The Extreme Alchemist of the Mighty Cauldron

“A draw? How could it be a draw? Damn it! I still couldn’t secure a victory!” Meng Chaoyang was so disappointed that he wanted to slap himself. His face was mired with bitterness and loss.

In contrast to Meng Chaoyang, Zhang Tianmiao, although taken aback at first, didn’t appear as dejected. He forced a bitter smile, shook his head and bowed deeply to Meng Chaoyang.

“Today, witnessing Brother Meng’s skills, I greatly admire you,” confessed Zhang Tianmiao, with sincerity in his voice.

In response to Zhang Tianmiao’s deep bow, Meng Chaoyang also respectfully returned the gesture.

The two of them faced each other, both seeing the shrouded look of surprise in each other’s eyes. Neither Meng Chaoyang nor Zhang Tianmiao had expected it to end in a draw.

Although Zhang Tianmiao outwardly appeared calm, he was far from at peace internally.

The result of a draw had been beyond both of their expectations, but upon calm reflection, it was quite within the realm of reality.

They were both Second Cauldron Pill Refiners and held high status within their respective Sects. Even though Meng Chaoyang ranked lower in the Pill Alliance, the difference in alchemical skills between the two was negligible.

Meng Chaoyang took several deep breaths to get himself together, Imowing full well that if he hadn’t risked it all by speeding up, he would’ve lost.

A draw, although he didn’t win, at least spared him the shame, preserving the dignity of both him and his Pill Sect.

As for the disciples of both the Pill Sect and the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect, even though they found it difficult to accept the outcome of a draw, they were forced to accept it. After all, this judgement was handed out by the Head Elder and the Leader of Ten-thousand Medicine Sect; it was unquestionably the fairest.

Zhang Tianmiao returned to his fellow disciples, the slim young man and the girl, where the young man gave him a nod of approval. However, the girl just sneered, appearing rather dissatisfied.

Zhang Tianmiao forced a bitter smile, saying, “Junior Sister, I’ve really done my best. Meng Chaoyang is indeed formidable. It’s up to you now.”

The girl played down his comment, patting his shoulder, “It always comes down to me in the end, you guys are so lazy.”

Zhang Tianmiao was left speechless. He hadn’t been slacking off. Meng Chaoyang’s performance had simply exceeded his expectations, resulting in their failure to clinch the victory.

On the other side, Meng Chaoyang returned to Fang Lin and Gu Liuli’s side. Gu Liuli wanted to say something, but was at a loss for words.

On the contrary, Fang Lin was seen sporting a reassuring smile, as if he was not at all worried about being the next one to compete.

Seeing that Fang Lin could still manage a smile, Meng Chaoyang revealed a bitter smile of his own, shaking his head, “It’s your turn next, are you still not bothered?”

Fang Lin gave a brief laugh, “Don’t worry, I won’t lose.”

Meng Chaoyang was helpless, completely puzzled by Fang Lin’s unwavering confidence.

After his battle with Zhang Tianmiao, Meng Chaoyang ceased to underestimate the people of Ten-thousand Medicine Sect. The girl chosen to fight must inevitably be quite powerful, and even if Fang Lin had a good mentality, he should be feeling some pressure.

By this time, the attention of the entire Pill Sect was on Fang Lin.

Their gazes reflected an array of emotions, including complexity, expectation, despair, and inspiration.

But overall, the majority were still hopelessly hoping for Fang Lin to overturn the unfavorable situation.

Among the many elders of the Pill Sect, Meng Wuyou, Mu Yan, and others awaited Fang Lin’s performance, but even they didn’t harbor much hope.

On the other hand, the elders who had discontentment towards Fang Lin, such as Zhao Dengming and Yu Zhen, felt incredibly conflicted.

If Fang Lin won, he would be the hero of the Pill Sect, receiving sincere recognition and admiration from many. This wasn’t what they wanted, considering their sour relationship with Fang Lin.

But if Fang Lin lost, they won’t be happy either because the Pill Sect would once again be the subject of mockery from the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect, and who knew how many people in Qian Country would ridicule the Pill Sect.

Consequently, elders like Zhao Dengming and his peers were in quite a pickle.

However, apart from some individuals who have a bone to pick with Fang Lin, other elders were hoping that Fang Lin would win.

On the stone platform, an elder with the surname Gong looked delighted, while Gu Daofeng beside him maintained an expression as still as a tranquil old well, as if nothing could disturb his emotions.

“Brother Gu, are you sure you’re not going to change the participant in the third round?” Elder Gong asked with a mirthful grin.

Gu Daofeng, with a poker face, replied, “There’s no need for a change.”

In Gu Daofeng’s mind, there simply weren’t any better candidates for a substitution. Whether they won or lost, he had already prepared himself mentally.

Elder Gong looked at Fang Lin down on the stage with a strange expression and said, “This kid doesn’t seem dependable at all. I’m afraid we’ll easily win this

round.”

Unexpectedly, Gu Daofeng coldly retorted, “Maybe this round will be an effortless victory to us.”

Elder Gong was slightly taken aback. If Gu Daofeng could say so, it indicated that he had great confidence in Fang Lin.

But no matter how Elder Gong saw it, Fang Lin didn’t appear to be the kind of alchemy genius who’s more than meets the eye.

Moreover, Elder Gong was well aware of the mightiness of their representative, the young girl. She was the trump card of the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect, the ultimate assurance for a victory.

When compared to the two representatives who competed earlier, the slim young man and Zhang Tianmiao, she was a cut above them, despite them being alchemy geniuses as well.

Originally, Elder Gong had thought that they could win the first two rounds outright, so the invaluable trump card wouldn’t be needed. But now, it seemed it couldn’t be kept a secret after all.

Under the gaze of everyone, Fang Lin strode onto the Pill Array with confidence, even occasionally waving at the disciples of the Pill Sect in the distance.

On the other side, the young girl stepped forward, and upon seeing how cheekily Fang Lin had been waving at the crowd, a trace of mockery spread across her face.

“Let him enjoy his moment now. I’ll see if he can still cry later, ” the girl thought sinisterly.

Fang Lin and the girl stood opposing each other. Fang Lin wore what he believed to be a charming smile, while the girl was also smiling, though her’s was a cold one.

The elders of the Pill Sect looked at Fang Lin and heaved a silent sigh. Although they didn’t have high hopes, they still wished to see Fang Lin make a miraculous comeback.

The elders of the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect, on the other hand, believed that there was no need for this round to be held. The girl was their guaranteed trump card, making the outcome inevitable.

“Round three, the Pill Sect’s Fang Lin versus the Ten-thousand Medicine Sect’s Dugu Nian. Within six hours, create Spirit Qi Pills. The results will be judged based on the time taken and the quality of the pills, ” announced an elder of the Pill Sect loudly, marking the commencement of the third round..