Amid the excitement of the crowd and the seriousness of the competitors, Elder Yang Shi announced the challenge for the final round.

“The final challenge will consist of creating a Perfect-Stage Marrow Cleansing Pill of the Founder-Tier.”

“This is known as one of the hardest pills to create below the Core-Tier. In fact, some Core-Tier materials are used in its composition, making it extremely challenging for ordinary Founder-Tier alchemists. Most of the time, only Core-Tier alchemists dare to attempt it, but even they may fail several times before succeeding.”

He explained calmly, then looked at the ten remaining contestants.

“Of course, with the sect’s inheritance, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you who’ve made it this far to refine such a pill. However, this time you’ll only have two sticks of incense to complete the refinement. Once the time is up, the final result will be evaluated accordingly.”

Yang Shi hadn’t even finished speaking when everyone tensed upon hearing the time limit — only thirty minutes. Even those in the audience with the slightest understanding of alchemy knew how absurd it was to attempt such a complex batch of pills in so little time.

Some of the older disciples, like the formerly toothless Hui Lang — who had already regrown his teeth — had nostalgic looks as they remembered this very pill, which they had once received and which had helped them greatly when they joined the sect.

Ignoring the crowd’s anxiety, Yang Shi waved his hand, sending the ingredients to each participant.

“Without further delay, the final round of the Infinite Dao Sect’s annual internal alchemy competition… begins!”

At his command, all the alchemists below sprang into action. They grabbed their herbs, processed them as fast as they could, and tossed them into their cauldrons.

Since the time was short, they couldn’t aim for too much quality, so they sped up the process — inevitably affecting the results.

The true challenge now was to see who could minimize losses without exceeding the time limit.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the competition didn’t seem particularly exciting. After all, it was just alchemists focused intently while their cauldrons trembled in the air, their eyes closed and expressions solemn. Not even beautiful flames dancing around the cauldrons — which at least would have been entertaining to watch — could be seen.

Alchemy could be done in two ways: generating flames inside the cauldron or outside it, each with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the alchemist’s style and purpose.

With internal flames, controlling the herbs was easier since the alchemist’s spiritual flame touched the ingredients directly, reducing the need for meticulous control. However, part of the medicinal essence was burned in the process, which reduced the pills’ effectiveness.

With external flames, control was much more difficult, as one needed to heat the cauldron from the outside, refining the materials with the heat without burning or undercooking them. The benefit, however, was immense: when done correctly, the result was a pill of much higher quality and medicinal potency, as no medicinal essence was burned away.

Of course, all of this depended on the alchemist’s skill and the pill being made. That’s why, normally, only insecure or lower-level alchemists used the first method — or when they were attempting to refine a pill beyond their current ability.

In the case of the ten competitors, there was no time to worry about quality. The internal flame method was the only viable option to speed up the process and maintain control.

Even Huo Qing, who had previously used the internal flame method only to hide his true ability, was now using it in earnest to increase speed and precision. His forehead was drenched in sweat, his eyes remained closed, and his expression was deadly serious.

The other disciples were in the same situation — some even worse, completely soaked in sweat.

That included Cang Song. But in his case, the reason was a bit different.

‘Uhh… I know Lan Jun’s skill well enough to estimate roughly what score he’ll achieve. But that guy who reeks of trouble, Huo Qing… if he’s skilled enough to take first place, I’ll end up in third, which isn’t ideal. After all, a direct disciple in third place might displease the master and the other disciples. Second place is already pushing it.’

Nervous and unsure what to do, he simply pressed his lips together and gambled… gambled that his instincts were right.

And even if he was wrong, it wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, the sect was safe — Cang Song just had the habit of being overly cautious.

Time passed slowly, and half an hour later, under the sharp gaze of the crowd, the time limit expired. All participants opened their eyes at the same moment.

Some had bitter expressions, others serious. Some were calm, others frustrated.

This time, no cauldrons exploded. These ten disciples were the elite of the sect’s alchemists, geniuses who had reached this point through their own merit.

The elders began to evaluate the results, but unlike in previous rounds, this time they did so aloud.

Starting with the first cauldron — Lan Jun’s, who had maintained first place in the previous three rounds — the elder opened the lid with his energy and made ten pills float out.

“Ten pills in total. Five low-grade, three mid-grade, and two high-grade. A total of 17 points!”

With the announcement, Elder Yang Shi on stage placed his hand on the light screen’s control orb and updated the results, causing the curtain to flash with the new score.

“Hiss…”

The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath at the difficulty of the challenge and began discussing it animatedly.

It should be known that Lan Jun’s score had never fallen below forty points in previous rounds, but this time he only managed seventeen — a drastic drop that showed just how hard the final pill was to refine.

The next scores began to be announced:

“Eight pills in total. Seven low-grade, one mid-grade. A total of nine points!”

“Six pills in total. Five low-grade, one mid-grade. A total of seven points!”

“Six pills in total. Four low-grade, two mid-grade. A total of eight points!”

The counts continued, but most failed to produce even a single high-grade pill like Lan Jun, making it clear that he was still far ahead of the other disciples.

But even that fact didn’t lessen the growing admiration in everyone’s hearts. To think that a pill even Core-Tier alchemists had difficulty creating could be refined effortlessly by those ten sect disciples — and within such an extreme time limit — was simply incredible.

It only proved the strength and depth of the sect they belonged to, filling them with pride.

Finally, it was Cang Song’s turn.

The elder opened his cauldron and, upon seeing the contents, raised an eyebrow at the man over sixty standing before him, who smiled disarmingly and flatteringly. The elder only rolled his eyes in response.

