There was no reason to stay. The students and Non-Alchemists weren't very interested in the aftermath of the clash. As for Wei Wuyin's existence, there was already a Tian Xiaolu, and while he was actually spectacular in the looks department, his status was too high, so there was likely no opportunity to meet. They dispersed, satisfied at the twists and turns they just lived.
Tian Xiaolu sweeping the Dao Instructors in a Swift Dao Clash of Alchemy!
Qingye Ying and Tian Xiaolu revealing their astonishing concoction capabilities at a very young age, making others sigh wistfully at the brilliance of each successive generation.
The two beauties struggle after claiming a 2-2!
A tie!
Then another tie!
And finally, the entire Alchemic Clash ended in a tie for the first time in many of their long lives! Who would've guessed this?
Another talented mortal that was revealed to be a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist showed up out of nowhere, with the looks of a mythical immortal and the bearings of an elite.
Then, Qingye Ying, the sole elf in the Voyage Academy of Myriad Transformations and in-name disciple of the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint, had thrown away her chance at the greatest alchemic legacy in the entire Endless Voyage Realm. Astonishing! Unbelievable!
So many unexpected events that were unpredictable to the absolute maximum extent.
The sound of steps taking their leave left the world rumbling and clamoring with activity. Discussions were being had on the way out, people speaking as if the event hadn't just concluded a few seconds ago.
"How did someone like THAT become an in-name disciple of such a great figure? Such bullshit luck."
"Haha, guess it's true what they say…elves are as brainless as they are talentless." These types of rude, racist comments resounded here and there. The knowledge of elves being an 'inferior' race had grown tremendously as Qingye Ying revealed herself, overturning the academy with her talent and status. She brought envy and fought to claim respect and pride for her race, yet it was all flushed down the toilet in a single move.
The envy bred jealousy and made others harp on her 'inferior' status, used to make themselves feel better somehow.
"Haha! True. Too bad, though, she's quite something. That body and face, those ears that resemble my celestial race, oh!"
"Want to have little elven babies? You know, they might be pretty given her looks, but that also means you-"
"Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't taint my celestial bloodline with…"
The comments became increasingly vicious as Celestials and Humans commented wildly, vindicating their feelings to insult an entire race to uplift their own.
Wei Wuyin's expression remained unchanged, but his heart groaned in disgust. One of the reasons he loved the Myriad Monarch Sect was the way they viewed everyone equally, even demons who lived in an inhospitable environment or beastmen who've never had a hegemon like Wu Yu or the Sacred Elven Queen. Wu Yu's doctrine never discriminated against or favored any particular race, not even his own, unlike the others who were mainly of a specific race in both territory and powerhouses. In his own words, Wu Yu once said: "A True Monarch conquers heaven, earth, and all those in between. The air, grass, and lives are all equal in my eyes, and only I am above them."
Even demons of the Demonic Abyss Mountain kept elves, humans, and beastmen out of their territory unless they had a demonic lineage despite their inhospitable environment suitable only for demons. The Sacred Light Palace was mostly elves, over 95% of their entire population, and the same went for the Elemental Heaven Pavilion with humans instead.
The Devil War Realm was a huge representation that the racial divide was a natural constant of any civilization but not entirely simple in the cultivation world. The World Between the Fold had Celestials and Humans living in harmony, but only because they saw themselves as equals. If the elves produced an Ascended Sovereign level figure, they would treat them the same, having that same potential to become a grand sovereign of countless lives.
Qingye Ying's reaction caused Wei Wuyin to feel a tinge of respect. She clenched her fists, gritted her pearly white teeth, and her eyes were eerily calm. As a cultivator at the Astral Core Realm, her hearing could pinpoint a leaf floating on the wind from a hundred miles away, let alone those who spoke verbally and without restraint. While it was intermixed with all sorts of other conversations, many of them were like-minded. But, the will to disprove everyone burned in her pupils.
Tian Xiaolu hadn't left yet. She stayed there as the three judges brought the Pure Excellence Cauldron to her in a specialized spatial ring. The cauldron was at the mystic-grade, so storing it in a basic spatial ring was difficult, but it wasn't a genuine Saint Ring like Wei Wuyin's. Its space was extremely small, barely sufficient to store the Pure Excellence Cauldron.
She retrieved the ring and swore the necessary oaths to allow Qingye Ying to fight for it in the future, including that, as long as Qingye Ying hadn't acted against her first, she wouldn't bring harm to her in any way or plot against her to maintain ownership of the cauldron. The wording suggested that if Tian Xiaolu had other schemes against Qingye Ying, as long as her purpose wasn't to keep the cauldron, she could.
After all of this was said and done, the three judges gave Wei Wuyin a look, but they didn't approach. Still, Wei Wuyin could tell that each of them wanted to say something with their non-verbal cues. Clearly, they wanted to discuss with Wei Wuyin later and would send someone to invite him to wherever they lived.
