Falling in Love to Escape the Original Book Plot [BL]-Chapter 413: Alchemy Challenge 1
"Young sect master Xuanyuan, disciple Shen, the alchemy challenge is about to start." Yang Zitao announced, and the two opponents immediately walked to the centre of the stage.
"The..." Yang Zitao started, but Xuanyuan Yan interrupted him.
"Elder Yang, I would like to make a wager before the challenge details are announced." She said, and everyone couldn’t help but be surprised.
After all, up to now, all wagers were made after listening to the challenge details.
"This..." Yang Zitao muttered with an uncertain expression.
At the same time, he turned to Shen Xu.
"Disciple Shen, what do you think?" He asked.
Shen Xu was also surprised by Xuanyuan Yan’s request.
However, he soon calmed down and smiled before speaking.
"I will decide after listening to the wager details." He said.
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Yan nodded and removed a jade box from her storage ring.
"I will give you three things if you win." She started and quickly continued.
"One, I will give you a thousand marrow pear." She stated, causing an uproar in the square.
A thousand marrow pear was a precious fruit that could allow a peak-stage fusion realm cultivator to effortlessly advance to the Mahayana realm.
With it, breaking through was a foregone conclusion, and the time required was only a fraction of the usual time.
"Ah?" Shen Xu muttered, subconsciously raising an eyebrow.
Although he had molten fire, he didn’t disdain the thousand marrow fruit.
After all, if he had the fruit, he could use it to break through to the Mahayana realm and later use the molten fire to advance two small realms.
’It’s not a bad deal.’ He thought but didn’t immediately agree since Xuanyuan Yan had yet to detail all her terms.
"What’s the second thing?" He asked.
"The second thing is a stalk of fire jade bell grass." Xuanyuan Yan said, and Shen Xu clenched his hands in anticipation.
The fire jade bell grass was a precious spiritual grass that produced small bell-shaped fires.
These fires were useless to cultivators.
However, they were excellent for nourishing, purifying, and improving fires.
Thinking of Xiaomu, Xiaolei, and his spiritual root fire, Shen Xu couldn’t wait to get his hands on the fire jade bell grass.
"Finally, I will give you one litre of level nine firebird blood and five drops of level nine firebird blood essence."
Hearing this, the spectators couldn’t suppress their excitement.
"Is this emptying her treasury?" Someone asked.
"I remember the young sect master bought the thousand marrow pear at an auction in Tianxuan City seventy years ago. Wasn’t she planning to use it for her own breakthrough? Why did she bring it out? Why risk it for a meaningless challenge?" Another asked in an incredulous voice.
"I remember the auction too." A female cultivator said and quickly continued.
"Young Miss Xuanyuan outbid the young sect master of the Myriad Tools sect and other geniuses to get the fruit. It would be a pity if she lost it here."
"We can’t be sure that she will lose it."
"Well..., I wouldn’t have argued with you if you said this a few days ago. However, Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan are not ordinary cultivators. It’s unlikely that the young sect master will win."
"The young sect master is the best level eight alchemist in the sect. She will definitely put up a good fight."
"I think she is taking an unnecessary risk. Why risk so much for a meaningless wager?"
"You are all mentioning the thousand marrow pear, but the most precious thing she is risking is the fire jade bell grass." A female cultivator said and sighed with a melancholic expression.
"Is the fire jade bell grass so precious?" Someone asked, and the surrounding people turned to look at the female cultivator.
Hearing this, the female cultivator nodded and began explaining.
"As far as I know, the young sect master Xuanyuan has the only fire jade bell grass in the Tianxuan continent." She said and quickly continued.
"Countless alchemists, weapons refiners, and others have offered high prices for the grass, but she has always refused to sell it. Instead, she occasionally sells the fire bells for millions of spirit stones."
"Are the fire bells so effective?" Someone asked, and the female cultivator nodded.
"The fire jade bell grass has no level. Its fire bells are suitable and effective for all fires." She said.
"What about the effect?"
"Depending on its level, a fire will naturally advance after eating a certain number of fire bells."
"Isn’t this like having a limitless supply of a resource to cultivate a fire?" Someone asked, and the female cultivator nodded.
