Chapter 573: The Final Round

Chapter 573: Chapter 571: The Final Round

His rapid detoxification gave them a huge shock; they had never witnessed such a speedy neutralization of poison before. How was this any different from being able to detoxify it on one’s own?

Of course, there was a difference. Being able to detoxify the poison naturally wouldn’t earn any bonus points. However, even if one could detoxify it on their own, as long as they kept quiet about it and refined the corresponding Antitoxic Pill, they would still receive bonus points.

Long Xingyun could tell with a single glance whether the Elixir Pill Lin Xuan had refined was correct, so he didn’t even need to inspect his body to know. Each Poison Pill bottle corresponded to a specific Antitoxic Pill formula, which would be revealed after the time it took for one incense stick to burn.

This wasn’t a loophole. Even if one had a natural immunity, they could still earn bonus points as long as they refined the corresponding Antitoxic Pill. For those who couldn’t figure it out, they could simply wait for the official formula to be revealed and still earn full marks for the round. The system was quite lenient.

“Really?”

The other Elders rushed over to examine Lin Xuan and found that there truly wasn’t a single trace of poison left in his body. Cheating was impossible; too many eyes were watching.

“Lin Xuan, please show your medicine bottle to the Elders,” Long Xingyun said.

Lin Xuan handed them the bottle. Each bottle had a unique mark that corresponded to a specific Pill Formula.

After inspecting the bottle, the Elders all nodded, their decision made. They had clearly seen which Antitoxic Grass and other herbs Lin Xuan had gathered earlier, so they didn’t even need him to list them. Now, cross-referencing that with the mark on the bottle, everything checked out perfectly!

This meant that Lin Xuan had genuinely identified the correct Pill Formula for the Antitoxic Pill! The fact that he had done so in such a short amount of time left them all somewhat dumbfounded.

“Lin Xuan passes perfectly! He receives a full score of ten points, plus ten bonus points!”

The facts were right in front of them. No matter how reluctant the Elders might be, they had to announce that Lin Xuan had successfully detoxified the poison, and had done so perfectly! On top of a full score, he was awarded another ten points!

The first round was worth ten points, the second was ten, the third was twenty, and now the fourth was twenty, bringing his total to sixty points! He was leading by a huge margin. It seemed to everyone that it would be nearly impossible for Long Bin and his group to catch up unless they also managed to get a perfect score in this round.

Lin Xuan was quite fond of these rules. ‘The way they add points is really something,’ he thought. ‘It’s basically a double score!’ In a competition like this, being low-key was the same as failing. Time was points, and being too reserved would get you eliminated.

So how could Lin Xuan dare to be low-key? There was no need. Being too modest wouldn’t have the desired intimidating effect.

After his score was announced, Lin Xuan stepped to the side. He watched Long Bin and the others, their faces ashen, with a faint smile on his lips. ‘To be fair, their skills are pretty good,’ he mused. ‘It’s just a shame they ran into me.’

After a short while, Long Bin and Long Fan both rose to gather their herbs for Alchemy. It seemed they had finally figured out what ingredients were in the Poison Pill.

“What’s the rush? A good portion of the incense stick’s time is already gone. No matter how fast you are now, you won’t be able to get a perfect score. You can just take your time, no need to be in such a hurry,” Lin Xuan said with a calm smile, not passing up the chance to taunt them.

Recalling their earlier words to him, what Lin Xuan said now wasn’t even half as vicious. What goes around, comes around.

Long Bin’s expression was grim. He nearly smashed the Pill Furnace in his hands onto the ground, but fortunately, his mental fortitude was strong enough to prevent such an impulsive act.

Long Fan shot Lin Xuan a venomous glare before continuing to refine his Antitoxic Pill. After a period of intense concentration, he finally succeeded. He immediately tossed the pill into his mouth, and the color returned to his face.

Beside him, Long Bin also successfully completed his refinement. After swallowing his Antitoxic Pill, his complexion recovered as well.

They had successfully detoxified, no problem there, but their score was only eighteen points, two points less than Lin Xuan. This brought their total score difference to over ten points—a truly staggering gap.

The remaining contestants continued to ponder deeply. But they were disciples of Medicine King Valley, after all. Eventually, every one of them successfully figured out the detoxification method and proceeded to refine an Antitoxic Pill.

There were no major errors. The disciples of Medicine King Valley were arrogant, but they certainly had the skill to back it up. An ordinary Alchemy Master would have panicked long ago and ended in failure, or would have had to wait for the Pill Formula to be released to even know how to begin.

Not a single Medicine King Valley disciple had to wait; they all successfully completed the task within the time it took for one incense stick to burn, thus earning bonus points. However, none of them could surpass Lin Xuan. His bonus was the highest and the most impressive!

After the fourth round concluded, some Elixir Pills were distributed to help the Alchemy Masters recover more quickly. The poison wasn’t particularly harmful, so they wouldn’t need a long rest before proceeding to the next round.

“The fourth round is over. I am very pleased with your abilities. It seems you have all made tremendous progress over the past five years. Now, it is time for the fifth and final round!”

As he spoke, the smile on Long Xingyun’s face faded, replaced by a serious expression.

The final round was finally here! Everyone held their breath, listening to Long Xingyun’s words. Many were hoping to stage a comeback in this last round—who wouldn’t want a high rank and the rewards that came with it? The ones most desperate for a reversal were, of course, Long Bin and Long Fan. They were not at all willing to accept defeat so easily.

Long Xingyun swept his gaze across the disciples before speaking. “The fifth round will be a true test of your individual skill. I want you to show me the full extent of your potential! It is also an opportunity for those with lower scores to turn the tables!”

“The scoring rules are simple. You are to refine the highest-quality Elixir Pills that you are capable of making. You will have five days—the time it takes for five incense sticks to burn. The higher the Grade of the Elixir Pills you refine, and the greater the quantity, the higher your score will be!”

“As for the scoring itself: the minimum acceptable level is a Third Grade Elixir. A Third Grade Elixir is worth one point per pill, a Fourth Grade Elixir is worth five points per pill, and a Fifth Grade Elixir is worth ten points per pill! There is no upper limit on your score. As long as your Alchemy Technique is high enough and your refinement speed is fast enough, you will have the chance to turn the tables!”

The announcement stunned the entire audience!

The words “no score limit” echoed in everyone’s minds. The more you refined, the higher your score! If someone could frantically produce a large number of High Grade Elixir Pills, their score would skyrocket.

At this, the spirits of Long Bin and Long Fan soared. With this kind of opportunity, a comeback was possible. In truth, they had many skills they hadn’t been able to use, held back by the strict rules of the previous rounds. Their true Alchemy Technique had not yet been fully demonstrated.

“However, the materials are extremely expensive. If you fail a refinement, you will be penalized. A failed Third Grade Elixir will cost you five points. A failed Fourth Grade Elixir will cost you twenty points. And a failed Fifth Grade Elixir will cost you a whopping sixty points! So, you must all carefully assess your own abilities. If you refine recklessly and fail, you will lose a massive number of points!”

This new rule made everyone’s expression turn bitter once more. It seemed that a comeback was only possible if your skills were genuinely up to the task.