After a long while, only five figures remained on the coliseum's main stage as a blaring sound echoed, signifying the eventual sealing of the coliseum. The other four figures were Cao Cuifen, Liu Suyin, Qingye Ying, and Tian Xiaolu.
Wei Wuyin was surrounded by exceptional beauties, but his expression wasn't the slightest bit at ease. Why? Because Tian Xiaolu had just decided to willingly share the cauldron with Qingye Ying!
A good thing, certainly. But Qingye Ying refused! Yet who would've guessed that Tian Xiaolu also refused to keep the cauldron to herself! She even tried to forcefully get Qingye Ying to share it with her, almost borderline threatening. Even Liu Suyin's usually indifferent expression was contorted with a weird glint in her eyes.
Qingye Ying stared at Tian Xiaolu. She wasn't a fool. It was clear that Tian Xiaolu wanted to form a relationship, and while she felt exceptionally moved by her action, she couldn't simply accept her charity!
Eventually, after a long, long staredown, the former said to the latter uncompromisingly: "If you want me to share the cauldron, I'll only do so if Wei Wuyin can use it too!"
'So Qingye Ying does have the key to whatever inheritance is in the cauldron. And Tian Xiaolu knows this…strange. I thought the Heavenly Daos were deliberately manipulating things from the side to ensure a tie and eventually benefit Tian Xiaolu. But what if…is Tian Xiaolu an Exploitative Blessed?' Wei Wuyin was observing from the side, still a little confused about why Qingye Ying was so adamant about having him included. He could only attribute it to her being loyal to his possession of the Alchemist Association, which her grandfather led.
'But Tian Xiaolu truly has no gentleness or precision in her actions or words, and she doesn't seem like the scheming type.' Wei Wuyin believed a Blessed's type was determined after the first few fortunate events, and he was deemed an Exploitative Blessed after carefully thinking of greater ways to benefit from each fortuitous encounter. This was how the Heavenly Daos maximized a Blessed's gains and development.
If he had to guess by what type of Blessed he had classified, he would instinctively go for Interlinked Blessed, those like Long Chen whose fortuitous encounters were derived from relationships and how one developed these relationships, extracting the most from them. Especially considering she was trying so hard to form one with Qingye Ying.
That or whatever the hell Lin Ming was.
After a long silence, Tian Xiaolu finally looked Wei Wuyin's way, her expression neutral and unaffected by his looks, bearing, or exceptional talent. She turned back to Qingye Ying and said, "I will only agree if he's worthy enough to share this cauldron. If not, then I would rather keep it for myself."
Qingye Ying's heart shook! In truth, she wanted to agree, but she didn't want to exclude Wei Wuyin after trying to share the cauldron and losing it in the process. Would she lose her chance twice? The thought churned her stomach.
"Haha!" Wei Wuyin laughed in a carefree manner. "Sure, what do you suggest I do to prove myself?"
With the opportunity before him, he'd be a fool not to take it. Qingye Ying obviously had a key to the inheritance, and Tian Xiaolu refused to back down. While she said this, even if Wei Wuyin could not prove himself, he felt that Tian Xiaolu would relent regardless. In a way, relenting to Qingye Ying's will after proving Wei Wuyin wasn't worthy could earn an astonishing amount of goodwill and establish a firm base for friendship, considering how much the pretty elf cared about this.
Despite his analysis of the situation, that's only if he is right about her intentions, and she wasn't so prideful as to keep the cauldron should Qingye Ying persist. It was best to prove himself, leave nothing to chance.
Tian Xiaolu nodded. A man shouldn't back down from proving his worth. "A match between you and me, a Swift Dao Clash, using fifth-grade products. If I win, I'm fine with Qingye Ying teaching you, but I won't allow you to use it or comprehend its secrets. If you win, you can do as you please. But there will not be a fourth," she glanced at Cao Cuifen, who had made her way to Wei Wuyin's side. Cao Cuifen's intentions were obvious. A wisp of disdain flickered in Tian Xiaolu's eyes.
Cao Cuifen blushed slightly, revealing a shy look as if all her secrets were exposed, including her intimate parts. She looked like a lonely, delicate flower at this moment, unprotected and beautiful.
Tian Xiaolu resisted the urge to snort contemptuously.
Qingye Ying felt like those conditions were acceptable. Everyone knew that the cauldron had secrets within, but no one dared to access it, given the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint's reputation and the fact the Principal was rumored to be related to her. Even the academy was named after her! It would be idiotic to think there was no connection.
"I agree." Wei Wuyin didn't hesitate to accept these conditions. He'd never participated in a Swift Dao Clash of Alchemy before, but he was extremely confident in his victory. After all, he wasn't just a Mortal Sovereign Alchemist—he was a Mortal Saint Alchemist!
