Master Da Bei was appointed by the guild to be beside Cai Jing, serving as a monitor and supervisor.
Such significant progress, Master Da Bei should have reported long ago.
Yet until now, when Cai Jing announced it publicly, everyone became aware.
Undoubtedly, Master Da Bei has seriously neglected his duty and is very likely to have pledged allegiance to Cai Jing and been persuaded by him.
In any case, he will certainly be held accountable for this!
Master Da Bei naturally felt countless hostile gazes. His heart was full of bitterness, but his demeanor remained calm and poised.
He walked from the audience seat to the judges’ seat, stood beside Cai Jing, and said loudly, "As one of the participants, who personally experienced the entire excavation process, I can attest to the significant contributions of Elder Jiu Jin, which gave us crucial inspiration."
Such a statement from Master Da Bei clearly indicates that he has completely sided with Cai Jing.
As soon as he said this, many of the hostile gazes in the arena were greatly restrained.
Many squinted their eyes, looking at the trio of Cai Jing, Jiu Jin, and Da Bei opposite the judges’ seat, with a cautious expression.
Undoubtedly, these three have at least formed a coalition for defense and offense. For a long time to come, they will advance and retreat together within the Alchemy Guild.
Jiu Jin cast a grateful look toward Da Bei, deliberated for a moment, and publicly stated that he is honored to help Cai Jing. More importantly, he has many differing opinions on Hua Ni’s assignment and wants to report them to the Guild Master.
Cai Jing immediately suggested: He just happens to be free, why not go together?
Undoubtedly, it’s to take credit and endorse Jiu Jin and exert pressure on the Guild Master.
Everyone’s expression changed again.
The atmosphere in the arena also became oppressive.
Some politically sensitive Alchemy Mages simultaneously realized: A new faction has just been born right before their eyes!
The strength and talent of Jiu Jin and Da Bei, who are both Golden Level Mages, are not outstanding. To be honest, many alchemists of the same level look down on them, thinking they are too scheming. But ultimately, they are guild elders with many years of experience and their accumulated connections should not be underestimated.
The two together do not pose a threat and cannot directly confront a powerful elder like Hua Ni.
This is a world of strong individuals, and since the two are not strong, have no achievements in alchemy, all those connections are quite empty.
The key is Cai Jing.
Undoubtedly, Cai Jing Mage is the core of this faction.
Cai Jing’s combat power and alchemy skill are quite remarkable and have gained public recognition.
His biggest drawback is his identity as an outsider. Having just joined the Alchemy Guild, he needs time and opportunities to gain trust and genuine acceptance from others.
However, with the alliance of the three, Cai Jing can leverage Jiu Jin and Da Bei’s connections, thus resolving his deficiency to a certain extent!
Especially now, with his second acquisition of the legacy of the prosperous Hybrid Master, the latter being a distinguished Legendary Level! Cai Jing Mage has opened the secret door for the second time. Aside from what this achievement represents, Cai Jing’s ability to excavate the heritage has garnered even greater public recognition.
Cai Jing has completely established his footing!
The collaboration with the other two compels others to take notice.
Many people inwardly praised that Cai Jing maneuvered excellently just now, successfully winning over Elder Jiu Jin.
In contrast, Elder Hua Ni actively pushing away Jiu Jin was indeed a misstep.
Many people, even Golden Level Mages, are unaware of the internal details. Hua Ni did consider recruiting Jiu Jin, but she was very aware that the true leverage over Jiu Jin has always been in the hands of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. As long as the evidence exists, she has no hope of truly gaining Jiu Jin’s loyalty. Furthermore, she cannot truly trust Jiu Jin.
Hua Ni actually had no choice in the matter.
"This time, you’ve damaged my reputation. You will all pay the price!" Hua Ni swore inwardly, but outwardly gritted her teeth and said, "Let’s all step back. Now is the time for the Warm Snow Cup competition, not the occasion for showing off your achievements."
"No matter what opinions you have about your position, Jiu Jin, or your achievements this time, Cai Jing, let it be decided by the Guild Master."
"I won’t waste my effort."
After saying this, Hua Ni’s face inevitably turned quite pale.
Everyone hearing her say this thought she was publicly admitting defeat.
"In that case, farewell." Cai Jing smiled, performed the mage’s salute, left gracefully, and calmly, with the posture of a victor.
Elder Jiu Jin and Elder Da Bei followed closely behind.
This time, showing off his achievements and opposing Hua Ni was all part of his agreement with the Snow Elf youth.
He followed the agreement and did everything. Naturally, he had no nostalgia and left the dueling field directly.
"Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps..."
Before leaving, he glanced at the audience seats but did not see Long Fu.
After stepping out of the dueling field gate, Cai Jing continued to ponder.
"With this incident, I have entirely opposed Hua Ni."
"The arms dealers behind the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps intend the same, to support us and help them dismantle the Alchemy Guild’s hostility."
"It doesn’t matter, doesn’t this benefit me greatly too?"
The reason Cai Jing joined the Alchemy Guild was simply to facilitate his excavation of heritage, as he had little ambition for political maneuvering. Although his bloodline reached its potential limit, his personal strength still has plenty of room for progress.
