THE EXTREME ALCHEMIST OF THE MIGHTY CAULDRON

Chapter 827: Chapter 827: The Rules of the Talent Battle

“Master, you really underestimate me too much. Do you really think I can only rank within the top thousand?” Fang Lin said, dissatisfied.

Ye Mengxian smiled gently, “It’s not that I underestimate you, but simply being realistic. This time, the competition in the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents is unlike before, allowing participation of those under forty years of age, which includes the fearsome talents from the Upper Three Countries. If you can indeed rank within the top thousand, that would already be my best estimation for you.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Lin looked at Ye Mengxian curiously and asked, “Master, you’re not yet forty, are you?”

At these words, Ye Mengxian’s pretty face turned cold, “Do you think I look very old?”

Fang Lin shook his head repeatedly, “No, no, Master is young and beautiful, of course, I wouldn’t think that.”

“Then what do you mean by asking if I am forty?” Ye Mengxian eyed Fang Lin with an unfriendly tone.

Fang Lin said weakly, “Didn’t Master say that anyone under forty can participate in the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents? I was wondering if Master is also going to participate.”

Ye Mengxian huffed and lazily sat down on the iron chair of the Hall Master, saying, “According to the rules, I am indeed eligible to participate. However, there is a rule within the Pill Alliance that a Hall Master cannot take part in any of the Nine Countries’ affairs, so I won’t be participating.”

At these words, Fang Lin uttered an “Oh” and showed a pensive look on his face.

“What about it? Do you want to participate?” Seeing that Fang Lin was silent, Ye Mengxian asked again.

Fang Lin scratched his head, “Since there are rewards, why not participate.”

“Hmm, even if you didn’t want to, it’s too late now. I’ve already registered you, and now your name is already on the roster for the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents,” Ye Mengxian said casually.

The corner of Fang Lin’s mouth twitched. After all this talk, you already registered me and still ask whether I’m willing to participate.

“There are things you need to be reminded of. The Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents is not to be taken lightly – you cannot hold anything back and must strive for a higher ranking. If you are lucky enough to rank within the top five hundred, there will be even more benefits,” Ye Mengxian said seriously.

Fang Lin nodded his head, thinking that since he had already entered, he could only do his best to strive for a higher ranking.

“The talents from the Upper Three Countries? I really want to experience them for myself,” Fang Lin thought to himself.

·····

The day for the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents drew nearer, and entrants continued to sign up in an endless stream. After all, the Nine Countries were vast, with countless talents and unknown geniuses eager to showcase themselves in this battle.

Fang Lin was actively preparing. According to Ye Mengxian, with his strength, he could make it into the top thousand, but breaking into the top five hundred would be much more difficult.

Although Ye Mengxian was not fully aware of Fang Lin’s true strength, her words suggested that this Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents indeed included many formidable contenders.

While Fang Lin was confident, he wasn’t arrogant to the point of delusion. Among the vast lands of the Nine Countries, there were bound to be others stronger than himself.

For instance, among the young powerhouses in the Upper Three Countries that Fang Lin had heard about, there were several who were terrifyingly powerful; any one of them could cause a sensation in all corners.

Fang Lin had never crossed hands with any of the talents from the Upper Three Countries, and he was eager to exchange blows with the young masters there.

And as for the rules of the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents, Fang Lin had some understanding.

All participating martial artists would have their order randomized, and the battles would be conducted through arena fights.

Whether they won or lost, their outcomes would be recorded. If one lost ten matches in a row, they would lose the qualification and be removed from the competition.

Additionally, if one accumulated thirty losses, they would also be eliminated.

In other words, to consistently climb higher in the rankings of the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents and vie for better spots, the two basic requirements were not to lose ten consecutive fights and to ensure one’s number of losses didn’t reach thirty.

And for fairness, martial artists from the Upper Three Countries who registered were separated from those of the Middle and Lower Three Kingdoms; they would not be matched against each other in the initial rounds of the competition.

This arrangement was a relief to the martial artists of the Middle and Lower Three Kingdoms and was seen as very reasonable.

The situation was indeed as such; this setup allowed the martial artists from the Middle and Lower Three Kingdoms to have more chances without making it too easy for the talents of the Upper Three Countries to advance.

Of course, those who were fated to meet would eventually meet; it was just a matter of sooner or later.

However, some people from the talents of the Upper Three Countries were dissatisfied with this arrangement. Although they were from the Upper Three Countries, they were also aware of their limitations. There were too many talented and powerful people in the Upper Three Countries, and some of them primarily intended to take advantage of people from the Middle and Lower Three Kingdoms to improve their ranking. This plan shattered their hopes as soon as it was announced.

As a result, the talents of the Upper Three Countries had to first compete among themselves, weeding out those who were not strong enough. Only the true talents of the Upper Three Countries would then remain.

And by then, the talents from the Middle and Lower Three Kingdoms would face the truly formidable figures of the Upper Three Countries.

In a nutshell, it was a battlefield for the strong, and in the end, only the true talents would shine brightly.

Before the opening of the Battle of the Nine Countries’ Talents, all registered martial artists received a Jade Brand. As long as they carried the Jade Brand, once the event began, they would be transported to a separate space, where the battle would take place.

Given the vast number of participants spread out over a wide area, the event had to be conducted in this way. However, projections of the battles and the current Talent Leaderboard would be shown in all major cities throughout the Nine Countries, allowing those outside to see the bouts and track the changes on the leaderboard.

The Talent Leaderboard ranked up to ten thousand names; any ranks beyond that would not be included in the leaderboard.

As Fang Lin actively prepared for battle, Dugu Nian returned to North Town Hall from the Dugu Family.

“Look, I’ve fixed the zither,” Dugu Nian said, proudly bringing out the zither like a prized possession. The broken strings of the zither were now fully connected.

The strings were golden in color and shimmered faintly, emitting an extraordinary aura.

Fang Lin showed an expression of surprise, “What is this?”

Dugu Nian said arrogantly, “This is the Lifeline Silk Thread of the Gold Blood Silkworm. I managed to obtain it with great difficulty from Grandfather.”

Fang Lin nodded and plucked the zither strings, producing a crisp and melodious sound that spread invisible sound waves.

“By the way, can you play the zither?” Fang Lin asked.

Dugu Nian glanced at him disdainfully, “Miss knows everything about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, alright? Not like you who can only play a shoddy flute.”

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