The Winner Of The Elixir Competition Festival

Elder Mon told us the reason for her judgment.

“First, the first point was that Kou was the first to assess the condition of the ingredients and try to process them.”

“Please wait a moment. Kou may have been the first, but I did not start processing the ingredients because I copied him.”

“I said that was the first point. That was not the only factor in my judgment. The second was the fine scratches on the surface of the completed Foundation Establishment Pill.”

My Foundation Establishment Pill was unblemished, but Chenfa’s Foundation Establishment Pill had fine scratches on it.

“Your Foundation Establishment Pill has scratches. You saw Kou trying to take out his Foundation Establishment Pill, hurried to take out yours as well, your control of qi became careless, and it struck the inside of the alchemy furnace. Am I wrong?”

When Chenfa heard that, his complexion changed. It seemed she was correct.

“So, the winner is Kou, the outer disciple. Congratulations.”

“Thank you very much.”

The inner disciples who had been watching began to murmur.

“No way. An outer disciple won?”

“That outer disciple looks pretty young. How can he make a Foundation Establishment Pill?”

I heard voices like that. Hearing them, Elder Mon turned her gaze toward me.

“It was splendid qi control. How did you acquire it?”

“Because I did a great deal of refining.”

Though by refining, what I had really done was spin Gōrō fur, that had been good training.

“How interesting. What kinds of immortal medicines have you made?”

I honestly told her the immortal medicines I had made.

“I see. You have studied well. Kou, since you won, what would you like to be taught?”

The reward for victory was to be instructed in one technique or skill.

“In that case, I would like to learn a martial art that uses a broadsword.”

“Oh my, not alchemy?”

“Would that be a problem?”

“No, that is perfectly fine.”

However, the reward would only be given after the Martial Competition Festival ended and its winner had been decided. When I waited until evening, the Taoist practitioners who had gone into the demon realm returned carrying parts of the yōma they had defeated.

It seemed many of the defeated yōma were Piercing Wolves, Gōrō, Iron-Claw Bears, and the like. Then the inner disciple Kanru came back carrying the sword leg of a Sword-Leg Spider. Kanru was a friend of the late Senior Brother Rikyou and a direct disciple of Elder Shanshi, the great master of swordsmanship.

This Kanru was also one of the instructors for the outer disciples, but he had never once taught me martial arts. He was only an instructor who came to relay Elder Tsuen’s orders.

The winner of the Martial Competition Festival was decided to be Kanru. Kanru and I were summoned before Elder Tsuen.

“You both did very well.”

Behind Elder Tsuen stood Elder Shanshi and Elder Mon as well, and each of them offered words of congratulations.

“Now then, as for the reward for the winners, what would you like?”

Elder Tsuen asked Kanru.

“I would like to learn the Spiritual Blossom Ascension Art.”

Elder Shanshi shook his head.

“That is too soon. The Spiritual Blossom Ascension Art is something that cannot be learned until one reaches the Fifteenth Tier of the Qi Refining Stage. You are still only at the Tenth Tier, are you not?”

I did not know what the Spiritual Blossom Ascension Art was, but it was probably something that had to be learned in order to advance from the Qi Refining Stage to the Spirit Formation Stage. Kanru made a disappointed face.

“Choose something else.”

Told that by Elder Shanshi, Kanru chose the Dragon Qi Sword Art. Apparently, the Dragon Qi Sword Art was an amazing sword art.

“Very well, I shall teach it to you.”

Elder Tsuen turned his eyes toward me.

“Kou, I did not expect you to win the Elixir Competition Festival. What technique would you like to be taught?”

“Please teach me a martial art for handling a broadsword.”

Elder Tsuen turned his gaze to Elder Shanshi.

“Could I ask it of you?”

Elder Shanshi made a sour face.

“Spare me. Kanru alone is already all I can handle.”

It seemed the reward for the winners was that an elder would personally teach them. I had thought it would be enough if I were allowed to read a manual, but it seemed difficult to master something merely by reading a manual.

In my case, I was especially good at visualizing things inside my head, so once I understood the key points of a martial art by reading a book, I could visualize the ideal bodily movements in my mind.

That was something I had not been able to do in my previous life. If I had been able to do that back then, I probably would have become a martial artist instead of a police officer.

“If the elders are busy, it would be enough for me if you simply let me read the books in the Main Hall library.”

“Really?”

Elder Tsuen asked to confirm it.

“Yes. But in exchange, please allow me to read as many books as I like.”

“Very well. However, the period will be one day, and you may learn only from those materials that disciples of the Qi Refining Stage are permitted to read.”

Elder Tsuen approved it. With this, I would be able to learn a great deal. When Kanru and I left the room, Elder Mon spoke to Elder Tsuen.

“Was that really all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“It is the rule that the winner is to receive one technique. Are you going to teach multiple techniques only to Kou?”

A thin smile appeared on Elder Tsuen’s face.

“Elder Mon, can you master a martial art merely by reading its manual?”

“I could perhaps manage part of it, but without being taught by a master, I would not be able to understand all of it.”

“Exactly. The martial arts in the Main Hall library are especially difficult ones. It would be a miracle to master even one in a single day. And think about it. Those manuals are written in the Immortal Secret Script. He will have to translate them as he reads. It is impossible to learn multiple techniques in a single day.”

Having gathered qi into my ears, I could hear the elders talking. And thinking about how the elders knew nothing, I grinned.

When I returned to the Wallside Hall, Yingjie and Xiaotan were waiting.

“I heard you won the Elixir Competition Festival. Congratulations.”

Xiaotan congratulated me. A moment later, Yingjie also offered his congratulations.

“But how did you manage to win?”

Yingjie seemed to find it strange that I had won. There had probably never been a case before of an outer disciple winning the Elixir Competition Festival.

“Because I practiced. I was the only one who had been using the alchemy furnace at the Wallside Hall the whole time.”

When Yingjie heard that, he gave a wry smile.

“There were hardly any outer disciples who studied alchemy.”

There was something I had always found strange. Most outer disciples gave up on becoming inner disciples halfway through and left Gyorei Cave. That meant they ended up leaving with only a few martial arts they had learned as outer disciples.

“Why do none of the outer disciples study alchemy? Even if they end up leaving Gyorei Cave, they could still make a living if they were able to make immortal medicine.”

“I see. If you think about the future of outer disciples, then alchemy really is important.”