In a flash, Mu Lengxing arrived before Mu Hong. With a gentle tap of his finger on the medicinal cauldron, the lid sprang open, and a burst of brilliant red light immediately escaped from the mouth of the vessel. Following closely, a single, perfectly round pill, the thickness of a finger, floated out of the cauldron, releasing a rich, medicinal aroma.

“Ninety-three percent fusion!”

With just a glance, Mu Lengxing placed the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill back into the cauldron, then lightly shifted his steps to stand before Nie Kong.

The crowd’s gazes followed Mu Lengxing, all settling upon Nie Kong.

Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Nie Kong maintained a placid smile, appearing utterly unperturbed, as if the outcome of the third trial was of no consequence to him. This struck the onlookers as extremely peculiar—he was about to lose the qualification to become the Mu Sect's son-in-law, yet he showed not a shred of anxiety?

Mu Hong frowned slightly. Nie Kong's expression made him intensely irritable. After going to such lengths to eliminate all his rivals and successfully pass the final stage, being on the cusp of becoming Princess Qingying’s husband, he felt excitement, yes, but utterly lacked any sense of accomplishment.

“Smash!”

Just as Mu Lengxing extended his hand, the medicinal cauldron collapsed with a crisp crash. Faint red sparks flickered amidst the shards of metal. Mu Lengxing dipped his two fingers into the pile of fragments and pinched out a highly irregular pill, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. “Ninety-seven percent fusion…”

“Ninety-seven percent?”

These three words stunned the crowd into silence. The area fell absolutely quiet, everyone exchanging disbelieving glances. How could the medicinal potency fusion rate reach such a level when the cauldron had actually exploded? While instances of the finished medicine appearing precisely at the moment of the cauldron's explosion had occurred, the probability was pitifully low—especially for a high-fusion-rate spiritual medicine!

“How is that possible?”

Mu Hong’s face changed dramatically. He leaped to Nie Kong’s side, his eyes wide as copper bells, staring intently at the pill held between Mu Lengxing’s fingers. Even Mu Jinzhu, standing nearby, gracefully approached, her gaze darting between Nie Kong and the pill, a strange light glittering in her eyes.

In truth, it was hard to blame others for their disbelief.

Even setting aside the factor of the exploding cauldron, judged purely on appearance, the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill Nie Kong produced was far inferior to Mu Hong’s. Mu Hong’s spiritual medicine was perfectly spherical and crimson, like a flawless, crystal-clear ruby, utterly captivating.

Nie Kong’s pill, however, was quite ugly. Its surface was extremely rough, pocked and uneven. Furthermore, its color was bizarre: amidst the red mass were interspersed small, thin streaks of emerald green, making it look quite mottled.

What was most unacceptable was that the thinner tail end of this Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill was blackened, emitting a pungent, burnt odor. If a spiritual medicine looking like that could achieve an extraordinarily high fusion rate of ninety-seven percent, it defied all reason!

“If you don't believe it, you can judge for yourself!”

Mu Lengxing tossed the mottled pill held between his fingers toward Mu Hong, gave Nie Kong an almost imperceptible nod, and then turned toward the high platform.

“Of course, I must inspect it thoroughly. The cauldron exploded—how could the fusion rate still be ninety-seven percent?” Mu Hong growled through clenched teeth, bringing the pill close to his nose to sniff and examine it. His face, initially filled with anger and incredulity, gradually became blank. Then, the blankness was replaced by sheer astonishment, and he muttered, “Nine-point-seven… It is indeed ninety-seven percent. How? How could this be…”

“Mother! The Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill he refined… it’s ninety-seven percent fusion. He won! He won!” On the high platform, Mu Qingying could barely believe her ears. It wasn't until Mu Lengxing’s figure reappeared on the platform that she snapped back to reality, grabbing Mu Qingyi’s arm and cheering exuberantly.

“This young man is indeed quite something!” Mu Qingyi smiled faintly. “He used spiritual sense instead of the physical heart, and his application of that spiritual sense was still incomplete. Logically, after the cauldron exploded, it would be difficult for the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill to even survive. Even if it did, reaching sixty percent fusion would be excellent. I never expected him to refine one at ninety-seven percent! Furthermore, that movement he made when the cauldron exploded… even I couldn’t quite discern it.”

Hearing her mother’s words, the smile in Mu Qingying’s eyes deepened even further…

Almost the instant Mu Hong took possession of the pill, a murmur rose among the crowd.

No one had anticipated that the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill refined by Nie Kong would possess such a high fusion rate; they were all deeply astonished. They did not doubt Mu Lengxing’s assessment; his skill in alchemy was outstanding even in the Yin Ruins, and discerning the fusion rate of medicinal power should have been effortless for him.

“Ninety-seven percent! Incredible! Truly incredible! To refine an Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill with a ninety-seven percent fusion rate under those circumstances!”

“No wonder he didn’t flinch when the cauldron shattered.”

