--- Chapter 54 ---
The Second Round of the Alchemist Grand Meeting started.
Even though the 2nd Round's instruction told the contestant to follow the recipe, a skilled alchemist would have noticed errors in the ingredients and steps. More so for Baek Ain, who focused more on each ingredient's measurement and the proper reactions when creating a pill.
One small mistake is critical, making the whole thing fall apart.
The true motive is to see if the contestant notices the error in the recipe and fixes it.
And just like that, Baek Ain could see several contestants' Alchemist Furnace explode and release black smoke.
Boom! Poof!
One after another, the contestant failed to enter the 3rd Round.
Without their treasured Alchemist Furnace, nothing they could do to repeat the pill-making unless they had a spare furnace lying around in their spatial rings.
Baek Ain whistled and picked a small knife from his inventory, cutting the medicinal ingredients into proper portions. He grabbed a small pot and threw the ingredients into it, refining them casually.
"Hmm... Hmm..."
He grabbed a normal-looking 1-Tier Alchemist Pot made of 100 years old ceramics that one could buy in any Miteer Auction House and burned up Gnome's Flame inside it, heating the interior to his preferences. And Adding Wood Dou Qi into the furnace, Baek Ain maintained the heat optimally.
After a few minutes, Baek Ain noticed the outer layer of the furnace become red and smiled because everything was perfect now.
"Almost there." Baek Ain gently covered the medicinal ingredient with his Dou Qi and shoved them into the furnace, triggering the mixing process.
A pleasant scent invaded Baek Ain's nose as he controlled Gnome's flame precisely. He grabbed an apple and began eating, causing the pill-making to look so casual to others.
Enjoying his sweet apple, Baek Ain sat on the edge of his table and observed other contestants.
"What?"
"Never seen someone eat an apple before?"
The disrespect is unreal.
While others were crying because they couldn't continue, he enjoyed his apple like it was cooking class. They stared at Baek Ain hatefully, but he didn't do anything wrong except be insensitive toward others.
Another five minutes passed, and Baek Ain clenched his right hand, condensing the pill inside the furnace.
"Done. I've made the Explosive Dou Qi Pill." Baek Ain grabbed a golden pill with three blue cloud patterns. "Well, there are some improvements, but it's not worth mentioning."
"..." Everyone.
What do you mean they are not worth mentioning?!
Explosive Dou Qi Pill is a recipe written inside the scrolls, but the judge purposely makes some errors to test the contestant. And With the correct method, this pill could increase one's cultivation speed twice a week.
Of course, it's just 3-Tier Pills, so the effect is only sufficient when consumed by Dou Grandmaster or below.
Still, it's a great pill, and this young man said he improved it.
Ridiculous!
The high-ranking alchemist jumped onto the altar and made the black-robed contestant nervous. He approached Baek Ain and checked his improvised Explosive Dou Qi Pill, frowning because his mastery was lacking to sense its effect.
However, he knows Baek Ain wasn't lying.
"Can I take this for further inspection? And yes, it determines your success in the 3rd Round."
Baek Ain smiled and answered, "Go ahead."
As if something like this didn't bother him, Baek Ain showed extreme confidence in his ability. He never had a teacher, but Yao Men's memories as Alchemy Saint guide him to the proper path.
It would be a lie if Baek Ain said he wasn't grateful.
Thanks to Yao Men, Baek Ain improved this far quickly.
The high-ranked alchemist brought Baek Ain's pill to Fa Ma and the other elders, allowing them to observe it further.
After a few seconds, Fa Ma slumped into his chair and sighed, "The next generation will always surpass the previous one. Aih, It's one of the never-ending cycles in life."
"Senior Fa Ma, why are you so shocked? It's just a 3-Tier Pill."
"Yeah, he might be lucky and find a way to improve Explosive Dou Qi Pill in an accident."
Fa Ma laughed wryly and answered, "Have you not seen how he makes a pill? His method required precise measurement and extreme fire control."
"Next, do you not notice that he only uses half of the medicinal ingredients prepared? That means the other half is worthless for making this Explosive Dou Qi Pill."
"The recipe is flawed in purpose, which led him to eliminate several ingredients to bring forth greater effect. Do you know how absurd it sounds for a 15-year-old kid to do this?"
"Miteer Family has nurtured a frightening monster. No wonder their sales have gone up lately, which makes me curious who Baek Ain's Teacher is."
Such a youngster should have an influential teacher behind him, but Baek Ain has none related to alchemy. Baek Ain only had one teacher, and that person was Lan Rou.
Returning to the altar, Xiao Yan and the black-robed contestant finished their task.
"Yan Xiao and Yan Li passed to the 3rd Round!" Yafei announced calmly.
The crowd is happy and furious because of this development.
Happy because there is someone like Yan Xiao.
And furious because a bastard from Chu Yuan Empire passed to the 3rd Round. Poison Masters are despicable people. They are ruthless and borderline insane in most cases.
"Your Highness and Liu Ling passed the 3rd Round!"
Royal Princess and Liu Ling passed after realizing their mistakes, using their intellect and spare furnace. Still, it was a close call.
"Thanks for the clue, fellow alchemist." Liu Ling cupped his hands, bowing slightly to Baek Ain.
Baek Ain waved his hand indifferently and responded, "It's nothing. I only told you to see the bigger picture."
"Still, thanks." Liu Ling smiled slightly.
Baek Ain chuckled and waited for the elders to examine his pill. After a few minutes, the high-ranked alchemist stepped out of the judge's row and declared, "The winner of the 2nd Round is Baek Ain!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAH!!"
"BAEK AIN IS THE BEST."
"HE WON 1st and 2nd Rounds so easily."
Everyone, especially the female audience, cheered for Baek Ain's success.
Some are even bold enough to say something like this.
"BAEK AIN, PLEASE LET ME HAVE YOUR CHILD!"
"BAEK AIN, MARRY ME~!!"
"KYAA, LET ME JOIN YOUR HAREM~!!!"
"NO, LET ME BE YOUR MAID~!!!"
[Good for you, host] Alicia teased monotonously.
'Shut up, Alicia...'
'Women are scary, so having too much will bring trouble for me.' Baek Ain saw Yafei's calm expression become slightly stagnant. Even though she was smiling, there was a hint of coldness behind it.
Unknown to Baek Ain, Yafei wouldn't oppose him if he wanted to build a harem. The only problem was if these bitches and whores dared to cling to his brilliance.
'Know your places...' Yafei's blue eyes shone with dim silver light. One has to possess standards to join Baek Ain's harem.
"Um, Lady Fei, please continue?" Someone from the alchemist association whispered into the podium.
Yafei awakened from her thoughts and reacted awkwardly, "A-Ah, yes."
"Kuhum, we shall proceed to the 3rd Round."
"The 3rd Round's topic is simple and has no hidden objectives."
"Contestants demanded to create the best pill they could make with their own ingredients."
The surviving contestant nodded simultaneously in understanding.
A grin appeared on the black-robed contestant's face because he'd dominated everyone in the 3rd Round. After all, his capability is far greater than these brats.
"Then... Third Round Begins!" Yafei announced loudly.
Baek Ain relaxed his fingers slightly and commented, "Well, I can't lose and fail my quest."
"I'll be serious in this Round."