The reason lies in the fact that his main combat power is concentrated on various Magic Plants.
Perhaps in the future, he will change and become like Jiu Jin or Master Da Bei, but for now, he has no such thoughts.
"The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ backers are truly ingenious," Cai Jing murmured, recalling the shock of that day.
Even now, he couldn’t figure out how the grafted Magic Plant, brought back by the Snow Elf youth, though made by him, could actually last so long and astonishingly meet the standard for opening the secret door.
One should know, back then on Flower Skirt Island, he spent a long time conducting numerous trials. The final product required a large amount of Magic Potion for temporary stabilization, barely meeting the standard needed to open the secret door.
In contrast, the Snow Elf youth’s modified grafted Magic Plant was stable beyond imagination, almost as if it was in its original life form.
Cai Jing exerted all his efforts, barely managing, while the Snow Elf youth still seemed to have energy to spare.
The difference between the two sides was too obvious!
This undoubtedly piqued Cai Jing’s curiosity greatly. He was immensely eager to learn the alchemy technique adopted by the Snow Elf youth.
If he could acquire it, he would have great confidence in continuing to explore the series of legacies from the flourishing hybrid master.
Not only that, he could also use this alchemy technique in the cultivation of Magic Plants, greatly enhancing his strength!
No way around it, the youth brought him too much temptation!
As for Master Da Bei and Zhong Bei, they chose to side with Cai Jing, not only due to the lure of benefits but also because of a sense of helplessness.
Master Da Bei’s dereliction of duty made it impossible for him to give a satisfactory explanation to the Chairman, and he would surely be held accountable, even stripped of his elder position if serious.
Even if he retained his elder status, being relegated out of the Royal Capital, like Jiu Jin, would be meaningless.
Faced with huge benefits on one side and accountability and punishment on the other, Master Da Bei gritted his teeth and decisively decided to join Cai Jing’s new faction.
"What are you all standing around for? Continue the match!" Hua Ni coldly ordered, her expression as frosty as ice.
She cursed inwardly, "Just wait, Cai Jing, do you really think you can succeed?"
"You know nothing about the upper echelons of politics in the Kingdom."
"Do you think the Chairman will back down? Allow your faction to establish itself?"
"You’re too naive! Haha."
Before Cai Jing returned to the headquarters of the Alchemy Guild, the events taking place in the dueling field had already been compiled into intelligence and sent to the Alchemy Chairman.
The Chairman felt a headache coming on.
As the Chairman of the Alchemy Guild of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, he was a genuine superior, a member of the Kingdom’s power center.
As a superior, he needed to maintain balance among all sides, rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing.
But by only being fair, he would never become the King’s confidant, appointed as a broker to oversee the construction of the Ten-thousand-year-old Dragon Formation.
The Chairman knew well: the true task of a superior is to protect oneself and the interests of specific groups! The profits from the Mount Magic Potion were significant, and the Alchemy Guild, with its scale, had to take it seriously. Therefore, taking it for himself was necessary.
In supporting and backing Hua Ni, it was not just him, but also the Ice Sculpture King.
"But I didn’t expect Cai Jing to have such a meteoric rise and even form a brief alliance with Jiu Jin and Master Da Bei."
"Fortunately, Shuanglian is still trapped in Anqiu and hasn’t come out. If she used the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps as a bridge to ally with Cai Jing, that would be truly troublesome."
Shuanglian, who controls the Mage Tower, is a true power-holding elder. Compared to her, Cai Jing’s foundation is very shallow.
Regarding Shuanglian’s situation, the Alchemy Chairman was initially unaware.
But as the Royal Family learned about him using the guild’s precious resources to search for clues and rescue Shuanglian, the King summoned him in person to inform him of the truth in Anqiu.
"Jiu Jin and Master Da Bei’s betrayal must not be tolerated."
"Cai Jing’s contributions need to be rewarded, but we must never neglect pursuing responsibility for Jiu Jin and Master Da Bei’s actions."
"To truly do so would greatly harm the authority of our country and me as the Chairman."
The Chairman thought carefully and quickly came up with a solution.
For now, there was no need to rush in holding them accountable.
First, give Cai Jing a reward, and then provide some false leads of the flourishing hybrid master’s legacy to keep him away from the Royal Capital, ideally pushing him out of Ice Sculpture Island!
"Let Cai Jing take Jiu Jin and Master Da Bei out; out of sight, out of mind."
"Without them, who else does the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps have in the guild?"
Just as he was feeling pleased with himself, an urgent piece of intelligence was delivered to the Chairman.
"What?!" The Alchemy Chairman suddenly stood up from his seat.
"Long Fu, how could Long Fu?!"
In an instant, the composure of the superior was completely gone, and his earlier plan became a mere joke.
The Divine Country of Duels.
The Dragon-man youth had already arrived here, standing atop Anqiu Peak, gazing out at the vast land beneath.
Amongst the horizon, the Honey Snow Tower stood out in particular, prominent and obvious.
Standing beside him, Gudong’s face was as cold as iron.