Chapter 16 - I advise you to get up

The scene falls into a rather academic atmosphere. Everyone is concentrating on mathematical formulas, racing against each other to solve the problem...

Kong Wuying, bored, instead looks for a nearby cold drink vendor to buy two cups of passion fruit tea for himself and Kongbao.

The peddler is also one of the odd people out who isn’t focused on the puzzle. He knows his own business. If he could understand this kind of thing, he would have become a mathematician already.

The seller perks up when he sees the two customers approaching. “Dear customer, are you not working on the puzzle?"

“No hurry,” Kong Wuying says dismissivelyn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

What's the rush, right?

...

Xiao Yue is sitting with the crowd of problem solvers, concentrating hard. However, judging from his anxious and sweaty appearance, he has no talent in maths.

On the other hand, Jiang Chen is much more confident, writing notes quickly, the corners of his mouth quirked up.

As everyone knows, he’s a pill genius, but most don’t know that he’s also gifted in numbers. If his father hadn't stopped him, he would have been a mathematician.

As time goes by, there are more and more people looking around nervously. It’s obvious that everyone is flagging to some degree, mentally exhausted. Jiang Chen is also feeling it, but he’s already immersed in his calculations, his smile becoming bigger and bigger.

Seeing that the time is almost up, Kong Wuying stretches, ready to start.

Chu Liyuan is indeed a talented child, almost able to create a barrier that would require Kong Wuying’s strongest card.

After stretching, Kong Wuying turns to his current trump card. “Baby, go!"

The master and servant are thinking along the same lines. Such treacherous hearts are in sync and Kongbao smiles faintly as he moves forward.

He steps up to the giant gateway riddled with criss-crossing lines and numbers, then punches it.

The gate cracks apart with a sound like thunder and crumbles into no more than fist-sized rocks. The passage behind it opens up obediently.

“Ah,” says someone nearby.

“Alright,” says another.

One more, further away, throws down their notepad and pencil and storms out through the exit.

Everyone just kind of shrugs. Sure, they’ll take it. After all, maybe a handful of people actually finished their calculations and who knows how many were actually correct.

They don’t understand the combat power of Kongbao and are instead thinking that if they knew the door was so weak before, they wouldn’t have bothered sitting down to do maths, they would have just kicked the thing open.

Several nod to themselves, confirming that violence is the answer.

The system is dumbfounded. “Is… that ok? "

"Naturally, this is the simplest way," Kong Wuying explains sagely.

"But it’s impossible for Chuchu to leave such a big flaw,” the system mutters in confusion. “Master, your slave must be so strong! Actually, they kind of give me a familiar feeling."

"Familiar feeling?" Kong Wuying has his doubts. When Chu Liyuan came to look for him, the baby had already run away. The system shouldn’t have seen Kongbao before.

Without waiting for Kong Wuying to think about it, an angry voice suddenly bellows in the field, "How could you do this!? I-I was almost done!"

Jiang Chen is clutching his draft paper, furious. How could he not be? He was that close and the entire gate just gave up and flopped over.

"Sorry for ruining your fun." Kong Wuying looks at him apologetically. “But the gate is still open for you. Everyone can go through, isn’t that better?”

"Yes, yes!" Everyone perks up like waking from a dream, calling out their thanks to Kong Wuying with their voices overlapping.

Without this guy, it would be difficult for them to pass the gate!

"Thank you very much, sir."

“Thank you very much for your help!”

Kong Wuying waves them off. “Everyone here is trying to get in, it’s natural to help each other. You're welcome, you don’t have to be so polite.”

Jiang Chen is speechless. He had planned to teach this little pill master, this idiot who doesn’t understand that there’s a difference of heaven and earth between them, but when Jiang Chen sees the public favour turn, he gives up.

Looking at the little alchemist’s smiling face, he feels hatred bubble up in his heart.

Jiang Chen shouldn’t have called so many people, now everyone is here only to watch him get stuck.

In the end, the second level was broken like this and the crowd, including the little brother selling cold drinks, moves forward to the third level undamaged.

While walking, Kong Wuying faces off against a particularly big baby.

His soul puppet is pale and leans heavily against him. Kongbao’s eyes are tearful, looking pathetic and weak.

“Master,” Kongbao whimpers. “My head- I’m so dizzy. I seem to be ill."

Kong Wuying touches Kongbao’s forehead with some heartache. "What's the matter? Did you accidentally use too much energy?”

