The Everclash!
Unbeknownst to a vast majority of the cultivating population of the Sealed Regions, the Chosen King Competition had a divergent avenue of challenge for those less inclined toward the Martial Path, focusing on the Dao of Alchemy instead. It was a competition that challenged one's innate talent, insights, and attainments in the Alchemic Dao. Moreover, it was not a 'typical' competition by any stretch of the word.
In fact, it was downright deadly; the Everclash had a higher mortality rate than the Everworld Venture! This was with the fact that since the beginning of its inception, it has almost exclusively had those from the World Beyond participating! These were experts of the Alchemic Dao that had the foundation of societies with Ascended Sovereigns at the lead!
Just from a surveying glance, Tian Xiaolu, Qingye Ying, and Wei Wuyin could determine that each Alchemist present was top-notch. Additionally, the waffling aura of rich, dense, and pure Alchemical Energies was prevalent around most of them. Alchemic Soul Alchemists!
In the Sealed Regions, before Wei Wuyin's arrival, the only prominent Alchemic Soul cultivators were the King of Everlore and the Sky Zenith Alchemic Saint, and among the established Mortal Sovereign Alchemists none cultivated Alchemic Souls. They relied on the sheer overwhelming quality of their cultivated Alchemical Energy through conversion methods, reaching their levels while maintaining a semblance of their combat abilities. While those abilities were considerably less than those who pursue battle and strength, they could still reign supreme against the ordinary cultivator beneath their level.
Not all those present from the World Beyond had Alchemic Souls, but they were all beneath the age of five hundred years with Alchemic Stars of Mortal Spirituality. When Wei Wuyin inspected those who lacked that pure alchemical aura, he slightly furrowed his brows in contemplation.
Tian Xiaolu had been paying extraordinary attention to Wei Wuyin this entire time, often checking out Qingye Ying who was elated and anxious all in one from time to time. Given Qingye Ying's beauty and lineage connection with the Myriad Transformations Alchemic Saint, Tian Xiaolu had to, for the last few decades, block off any male attempts to court her.
This was especially since many thought of her as 'inferior' and thus tried to take advantage of her naivety and insecurities.
She was prepared to halt any signs of flirting between them. Wei Wuyin's looks, status, strength, means, self-established organization alongside his many powerful subordinates, and charismatic charm were all at the highest level. Moreover, it was well-known that he had several lovers, among them were elves, beastwomen, and demons. He had no discrimination towards beautiful women. It would be a lie to say she wasn't terrified at the thought that Wei Wuyin would set his sights on Qingye Ying and delightfully obtain a two-for-one deal.
Tian Xiaolu refused to be an add-on to someone else's adore life! The Yin-Pairing Bond that was established for the sake of the inherited legacy, she was already dead set on finding a way to dissolve it.
As such, the moment Wei Wuyin frowned, she grasped the detail immediately and followed his gaze. She noted that he was looking at a young man who lacked signs of being an Alchemic Soul cultivator. In her mind, she recalled that Wei Wuyin had left the World Between the Fold and falsified his death before re-entering the Sealed Regions and establishing his Neo-Dawn Starfield. Moreover, during his Alchemic Expo, he revealed his well-concealed Alchemic Soul after cultivating a strange Multi-Spirit Method.
Because of this, she felt that he was wondering how those in the Mortal Realms could reach the Mortal Sovereign Alchemist level without an Alchemic Soul.
"They don't cultivate Alchemic Souls but have been bestowed Alchemic Runes by their respective forces, seniors, or organizations. While they seem less dangerous, they're the most difficult to deal with due to their retained strength."
Tian Xiaolu remembered when she was ignorant of Alchemic Runes when that talkative spirit of the cauldron had mentioned it before, and now that she was...
When she thought of that talkative spirit-Bai Xiu, she instantly realized that she had left with Wei Wuyin. Additionally, Wei Wuyin was a bona-fide Worldly Saint Alchemist. How could he possibly be unaware of this?Wei Wuyin looked toward Tian Xiaolu with a knowing smile. Tian Xiaolu immediately realized that she was caught paying attention to his every gesture, waiting to act. She restrained the urge to pout, turning away, allowing Wei Wuyin to only see the back of her head.
