Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Thunder Attribute Seed

Using his Vitality Force perception, Ye Qingchen found an Ironwood Flower Seed with a Wood-Fire Attribute.

Ye Qingchen possessed a Seven-Star Willow Wood Martial Soul and cultivated the divine-level Wood God Art. As a result, the Wood-Attribute Spiritual Qi within his body was incredibly powerful. Furthermore, Ye Qingchen was blessed with the Fen Tian Earth Fire, making this Wood-Fire Attribute Ironwood Flower Seed highly compatible with him.

If Ye Qingchen chose this seed, he would surely achieve twice the results with half the effort.

Just as he was about to pick up the Ironwood Flower Seed, he noticed Cheng Zhibin not far away. Cheng Zhibin was also confidently holding an Ironwood Flower Seed. A brief assessment revealed it to be a pure Wood Attribute seed.

It wasn’t surprising for a Fourth-Grade Alchemist like Cheng Zhibin to possess a Wood Attribute.

Although the fruit from a Wood-Fire Attribute Ironwood Flower Seed would be stronger than one from a pure Wood Attribute seed, the difference wasn’t significant. Ye Qingchen couldn’t be completely confident of winning on this alone.

After all, Cheng Zhibin was a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, so his Vitality Force was bound to be much stronger than that of a Third-Grade Alchemist like Ye Qingchen. With that enhancement, Cheng Zhibin could surely nurture the seed far more quickly than Ye Qingchen, and the results would be much better.

To overcome this disadvantage, Ye Qingchen needed to find an even more unique Ironwood Flower Seed—one that could guarantee a stunning and decisive victory.

So, Ye Qingchen decisively gave up on the Wood-Fire Attribute seed. He called over a nearby alchemist from the Qingyun Sect and handed it to him. The man had been eyeing the seed Ye Qingchen had chosen just moments before. When the alchemist saw that it was a rare dual-attribute seed, he thanked Ye Qingchen profusely.

Ye Qingchen waved his hand, signaling for the man to quickly begin nurturing the seed. He then activated his Dual Pupil Martial Soul and resumed his search among the countless Ironwood Flower Seeds.

By now, most of the alchemists had chosen their seeds and begun the nurturing process. Ye Qingchen, however, was still searching, causing the other members of the Qingyun Sect in the rest area to grow anxious.

The competition was only five hours long, and in that time, they had to nurture a seed until it took root and sprouted—a very time-consuming process. Ye Qingchen had already wasted so much time just selecting a seed. How could they not be worried?

”Grandfather, what’s wrong with Ye Qingchen? Everyone else has already started, but he’s still taking his time choosing a seed,” Qin Yue asked Qin Zhantian, her face slightly flushed with worry.

Although Qin Zhantian was incredibly powerful, he knew very little about the Alchemy Dao. He frowned, but still tried to comfort her. ”Don’t worry. Young friend Ye is not a rash person. He must have his reasons.”

Pavilion Master Zhang, who was standing beside Qin Zhantian, spoke up to explain, ”The most important part of nurturing a seed isn’t the process itself, but the selection. An excellent seed will yield twice the results with half the effort. But with a poor-quality seed, no amount of hard work will produce much of an effect. That’s why it’s perfectly reasonable for Qingchen to be so cautious.”

After hearing Pavilion Master Zhang’s explanation, the tension on Qin Zhantian and Qin Yue’s faces eased slightly, but they still watched Ye Qingchen on the stage with anxious eyes.

Twenty minutes passed quickly. By then, only Ye Qingchen had yet to choose a seed.

While nurturing his seed, Cheng Zhibin glanced over at Ye Qingchen. Seeing that he still hadn’t chosen a seed, a contemptuous smile crossed his face. All bark and no bite. He’s taking so long just to pick a seed. I’d like to see if he’ll even have any time left to nurture it with his Soul Power!

Princess Cai Yunji’s gaze was also drawn to Ye Qingchen. Noticing he was only a Third-Grade Alchemist, she frowned slightly but said nothing.

A few minutes later, Ye Qingchen finally picked up an Ironwood Flower Seed and returned to his station.

He had chosen an extremely rare Thunder Attribute Ironwood Flower Seed. Ye Qingchen was confident that with this seed’s advantage, he would achieve impressive results in the competition.

Aware that he had wasted a lot of time during the selection, Ye Qingchen carefully buried the seed in the pot before him and began channeling his Soul Power to nourish it.

Under normal conditions, it takes an Ironwood Flower Seed several years in its natural environment to grow into a mature plant that blooms and bears fruit. However, under the influence of an alchemist’s Soul Power, the growth rate becomes incredibly fast.

By now, the seeds of many alchemists had already taken firm root. Cheng Zhibin’s was especially impressive, having already sprouted a tiny bud. Ye Qingchen’s seed, in contrast, showed no signs of life.

Ye Qingchen wasn’t worried. A Thunder Attribute Ironwood Flower Seed was extremely rare, and its growth conditions and speed were unlike those of ordinary seeds. All he needed to do now was focus on nurturing it with all his might.

An hour passed. By now, all the other alchemists’ seeds had sprouted. Cheng Zhibin’s was particularly outstanding, having already grown thirty to forty centimeters tall. Only Ye Qingchen’s seed remained completely still.

Another hour passed. Cheng Zhibin’s Ironwood Flower had now grown over a meter tall, its branches and leaves lush and vibrant. Even the least skilled alchemist’s plant was fifty to sixty centimeters tall by this point.

In contrast, Ye Qingchen’s seed had yet to even sprout.

Cheng Zhibin scanned his surroundings with a dismissive air. No one could compare to him. It seemed the championship of this Alchemy Dao competition was his for the taking.

His gaze then fell upon Ye Qingchen.

Seeing that the seed in front of Ye Qingchen still hadn’t germinated, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. ”Ye Qingchen,” he said disdainfully, ”didn’t you say we’d settle who’s stronger on the stage? What’s the point of all that trash talk back then? When you said all that, I bet you never imagined your own performance would be this pathetic, did you?”