“It looks like the one who’s going to spit blood this time is that big fellow. Ninety-three percent fusion was already quite good, yet Nie Kong surpassed him.”

“I never thought Princess Qingying’s husband would end up being this guy. Looking at Princess Qingying’s expression, she probably fancied him from the start!”

“…”

The ceaseless chatter filled the air. Mu Hong finally jolted out of his shock. His left fist clenched tighter and tighter, his face shifting between shades of green and white, taking on a somewhat fierce appearance. He had been absolutely certain of victory in this third trial, never imagining the result would pivot so drastically. It was impossible for Mu Hong to be pleased.

After glaring venomously at Nie Kong for a long moment, Mu Hong gritted his teeth and placed the spiritual medicine back on Nie Kong’s table, a flash of unwillingness crossing his eyes. However, no matter how reluctant he felt, it was useless. This third trial judged the medicinal potency fusion rate of the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill, not the spiritual medicine’s appearance.

Nie Kong smiled faintly and tucked the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill into his robes.

Without any prior experience, relying solely on the explanations provided by Nie Xingyun and Lian Tianxin regarding fourth-grade spiritual medicines, Nie Kong’s process for refining the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill this time had been fraught with danger. Especially that final move—if Nie Kong hadn't injected a surge of vital energy and the pill’s core medicinal power into the cauldron, the Illusory Annihilation Centrifugal Pill, which was just moments from completion, would have surely shattered along with the vessel.

“Third Trial: Nie Kong wins!”

At this moment, Mu Jinzhu’s clear voice echoed across the vast grounds once more, her tone surprisingly calm. “From this day forward, Nie Kong is the son-in-law of our Yin Ruins Mu Sect, the husband of Princess Qingying! If any of you encounter Nie Kong in the future, you must not cause trouble as you have in the past.”

Mu Jinzhu deliberately emphasized that final sentence out of necessity. In the Yin Ruins, where women outnumbered men, there was no shortage of bold young women. They would hardly care that Nie Kong was the Mu Sect’s son-in-law or Princess Qingying’s husband; if they encountered him, they would behave as they pleased.

Having said that, Mu Jinzhu’s gaze returned to Nie Kong, her voice softening slightly. “Nie Kong, follow me. We will go see the Sect Leader together.”

“Very well.”

Nie Kong smiled and nodded, falling in behind Mu Jinzhu.

Watching the two figures ahead rapidly leave the arena, the almost forgotten Mu Hong could only clench his jaw and trudge away miserably, his head hanging low…

As the distance to the high platform lessened, the figures standing there became increasingly clear in Nie Kong’s view.

“Nie Kong.”

Just as he stepped over the dozen or so stairs preceding the platform, Mu Qingying’s tall figure flashed before him, and she laughed brightly. “Do you still remember me?”

Hearing her voice, and seeing her long, black hair that fell past her hips, Nie Kong’s heart suddenly stirred, and an image flashed through his mind.

At that moment, Mu Qingying quickly lifted her veil. Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, Nie Kong clearly saw the delicate face hidden beneath. This Mu Qingying turned out to be the same young woman he had met in the Nongyue Tower after his first encounter with Mu Lengxing a month ago.

Her cheeks still held a touch of baby fat, looking rosy and extremely lovely, leaving a deep impression on Nie Kong.

“It’s you!” Nie Kong couldn't help but smile.

“Indeed, it’s me.” Mu Qingying said with a playful smile. “Nie Kong, you belong to me now! That day in the ‘Nongyue Tower,’ I said I wanted to thank you properly for getting me out of that predicament, but you refused. Now, you can’t refuse, but the way I thank you won't be by taking you sightseeing in Yin Yue City, but rather…”

What ‘rather’ was, Mu Qingying didn't say, but her eyes shone even brighter, and the flowing glances she cast became somewhat soft and charming.

“If you insist on thanking me, then I won’t be polite,” Nie Kong chuckled heartily, though he sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected Mu Qingyi’s daughter to be that lively and cute girl. During the days he cultivated diligently in the Nongyue Tower, although Nie Kong remained silent and showed no reaction, he could still sense the movements in the courtyard. During that time, Nie Kong often sensed someone quietly climbing over the wall into the courtyard, watching from outside the window for a while before slipping away quietly. Now he realized that person was likely Mu Qingying.

Now that he was the final victor of the competition, Nie Kong could clearly feel the joy in Mu Qingying’s heart. For some reason, looking at this lively girl, Nie Kong suddenly felt a pang of guilt—he suspected that before long, she would end up hating him to death!

However, since matters were about to enter the most crucial phase, Nie Kong couldn't afford to dwell on it.

“Qingying, you’ll have plenty of time to talk after the wedding. Let Nie Kong go meet your mother first now,” Mu Jinzhu said with a fond smile, watching the cheerful Mu Qingying. Mu Qingying had to suppress the words rushing to her lips, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes, though the joy in her expression was impossible to conceal.

Mu Jinzhu continued to lead Nie Kong forward. A moment later, Nie Kong finally stood before Mu Qingyi.