Refining the medicine, compounding the medicine, identifying the medicine—the four trials were now complete...

What would the fifth trial be?

This time, the Grand Elixir Competition was quite different from previous years. Previously, there were also five trials, essentially involving the refinement of five distinct spiritual elixirs, with the fifth trial specifically requiring the refinement of a third-grade spiritual elixir. However, the judges this year had taken a unique approach; not only was each trial more challenging, but they were also far more compelling to watch.

This was especially true for the final trial of the day, which everyone watched with curiosity and anticipation. In the afternoon, when the manor gates opened, an even thicker stream of people poured inside. Compared to the morning session, the crowd had easily doubled; the spacious grounds were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, a surging mass of humanity, with the roar of voices shaking the very air.

"Boom!"

The bell chimed, and the six judges appeared. A subtle murmur began to ripple through the grounds, but when the figures of the last six young Spirit Alchemists materialized on the right side of the high platform, the low buzz of discussion instantly amplified countless times, and the entire manor exploded with a cacophony of sound.

"Look! That's His Highness, the Fourth Prince! Truly worthy of royal lineage—elegant and refined, yet carrying an aura of heroism, and what a fine appearance he has!"

"The Fourth Prince is nothing special to look at. Let's focus on that Nie... Nie what's-his-name? Nie Kong? Yes, Nie Kong! Which one is Nie Kong?"

"You truly wasted your eyes. Among the six of them, there are only two men. Besides the Fourth Prince at the very front, who else could it be but Nie Kong?"

"Ahem, so it's the one wearing black. I heard that this morning he completely dominated. He was the first to refine his elixir in the first trial, and the medicinal potency fusion reached ninety percent! In the second trial, he submitted last, but his answer sheet stunned all the judges. In the third trial, he was the first to finish and was the only one to correctly identify three different herbs! The fourth trial was even more astonishing; he managed to compound an elixir with eighty-five percent fusion at the very last moment... Looking at him now, the young man is quite fair-faced, though regrettably, he isn't very tall or robust."

"That's what you call never judging a book by its cover. If only I had a daughter! I would offer a massive dowry myself just to marry my daughter off to this young man; his future is limitless!"

"..."

Amidst the rising tide of voices, the six Spirit Alchemists did not ascend the main staircase to the top tier of the high platform but stopped at its base. They showed no inclination to step up, which left the crowd utterly perplexed. According to past customs, wasn't the fifth trial supposed to take place on the highest level?

Not only were the spectators confused, but Nie Kong and the others were also quite bewildered.

Before appearing, the obese Nie Qingtong from the Nie family had cryptically instructed the six of them to wait below the platform, yet he failed to explain why.

Mu Xiaoling leaned closer to Nie Kong, her delicate, doll-like face etched with apology: "Nie Kong, I am truly sorry. This morning, I almost caused you to fail."

After the fourth trial concluded, Nie Kong was quickly ushered away by the rushing Nie Xingyun to rest in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, meaning Mu Xiaoling only now found the opportunity to apologize.

Now, she harbored no desire to compete against Nie Kong; instead, a thread of admiration had bloomed for him. A person who could achieve an eighty-five percent fusion rate on a new elixir even after crushing two of the primary elixirs demonstrated a command over spiritual fire control and the elixir cauldron that she simply could not match.

"It's fine, I simply misread the situation myself; you aren't to blame," Nie Kong smiled.

Mu Xiaoling’s watery eyes fixed directly on Nie Kong. Seeing that he truly wasn't bothered by the morning's events, a sweet smile finally broke across her face, and she steered the conversation back to the imminent final competition: "Nie Kong, what do you think your grandfather and the other judges will set for this fifth trial?"

"That’s hard to say."

Nie Kong shook his head and smiled wryly. He knew little of the previous Thousand Elixir Competitions, so making any predictions now was difficult. In any case, he would simply deal with whatever came his way. At this moment, he secretly hoped the judges would present an exceedingly obscure topic; that way, without being able to deploy his Elixir Cauldron Illusion Body, his chances would be greater.

The Fourth Prince, Cheng Zixuan, smiled faintly: "Why waste effort thinking about it? I have been waiting for this final trial for a long time; I wish it would start immediately. The difficulty of the trials increases with each round, and the challenge of this last one certainly won't be any less than the Compounding phase. Heh, this is truly the time to test our actual abilities."

The Fourth Prince stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture proud, and a familiar smile reappeared on his face. His tone carried intense confidence, yet after speaking, he subtly, almost inadvertently, glanced toward Nie Kong, a flicker of inexplicable meaning crossing his eyes—was it scorn, or perhaps a challenge?

It was undeniable that the Fourth Prince’s performance in the Grand Elixir Competition had been outstanding. In the first trial, his finished elixir time was only slightly slower than Nie Kong’s, and his medicinal potency fusion also reached ninety percent. In the second trial, he was the first to procure all the necessary formulas, earning unanimous praise from the judges. In the third trial, he identified two of the herbs. In the fourth trial, he was again the first to successfully compound his elixir, achieving an astonishing eighty percent fusion rate.

However, no matter how dazzling his performance, the final spotlight had ultimately been stolen by Nie Kong, causing the Prince—who was always the center of attention—to be overshadowed.

This was especially true during the Compounding phase. He had been certain that Nie Kong would be eliminated and that he held the sure victory, only to watch Nie Kong stage a dramatic comeback at the last second, captivating everyone's attention with a new "Bamboo Leaf Pill" boasting an eighty-five percent fusion rate, trampling him underfoot in the process.

At that moment, the Fourth Prince had been so enraged he nearly spat blood. Upon returning to his residence, he heard that Nie Kong had only been at the Spirit Gathering First Grade a few months prior. He completely lost his usual gentle composure, smashing a table, breaking two chairs, and shattering several precious vases with a grim expression.

"How could I, the Fourth Prince of the Great Cheng Empire, possibly lose to some fellow who clawed his way to this level through sheer undeserved luck? The final trial is here; however you managed to climb up, I will find a way to stomp you back down. In this Grand Elixir Competition, I, the Prince, am the undisputed protagonist!"

The Fourth Prince sneered inwardly.

Mu Xiaoling rolled her eyes, ignoring him, and turned to Qu Xinyi, Yu Qingguan, and Gu Qi with a bright smile: "Three younger sisters, what do you think?"

"I don't know,"

Qu Xinyi smiled enchantingly, her voice carrying a hint of sweet softness, possessing a lingering, intoxicating quality that left one wanting more.

This was the first time Nie Kong had heard her speak, and he couldn't help but look at her again.

Yu Qingguan remained silent, merely shaking her head decisively. As for the little loli, she seemed not to have heard anything, her eyes fixed on Nie Kong, blinking rapidly. Curiosity still colored her expression, yet an unconcealed annoyance was visible. After all, young girls could be incredibly vengeful sometimes.

Nie Kong teased with a smile: "Little sister, am I handsome?"

"Hmph."

The little loli tossed her head, showing Nie Kong the back of it. Nie Kong found this highly amusing and was about to tease her further when he noticed the crowd in front of them stirring with even greater excitement, cries of astonishment erupting one after another. Surprised, he was about to follow their gaze when a high-pitched roar echoed across the manor grounds:

"Roar..."

For more novels, visit storyread.net.