I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 270: 271 Alchemy

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Central City is vast, not a city in the conventional sense, stretching thousands of miles with numerous sects based within, including the Three Sects themselves.

Li Xiaobai located the position of the Elixir Sect, which was still teeming with people.

The assessment of the Elixir Sect is very simple: the higher the grade of the elixirs crafted, the higher the ranking one obtains.

Cultivators enter the grand hall in groups to concoct elixirs, and a great benefit of participating in the competition is that the materials for concocting elixirs are provided by the Elixir Sect at no cost, and the elixirs produced belong to the Elixir Sect.

If a high-quality elixir is crafted, the sect will also give special rewards to commend the effort, which counts as a perk for the cultivators.

After all, regardless of the final product, they do not need to spend their own resources, and they use relatively high-grade materials, making it a rare practical opportunity for those who are fond of alchemy.

Accompanied by Liu Fei, Li Xiaobai entered the hall and found an available platform to sit down. Each cultivator had the same set of materials in front of them, which were of relatively high quality, and a considerable cost was incurred for a single round of the contest.

However, if a cultivator could craft high-grade elixirs, the cost could be recouped in an instant, as previously demonstrated by Yao Chenzi’s seventh-grade elixirs and Xi Yao’s six-and-a-half-grade elixirs, which were enough to compensate for the consumption of the materials.

This trial tests the cultivators’ understanding and pairing of alchemy materials.

The same batch of materials can give birth to different elixirs depending on the combination.

Just like the previous batch of cultivators who, with the same materials, mostly could only craft ordinary second or third-grade elixirs, yet the saintess of the Elixir Sect, Xi Yao, and that Yao Chenzi were able to craft sixth or even seventh-grade elixirs.

But all this was of no use to Li Xiaobai, since he didn’t know how to do alchemy, nor did he plan to do it. Li Xiaobai was preparing to create a special item here. As long as it possessed the effects of an elixir, what did it matter if the shape was different?

“Young Master Li, what kind of elixir are you planning to concoct?”

Liu Fei asked, choosing a platform close to Li Xiaobai.

“Hehe, it will certainly be the Nine Transformation Golden Body Pill! A peerless immortal-grade that trumps all!”

Ji Wuqing declared boisterously.

“Naturally, it will be an elixir that can seize first place in the competition.”

Li Xiaobai moved Ji Wuqing to one side to prevent any interference with his work.

“Young Master Li truly possesses great talent!”

Liu Fei exclaimed in admiration. Before departing, her grandfather had told her that being in the company of exceptional people would make one exceptional, and in her eyes, Li Xiaobai was undoubtedly such a person at that moment.

Not just exceptional, but a big shot!

The surrounding cultivators looked on with peculiar expressions. Could it be that someone was making bold statements during the Elixir Sect’s competition, or was this person actually a hidden powerhouse?

Given the calm and composed demeanor of this individual, he indeed seemed quite capable.

“Elder Yao, have you come again this year?”

“Cough cough, the Elixir Sect always brings forth impressive newcomers each year, and this old man comes here just to broaden his horizon.”

“Elder Yao is being modest. Everyone knows you’ve recently cultivated a new type of flame that has miraculous effects on alchemy. In this alchemy competition, it will be difficult for Elder Yao to rank low!”

“Hehe, look who’s talking quickly. But this old man happens to know that you’ve recently acquired an ancient elixir recipe at the Treasure Pavilion. Perhaps you plan to concoct that elixir today?”

“Hehe, it cannot be said, it cannot be said…”

Many cultivators here knew each other and greeted each other warmly. Everyone’s face was brimming with joy, and although the concoction of elixirs hadn’t begun yet, they already felt like winners.

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“The Elder won’t belabor the rules; as long as incense burns, whoever refines the highest grade elixirs will achieve a higher ranking!”

The Elder of the Elixir Sect casually lit a stick of incense in the grand hall, signifying that the alchemy competition had begun.

All the cultivators dared not delay, hastily selecting materials by their side and beginning to craft elixirs.

Li Xiaobai looked around and noticed that the cultivators nearby were each using a strand of flame in their hands, slowly tempering the medicinal ingredients, a common technique in alchemy.

Sometimes, a cultivator’s flame would have a special effect, like the one from Elder Yao before, whose flame was white. Once ignited, the temperature throughout the grand hall dropped significantly.

Li Xiaobai watched with envy. A flame that exuded such a cold aura was clearly not something that could be compared to ordinary treasures.

However, this also served as a reminder that he himself possessed a small flame, though it was still quite weak.

He casually summoned Hellfire. In the Western Desert, this flame’s consumption of Spiritual Power was limited; exceeding its capacity would extinguish it automatically, hence it hadn’t gained much room for growth.

Picking up a Spirit Grass, he repeatedly roasted it over the flame. The Spirit Grass vanished at a visible rate, and at the same time, the Hellfire grew a fraction larger.

Li Xiaobai’s face lit up with joy. It worked; feeding Hellfire Spiritual Medicine could indeed promote its growth.

One after another, Spirit Grasses were sacrificed, and the Hellfire gradually swelled to the size of a normal flame. Minutes later, only a leaf of Enlightenment Tea remained on the high platform; all other materials had been consumed by the Hellfire.

Li Xiaobai now understood the trick with this flame: Hellfire could burn all things, and the more it consumed, the larger and more powerful it became.

Overall, there was nothing it wouldn’t swallow; whatever it ate would make it grow bigger and stronger.

The path to upgrading was simple but a bit wasteful of Spirit Stones. This thing was quite the money burner. It seemed necessary to venture into more dangerous places more often, burning Heaven and Earth Treasures that weren’t his own resources, so as not to feel heartache while spending.

Liu Fei beside him looked on in amazement, “Young Master Li, are you concocting elixirs?”

“Girl, you don’t understand. This is called specialization. Refining a single herb to the utmost extent to bring out its effects is the true way of alchemy. But you, girl, your realm is not high enough. Just focus on properly refining elixirs for now.”

Li Xiaobai said without the slightest change in expression or heart rate.

“Oh, I see.”

Admiration grew in Liu Fei’s heart. A big shot was indeed a big shot, thinking in ways beyond ordinary people. Perhaps this was the world of a genius?

Li Xiaobai glanced at her, thinking this girl was too easy to fool—she believed whatever he said.

Several Elixir Sect Elders had somewhat gloomy expressions. In their view, Li Xiaobai was here to cause trouble intentionally, burning all the medicinal materials to ashes. What would he refine with?

They were determined to teach this person a lesson later, to make him learn from the experience.

Li Xiaobai wasn’t aware of the Elders’ thoughts, nor did he care.

He exchanged for a bunch of materials from the System Mall, as he intended to craft Huazi.

The method for making Huazi was available in the mall, and it was straightforward: grind the Enlightenment Tea leaves into a powder, crush them, then roll them up with a cigarette wrapper. Just like Tangneng First-class, the handmade Huazi were effective only when Li Xiaobai personally crafted them.

However, there were ready-made Huazi in the mall, so there was no need to go out of his way to make them on a regular basis.

Without cultivation, Li Xiaobai was unable to crush the Enlightenment Tea leaves directly into powder.

He flipped his wrist and pulled out a large hammer from his Space Ring. This Magic Treasure belonged to some nameless cultivator and was hard enough for the job—perfect for hammering the Enlightenment Tea leaves.

Amidst the astonished gaze of Liu Fei beside him, he lifted the hammer and brought it down with a resounding clang.

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