Ninth In the World

Even though An Tuning had sent Xun Shang, who was Di Jiu’s enemy, flying, Di Jiu did not feel happy at all. Instead, his heart was cold.

Since he had a lower cultivation level, he was fish meat indeed. Without giving Xun Shang a chance to resolve this, An Tuning had sent him flying, which made no sense.

In other words, if An Tuning slapped him too, he could only resign to his fate.

Di Jiu remained silent, but An Tuning stared at him. “You’re an Alchemy Master?”

Di Jiu was startled, as he had never revealed his alchemy skills to anyone before. However, he understood. After practicing alchemy in the Vast Ruins for several years, he definitely had an elixir pill aura on him that ordinary cultivators could not sense but An Tuning had discovered.

“I wouldn’t declare to be an Alchemy Master. I only like refining pills and I have wasted many low-level medicinal herbs,” Di Jiu replied ambiguously.

An Tuning did not care whether Di Jiu was an Alchemy Master or not. She only took out a jade card and threw it at him. “I’m the First Evolution Dao Sect Spring Evolution Valley Master An Tuning. In 10 days, the Dao World will hold an Elixir River Competition. You’ll come with me to represent the First Evolution Dao Sect and compete.”

“Ah…” Di Jiu was stunned. His alchemy level aside, he was not bad at alchemy. However, Valley Master An had not asked him before making him represent the sect and compete. Wasn’t this outrageous? Since the First Evolution Dao Sect was not a small sect, the sect’s top-notch Alchemy Masters should compete. Why was it the turn of this insignificant outer sect disciple?

Besides, even if it was his turn, An Tuning had to check his Alchemy Dao level properly. Why would she casually give him a jade card and tell him to join the Dao World Elixir River Competition in 10 days? What kind of joke was this?

Upon seeing that An Tuning wanted to leave, Di Jiu did not dare hesitate. He hurriedly bowed. “Senior, I’ve just studied alchemy, so my Alchemy Dao level is very poor. If I represent the sect and compete, I’m afraid I will disgrace the sect.”

An Tuning scanned Di Jiu faintly. “You just have to compete in the competition. Disgracing the sect is my problem. It has nothing to do with you.”

With that, An Tuning took a step and vanished.

Di Jiu took a few steps forward as he held onto the jade card. Before he could even ask clearly when and where they would gather, An Tuning had left.

“I’m really out of luck.” Di Jiu looked at the jade card in his hands speechlessly. He did not know what this meant but he was certain that if he represented the First Evolution Dao Sect, he would disgrace the sect and An Tuning would end up being punished for sure. As for him, he probably would not even have the right to be punished. How much could Valley Master An Tuning be punished? He was only an outer sect disciple who was cannon fodder.

Di Jiu had never offended An Tuning before. Besides, even if he had, she should not have used this technique to harm him, right? Given the huge gap between their statuses, would she need to make so much effort?

Nevertheless, since this involved him, Di Jiu could only give up cultivating and make use of the remaining days to tidy up his Alchemy Dao.

…

Di Jiu was puzzled and could not understand what was going on. On the other hand, An Tuning was even more sullen.

She was a Valley Master of the First Evolution Dao Sect and had a certain status after all. She was clearly aware that she was in charge of the First Evolution Dao Sect’s participation in the Elixir River Competition. Since the sect’s Alchemy Masters had not shown her respect, she had found Di Jiu, who was a basic Alchemy Master, out of nowhere. However, she was skeptical about whether he could refine the poorest Dao Modeling Divine Pill.

If the rules had not stated that she could not replace him with Alchemy Masters outside the sect, she would have grabbed a few of them to represent the First Evolution Dao Sect.

After she found Di Jiu, An Tuning did not search for Alchemy Masters any further.

The First Evolution Dao Sect could give up on this huge matter for the sake of internal conflict. What was a Valley Master like her worrying about? She had found an Alchemy Master of the First Evolution Dao Sect, so she should not care about whether he was just a basic one and had signified that she was in charge of this matter.

As for the sect resources, after this matter was over, she definitely would not let this go easily.

