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Two more Fire-Resistant Pills!!!

Added to the three from before, that was a total of five Fire-Resistant Pills!!!

Everyone was about to lose their minds.

Five sets of attribute materials had yielded five Fire-Resistant Pills. That was a 100% success rate! And they were made by... high-temperature roasting?

How could they not go crazy?

After getting a clear look at the Fire-Resistant Pills in the last two Alchemy Furnaces, the surrounding crowd could no longer contain themselves. They all started venting their shock in various ways.

Some bit their fists, some tore at their hair, some frantically pinched the philtrums under their noses, and some just kept braiding their hair over and over...

In short, it was a bizarre scene, a collection of every strange reaction imaginable.

As for Meng the Second, he was currently standing frozen in place like a wooden statue. His eyes were dull and lifeless, his mind a complete blank.

He had fallen into a state of utter confusion.

Five Fire-Resistant Pills, all successfully refined.

A 100% success rate!

His own pill wasn’t even finished, yet he had already been declared the loser.

Of course, up on the main stage, the few judges in charge of the competition hadn’t yet announced Gao Neng’s victory, because Meng the Second was still performing Alchemy.

But was there any point?

None!

Because even if Meng the Second also managed to produce five Fire-Resistant Pills, he would still have lost.

After all, Gao Neng had only taken five hours.

The difference in their Alchemy skills was already clear.

THUD!

Meng the Second finally collapsed to the ground.

He stared blankly at the materials that were still burning, momentarily unsure if he should continue or give up.

’Give up?’

’These attribute materials are all very precious.’

’But if I continue, won’t I just be embarrassing myself further?’

"Second Uncle Meng, don’t be wasteful now!" Gao Neng piped up at this moment. He then thought for a moment before adding, "You lost to me, not some random person. It’s fine!"

"’It’s fine?!’" Meng the Second glared at Gao Neng.

’That’s the whole problem! I lost to *you*!’

’You, an Alchemist who hasn’t even reached the entry level...’

’How could I possibly lose to you?’

While Meng the Second was thinking this, Gao Neng had already trotted all the way back to challenger number seventy.

The pill in the second challenge area hadn’t been successfully refined yet.

The pill Lin Baibai had chosen for his challenge was a bit more advanced than Meng the Second’s choice—a mid- to high-tier pill—so it would take a little longer.

Gao Neng ran over.

The onlookers exchanged glances and quickly ran over as well.

This led to a strange scene in the exhibition hall. Wherever Gao Neng went, the crowd followed, no longer scattered as before, but moving like a single tide.

"..." Wu Qingjing and Yutian exchanged a look.

Their faces were a mixture of shock and complexity.

They were shocked that Gao Neng had actually managed to refine five Fire-Resistant Pills. The complexity came from wondering... what kind of Magic did this kid use to make them?

「In the private room on the second floor.」

Li Tiannan’s mouth finally, slowly, closed.

Then, his gaze fell upon Sword Elder, who was still hugging him. He shot him a look with a very clear meaning: ’Let go of me, you damn perv.’

"Ahem!" Sword Elder immediately let go.

However, his expression was quite complicated, because he was certain that it was impossible for Gao Neng to have cheated with those five Alchemy Furnaces.

The reason was simple. First, Gao Neng wasn’t even there the whole time, so he had no opportunity. Second, so many pairs of eyes had been watching.

’So, he really did refine them?’

’Five sets of materials produced five Fire-Resistant Pills?!’

"Elder Qin, what are your thoughts?" one of the Strongest asked Elder Qin.

"Let’s keep watching... We should at least see the second match, right?" Elder Qin said after a moment of silence.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to comment.

It was that he *couldn’t* comment!

This was too fucking outrageous, wasn’t it? That’s not how you do Alchemy! You don’t just crank up the heat to max and roast them for five hours to get five Fire-Resistant Pills.

If Alchemy was really this simple, what was the point of Alchemists like them even existing?

"Is it possible that... this is just how you make Fire-Resistant Pills?" another Strongest spoke up, because right now, it was the only possibility.

"Are you saying that Fire-Resistant Pills can only achieve a 100% success rate through high-temperature roasting?" The Strongest who had spoken earlier turned his gaze.

"What other explanation is there?"

"Not necessarily... but it’s not impossible."

"..."

...

The discussion in the private room continued.

Meanwhile, Gao Neng was already standing before the challenge area for number seventy again, looking at the dumbfounded Alchemist with a sincere and well-behaved expression.

"Alright, let’s continue!" Gao Neng said, pointing at the Alchemy Furnace in front of him.

"Huh? Wha... What do you mean, continue?"

"Continue with your challenge, of course. You’re the one who’s going to defeat me. Mmm... you have to believe in yourself!" Gao Neng casually encouraged his opponent.

"..." The Alchemist challenger, number seventy.

’Why do these words sound so... wrong?’

