Ten Thousand Dragons Technique-Chapter 125: Finished in Ten Seconds!

Who is Lin Xuan?

Countless people exclaimed; they had never heard this name before.

Zhao Feiyan’s face changed dramatically. "What? It’s Lin Xuan? How is that possible?"

Qin Xingchen roared, "I object! By what right does he get the third spot?!"

The other geniuses were also dissatisfied, feeling that Lin Xuan was unworthy. Compared to Song Xingyun and Bing Qing, Lin Xuan was worlds apart, whether in strength or status.

Mu Shan calmly stated, "This position was arranged according to the internal test results. During the test, Lin Xuan refined the Nine-turn Essence Cultivation Pill to nine full turns. Who among you can compete with that?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire square fell utterly silent.

Zhao Feiyan let out a cold snort, her face full of discontent. Qin Xingchen was also gnashing his teeth, while the others were simply shocked.

What? Lin Xuan also refined it to nine turns? That’s unbelievable! Could this kid be a top-tier genius too? No wonder he could claim the third spot.

Just like that, Lin Xuan arrived at the third position.

Next, the other participants walked onto the plaza in succession, taking their own places. Zhao Feiyan and Qin Xingchen both glared at Lin Xuan with hostile expressions. In their view, Lin Xuan was only skilled at refinement, but his alchemy proficiency surely couldn’t compare to theirs. They were determined to surpass Lin Xuan this time.

「In a corner of the plaza.」

Sun Tian stood there, looking at Lin Xuan with envy. He was also an Alchemy Master, a first-grade one, which was why he had come to participate. However, having been expelled from the Nebula Pill Tower, he was participating as a freelance Alchemy Master. Now, he could only stand in this remote corner. Looking at the brilliant Lin Xuan, Sun Tian was flooded with a mix of emotions.

There was another person in the corner, a man in a black robe. He stared at Lin Xuan’s back, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Kid, I will trample you under my feet!

Once everyone had entered the plaza, Mu Shan’s voice rang out again. "This Alchemy Master competition consists of three rounds. The first two are elimination rounds, and the third is a ranking round. I now declare the first round of the competition has begun."

CLICK. CLACK.

As Mu Shan spoke, the stone slab in front of everyone suddenly sank, and a stone platform rose in its place. Ten medicinal materials were arranged on it.

Mu Shan continued, "The foundation of an Alchemy Master is the ability to identify medicinal materials. In front of you are ten materials, some real and some fake. I want you to identify the fake ones. You must find at least three to pass and proceed to the next round. If you find fewer than three fakes, you will be eliminated. If you misidentify a real medicinal material as fake, you will also be eliminated. You have the time it takes for one stick of incense to distinguish between them. The first round of testing begins now!"

Hearing this, the Alchemy Masters’ eyes lit up as they stared intently at the materials on their platforms. As an alchemist, being unable to distinguish real from fake would be a true embarrassment.

The entire plaza was extremely quiet. The alchemists were all identifying the Spirit Medicines, and the spectators in the stands held their breath. I wonder how many people will be eliminated in this first round?

"Hmph, I’m done," a faint voice suddenly remarked.

Song Xingyun stood up, an expression of ease on his face. At the same time, a soft glow emanated from the stone platform before him, obscuring it from view. This was to prevent other alchemists from copying his answers.

The entire crowd erupted in an uproar. The people in the spectator stands were dumbfounded. Good heavens! It had only been ten seconds, and he was already finished! That’s incredibly fast!

The participating alchemists were also losing their minds. Damn it, is this Song Xingyun some kind of monster? How is he so fast?

While they were still in shock, another crisp voice rang out. "I have finished as well."

Bing Qing also stood up, and the platform before her was enveloped in a brilliant light. Fifteen seconds.

"This Bing Qing is amazing too!" the crowd exclaimed again.

The other alchemists began to look anxious. A moment ago they had been full of confidence, but now they realized the gap between them and the true geniuses was truly immense.

