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The ticking continued.

Watching the "Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast," its body swaying precariously, clearly on the verge of collapse and death, a wave of sighs swept through the crowd, followed by a chorus of boos.

"The Fourth Prince won..."

Someone suddenly shouted with excitement. The crowd in the courtyard paused, then similar shouts erupted. In such an environment, emotions are easily swayed by the surrounding changes. They recalled the Fourth Prince's earlier brilliant performance, were unconsciously infected, and began cheering loudly along with the ringleaders.

"Fourth Prince! Fourth Prince..."

In an instant, those three words thundered like the heavens.

As the cheers washed over him, Cheng Zixuan allowed himself a slightly reserved smile.

Mu Xiaoling couldn't help but glare fiercely at him; any discerning eye could tell this man had planted shills in the crowd beforehand, waiting for this very moment.

The six judges were also filled with suspicion. The Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast's vitality was clearly strengthening slowly, so why was it exhibiting such weakness?

On the steps, Nie Kong leisurely retracted the nine golden needles, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, seemingly undeterred by the current atmosphere.

"Thump!"

The Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast suddenly stepped forward, spitting out another mouthful of black blood.

At this moment, Cheng Feiliu and the others noticed that the trembling in the limbs supporting the spirit beast's body was less pronounced, and they exchanged a look.

"Clunk!"

The second step was taken. The beast coughed black blood, but its body no longer swayed.

"Thud!"

The third step. The Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast's gait had surprisingly become steady and powerful, and a vibrant light began to flicker in those eyes that had seemed dull moments before.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Not only the six judges but also Nie Xingyun and the others in the VIP seats, along with Mu Xiaoling and her companions, all noticed the abnormality of the Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast. Subsequently, the onlookers in the front rows caught on, subconsciously halting their cheers for the Fourth Prince, their eyes wide with astonishment.

"Step!"

The Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast took a fourth step. Though it still expelled black blood, the sound of its footfalls was several times louder, causing the platform itself to tremble slightly.

By now, even the crowds farther back sensed the beast's unusual movement. Judging by its stride, it certainly did not look like an animal about to succumb to poison at any moment.

"Step! Step..."

The Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast continued to advance, the size and sound of its steps growing louder, while the black blood it spat diminished. By the time it took its ninth step, no more black blood issued from its mouth. It simply raised its massive head and let out a roar to the heavens, a sound piercing gold and shattering stone, soaring straight to the clouds.

In an instant, the courtyard fell silent. Everyone stared in disbelief at the vibrant spirit beast, their minds filled with utter bewilderment. He hadn't used any medicinal herbs; he had cleared the toxicity of the "Poison Dragon Pill" within the beast using only nine golden needles?

Mu Xiaoling's delicate red lips parted in shock as she stared at the Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast. She could scarcely believe her eyes—Nie Kong had succeeded in detoxifying it just like that?

The complete opposite of Mu Xiaoling, Cheng Zixuan’s expression soured with every step the spirit beast took. When the beast roared with effort, the confident, assured smile that had been on Cheng Zixuan's face had long vanished, replaced by faint, flickering red lights deep within his eyes.

"Fourth Prince!"

The shills hidden in the crowd immediately shouted loudly upon seeing the situation.

Unfortunately, the scene of one call inciting a massive response did not reappear. Only a handful echoed their calls this time. Instead, many people turned to stare at them in stunned bewilderment, their expressions shifting from doubt to palpable anger, as they clearly understood the shills’ true intentions.

Seeing the tide turn, the shills quickly slipped away.

"Tick-tock!"

On the platform, the lingering echo of the spirit beast’s roar had barely faded when the timer abruptly stopped. Simultaneously, with a crash, thick chains snapped around the Jade Phantom Black Bone Beast’s neck. A middle-aged man leaped out, yanked the chain with strength channeled through his arm, and the spirit beast landed before the judges.

Mu Zisi impatiently stretched out his palm and pressed it onto the spirit beast's head. In the blink of an eye, spiritual energy circulated through the beast's body.