He was feeling very frustrated.

He was supposed to be confidently challenging Gao Neng. He was supposed to believe he would definitely win, that there was no way he could lose.

But the problem now was...

’What the hell were those five Fire-Resistant Pills just now?!’

’And what the hell was that 100% Alchemy success rate?!’

’Is he a monster?!’

The Alchemist looked at the furnace in front of him, then at the one in front of Gao Neng.

"I’m going to start now," Gao Neng said. He then turned the temperature dial on one of the furnaces and, just like when he accepted the previous challenge, cranked it directly to the highest setting.

"..." The Alchemist’s state of mind was completely different this time.

In fact, it wasn’t just him. All the Noble Young Masters from the sects and families around him felt the same way. No one would ever again look down on Gao Neng’s seemingly ordinary twisting motion.

"Maybe the secret is in how he turns the temperature dial!"

"That’s the only move he makes!"

"Did you guys get a clear look? Does he use some special technique when he does it? Like nine slow turns and one fast, or nine fast turns and one slow?"

"It looked pretty normal, just an ordinary twist!"

"No, it wasn’t ordinary at all! Did you notice? Gao Neng used his thumb and middle finger to turn it. Shouldn’t you normally use your index and middle fingers?"

"That makes sense! So the problem lies in the fingering technique for turning the dial!"

"Look, Gao Neng is about to turn the dial on the second furnace!"

"This time... he... he’s actually using his middle and ring fingers! Can you believe it?!"

"..."

The surrounding Noble Young Masters from the sects and families looked at each other, all feeling as if thunderclouds were gathering above their heads.

’What happened to the special technique?’

’Why was the technique different both times?’

Just as they were thinking this, Gao Neng turned the temperature control on the third furnace. This time, he used his index and middle fingers.

"..." The Noble Young Masters from the sects and families.

Next, Gao Neng turned the fourth and fifth.

This time, he used both hands. He used his left hand to turn the fourth one, and as for which finger he used...

...the surrounding Noble Young Masters from the sects and families no longer had the heart to watch.

’The problem isn’t his fingers!’

’Could it be the speed of the turn?’

But they had watched that too, and the speed didn’t seem special either. It was just a very willful, very flashy, casual twist.

"Alright, now we just have to wait for the time to be up to open the furnaces. You take your time refining, Uncle. I’m off to accept the next challenge." After cranking all five furnaces to high in one go, Gao Neng walked toward challenger number seventy-one with a remarkably cheerful spring in his step.

The surrounding Noble Young Masters from the sects and families exchanged a look and immediately followed him again.

Naturally, they hadn’t given up.

They wanted to see what method Gao Neng was actually using.

At this moment, challenger number seventy-one, an Alchemist, also came to his senses. He carefully looked at the materials prepared in front of him, then at the materials and the empty furnace in front of Gao Neng.

All these things had been prepared by their side.

If anyone was going to cheat, it should have been them.

"Captain Gao, you have good luck, but... luck is something that doesn’t last forever." The Alchemist was very composed; he was a "veteran" who had seen his share of battles.

So, he quickly calmed down and became quite steady.

"Mmm, you’re right, Senior!" Gao Neng nodded humbly.

"..." The Alchemist said no more. He began to focus on refining his pill, first mixing the ingredients, then carefully testing the heat.

Then, he discovered that Gao Neng had already finished everything and, after turning on the high-temperature mode for all five furnaces, had walked straight away.

’He’s so fast!’

The Alchemist shook his head. This method was a reckless waste of precious materials. If he lost even to this, he would swallow the red-hot furnace.

Just as he was thinking this, a BEEP BEEP BEEP... sound came from the distance, like a kettle boiling.

Gao Neng, who was about to reach position number seventy-three, stopped in his tracks. He turned his head and looked in the direction the sound was coming from.

There was no mistake!

It was challenge area number two.

Because Lin Baibai was staring wide-eyed at the screeching cauldron in front of him.

’Gao Neng’s is done?!’ Lin Baibai subconsciously swallowed. He found this truly unbelievable.

By all logic, Gao Neng should have been guaranteed to lose.

However, he had seen what happened at challenge position number one with his own eyes.

’Is it possible...’

’No, impossible!’

As Lin Baibai was frantically trying to psych himself up, he saw Gao Neng happily trotting over from the distance.

In a moment, he was standing right in front of him.

Lin Baibai looked at Gao Neng.

Gao Neng looked back at Lin Baibai.

"Hey, Lin Baibai, I remember your name!"

"..." Lin Baibai.

"See? Mine are already done. How much longer until yours are ready?" Gao Neng asked again.

"About another day..."

"Oh, that’s quite a while. I can’t wait for you, so I’ll just open the furnace and get my pills now." Gao Neng smiled, then directly lifted the lid off the furnace in front of him.

Just like before, there was no foreplay—it was simple and brutal!