I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 98 - 97: Preliminary Round (Part 15)

"Fiery Flame Giant Python—!"

A massive python, seemingly formed from magma, shot out from Wang Liang’s palm, twisting its body in the air, its mouth exaggeratedly wide open, and surged forward, ready to swallow the vine net where Li Xing was hidden.

Just when Wang Liang thought victory was within his grasp, a clear shout sounded.

"Three Thousand Lotus."

A chubby, bud-like fireball, with an incredibly springy posture, squeezed out from the vine net with a "duang" and charged straight at the Fire Python.

The crowd watched in astonishment as the chubby fireball swelled with the wind, growing dozens of times larger in an instant, making the robust Fire Python look as insignificant as a worm.

"Damn!" As a fellow Fire Elemental Spirit martial master, Wang Liang was all too familiar with the scorching aura emanating from Three Thousand Lotus.

When two fires clash, one must suffer. He hurriedly withdrew the Fire Python, but before he could react, the chubby fireball cracked open, resembling a mouth, and swallowed the oncoming Fire Python whole.

The Fire Python scrambled wildly inside the fireball’s belly, causing its round body to bulge here and there.

Moments later, the chubby fireball suddenly belched, emitting a puff of white smoke, and quickly shrank back to a small, round, springy form, drifting towards Li Xing and vanished into her body.

"Ah? This..."

The sudden change left Wang Liang’s mind in a temporary blank. Despite years of dueling, he had never encountered such a situation.

The Fire Python contained most of his Fire Element and could not be replenished in a short time, leaving him with no strength to fight.

"I... lost."

Qian Xiaowu exclaimed, "You’re Li Xing, the new freshman with the Double Heaven Armor!"

Li Xing swung the Heavenly Wolf Saber onto her shoulder and flashed him a small tiger-tooth grin, tacitly acknowledging it.

Qian Xiaowu stomped his foot, filled with regret. Had they known it was her, Wang Liang would have been better off fighting the kid with the bow, where the chances of winning would have been higher.

They had all misjudged; the person with the strongest fighting abilities in this team was, paradoxically, the one who looked the weakest.

Zhang Long was equally shocked. Their team had entered the internship period, and they had heard about a student with extraordinary aptitude, but never saw them—until now.

The abundant Primordial Spirit reserve in the Double Heaven Armor was equivalent to two Heavenly Armor warriors, and the fact that she could swallow Wang Liang’s Fire Elemental Spirit proved her Primordial Spirit’s purity surpassed Wang Liang’s.

"We lost. Everyone, please proceed."

Wang Liang and Qian Xiaowu stepped aside to let the Unyielding Team depart, but Liu Yuan refused, angrily scolding:

"You bunch of losers, you could have used strategy, but instead chose to settle it with combat, and now you’re disgraced! Had you followed my plan, we would have gotten the badge by now! What do we do now? Where will you find another badge to compensate me?"

Zhang Long was furious but couldn’t lose his temper in front of the outside team.

"Liu Yuan, step aside! Take the loss gracefully, don’t let us become a laughingstock!"

"Screw grace! If I can’t advance, nobody will!" He took a deep breath and shouted:

"The badge is with the Unyielding Team, come take it—ahhh—!"

Zhang Long was horrified, rushing forward to deliver a harsh slap, cutting off Liu Yuan’s scream. Liu Yuan clutched his face as he fell, glaring venomously at everyone present.

At this moment, all teams within Lihua Mountain’s range heard this cry, amplified by spiritual power, echoing endlessly through the mountain hollow—"Come take it—!" "Take it—!" "Ahhh—!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"What’s going on?"

"Did some kid say the badge is with the Unyielding Team? Is it a trap?"

"Hard to say. Could be a trap."

"What kind of trap? We don’t have a badge, it’s unnecessary to lure us there."

"It doesn’t affect us, shall we go take a look?"

"Yeah, let’s check it out!"

"Let’s go!"

Nearly a hundred teams, after a brief consideration of pros and cons, unanimously advanced toward the mountain hollow.

Qi Ming withdrew his spiritual power, face turning serious: "Brother Ye, a lot of people are headed this way, around three to four hundred!"

Zhang Long’s face turned ashen, pointing at Liu Yuan and lambasting him: "Liu Yuan, I was truly blind to pick a despicable person like you as a teammate, sullying the name of the Fierce Dragon Team! From now on, you’re no longer a member of the Fierce Dragon Team; we will never cooperate!"

Zhang Long turned to Ye Qingting and said, "Ye junior, I’m really sorry, it’s my fault for poorly leading the team and causing you trouble! Quickly leave, while they’re not here yet, Wang Liang, Qian Xiaowu, and I will cover for you."

Ye Qingting shook his head and pointed to the sky, saying, "It’s too late."

Everyone followed Ye Qingting’s gesture and noticed a swarm of metallic gleaming black dots rapidly approaching in the sky, gasping in shock. Liu Yuan’s shout not only attracted competing teams but a flock of Golden-swallowing Birds as well.

Ye Qingting: "Golden-swallowing Birds are of the metal element, and fire can overcome metal. Ah Xing, Wang Liang, are you two up for it?"

Wang Liang shook his head in despair, and Li Xing also looked embarrassed. Three Thousand Lotus had overindulged by swallowing the Fire Python, falling asleep in her Dantian and wouldn’t awaken, no matter how she tried.

Fire attack seemed impossible, so Ye Qingting shouted, "Everyone, put away your weapons!"

Golden-swallowing Birds feed on metal and typically don’t prey on humans, but during mating season, they’re prone to aggression due to increased metal needs; they become confrontational, actively seizing human-carried metal weapons.

Considering the current situation of the two teams, letting the Golden-swallowing Birds retreat on their own was the best strategy; otherwise, if a fight broke out, their sharp, sword-like feathers would be a serious threat.

"Caw—ah, caw—ah—ah!"

Soon, a flock of large birds landed on the giant mushroom canopies, curiously observing the two-legged creatures below.

Cui Tianxiao watched as one Golden-swallowing Bird folded its wings, and its feathers lightly grazed the mushroom tree’s canopy, slicing through it like tofu.

Feeling the Golden-swallowing Birds’ gazes lingering and scanning over them, everyone under the tree didn’t dare breathe loudly. Once this moment passed and they couldn’t find any metal, they would fly away to forage elsewhere.

After surveying for a while, the leading Golden-swallowing Bird retracted its gaze, disappointed, shuffling its wings, preparing to leave.

Just then, sunlight illuminated the mountain hollow, revealing a blinding glare, prompting the Golden-swallowing Bird leader to screech and dive towards Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan was petrified, scrambling towards Zhang Long, shouting, "Captain, save me!"

Zhang Long instinctively pulled out the Jar Gold Hammer, using it to fend off the Golden-swallowing Bird with a single strike, then grabbed Liu Yuan and tossed him behind the team, fuming inside:

"Liu Yuan, you’re truly a jinx! Why would you, a grown man, wear ear studs, acting all flamboyant!"

The Golden-swallowing Bird, struck with immense force by the Earth Element Warrior’s hammer, only retreated two steps, then shook its wings, stood its ground, unharmed.

"Caw?"

Upon seeing the gleaming Jar Gold Hammer in Zhang Long’s hand, the Golden-swallowing Bird was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed, spreading its wings and extending its long, sharp beak towards Zhang Long.

The Golden-swallowing Birds atop the mushroom tree, allured by the metallic weapons, flapped their wings and descended to seize the glistening "delicacies."

The plan had failed; there was no choice but to fight. Ye Qingting shouted, "Don’t dawdle, attack—!"