Lifting his hand, Mu Zisi’s eyes shone with amazement: "What a clean and decisive detoxification method. The poison in this spirit beast's body is completely gone, not a trace remaining."

"Oh?"

Cheng Feiliu, Que Yu, Qu Tingyun, and Fu Erong placed their palms on the spirit beast’s body one after another. If Mu Zisi was correct, Nie Kong’s score in this round would surpass the Fourth Prince significantly, as even though the Fourth Prince’s performance was outstanding, a small amount of residual poison remained in his beast.

Moments later, the four judges withdrew their hands, a shared look of wonder in their eyes. Just then, Lian Tianxin walked over unhurriedly, extended his palm, stroked his red beard, and smiled slightly without speaking. His expression struck the other judges as even more profound and enigmatic.

"Brother Tianxin, your detoxification method, and Brother Xingyun's, are truly miraculous. Impressive, truly impressive!" Cheng Feiliu gave Lian Tianxin a thumbs-up, full of praise.

Que Yu and the others watched Lian Tianxin remain silent, feeling as if their hearts were being scratched by a cat's claws. However, as they were all Fifth-Grade Alchemists from different noble clans and sects, it felt improper to directly ask Lian Tianxin about the profound mystery behind the golden needle technique.

Lian Tianxin understood their implied question, but he chose not to explain that he, too, was ignorant of the method Nie Kong had employed. He knew perfectly well that revealing the truth would bring Nie Kong a host of future troubles. As Nie Kong's master, it was his duty to shelter his disciple at such a juncture.

Mu Zisi shook his head and signaled to Mo Xingtu.

Mo Xingtu understood, his figure flashing as he leaped onto the platform. A smile on his face, he boomed: "Everyone, the results for the fifth round of the 'Thousand Spirit Medicine Convention' Grand Competition are in... Nie Kong, successful detoxification... Time taken... Three hundred fifty-eight... Ranking first in the Medicine Convention Grand Competition..."

Three hundred fifty-eight—that was close to six minutes. Nie Kong wiped the sweat from his brow; he was quite satisfied with this result.

As Mo Xingtu's voice dropped, a brief calm descended upon the courtyard.

"Nie Kong!"

Immediately, the watching Nie Clan members erupted in loud cheers, and the rest of the crowd began following suit. It had to be said: Nie Kong's performance lacked the flashy flair of the Fourth Prince, but the bizarre nature of his detoxification technique and the astonishingly short time it took left everyone feeling incredibly amazed.

First place in the medicine contest—Nie Kong deserved it without question!

The courtyard erupted into pandemonium.

Mu Xiaoling, her face blooming with smiles, turned to mock Cheng Zixuan, but his figure was nowhere in sight. She scanned the area and finally spotted his hasty, retreating silhouette by the side entrance of the courtyard. As expected, he had lost all decorum after the defeat!

Pursing her lips, Mu Xiaoling joined the others in their celebration. Qu Xinyi and Yu Qingguan were much more restrained; after all, they didn't have any deep relationship with Nie Kong. Only the little loli, Gu Qi, clapped her hands excitedly a few times before realizing she was supposed to be angry and quickly clenched her small hands.

Amidst the deafening noise, Mo Xingtu's voice rang out repeatedly: "His Highness the Fourth Prince, successful detoxification, time taken six hundred, ranking second; Mu Xiaoling, successful detoxification, time taken seven hundred and fifty, ranking third; Yu Qingguan, successful detoxification, time taken eight hundred and eighty-seven..."

Amidst the rolling wave of clamor, the Medicine Convention Grand Competition finally concluded.

Everyone had assumed that the Fourth Prince, Cheng Zixuan, had already secured victory, but unexpectedly, a peak emerged from nowhere. Nie Kong, wielding his marvelous golden needle detoxification art, had snatched the first place that was about to fall into the Fourth Prince's hands—it was utterly unexpected.

Reflecting on this brilliant competition, the crowd couldn't help but sigh internally. Even if they failed to find suitable spirit medicine tomorrow, this trip to Jiyang City had been worthwhile...