Chapter 154: Arrival at the Venue

"What do you say? Both the Sword-Nurturing Pill and the Spirit-Refining Pill are pills for the Qi Condensation stage. Although their grades are quite similar, there is only a single Spirit-Refining Pill at the grand assembly, whereas what I have in my hands is the formula for the Sword-Nurturing Pill! As a poor fellow, you should be able to tell which of the two carries more weight, shouldn't you?" Li Xiaosong waved the piece of sheepskin in her hand, speaking with unmistakable complacency.

"That logic holds true, but I have already reached the peak of the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. This Spirit-Refining Pill is precisely the medicine I urgently need right now to break through my cultivation realm. As for your Sword-Nurturing Pill formula, when all is said and done, it is merely a piece of paper. I don't even know how to alchemy yet, so I probably won't be able to use it anytime soon!" Liang Yan said, pondering the matter.

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Xiaosong smiled. "I heard last night that someone actually achieved the status of a sword cultivator. I originally thought the formula for the Sword-Nurturing Pill would come in handy, but it seems it is destined to have its brilliance obscured by dust after all!"

With that, she let out a sigh, wearing a look of profound regret, and tucked away the sheepskin as she turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait!"

Liang Yan's expression shifted through a series of changes before he suddenly called out.

Li Xiaosong seemed to have anticipated this. She halted her steps at the sound, turned around, and giggled, "What? Sword Cultivator Liang, have you changed your mind?"

Liang Yan looked at the medicinal formula in her hand and let out a soft sigh.

To say he was unmoved by the formula for the Sword-Nurturing Pill would be a lie. Ever since he embarked on the path of a sword cultivator within the cavern of the Sword-Trial Path, everything he thought about was how to step into the legendary "Sword Embryo Stage" and become a true sword cultivator.

And to condense a sword embryo, this Sword-Nurturing Pill was an indispensable resource.

"As far as I know, you are currently only at the third layer of Qi Condensation. What do you want this Spirit-Refining Pill for? Could it be for Li Xiran?" Liang Yan looked at the young girl opposite him, asking with confusion.

"Junior Uncle? No, no, no. Junior Uncle is endowed with exceptional talent and has no need for this Spirit-Refining Pill whatsoever. I am naturally seeking this pill for someone else!" Li Xiaosong shook her head from side to side as she spoke.

"Someone else... Could it be that Yue Xiaozhu?"

"Hoh? You gloomy-faced monster aren't entirely slow-witted!" Li Xiaosong said with considerable surprise.

"Although Sister Yue is usually a bit strict with me, I know her bark is worse than her bite, and she always thinks of me the most. Since she couldn't come to Luohe this time due to some matters, I wanted to bring a Spirit-Refining Pill back for her."

"In that case, I agree to this trade. When the time comes, I will present the Spirit-Refining Pill with both hands, and I also hope you will not break your promise regarding the formula." Liang Yan nodded and said.

"Haha, rest assured!" Li Xiaosong patted her chest. "Whatever I, Xiaosong, say counts, as good as a team of four horses!"

.........

After Li Xiaosong left the room, Liang Yan sat cross-legged by himself.

The reason he agreed to Li Xiaosong's trade was not out of a momentary impulse. Although this Spirit-Refining Pill was precisely what he urgently needed, by comparison, it was relatively easier to acquire.

The formula for the Sword-Nurturing Pill was a different story entirely. After all, within the State of Zhao, sword cultivators were extremely rare, and pill formulas were even harder to come by, basically falling into the category of being priceless and hard to find.

If he were to miss this opportunity, who knew how many months or years his sword cultivation realm would remain bottlenecked.

"Sigh, it seems I can only think of other ways to get a Spirit-Refining Pill after the competition assembly," Liang Yan sighed softly, then stopped dwelling on it and closed his eyes to meditate.

A single day passed in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, just as the sun rose, two people had already arrived outside the gate of Liang Yan's courtyard. They were none other than Nangong Xiaomei and Li Xiaosong.

