Ninth In the World

“It seems that you cannot go in. Wait for me outside then.” By the time Di Jiu and Kan Yiwei arrived outside the Elixir River’s Defense Array, it was already crowded.

The array door of the Elixir River was already open, and several cultivators in charge of registration sat at the entrance. Every participating alchemist would register here before collecting a ring.

There was an extremely large array formation screen that listed the competition rules outside the Elixir River. The rules were written in great detail, and the Divine Essence Pills condensed by all participating alchemists had to be placed inside the ring. Other than a cauldron, the cultivator was not allowed to bring their own ring into the Elixir Qi River.

Di Jiu was completely at a loss. Wasn’t this an elixir competition? It should be about refining elixir pills, so how exactly did they have to condense the Divine Essence Pill?

“Di Jiu, come here! What are you standing there for?” hollered An Tuning, who was sitting in the venue, in a cold tone when she saw Di Jiu standing there in a stupor.

“Brother Kan, wait for me here. I’m going to participate in the Elixir River Competition.” Di Jiu informed him hastily, not daring to tally for even a moment. Then, he quickly walked toward the entrance of the Elixir River’s array door.

“Hand me the competition card,” ordered the cultivator responsible for registration when Di Jiu walked up to him.

Di Jiu hastily took out the competition card and asked cautiously, “Excuse me, isn’t the elixir competition based on alchemy? Why is everyone sitting outside? Are we entering the Elixir River?”

In Di Jiu’s opinion, everyone should be practicing alchemy and the cultivators from the various sects should only be spectating. After all, this was an elixir competition. However, all the experts from the various sects and the cultivators who had come from far and wide were sitting outside the Elixir River. How could this be called a competition if the alchemists were the ones to pass the Defense Array and enter the Elixir River?

How could anyone know who was more formidable than the others if the competition was held behind closed doors?

The cultivator in charge of registration grunted. “Since this is about refining alchemy, how would you refine any elixirs if you didn’t enter the Elixir River?”

While speaking, he had already thrown a ring at Di Jiu. “The elixirs refined in the Elixir Qi River must be placed inside this ring. Any attempt to steal any of them will lead to death. The competition card should be placed within the ring and never be taken out. In addition, give me the ring you are wearing on your hand. You can take out the cauldron you are using first.”

“I have to give you my ring?” repeated Di Jiu in dissatisfaction as he looked at the cultivator in surprise.

The cultivator frowned. “The rings of all the cultivators will be placed here. They will all only be allowed to bring their cauldrons into the Elixir River.”

The reason he frowned was because everyone knew this rule. In truth, all cultivators who came here would be wearing an empty ring and only carrying a cauldron that would be used during the competition. What did it matter if he left an empty ring with him? How dare Di Jiu actually object?

Di Jiu, who finally understood what was going on, was left speechless. An Tuning was an incompetent leader. Fortunately, there was not much inside his ring, except for some low-level spirit herbs and several hundred high-grade divine crystals. After taking out the Gigantic Cosmic Cauldron, he handed the ring over.

Seeing Di Jiu’s action, the cultivator in charge relaxed. “Bring your cauldron in and wait for the competition to start.”

Di Jiu subconsciously glanced at An Tuning, who was seated far away. The woman was completely distracted so she was not paying attention to him. Evidently, he only needed to enter the Elixir River. An Tuning cared about nothing else.

Di Jiu shook his head speechlessly. Before he walked through the array door, he asked ignorantly, “May I know if the divine spirit herbs used to refine the elixirs are provided by the organizers or if I have to use my own? What about the alchemical fire?”

What worried Di Jiu the most was the alchemical fire. He possessed a top-notch Dao fire, but that was useless for the level of his Dao fire was still low and was short of becoming a divine flame. Such a Dao fire would be inferior if it was used to refine elixirs here.

However, he regretted asking that question, as he definitely did not need to provide the divine spirit herbs. Otherwise, why would there be a need to take his ring away? It was only because he had the Ninth World that he subconsciously thought that his items were still present. Therefore, he had asked this moronic question.

The cultivator in charge of registration stared at Di Jiu with wide eyes. After a long while, he asked, “You do not even know this?”

Di Jiu nodded his head. “I indeed do not know.”

The cultivator had originally wanted to mock Di Jiu. However, he knew that Di Jiu was representing the First Evolution Dao Sect so he swallowed his words with great difficulty. Then, he hollered in a cold voice, “You will know when you go in! Since you have already registered, you are not allowed to stand here.”

Di Jiu felt helpless about this situation. He was just an outer sect disciple that had been made to come here. There was no way he had the ability to argue with the cultivator in charge of registration. Therefore, he could only rub his chin and walk through the array door.

