Everyone wasn't tired at all, they were even more fired up as they joined in the excitement.
Even cultivators who didn't understand alchemy were happy to watch. Every time Mu Zixu and Dao Qing's disciples competed, they went all out, and sometimes people even got the chance to see the two masters take the field themselves.
That was something you didn't get to see often.
Now that the competitors included a new crowd favorite, Song Wanníng, the spectacle became even more interesting.
Many cultivators took their places early and waited with anticipation.
"Master, I heard Song Wanníng signed up on her own this time, saves us a lot of trouble."
Fei San said this while walking beside Mu Zixu.
Wu Wang nodded as well. "Yeah, we were worried Song Wanníng wouldn't bite. Now we don't even need to make a move, saves people from saying we're bullying the weak."
Ouyang Lin followed beside them but stayed silent the whole time. He'd already suffered a huge loss in front of Song Wanníng last time. There was no way he'd talk big again, not unless he wanted his face slapped twice.
Mu Zixu snorted softly when he heard them, a trace of thought flickering across his mind. After a moment of silence, he still looked at his disciples and said, "Song Wanníng's a very troublesome girl. Don't you dare underestimate her.
If you lose to them again, get out of my sight and go guard the Heavenly Chasm."
The cold warning in his voice held nothing but threat. If they kept losing to Song Wanníng, he might as well throw his reputation into the trash.
"We understand, Master, we won't slip up."
The group nodded quickly, their expressions turning more cautious. Since even their master said so, Song Wanníng obviously wasn't simple.
The group quietly made up their minds. Beating Lan Yue didn't matter, what mattered was crushing Song Wanníng. They wanted to shatter her confidence completely, make her understand her place, and stop walking around with that annoying attitude. Just looking at her irritated them.
While they talked, they soon ran into Dao Qing's group.
Song Wanníng stood among the crowd and instantly spotted Mu Zixu. Her lips curved slightly, and she sent Mu Zixu a smile.
That smile was full of open provocation.
Mu Zixu's expression stayed calm, but a storm was brewing behind his eyes.
This wretched girl was far too arrogant.
"Junior Brother Mu, long time no see, hope you're doing well today?"
Dao Qing's face was all spring breeze, and his attitude practically screamed triumph.
Mu Zixu felt irritated just looking at him, but he still lifted a smile. "Naturally. I heard Senior Brother refined a new immortal pill recently. Haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet. I wonder when you'll show it to us so we can broaden our horizons."
Mu Zixu still hadn't gotten over Dao Qing's breakthrough in alchemy.
Ever since he was young, he'd been extremely competitive. His cultivation talent was a bit weaker, but his gifting in alchemy was exceptional, so he'd always chased the peak of the craft. He swore he'd become the number one alchemist.
But Dao Qing stuck to him like stubborn glue. Whenever people mentioned him, they also mentioned Dao Qing. Whenever he got praise, someone always compared the two.
It was exactly why he hated Dao Qing so much.
Mu Zixu stared at Dao Qing with a faint, unreadable expression. The wider his smile grew, the more disgusted he felt inside.
Dao Qing laughed loudly and waved his hand. "Just a common little pill, something I made for fun. Don't take it seriously.
Come on, the Pill Dao Tournament is about to start. Let's watch how these youngsters perform. We're getting old." He actually sighed a little at that.
After witnessing Song Wanníng's talent, he truly felt he'd stepped into old age. But the thought of Mu Zixu getting slapped in the face later made him feel much better.
Dao Qing waved his hand, and Song Wanníng's group instantly followed him as they headed to the square.
Mu Zixu stared at Dao Qing's retreating back, furious at his smug attitude. But he also felt something else, a nagging uneasiness. Dao Qing didn't look worried about Song Wanníng at all. Something wasn't right.
Mu Zixu rushed to warn his disciples again to go all out and never give Song Wanníng an opening.
Inside the square, several thousand disciples had already been waiting.
The sect master personally attended to host the tournament, the elders all took their seats, and even Mo Yang Xiānzūn, who rarely bothered with worldly affairs, made an appearance.
Feng Jiuxiao and Luo Xingyao sat on the high platform as well, looking utterly bored.
The moment Song Wanníng arrived, countless gazes locked onto her.
There were over seventy disciples participating in the competition this year. She was the only one joining for the first time, and she'd ascended not long ago. What shocked everyone even more was that her cultivation had increased again. When did that happen?
The disciples were stunned, and even the sect elders stared with disbelief.
How long had it been? And she already broke through again? How was this different from eating or drinking? No wonder Mo Yang Xiānzūn personally welcomed her. This kind of talent was unbelievable.
The sect master quickly recovered and smiled. The stronger the disciples, the stronger Wuji Sect would stand. This was a good thing.
But the disciples weren't so calm. The entire square erupted in chatter as they discussed Song Wanníng's breakthrough, each comment filled with disbelief.
"Hmph, just luck. I wanna see how badly she'll lose in the Pill Dao Tournament."
Some disciples spoke sourly, their gazes filled with envy. They'd worked so hard for years but were still worse than someone who'd ascended recently. How could they not feel unbalanced?
But most disciples were reasonable and stepped in.
"No matter how badly she loses, she just ascended and still dared to compete. That courage alone deserves respect."
"Exactly. With the changes she's shown this year, she's clearly someone who'll soar in the future. You should watch your words unless you wanna offend the wrong person."
After that, the complainers closed their mouths, though they still held malice in their eyes. They couldn't wait to watch Song Wanníng embarrass herself later.
The most upset person was still Mu Zixu. He'd been too focused on bickering with Dao Qing and hadn't noticed Song Wanníng's cultivation earlier.
The moment he got a clear look, his heart sank and cold sweat crept up his spine.
How was this wretched girl cultivating so fast? If this continued, wouldn't she surpass him soon?
And Song Wanníng held grudges. She'd definitely try to force him into a corner later. With such a threat, he had to get rid of her. Even if he had to offend Mo Yang Xiānzūn and the others. Song Wanníng couldn't be allowed to remain.
Once all competitors took their positions, the sect master stood and said a few words of encouragement. Then he let the presiding elder begin the tournament.
Each contestant had their own platform, prepared with all sorts of ingredients they might need for this round of alchemy.