Ninth In the World

“Alchemy Master Di, are you thinking of finding Chi Yuanqing to refine the Seven-Orifice Soul Condensing Elixir?” asked Huo Jianqian in disbelief after a long moment.

Di Jiu laughed mockingly. “I would naturally not go there now. Furthermore, even if I did, Chi Yuanqing would not listen to me or let me refine the elixir.”

Huo Jianqian let out a sigh of relief. She was overly concerned, which resulted in her being unable to think rationally. After the first refining failure, Chi Yuanqing had raised the bar extremely high for the alchemists who wanted to refine the elixir. Furthermore. not many alchemists would be willing to commit suicide. She took out a jade slip with an engraved address and handed it to Di Jiu. “This is where Chi Yuanqing resides.”

“Deacon Huo, have you heard of the Agama True Glazed Water?” asked Di Jiu suddenly after he accepted the jade slip.

“The Agama True Glazed Water?” Huo Jianqian was stunned for a moment before she said, “I’ve heard of it before. I have also participated in an auction for the Agama True Glazed Water.”

“The Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City has auctioned off an Agama True Glazed Water before?” exclaimed Di Jiu.

Huo Jianqian was a little puzzled as to why Di Jiu was so concerned about the Agama True Glazed Water. However, she still explained, “It was not the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City, but the Demonic Clothing Immortal Continent.”

In her opinion, the Agama True Glazed Water was of no use to Di Jiu.

“Where is the Demonic Clothing Immortal Continent?” asked Di Jiu in confusion.

He did not want to stay in the Gigantic Tripod Immortal City if there was no Agama True Glazed Water there. The only reason he had gone there was to obtain the Agama True Glazed Water.

“It is one of the Four Major Immortal Continents. Do you not know about it?” Huo Jianqian was the one who was confused now.

Di Jiu shook his head. “I really do not know.”

Huo Jianqian looked at Di Jiu speechlessly. She wondered where his capabilities in alchemy came from if he did not even know about the Four Major Immortal Continents.

Given that Di Jiu did not know about the Four Major Immortal Continents, Huo Jianqian could only explain to him, “Out of the Four Major Immortal Continents, the first and most powerful Major Immortal Continent is the Illusionary Rainbow Immortal Continent. The second immortal continent in rank is the Demonic Clothing Immortal Continent, where the main branches of most commercial buildings of the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City are located, the Star Elixir Dispensary included. The third in rank is the Thunder Court Immortal Continent, which few people come back from. Fourth in rank is the Square Immortal Continent. It is said that the Square Tripod, which ensures that the light continues shining down from providence into the Square Immortal Continent, was stolen. The Square Immortal Continent entered its sunset era and will most likely be at the brink of destruction.”

Di Jiu realized only then that he had come from the Square Immortal Continent. Indeed, one had to leave a place to be able to gain a broader perspective of the world. The cultivators who had always lived in the Square Immortal Continent were living at the bottom of the well and would only see a square opening when they lifted their heads.

“Did anyone from the Square Immortal Continent come here?” asked Di Jiu the moment he heard about the Square Immortal Continent. He had originally wanted to ask about the Agama True Glazed Water.

Huo Jianqian glanced at Di Jiu in surprise and answered, “Ever since a long time ago, there has been a teleportation array between the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City and the Square Immortal Continent, in which there are often some cultivators from the Square Immortal Continent who came here. No more cultivators came here after the light shining down from providence on the Square Immortal Continent’s Immortal World disintegrated and the immortal continent entered its sunset era.”

Di Jiu forcibly resisted the urge to ask where the teleportation array was located and diverted the conversation. “I’ve heard that the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City has auctioned a Thearch Vine Ganoderma before. Why wasn’t the Agama True Glazed Water auctioned here as well?”

Huo Jianqian smiled. “The truth is that, most of the time, true quality items are auctioned in the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City. It is just that the auction for the Agama True Glazed Water happened under special circumstances. At the time, the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City had been under the attack of void beasts. Therefore, there was no way to hold any auctions, for the Immortal City was about to be exterminated. It was only because more than a dozen apex experts from various Major Immortal Continents came that the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City was able to survive.”

“Thank you, Deacon Huo. I will temporarily stay at the All Emptiness Inn. I will immediately come and inform the Elixir Dispensary once I find a place to stay,” said Di Jiu with gratitude after he had obtained the answer he had been looking for.

“Alchemy Master Di, the Star Elixir Dispensary actually has its own residences as well. You are an Honorary Alchemy Master of the Star Elixir Dispensary. If you don’t mind, you could also stay within the building.” Huo Jianqian hoped that Di Jiu would live in the Star Elixir Dispensary.

“I will come back and stay in the Star Elixir Dispensary if I can’t find a place to stay.” Di Jiu held too many secrets. He would naturally not live in the Star Elixir Dispensary, which was why he declined her offer amicably.

Upon seeing that Di Jiu was uninterested in living in the Star Elixir Dispensary, Huo Jianqian led Di Jiu outside the building. There were still many people queuing up for registration in the Star Elixir Dispensary. However, they all had nothing to do with Di Jiu.

…

After returning to the All Emptiness Inn, the first thing Di Jiu did was set up a new set of restriction arrays, as he would not allow anyone to spy on him where he lived.

Previously, he had thought that he would only be staying there for a few days at most, which was why he had not been concerned about the restrictions there. Now, however, he intended to stay and advance to become a grade-four Alchemy Grandmaster. Therefore, he would naturally want to protect the entire place he was in.

He possessed the Creation Cauldron and his Dao fire, the Luminous Starry Sky. He would surely die the moment any of these two items was exposed.

