As much as Stella wished to leave immediately, she was unprepared for the day ahead.
"I wasn't planning on attending, so I'm not caught up on what the preliminary round entails," Stella said while cleaning her face off with a towel she had summoned from her spatial ring, "Can you tell me before we go?"
Elder Margret had thankfully returned to her usual self after taking a moment to regain her composure.
"Sure, but first, let me give you this," Elder Margret brought out a black robe with a fire insignia that all robes worn by the Redclaw family had on the chest area, "You will be participating on behalf of us. By wearing this, the guards at the entrance will recognize that you are a member of the noble houses, so you should be waved in without having to queue up or pay the entrance fee."
"There's an entrance fee?" Stella raised a brow as she took the robe and secured it around herself. A small smile appeared on her lips when she realized the robe hid her comfortable clothes, so she wouldn't need to wear that revealing dress anymore.
Elder Margret sighed, "We didn't plan for one initially, but far too many people were showing interest, so we had to add another barrier to entry. Any rogue cultivator out there actually able to create tier one pills should have no issue paying the Golden Crown entrance fee, whereas those frauds or people trying to cause trouble won't be willing to sacrifice a golden crown to do so."
"I see. That makes sense," Stella nodded thoughtfully, "But why would people not planning to participate or who aren't even alchemists want to attend?"
Elder Margret gave a weary smile, "The immortal may be able to grow alchemy ingredients with a wave of his hand. But the rest of us have to either risk our lives out in the wilderness to harvest the ingredients ourselves or choose between saving up for beast cores to advance our cultivation or buying a tier-one ingredient that will likely be ruined during practice."
"So they are really willing to travel all the way here just to have a chance at trying to remove impurities from a plant?" Stella couldn't believe it. Was it really that hard for someone to become an alchemist?
Elder Margret chuckled, "They would do far more for less. Everyone is convinced they are one opportunity away from their big break. I bet some imagine that today is the day they discover they have some hidden bloodline that allows them to effortlessly perform alchemy."
"Bloodline?" Stella latched onto that word, "What do you know about them?"
Ever since Diana's transformation, trying to discover her own bloodline had weighed heavily on her mind. Why hadn't she grown wings yet? What had Diana done to unlock her bloodline?
"Not much... they are mostly a legend popular among the common people as it gives them a ray of hope." Elder Margret waved it off as if it were a nonsense fairy tale. Her dismissive attitude toward bloodlines annoyed Stella.
Why did nobody know anything about these bloodlines when she saw Diana change her race right before her eyes? It wasn't some nonsense myth or legend. It was real...
Grumbling in her mind, Stella decided to put the issue of bloodlines aside and focus back on the tournament ahead of her, "So it's the preliminary round today and then the final round tomorrow?"
Elder Margret nodded.
"So, how is the round today structured?"
"I was about to get to that," Elder Margret replied, "It's a rather simple test. As the purpose of today is to reduce the number of participants by at least ninety percent, we don't have the time or resources to do anything that in-depth."
Stella nodded in understanding, so the Elder continued, "You will be asked a simple random alchemy question. After that, you will be requested to remove the impurities from a tier-one ingredient to show a basic level of alchemy capability. Most won't pass this part."
Wait, a question? I don't know much about alchemy. Stella began to panic slightly, and Elder Margret seemed to notice, "What's wrong? You should handle removing the impurities with ease."
"The question is what I'm worried about... how simple is it?"
"Oh, don't worry about the question," Elder Margret chuckled, "Even if you don't know the answer, so long as you remove the impurities from the ingredient, they will let you through."
Stella frowned, "The Skyrend and the other noble families will be watching me closely. If I failed to answer a simple question, it would reflect badly on me and the Redclaw family."
"That's true," Elder Margret rubbed her chin in thought, "This is where the fact we hired teachers from the academy to be the judges will cause issues. If they had been family members, I could naturally set up a question ahead of time and give you the answer..."
"Are you able to stay here today?" Stella asked, and Elder Margret nodded.
"I'm not needed at the tournament today. Why, you ask?"
Stella summoned one of her carefully made Mind Fortress pills. Each one took half an hour of intense focus to create, so she was somewhat reluctant to hand it over, but if it let her pass the test with flying colors, then it was worth it.
"Take this pill. It will help protect your mind."
Elder Margret seemed confused as she reached out and accepted the pill. "What is this?"
"A pill I created." Stella shrugged off Elder Margrets stare, "I used one of the immortal's effect-giving fruits, you know, the Mind Fortress one that you likely used in the Mystic Realm?"
"Right... and you made a pill from it?" Elder Margret eyed the pill like a treasure, "Why would you give me something so precious?"
"As I said, it will protect your mind. I will take the test, and if I get stuck on the question, I will relay it back to the immortal and have him ask you for the answer."
"What am I protecting my mind from?" Elder Margret tilted her head in confusion.
