Tyrant Sky Martial Soul

Chapter 1275: Chapter 1275: Still the First!

Seeing the scores of Tianhai Zhen Zhu, Dan Qing and Ji Luoyu’s expressions turned noticeably stiff. Although the two of them had successfully passed the round, their scores were only sixty—a mere passing grade.

In the showdown against Tianhai Zhen Zhu, they were utterly defeated, and it was an embarrassing loss.

”Wow~~!”

”Damn!”

Just as Tianhai Zhen Zhu was smugly glancing at Ling Xiao, a sudden chorus of exclamations erupted from the audience seats.

She quickly turned her head to look over.

On the Jade Bi, the name ranked first was astonishingly Ling Xiao’s.

Perfect Transcendent Pill, peerlessly swift, with a score of one hundred and sixty!

A hundred and sixty!

Exactly ten points higher than Tianhai Zhen Zhu.

And those ten points came from a speed advantage.

The quality of their pills should have been identical.

”Cheating!”

Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s expression, previously brimming with excitement and pride, instantly twisted into shock and resentment.

She hadn’t expected that Ling Xiao, despite seemingly making the mistake of impatience, would produce a pill whose quality was by no means inferior to hers in the end.

If this wasn’t cheating, then what was?

She couldn’t accept it!

This was simply too outrageous!

After the gasps of astonishment subsided, the cheers surged one after another, lasting for more than ten minutes before finally tapering off.

The audience was too exhilarated. Many even tried to breach the security Martial Artists’ defenses to share an enthusiastic embrace with their idol, Ling Xiao.

The entire square turned into a sea of joy.

Ling Xiao watched Tianhai Zhen Zhu calmly, a cold smile curving his lips. Only after the cheers had finally quieted did he speak with resolute clarity: ”A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. Is this how petty you Sea Race folks always behave?

You accuse me of cheating—this isn’t the first time!

Do you have to flaunt your ignorance?”

”Are you calling me ignorant?”

Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s face flushed red with anger.

”Exactly. You’re ignorant!”

Ling Xiao scoffed and said, ”Do you know what the key factor for pill solidification is? It’s temperature!

The reason Divine Fire is particularly apt for alchemy is that it achieves higher temperatures!

The faster the pill solidifies, the lower the chances of failure, and the less ingredient loss there is.

You think your pill’s quality equals mine, but your pill is actually inferior to mine!

Do you understand why I insisted on shattering my Furnace Cauldron? Because that cauldron was too lousy—it couldn’t withstand the high temperatures of my Divine Fire and Power of Red Sun.

As an Alchemist, you should now comprehend why my pill was completed faster and yet its efficacy wasn’t weaker than yours, right?”

”How is that even possible?”

Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s lips moved several times, but in the end, she could only manage one question.

Having calmed down, she realized that Ling Xiao was absolutely correct.

Ling Xiao’s Divine Fire coupled with Power of Red Sun was practically an unparalleled combination in the world of alchemy.

”Possible or not, you’ve already seen the results. Do you still need me to demonstrate it all over again just for you?”

Ling Xiao dismissed her with disdain.

”Haha! Well said, kid. Not only do you speak with conviction, but you’ve got genuine talent. I must admit, even this old man has been thoroughly impressed by you,”

Ji Qing roared with laughter, clearly elated. Ling Xiao, this kid, had from the very start displayed ideas that were downright shocking—even a few times, Ji Qing himself couldn’t fully decipher Ling Xiao’s intent.

Especially when Ling Xiao shattered the Alchemy Furnace and extracted the pill—at that moment, Ji Qing truly felt the urge to smack the boy.

Because back then, he thought this kid was excessively impatient and borderline mad.

But now, it seemed, he himself had acted a bit impulsively.

Indeed, the river of genius flows ever forward; each generation surpasses the previous. Ling Xiao, this boy, was extraordinarily awe-inspiring.

”Your Highness Moon Lady, I used to think your affection for Ling Xiao was somewhat puzzling, but now I increasingly realize my own ignorance. Ling Xiao’s potential might even match that of a King of People—a peerless prodigy,”

Princess Emma Ya Cloud turned toward the Moon Lady and spoke her heartfelt thoughts.

”From the beginning, he likely hadn’t set out to compete with Tianhai Zhen Zhu at all. Instead, he was simply proceeding according to his own plan, step by step. He probably still has cards he hasn’t yet played, right?”

The Moon Lady merely smiled slightly—how could the man she chose possibly be wrong?

Leng Mei, Hua Fuguang, and Hua Lueying felt an immense surge of pride in their hearts.

”Smack!”

Ji Luoyu delivered a hearty slap to Ling Xiao’s back and exclaimed excitedly, ”When your Alchemy Furnace shattered just now, I nearly died of fright. Thank goodness nothing went wrong; otherwise, that would’ve been a humiliation. You brat, why do you have so many crazy ideas?”

”Hmph, this time I admit defeat. But the next round is the final one—not only the hardest but also offering the highest score. If I can secure first place in the last round, I can still overturn the standings and win the championship!”

Dan Qing snorted coldly. Though he was brimming with jealousy toward Ling Xiao, at this moment, he managed to say something reasonably civilized.

However, even this statement carried a strong undertone of provocation.

”Ling Xiao, you are indeed the most formidable young man I’ve ever seen. But the score difference between us isn’t significant, as that brat just mentioned—the final round is the true decider of the championship! Let’s cross paths again then and settle this once and for all,”

Tianhai Zhen Zhu’s attitude toward Ling Xiao had noticeably shifted.

From her previous arrogance and rudeness to a newfound sense of respect—it was solely Ling Xiao’s abilities that had earned this change.

”I hope that when the time comes and I win, you won’t cry foul and accuse me of cheating again, or I’ll lose any regard I have for you,”

Ling Xiao didn’t harbor any deep-seated hatred toward the Sea Race. If Tianhai Zhen Zhu had simply come to participate in the alchemy tournament, he wouldn’t have found it inappropriate.

But this girl was excessively vile, going out of her way to provoke all the land-dwelling races.

Ling Xiao was no turtle; he wouldn’t shrink back and let himself be insulted. Since the other side provoked him, he was naturally going to respond.

After the second round concluded, it was still early, but most Alchemists had spent significant energy. Thus, the tournament organizers announced a half-hour break for rest.

What followed would be the third round—the final showdown.

Among the remaining hundred-plus contestants.

Even if the scores from the first two rounds weren’t enough, securing first place in the final round alone could still clinch the championship.

This was a deliberate setup by the tournament hosts.

Otherwise, the final round wouldn’t have been as fiercely contested; many would likely not take it as seriously.

By leaving this opportunity, the hosts ensured that the ultimate round would inspire maximum effort from everyone—as they laid all their cards on the table.

Compared to the prior two rounds, it promised to be even more intense and electrifying.

”Next, we’re going to seal the venue. Everyone can grab a meal, rest up, and rejuvenate yourselves. When you return, you’ll be ready for the final test. Let me assure you in advance—the last round won’t involve any tricks. Everything will depend on your actual skills, so don’t worry too much.”

Jackson Le Grandmaster stood up and smiled as he spoke, ”Dismissed for now. Ling Xiao, stay back for a moment.”

The crowd gazed enviously at Ling Xiao. To be singled out by Jackson Le Grandmaster was undeniably an honor.

But few felt jealous of Ling Xiao, as his extraordinary performance in today’s competition had demonstrated unparalleled ability. He had unequivocally earned this recognition; there was no question about it.