Chapter 31: Only Child
“What do you mean you won’t be joining? All disciples have to participate.” Yang Quan said with a strained voice.
“I will be participating, just in another event. I’m more of an alchemist than a fighter.”
“What? Wait…” A look of realization hit Yang Quan. “Is that why Elder Cao brought you into the sect?”
“Exactly so.”
The young boy grimaced at the news. He had known Elder Cao as a formidable fighter first before her identity as an alchemist, which caused the misunderstanding. Embarrassed, he quickly departed from the stands, diving headfirst into the arena below.
Li Lang scratched his head as he wondered how any of this even mattered, but before he could dwell on it, the seniors in the sect shouted out once more.
“Disciples participating in the crafts event please gather at the tunnel entrance with the red smoke!”
There were several tunnel entrances to the arena floor, and one of them had a small fire going. The fire produced red fumes, which Li Lang had been wondering about, but now the mystery had been resolved.
He joined the rest of the crowd and made their way down the stairs from the spectator’s area to the floor below. It didn’t take long, as all the disciples with higher cultivation opted to directly jump down instead.
There was a disproportionate amount of participants in the combat event compared to the crafts event. Mastering a craft was not easy and these numbers exactly demonstrated that. However, one craftsman could service numerous cultivators, so if that ratio was taken into consideration, there were more craftsmen than combatants.
Li Lang was soon guided into the tunnels along with the other participants towards the interiors of the coliseum building. While walking, Li Lang couldn’t help but notice he was drawing many gazes, and from what he overheard, it wasn’t because of his abnormally large head.
It didn’t take long before he realized all the other participants around him were at least a year older. Thankfully, as a competition for youths, there were no adults either.