NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 127: First Place
The Dao Seeking School disciples retrieved the first herb from the sack. It was a red plant speckled with purple spots, its shape resembling a lavender.
"What is this?" Complained a disciple next to Tan Wei, his face a mix of confusion and frustration. "It's just the first herb, and it's already this difficult…"
Hearing him, the Dao Seeking School disciple holding the herb looked at him with disdain. "An idiot like you is representing your sect? I can tell the alchemy level in the Qian Empire is really low."
The disciple who had complained clenched his fists in anger but didn't dare respond.
Tan Wei paid no attention to their exchange and quickly wrote down his answers.
'Purple Yang Lavender. Can be used to create a low tier 2 Yang Replenishing Pill, a high tier 2 Yin Countering Pill…
Various tier 3 and tier 2 pill formulas filled Tan Wei's mind as he diligently wrote down everything he knew.
Exactly five minutes later, the disciples carefully placed the herb back into its jade bottle and retrieved the next one.
Tan Wei gave it a brief glance, instantly recognizing the herb. Without hesitation, he wrote down his next answer.
'Yellow Water Balm. Can be used to create a mid tier 3 Skin Fortifying Pill…'
The competition proceeded as before, until the fifth herb, when a disciple from the Dao Seeking School suddenly pointed at two participants. "You two. Disqualified for cheating!"
The unexpected announcement shocked the participants, who turned to watch the unfolding drama.
"What?! I didn't cheat! Do you have any proof?" one of the accused participants protested.
The Dao Seeking disciple who had caught them didn't respond, merely casting a disdainful glance in their direction.
It was Zhou Xiu who spoke next, his voice carrying through the room. "In the cultivation world, nothing is truly fair. One can cheat and go unnoticed, winning first place, but if you're caught, it only shows your incompetence. Now leave, before I revoke your sect's right to participate in the remaining categories."
Upon hearing the threat, the two caught cheating quickly exited the arena, too afraid to argue further.
If they left quietly, their sect still had a chance to recover, but if they were disqualified, it would be as if they had ruined their sect's resources. Their elder would not spare them.
After they left, the competition continued.
About ten more participants were caught cheating and forced to leave. By the time the tenth herb was finished, nearly an hour had passed since the competition began.
Zhou Xiu's voice rang out again.
"Write your name and sect's name on the paper before handing it to the disciple responsible for your table. The scores will be available in no more than ten minutes. The top one hundred will move on."
Everyone followed his instructions, and the disciples from the Dao Seeking School went around, collecting the papers.
The disciple responsible for Tan Wei glanced at his paper, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. He quickly looked at Tan Wei's name, imprinting it in his memory.
'Who would have thought such a talent would emerge from the Qian Empire…' he thought.
While the results were being calculated, Zhou Xiu continued, "The scores range from 0 to 100. Although the top 100 participants will move on, if your score is below 30, you won't be allowed to continue."
"Hey, 30 out of 100 shouldn't be too hard, right?" one of the participants remarked.
After ten minutes, the results were finally ready, and a disciple came forward to deliver the papers to Zhou Xiu.
Zhou Xiu glanced through them quickly, a look of surprise crossing his face before he quickly masked it.
"Xu Jiayi, Sun Sect, 0!" he announced.
More than a hundred participants received a 0, leaving the crowd shocked by the test's difficulty.
"Hundredth place, Chen Biya, Cold Flower Sect, 25!"
A joyful expression crossed Chen Biya's face when she heard her place, but as soon as she heard the score, the color drained from her face. Even though she had made it to the top 100, her score still fell short of the 30 needed to advance.
Zhou Xiu continued until the top 3 were announced.
"Third place, Cui Da, Blue Dragon Sect, 59!"
Upon hearing his score, Cui Da puffed out his chest, a smug smile creeping onto his face.
"Second place, Qian Shu, Qian Family, 68!"
When Qian Shu's name was called, no one seemed surprised. The Qian family was one of the most powerful in the Qian Empire, and Qian Shu was well-known for her alchemy skills.
"First place, Tan Wei, White Crow Sect, 110!"
At the mention of Tan Wei from the White Crow Sect, the crowd erupted in astonishment!
Cui Da's smug expression vanished instantly, and his face twisted in frustration. "Impossible! Wasn't the maximum score supposed to be one hundred?"
Zhou Xiu glanced at Cui Da and calmly explained, "All the disciples correcting the tests are tier 4 alchemists. When they were unsure whether an herb could be used to create a particular pill, they consulted their elders, who were at least tier 6 alchemists. If the answer was yes, the disciple received an additional point; if not, they lost two points."
Hearing Zhou Xiu's words, the participants and spectators were stunned in disbelief. The White Crow Sect wasn't known for its alchemy skills, so such a result seemed impossible!
What did it mean for Tan Wei to score 110 points? It meant that not only did he know all the answers, but he also had a deeper understanding of herbs and pill creation than a tier 4 alchemist. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire
Was that even possible for a tier 2 or tier 3 alchemist? Did it mean that, despite being a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, he was actually a tier 4 or higher alchemist?
Elder Jiang and Yin Jian, who were watching from the plaza, couldn't hide their joy. Tan Wei had brought pride to their sect!
'When we get back, I must reward him and Elder Peng!' Yin Jian thought, barely able to contain his excitement.
"No! I don't accept this! I'm sure he cheated!" Cui Da shouted, refusing to believe that someone from the White Crow Sect could outdo him by such a large margin!
If it had been one of the top sects, Cui Da wouldn't have said anything, even if he suspected them of cheating.
Zhou Xiu turned to face him. "Cheating? What about it? If he really did cheat and wasn't caught, then I can only congratulate him. Now, quiet down, or I'll revoke your sect's right to participate."
At the mention of having his sect's rights revoked, Cui Da fell silent, no longer daring to speak.
Before the competition continued, Zhou Xiu asked, "Who is Tan Wei from the White Crow Sect?"
Tan Wei raised his hand. "I am."
Zhou Xiu looked at him with admiration and warmth. "Very impressive, young man. If you're interested, the Dao Seeking School would be honored to recruit someone with such deep knowledge in alchemy as you."
His invitation didn't end there. "And if you'd like, I would be honored to take such a promising young talent as you as my third disciple."