Wei Wuyin cheerfully chuckled; the normally tense atmosphere of the Everclash dissipated by the sound of his voice, and many eyes turned toward him curiously. A few wanted to speak, but Wei Wuyin's mere presence exuded a type of aura that made these keen and likely arrogant Alchemists know that they shouldn't mess with him.
While he hadn't openly shown his Alchemic Stars of Transcendent Purity, to these cultivators who possessed Alchemic Souls and Alchemic Runes imprinted on their Astral Souls, it was a subconscious feeling that he exuded that granted him a degree of presence greater than or equal to their respective masters, respected seniors, or worshiped heroes of the Alchemic Dao.
It was inexplicable, but they all simply held their tongues.
Tian Xiaolu frowned after seeing the glinting eyes of blazing desire and curious interest in the female alchemists' eyes while the gazes of men who were solemn and grim, respectful to the utmost as if afraid of sending disrespect to Wei Wuyin.
She expected a few of these cultivators that seemed to have arrogance burned into their bones to speak out or scold Wei Wuyin, or at the very least act impudent out of ignorance or curiosity. Yet...nothing!
Vaguely, she recalled her own experiences thus far, and she felt extremely frustrated by Wei Wuyin's treatment. There hadn't been a time when she hadn't been underestimated due to her origins, insulted by envious women, aggressively lusted over, or targeted due to a man liking her more than their female companions. Despite her status in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, this still occurred, especially among those of the top-ranked Mystic forces who felt relatively equal to her.
While only a minute remained, that was enough for at least three full conversations between cultivators of their level.
They didn't even try to target the non-human, non-titans, and non-celestials in the crowd as if there was an invisible power that instinctively told them otherwise. By this point, she grew suspicious."TEN SECONDS!" Wang Yutian's voice resounded forcefully.
The tension in the air intensified.
"Do you understand about Everclash?" Qingye Ying softly asked Wei Wuyin, stepping a little closer. Tian Xiaolu's eyes darted over sensing this.
Wei Wuyin couldn't help but be amused by Tian Xiaolu's vigilance. An urge swelled within his heart. "I know some details, but not everything. Mind telling me?" Wei Wuyin said, stepping a little closer to Qingye Ying. By this point, they were only two steps away from each other.
Qingye Ying stared at Wei Wuyin's profile, and her eyes shone.
In the past, the two of them were regarded as the Princess and Prince of Everlore, the successors of the King of Everlore's legacy, and when she learned of his death, she had been overwhelmed with sadness and loss for a long time. She had devoted her attention to alchemy by Tian Xiaolu's instruction. Now that she knew he was alive and well, her feelings were originally all sorts of tangled webs. Shockingly, however, when Wei Wuyin had asked if she was cursing him, and then his cheerful laughter after, her emotions straightened out and the weighty feeling in her heart disappeared almost instantly.
With the last few seconds left, she sent it over via transmission. "The Everclash is a very unique competition with real life-and-death consequences. It's a challenge of attainments, skill, courage, versatility, talent, speed, and strength. It was designed by the King of Everlore all those years ago! Even today, it's considered the most dreadful type of challenge for the Alchemic Dao."
Wei Wuyin looked extremely interested as he listened attentively, causing Qingye Ying's expression to become increasingly lively. But he already knew all the details of the Everclash. In fact, he had participated in one before! Debonair Wei Wuyin hadn't focused on the Alchemic Dao, treating it as an auxiliary path, but he entered a mock Everclash for the older generation in the Endless Voyage Realm.
The Everclash was indeed a dreadful challenge, far more intense than an ordinary Alchemic Clash or a Swift Dao Clash. There were real, permanent stakes involved. Most notably,
YOUR LIFE!
The Everclash was designed as a Battle Royale-type Racing competition where many different Alchemists of a particular standard, either age or level, fiercely competed against each other. In the outside world, this was typically limited to level, but the Everclash of the Chosen King Competition used age, creating a very clear divergence of skill, and amplifying the risks associated with it.