"The immortal's voice comes with rather unpleasant hallucinations. You will thank me later, trust me." Stella offered her a reassuring smile, "Anything else I should know before I go?"
Elder Margret shook her head, "Nothing comes to mind. All I can offer you is good luck."
"Thanks," Stella then pointed to the side, "Portal, please!"
There was an immense ripple of spatial Qi throughout the cavern as the world twisted and bent to Tree's will, creating a doorway through space that led to an alleyway near the Colosseum.
"See you later," Stella waved to Elder Margret as she stepped through. The stale flora-rich air of the cavern was replaced with the stench of Darklight City. Stella's nose scrunched up behind the cloth mask as she strode out of the trash-filled alleyway.
"How are there so many people..." Stella murmured as she saw a shifting wall of people between her and the Colosseum up ahead. The usually sparsely populated grand square used as a casual meeting place for students was now packed with cultivators and mortals.
Darklight City was already a densely crowded mega-city, but Stella had never seen it like this.
With her interest piqued, she tried to slip past the hordes of people to get a look at the trinkets, food, and clothes the mortals were selling from wooden carts but trying to peek over people's shoulders made her skin crawl, and the screams and shouts of the people around her were disorienting.
"Ah, this is too annoying," Stella's ring flashed, and one of her old swords appeared. She didn't want to bring out the one taken from the Voidmind Elder in case Dante somehow recognized it.
She then pulsed her Star Core, and everyone around her stumbled back to give her space as she threw the sword to the ground and used her Qi to make it levitate there. Hopping on, everyone cheered as she pulsed her Star Core again and rose up into the air.
Stella could have used a portal to skip the crowd, but using techniques was frowned upon in the city, and she also wanted to get a better view of her surroundings from the sky.
She saw from above a sea of brown and black robes shifting between the maze of stalls. The sound of deals being made and the people's joy lifted Stella's spirits somewhat.
Looking toward the Colosseum, she noticed a single massive entrance. Instead of a door, there was a line of cultivators collecting entrance fees and generally controlling the flow of people.
What baffled Stella was just how long the packed line was. It ran through the maze of carts in the grand square and all the way down one of the nearby streets.
"Yeah, right. As if all of you could perform alchemy." Stella snorted, "Now I can see why Elder Margret introduced an entry fee."
Stella laughed as she felt the wind flow through her hair, "There must be thousands of you! I don't even think all of the flowers in the cavern would be enough to give all of you a single ingredient to show off your skills."
Stella hadn't had great respect for alchemists in the past simply because she was ignorant of how hard it was to become one. If not for Tree's truffle improving her spirit root and the various fruit that helped boost her concentration, she never would have been able to make even a tier-one pill.
"Wait... if we ever open the Ashfallen sect to new cultivators, will the turnout for entry look like this?" Stella felt all the blood drain from her face, and she decided to look away. The thought of so many cockroaches crawling their way up Red Vine Peak in an attempt to join their sect made her shudder.
To distract her mind while she slowly flew toward the colosseum that dominated half her view, Stella surveyed the skyline of Darklight City and then saw something rapidly approaching her.
She squinted at the flying dot, and as it got closer, she groaned in annoyance.
Oh god, not these assholes again.
Within moments a small ornate wooden boat carrying two giant people with marble-like skin began flying beside her. The bare-chested Theron Skyrend was busy controlling the flying ship. Meanwhile, Kassandra was free to put one foot on the boat's rail and sneer at her, "Roselyn, I'm surprised you showed up after the insanity you pulled last night. If I were you, I would have run away—"
"Of course, you would have." Stella retorted, "Because you are a coward that hides behind your family name with no redeeming qualities. Why would I have any reason to run from someone as pathetic as you?"
Kassandra's face twisted in anger which brought Stella great joy.
However, she had no desire to hear another word out of the annoying woman's mouth nor engage in a conversation, so she shoved more Qi into her sword to speed up and began descending toward the entrance.
"Vile bitch!" was all Stella heard behind her as she looked for a suitable place to land. The cultivators in the line below seemed to notice her presence as they all gazed up and began pointing.
Remembering Elder Margret's words, Stella put her hands behind her back, soared past the line of cultivators collecting entrance fees, and touched down in the much quieter area inside the entrance.
Now where do I go? Stella wondered as she hopped off her sword and stowed it away. She scanned her surroundings for a clue, which was more challenging than she thought, as there were no signs.
"Mistress?"
Stella spun around and faced a short woman with the familiar beautiful crimson hair of a Redclaw. The woman also wore the same cloak as her with the fire insignia, confirming she was likely part of the Redclaw family.
"Yes?" Stella replied, confused why the woman just stood there studying her face.
"You look familiar yet different..." The woman narrowed her eyes but then, noticing Stella's annoyed glare, she became flustered, "Oh, sorry, I'm staring too much. What is your name?"
"Roselyn."
"No family name?" The woman asked with some concern. Clearly, a random Star Core cultivator flying in was a big worry.
