Chapter 22: Candied Spirit Yam

 

On the entire first floor of the Great Competition, all eyes were on the five people from Zhiqiong Peak who were in high spirits.

'What kind of exhaustion? There is no such thing.'

"What's going on? Isn't that foundation-building guy with the Qiankun ruler exhausted just now?"

"Yeah, could it be that he took a Spiritual Replenishment Pill?"

"What nonsense is it? A spiritual supplement pill can only restore 20% of spiritual energy. Look at him. Does that look like a 20% recovery?"

Everyone looked around and saw Yu Dong, dressed in blue and holding a ruler in hand, standing in front of the five people from Zhiqiong Peak.

At this time, his black hair was floating, and his eyes were like torches.

'Who is this spirited guy?'

The five people from Zhenxuan Peak had long been waiting for their time in the ring. However, now they stepped onto the ring with solemn faces.

On the first day of the competition, their peak master was not present. If they win this challenge, and once they have to guard their position, their master will attend and sit on the peak leader seat just like Zhiqiong Peak at this moment.

Now, they are only accompanied by their team leader, Zhou Yu, who has just entered the early stage of Golden Core.

"Don't be in a rut. Even if they have a powerful elixir, they will have one or two at most." Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and said to comfort his younger brothers and sisters, "First use up that female cultivator's spiritual power. Once she is empty, we clean up the ring."

His younger brothers and sisters all lit up and responded immediately.

The ruling elder immediately burned incense and flew into the bronze tripod again. "Begin."

Zhou Yu nodded, took a step forward, and bowed to the five people from Zhiqiong Peak, "Please advise."

Before he finished speaking, he was bound by Hang Wan'er's Five Immortal Ropes in an instant.

A crowd of onlookers: "..."

But when Zhou Yu was about to be knocked off the ring by Hang Wan'er's double hairpins, a junior brother behind him immediately released an iron hook and raised him to high altitude.

The double hairpin that Hang Wan'er threw hit the air.

Her eyebrows rose.

'Even if all four from Zhenxuan Peak were knocked off the ring, Zhou Yu would still be inside the ring.'

'As long as the guy with Golden Core is there, the enemy still has the final chance of winning!'

Hang Wan'er's face sank. "Fifth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, we have to do our best to defeat those four!"

She did not dare to separate one or two ropes from the Five Immortal Ropes that bound Zhou Yu.

Zhenxuan Peak has a lot of spiritual power. If she takes it off, causing Zhou Yu to break free ahead of time, everything will be in vain.

Yan Yan and Yu Dong don't need her to say anything further. Yan Yan's Eighteen Swords Into One and Yu Dong's skill, the Bright Universe, have already attacked the four.

"I think Zhenxuan Peak can win!"

"That's right, just consume Zhiqiong Peak's spiritual power!"

"In the final analysis, Changying Peak was unlucky just now. It is obvious that their strength was good, but they failed because they were not prepared."

The onlookers whispered.

Yan Yan fought one-on-two, while Hang Waner and Yu Dong were one-on-one each.

The sword light from both sides continued, but just after a few breaths, sweat dripped from Yan Yan's forehead. Hang Wan'er's face was also pale, and they couldn't hold it any longer.

The outcome was already tilted.

Qian Qingqiu frowned and looked at Su Yu. "Why don't you ask Junior Brother Lu to come?"

'How to win this?'

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a bang on the ring. Zhenxuan Peak's Golden Core cultivator, Zhou Yu, broke free from the five bright-colored ropes. The sword in his hand flew out.

Qian Qingqiu does not feel very good.

"Zhiqiong Peak is over!"

"That female cultivator can't hold it anymore. Her head is covered in sweat. She won't be able to use her magic weapon this time-"

The onlookers all sympathized with Zhiqiong Peak.

But before she finished speaking, the pale Hang Wan'er's left hand quickly took out a palm-sized white porcelain dish from her waist!

Everyone: "??"

The five people from Zhenxuan Peak: "???"

A light fragrance of spring plums immediately wafted over the entire tower ring, overflowing all corners.

Everyone was stunned when they saw Hang Waner's dish shake, and a five-petaled spring plum that seemed to be dripping with dew catapulted into her red lips.

Then she swallowed.

"What is that?" Someone asked.

But no one has answered yet. In the blink of an eye, Hang Wan'er's pale face turned pink.

She shouted loudly when the Golden Core's sword was about to fly in front of the five people from Zhiqiong Peak.