Lifting the pills from the cauldron, he announced:

“Eleven pills in total. Six low-grade, three mid-grade, and two high-grade. A total of eighteen points!”

Yang Shi, on the stage, chuckled softly upon hearing the announcement and added the score, causing the light screen to update immediately.

[Cang Song – Fourth Round: 18 points – Rank: 1st Place]

[Lan Jun – Fourth Round: 17 points – Rank: 2nd Place]

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

“Wow, I knew Senior Brother Cang’s skill was strong! He’s practically tied with Senior Brother Lan. He must’ve been holding back before and only revealed his true strength in the final round!”

“I don’t think so. He probably got a bit lucky this time and managed a good result, but truly, their skills aren’t that far apart. Although Senior Brother Cang’s talent is a bit inferior, he is the direct disciple of Elder Dan, the head of the Alchemy Pavilion, which helps him a lot. Lan Jun, on the other hand, is just an ordinary inner disciple who had to compete for the elders’ guidance with other disciples.”

The discussions continued for a few moments but soon died down. All gazes turned toward the last disciple to be evaluated, filled with anticipation.

Huo Qing sat calmly, and after seeing everyone else’s scores, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The elder approached, opened the cauldron, and drew the pills out.

“Eleven pills in total. Five low-grade, four mid-grade, and two high-grade. A total of nineteen points!”

The crowd held its breath.

Yang Shi smiled and added the score to the light screen before announcing joyfully:

“Let’s give a round of applause for Huo Qing! He is the champion of the very first Infinite Dao Sect Annual Internal Alchemy Competition!”

His words were like flipping a switch — the stunned crowd snapped out of their daze and erupted in a deafening cheer.

“OOOAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

“Huo Qing! Huo Qing!”

“Ahh! Who would’ve thought we’d have an underdog in the very first competition! How exciting!”

“I’m so jealous! Such glory! No way, I have to win the next competition!”

The crowd shouted and chatted among themselves, brimming with excitement.

Huo Qing, at the center of attention, blushed with excitement as he heard over ten thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators shouting his name and envying him. What glory this was!

His joy only grew when he spotted the girl he liked among the crowd — his Sister Ye — looking at him in disbelief and excitement.

Meanwhile, Lan Jun, an elderly man with a gentle face, looked surprised by the result when he found himself suddenly in third place. Despite the bitterness, he merely sighed and prepared to work harder in the future.

He had never been a genius. Already over eighty years old, he had been ready to die as a nobody, hidden away in a mortal kingdom. That was until a friend told him about the Infinite Dao Sect, which was recruiting with relatively low entry standards — and he decided to give it a try. Who would’ve thought it would be the wisest decision of his life?

Once a nobody at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, talentless, and someone no one would notice even if he vanished… now, a year later, he had become a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator and a recognized genius in Alchemy.

For someone like him, who had always lived at the bottom, it was a little sad not to have reached first place — it had been so close, right within reach. But he wouldn’t be disheartened by that. Reaching third place was already something unimaginable for his former self.

He wouldn’t give up because of a small setback. His entire life had been made of setbacks. No — he would only become more determined and work even harder.

Meanwhile, Cang Song sighed. Many thought it was from disappointment, but in truth, it was relief.

‘Damn, that was close! Who would’ve thought Huo Qing and Lan Jun’s skills would be so evenly matched? Even if the competition restarted, it’d be hard to tell who’d win. Fortunately, I calculated Lan Jun’s strength correctly, and my margin of error was small. If I’d been off even a little, the result would’ve been completely different. I guess luck smiled on me this time.’

The old rascal Cang thought, satisfied with the success of his schemes.

Feeling someone’s gaze on him, he stopped his thoughts and looked toward a purple-robed elder standing a bit farther away, watching him with a faint smile.

Joy flashed in Cang Song’s eyes. That was his master, and he imagined the man must be quite pleased with his performance.

‘Master doesn’t know my true abilities, and since he thinks I’m not that good at alchemy, he must’ve been really surprised I got second place!’

Excited by the thought, he rushed toward Elder Dan Hong.

“Master, I didn’t disgrace you!” he shouted obediently upon arrival, bowing deeply and waiting for praise.

But instead of praise, he received a tug on his ear.

“You little bastard! You think I don’t know you were playing around and pretending?! As my disciple, how dare you bring shame to your master by ending up in second place?! Now everyone in the sect will think my teachings are poor, or I, old Dan Hong, don’t have a good eye for disciples?!”

Elder Dan’s small smile vanished instantly, as if it had merely been a carefully prepared trap to catch his cowardly disciple — which, in fact, it was.

His fierce scolding made the bewildered Cang Song turn pale.

“No, no, no, Master! You’re overestimating me — I did my best this time! Your disciple is just stupid and incompetent!” he said quickly, shaking his head while his ear was still being pinched.

“Idiot! So you’re saying my eye is poor or that my teachings are flawed?! Maybe I should demote you to an ordinary inner disciple and take Huo Qing as my new student instead, what do you think?!” the elder growled, glaring fiercely at his unfilial disciple.

Cang Song’s eyes lit up for a moment — it sounded like a good opportunity — but upon seeing his master’s menacing gaze, he only shrank his neck and gave an awkward smile. He knew that if he dared to agree, his master would definitely beat him.

And deep down… he really didn’t want to part ways with his master.

Elder Dan rolled his eyes at his rebellious disciple.

“Bah! ‘Did your best,’ my foot! You’re my disciple, and I’m a master alchemist. You’re still too green if you think you can fool me with that third-rate acting and mediocre alchemy. I know you reached the level of a Core-Tier alchemist months ago.”

Cang Song, who had been feigning innocence with a sheepish smile, immediately lost all color in his face.

‘It’s over…’

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep