Chapter 00308: Preparing to Leave
# Preparing to Leave
Chapter 308
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 308: Preparing to Leave
Liu Ming handed over the prizes from the crystal display case to Lan Xiaobu one by one.
Though Lan Xiaobu was inwardly thrilled, he knew this was just the first step.
This step had to be taken under the watchful eyes of countless people.
Although there were over a million people watching the alchemy competition in the square, in reality, many cultivators who hadn’t entered the Xingdao Immortal City were also observing the event through external monitoring screens.
After receiving all the prizes, Lan Xiaobu expressed his gratitude once more.
Mu Zifeng also praised him, saying, "Alchemist Lan, achieving such great success at such a young age is truly remarkable. Your future potential is limitless. If you remain humble and focus on your cultivation, you are bound to become a revered figure in the future. Now that you’ve won first place and received prizes even the Immortal Court King would envy, do you have anything to say to everyone?"
Lan Xiaobu was no fool.
He could clearly hear the underlying message in Mu Zifeng’s words: these treasures are coveted even by the Immortal Court King, so it’s best not to covet them yourself.
You should take this opportunity to return them.
You’re still young with a bright future ahead—why risk it all for material possessions?
Though Lan Xiaobu understood this was well-meaning advice, he had come here precisely for these "material possessions."
If he had always been indifferent to fame and wealth, his bones would have long turned to dust.
How could he have made it this far?
Cultivation was inherently about striving and competing.
Lan Xiaobu wasn’t about to give up his pursuit of the Dao just because of a few words from Mu Zifeng.
In the end, he was still struggling in a discarded corner of the universe.
Without more resources, what use was the Cosmic Dimension Matrix? He couldn’t escape this forsaken universe.
The idea of not competing only applied when one had reached a certain level of power.
He wasn’t there yet.
Mu Zifeng’s idea of a revered figure was based on compromise and humility.
But for Lan Xiaobu, respect was earned through strength, not submission.
Without strength, no amount of compromise would get him anywhere.
"Thank you, Senior Mu. I do have a few words to say," Lan Xiaobu said, performing a respectful bow before addressing the crowd in the square.
Hearing this, Mu Zifeng was delighted.
If Lan Xiaobu handed over the treasures, he would be safe.
Moreover, he had to do it now, or it would be meaningless.
If Lan Xiaobu were killed later, no one would care whether he had returned the items or not.
Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists and spoke loudly, "Fellow cultivators, winning first place in this alchemy competition is a joyous occasion for me. But what brings me the most joy isn’t this victory—it’s the discovery of the Rootless Snow Mist Pill. I know many of you, like me, have been plagued by pill toxins, unable to make progress. For tens of thousands of years, I’ve been stuck at my current level due to the accumulation of pill toxins. As an alchemist, when my cultivation was blocked, I naturally turned to consuming pills. While they sped up my cultivation, the side effects were equally terrifying. Over the years, I’ve consumed countless pills, and the accumulated toxins are immeasurable. I’ve always wondered how to rid myself of these toxins. Unfortunately, the treasures that could cleanse pill toxins were far beyond my reach. If even I, an alchemist, couldn’t afford them, I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. I’ve always hoped for a pill that could remove these toxins…"
In truth, Lan Xiaobu had consumed mostly healing pills throughout his cultivation journey, which had the lowest toxicity.
He rarely even used pills for breakthroughs.
If anything, he probably had the least amount of pill toxins among everyone in the square.
As for cultivating for tens of thousands of years, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.
Lan Xiaobu’s voice grew somber, "Today, I want to thank the Mo Xuan Alchemy Competition—not for the honor it has brought me, but for the immortal herbs it provided, which allowed me to successfully create the fifth-grade Rootless Snow Mist Pill. This pill is designed to remove pill toxins, and you’ve all seen its effects. I believe that in the near future, everyone will be able to obtain this pill. The creation of this pill will bring joy to countless cultivators like me who have been plagued by pill toxins. I say that everyone will soon be able to obtain this pill because I plan to refine it further and then publicly release the formula, ensuring that every cultivator can afford it."
Thunderous applause erupted, and the alchemy competition reached its climax.
While the first-place prize was impressive, it was irrelevant to most cultivators.
What Lan Xiaobu had just said was what truly mattered to them.
The idea that every cultivator could afford the Rootless Snow Mist Pill was the key.
At this moment, Lan Xiaobu’s first-place victory was universally acknowledged.
This was the kind of magnanimity a first-place winner should have.
With his words, Lan Xiaobu successfully shifted the focus away from his prizes and onto the Rootless Snow Mist Pill, reducing the attention on his rewards.
When the applause died down, Lan Xiaobu wasn’t ready to leave the stage just yet.