"That’s why the fire jade bell grass is so precious." She said.
"Why would young master Xuanyuan risk something so precious for a meaningless challenge?" A male cultivator asked in an incredulous voice.
"It’s not worth it." Another said.
"Young Miss Xuanyuan has never been reckless. Maybe she is certain she can beat junior brother Shen."
"Certain?" Someone sneered and quickly continued.
"The previous eight challengers were also certain, but what happened? They were beaten so badly and forced to accept a miserable defeat."
"Just because that happened to previous challengers doesn’t mean young sect master Xuanyuan doesn’t have a chance."
"We know nothing about junior brother Shen’s alchemy talent, so it’s reasonable to say that young sect master Xuanyuan has a chance. However, what if she has underestimated Shen Xu? Won’t she lose precious treasures for no reason?"
"What if she wins?" Someone asked, and the surrounding cultivators turned to look at him.
"I think young sect master Xuanyuan has a plan since she has offered such precious treasures."
"Wagers are based on equal risk. Young sect master Xuanyuan will definitely not go easy on junior brother Shen." Someone said, and they were right.
At this time, Xuanyuan Yan looked at Shen Xu and raised an eyebrow.
"What does fellow Daoist Shen think? Do you accept the three treasures?" She asked.
Hearing this, Shen Xu tilted his head and smiled.
He knew Xuanyuan Yan was setting a trap for him.
However, he liked the three treasures and was willing to risk a lot to get them.
"Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan is generous." He said, but didn’t immediately counter the offer, like he usually did.
After all, he could see that Xuanyuan Yan had a plan, and Shen Xu didn’t plan to accept or refuse until he heard all the details.
"In that case, fellow Daoist Shen can state his counteroffer." Xuanyuan Yan said, but Shen Xu chuckled with an amused expression.
"How about I leave the penalty to fellow Daoist Xuanyuan? What do you want from me if I lose?" He asked, and Xuanyuan Yan didn’t hesitate.
"I want three things." She said and quickly continued.
"One, if fellow Daoist Shen loses this challenge, he will forfeit the previous wins." She said, and the spectators immediately broke into an uproar.
Forfeiting the previous wins was not difficult, but the implications were extraordinary.
After all, forfeiting the wins would mean that Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan could not meet the sect’s requirement and would have to face judgment for their mistake.
Considering this, everyone felt Shen Xu should not accept the wager.
After all, accepting would mean risking his and Zhen Yuan’s lives, while Xuanyuan Yan only risked her resources.
Unfortunately, Shen Xu didn’t think so.
On one hand, he was confident about his alchemy mastery and was certain he could defeat Xuanyuan Yan, and on the other, Zhen Yuan was behind him.
If, for some reason, he failed to defeat Xuanyuan Yan, he believed Zhen Yuan would find a way to get it back in the tenth challenge.
Thinking this way, Shen Xu smiled and gestured for Xuanyuan Yan to continue.
"Two, if you lose, you and senior brother Zhen will sign a contract of servitude with me." She said, and Shen Xu clenched his hands in anger.
He didn’t expect Xuanyuan Yan to have that idea.
However, before he could say a word, the sky suddenly darkened, and a deep rumble filled the sky.
Witnessing the strange phenomenon, everyone looked up and saw strands of lightning flashing in the dark sky.
"Is someone about to cross a thunder tribulation?" Someone asked.
"Cross a thunder tribulation in a crowded square? Who has such guts?"
"I somehow feel..." A male cultivator started with a complicated expression.
"I don’t think this is a thunder tribulation." Another said.
"I sense a terrible crisis. The hairs at the back of my neck have stood up."
"I thought I was the only one.’
"I feel like we have somehow angered the way of heaven."
"What should we do? Should we run?"
"Can you run?" Someone sneered.
"Now that you mention it..., I feel like my body is frozen."
The strange phenomenon caused panic in the square.
However, on the stage, Shen Xu did not panic and instead relaxed.
’You dare to think of enslaving Ayuan, let’s see how the heavens deal with you.’ He thought, and a trace of schadenfreude flashed in his eyes.