"Catch him again!"

Once again, Zhou Yu was unable to mobilize his spiritual power. His big sword fell three meters away in front of Yu Dong and lost its power.

Everyone: "!"

'What lack of spiritual power? Sorry, there is no such thing.'

And soon, Yan Yan on the side of the ring, who looked tired earlier, stood still. A pink plum blossom flew out from his waist tremblingly and was sucked into his mouth.

In an instant, his aura was restored.

His Sword Formation of Unity takes shape in an instant!

'Who said I can only use the eighteen swords twice? Sorry, there is no such thing.'

All the members of Zhiqiong Peak were full of blood.

The disciples of Zhenxuan Peak turned pale with shock. The other disciples in the audience, who thought they might be lucky and wanted to challenge Zhiqiong Peak, were also in an uproar.

All the onlookers were astonished.

The whole ring soon became really strange.

The Nanxun Grand Competition has been held for a hundred years, but this kind of ridiculous situation has never occurred.

A dignified cultivator with a golden core has no use at all.

As for the other four foundation-building cultivators from Zhenxuan Peak, they thought they could win against the five foundation-building from Zhiqiong Peak. However, it was only a dream.

 

Hang Wan'er's team's spiritual power seems to be inexhaustible.

Every time they get tired, they take out a flower from their waists, inhale it, and return to their peak condition... After two or three times, the four people from Zhenxuan Peak can't support it anymore. Their hand holding the sword trembled, their breaths were heavy, and they were soon hit by Yan Yan and flew out of the ring.

"Offended!" In the end, Zhou Yu was the only one left. Hang Wan'er threw her double hairpins to push him off the ring mercilessly.

She looked around the arena toward the rest of the people who wanted to challenge Zhiqiong Peak and raised her fair face.

"Who is next?"

The audience was stunned.

In the sitting area where all members of Zhiqiong Peak rested, Su Yu calmly retracted her gaze and continued to browse the Encyclopedia of Monsters.

'Won again.'

Qian Qingqiu's forehead twitched, feeling that he had to re-examine Zhiqiong Peak's strength.

'The most important point is...'

"Sister Su, what are those plum blossom-shaped medicinal pills? Did it and the Hoof Flower elixir come from the same alchemy master?"

Qian Qingqiu did not dare to call that person only an alchemist.

Being able to come up with miraculous elixirs over and over again means that person is definitely not an ordinary alchemist. They are already worthy of the honorary title of a master.

Su Yu raised her eyebrows. When she read about the sweet cane grass that a second-grade unicorn deer likes to eat in the encyclopedia, she couldn't help but stop flipping.

She also looked at Wei Zhao in confusion. "You didn't mention it to Brother Qian that Zhiqiong Peak's kitchen produced these?"

Qian Qingqiu: ...

Just after getting out of the ring, Yu Dong happily accepted the praise of his Taoist companion, Zhu Ying, with joy. However, he almost stumbled upon hearing this.

'What?'

Which part of the peak is the kitchen? Why has he never heard of it? Is it something Senior Brother left behind before he left this time?

Yu Dong looked at Su Yu like he was in a dream.

Wei Zhao bowed and saluted with his palm and fist to Qian Qingqiu apologetically. "Senior Brother Qian, I forgot to tell you. Those elixirs were made by my second sister."

Yu Dong took a step back.

The teacup in Qian Qingqiu's hand fell on the table with a bang. Even though he was in Golden Core, he didn't have time to catch it.

All the younger brothers and sisters from Zhiqiong Peak changed their expressions, but soon they returned to normal.

"It turned out to be Second Senior Sister. That seems to be normal. She can refine Eight Treasures Mushroom Soup every day. It seems that an elixir to restore spiritual power is nothing."

"Yeah, it all makes sense."

'What makes sense? Is this reasonable!'

Yu Dong looked at Su Yu in disbelief. She is only in the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage. Oh no, now she is in the seventh level of Qi Refinement.

But even if she has built a foundation, she is a thorough sword cultivator. Since when can she concoct pills? She has also refined elixirs that are more powerful than ordinary alchemists.

 

"This... I've never heard Brother Xiao say it," Qian Qingqiu smiled wryly after being shocked. "Brother Xiao and Zhiqiong Peak had closely concealed this. I don't even know that there is still a junior sister who is an alchemy genius like this."

'I didn't know. What to hide...'

Yu Dong held his Qiankun ruler and sat down in a hurry.

