Chapter 308 : The Overly Simple Second Round

Although many people felt strange that the bamboo hat of the gray robe young man had suddenly disappeared, none of them suspected Hai Bo Dong. At this moment, most of the audience’s eyes were basically glued to the tender face of the gray robe young man. It was likely that this young man’s age was the youngest in all of the seasons of the Alchemist Grand Meeting,

The gray robe young man patted off the remnant ice fragment on his shoulders. He then lifted his head to look at Hai Bo Dong and the others on the VIP seats, revealing a cold smile. His lips moved slightly. By relying on the shape of this mouth, Fa Ma and the others could clearly identify what he had said, “I want the champion spot for this Grand Meeting!”

“How is it? Can you see if he is disguising his appearance?” Fa Ma’s finger gently tapped on the guardrail as he asked faintly.

Hai Bo Dong and Jia Lao exchanged glances and immediately shook his head slightly. In a deep voice, he said, “I can’t see that he has disguised his appearance...”

“What you are telling me... is that this person is really only so young? If this is really so, then I think that he has completely explained what is called a true genius. Compared to him, the talent of Liu Ling, Yan Xiao and the others appears to have become extremely ordinary.” Fa Ma said with a frown.

“Although I can’t see how he disguised himself, his age is definitely not what is written in the information...” Hai Bo Dong shook his head and said, “His sensitive reaction toward danger does not appear to be something that a seventeen year old young man possesses. Instead, it seemed like that of a warrior who has been in the battlefield for a long time. Moreover, he was able to hide his ability and reveal it only now. This is sufficient to see that his mental strength is extraordinary. I really have difficulty imagining that a seventeen year old young man is able to do all these things so perfectly.”

“In this world, there are other methods besides changing one’s appearance to turn oneself into such a manner... You, as an alchemist, should be even more clear of this than me. Some special medicinal ingredients or medicinal pills... have this kind of strange effect.” Jia Lao said in a low voice.

“There are indeed some unique and rare medicinal pills that can change a person’s exterior into that of a young person. But those medicinal pills are all extremely rare things and they are extremely difficult to refine... However, if anyone really obtained one, it would be likely that no one would be able to distinguish him unless he opened his mouth to admit his age...” Fa Ma nodded his head and voiced his thoughts.

“If any old fellows were to obtain a medicinal pill that could change his appearance back into a young man, won’t he be able to deceive everyone and participate in this Grand Meeting? When that time comes... Who among the younger generation would be able to contend with him? In this way, this Grand Meeting of yours still has some loopholes.” Hai Bo Dong frowned and said.

“Do you really think that those kind of medicinal pills are so easy to refine? Moreover, who among the older generation would abandon their face and do such a thing. If he were accidentally exposed, won’t he be utterly embarrassed?” Fa Ma helplessly said.

“Yes, there is one below... I am now certain that under this tender outer appearance, there is definitely an old soul.” Hai Bo Dong spread out his hand and lifted his chin at the gray robed young man.

“What use is there if you can’t be certain? We cannot just simply base everything on a couple words of yours and forcefully expel him in front of so many people, can we? Since our Alchemist Grand Meeting is known to be opened to any alchemist, then it naturally includes the alchemists from Chu Yun Empire...” Fa Ma smiled bitterly and said.

“Then what do you plan to do now? If you let a person from the Chu Yun Empire obtain the champion position, your association’s reputation will end up receiving quite a big blow.” Jia Lao knit his eyebrows together and said.

“What else can we do? We can only choose to continue conducting the grand meeting. If he were to fumble and accidently fail, it would save us those thoughts. Moreover... Yan Xiao and those little fellows aren’t ordinary people. What if they beat that old fellow by chance?” Fa Ma spread his hands and said.

From the looks of the situation, it seems a little difficult.” Jia Lao shook his head and said.

“That may not be certain...” Hai Bo Dong suddenly parted his mouth and smiled. His gaze swept to Xiao Yan in the open ground and smiled as he said, “There might really be some surprise...”

“Hopefully.”

Fa Ma sighed. Although he spoke in such a manner, his heart did not feel so certain. Yan Xiao may be considered among the best of the younger generation, but that mysterious gray robed young man clearly did not belong to the level of a young person.

“Let’s wait and see. If it is really not possible... we can wait until the examination is over and find a chance to do... to that fellow.” Hai Bo Dong patted Fa Ma’s shoulders. He randomly waved his hand and a faint killing intent appeared on his old face.

Fa Ma’s turbid eyes narrowed. A long while later, he shook his head and sighed, “Forget it. If the matter were to be exposed, us, the Jia Ma Empire’s Alchemist Association, would become extremely notorious in this continent. For us, the price of that outweighs the benefits! Therefore, we cannot take this risk.”

“It’s up to you.” Hai Bo Dong shrugged his shoulders and did not continue speaking. Taking a few steps back, he sat on his chair and waited for the Grand Meeting to continue.

Jia Lao also patted Fa Ma’s shoulders and retreated to his seat.

......

“That fellow... is actually so young?” Xiao Yan, Liu Ling and Little Princess felt a similar shock as they eyed that tender face of the gray robe young man. They did not have the judgement power of Fa Ma and the others. Therefore, when they saw the other party’s appearance, they were all shocked speechless.

