Chapter 411 - 417: The Ancient Cold Sect’s Selection Begins

"That’s right! We’re all here to cheer for Senior Sister Song. We know you can make it into the top three!"

The other followers nodded eagerly, their eyes filled with trust for Song Wanning.

Their fervent, sycophantic behavior was bizarre, to say the least.

The surrounding disciples were utterly confused. They couldn’t understand why someone of Yue Lin’s stature would treat Song Wanning like this.

But everyone knew not to speak ill of Song Wanning anymore. Otherwise, Yue Lin would make them regret it.

More and more puzzled gazes fell upon Song Wanning.

She paid them no mind, heading to the waiting area with her martial uncle and a few followers.

Many Alchemy Cultivators had gathered in the area. Although the Ancient Cold Sect was a Major Sect with countless Alchemy Cultivators, those with truly exceptional skills were relatively few.

About a hundred people were participating in this competition.

The participants ranged from white-haired elders to young juniors.

Song Wanning didn’t look out of place, but her arrival quickly drew a great deal of attention.

"Tch. It seems anyone who knows a thing or two about Alchemy thinks they can just show up and compete!"

A red-haired male cultivator sneered, disdainfully looking Song Wanning up and down.

Others might be wary of the people from Chasing Cloud Peak and Yue Lin, but he wasn’t!

"Exactly! Look at her. I bet she’s barely even seen a handful of Pill Recipes for Spirit Pills! Hahaha!"

"Shh, she has Chasing Cloud Peak backing her. We’re just small fries, we can’t compare..."

The group huddled together, speaking loudly on purpose.

Pill Masters held a pivotal position in the Sect, and young Pill Masters like them were especially valued. They weren’t afraid of offending anyone.

After all, even the big shots were waiting for the Elixir Pills they refined!

Specialization has its perks, after all.

When their arrogant words reached the ears of Song Wanning’s group, Qin Ming was the first to snap.

But just as he was about to speak, Feng Xue held him back.

"Calm down. The more arrogant they are now, the more satisfying it’ll be to see them eat their words later!"

She’d heard from her junior sister that their little junior niece was a prodigy in the Alchemy Dao. Those people wouldn’t be laughing for long.

"So we’re just going to let them taunt Wan Ning like this?"

Qin Ming’s neck flushed red with anger, and he was itching to rush over and give them a good slap.

"They have mouths, don’t they? Are you going to go around and shut them all up?"

Feng Xue rolled her eyes at him.

’Can’t you see Wan Ning isn’t the least bit angry?’

’Especially with that knowing smile on her face...’

’Those guys are definitely in for it!’

Yue Lin and the others were also about to speak up, but Song Wanning stopped them.

’She didn’t need anyone else to fight her battles.’

"To be honest, I wasn’t very confident about participating in this competition."

Her gaze fell on the group that had been talking, and a mocking smile touched her lips.

"But after seeing you senior brothers, I suddenly feel like I’ve come to the right place after all."

"After all, if brainless fools like you can participate, then of course I can too."

"Wouldn’t you agree?"

’Insulting people?’

’She could do that, too.’

’She didn’t need anyone’s help for this!’

"You—you—"

The red-haired male cultivator hadn’t expected Song Wanning to dare insult him back, and his expression instantly soured with anger.

"You’ve got a sharp tongue!!!"

He glared furiously at Song Wanning. "The ancients said it best: women and lesser men are the most difficult to raise. How true!"

The red-haired male cultivator was truly enraged. Everyone in the Sect treated him with courtesy. Who didn’t know he was on track to become the youngest Alchemy Grandmaster?

This Song Wanning was completely out of line.

But his statement was far too broad. The moment he finished speaking, he drew the ire of numerous female cultivators. They all turned on him, cursing him so viciously he didn’t know what hit him.

Song Wanning didn’t even have to lift a finger.

"You—all of you—"

The red-haired male cultivator’s face turned a deep, blotchy red, but he didn’t dare say another word about women being inferior.

Song Wanning watched him, her eyes sparkling. She gave him a teasing smirk, which only made him so angry he nearly blacked out.

"Don’t get cocky! We’ll see who has real skill soon enough!"

He snorted, then scurried off to the side with his tail between his legs.

Seeing this, no one else dared to say anything against Song Wanning. Ultimately, strength was what mattered most; there was no point in winning a verbal spat.

The waiting area finally fell silent.

Song Wanning found a spot to sit and closed her eyes to rest.

Qin Ming and the others didn’t stay, instead heading to the viewing stands.

Over a hundred Pill Masters were participating in the grand competition. Some of them took part every ten years, while for others, it was their first time.

An even greater number of Pill Masters, however, were not competing. They took their seats in the viewing stands, waiting to watch the disciples perform.

Soon, Sect Master Luo Hantian appeared with the elders.

They took the highest seats, their expressions solemn.

"I’m sure you all know the prize for this Alchemy Dao competition: a trip to the Central Domain. This is a truly rare opportunity."

Luo Hantian said in a grave voice, "I hope you will all perform to the best of your abilities. Do not bring shame to our Ancient Cold Sect!"

The Ancient Cold Sect had participated in past competitions, but had never placed in the top three.

Therefore, he didn’t hold out much hope for a top-three finish, but the words of encouragement had to be said. He did, however, hope the Ancient Cold Sect’s disciples could achieve a higher ranking this time around.

Any improvement would be a great victory in itself!

He offered a few more words of encouragement before letting the Sixth Elder preside over the competition.

"The qualifying round of the Alchemy Dao competition officially begins now!"

As his voice fell, a series of raised platforms materialized just outside the waiting area, their number perfectly matching the number of contestants.

At the same time, a number lit up on each person, corresponding to their registration order.

Song Wanning was number seventy-eight, which corresponded to the seventy-eighth platform.

Without hesitation, she leaped directly onto her platform.

The others also made their way to their respective platforms, the first order of business being to take out their Pill Furnaces and place them down.

The grade of a Pill Furnace was also an indicator of a Pill Master’s own strength, so no one found this strange. Instead, they began appraising the various Pill Furnaces on display.

But when Song Wanning took out her Pill Furnace, many in the crowd frowned.

Her Pill Furnace had no discernible grade.

"Tsk, is she actually using something from the Lower World?"

The red-haired male cultivator had finally found another opportunity to mock her and let out a derisive sneer.

His voice drew everyone’s gaze to Song Wanning.

Luo Hantian frowned in displeasure. ’What’s with this kid? How dare he target Song Wanning!’

’She was the disciple he had the highest hopes for.’

’However, when it came to Alchemy, he really didn’t know the extent of her abilities, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity.’

’It is said that one’s energy is finite. Although a Cultivator’s life is longer, cultivation itself consumes a vast amount of time.’

’That left even less time to study other arts. Typically, only those with true, innate talent could master them.’

’Could Song Wanning really be that talented?’

"Hiss... Song Wanning’s Alchemy Furnace really is pathetic. It doesn’t even have a grade. Is she that hard up for resources? You’d think Chasing Cloud Peak would have gotten her a replacement."