He suspects that his eldest brother does not know either.

Moreover, he had never seen the scene of his senior brother and the second senior sister talking before.

When she saw them in such amazement, Su Yu admitted generously, "I didn't hide it. I only found the small kitchen in the peak recently."

Yu Dong: "...?"

Qian Qingqiu: "..."

Even though they can easily make friends and talk well, they don't know how to process these words.

'Is alchemy something that can be learned in a short time?'

'Also, what does the small kitchen have anything to do with alchemy?'

But if he asks again, he is not polite.

Qian Qingqiu hurriedly smiled and said, "So it turns out to be this way. Junior sister is really talented."

Next to them, Yu Dong's expression froze.

'Qian Qingqiu understand? I still don't understand!'2

---

On the top of the Northern Glacier.

Several lightning bolts slashed on a broad sword one after another.

Sweat dripped from Xiao Muge's forehead. He clenched his hands, and in a blink of an eye, he took a piece of broken ice from the ice lake and injected a terrifying spiritual power into it.

While facing the thunder calamity, he condensed some ice soul containing the power of a Golden Core attack once every ten days. He marked it to the seal of the peak master and sent it to Zhiqiong Peak.

In the past three months, he has condensed nine pieces of ice.

He doesn't seek to win the competition but only wants his younger brothers and sisters to protect themselves. Not to get injured or to destroy their foundation.

Xiao Muge pursed his lips tightly.

...

Su Yu was drinking tea leisurely under the ring and suddenly felt cold in her storage bag.

Once she probed with her divine sense, she found a piece of broken ice condensed next to the peak master's seal.

"Amazing."

At first, she didn't have any feelings for this peak master's seal, but this is simply a natural ice maker.

This tenth piece is a large ice cube. She has collected nine other pieces so far, and it was just right to keep the flesh and bones of monsters that are not needed for the time being.

Su Yu observed this new piece of ice with satisfaction.

This shape is like a lofty mountain. The appearance must be spectacular if it is used as a plate of raw cut fish. She likes it very much.

It would be better if it could condense other shapes next time...

She wondered if placing a mold next to the small seal would be effective.

While Su Yu pondered, five ghostly figures quickly appeared on the ring.

"Wuying Peak!"

The disciples in the audience exclaimed.

 

Su Yu couldn't help but look up and see the five shadows on the stage that looked like black shadows in the smoke. Their faces were indistinguishable, and their bodies were still fluttering from time to time. The audience seemed unable to use their spiritual sense to locate them.

"Wuying Peak used to appear on the last day of the competition. Why did it come on the first day?"

"Third Senior Brother, send the jade slip to Fourth Brother!"

Yu Dong clenched the ruler in his hand.

"Wuying Peak specializes in exercises to build their body. Their chief, Chen Ying, uses spiritual power to walk at high speed. Ordinary cultivators can't see him with naked eyes. Those with lower spiritual consciousness can't detect him either. Seventh Sister's Five Immortal Rope can't trap him at all!"

"Whether they are at Foundation Building or Golden Cores... I can't tell." Yu Dong tried to investigate the cultivation level of these five people but failed.

Wuying Peak is the strangest peak of the Nanxun School.

Many third-level peaks rolled over in their hands in the past, but Wuying Peak was good at hiding and raiding but not good at defending.

But now... all of them are only at the Foundation Building stage!

Yu Dong gritted his teeth. "Only the fourth senior brother can do it. He may be able to capture the opponent with his qin attack."

"It's too late, hahaha-"

Spooky laughter came from the ring.

"There is still half a column of incense time. If you call a helper now, it is too late!"

Hang Wan'er gritted her teeth. "Third Senior Brother, I'll deal with that Chen Ying. I don't believe that I can't!"

Even though she said that, her beautiful eyes looked at the five gray foggy figures on the other side of the ring. After tried sensing them, her face became decadent.

'They really cannot be located.'

If she is unable to find the object, how can she bind them with Five Immortal Ropes?

Yan Yan clenched his dragon scale sword. "I will force him out with sword energy."

"That can't be done. Even someone in the middle stage of Golden Core can't catch the figure. His moving speed is extremely fast. No matter how many swords you have, you can't cover every part of the ring." Yu Dong's mouth was bitter.

Everyone's face is very bad.

But Su Yu raised her eyebrows, "...every part of the ring..."

Master Su has some occupational diseases.

