novelapdf Chapter 589 Tell Me the Truth! The Selection Begins!
Chapter 589 Tell Me the Truth! The Selection Begins!
Zhao Yu stood beside the carriage, taking in the entire scene.
The displeasure in his gaze as he looked at Chen Fan did not dissipate; instead, it became even more gloomy because of Chen Fan's complete disregard for him.
How dare a mere eunuch from the time of Yu the Great disregard him like this!
He would never swallow this insult.
However, he couldn't lash out right now, since all six forces were gathered together and the grand competition was imminent. Any unexpected complications could reach his father's ears.
Zhao Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the anger rising within him, and put on a forced smile, saying loudly:
"Now that everyone understands the rules, please go back and rest. Tomorrow at noon, the cultivation selection will begin first, followed by the alchemy and formation selection. At that time, a special person will guide you into the offering hall. I wish you all the best of luck... Of course, you should also know your own strengths and weaknesses, and not be arrogant and unrealistic, lest you embarrass your cultivation kingdom."
That last sentence was clearly meant for Chen Fan.
Chen Fan remained deaf to Qin Zhan's words and simply followed him toward Dayu's encampment.
Yu the Great's residence was located in a row of side rooms on the east side of the post station.
Although the side rooms could not compare to the grandeur of the post stations in the capital city of Yu the Great, they were still quite exquisite in this capital city of Zhao.
The floor is paved with bluestone, and the beams are made of spirit wood. Each room is equipped with a basic spirit-gathering array, making the concentration of spiritual energy three-tenths higher than that outside.
Qin Zhan had two deputy generals guard outside the courtyard, while he pulled Chen Fan into the main hall.
As soon as he sat down, he couldn't wait to ask, "What rank are you in alchemy and formations? Tell me your secrets so I can know what you're capable of."
Chen Fan picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup for Qin Zhan, then poured one for himself, before slowly speaking:
"I've barely reached the fifth rank in alchemy, and I have some knowledge of formations. That should be enough to pass the selection process."
Qin Zhan's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and the tea almost spilled.
A fifth-grade alchemist is an extremely rare existence in the Great Yu Cultivation Kingdom; even the four major first-level cultivation kingdoms combined couldn't produce a single one.
Chen Fan spoke casually, as if he were just saying that the weather was nice today.
"Fifth rank..." Qin Zhan put down his teacup, took a deep breath, and his incredibly bright eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement. "I've truly struck gold this time. If you can rank in the top three in both alchemy and formation, and obtain the Gold Medal Offering Token, not only will those two old dogs from the Wang family not dare to touch a hair on your head, but even the eight great families combined wouldn't dare. The Gold Medal Offering Token is the face of the Zhao royal family; anyone who dares to touch it is making an enemy of the Zhao kingdom!"
Chen Fan took a sip of tea and nodded.
Qin Zhan stood up and paced back and forth in the hall a few times. Suddenly, he stopped, turned around, and looked at Chen Fan with a more serious expression.
"Chen Fan, I stood up for you today in front of the six forces because you are a man of my Great Yu, and it is only right that I protect you. But the humiliation you have suffered today is ultimately due to your origins. The cultivation world is a dog-eat-dog world, and it has not been easy for you to have reached this point with your Nascent Soul stage. I only hope that you remember that whether you win or lose in the selection in Zhao, Great Yu will have a place for you. If you win, I will hold a victory banquet for you; if you lose, I will take the Wang family's knife for you."
Chen Fan put down his teacup, stood up, bowed to Qin Zhan, and without saying anything more about his gratitude, simply said:
"Your Highness, rest assured, we know what we're doing."
……
Silent all night.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the long, drawn-out chimes rang out from the post station.
That was the signal from the Zhao State's Imperial Palace to summon the candidates; three chimes meant the selection process was about to begin.
Chen Fan withdrew from the golden bowl, straightened his robes, and pushed open the door to the side room. Qin Zhan was already waiting in the courtyard.
Today he wore a brand new set of black iron armor. The marks of swords and blades on the armor plates were still conspicuous, but he was full of energy, and his eyes showed an undisguised anticipation.
"Let's go." Qin Zhan patted Chen Fan on the shoulder without saying anything more.
The two men, accompanied by two lieutenants, followed the directions of the Zhao state official and headed towards the main hall in the center of the imperial city.
Along the way, the six factions separated, and the atmosphere became even more tense than it had been at the post station the day before.
The candidates from Great Yan, Great Chu, and Great Qi all had solemn expressions. The demonic cultivators from the Boundless Sea were surrounded by surging demonic energy, while the Gu cultivators from the Great Desert Grassland were covered with all kinds of Gu worms, and the rustling sound was incessant.
The Hall of Offerings was located in the very center of the capital city of Zhao, separated from the imperial palace by only one wall.
The entire hall was built of white spirit jade, and twelve jade pillars with coiled dragons stood in front of the hall, each pillar covered with dense array patterns.
The palace doors were wide open, revealing an extremely spacious inner hall that could accommodate over a thousand people.
A high platform was set up on the north side of the inner hall, with three rosewood chairs on it, clearly for the judges to sit in.
On each side of the high platform are several independent alchemy rooms and array platforms. The doors are tightly closed and covered with restrictions that isolate divine sense.
Chen Fan's gaze swept across the entire venue, taking in the participation of various factions.
On the other side of the boundless sea, besides Song Tianren who applied for the cultivation level selection, there was also a gaunt old man with a sinister face who applied for the alchemy selection, and a middle-aged demonic cultivator with a pale face who applied for the formation selection.
On the vast desert grassland, the old woman holding the insect staff personally applied for the formation selection, while a middle-aged Gu cultivator applied for the alchemy selection.
Among the four kingdoms, almost all the candidates from Great Yan and Great Chu applied for the selection based on their cultivation level, clearly placing their hopes on martial prowess.
On the Qi Kingdom's side, in addition to a few Nascent Soul cultivators who reported their cultivation levels for selection, an elderly man with white hair and late-stage Nascent Soul also appeared in the alchemy waiting area!
On Da Yu's side, in addition to Chen Fan applying for alchemy and formation, two other deputy generals applied for cultivation level selection.
Both of the deputy generals were at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage and had been fighting in the border army for many years. They were quite powerful, but compared with the Nascent Soul cultivators from the six forces, they were outmatched.
Qin Zhan knew perfectly well that how far Da Yu could go in the cultivation selection depended entirely on luck, and the real hope lay in Chen Fan's alchemy and formations.
"The alchemy selection process begins." On the high platform, an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a purple robe, stood up and announced loudly. This man was none other than Han Cen, the chief alchemy master of the Hall of Offerings and a peak fifth-grade alchemist.
He glanced at the audience below the stage and said calmly, "Those who are participating in the alchemy selection, follow me into the alchemy room."
Chen Fan nodded slightly to Qin Zhan, then turned and walked towards the alchemy room.
There were ten candidates in the alchemy selection process.
The gaunt old man from the boundless sea, the middle-aged Gu cultivator from the desert grassland, the white-haired old man from Qi, and several alchemists from the Great Yan and Great Chu, along with Chen Fan, entered the alchemy room one by one.
The alchemy room was extremely spacious, with ten alchemy furnaces lined up in a row. In front of each furnace was a stone platform, on which were prepared the uniformly provided medicinal materials and an alchemy prescription.