Tyrant Sky Martial Soul

Chapter 1271: Chapter 1271: Throwing the Game?

After a quarter of an hour, the second phase of the competition officially began.

The items on the Alchemy Platform had already been replaced, the recipe was new, and the handwriting was clear. Now, the materials on the green stone slab were identical to the recipe, with no omissions and of excellent quality.

However, the originally single set of materials had been replaced with two sets.

From this point of view, the difficulty of this phase seemed to be higher than the first phase.

But after hearing Medicine King Sun Ran’s requirements, the alchemists were all somewhat puzzled.

”In this round, you will still be required to brew a Transcendent Pill. You have two chances, and the efficacy only needs to reach over sixty percent. The competition can begin now.”

These words sounded reasonable.

However, they left the participating alchemists reluctant to act.

The reason was simple: The task was too easy.

A Transcendent Pill of no grade, with no requirement for full efficacy. Two ample sets of materials, coupled with a clear and complete recipe.

If one could not succeed even under these conditions, they truly were unworthy of being called Yellow Grade Alchemists.

Even Ling Xiao felt somewhat perplexed in his heart.

He still refrained from making a move, for he understood clearly that this task could not be so straightforward.

With the same thirty minutes of competition time, he had more than enough to contemplate and analyze.

Many around him shared Ling Xiao’s reaction.

Those who had passed the first phase were all skilled to some degree, and certainly would not act recklessly.

About five minutes later, someone finally began alchemy.

Dan Qing and Ji Luoyu had already extracted the ingredients from the first set of materials and placed them into the Alchemy Furnace.

Clearly, their speculations had proven unfruitful, so they decided to try using the first set of materials. At the very least, they could uncover the source of any issues.

In an instant, flames ignited across nearly all the Alchemy Platforms. Perhaps everyone had sensed there was more to this task than met the eye, yet they could not pinpoint the problem, so they resorted to practical experimentation.

Fortunately, this round provided two sets of materials, allowing for some degree of resource squandering.

But Ling Xiao still did not act.

His thoughts differed from others. He suspected that the two sets of materials provided might not simply mean giving two attempts.

Perhaps there was another intention hidden there.

Across the competition venue, only Tianhai Zhen Zhu mirrored Ling Xiao’s actions, hesitating to begin.

”It seems that only these two have considered something the others overlooked.”

Ji Qing laughed and said, ”In this round, Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s only real competition might be Ling Xiao. Dan Qing and Luo Yu are still too inexperienced.”

”So you really did set up a trick?”

Medicine King Sun Ran frowned and asked.

”Indeed, I did add a slight trick to the challenge. If someone realizes it, their score for this round will be excellent. If not, they may not necessarily fail, but the chance of failure will dramatically increase.”

Ji Qing chuckled.

”Sigh, was that really necessary? Isn’t it a bit cruel to them?”

Sun Ran said helplessly.

”Ling Xiao and Tianhai Zhen Zhu are both far younger than many here. If even the two of them can uncover the secret, it’s evident that the challenge is not unsolvable.”

Ji Qing replied nonchalantly.

”Maybe they’re simply being cautious?”

Sun Ran added, ”In truth, perhaps they haven’t recognized your trap at all.”

”Maybe. Either way, we’ll know the answer soon enough.”

Ji Qing smiled, raising his gaze toward the competition field. The expressions on Ling Xiao and Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s faces carried a hint of recognition and understanding.

It appeared they were close to uncovering something.

At the same time, the other alchemists had already begun their alchemy, with some proceeding at lightning speed.

Since the initial process was smooth, many shook their heads with wry smiles, evidently feeling they had overestimated the difficulty.

As if this round truly were as simple as it seemed.

Dan Qing even cast a glance at Ling Xiao and said to Ji Luoyu, ”Look over there—he’s simply overthinking it. This second phase is clearly an easy question, yet he’s wasting so much time just thinking. Ridiculous!”

Ji Luoyu did not echo his sentiments, instead furrowing her brow and replying, ”Perhaps he has his reasons. Let’s focus on our own tasks.”

Having seen Ling Xiao’s prowess in the previous round, Ji Luoyu had developed an unshakable respect for his skills. Thus, she absolutely could not underestimate him now.

Though she didn’t know what Ling Xiao was thinking at the moment, she instinctively felt that he wouldn’t act without a solid reason or plan.

Among the audience, many who lacked understanding of alchemy were enthralled by the alchemists’ practiced techniques, bursting into excitement.

Of course, there were also some who were worried about Ling Xiao.

”Why hasn’t he started yet?”

”Hurry up! Otherwise, others will finish first!”

It’s not surprising that people felt anxious, as every phase was scored.

The highest scoring participant would ultimately claim victory as the champion.

This wasn’t merely about clearing the phase—it was much more complex.

Clearly, given the ample materials and complete recipe in the second phase, the completion speed and efficacy of the pills became decisive factors in scoring.

This differed significantly from the first phase.

”Tianhai Zhen Zhu has finally started!”

From the judging panel, Ji Qing took a deep breath and noted, ”This young woman’s alchemy techniques are astonishingly masterful, far beyond what you’d expect from an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old. There’s no way such skill comes without decades of experience!”

”Sun Ran, you’ve met Tianhai Zhen Zhu before, haven’t you? Do you know anything about her specific background?”

”About three years ago, I encountered her once. At that time, Tianhai Zhen Zhu was already extraordinarily gifted, but her skills were at most on par with Luo Yu’s level of talent. Her methods showed none of the refinement she exhibits now.”

Sun Ran replied, ”I suspect that during these three years, she must’ve gone through something—perhaps a great opportunity. A very fortunate one.”

”If that’s true, Ling Xiao may be in serious trouble. Tianhai Zhen Zhu has already seized the lead.”

Ji Qing furrowed his brow and added, ”Moreover, she’s clearly realized the reason for the two sets of materials. Of so many here, only she is using the correct method.”

”Sigh, I wonder if Ling Xiao can suppress her in this phase. If not, it’ll be quite embarrassing for us.”

Jackson Le Grandmaster sighed and shook his head.

Even though he didn’t fully understand alchemy, hearing Ji Qing’s words was enough to grasp the situation.

At present, only Tianhai Zhen Zhu was brewing pills using the right approach. The others were all incorrect. While these incorrect methods might still allow them to pass, their scores would definitely fall short of Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s.

Thus, all hope seemed to be pinned on Ling Xiao, who had yet to begin.

...

As time ticked away, some of the faster alchemists neared completion of their pills.

The entire process seemed to go off without a hitch, easing their initially tense minds.

Perhaps they had indeed spooked themselves unnecessarily—the challenge was far less intimidating than they had imagined. The judges must have truly gone easy on them this time.