After hearing these descriptions, she couldn't help but reminisce about the days when she was studying in the back kitchen. In order to make the dish successful at the best heat, she practiced repeatedly. After that, every night, late at night, when she closed her eyes, there were traces of phantoms shaking in front of her...

She was continuously dizzy and had insomnia, but she couldn't escape this vision until half a month later.

When she remembered this, her Dantian's five-element pot suddenly shook. Can't seem to wait. Let's dance!

Su Yu looked strange and couldn't help but hold down her lower abdomen.

"Maybe... I can give it a try."

Yu Dong was shocked. "You?"

For the past few years, her water-breaking sword has been stored in her storage bag. It was rarely used again.

 

But she used to be a wind-type sword cultivator with great talent. Her speed of swinging the sword was extremely fast. When she cut with water breaking sword, the light and shadow danced as if she was cutting off the Nine Heavens Galaxy.

The rest of the people couldn't help but follow his gaze, looking forward at her.

"Second Senior Sister." Hang Wan'er's voice trembled, and her eyes were a little red.

'The female cultivators are going to save the world again?!'

"You're finally taking up your sword again!"

Su Yu: "...?"

"What sword? I only use a sword when I'm serious."

Wei Zhao: "?!"

Yu Dong: "??"

Yan Yan: "??"

Hang Wan'er: "Senior sister, I started late. You can't lie to me. So are you a sword cultivator?!"

Wei Zhao: "..."

'Junior sister is simpler than Fourth Junior Brother, but what should I do?'

He was about to open his mouth when he saw Su Yu take out a copper-colored second-grade sword from her bag.

The two round copper rings on this sword are very familiar to him.

Wei Zhao: ...

'Isn't this my copper sword?'

"Third Senior Brother's sword ?"

"Oh, Fourth Senior Brother is in retreat, so the sword is here with Second Senior Sister."

The disciples were talking.

After Wei Zhao was stunned, he also nodded. It seems to be normal for Fourth Junior Brother to hand over important treasures to her for safekeeping before retreating.

But in just a moment, he saw Su Yu's hand holding a red copper sword. The blade condensed a shadow and directly peeled a long mountain spirit yam the size of an arm taken out from her storage bag. The shadow of the knife flickered, pushing and pulling in between, and snow-white yam blocks fell in front of them, all of the same sizes.

Wei Zhao: ...

Everyone from Zhiqiong Peak: ...

Hang Wan'er took a step back, and her face was pale. "She is really... a sword cultivator!"

Qian Qingqiu was astonished.

How can the disciples of Zhiqiong Peak be like this?

'Brother Xiao... What have you taught your brothers and sisters?'

Those hands do not seem to be dealing with elixir materials at all.

All sort of long mountain spirit yam can be used as medicine?

"Junior Sister Hang, keep your voice down. Alchemy shouldn't be disturbed."

If the process of alchemy is disturbed, the alchemy will be destroyed in an explosion, and the sea of ​​​​knowledge of the alchemist might be damaged.

Qian Qingqiu hurriedly stretched out his hand and placed an array on Su Yu to isolate her from the outside world.

Hang Wan'er and everyone from Zhiqiong Peak suddenly woke up.

Wei Zhao suddenly said, "If my sword can be used in the step of making elixirs, it can be considered worthwhile."

When he was speaking, there was a trace of regret in his eyes.

 

Qian Qingqiu promised to help him find medicine, but there was no news.

But he quickly suppressed his disappointment, dissipated his regret, and looked at Su Yu with a proud expression.

"Senior Brother Qian, please protect my sister when she is concocting alchemy!"

This cauldron is unremarkable and even looks a bit inconsistent with the identity of an alchemist.

"???"

"Isn't this the one from the kitchen?" The Sixteenth Brother, who often delivered goods to Su Yu on Yan Yan's behalf, recognized it at a glance.

'Why did she bring out a wok!?'

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Even Qian Qingqiu was dumbfounded.

"Senior Brother Qian, are you sure my senior sister is concocting alchemy?" The Sixteenth Junior Brother couldn't help but ask.

Qian Qingqiu: "..."

'Excuse me.'

'I don't know.'

They were stunned and shocked, but Su Yu, who was under the array, had an undisturbed gaze.

This dish she is going to cook needs great attention to the heat. It is all based on her experience and observation after constant attempts. Even now, she does not dare to be distracted easily.

Su Yu calmed down and threw the yam into the wok to stir fry.

The disciples were stunned.

