The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 379: Continuing the Bet

Exiting the room and descending to the inn, Long Xuan glanced around before heading toward the plaza.

His appearance drew the attention of many on the street, their gazes filled with awe and reverence.

The match half a month ago had made him a household name. No one in the city was unaware of his fame, and many regarded him as one of the top contenders for the championship. Naturally, walking down the street, he attracted significant attention.

Today marked the beginning of the second round of the Alchemy Competition. Consequently, the streets were crowded, bustling with people packed shoulder to shoulder, making movement difficult.

Long Xuan furrowed his brows slightly but noticed alchemists flying toward the central plaza from time to time. This reminded him that, just like in the previous round, contestants were allowed to fly.

Without hesitation, he gently pushed off the ground with the tip of his foot, soaring high into the air. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, his figure became a blur, and he reached the plaza in no time.

At the Central Plaza

The central plaza, serving as the competition venue, currently stood empty. Surrounding it, however, was an entire row of tables filled with numerous precious storage rings.

These storage rings contained the medicinal ingredients for the competition. Each ring was filled with spiritual herbs, neatly categorized with signs labeling their types.

Upon seeing the sheer number of storage rings, Long Xuan clicked his tongue in astonishment. The quantity was staggering; every table was entirely covered with rings.

Storage rings, with their vast internal space, were luxurious items. Most people used smaller spatial pouches, as the cost of storage rings was prohibitive.

The sight of so many storage rings piled on tables showcased the competition organizers' immense wealth and resources. The grandeur of the preparations was enough to awe anyone.

These storage rings were ownerless and open for anyone to inspect. Long Xuan briefly scanned the contents with his soul power, his face showing growing amazement.

The storage rings contained every type of spiritual herb imaginable in the Gu World. To accommodate every contestant, the quantities of each herb were substantial.

Although earth-grade and heaven-grade spiritual herbs were excluded, almost every other kind was present. Even rare herbs that were thought extinct could be found here, barring the exceptional.

Long Xuan couldn’t help but admire the wealth and power of the Ten Great Empires. Such an awe-inspiring display of resources was enough to leave a lasting impression.

Long Xuan wasn’t the only one examining the rings with soul power. Many alchemists had their eyes fixed on the storage rings, equally shocked. They pointed and discussed the rings excitedly with their companions.

The alchemists sat closest to the plaza, including many contestants preparing to compete. Naturally, as it was an alchemy competition, the alchemists occupied the front seats.

Behind them stood a massive crowd of spectators, numbering in the thousands. Without chairs, they had no choice but to stand.

The crowd was diverse. Some were minor cultivators at the Spirit Gathering stage, while others were powerful Gu Kings. Regardless of their status, all spectators could only stand behind to witness this grand alchemy competition.

Directly in front of the plaza stood a massive elevated platform arranged in tiers with thousands of chairs. The seats were reserved for over a hundred judges and prestigious individuals from various regions. Among them might be emperors or sect leaders.

After briefly surveying the venue to familiarize himself, Long Xuan casually found a chair and sat down, waiting for the competition to start.

As time passed, more contestants poured in, and the seats around Long Xuan filled quickly.

At the very front of the elevated platform, Feng Tiancheng and Long Xiaoyao sat side by side, their rivalry evident.

Feng Tiancheng turned to Long Xiaoyao with a sly smile and said, “Brother Xiaoyao, don’t forget our wager. You’d best prepare that peak-grade rare Gu in advance to avoid hesitation later. Hahaha...”

Feng Tiancheng’s laughter was laced with unhidden pride, as though he were certain of victory in their bet.

He had every reason to be confident. After all, the Feng Clan had managed to bring in a fourth-grade alchemist. Who among the contestants could compete with a fourth-grade alchemist? He was sure this wager was in the bag.

Hearing the irritating laughter, Long Xiaoyao scowled and retorted disdainfully, “Your smugness is premature. The victor has yet to be decided!”

“Brother Tiancheng, I’m curious where your confidence comes from. Do you truly believe you can outperform the dark horse from my clan?”

Seeing Feng Tiancheng’s arrogance, Long Xiaoyao frowned inwardly, growing wary.

Feng Tiancheng sneered, “When have I ever lacked confidence in our bets? The only reason I lost before was due to unforeseen circumstances.

“This time, no matter how many surprises occur, they won’t stop me from winning. I propose we raise the stakes—let’s bet five peak-grade rare Gu. And they must be blood-bonded, not purchased externally.”

“With your wealth as a fourth-grade alchemist, producing five peak-grade rare Gu should be a breeze,” Feng Tiancheng added with a sinister grin.

“Hmph! If a fool wants to gift me wealth, who am I to refuse? I accept your bet. I’m eager to see the source of your confidence.”

