Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Chapter 2408 Pride

Chapter 2408  Pride

"Senior, what would happen if he doesn't make it in time for the competition?" Aethersage asked. "Will he get disqualified?"

Windborn had been taken away for a while now and still hadn't returned. No one explained what had happened to him either, letting it all become a big mystery among the group gathered in the hall.

The staff who was asked could only sigh in response. "I am not in charge of making rules, so I can't say for certain," he said. "But all likelihood suggests that he won't be able to continue on with the competition. Since the rule requires you to replace at least 6 ingredients in a month, if he can make it there within the next month, he might have a chance."

Alex looked at the man. "But there will be no delays because of him, right? Will he be given extra time if he does arrive afterward?" he asked.

The Divinity shook his head. "Unless his majesty says otherwise, he will get no extra time."

Not everyone in the room was sympathetic at this outcome, however. In fact, many were thankful that one of the better opponents they would have to face in the upcoming competition was seemingly going to be absent. Adding onto the fact that another stronger competitor was already absent, many found themselves with a greater chance at doing something with the competition.

They were already the best of the best to make it this far into the competition, so they would take anything that would add to their advantage.

Everyone quickly stopped chatting and began preparing for the competition. The next day arrived, and the Alchemy God's voice rang loud within the hall, coming from outside.

They saw him on the image that appeared within the hall, welcoming the audience while in his green robe. The Alchemy God gave a brief explanation of what had been going on for all of these years for the ones who were new and then explained today's competition.

Before he even finished announcing the competition, he called onto the stage the participants.

This was a first for everyone, as never before had they been called onto the stage to take part in a competition that hadn't been fully announced yet.

One by one, they all began making their way onto the stage. As they arrived on the stage, their names, their master's names, and their realm of origin were announced to everyone who stood in the audience.

Alex watched the audience now, fully filled to the brim—unlike before when the place was completely vacant. The millions of people immediately came into his view.

The people were a mass of colors, tiny dots on a large canvas making up the entire image. There were so many here that he could scan through them all and still not see everyone by the time the day came to an end.

The number of people was easily quadruple the amount of people that had been there the last time around. The platform was certainly smaller than last time around, so it was understandable that they fit more people after expanding the stadium.

Alex was led to a spot on the platform, where he sat and looked around. Everyone else was being led around, keeping a generous distance between each candidate. Perhaps it was the fact that there were only 500 of them this time around, the gap between the contestants was quite far apart.

Alex looked around, wondering who his assistant was going to be. He saw no one who stepped forward. Then, he heard the Alchemy God's words.

"Now that our contestants have settled, let us call the next group," he said and gestured to the side.

Alex looked to his left, and soon enough, a group of people emerged out of a room far in the distance.

'Our assistants?' Alex thought. He could see the people who were coming out were quite young, so it made sense.

But the people kept on coming. And coming. And coming.

There were just too many.

Confused, he began counting, but they were all such a large crowd that the seated him could not count through them. There had to be thousands surely, all gathered now on the border of the stage, packed together.

'Do we get to choose our own assistant?' Alex wondered.

And then, the Alchemy God turned around and faced the contestants that were seated and ready for the competitions.

"Being an Alchemist is something to be proud of. As a result, being a very good alchemist often leads one to be a bit too prideful—even to a point where it becomes a detriment for the alchemist themselves," the Alchemy God said as he glanced around at everyone. "You have beat quite the odds to get as far as you have, and not just because of luck, and that is understandably something to be prideful for. But you cannot be too prideful, and we hope to bring that understanding back into you all."

He turned around and looked at the gathered cultivators at the edge of the stage.

"Alchemists, take your spot."

Over 2,000 people stepped up the edge of the stage and made their way through the platform, finding the gaps wherein they could sit. Three people came over and sat close to Alex, now completely filling the spot that he previously only mentioned was there because of the lack of participants.

'Alchemists? What is going on?' he thought. He looked at his newly arrived neighbors and tried to discern more about them. Sadly, his senses couldn't pierce a barrier that was put around them, so it was a bit impossible.

Still, by the way they carried themselves, he could tell that they were all bona fide alchemists.

"Because you come from other realms and compete against individuals from other realms, it is easy to forget that there is an entire group of Alchemists you have yet to compete against," the Alchemy God said. "And today, you shall."

"Today, the 500 of you will face the 2,500 of the best Alchemists that were born and raised right here in the Medicine World."