Kongbao shakes his head blankly. "I don't know, I just feel very uncomfortable." He rubs his head against Kong Wuying’s shoulder.

Kong Wuying, without looking, very accurately slaps Kongbao- more of a pat than anything. "I advise you to get up, don't pretend."

Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious.

Kongbao stands upright and lazily stretches. "Ah, I seem to be much better. Thank you, Master.”

Xiao Yue sees them flirting right next to him and mutters something uncomplimentary.

The third level soon arrives. The door is like from the first two, just as large and intimidating but completely transparent.

A pill master near the front stretches out his hand and is surprised to find he can pass through. Some others move forward too, but they can’t pass.

After some trial and error, they conclude that only weaker alchemists can pass, filtering out normal folk as well as physical martial artists.

"This is natural, after all Pill Emperor Chu would of course set up checkpoints to screen out those non alchemists and the high masters in order to promote the younger generation."

"What should we do then?"

"I can't help you. It’s on you that you’re not an alchemist.”

The door is very accurate and can accurately identify pill masters, more specifically pill masters that are still low level. No matter how they tried to camouflage themselves, people were blocked out.

So this level finally screened out most of the people, including the reluctant Xiao Yue.

After saying goodbye to Xiao Yue, Kong Wuying heads inside with his baby.

Naturally, Kongbao is not a pill master, but as a Divine soul puppet he has more tricks up his sleeve than just a punch. He passes easily.

After entering the fourth challenge, the much smaller crowd enters a new world. There’s no longer a vast expanse of white. On the contrary, it’s like a warehouse, full of all kinds of herbs and utensils.

However, it seems that everything here is inferior. All the pill masters here are famous, they’d have to be to take on a challenge like this event. Naturally, these common things aren’t interesting.

As they enter, dozens of white lights fly towards them and land on their palms.

What is it?

The white light scatters, showing a first grade pill.

At this time, someone exclaims, “The door!"

Red lettering crawls across the door of the fourth gate: The first three people may enter.

"So we have to compete in refining speed?"

"Yes, when it comes to talent, it's natural to compete with speed."

"What nonsense! Speed refining is ridiculous."

Regardless of their opinion, the matter involves the secret collection of the pill emperor, so the crowd scrambles to collect tools and herbs.

Kong Wuying is not anxious to refine pills and instead turns to Kongbao first. “Can you refine pills?"

Baby shakes his head.

The white light didn’t discriminate and gave Kongbao a pill too. However, he had no wood spirit in his body, so he couldn't make pills at all.

Kong Wuying hums. “Then you wait for me here."

Although Kongbao is his soul puppet and can enter further, the fact that he can’t refine pills is a big give away that there’s something wrong with his identity.

Given the degree of Mingguang's hatred for the Yeying continent, if Kongbao’s identity is uncovered, the consequences are going to be complicated.

Kongbao tearfully looks at Kong Wuying, like an abandoned puppy - who is also massive and can rip people’s throats out with his teeth.

Kong Wuying’s heart is made of stone and he doesn’t bend under the pleading stare.

The crowd soon gets into a rhythm while refining the pills.

These pills are the most basic. They can be refined in an hour or two. Many have already started boiling water in their furnaces and look around at people slower than them with satisfaction.

At this time, those closest to the next gate suddenly see a man who’s refining his pills walk up to the gate.

And pass straight through.

Holy crap! Cheater! This guy is cheating!

The crowd ripples, puffing up in outrage. There are only three places, and before anyone even starts refining, one position was taken away. How can they not be angry?

There’s a pill master from the Alchemy Association who knows all about Kong Wuying and explains for his friends. "This Master Ning is gifted. He’s already finished refining his pills."

Are you serious? Is that a joke?

People duck back down to their furnaces and get serious.

Kong Wuying enters the fifth challenge, which is still in a vast expanse of white nothingness, there's not even a door to the sixth level.

He isn’t in a hurry. Since the door said three people can enter, it must mean that Kong Wuying needs to wait here for two more to show up.

He waits a moment.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He waits for more than half an hour. Finally, someone comes. Naturally, the second place is Master Jiang Chen, who is unquestionably gifted but also unquestionably a bit of an idiot.

The third place is unexpected. He’s a heavy-set man with a square face and a simple and honest smile.

Kong Wuying looks at the third place, who seems familiar. It’s one of the men brought over by Vice President Wan, from the Alchemy Association.