Long Han naturally felt heartache for Wenren Xue.
But he couldn't forget the repeated humiliations he suffered in the Secret Realm, that crazy girl… definitely not as weak and easy to bully as she appeared!
And whoever laid a hand on her would definitely not have a good end!
Wenren Yang was like that, he was too, even Xue'er… was probably the same!
After calmly reflecting, the first thing he said was to advise Wenren Xue to give up and stop provoking Tian Ning.
Wenren Xue's pitiful eyes were full of disbelief. Why did everyone who interacted with Tian Ning change?
Could it be…
"Brother Han, have you fallen for Tian Ning?!" she was incredibly pained.
Long Han: "???"
How could he fall for a crazy girl?
Just thinking about Tian Ning's mischievous actions, Long Han couldn't even ignite a spark of love!
He just thought that Tian Ning was too uncanny, it was better to avoid provoking her, lest they invite trouble and end up harming Xue'er and himself.
But Wenren Xue thought it must be so!
Besides this despicable method, why else could Tian Ning make Long Han, who was completely infatuated with her, say such things? Something must have happened in the Secret Realm that caused Long Han to change his heart…
In the past, she wouldn't even need to be so obvious; Long Han would help her deal with any woman she didn't like behind her back!
——
On Tian Ning's side, Gao Yue almost thought he had misheard.
"Aphrodisiac Pill?"
That kind of low-class pill, could it really be used in a competition?
He had thought she was an outsider, but he didn't expect her to be so much of an outsider!
Perhaps his expression was too surprised, Tian Ning thought that the Central Continent didn't have Aphrodisiac Pills. With the principle that good things shouldn't be kept private, Tian Ning enthusiastically said, "Fellow Cultivator Gao, if you're interested, I can give you the recipe!"
Gao Yue: "..."
She actually thought the Aphrodisiac Pill was some treasure?
Speaking of the Aphrodisiac Pill, Tian Ning couldn't help but marvel at its use: "The cultivator who created this recipe is a genius! And thanks to this pill, the last time I was in danger in the Secret Realm, if it weren't for the Aphrodisiac Pill saving everyone's lives, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
"..."
Gao Yue didn't understand.
The Aphrodisiac Pill could save lives? She must be joking, right?
After politely refusing, Gao Yue said that he knew the recipe for the Aphrodisiac Pill and didn't continue the topic.
The disciples over there had finished counting the number of people and announced the official start of the Alchemy Competition.
The first round of the competition tested basic skills. Everyone had spirit plants and paper in front of them. The first lesson for Pill Cultivators was to recognize different spirit plants. Only by knowing the effects of the spirit plants could they proceed to the next stage of alchemy.
Many Pill Cultivators came to participate this time, supposedly because the Alchemy Elders from the Large Sects were personally watching the competition. Those who performed outstandingly might be publicly accepted as Direct Disciples, so many Pill Cultivators weren't in a hurry to choose a Sect.
The Alchemy Competition venue was large, and because it was close to the venue where various Sects recruited disciples, there were many cultivators who came to watch the excitement.
Tian Ning was number 1366. Like an entrance exam, Shui Yue Sect prepared small tables and small chairs, neatly arranged in rows. Tian Ning found her seat, where spirit plants and paper were already placed. She could start answering questions as soon as she sat down.
To prevent cheating during the competition, the spirit plants on each person's table were slightly different, so the answers were also different.
Tian Ning looked at the spirit plants on the table. They were basic alchemy materials, mixed with a few rare spirit plants, and were not difficult.
After sitting down, she began writing her answers on the paper…
This kind of exam was generally very boring. On stage, one by one, they quietly and diligently answered the questions; the audience yawned boredly offstage.
The real fun would come in the second round of free alchemy.
If any genius really refined a Top-Grade Pill, other cultivators could offer to buy it on the spot. Even if the Pill Cultivator was unwilling, getting to know each other wouldn't be a bad thing.
Tian Ning hadn't written a few words when she heard a surprised exclamation from the audience.
Looking up, she saw Gao Yue, who was sitting a few seats in front of her, taking out a piece of black cloth and covering his eyes. He put the spirit plant to his nose and smelled it, then accurately wrote its name and effects on the paper.
This blind identification method stood out among everyone.
Even the Alchemy Elders spoke highly of Gao Yue. After asking a disciple for Gao Yue's name, one Elder couldn't help but exclaim, "This child is indeed a promising talent. Aside from sight, he could do this just by his sense of smell. He will surely achieve great things in Pill Dao in the future!"
Indeed impressive!
Tian Ning thought that if her second senior brother had that nose, he wouldn't be talking to unknown objects as people every three days.
After the first round of the competition, the inner disciples spent some time checking the answers. The final result was that out of more than five thousand Pill Cultivators, only more than one thousand successfully entered the second round.
Those who were eliminated left one after another, and the rest began preparing for the second round.
Tian Ning and Gao Yue were already acquaintances. She praised Gao Yue without hesitation, and Gao Yue was embarrassed by her praise: "Actually, it's nothing. It's mainly because our Sect is too poor. We can't afford to light candles at night, so I got used to it and just relied on my nose to smell."
Tian Ning: "..."
It's clear they are quite poor.
A Low-Grade Healing Pill split into ten portions to feed someone who only had a breath left; they're incredibly poor!
As the two were talking, a loud shout suddenly came from the crowd: "Brother Meng Xian! Look, I've successfully entered the second round, am I amazing?"
Tian Ning: "?"
Such a familiar name, wasn't Meng Xian the boy she met when she came to the Central Continent?
Many people looked towards the person who shouted, wondering who would act so childishly. A nine-year-old girl in a blue robe was smiling and waving to the boy in the audience.
"It turns out to be two children." A cultivator said sourly, "They're so young and already talking about love, they should put their minds on cultivation!"
The cultivator next to him quickly pulled him: "Control your mouth, that's the Tai Chu Sect Sect Leader's granddaughter—Lan Siran!"
"I heard she's already proficient in Pill Dao at such a young age. Didn't you see that she's the youngest among the cultivators in this competition?"
"That boy in the audience is really lucky!"
…
Tian Ning immediately saw the familiar boy, wasn't it Meng Xian?
She said this kid was unusual. He followed the male protagonist's harem route. After listening to the conversations of the cultivators around her, she was even more certain.
But the male and female protagonists of this group seemed to have inconsistent psychological ages compared to their appearance. After greeting Meng Xian, Lan Siran walked towards them, directly skipping Tian Ning, her eyes fixed on Gao Yue with an unclear meaning.
"You're Gao Yue, right? You do have some ability, but next, I'll let everyone see what a true Pill Cultivator is!"
In front of everyone, she proudly declared: "From now on, I will make Brother Meng Xian only have eyes for me!"
Gao Yue: "..."
Tian Ning: "..."
You might as well tie Meng Xian to your waist.
"