I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 179 - 177: Xi Yuan Tournament (Part 3)

The melodious sound of the bell echoed in the city square, signaling the start of the competition. The light of the transmission array flashed on and off, and Team Tianyi was the first to be teleported into the Ruoye Desert.

The host quickly switched the camera, and in the top left corner of the live screen, a small desert map appeared. Four golden dots representing the members of Team Tianyi sparkled on the map.

Host: "Ladies and gentlemen, Team Tianyi has entered the field. Their current location is in a northeastern direction from the Turquoise Pool, a straight-line distance of one hundred and twenty kilometers, not too far. It seems Team Tianyi has good luck; they should reach the destination in two days if all goes well."

In the footage, after saying a few words to the team members, Chu Yunyi led everyone in the opposite direction of the Turquoise Pool.

"Huh, they’re actually heading that way? Let’s see what’s over there!"

The host elevated the camera for an aerial view, and the audience discovered a small oasis not far from Team Tianyi.

This discovery made the host exclaim: "It seems their luck is more than just good; they landed near the oasis. They’re planning to solve the food and water problem first, ensuring full preparation before heading towards the Turquoise Pool! As expected of Team Tianyi, they never fight unprepared!"

Four minutes later, Team Defiance entered the scene, and in the northwest of the map, four green dots appeared.

Despite ample training before the game, the high temperatures were unbearable for the four as they truly entered the desert.

There wasn’t a hint of wind around; the scorching and dry air accelerated the loss of body moisture, and each breath was accompanied by a burning pain.

The sunlight shone directly from above, scorching to the point that their hair felt like it might catch fire. The white dunes stood like little mountains, reflecting sunlight from all angles, dazzling everyone so much they couldn’t open their eyes.

Cui Tianxiao tugged at his collar, feeling irritable.

"It’s so hot, I can’t imagine how those Star Beasts and plants survive in the desert!"

Ye Qingting, being an Ice Elemental Spirit, was more affected by the high and dry temperatures than the others. Even with the temperature-regulating talisman turned to the maximum, Ye Qingting still felt uncomfortable, dizzy, and faint.

To alleviate the sensation of heatstroke, Ye Qingting took out a water bottle, taking a small sip before quickly screwing the cap back on. But in the brief moment of opening and closing, nearly a third of the water had evaporated.

Looking at the bottle, now almost half-empty, Ye Qingting frowned: "Try to reduce the frequency of opening your bottles, the evaporation rate is higher than the consumption rate."

They initially thought that each person’s five hundred milliliter water ration was enough to sustain them for a day, but now it seemed insufficient for even half a day.

Qi Ming quickly determined their location and then showed an unbelievable expression, closing his eyes to feel again carefully.

Seeing Qi Ming with a struck-by-lightning appearance, Cui Tianxiao couldn’t help but worry: "Xiao Ming, don’t tell me you’re sun-struck and can’t figure out the direction anymore?"

"No, Brother Xiao, we’re very close to the Turquoise Pool!"

"How close?"

"Two kilometers."

"What—? Really?"

"Really! I felt it several times, there can’t be a mistake!"

Everyone was first shocked, then ecstatic. When someone is lucky, they can win even while lying down!

"What are we waiting for then, let’s hurry up! Hahaha, maybe the Desert Ship hasn’t even entered, and we’ve already captured the race flag."

At this point, disregarding preserving their strength, the four of them rushed towards the Turquoise Pool as fast as they could.

At the live broadcast site, the big screen displayed Team Defiance sprinting across the desert.

The sand was so hot it burned their feet, and the group had to jump periodically to relieve the pain, resembling a monkey descending from a mountain. But no one at the scene laughed at them; instead, they repeatedly praised their good fortune.

The two teams that hadn’t yet entered the competition area watched the big screen with envy and jealousy, silently cursing Team Defiance for their stroke of luck.

Harssas’ teachers were ecstatic, saying that adversity indeed leads to prosperity, and Harssas was on a lucky streak, even the heavens favored them.

The host’s jaw nearly dropped: "Oh my goodness, I thought Team Tianyi’s luck was good enough, but it turns out Team Defiance is the truly lucky one! They entered so close to the destination—looks like they’ll be the first to complete the race."

Lin Zhian pushed his glasses and smiled: "Their luck is indeed good, but they should be wary of the random transmission arrays."

The host’s eyes lit up, asking eagerly: "Mr. Lin, could you give our audience a hint about how many random transmission arrays are there in the entire racing area? Considering the size of Ruoye Desert, isn’t the target of the transmission arrays too small? Could anyone really step on one?"

The transmission arrays were arranged by the Xi Yuan City event committee, and Lin Zhian, as a Heaven Rank talisman master and commentator for the competition, was invited as a consultant by the committee, providing numerous high-quality suggestions for array arrangements.

"I can’t disclose the exact number, but I can tell you the density of the random transmission arrays will definitely exceed your imaginations."

Zou Huali frowned, asking a rare question: "Mr. Lin, if during the competition a Star Beast accidentally triggers a transmission array and gets sent to a region unsuitable for its survival, wouldn’t that cause ecological damage?"

Zou Huali’s concern was reasonable. The desert regions vary, and teleporting high-level Star Beasts to places without natural enemies, or to entirely unsuitable environments, would severely harm one or multiple species.

The extinction of Star Beasts isn’t fearsome, but many plants with medicinal value exist symbiotically with certain Star Beasts, and disrupting the ecological balance could have severe consequences.

"Rest assured, Master Zou, the transmission arrays have a recognition function, and only humans can trigger the talisman arrays. After the competition concludes, any untriggered transmission arrays will be individually neutralized by the event committee, ensuring Master Zou’s concerns won’t materialize."

Zou Huali’s expression softened: "That’s good."

——————

Approaching noon, the temperature was higher than before, but Team Defiance was fully immersed in the joy of victory, surprisingly increasing their tolerance for discomfort.

As they climbed over a dune, a huge lake suddenly appeared before them, its peacock-blue waters shimmering under the sunlight. Mist formed from the lake’s evaporation, enshrouding the water and creating a truly idyllic scene reminiscent of the Turquoise Pool, exhilarating and refreshing.

Cui Tianxiao was overjoyed, taking out a water bottle, drinking a few hearty gulps, then pouring the rest over his head. The water droplets barely streamed down his hair before evaporating.

Cui Tianxiao wiped his sweat and shouted: "Turquoise Pool—! Young Master is here!" With such clear water, he couldn’t resist the urge to take a swim to cool off.

Cui Tianxiao spread his arms wide and charged downhill from the dune.

Ye Qingting called out loudly from behind: "Ah Xiao, don’t run randomly, be careful of stepping on a transmission array!"

The voice drifted up from below the dune:

"They’re just trying to scare us! How many transmission arrays can there really be in the whole desert? I don’t believe I could step on——"

Cui Tianxiao’s words were abruptly cut off as he vanished with a ’biu’ sound, leaving only a long trail of footprints in the sand as evidence of his adventure.

Soon after, transmission lights glowed on Ye Qingting, Li Xing, and Qi Ming, and with a pulling force, the three of them disappeared on the spot.