"Sister is cooking?"

"Shut up! Senior Sister said it is to prepare for the enemy, Wuying Peak..."

Zhu Ying also sneaked up to Yu Dong, "What is your second senior sister doing? If it's real alchemy, why not use an alchemy furnace? Dong Lang, tell me quickly. What do you know?"

What does he know? Yu Dong didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Why did she take out a wok, and why did she put a first-grade spirit yam into the wok? He was also dumbfounded.

He doesn't know anything.

But he vaguely thought of the soft and sweet fragrance at the first bite of the Spring Plum elixir and had some kind of terrible guess in his heart.

Is it possible that all her elixir were made in a wok?

Yu Dong bit his tongue when he thought of it.

'Stop this, such a rebellious idea!'

But he kept his eyes fixed on Su Yu. He saw Su Yu's metal spatula flipping over and shrouded in white mist as if spiritual energy was rising.

"Today's third match, Wuying Peak against Zhiqiong Peak. The disciples from both sides are on the ring!"

The ruling elder let out a majestic voice.

Yu Dong's expression changed, and he hurriedly looked at Su Yu.

'It was too late.'

Hang Waner gritted her teeth, "Let's go up first and delay them for a while."

The brothers and sisters smiled bitterly. "Even if Second Sister made alchemy, it will take at least half a day."

But as soon as the person said this, a warm porcelain white jade plate flew towards Yu Dong.

Yu Dong was stunned for a moment, hurriedly caught it, and got a warm feeling.

When he turned his head to look, he saw Su Yu slip her spatula with her left hand, scoop out a spoonful of irregular golden things, buckle it on a jade plate heated by spirit fire, and shoot them at Hang Wan'er.

The next three spoonfuls and three dishes flew towards Yan Yan, Sixteenth and Eighteenth in a row.

"After the fight begins, use chopsticks to pull the spirit yam into the dish. Try it out first, and come back if it doesn't work."

Hang Wan'er was surprised and delighted. "I understand, senior sister. Let's go!"

Yu Dong: "?"

'Understand what? What does it mean?'

'Is this an elixir?'

Yu Dong doesn't feel like it. It's more like-

"Hey, what is that!"

"What did you bring, Zhiqiong Peak?"

"Why are there still dishes? Why did the disciples take out chopsticks? What is the use of this against Wuying Peak?"

"Does Zhiqiong Peak try to invite people to dinner? So they would spare them? Hahaha!"

The onlookers burst into laughter.

In the ring.

The five people from Wuying Peak also laughed hoarsely, then disappeared into the arena like ghosts.

Yu Dong's complexion changed. He heard the sound of the wind around him constantly, and the strange spiritual power was constantly shuttled around him. He turned his head left and right, but he couldn't see anyone!

"It's futile. You can't catch us at all. The Five Immortal Ropes... It's useless to us!"

Chen Ying's laughter came from all directions in the arena. He was arrogant and majestic.

Yu Dong looked solemn. "Seventh Junior Sister, I'll try him first-"

He was about to throw his ruler, but before he finished speaking, a gleaming luster suddenly flashed somewhere outside his field of vision. It was like golden threads of silk, floating and endless. It was like the silk of hundred years old demon silkworms... the longer it floated, the thinner it was pulled, the smoother and more translucent...

When he was stunned, he found more and more transparent silk threads floating around him.

When he turned his head, he happened to see the Sixteenth Junior Brother use a pair of chopsticks to pick up the golden lumps on the warm white plate. He then pulled out several fragrant and soft silk with a sweet smell. After dragging it with chopsticks a few more times, the silky golden thread actually doubled. It pulled out from the plate and floated on the ring.

Then, he heard a muffled sound-

Yu Dong raised his head in response, looked towards the upper right of the ring, and saw a piece of black robe corners stuck by a crystal clear thread!

"Hahaha, even if you have infinite spiritual power, you can't use your treasures to help you... he... he..."

In the ring, Chen Ying's wild and sneering laughter suddenly froze.

The source of sound from all directions seems to have a fixed point.

"!"

The sweet smell became stronger and stronger throughout the ring.

The man in the black robe moved westward at high speed, but the silk thread sticking to him was getting longer and thinner, but it never broke. Soon ten, one hundred, more and more silk permeated the ring. Gradually, the man's hands, feet, and back in black robes... the full human figure hidden in the ring slowly appeared.1

Chen Ying: "!"

Everyone: "!"