I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 266 - 264: Bold Speculation (Part 1)

As the greatest contributor to quelling the beast tide, Li Xing received a warm welcome from all the stationed troops and reinforcements as soon as she returned to the fortress.

She had no idea what it was like when Chu Yunyi exterminated the beast tide at the Southern Fortress years ago, but as a socialite bull, she found the grand occasion before her quite hard to accept.

Moreover, Li Xing felt puzzled because, despite not having advanced in rank, her body felt an exhaustion akin to post-advancement, making her desperately want to find a place to sleep.

Perhaps her fatigue was too obvious, as the teachers and students from Harssas declined interviews from battlefield reporters on her behalf and escorted her to a resting room.

With the door closed, the cacophony outside was instantly shut out, and Li Xing’s previously tense body finally relaxed as she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

At that moment, her body was enveloped in a golden light, the halo fading in and out with her breath.

Actually, Li Xing had already touched upon the threshold of the Dao. Her extreme fatigue was entirely due to her cultivation not keeping up with her mindset. Once her cultivation caught up, progressing to Divinity Transformation and comprehending the Dao would come naturally.

Historically, attaining enlightenment was the hardest part of becoming immortal. Many cultivators in the Mahayana or Transcendance Tribulation Stage spend hundreds of years in seclusion yet fail to grasp the word ’Dao’. Li Xing, however, had this rare chance during the Nascent Soul Stage, her Dao heart unburdened, stirring jealousy.

Enlightened in an instant, she would no longer be disturbed by the Heart Demon, and as long as her cultivation was sufficient, advancing would be smooth sailing.

While Li Xing slept deeply, the Northern Fortress was in a frantic hustle and bustle, with everyone except the wounded and healing masters dispatched to sweep the battlefield.

The beast tide was indeed a disaster, yet it was also an enormous opportunity; if one could secure victory, the wealth the beast tide brought humanity would be unimaginable.

From the number and level of Star Beasts alone, the beast tide at the Northern Fortress was even larger in scale than the one at the Southern Fortress two years ago, promising greater profit.

The value of Star Beast meat alone accumulates to astronomical numbers, not to mention the millions of Crystal Stones.

Once these supplies are collected and tallied, a portion will be given as rewards to the reinforcements, distributed to the teachers and students of each academy. Li Xing’s reward, undoubtedly, would be the most generous.

Li Xing slept for a full two days, and when she awoke, the Star Beast corpses on the battlefield had yet to be entirely cleared.

Fortunately, the extreme cold of the icy tundra prevented decay; otherwise, the entire fortress would have been surrounded by flies and stench.

People from the other three schools had already returned to Cold Smoke Castle to rest, waiting for the snowstorm to pass before heading back, while Harssas Academy remained at the fortress because of Li Xing.

Li Xing learned the general happenings from Cui Tianxiao during those two days, with the most crucial being the arrangement of the competition.

Considering the contestants were affected to varying extents due to participation in the battle, and with contestants like Chen Qi and Chou Xiaoyuan sustaining heavier injuries, with limb loss, making restoration to peak condition in the short-term impossible, the military academy competition committee decided to postpone the Cold Smoke competition for half a year.

Seeing Li Xing as vibrant as a dragon after a good sleep, Harssas’ teachers were relieved, and under the personal escort of Major General Sun Qing, returned to Cold Smoke Castle, temporarily residing in Cold Smoke Pavilion.

Perhaps having witnessed the terrifying power of Li Xing, thinking continuing opposition with Harssas Academy wouldn’t end well, even Yang Zhou changed his attitude by a hundred and eighty degrees, unprecedentedly arranging for the Harssas Academy teachers and students to stay in the best-lit, most elegantly decorated area, treated on par with the Heaven Institute.

The elites from the four military schools, due to a snowstorm, were all trapped in Cold Smoke Castle. After the Star Beasts were fought off, with the teachers having ample energy but lacking outlets, simulated combat competitions became the best pastime.

Lately, the simulation training room at Cold Smoke Pavilion became immensely popular, with the campus network broadcasting tutor-level matchups around the clock, to the great enjoyment of not just Cold Smoke Pavilion students, but also students from the other three schools who came to watch and cheer for their teachers.

At night, Li Xing received a video call from Yang Zhou.

"Master Li, how was today’s rest?" In the video, Yang Zhou wore a dashing black military uniform, smirking mischievously.

Li Xing smiled wryly, "Teacher Yang, why are you getting involved in the fuss?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Haha, wasn’t it because during the video report meeting at the military department, Sun Qing kept calling you Master Li until my ears got calluses?"

Yang Zhou felt as comfortable as if he had eaten honey, knowing his student had made such a grand showing.

"No need to feel embarrassed, you’re entirely deserving of the title Master Li. I reckon soon enough, the president of the Talisman Master Association will personally contact you to arrange for your certification exam."

"Already contacted."

Yang Zhou’s eyes sparkled, "He’s really quick! So, what level are you planning to start from in the exam?"

Li Xing shook her head, "I turned it down. I don’t plan on being a talisman master; taking the certification exam is quite meaningless to me. I don’t want to waste time and energy on that."

Compared to talisman engraving, Li Xing preferred alchemy. Rather than expending effort on talisman master certification, she’d rather elevate her Healing Master level to Heaven Rank.

In the future, all medicines she creates, be they top-grade or low-grade, would be priced as Heaven Rank medicines. Passing through the Teleportation Port could even be discounted, how suitable!

"Fine, your decision, whether or not you take the certification exam, you’re nonetheless a talisman master; no one now dares to question your stature as one merged with three."

"Hmm. Teacher Yang, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you."

Yang Zhou put aside his smile upon seeing Li Xing’s serious expression. "Speak."

"This beast tide is related to the three-eyed worms."

Though having already guessed the occurrence of such a situation, hearing Li Xing confirm it still left Yang Zhou shocked.

Li Xing continued, "The first wave of the beast tide was normal, but the second wave had problems. Nevertheless, the estimated number of three-eyed worms exceeds one million."

Yang Zhou furrowed his brow, "The beast tide at the Southern Fortress back then was too thoroughly devastated by the Sky Wind Annihilation Array to deduce the number of parasitic Star Beasts from the Crystal Stones, but I estimate it wasn’t less than this time."

Li Xing nodded; she thought the same.

"Furthermore, I’ve found that the three-eyed worms triggering the beast tide, whether in size, speed, or concealment ability, can’t compare to the one inside Jiang Junnan’s body, let alone the one you encountered."

"Looks like there are grades among the three-eyed worms."

"Indeed. I have a bold hypothesis: the higher the grade of the three-eyed worms, the fewer in number and the more arduous to cultivate. The one inside you was the toughest I’ve encountered, probably a superior breed personally cultivated by the Sect Hierarch."

"And the ones parasitizing within the Star Beasts, causing the beast tide, belong to the lower-grade, most numerous batch among the three-eyed worms. Cultivating and raising so many three-eyed worms, there must undoubtedly be a massive breeding base within the Extermination Sect."

Yang Zhou nodded in agreement, "The energy consumption of the base would absolutely be enormous; even if the Extermination Sect is financially robust, not needing to buy Energy Stones on the market, the energy fluctuations around the base would show its traces. I’ll immediately arrange for an investigation, and once similar sites are discovered, they’ll be dismantled!"

Actually, both Yang Zhou and Li Xing were clear; dismantling breeding bases only addressed the symptom, not the root issue. Once the breeding technology was acquired, new bases could be established and started afresh.

To truly resolve the three-eyed worm crisis at its root, the Extermination Sect must be eliminated.