Qiu Yuanxi had met the Demon Emperor Gu Yuncheng when she was a child. Back then, Gu Yuncheng was like a cold, grim reaper. No one was allowed to approach him, or they would be killed on the spot, regardless of whether they were the child of some important figure.
Qiu Yuanxi had also fallen ill for several days after witnessing Gu Yuncheng flay an enemy alive without batting an eye. Upon waking, even catching a glimpse of Gu Yuncheng from afar would make her tremble and fall sick for a day.
Looking at the fox fawning over Ling Luoyi before her, Qiu Yuanxi recalled the Demon Emperor Venerable she had seen and heard about since childhood. She couldn't help but ask Ling Luoyi, "Little Luo'er, are you sure he's really the Demon Emperor Venerable? He doesn't seem like it to me."
"Hm?" Ling Luoyi didn't understand why Qiu Yuanxi would ask that. She said, "A Yuan, haven't you seen Ah Su revert to his original form?"
"I have, but this is completely different from the Demon Emperor Venerable in my memory. Look, where's the domineering aura of a Demon Emperor..."
The last two words couldn't be spoken under Gu Yuncheng's slightly blue gaze.
"A Yuan, isn't this good?" Ling Luoyi said, stroking him from head to toe.
Qiu Yuanxi twitched her lips. Only you would think the Demon Emperor is good like this!
"A Yuan, you are not a contestant, so you don't have to participate in tomorrow's competition. I won't be able to keep an eye on you, so Ah Su will watch you."
"Little Luo'er, I'm very well-behaved and won't cause trouble. Please don't let the Demon Emperor Venerable watch me anymore, okay?" Qiu Yuanxi pleaded.
Heaven knew how deeply she was traumatized by the Demon Emperor!
"No, Ah Su, she's in your care for these two days. Don't let her cause trouble."
"Mm, Luo Luo, I will do it very well."
After this month, Gu Yuncheng's voice had almost fully recovered. It was no longer soft and childish but possessed the clear and gentle tone of an adult man. When facing Ling Luoyi, his voice was filled with doting affection.
Qiu Yuanxi wanted to protest, but Gu Yuncheng glanced at her lightly, and she dared not.
News of Ling Luoyi selling elixirs somehow spread. At the inn, apart from the Tianwu Kingdom's side, all other areas were abuzz.
Alchemists came to inspect the elixirs Ling Luoyi had sold. Each one was plump and round, with potent medicinal effects and not a trace of impurity. They were indeed top-grade.
They had heard rumors about Ling Luoyi before, but they couldn't verify them.
Now, Ling Luoyi's identity as a top-grade alchemist was confirmed.
This would only make the rumors about Ling Luoyi spread even more fiercely.
Ling Luoyi was aware of all this, and it was even part of her plan.
In the afternoon, many people wanted to see Ling Luoyi, but she turned them away, citing 'tomorrow's competition, rest today.' However, Ling Luoyi also mentioned she would stay in Nanxin City for a few more days, so they reluctantly retreated, but they sent people to monitor Ling Luoyi outside the inn.
Inside the room, Ling Luoyi yawned and said, "A Yuan, since we can't go out this afternoon, let's stay here and rest well."
Qiu Yuanxi gave her a disdainful look and said, "Little Luo'er, how can they possibly keep us contained?"
Despite saying that, Qiu Yuanxi still got up and returned to her own room next door.
Ling Luoyi lay down with Gu Yuncheng to rest, wanting to savor this moment of leisure. Once they returned, such a life would only be a fantasy.
The next day, in the early hours of the巳时, Elder Qu brought Ling Luochen and Ling Luofan to the courtyard. They all knew that today was the competition, so they were prepared.
Elder Qu looked at them and said, "You all must perform well today. If anyone takes a liking to you, your future will be boundless."
A quarter of an hour later, they arrived at the competition grounds. Elder Qu said, "The spiritual cultivation competition and the professional competition are in different areas. Luochen, Luofan, take those participating in the professional competition to the venue. Those participating in the spiritual cultivation competition will follow me."
They split up. Ling Luoyi and the others followed Elder Qu, who explained the competition rules as they walked.
It turned out that because today's competition was not a擂台赛 but a point-based system. They would live in a secret realm for three days, earning points by hunting demonic beasts, finding medicinal herbs, and so on. Their rankings would be determined by their points. The top ten could choose which sect or academy to join, while others would have to see if they could be selected.
For Ling Luoyi, none of this mattered. She was merely going through the motions and had no intention of joining any faction.
In the spiritual cultivation competition arena, the inspection for entering the secret realm had already begun. Since they were from affiliated countries, they had to wait for the disciples of Longqing Kingdom to enter before it was their turn.
Longqing Kingdom had also conducted a genius selection. Unlike them, Longqing Kingdom selected three hundred spiritual cultivators. The affiliated countries had a total of only three hundred and thirty people, some of whom had already entered sects or academies, like Ling Luochen. Among those participating from Longqing Kingdom were also pre-arranged spots for members of prominent families, totaling two hundred people. Therefore, the total number of people entering the secret realm this time was eight hundred and nineteen.
Ling Luoyi scanned her surroundings. Since the competition was not held on-site, the venue was smaller, but the viewing stands were larger. In front of the stands were water mirrors, allowing them to see what was happening in the secret realm.
With a small number of participants, Ling Luoyi and the others soon entered the secret realm.
Ling Luoyi was accustomed to teleportation, so she felt nothing. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a forest, with no one within a hundred meters.
Elder Qu had informed them about some information regarding the secret realm. The secret realm was divided into five major areas: the sea area to the east, the forest to the south, the desert to the west, the ice plains to the north, and the grassland in the center.
Although divided into five areas, each area was not very large.
Ling Luoyi extended her divine sense and soon confirmed that she was in the southern forest, with over a hundred people in the forest.
They were all randomly teleported, so they were separated.
Ling Luoyi didn't want to find others from the Tianwu Kingdom. She walked through the forest on her own, occasionally digging for herbs, occasionally fighting demonic beasts, and collecting demon cores.
In the outside world, the audience in the viewing stands watched Ling Luoyi's nonchalant demeanor and spoke with displeasure, "Didn't they say Ling Luoyi is a first-tier spiritual scholar? Why is her performance worse than a first-tier spiritual practitioner?!"
"Exactly, and isn't she a top-grade alchemist? Why isn't she participating in the alchemist competition?!"
"I thought she would definitely be first. I bet a lot on her, but it looks like I'll lose money!"
...
Above the competition grounds, there were real-time rankings of the participants. Seeing Ling Luoyi's name drop further and further, those who had bet on her before the competition couldn't help but become anxious.
Ling Luoyi was unaware of all this, and even if she knew, she wouldn't care.
After a day passed, Ling Luoyi hadn't hunted any demonic beasts. Instead, she wandered around the forest, eating and drinking as usual, completely without the atmosphere of a competition.
In the evening, Ling Luoyi set up a tent by a small river. She picked up the recently hunted demonic beast, skinned it, deboned it, cut it into pieces, washed it, skewered the meat, roasted it, seasoned it, cut it into portions, and began to eat.
The people outside watched her eat with gusto and couldn't help but swallow.
What was going on? Watching a competition made them hungry!
As Ling Luoyi was happily eating, she heard footsteps around her. In a moment, several people appeared within her line of sight.
Ling Luoyi didn't even look at them, continuing to eat.
There were five people in total, three men and two women. One of them, who looked no older than sixteen, said to Ling Luoyi with dissatisfaction, "Hey! You're from a lower-tier country, aren't you? Why aren't you bowing when you see us?!"