tao's head began to throb. After all, Second Elder had studied Transmutation for nearly one hundred years without finding the cause; this was clearly setting Zuo Dao up for failure in the assessment!
"You don't need to say more," Su Ziqing interrupted Kun Ru Tao with a wave of his hand and turned his gaze to Zuo Dao.
"What about you?"
"I can do it, but I want a spot in the finals," Zuo Dao replied to Su Ziqing word by word. "If you can't manage that, I'd rather not participate in Danbi."
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