Chapter 37 - The Challenge

Translator: Coca5156

Editor: Drea

“Are all wastrels so full of themselves? Does she really think that she can do anything just because she has the backing of the Third Prince? I really want to see what is so good about her that even the Third Prince has made an exception for her!”

A distance away, an elegant and youthful girl voiced out her thoughts, such harsh words destroying her gentle image. Yet, the Royal School was full of students who had the exact same thoughts as her. Having the status as a prince as well as the reputation of being the man who would most likely become a True God, Rong Yuan had plenty of suitors. Despite the presence of Tianfeng Wei who was outstanding in all aspects as his fiancée, it did not stop many girls in the city from still being attracted to him.

Gu Lingzhi walked for nearly a minute before she reached the Alchemy Tower that stood in the middle of the school, with Xinran following behind her.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Yesterday, she had already heard from Ye Fei that there were five towers in the school. However, she was still in awe of the sight in front of her.

The Training Tower was over thirty meters in height and was as white as snow. Outside the tower, numerous students were entering and exiting the building. They all had the same goal - to improve their Alchemy skills.

The arena that was dedicated for students to challenge each other was located just beside the Tower.

The arena was a stage made of stone, approximately three to four meters high. Numerous pill furnaces were on top of the stage. All the arenas in school adopted an open concept.

Currently, there were already a male and female student who were competing with each other and there were many people below the stage who were spectating.

“It’s not too late if you regret your decision now, I can give you a chance to prevent yourself from embarrassment in front of the crowd,” Xin Zhixuan feigned mercy.

The only reply that Gu Lingzhi gave her was to walk past her and onto the stage of the arena.

“Since you have your mind set on disgracing yourself, I will not go easy on you!” Xin Zhixuan raised her voice in anger. She made her way up on the stage, easily grabbing the attention of some boys who were infatuated with her.

“I won’t be a bully. Since you have not even attained the lowest rank in Alchemy yet, I will only challenge you to make low grade Yellow-Level Spiritual Medicine.”

Xin Zhixuan did not lower her volume when she said this, because she wanted the people around her to hear. Her followers eagerly took the chance to praise her magnanimity.

Xin Zhixuan’s words passed through the crowd, and seniors who had heard about it sniggered to themselves.

Junior students took Xin Zhixuan’s words at face value, but to these experienced seniors, they could easily see the underlying meaning of her words.

On the surface, it might seem that Xin Zhixuan was being gracious by contesting a lower-levelled pill. However, the success rate of most Alchemists cultivating Spiritual Medicine that corresponded to their level was very low. One would be considered exceptional to achieve even three successful attempts out of five. However, the success rate was almost a hundred percent for someone of a higher grade to refine medicine of a lower grade.

How could they not snigger to themselves watching someone feign magnanimity while secretly trying to obtain a higher chance of winning?

Some students did not agree with that arrangement, but they ultimately did not say anything.

The school had mandated that only the two people on the arena stage had full control of how they want to compete against each other. No one else could interfere.

“Senior, you are a middle grade Yellow-Level Alchemist. It’s embarrassing enough for you to compete with someone like me who has not even gotten a rank in Alchemy. How could I still let you cultivate lower level medicine? We should go according to your level so that it is fair for you.”

No one had expected Gu Lingzhi to reject Xin Zhixuan’s “generosity”. In front of the crowd, she faced a very shocked Xin Zhixuan and said, “I heard that in a challenge, if the kind of medicine to be cultivated had not been decided, then we can randomly pick a card at the side of the stage to decide the topic. What do you think?”

It was difficult for Xin Zhixuan to deny this considering that even a new student like Gu Lingzhi had heard about such a rule. She could only reluctantly agree to Gu Lingzhi’s suggestion.

The teacher-in-charge for overlooking the Arena was an elderly man who had a white beard. When he saw Gu Lingzhi walk over, he passed her a box full of placards labelled with middle grade Yellow-Level medicine names.

Gu Lingzhi picked out a placard and passed it to the teacher.

“Spirit Moulding Pill.”

Gu Lingzhi did not expect that she would be lucky enough to pick a middle grade Yellow-Level pill that she was most familiar with. She turned to see an uncomfortable look on Xin Zhixuan’s face.

The knowledge required for making the Spirit Moulding Pill may be categorized as a middle grade Yellow-Level skill, but its technical difficulty was enough to place it in the high grade Yellow-Level category.

In order to increase the chances of success, one should cultivate the pill according to their own Spiritual Roots. If the pill being cultivated does not match one’s Spiritual Roots, even a skilled Alchemist would fail.

“I happen to have some ingredients for the cultivation of the Spirit Moulding Pill. Senior, do you need to prepare any ingredients?”

“No,” Xin Zhixuan replied.

Xin Zhixuan had little success trying to refine the Spirit Moulding Pill, but she did not believe that Gu Lingzhi who was at a lower grade than her could do it successfully.

Maybe Gu Lingzhi had insisted on making middle grade Yellow-Level medicine because she knew that she herself would fail. After all, if both contestants failed at making the Pill, then it would be considered as a draw.

It was no wonder that Gu Lingzhi could capture the attention of the Third Prince. She was cunning, Xin Zhixuan thought.

Thinking that she had correctly guessed Gu Lingzhi’s plans, she stared at her with contempt.

“It is hard to make the Spirit Moulding Pill, but fortunately, I have succeeded twice last month. I’m afraid your hopes of this challenge ending in a tie will go to waste.”

Xin Zhixuan’s words helped people in the crowd understand why Gu Lingzhi had rejected Xin Zhixuan’s generosity and instead chose to challenge Xin Zhixuan at her level.

For people who had thought that Gu Lingzhi relied on the Third Prince to enroll in the Royal School, these words had only further confirmed that she was more shameless than they had imagined.