If Wang Teng had not been this unruly, she would also have resigned to her fate even if she brought all the Alchemy Masters of the First Evolution Dao Sect to compete and lost.

However, Wang Teng had tricked her. How could she let this go?

…

Meanwhile, Di Jiu had set up his cave abode and Defense Array again. He had not dared set up a level-one Divine Array, so he had set up a level-nine Immortal Array.

In the Dao World, Alchemy Masters were not as scarce as Array Masters.

If he, an outer sect disciple who had just entered the sect, could casually set up a level-one Divine Array, other people would certainly pay attention to him.

As for Alchemy Masters, as long as they practiced, they would eventually become one.

Because of An Tuning, he had not dared inquire about Zhuo Wujia and Mu Jie’s situation. He only analyzed his Alchemy Dao in a daze inside his cave abode.

10 days flew by in a flash, but Di Jiu gained very little. His Alchemy Dao was limited to his cultivation level, experience, and alchemical fire. Thus, it was hard for him to improve in a short time.

Di Jiu sighed. If only Dao Modeling Alchemy Deities could compete in the Elixir River Competition, he would not mind. However, he was certain that those who went might have been Dao Birth or Dao Transformation Alchemy Deities, not just Dao Modeling Alchemy Deities. If one or two Alchemy Saints went…

He was so afraid that he did not even have any water to drink. How could he compete?

No matter what, Di Jiu had not dared oppose An Tuning. She did not seem like someone to be provoked, as she had killed Xun Shang with one slap.

Di Jiu stood up. He had still decided to ask the Spring Evolution Valley. No matter what, he could not allow An Tuning to find an excuse to kill him because of his delay.

When he was about to go out, Di Jiu realized that the competition card that An Tuning had given him had been shining for a while.

A row of words had appeared on the competition jade card: Board the flying boat at the sect square immediately to go to the Elixir River.

Di Jiu was relieved that there was finally news. He was just an outer sect disciple so he had not taken the initiative to request to compete in the Elixir River Competition. Even if he lost miserably in the end, the responsibility should not be his.

The First Evolution Dao Sect was the Dao World’s top-notch major sect after all. Di Jiu did not believe that this sect would not want to protect its reputation.

When Di Jiu arrived at the sect square, there was indeed a huge flying boat in the middle. Two disciples stood outside the flying boat as though waiting for something.

“You are Alchemy Master Di?” Once Di Jiu arrived, a disciple welcomed him very respectfully.

Di Jiu nodded his head. “I’m Di Jiu. Valley Master An told me to come here. Can I ask…”

The disciple hurriedly replied, “Alchemy Master Di, please board the boat. Valley Master An is at the top level.”

Di Jiu, who was not sure whether this was a blessing or a disaster, immediately went into the boat.

From the looks of it, since Di Jiu was going to attend the Elixir River Competition and represent a sect, he would not be the only Alchemy Master competing.

After Di Jiu boarded the flying boat, he realized that his line of thinking was absurd. There were very few people on board, including a few women who were standing still. They did not look like they were going to compete in the Elixir River Competition. They were disciples who would wait upon them.

“Alchemy Master Di, this is your residence. If you need anything, you can call us at any time.” When Di Jiu arrived in the flying boat, a pretty woman bowed and led him to the second-level entrance.

Di Jiu scanned the place with his Spiritual Force and discovered that he was staying in the biggest room on the second level. In other words, he was the most important person on this level.

This made Di Jiu feel somewhat confused. What was going on?

Before he could figure it out, An Tuning’s hoarse voice was heard. “Since you are here, let’s start the boat.”

The flying boat shook slightly before it drew a line and rushed toward the sky.

Di Jiu walked into his cave abode, which was very spacious. The Divine Spirit Qi inside was also rich. In the spacious living room, plates of divine spirit fruit had been placed. Most of the divine spirit fruit was level-four fruit or higher. Therefore, Di Jiu would not be polite. He immediately grabbed a few of them. As he ate, he looked everywhere around him.

This place was rich in Divine Spirit Qi, but he would not cultivate here.