Chapter 90

The three characters "赤红" (dark red) were written in bold, exuding a chilling aura that seemed to be dyed with human blood, dried and capable of making one shudder at a glance.

At this moment, the main gate was tightly locked, and the sounds of intense battles and commotion could be heard from inside, indicating that the fight was still raging.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue sipped their drinks lightly,收回目光，不再关注，足足过了大半个时辰，忽然有人大喊：“快看，出来了，出来了……”

Hearing the shout, Tang Gu and Shui Xue looked up and saw a man in gray holding a large red notice, hurriedly opening the door and stepping out. He then casually pasted the notice on the stone wall in front of the door, and immediately, a crowd swarmed over to gather around the notice.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue also noticed that next to this notice, there was an even larger red notice, densely filled with names, as if dyed with blood.

"Win, win, it's Master Lu Bailong who has won... Now the two are tied, two wins and two losses. Master Lu Bailong has announced that the final decisive battle will take place three days from now, to determine the ultimate winner and who will be the top young talent of Qinglong City."

"Haha, we must definitely go to watch. Even though the entry fee is not cheap, the battle three days from now will be spectacular and absolutely worth seeing."

"Right, Brother Wei, I will go with you then."

"Good, good, it's settled. The battle is over, there's nothing else to see, let's disperse..."

With that, this "Master Wei" waved his hand, and the crowd immediately shouted and dispersed from the tavern, while Tang Gu and Shui Xue remained seated.

After a while, there was another commotion in the opposite stone building. Amidst the crowd, two young men and a young girl walked out.

One of the young men was dressed in deep blue brocade, with a blue coiling dragon patterned belt around his waist, and a silver-blue long spear on his back, exuding an aura like the surging sea.

He was tall and proud, clearly elated by his victory, walking with the grace of a dragon and the might of a tiger, his eyes flashing with a piercing light, giving a daunting impression.

This person must be the young master of the City Lord's residence, "Heaven-Probing Silver Spear" Lu Bailong. Judging by his aura, he was at least at the Eighth Turn of the Qi Dao, possibly even the Ninth Turn.

The other person was equally formidable, dressed in white, with jade brocade and jade ornaments, his long hair as fine as flowing water, his deep blue eyes like ancient pools, his figure tall and handsome, remaining calm and composed even in defeat.

This person must be the opponent of Lu Bailong, the "Blazing Fire Blade" Fang Shizun, a peerless genius with a natural affinity for the mystic blade.

Beside him, a petite and graceful young girl in green followed closely, her eyes like autumn water, her eyebrows as dark as ink, and a string of silver bells tied to her wrist.

Though she was only about fourteen or fifteen years old, she had already grown into a graceful young woman, exuding a refined and elegant aura, clearly from a noble family, and she gazed at the young man in white with deep affection.

Tang Gu knew without asking that this green-clad girl was none other than Feng Ying'er, the third daughter of the Feng family, who had knocked over a street stall earlier.

In front of others, she was fierce, but in front of the young man in white, she was as gentle as water, a stark contrast.

In the crowd behind them, Tang Gu faintly saw the shadow of the fierce carriage driver, and a group of dozens of people were heading straight for the tavern.

Tang Gu pulled Shui Xue, and the two quietly left from another staircase, avoiding the group.

...

Qinglong City was divided into five parts: East, West, South, North, and Central. The City Lord's residence was located in the north, while the branch of "Apricot Grove Manor" was in the south.

After leaving the tavern, Tang Gu and Shui Xue inquired about the direction and headed towards the branch of "Apricot Grove Manor."

A short while later, they arrived at a large manor nestled among mountains and water.

The scenery of the manor was picturesque, with apricot groves and bamboo forests complementing each other, creating a scene of a secluded paradise.

All those who came here dared not speak loudly, walking cautiously and quietly, in stark contrast to the bustling parts of Qinglong City, as if they were in two different worlds.

Seeing this, Tang Gu and Shui Xue were pleasantly surprised, realizing that there was such a tranquil place in Qinglong City.

The ancient saying, "Though in the midst of the world, it is like a secluded retreat," truly applied here.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue's expressions became solemn as they slowly approached the gate.

At this moment, not only they, but many others who wanted to become disciples of Apricot Grove Manor were also gathering, the crowd dense and black, numbering at least a thousand.

And this was just before the official start of the selection process. Many people, like Tang Gu and Shui Xue, had come to check the rules, and seeing this scene, their hearts sank.

Tang Gu's previous concerns had unfortunately come true.

The entire Snowy Wheel Region was vast, and the status of the six major sects was always high, with a limited number of disciples. Even becoming an outer sect disciple was a matter of great honor.

Even if one could not become an outer sect disciple, becoming a pill-refining attendant was something everyone would fight for.

The mere seven spots were coveted by many, and for Tang Gu and Shui Xue to stand out among so many people was no easy task.

Shui Xue was still in a better position, as she was already a mid-level First Rank Alchemist, and had a chance. As for Tang Gu, who knew nothing about identifying and refining medicines, he had no hope at all.

However, he was not too concerned, as this trip was mainly to accompany Shui Xue, and he did not particularly care whether he could join Apricot Grove Manor.

Following the crowd, the two stepped into the gate of "Apricot Grove Manor." To the left was a registration area where a long queue of people was forming, bustling with activity. Next to it was a notice.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue moved closer to read the notice, which detailed the official start time of the selection process and the various rules and requirements for registration.

There were only three days left until the official start of the selection process, meaning they had only three days to prepare. From the discussions around them, the total number of registrants had already exceeded 1,200, and more people like Tang Gu and Shui Xue were still arriving.

By the registration deadline, the number of people would likely exceed 2,000, or even more.

The two exchanged a glance and could not help but laugh bitterly. Shui Xue's heart became uneasy. Although she had expected the selection process to be difficult, she had not anticipated it to be this challenging.

She was confident in her alchemy skills, but the number of registrants was overwhelming, and the number of spots was extremely limited.

Five spots for pill-refining attendants and two spots for inner sect disciples—winning any of them would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

However, with the situation as it was, they had no choice but to join the queue. Soon, it was their turn.

The registration process was essentially to eliminate those who were不合格, too old, or lacked sufficient Qi Dao cultivation, filtering out those who were trying to take advantage of the situation. Only those who qualified would proceed to the final selection.

Each registrant also had to pay 100 stone coins to cover the cost of materials for the alchemy test. Whether they succeeded or failed, the responsibility was theirs.

The amount of alchemy materials needed for thousands of people was not small, and most of it would be wasted, which was why Apricot Grove Manor did not provide them for free. Everyone was prepared for this and had no objections.

Alchemy was a very costly profession, and the sect would only provide materials after one joined. Before that, Apricot Grove Manor had no such obligation.

After a series of inquiries and tests, Tang Gu and Shui Xue were confirmed to be qualified in terms of age and cultivation. They each paid 100 stone coins and successfully registered.

Without lingering, they left and returned to their inn, waiting for the official selection process to begin in three days.

Three days passed quickly, and the day of the official selection finally arrived.

Tang Gu and Shui Xue washed up and left the inn, following the crowd back to the branch of Apricot Grove Manor.

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