Stella rolled her eyes and pointed at the fire insignia on her robe.
The woman relaxed slightly and then looked at the parchment in her hand. She read until the bottom of the second page before her eyes lit up, "Ah, here you are, Miss Roselyn. You were added to the list last night, so I wasn't briefed about you. My apologies. Please follow me to the testing area—"
Stella was about to follow when a shadow loomed over them, followed by a small explosion. Stella sighed as Kassandra dropped from the flying boat and appeared beside her.
"Roselyn, you should go back and pay the entry fee." Kassandra gestured with her chin to the line of tournament workers, "Only those with a family name have this privilege."
Stella looked up to meet the towering woman's glowing blue eyes, "Really? Why am I on the list to be shown in without paying, then?"
Kassandra snorted and walked past, "Ha! Who cares about a list? I go where I please."
To Stella's slight annoyance, the woman wasn't lying. Unlike her, who had been questioned by this Redclaw family member, Kassandra could just walk straight through with nobody daring to even look at her for more than a mere glance.
"Right this way, Mistress Roselyn, we will conduct your test in a quieter area along with the other nobles." The short woman said, pulling Stella out of her mood.
With a wordless nod from her, the woman turned and led her deeper inside the Colosseum. To Stella's surprise, they spent some time walking along a corridor with glassless windows showing the stands and fighting area.
"The rogue cultivators will take their test out there," The woman gestured to the sandy pit that had been converted into a testing ground with tables and examiners, "Whereas you will conduct yours just through here."
The woman gestured to an ajar side door with a Redclaw family member standing guard. The man gave Stella an odd look as she walked past and into the room.
Stella gulped as she felt many pairs of eyes belonging to all the nobles turn to stare at her. She couldn't even look at the floor to escape their gazes as nightmares lurked in the mental mist from Ashlock's telepathy.
The room she found herself in was rather lavish, with a high vaulted ceiling and decorated walls. If she had to guess, this was the relaxation room for nobles when they came to the Colosseum for any reason, as the place was well furnished with various lounge chairs surrounding small tables.
However, at the far end was a large ornate table that looked rather out of place with three grey-robed middle-aged people standing behind it.
Those must be the academy people Elder Margret was talking about. Stella concluded as she took a mentally hesitant but physically confident step into the room—she had the persona of the prideful Roselyn to portray, after all.
Although the room was large, the furniture was mostly occupied, and Stella didn't wish to stand awkwardly in the corner, so she began to seek a place to sit while she felt the intense gazes of the other nobles burn into her back.
Eventually, she settled for a red sofa with a golden trim that was only half occupied by a small boy in the middle. Oddly he had snow-white hair with streaks of crimson-like blood. Stella found it interesting as she had never seen mixed hair like that before.
Other than the boy, there was a large man that looked weirdly similar to Douglas perched on the end of the sofa. He gave her a disapproving look as he stood up, walked away as if repulsed by her presence, and stood near Kassandra Skyrend.
Makes sense. Stella mused as she saw everyone's reactions. I am some unknown cultivator, whereas Kassandra is from the well-established Skyrend family. They have likely all known each other since they were young or from previous social gatherings. How annoying.
Stella really hated the awkwardness of the dead silent room with everyone staring at her as if she was some caged animal. She didn't even know where to look but was thankfully saved by one of the academy people drawing everyone's attention.
"With everyone here, we can now begin the assessments. Kassandra Skyrend, please come and verify your knowledge and capabilities."
With a wide grin, Kassandra strode over to the table.
"First, a simple question," The middle-aged man with grey hair said, "Name a tier one pill."
That's it? Stella's eyes widened a little. That almost felt a little too simple... even some random mortal on the street should know at least a single tier-one pill.
"A minor wound cleansing pill," Kassandra answered, and the man nodded.
"Very good. Now please purify this small bundle of Qi Flowing Grass." The man passed over a small bowl with a ball of grass in it. "You have ten minutes and will be marked based on the volume of impurities you remove."
Stella's eyes narrowed. The Qi Flowing Grass looked almost dead from decay. It was likely overflowing with impurities. Wasn't this test a little too simple. Were alchemists really this inadequate?
The room became filled with thunderclaps and flashing lights as Kassandra blasted the ball of Qi Flowing Grass with blue lightning arcing from her fingertips. Thankfully for everyone's ears, she was finished in a minute.
The Qi Flowing Grass had a healthier shade of green, but Stella doubted it was usable as an ingredient. The bowl was caked in a thin layer of burnt impurities that smelled awful.
Honestly, Stella wasn't sure Kassandra would pass...
"Fantastic job, Kassandra Skyrend. You passed." The grey-haired man declared with a smile and gestured for a man Stella knew all too much about to approach the table.
"Dante Voidmind, you will be next." His gaze searched the room and landed on Stella. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, "And Miss Roselyn will be the last."
Stella felt weirdly targeted as all three examiners seemed to look at her with hostility.