After Di Jiu entered, the other cultivators in charge of registration could not help but roar with laughter. This was the first time they encountered a participating alchemist like Di Jiu, who did not know what he was doing here.

Seemingly sensing that Di Jiu had walked past the array door, An Tuning stood up.

“Ha ha… Valley Master An, the competition has just started. Are you leaving now?” The wrinkled old man who was seated a short distance away from An Tuning mocked her. When he saw her stand up, he seemed to know her plans.

An Tuning stared at the wrinkled old man coldly. “Wan Hexue, don’t act so arrogant in front of me just because you are the Deputy City Lord of the Eternal Court Sacred Dao City. The First Evolution Dao Sect might be lacking good alchemists, but we are not lacking Primordial Chaos experts.”

The wrinkled old man grunted and took no more heed of An Tuning.

An Tuning left the participating sect’s spectating platform swiftly without hesitation. Evidently, she had no intention of continuing to stay there.

Her only purpose for coming here was to make sure Di Jiu entered the Elixir River competition. She cared about nothing else. It had never crossed her mind that Di Jiu could attain a rank.

…

Di Jiu was stunned, however. Before him was a never-ending wide river, and Elixir Qi mist filled with a medicinal fragrance occupied the space above the river.

It was a form of great enjoyment when the Elixir Qi permeated one’s body. This effect could be achieved simply by standing motionless, and there was no need for one to cultivate at all. If one was to cultivate here… Di Jiu dared not entertain that notion, certain that one’s cultivation speed would be extraordinarily fast if one cultivated here.

Above this Elixir Qi mist were five floating words: Great Age Elixir Qi River.

Were they participating in the elixir competition at such a nice venue? It would be extremely wonderful if this Elixir Qi River was seized and it became private property.

Upon looking around, Di Jiu discovered that a total of 2,000 alchemists were participating. However, he was puzzled as to why these alchemists did not look as excited as him. Instead, they had gloomy expressions and had closed their eyes in deep contemplation.

After waiting for one hour, Di Jiu sensed the array door behind him slowly close. Then, he heard a command. “All participating alchemists are to enter the Elixir River to condense the Divine Essence Pill. The time limit is one month.”

Following these words, Di Jiu saw the 2,000 alchemists dash into the Elixir River, leaving only Di Jiu standing beside the river. He could not quite understand what this meant.

“Quickly, enter the Elixir River!” someone barked, breaking Di Jiu’s reverie. That person was unable to understand why Di Jiu was so stunned when the competition had only started.

At an elixir competition like this, one second was sufficient to determine victory or defeat.

When Di Jiu hastily entered the Elixir River, even denser Elixir Qi enveloped him. He was not in the mood to cultivate so he used his Spiritual Force to reach out to where the other alchemists were to see what they were doing.

Di Jiu quickly understood what these alchemists were doing. They had all taken out their cauldrons and were refining the Divine Essence Pill within the Elixir Qi River.

Saying that they were condensing the Divine Essence Pill would be more accurate. A faint Elixir Qi whirlpool was forming above each cauldron. As the alchemists were drawing the Elixir Qi into the cauldron and using their Divine Essence and Alchemy Art, the Elixir Qi was converted into the Divine Essence Pill.

With every cauldron of Divine Essence Pill made, the alchemists swiftly placed the pills to the ring before continuing on to the second cauldron. Some cultivators who felt that their speed was too slow even took out their flame to aid them in the process.

Di Jiu drew a deep breath of cold air, finally understanding why the alchemists were so unhappy about being sent to participate in the competition. He knew about the Divine Essence Pill, which was a better treasure than high-grade divine crystals.

The Divine Essence Pill was considered the essence of the Heaven Earth Divine Essence and contained no elixir poison. Consuming one would enable their cultivation speed to become extremely fast. In addition, the elixir pill was very suitable to allow one to gain insight into various supernormal abilities and achieve a breakthrough. It could also help one remove elixir poison from their body.

If one consumed too many man-made elixir pills, they could consume the Divine Essence Pill while cultivating to remove the elixir poison.

However, the process of condensing the Divine Essence Pill was inhumane. It required alchemists who possessed dense Divine Essence to condense the elixirs. This process would actually cause these alchemists to expend their Blood Essence.

This would not matter if these Divine Essence Pills belonged to the alchemists themselves. However, they were all to be placed within the ring issued to the alchemists, which meant that the alchemists would not be able to obtain these elixir pills. In other words, the alchemists had to hand these elixir pills in.

No wonder the alchemists from the First Evolution Dao Sect were unwilling to participate. Only he had been made to come here and do this.