“Alliance Leader, I indeed obtained this spiritual energy from a hidden cave in the Spirit Beast Forest, but I didn’t encounter any Sky Demon Scorpion. Otherwise, with my meager strength, claiming I took it from a Sky Demon Scorpion’s grasp, I doubt even you would believe that, right?” Lin Xiao replied with feigned seriousness. If he told the truth—that he’d secretly snatched it during Ye Fenghua’s battle with the Scorpion Clan—it would be unthinkable.
Everyone nodded quietly. No one would believe Lin Xiao had wrested spiritual energy from a Sky Demon Scorpion.
Ye Fenghua’s expression tightened. Lin Xiao’s explanation made sense, but it irked him that despite his painstaking efforts to find spiritual energy, this kid had stumbled upon it.
“This, this was the spiritual energy I searched so hard for!” After a pause, Ye Fenghua couldn’t help but sigh.
Seeing Ye Fenghua’s slightly rattled demeanor, Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed. If Ye Fenghua had designs on him, that could spell big trouble.
Sweeping his gaze around before settling back on Ye Fenghua, Lin Xiao spoke firmly yet respectfully, “Alliance Leader, this spiritual energy has already fused with my mind, integrated into it. I’m essentially a vessel of that energy now. To extract it, you’d need a method to forcibly seize and recondense spiritual energy. Otherwise, even killing me wouldn’t yield it.”
“And such a method, it seems rarer in ancient texts than spiritual energy itself, doesn’t it?”
Lin Xiao’s words were directed at Ye Fenghua and the crowd alike. Even the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor knew no way to forcibly take refined spiritual energy.
Those present certainly didn’t either.
His statement made the crowd pause, surprised he’d dare speak so directly to Ye Fenghua.
Those who’d entertained such thoughts quickly abandoned them. Ye Fenghua’s fleeting lapse faded as he shook his head with a regretful sigh.
A spiritual energy emerging in this era had slipped through his fingers.
“Heh, I lost my composure there. Rest assured, I, Ye Fenghua, may be tempted, but I’m not one to let greed override my principles. Destroying something so precious isn’t my style. Keeping a spirit controller genius alive might even help us advance our cultivation in the future,” Ye Fenghua said with an awkward smile, his sincerity clear.
He understood Lin Xiao’s wariness.
“Besides, obtaining spiritual energy and the explosive elixir recipe is a matter of fate. Your talent hasn’t disgraced these heavenly treasures. Now, let’s begin testing the elixirs’ grades and quality!”
As Ye Fenghua’s voice fell, all the youths who’d refined elixirs stepped forward for testing. Every elixir’s grade matched the referees’ assessments.
Anything below fourth-grade elementary couldn’t escape a fourth-grade elementary spirit controller’s scrutiny.
For elixirs of the same grade, the testing stone revealed varying qualities.
The testing held no surprises. Once complete, Ye Fenghua announced, “Now, I’ll declare the final rankings of this Young Spirit Controller Refining Competition!”
“Lin Xiao, first place, awarded one Serpent Blood Void-Breaking Elixir and a fifth-grade elementary recipe!”
With a wave of his hand, a jade bottle containing a gleaming golden elixir and a recipe shot toward Lin Xiao.
“Chi!” Seeing these rewards, everyone smacked their lips, their eyes burning with envy.
These prizes could make even Martial Venerables and fourth-grade spirit controllers jealous!
“Finally mine!” Catching the bottle and recipe, Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up. Refining the Serpent Blood Void-Breaking Elixir would boost his strength another level.
Stowing the bottle, he turned to the fifth-grade recipe. For someone like him, recipes weren’t as alluring, but a glance at it stirred his heart, “Dragon Strength Elixir recipe?”
The Dragon Strength Elixir enhanced physical power significantly, sharing a faint connection with the Serpent Blood Void-Breaking Elixir, which also tempered the body.
The stronger one’s physique, the greater the boost from the Dragon Strength Elixir. Even an average body would gain considerable strength, serving as a lifesaving trump card.
Even the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor lacked this recipe.
Of course, with Lin Xiao’s current spiritual power, refining it was far beyond reach for now.
“These rewards are truly lavish,” he mused with satisfaction, pocketing both under the crowd’s eager stares.
“Second place, Yunfeng, awarded one fourth-grade advanced Nine Yang Gold Elixir and a fourth-grade advanced recipe!” Ye Fenghua waved again, sending the rewards to Yunfeng.
Though less grand than first place, the second-place prizes still drew gasps. A fourth-grade advanced elixir and recipe would tempt any fourth-grade spirit controller.
Catching his rewards, Yunfeng’s eyes flashed with excitement, but the thought of missing the Serpent Blood Void-Breaking Elixir and fifth-grade recipe filled them with bitter resentment.
“Second place, that’s…” Below the platform, Wu Meng’s face showed discontent. He opened his mouth to protest but wisely shut it.
“Third place, Ye Yu, awarded one fourth-grade intermediate Red Blood Elixir and a fourth-grade intermediate recipe…”
“Fourth place, Wu Sha, awarded one Yang-Opening Blood Qi Elixir and a fourth-grade elementary recipe!”
“…”
As the names were called, the crowd buzzed with discussion. Even the top fifty held immense prestige in many eyes.
Once all rewards were distributed on the spot, Ye Fenghua spoke again, “Alright, this year’s Refining Competition has concluded perfectly. Every youth in the top fifty is a standout in the refining field. Per the competition’s rules, you’re free to leave your current factions and join one that benefits you more. The choice is yours.”
With a flick of his long sleeve, Ye Fenghua sat down slowly, his gaze drifting to the old-timers around him. Seeing their flushed, eager stares fixed on Lin Xiao, he muttered inwardly, “Snatching him from these old foxes won’t be easy!”
At that moment, not just them, but everyone in the arena turned to Lin Xiao and the other top-ranked youths. It was clear to all that, despite Ye Fenghua mentioning the top fifty, the major factions were focused on just a few.
These were the talents worth heavy investment. Lesser-ranked youths wouldn’t draw such effort from the empire’s great families and powers.
Sure enough, as Ye Fenghua sat, someone on the jade platform couldn’t hold back, rising first with an eager voice, “Young Brother Heimu, I’m Chen Wendao, head of the Chen family. We’d like to ally with you. If you join us, I, as family head, pledge to treat you as a direct descendant, sparing no effort to nurture you and procure any herbs you need until you reach fifth-grade spirit controller status.”
