Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: The Youth Competition, Officially Begins

After Li Zongrui had finished speaking, it was Ye Qingchen’s turn to be speechless.

You’re just trying to make enemies for me! And why did you have to show off using my name?

Li Zongrui tugged at Ye Qingchen’s sleeve and whispered, ”Ye Qingchen, you must do your best. This is about the reputation of our Qingyun Sect. We absolutely cannot lose to this boy!”

Ye Qingchen frowned and whispered back, ”Since when did you have so much confidence in me?”

Li Zongrui said solemnly, ”As the Young Sect Master of the great Qingyun Sect, even I have no way to deal with you. Cheng Zhibin is just a minor Alchemist. If you can’t even beat him, you’ll be letting down my expectations for you.”

Ye Qingchen was speechless again. Not everyone is as naive as the Young Sect Master. My opponent is a genuine fourth-grade Alchemist, yet in your mouth, he becomes a ’minor Alchemist.’ If he were really that easy to deal with, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about!

However, at this moment, Ye Qingchen wouldn’t be so foolish as to retort. He took a step forward and said to Cheng Zhibin, ”Let’s settle who’s stronger in the arena. What’s the point of trash-talking here? Or is it that the people from the Heavenly Profound Sect only know how to run their mouths?”

After speaking, Ye Qingchen ignored Cheng Zhibin and led the group of Alchemists from the Qingyun Sect toward the arena.

Cheng Zhibin snorted coldly and also walked away with the disciples from the Heavenly Profound Sect.

In that moment, Li Zongrui felt for the first time that Ye Qingchen was incredibly cool. His words just now had been perfect, leaving that arrogant Cheng Zhibin utterly speechless.

But what Li Zongrui didn’t know was that Ye Qingchen was feeling rather bitter inside. Although I managed to do what Cheng Zhibin couldn’t when expelling the Fire Poison from Qin Zhantian, that was only because I possess the Fen Tian Earth Fire and the Dual Pupil Martial Soul. Removing Fire Poison happens to be my specialty. Cheng Zhibin, on the other hand, is a bona fide fourth-grade Alchemist. His attainments in Alchemy are far superior to mine. Beating him in Alchemy will be extremely difficult!

But since things had come to this, Ye Qingchen wouldn’t worry needlessly. As long as he gave his all, there would be no regrets, regardless of the outcome.

Clearly, this Sect Competition was held in high regard by the royal family, with Princess Cai Yunji presiding over it personally. This time, the youth division had over two hundred participants, all of whom paid their respects to Princess Cai Yunji.

Cai Yunji nodded slightly and began to introduce the rules for the youth division. ”Esteemed Alchemist elites, the youth division competition will be divided into two rounds. The final rankings will be based on the combined scores from both rounds.”

Everyone nodded in understanding; this was in line with the usual rules. What they were all concerned about now was the actual content of this Alchemy Dao Contest.

Seeing the confusion and anticipation in everyone’s eyes, Cai Yunji didn’t keep them in suspense. ”For the first round of this competition, the challenge will be Spiritual Medicine cultivation!”

Her words caused a buzz of discussion among the competitors. Spiritual Medicine cultivation might seem simple, but it was a great test of an Alchemist’s control over their Vitality Force. The royal family’s arrangement showed just how seriously they took the assessment of Alchemists.

Cai Yunji continued, ”The royal family has prepared the same type of seed for everyone—the Ironwood Flower! What you need to do is select varieties with different attributes from these seeds for cultivation. The time limit is ten hours! Whoever cultivates the fastest, the most, and the best will be the winner of this round!”

Cai Yunji’s words sparked another round of discussion among the competing alchemists. It seemed this test would challenge not only their control over Vitality Force but also their ability to discern quality. If one chose poor seeds, it would be difficult to achieve good results no matter how hard they worked afterward!

Meanwhile, two uninvited guests arrived in the Qingyun Sect’s rest area: none other than Qin Zhantian and Qin Yue. Upon seeing them, Pavilion Master Zhang promptly rose to greet them. ”Elder Qin, what brings you here?” he asked politely.

After three detoxification treatments from Ye Qingchen, Qin Zhantian was now able to move about normally. Hearing that Ye Qingchen was participating in the Alchemy Dao Contest, he had brought Qin Yue along to cheer him on. However, Qin Zhantian’s reputation was substantial. Despite trying to avoid contact with others on the way, an endless stream of people came to greet him, causing a slight delay. By the time they arrived, Ye Qingchen had already stepped onto the platform, so Qin Zhantian brought Qin Yue to the Qingyun Sect’s rest area to await his victory and celebrate with him.

Pavilion Master Zhang, however, was unaware of Qin Zhantian’s purpose. Knowing Qin Zhantian to be an elusive figure who was rarely seen, his sudden appearance suggested that something significant was afoot, making Pavilion Master Zhang somewhat nervous.

What he did not expect was for Qin Zhantian to return the greeting cordially. ”I’ve come to cheer on young friend Ye.”

Pavilion Master Zhang was taken aback and asked in confusion, ”Elder Qin, you know Ye Qingchen?”

This was quite a shock. The Qingyun Sect had long sought to strengthen its ties with the Rising Sun Pavilion but had never found the right opportunity. For Qin Zhantian to personally come and support Ye Qingchen indicated a deep relationship between them. But how could that be possible? This was clearly Ye Qingchen’s first visit to the capital city; how could he have any connection to a prominent figure like Qin Zhantian?

With a smile, Qin Zhantian explained, ”Pavilion Master Zhang, you may not know, but I owe young friend Ye a great favor! I was tormented by a stubborn illness for many years, and it was he who finally cured my long-standing ailment!”

Hearing this, Pavilion Master Zhang had a moment of realization, though he still found it unbelievable. Ye Qingchen is only a third-grade Alchemist. With Qin Zhantian’s status, even a Pill King would surely be more than willing to help if asked. Why would he need to rely on Ye Qingchen?

However, it was clear that Qin Zhantian did not wish to elaborate, and Pavilion Master Zhang felt it was not his place to inquire further. In any case, Ye Qingchen had now gained Qin Zhantian’s favor, which was a great boon for the Qingyun Sect.

Meanwhile, on the platform, the competition had officially begun.

Ye Qingchen did not disturb the other Qingyun Sect disciples as they selected their seeds. Instead, he channeled his Vitality Force, searching among the vast number of Ironwood Flower seeds for one suitable for him. However, finding a seed that matched his own attributes among so many was no small challenge. Luckily, his Vitality Force was powerful, and he quickly locked onto a seed.