Di Jiu took out piles of immortal spiritual herbs and started to practice refining grade-four immortal pills.

It was not difficult for Di Jiu to form his own Alchemy Dao and become a grade-four Alchemy Grandmaster.

…

The Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary was the biggest Elixir Dispensary in the entire Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City.

As the biggest Elixir Dispensary of the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City, the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary’s aura was grander than the Star Elixir Dispensary’s. Even the structures and the land of the former were several times bigger than those of the latter.

At the moment, within the examination hall of the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary, a man with a goatee was looking at a fully-bearded alchemist practicing alchemy. A middle-aged man of average height sat in the guest seat beside the man with the goatee. The middle-aged man was frowning, as if something was on his mind, and was not looking at the fully-bearded man practicing alchemy.

The fully-bearded alchemist was Jue Yan, who had participated in the Elixir Associations’ examination with Di Jiu. He had already cast the Elixir Concluding Art and nine grade-three blue elixirs had landed on the jade plate.

Jue Yan was very pleased. Out of the nine elixirs he had refined in one attempt in the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary, there were five middle-class elixirs and only four low-class elixirs.

This result was slightly better than the one he had achieved at the grade-three Alchemy Master exam. After all, the elixir he was refining this time was the Drizzle Elixir. This elixir was a grade-three immortal pill that was much harder to refine compared to the Dark Essence Elixir. This signified that his alchemy skills had improved once again.

“Not bad, Alchemy Master Jue. You must be able to become a class-three hired Alchemy Master of the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary given your alchemy standards,” said the man with the goatee in satisfaction as he carefully observed the nine elixirs.

Jue Yan was extremely pleased. He hastily stood up and bowed to express his gratitude. “Thank you, Deacon Lu.”

It was an impressive achievement for him to be able to become a class-three hired Alchemy Master of the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary.

Deacon Lu nodded his head. “You may later head directly to register for the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary’s class-three Alchemist Identification Card…”

Deacon Lu suddenly stopped and asked, “Alchemy Master Jue, isn’t there also an alchemist who passed the Elixir Association’s grade-three Alchemy Master examination with you yesterday? Do you know where he lives?”

Jue Yan was stunned for a moment. There was someone other than him who had passed the grade-three Alchemy Master test yesterday at the conference? He thought of Di Jiu immediately.

There had only been three examinees at the test for the grade-three Alchemy Master. The two people in front of him had not passed the test. After he had left, Di Jiu had been next. If anyone else could have passed the test yesterday other than him, it would undoubtedly be Di Jiu.

“Deacon Lu, may I ask if that alchemy master is Di Jiu?” asked Jue Yan uncertainly.

In his opinion, Di Jiu should not have been able to pass the test. He had been asked to finish a paper test on herb theory and to refine a cauldron of Dark Essence Elixir within four hours. Di Jiu had not looked like a formidable alchemist.

“Yes, that’s right. It is him. Do you know where he lives?” Deacon Lu hurriedly asked.

As a member of the top Elixir Dispensary of the Gigantic Tripod Liberal Immortal City, he would naturally know that two alchemy masters had passed the grade-three Alchemy Master test at the Elixir Association yesterday.

“Di Jiu also passed the Alchemy Master’s test?” asked Jue Yan subconsciously.

Deacon Lu said with certainty, “Of course. Other than passing the test, Di Jiu also refined a special-class Dark Essence Elixir. The majority of the elixirs produced were high-grade Dark Essence Elixirs.”

“This is impossible. Di Jiu had yet to participate in any examination and he still had to spend some time on the theoretical herb test,” said Jue Yan in disbelief.

Deacon Lu’s tone turned frosty as he said, “What’s so impossible about it? Di Jiu obtained 99 points from the theoretical herb test. He answered all questions correctly other than the very last one.”

He was a little displeased. He would not have remembered Di Jiu if the latter had possessed average capabilities. It was exactly because Di Jiu’s results had been outstanding that he had been keeping a lookout for Di Jiu, to prevent the latter from joining any other Elixir Dispensaries. He had not expected that Di Jiu would not come to the Tripod-Existing Elixir Dispensary’s examination that day. In his opinion, Jue Yan had participated in the test with Di Jiu, so the two of them must have gotten to know each other.

“Deacon Lu, did you say that the person called Di Jiu scored 99 points in the theoretical herb test? And that he did not score any points for the very last question?” The middle-aged man sitting aside suddenly stood up and spoke in astonishment.

“That’s right, Manager Shen…” Deacon Lu looked at the middle-aged man in confusion, as he did not understand what the man was so surprised about.

The middle-aged called Manager Shen was extremely excited. He had come to the Gigantic Tripod Elixir Dispensary for another matter, so he had not expected to hear any news about such an important matter.

Unlike Deacon Lu, he knew very well what the very last question of the theoretical herb test was. It was the question created by the Young Palatial Lord. Any and every alchemist who did not answer the question using the Abalone Shell would be the person the young lord had been looking for.

Although he had yet to see Di Jiu’s examination sheet, the fact that Di Jiu had not gained any points for the very last question evidently showed that Di Jiu had not answered the question using the Abalone Shell. If the Abalone Shell had been used, Di Jiu would have at least gotten some points for it.

The trap in this question was not even known by some examiners of the Elixir Association. The person who had created this question was Excellency Luan, the number one Alchemy Supremacy of the Starry Demon Palace. The fact that Di Jiu had been able to obtain 99 points meant that he could not be an alchemist of zero knowledge. If that was the case, Di Jiu’s choice to not use the Abalone Shell to answer the last question implied that Di Jiu would most likely be the alchemist the Young Palatial Lord had been looking for.