He continued passionately, "Once, I spent a thousand years in seclusion just to figure out how to purify a single immortal herb. Perhaps it was this dedication to alchemy that allowed me to create the Rootless Snow Mist Pill today. This competition has shown me that there are many alchemists far superior to me. Among the hundreds of immortal herbs used in this competition, there were five that I didn’t even recognize. As the saying goes, 'When three people walk together, there is always a teacher among them.' After this competition, I hope to discuss alchemy with some of the top alchemists to improve my shortcomings. Additionally, the Rootless Snow Mist Pill is currently limited by the selection of immortal herbs. I hope to refine it further during these discussions. If anyone has Qingyin Xuan Silk Root, Puhong Immortal Fruit, or Deep Sea Flying Source Coral, please bring them to my residence. I can’t promise much, but I can certainly offer a few Rootless Snow Mist Pills in exchange. I’m staying at the Xiaoqian Immortal Rest Pavilion. Fellow cultivators and friends are welcome to visit."
After finishing his speech, Lan Xiaobu bowed once more and stepped down from the stage.
The applause that followed was even more prolonged and enthusiastic.
The three immortal herbs Lan Xiaobu mentioned were extremely rare, but not impossible to find.
Many were already thinking about how to acquire them and use the opportunity to befriend Lan Xiaobu.
Teng Mo thought to himself, "This Alchemist Lan is something else. I’m a prince of the Immortal Court, after all. If you need those herbs, you could’ve just asked me. I could’ve helped you find them."
As the prize distribution continued, Lan Xiaobu returned to his seat and began using the Cosmic Dimension Matrix to analyze the prizes he had received.
Lan Xiaobu was now at the second level of the Great Immortal Realm and had recently advanced to an eighth-grade Immortal Array Master.
The speed at which the Cosmic Dimension Matrix could construct models had increased significantly.
In just one hour, before the prize ceremony had even concluded, the Cosmic Dimension Matrix had finished analyzing all the prizes.
All his prizes had divine sense imprints, but these imprints clearly came from at least three different sources.
What sent a chill down Lan Xiaobu’s spine was that he recognized one of the imprints on the Postnatal Spiritual Treasure cauldron.
If his memory served him correctly, it was identical to the imprint on the treasures he had taken from the Jiting Chamber of Commerce.
This definitely wasn’t a trap set by the Jiting Chamber of Commerce.
They couldn’t have guessed that the person who stole their treasures would participate in the alchemy competition and win first place.
As for why the Jiting Chamber of Commerce’s items ended up as prizes in the competition, Lan Xiaobu couldn’t care less.
Once something was in his hands, there was no way he was giving it back.
Finally, the prize distribution came to an end.
Liu Ming announced, "In three days, the top twenty alchemists are to report to the Mo Xuan Xingdao Immortal City’s City Lord’s Mansion. We will outline the subsequent plans for nurturing future Immortal Alchemy Emperors. After this competition, you will be free to focus entirely on advancing your alchemy and cultivation, unburdened by mundane concerns…"
…
The Mo Xuan Immortal Domain’s alchemy competition concluded in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Lan Xiaobu, carrying his prizes, returned to the Xiaoqian Immortal Rest Pavilion under the envious gazes of many.
Long before he reached the rest pavilion, the owner and a group of staff were already waiting by the roadside to welcome him.
They presented Lan Xiaobu with a VIP card, granting him free access to the Xiaoqian Immortal Rest Pavilion anytime he wished.
After another round of socializing, Lan Xiaobu returned to his room with heightened vigilance.
By now, he had at least a hundred divine sense imprints on him.
But Lan Xiaobu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At least no one had attacked him on his way back to the rest pavilion.
If someone had tried to make a move during that time, he might have been forced to reveal his hand prematurely.
The moment he returned to his room, Lan Xiaobu hung up a sign stating that he was exhausted from five days of alchemy and requested that anyone seeking to discuss alchemy or exchange immortal herbs wait for two hours.
He didn’t need the full two hours.
In just one hour, Lan Xiaobu had separated all the divine sense imprints from the top-grade immortal spirit vein, the Postnatal Spiritual Treasure cauldron, the True Spirit World, and the alchemy manual, storing them in his ring.
Additionally, he stripped away the hundred or so divine sense imprints on his body, placing them in his pocket.
The power and utility of an eighth-grade Immortal Array Master were fully demonstrated at this moment.
Once he was done, Lan Xiaobu opened his door.
The first person he saw was Teng Mo.
Behind Teng Mo, dozens of people were lined up, waiting to meet with Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists in apology to the crowd before inviting Teng Mo into his room.
The room’s restrictions were activated, ensuring no one could eavesdrop.
No one paid much attention, as everyone knew Lan Xiaobu had represented Teng Mo in the competition.
"Brother Xiaobu, I never expected you to take first place," Teng Mo said, his excitement making him almost incoherent.
Lan Xiaobu quickly replied, "It was just luck. By the way, here’s the Xianyi Flame back. I didn’t end up needing it for the competition."
Teng Mo took the flame and said, "I was planning to give it to you, but my mother said it’s too low-grade. My father has prepared a true immortal flame for you instead."
Lan Xiaobu feigned delight and said, "Thank you. I may be participating in the Mo Xuan Immortal Domain’s alchemy training program soon, so I might not have much time at the Forbidden Immortal Bureau. Please take care of my friends while I’m away. I’ll personally thank you when I return."
Lan Xiaobu was preparing to make his escape, and he needed to make some arrangements beforehand.
(That’s all for today’s update.
Goodnight, friends!)
(End of Chapter)