"I’m done too," Zhao Feiyan announced as she stood up. She had taken twenty seconds. At the same time, the not-so-distant Qin Xingchen also rose, having taken twenty-one seconds.

Soon, alchemists stood up one after another, having made their identifications. However, many more were still struggling.

In the corner, Sun Tian was on the verge of madness. Is this what top-tier geniuses are like? They’re too incredible! His eyes were practically spitting fire, yet he still couldn’t distinguish which were real and which were fake. How is this possible? Why does every single one of them feel real? he lamented, almost losing his mind.

He wasn’t the only one. Other alchemists were frustrated to the point of spitting blood. Logically, they should have been able to tell real from fake at a glance, but the Spirit Medicines provided for this competition were so incredibly lifelike that they could easily pass for the real thing. They simply couldn’t tell them apart.

Hmph, so that’s how it is, the man in the black robe sneered from his corner. These old geezers really know how to play tricks. He also stood up, having completed his identification.

Lin Xuan squinted at the Spirit Medicines before him. With a single glance, he identified five as fake. Upon closer inspection, he discovered another two fakes. Seven in total? That’s quite a lot, he thought, somewhat surprised.

But at this moment, the voice of the Great Black Dog rang out in his mind, "Kid, don’t be hasty. Analyze them properly."

Lin Xuan paused, then began to examine the materials again with great care. Finally, a peculiar expression crossed his face. He realized that all ten medicinal materials were fake; not a single one was real.

Damn, these old guys from the Pill Tower really know how to play games. This is a real test of one’s mentality.

This first round was both difficult and simple. You could pass just by closing your eyes and picking three at random. But in a competition of this magnitude, who would dare to be so reckless? Many people were probably going to be tricked.

"Alright, the time for one stick of incense is up," Mu Shan’s voice rang out. "Now, immediately destroy the medicinal materials you believe to be fake. The results will be announced in five seconds."

Hearing this, Song Xingyun acted at once, flicking out a ball of flame that reduced some of the materials on his stone platform to ash. The other alchemists who had finished also made their moves. Due to the light shrouding each platform, no one could see what the others had chosen and could only wait for the final results.

Which one? Which one is it?! Sun Tian was on the verge of tears. He had found two fake materials, but he simply could not identify a third. And he didn’t dare make a random choice, because selecting a single real herb meant immediate elimination.

"Time is up," Mu Shan’s voice finally boomed.

Having identified only two, Sun Tian was, without a doubt, eliminated.

Across the plaza, the light enveloping the stone platforms began to change. Some glowed green, while others turned red. The green lights were few and far between, but a vast sea of red light flickered erratically.

Mu Shan declared, "Those of you whose platforms are glowing red have been eliminated. Identifying Spirit Medicines is a fundamental skill for an Alchemy Master. Your foundations are not yet solid. Go back and cultivate diligently."

Sighs of disappointment echoed through the air. The alchemists with red lights turned and walked off the competition grounds, returning to the spectator area. Sun Tian also departed, his heart filled with reluctance. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t even passed the first round. This Alchemy Master competition is truly too difficult.

"Were that many people eliminated? That’s more than half!" the spectators in the stands exclaimed. From their vantage point, they could see that the competition area had instantly emptied by half. Most of the eliminated contestants had been standing at the edges of the plaza; they were clearly first-grade Alchemy Masters with ordinary skills. However, some from the periphery had managed to pass, such as the man in the black robe.

Mu Shan addressed those still on the field. "For those who remain, congratulations on successfully passing the first round. Although this was an elimination round, your performance will still be ranked. Your ranking will be determined by the number of fake Spirit Medicines you correctly identified."

As his voice fell, the light around the stone platforms vanished, revealing the medicinal materials within. Everyone stared with wide eyes, eager to see how many fake Spirit Medicines these talented alchemists had managed to find.

First place is definitely mine, Song Xingyun thought with absolute confidence. He had identified seven fakes in an instant. In his mind, no one could possibly have surpassed him.