The spirit controllers could hardly recognise each other, covered in blood and then blackened all over by the smoke from the explosions.
However, none had suffered injuries severe enough to prevent them from continuing. After taking healing pills and meditating for an hour or two, they went back inside to resume refining pills.
This made everyone unable to hold back their laughter.
Locking oneself in a small room to refine pills meant that when an explosion occurred, the full force would hit the refiner directly.
The severity of the injuries depended on the grade of the pill being refined and the specific type. In the worst case, one could even be killed by the blast.
Therefore, many spirit controllers would only choose to refine pills they were thoroughly familiar with.
Even so, familiarity did not guarantee a hundred percent success without explosion.
Apart from explosions, there were also cases where the alchemy room caught fire, forcing spirit controllers to rush out to escape the flames.
It was not the room that caught fire, since the rooms were designed to withstand explosions and fire. Instead, it was the medicinal materials that ignited.
Regardless of the situation, each incident was highly entertaining.
As time passed, there were still quite a few explosions.
Two people were directly killed by explosions, and another two were so badly injured that they withdrew from the competition.
Three more took several days to recover, greatly reducing their remaining refining time.
Around ten others suffered varying degrees of injury from explosions or fires.
These were all top-tier spirit controllers from across the continent, with unquestionably strong pill-refining abilities.
Yet even at this level, more than ten or twenty experienced explosions. One could imagine how intensely the spirit controllers inside were pushing their refining.
Of course, some spirit controllers gave up just before an explosion and quickly formed a defensive barrier of spiritual power around themselves, thus avoiding severe direct injury.
Otherwise, the number of casualties would likely have been much higher.
After exactly nine days had passed, on the morning of the tenth day, at precisely the same hour that the spirit controllers had entered the alchemy rooms, Ximen Haoyue spoke without a moment’s delay. His booming voice echoed towards the small rooms: “Time’s up!”
Bang! Bang!
Perhaps because they were too absorbed and startled awake, two rooms exploded at that moment.
Then the doors opened, and two spirit controllers rushed out, pitch-black from head to toe, provoking a burst of laughter from the crowd.
At that point, nearly three thousand room doors opened one after another, and the spirit controllers emerged.
They had been refining for nine full days, and the pills they most needed had already been mostly completed.
The most essential pills were refined first, while the final period was spent on less critical ones.
Among the crowd of spirit controllers, only a minority looked disappointed and regretful.
The majority appeared radiant and full of confidence.
“Everyone, prepare for the first round of competition!”
At this moment, Ximen Haoyue announced loudly: “The first round will take place on ten islands. Now, all competing spirit controllers, follow three hundred zhang behind the leading referee elder.”
“The rest of you, follow three hundred zhang behind me!”
As soon as Ximen Haoyue finished speaking, a seventh-grade advanced spirit controller flew into the air ahead, carefully avoiding approaching the rows of spirit controllers outside the rooms.
“Whoosh!” At that instant, a spiritual power barrier several hundred zhang long formed behind Ximen Haoyue.
This astonished the crowd. Spirit controllers truly had many techniques. With this barrier in place, even if someone tried to cross the line and get closer, they probably could not break through.
“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”
Lin Xiao and the other competing spirit controllers set off, following far behind the leading elder. Behind them, Ximen Haoyue also followed at a distance.
The spiritual power barrier behind Ximen Haoyue moved forward under his control.
Three hundred zhang further back, the various Martial Saint powerhouses followed, and only then did the rest of the crowd proceed.
With so many Martial Saints and eighth-grade elementary spirit controllers present, anyone who dared approach the competing spirit controllers would likely be blasted away, possibly even killed outright without consequence.
Before long, the group arrived at a neat row of ten islands.
Each island spanned dozens to over a hundred li in circumference, filled with lush ancient trees and dense vegetation, making it almost impossible to see inside.
The leading elder stopped, and the crowds behind halted accordingly.
Ximen Haoyue then dispelled the spiritual power barrier, swept his gaze over everyone, and declared loudly: “In the first round, seeded contestants and spirit controllers at seventh-grade intermediate level or above are exempt. Spirit controllers below seventh-grade elementary spiritual power realm will enter the ten islands to compete. Ultimately, nearly two thousand will be eliminated. When added to the exempt spirit controllers, a total of one thousand will advance to the second round.”
The crowd was somewhat surprised by these rules. Seeded contestants and those at seventh-grade intermediate or higher were exempt, effectively conducting an initial screening of lower cultivation levels.
Everyone understood that higher cultivation generally meant greater strength. Only the most outstanding among lower-cultivation participants could compete with those of higher realms.
Although this gave an advantage to seeded contestants and seventh-grade intermediate or above spirit controllers, it was considered fair.
If all three thousand spirit controllers had to duel one by one, it would consume an enormous amount of time.
Moreover, without high-grade spirit controllers participating, those with slightly lower cultivation but exceptional skill could advance further.
“Now, all spirit controllers at seventh-grade intermediate or above, step forward and gather to my left. Seeded contestants, gather to my right front.” Ximen Haoyue continued.
Forming separate groups allowed for counting numbers and determining who would compete in the first round to advance.
There were three seeded contestants per state, with nine from the Holy State, and each holy land having three slots.
Upon hearing Ximen Haoyue’s words, the seventh-grade intermediate and above spirit controllers stepped out from the crowd of three thousand, flying dozens of zhang to gather on the left, totalling around four hundred.
The seeded contestants gathered on the right.
The seeded contestants drew the most attention, mostly middle-aged or elderly individuals in their forties or fifties.
Even though many concealed their exact cultivation, those present could almost certainly tell that these were the continent’s most elite spirit controllers. Otherwise, they would not have secured seeded status.
If there were any seventh-grade advanced spirit controllers, they would most likely be among the seeded contestants.
When Lin Xiao flew towards the seeded group on the right, the crowd nearly erupted.
“What? Mu Haoran is also a seeded contestant?”
“How is that possible? How did he obtain a seeded slot?”
“What realm is Mu Haoran’s spiritual power? Mu Haoran mainly cultivates vital force. There’s no reason he should get a seeded slot, and from Spirit Pool Island no less.”
“Could it be that he has powerful connections and paid an enormous price?”
…
Everyone was utterly baffled. A person’s energy is limited. With Mu Haoran’s vital force so strong, it was impossible for his spiritual power to also reach a very high realm.