The Everclash had nine stages, each with nine steps, for a total of eighty-one steps. Each stage was assigned a grade in the Mortal-Rank, such as first-grade or ninth-grade, and then each Alchemist, at random, is assigned a concoction method of one of the four types-pill, paste, elixir, or pelletât the low, high, and peak tiers.
While it was entirely random for each person, if an Alchemist was assigned a pill-type during the first stage, they would not receive the pill-type until at least two other types have been assigned at the second and third stages. Therefore, before the fourth stage, they would be unable to receive the pill-type again. Fortunately, the grades are consistent across each stage for each alchemist.
This made assignments somewhat predictable, but also the stages extremely diverse. If an Alchemist lacks skill in a type, they could make up for it in their specialized product type later on.
Every Alchemist of the Everclash start at the first stage on step zero, assigned a grade shared with everyone else; then, they are bestowed a random product type for that grade; then, each Alchemist is subsequently given a Concoction Methods that were, at random, either low, high, or peak tier. The Concoction Method might be one they are familiar with or not.
To advance across the steps and stages, the Alchemists will have to successfully concoct the product to an acceptable standard. A successful concoction at the low-quality equates to one step forward, high-quality was two steps forward, and peak-quality was three steps forward! After nine steps have been achieved, an Alchemist will enter the next stage!
However, it wasn't as easy as one would expect! This was the Everclash of the Chosen King Competition established by the King of Everlore himself, not some mock version!
Firstly, each Alchemist was only given a SINGLE batch of concoction materials at a time. A single concoction failure also meant forcefully having to wait for EVERYONE else to finish their concoction before you will receive a second batch to try again. In a race, this was utterly brutal.
Secondly, an Alchemist MUST take their product's result regardless of the outcome.
Thirdly, regardless of grade, every Alchemist was given a time limit of seven days or eighty-four hours. There was no exception, regardless if it was first-grade or ninth-grade. This was an extremely brutal rule! That said, there were many different ways to extend one's concoction time! This didn't just test speed, it tested one's means and cultivation.
Fourthly, DECLARATION! At the start of each concoction, every Alchemist declares the quality of their concocted product. Regardless of their result, as long as they are at or above their declaration, they will take that declared quality and move forward! However, if they are under their declared quality and succeed in the concoction, regardless if they declared peak-quality and achieved high-quality, they will remain where they are. But if they fail to find success, either concocting an impure product or destroying the materials during the process, they will take a step back equal to their declaration!
This was one of the most important aspects of Everclash! It not only judged competence and confidence but the ability to estimate one's ability properly. You're not overly punished for success, but you are devastatingly punished for failure!
Lastly, and the most terrifying, every eighty-four hours, starting from stage one, step zero, an eruption of deadly energy will unleash. Every day, the level of strength will intensify on that step, until even Earthly Saints will perish after nine days! This will keep going for each step, after the third eruption, the step itself will vanish and anyone on it will undoubtedly perish! Anyone who retreats into it will also suffer the same fate!Wei Wuyin was well aware of these details and Qingye Ying was speaking of it energetically as if she wasn't about to participate. The last detail of the Everclash was the ability to surrender; each participant can surrender at the beginning of each stage, receive half-rewards, and leave safely with their life intact.
Moreover, unlike mock Everclashes, the grades were only between seventh to ninth!
When Wei Wuyin first heard these sadistic rules, he was extremely amused by the King of Everlore's standards for Alchemists. He smiled as he glanced at his alchemists.
"THE EVERCLASH BEGINS!" Wang Yutian announced!
The Alchemists were all gently moved to one end of the platform as eighty-one curtains of white lights slammed down from the sky above!
Oh! There was one other detail!
Wei Wuyin stared at all the Alchemists that were readying themselves for the competition.
There was nothing preventing interference!!
Author's Note: The next mini-arc will be Everclash (X). It'll span for 3-4 chapters.