Long Xiaoyao’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Feng Tiancheng. While their previous wagers were minor, this one carried significant stakes—enough to be life-changing.

The difference between peak-grade Gu insects can often be as vast as the difference between heaven and earth. Gu cultivators usually pour all their resources into nurturing the strongest few Gu insects, and these Gu insects, cultivated with such dedication, are called life-bound Gu insects.

Life-bound Gu insects consume a tremendous amount of a Gu cultivator's resources, making it impossible to simply abandon them.

If he were to lose five life-bound Gu insects, at least half of his combat power would be gone, and recovering his strength in the short term would be out of the question.

This gamble was a high-stakes one, and at this moment, Long Xiaoyao had no choice but to focus his full attention.

Seeing Long Xiaoyao agree, Feng Tiancheng let out a cold smile and finally stood up slowly.

The venue for this alchemy competition was in Phoenix Heaven City, the capital of the Phoenix Heaven Empire. As the chief alchemist of the Phoenix Heaven Empire, Feng Tiancheng naturally had to preside over the event.

After standing up, he took a deep breath, gathering his energy in his dantian, and announced loudly:

"Now, as the chief alchemist of the Phoenix Heaven Empire, I officially declare the 79th Western Region Alchemy Championship open!"

As his words fell, the crowd erupted into cheers from all directions. Excitement was evident on everyone's faces.

Hearing the cheers below, Feng Tiancheng smiled faintly and gestured for silence. The crowd immediately fell quiet.

"Passing the first round was like crossing a single-plank bridge amidst a thousand troops. Now, only a thousand or so contestants remain for the second round."

"Now, let’s welcome these thousand alchemists to the stage!"

Although Feng Tiancheng stood high above, and the others were far from him, his voice clearly reached the ears of every person in the venue.

Upon hearing this, the alchemists who had successfully passed the first round stood up. A trace of pride appeared on their faces as they slowly walked toward the central plaza.

The plaza was enormous, with over a thousand tables and chairs set up, each labeled with the name of a contestant.

Each contestant’s seating was determined by a draw. Even the location of their table could influence the outcome.

The central position was undoubtedly the worst—taking more time to gather materials and being surrounded by the most neighbors.

If any neighbor's furnace exploded, it could easily interfere with others.

Long Xuan quickly used his soul force to sense the area and located his table in the very center. He walked toward it with a heavy heart.

He couldn’t help but lament how unlucky this clone of his was. Out of all the tables, he managed to draw the absolute worst spot.

At the same time, Long Yuyao, who had drawn a corner spot, turned back to look at him with a smug smile, though there was a hint of schadenfreude in her expression.

After sitting down at the central table, Long Xuan glanced around and frowned.

He was surrounded on all sides, with neighbors uncomfortably close. If anyone nearby experienced a furnace explosion, it would certainly affect him. This setup was a test of psychological resilience for every contestant.

Using his Heavenly Secret Eye, he scanned his competitors and felt a sinking sensation.

Many among the contestants were Gu Kings. While being a Gu King didn’t necessarily mean one was a fourth-grade alchemist, their presence couldn’t rule out the possibility. Even if the chances were slim, he couldn’t ignore it.

The pressure a fourth-grade alchemist could exert was immense, and Long Xuan immediately became more vigilant.

If there were indeed a few fourth-grade alchemists among these Gu Kings, he might have to rely on his avatar to perform beyond its usual level to compete.

The concept of exceeding one’s grade in alchemy was unheard of in this world. No one had ever thought of it before. If he managed to pull it off, it would undoubtedly shock countless experts. However, unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to show off.

When all the contestants had entered the arena, Feng Tiancheng raised his voice again:

"The rule for the second round is showcasing skill. The more difficult your alchemical technique, the higher your score."

"But I advise you to know your limits. You only get one chance to refine a pill, and if you waste all your spiritual herbs, you’ll have to pay for them."

"It’s best to focus on refining the pills you’re most proficient in, rather than chasing unnecessary difficulty. One must understand their capabilities and not challenge what they cannot handle."

"That’s all. Now, I declare the second round of the Western Region Alchemy Championship officially open. Let the competition begin!"

After his announcement, Feng Tiancheng finally sat back down, his gaze carrying a trace of anticipation. He hoped this round would be exciting enough to keep him engaged, rather than putting him to sleep.

The moment his words fell, the alchemists in the plaza began pulling out their furnaces and igniting their alchemical flames.

In an instant, over a thousand flames roared to life, raising the temperature of the arena significantly.

The flames were of all colors—blue, green, and many others—forming a dazzling spectacle.

Rare and extraordinary flames, usually hard to see, appeared together, mesmerizing the audience.

The grand scene of a thousand alchemists refining pills at once left countless spectators flushed with excitement and adrenaline.