“That fellow is someone from the Chu Yun Empire?” The Little Princess eyes suddenly saw the badge that was worn on the gray robe of the young man’s chest. On the badge, there was a bright sun that was slowly rising from the horizon. This image was the symbol of the Chu Yun Empire.

“Chu Yun Empire?” Hearing this name, Xiao Yan was slightly surprised. The Little Fairy Doctor that was wearing a floating white dress suddenly flashed across his mind. “She appeared to have left for the Chu Yun Empire, no?”

“He actually is a person from the Chu Yun Empire? This is going to be fun...” Liu Ling was similarly shocked as he immediately muttered. As the disciple of Pill-King Gu He, he naturally clearly knew the grudge between the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire.

“We must not let him be the champion!” Liu Ling eyed Xiao Yan and the Little Princess as he said in low voice.

Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders in an unconcerned manner. As no one had poured any enmity thoughts against the Chu Yun Empire into him, he did not have too much of a conflict or enmity with the Chu Yun Empire. The Little Princess, who was a member of the imperial family, nodded her head seriously.

......

On the front stage of the VIP seats, Fa Ma slowly exhaled. His turbid eyes carried some coldness as he stared at the gray robe young man in the open ground below. A long while later, a calm voice once again sounded in the plaza.

“Alright, since everyone has completed the test, let us start the second round of the examination... Move your fingers and press the red colored small button on the bottom left of the rock table.”

Hearing the voice by the side of his ear, Xiao Yan immediately threw the matter regarding the gray robe young man to the back of his mind. His finger touched it and then pressed the little red colored button down.

As he pressed the button, the huge green table suddenly trembled slightly. The machine that had protruded out earlier was once again withdrawn. A huge pile of neatly stacked medicinal ingredients and a medicinal formula scroll slowly appeared on the clear and sleek table surface.

“This time around, the medicinal formula is an orthodox one. This is something that our association used all of our manpower and a few months in order to create it. The examination this time around will require all of you to follow the medicinal formula to successfully refine the medicinal pill. The medicinal ingredients in front of you are sufficient enough for all of you to refine twice. In other words, all of you still only have two tries. Once the medicinal ingredients are exhausted, it represents your failure...”

“Uh?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was at a lost. Immediately, he frowned. “Following the medicinal formula to refine the medicinal pill? This kind of examination... isn’t it a little too easy? This kind of refining by following the method step by step was clearly far easier than the first round... If the Grand Meeting was so prudent, how could they perform such an examination?

Xiao Yan doubtfully shook his head. He picked up the medicinal formula scroll and slowly pulled it open. After which, he closed his eyes and extended his Spiritual Strength out, gradually scanning the information recorded on the medicinal formula.

As his Spiritual Strength did the scan, numerous amounts of precise information was swiftly stored in Xiao Yan’s mind. The various different things that one needed to pay attention to were also swiftly and clearly recorded in Xiao Yan’s mind. This was the advantage of an orthodox medicinal formula.

After this information was recorded in Xiao Yan’s mind, he could sense that the Spiritual Strength on the scroll that was storing the information was swiftly disappearing.

“‘Wind Walking Pill’, tier three medicinal pill. Its effect: Able to let the person who consumes it be extremely sensitive toward the wind type natural energy for a short period of time. From this, one could use it to raise one’s movement speed.”

“It is a rather practical medicinal pill... the way the alchemist association leaves it to the contestants is really generous. This formula is something that one can forget about obtaining from the market if one did not have a hundred thousand gold coins. But they actually gave them out for free.” Xiao Yan sighed emotionally and shook his head. Xiao Yan was a little surprised by its effect of being able to increase one’s movement speed.

“According to what is written on it, one needs to merge nine different types of medicinal ingredients in order to refine the ‘Wind Walking Pill’. Although this isn’t considered a lot, it is not a small number either...” Xiao Yan’s gaze slowly swept over the nine different types of medicinal ingredients in front of him as he muttered, “This kind of medicinal formula has only reached tier three. Adding to that there is a medicinal formula. It should not be too difficult to refine it. The examination this time around... is quite easy. Don’t tell me that they currently intend to let people successfully pass it because they were a little too ruthless earlier?”

Xiao Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head. He raised it and looked around him only to find that Little Princess, Liu Ling and the others had their eyebrows slightly knit together. Clearly, they felt a little surprise at the simplicity of the examination this time around.

“I don’t care what exactly is the reason. I should act first. It would naturally be good if I can successfully pass and save myself quite a bit of trouble.” Xiao Yan mumbled softly, He threw the purple colored Danwan into his mouth and sprayed the Purple Flame into the medicinal cauldron.

At a remote corner, the gray robed young man looked at the scroll on his hand indifferently. A smile of ridicule was contained at the corner of his mouth. “A cheap trick... does the Jia Ma Empire’s Alchemist Association only have this little ability?”

On the stage in front of the VIP seats, Fa Ma stood on the high ground and looked down at the entire place. He eyed Xiao Yan at the middle spot who had already raised his flame and began to refine. He frowned slightly and softly said: “Little Fellow, you must always be careful. This kind of Grand Meeting is not like a competition along the road side. If you don’t pay attention, you will end up being eliminated.”