At that moment, the large gate creaked open inward, and Liang Yan, dressed in a grey robe, strode out from the room.

"Has Brother Liang made all necessary preparations?" Nangong Xiaomei smiled.

"There wasn't much to prepare. Please lead the way, Miss Xiaomei." Liang Yan returned the smile.

"Alright, the competition venue is at the Ten-Mile Slope outside Luocheng. Let's set off now." Nangong Xiaomei walked out of the courtyard gate first after speaking, with Liang Yan and Li Xiaosong following closely behind.

The three of them wound their way along, and although their steps looked unhurried, their actual speed was astonishingly fast. There was not much verbal communication between them either; before long, they had left Luocheng and headed all the way toward the Ten-Mile Slope.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Liang Yan saw from afar that a temporarily constructed wooden high platform stood ahead. Directly beneath the wooden platform, a deep pit measuring ten zhang square had been violently excavated.

"Two days ago, when I came to this Ten-Mile Slope in the middle of the night, it was still an empty field. Who would have thought that in less than two days' time, a fighting arena could actually be erected?"

Thinking to himself, Liang Yan raised his eyes to look. Beneath the high platform, heads were bobbing, and quite a few cultivators were already standing there.

Most of these cultivators were in groups of three to five, distinct from one another, clearly gathered according to their respective sects.

On the high platform itself stood three cultivators. With a single sweep of his gaze, Liang Yan perceived that all three of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

One of them was someone Liang Yan recognized—it was Chu Shi, whom he had previously encountered at the Fengping Mountain auction. Standing beside him now were a scar-faced man and a middle-aged woman in blue palace attire.

These three were speaking in low voices on the high platform, while the crowd of Qi Condensation cultivators below was also whispering, seemingly discussing the opponents they might encounter shortly.

At that moment, Chu Shi on the high platform swept his gaze across the crowd and suddenly looked toward Liang Yan's side.

Liang Yan was slightly startled at first, but immediately realized that this person was actually looking at Nangong Xiaomei beside him, while he, a living person of substantial size, had been completely ignored by the man.

Sure enough, he heard Chu Shi smile and say:

"Junior Niece Nangong, trust you have been well since we last met!"

"I wouldn't dare claim such a title! Senior Chu Shi's demeanor remains as impressive as ever, filling one with reverence!" Nangong Xiaomei gave a slight bow toward the high platform and said with a smile.

"Hehe, Junior Niece needn't stand on ceremony." Chu Shi waved his hand nonchalantly, then changed the subject and asked, "It's just that the Luohe Competition Assembly is about to begin, so why is Li Xiran still nowhere to be seen?"

"This... Junior has no idea either. Junior Uncle has been coming and going like a divine dragon whose tail is seen but never its head these past few days, so I am not quite clear on her whereabouts," Nangong Xiaomei said apologetically.

"Is that so..." Chu Shi frowned slightly, casting his gaze toward the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The other two also frowned slightly. Among them, the blue-robed woman parted her red lips as if she were about to say something.

Just at that moment, a crisp voice came from the back of the crowd:

"Xiran was entangled in trivial matters and arrived a little late. I must ask everyone to forgive me!"

Liang Yan turned his head to look and saw a woman with her hair tied in a Daoist bun and draped in a black Daoist robe stepping out from the back of the crowd, landing lightly upon the high platform.

It was precisely that woman, Li Xiran!

"Hehe, it's no matter! The time has only just arrived right now." Chu Shi threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh, showing not the slightest intention of holding her accountable.

"Strange! This Li Xiran only possesses the cultivation of the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, yet she can sit on equal footing with these Foundation Establishment cultivators?" Liang Yan marveled inwardly.

However, before he could ponder further, Chu Shi on the platform shouted in a booming voice:

"Silence!"

Following his resounding shout, the gathering of Qi Condensation cultivators below stopped their chatter one after another, all focusing their gazes upon Chu Shi on the platform.