Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Odds
After a long moment, Qu Luoning finally reacted and was the first to step into the arena.
Her Alchemy Furnace was right next to Ji Chen’s. Upon confirming Ji Chen as the forty-third participant, Qu Luoning couldn’t help but express her surprise, "Your skills now, can actually produce a Second Grade Elixir?"
How is that possible?
Upon their first meeting, the opponent was nothing more than a notorious wastrel Young Sect Leader in her eyes.
Later, introduced by the Pill King, Qu Luoning learned that beneath Ji Chen’s infamous reputation, a hidden identity as an Alchemist existed.
This initially surprised Qu Luoning greatly.
However, no matter how she thought about it, she never imagined that today, Ji Chen was not only participating in the examination for First Grade Alchemist, but had also come here to join her in the Second Grade Alchemist examination!
If it weren’t for seeing it with her own eyes, Qu Luoning would never have believed it to be true.
"Why is there one more person?"
"Wasn’t it said that only forty-two people were participating in the Second Grade examination? Who is number forty-three?"
"Looks very young, doesn’t he? Seems even younger than the Eldest Princess?"
"Judging by his appearance, could he be only eighteen or nineteen? How is that possible..."
All around, the crowd watching was also astonished and couldn’t resist starting to discuss.
An eighteen or nineteen-year-old youngster participating in the Second Grade Alchemist examination.
Regardless of whether he could pass the examination, just having the qualification to participate was not something an ordinary person could attain.
"It’s him! Ji Chen! That wastrel Young Sect Leader of the Lingyun Sect!"
Soon, someone in the arena couldn’t help but exclaim.
The speaker was evidently someone who had just come from the First Grade examination venue, having witnessed Ji Chen successfully create the Wind Travel Pill.
Unexpectedly, after switching venues and coming here, he discovered that Ji Chen was also present, intending to participate in the Second Grade Alchemist examination.
"What?"
"Ji Chen just successfully passed the First Grade Alchemist examination?"
"How is that possible? Could it just be the same name? That wastrel Young Sect Leader has actually become an Alchemist?"
All around, after understanding the situation, astonishment was evident on everyone’s faces, feeling incredulous.
"Though it’s quite shocking, he must have just registered on a whim; there’s no way he has true Second Grade skills."
"An eighteen or nineteen-year-old Second Grade Alchemist... That indeed seems quite unlikely."
After the initial shock, many people had this thought in their minds.
In their view, Ji Chen probably got overconfident after passing the First Grade exam and thus registered for the Second Grade examination, intending to seize the momentum.
But becoming a Second Grade Alchemist isn’t as simple as it might seem.
To become a First Grade Alchemist at eighteen or nineteen is an already remarkable feat, and if he really manages to pass the Second Grade examination today, it would surely shock the entire Alchemy Realm of the Chu Kingdom.
Even the Eldest Princess, hailed as the greatest genius in the Chu Kingdom’s Alchemy Realm for a century, would pale in comparison.
"You’re making the Calamity-Breaking Pill?"
Before the examination officially began, Ji Chen and Qu Luoning chatted idly.
Upon learning that Ji Chen had chosen the Calamity-Breaking Pill, Qu Luoning smiled with relief.
Initially, she did ponder whether Ji Chen could truly possess Second Grade Alchemy skills.
But the Calamity-Breaking Pill, compared to other Second Grade Elixirs, had a much higher difficulty in crafting.
Even for herself, she wasn’t entirely confident of success.
So, in Qu Luoning’s view, Ji Chen was merely participating in the Second Grade examination casually and choosing the Calamity-Breaking Pill was just a random decision at registration, without truly intending to pass the examination.
After all, with the difficulty of crafting the Calamity-Breaking Pill, no one normally participating in the examination would choose it.
"Truly, one generation surpasses the previous; is it a young person’s world now..."
The other person participating in the examination alongside Ji Chen and Qu Luoning was an elder over the age of fifty.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly; he had studied Alchemy for most of his life before finally gaining the confidence to take the Second Grade examination.
Yet, he never expected that his two fellow examinees would be so young.
This made him sigh, feeling he was truly old.
...
Soon, the examination officially began.
News of Ji Chen participating in the Second Grade examination gradually spread.
Many who heard the news made their way from the First Grade examination venue to watch.
"What do you think are the odds of Ji Chen passing the Second Grade examination?"
"Odds? What odds are there? It’s bound to be impossible for him to pass."
"Him becoming a First Grade Alchemist is already astonishing; how could he become a Second Grade? Believing in his Second Grade skills is like believing he had Nine Spirit Veins when breaking into the Vein Condensation Realm..."
"Place your bets! Place your bets! I’m the bookmaker today, hurry and place your bets!" someone shouted outside the venue.
"Bet on Ji Chen failing the examination, ten to one odds; bet on him passing... a hundred to one!"
"Ten to one? Why don’t you go die? Even if you win, ten Spirit Stones only earn you one extra?" someone couldn’t help but retort.
The bookmaker smiled and replied, "Then you can bet on him passing, a hundred to one, buy one and win a hundred!"
"Do you think I’m stupid? Passing the exam? Is that possible? Betting on that would be a sure loss."
"Even though the odds are low, I’ll bet on Ji Chen failing, with my entire wealth of a hundred Spirit Stones!"
"Going big, brother?"
"Why not bet when it’s a surefire thing?"
...
The commotion grew larger and the bets increased, but nearly everyone was betting on Ji Chen failing the examination.
Because in everyone’s eyes, it was a certainty.
However, some did bet on Ji Chen passing the examination.
But the bets were small, typically a single Spirit Stone, just for fun, mainly for participation.
"Stop betting, stop betting, why are you all betting on Ji Chen failing? Won’t I go bankrupt?"
Eventually, as the stakes grew too large, the bookmaker had to call it off, as if it continued, even with ten-to-one odds, they’d face a heavy loss.
But Ji Chen seemed to pay no heed to the farce happening around him.
Once the examination officially began, he quickly entered the state of alchemy.
Inside the furnace, the Pill Fire rose, and Ji Chen skillfully placed the ingredients for the Calamity-Breaking Pill inside, using high-temperature Pill Fire to refine them into medicinal liquid.
As time passed, gradually, a medicinal aroma filled the entire venue, yet it didn’t come from Ji Chen’s Pill Furnace, but rather from Qu Luoning’s.
"Solidify!"
After a soft command, the Pill Furnace in front of her trembled, and the next moment, a Second Grade Elixir emerged.
"Succeeded?"
"The Eldest Princess is indeed the Eldest Princess!"
"A Second Grade Alchemist at only twenty-three years old..."
"Her talent is terrifyingly excessive."
Many were astonished and genuinely admired her; after all, she was the disciple of the Pill King, and they could already imagine how not long from now, the Chu Kingdom would have another master in the Alchemy Dao rising.