Raising the temperature of the violet flame, Fairy Xu added the last ingredient to the cauldron then held it steady for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. After almost exhausting her internal qi she ended the flame and waited for the cauldron to cool before removing the lid. Unfortunately, it was another failure like the last six batches before it.
She had no idea what the catalyst was for, however, her master handed her a pill formula and told her to begin working on it. His instructions were vague and he did not discuss the order, the temperature, or the flame properties required with her. If it was a test then she was fine working on it, however, she was certain this was not a test and she did not like working blindly.
Her master was becoming increasingly agitated recently even after she was able to secure the Three-Fires Ironwood with the help of Young Master Wang. He now required her to answer a secret question before he would open his immortal cave. Even then, she would need to wait several moments before he would leave his rear chamber to meet her. It was as though he was constantly in hiding.
He performed all of his current research in the privacy of his inner chamber and he even stopped taking requests from the elders, which brought about their displeasure. They would bring their concerns to her and she could only apologize explaining that he was in a crucial stage of developing a new pill formula. She felt the last few months had been her least productive time in the Warring Crane Sect.
Thankfully, today she was going on a martial arts and alchemy exchange. It was something her master could not protest as the winners of the competition held great importance. The disciples participating represented the future strength of the Sun Sect, Six Lotus Sect, and the Warring Crane Sect.
Held every three years, this was her second time attending and if all went as she planned; it would be her second victory. She enjoyed these competitions. It was more than just a way to flaunt her skills and receive admiration; it was a way to gauge her talent with others. She realized that if she was unable to beat fellow alchemists in the low-level sects there would be no chance of her reaching the pinnacle of alchemy.
Young Master Wang would be leading them along with elders from both the martial and alchemy branch. She was growing tired of her interactions with Young Master Wang. He was no longer as useful to her as he was in the past and his attempts at courting her were becoming annoying.
She used him from time to time but that was because of the way the sect provided him with resources and his ability to shield her from annoying issues. It was easy to manipulate him while she stood in the background and benefitted. However, she felt he was holding her back now.
His cultivation was below hers despite her being younger and splitting her time between alchemy and cultivating. She knew she would soon outgrow this sect. She joined because of its vast garden and the slight fame of her master but she felt like she was stagnating and did not want to linger if there were no gains.
They would travel to the Sun Sect today and the alchemy competition would begin two days from now. Everyone needed to attend welcome balls and she had to withstand the perverted gazes of the men but it was better than staying with her master. Occasion’s such as balls were the perfect time to use Young Master Wang as a shield.
The sects considered the martial competitions more valuable so they held it after the alchemy competition. She was not very interested in the martial contest. Whether Young Master Wang won or not did not matter to her. However, she would need to make an appearance to hold up the façade.
He would most likely say he dedicated his wins to her or something along those lines. She could not understand how a man could be this boring. Whether it was her or another girl, if his motivation was not his own improvement he would fail soon. His limit was becoming the sect master and the sect elders already guaranteed the position to him.
She however, wanted to see what was beyond a grandmaster alchemist. She was certain that just like cultivation there was always a higher realm. Peak cultivators were able to extend their lives 1,000 years. She was only 20 now and had a long time to find out what was beyond the worldly limits.
After preparing herself, she walked to her master’s door telling him she would be leaving for a week to the Sun Sect for the sect competition. When he did not respond she was not surprised. He was most likely upset she would not be working on the tasks he gave her.
This year’s competition winner would receive a pill formula, the herbs to attempt it, and a technique used by grade three alchemists. Alchemists guarded their techniques tightly and even if they did share a technique, it would be a degraded form. It would require a lot of effort to find the intentional flaws and correct them. However, she wanted to gain as much knowledge as possible before she left.
After stowing her cauldron and a few other necessities into her storage ring, several junior sisters and brothers greeted Fairy Xu on her way to the grand hall. The sect master would be giving a speech meant to encourage the selected disciples as well and engrave the importance of the competition in their hearts.
It did not matter who earned second or third place; however, first place belonged to The Warring Crane Sect. The sect considered leaving without victory a devastating upset. The sects held the competition every three years and pressure placed on the participating disciples was intense.
Competition guidelines were set so cultivation and age restrictions applied. Fairy Xu would be competing against other grade two alchemists under 30 years old. Although she would most likely be the youngest in her group, she did not see that as a disadvantage. It was an affirmation of her talent and hard work.
After a few more disciples greeted her, Young Master Wang walked up to her affectionately calling her “Xu’er.” She disliked him calling her that but she put up with it for the time being. Opening her eyes wide and placing a worried look on her face, she turned and replied, “Young Master Wang, have you prepared well for the martial competition?”
His face instantly brightened at her concern and he boasted openly how there was nobody under the Nascent stage capable of beating him. Fairy Xu mocked him in her heart but continued to humor him until the hall quieted down. Above the disciples was a small stage and the elders of the sect filed in orderly seating themselves behind the sect master.
For most disciples the intra-sect competition was the only time they would see the elders so it was an awe-inspiring event. However, Fairy Xu understood the order of cultivation and most of them were at the peak Nascent stage despite being at such an advanced age. Only the sect master had entered the Soul Nourishing stage. Their strength was not impressive.
Standing in front of the crowd the sect master looked old as time himself. His long braided white beard reached his waist and his face was so wrinkled it was difficult to tell if his eyes ever opened. After several breaths, he waved his hand in a regal manner and the crowd hushed before he began his brief speech.
“Once again the three sect competition is upon us. A competition that displays how talented the younger generation of the sects are. We at the Warring Crane Sect do not know defeat. Every one of you competing has been giving the best resources and have the best talent. To lose is a slap in I, your sect masters face. The elders will track your performances and hand out rewards after you return. Go now and do not disgrace the sect.”
The disciples yelled words of praise and encouragement to the competitors. Fairy Xu thought they were all dumb in the head. She did not care about the sects face; she could not understand why any cultivator should. Cultivation was a personal battle, her success was from her hard work, and she would always accept responsibility when the failure was hers.
Most of them did not understand the sect masters words but she knew what he said was more than just pressuring them. Instead, the sect master was absolving his and the elder’s roles in defeats while taking credit for their victories. This was one of the reasons she felt no remorse leaving this sect.
“Xu’er we’ll be leaving soon, I want to discuss a few things with you.” Young Master Wang always wanted to discuss something with her. They were mostly plans for the sect that she thought would fail; however, his implied meaning was not lost on her.
She had no plans on becoming the cultivation partner of anyone. Whether it be for nefarious cultivation practices or childbirth, she had no interest in either. Both would stunt her growth while benefitting her partner. For now, she would play her part and smile while nodding but she knew this would be her last competition.
