Unlike
This Jiang Chen had actually achieved a perfect score!
For Ding Tong, this was simply unacceptable.
His own level of skill—during the first stage, a single tiny mistake had cost him by the narrowest margin, preventing him from achieving a perfect score.
The difficulty of this fire-control competition had been pushed virtually to the limit. The slightest error made it impossible to earn a full score. Given the overall level of the Myriad Phenomena Region, the chances of scoring perfectly were even more remote. Just look at the other top geniuses of the Myriad Phenomena Region—at most, they had only managed thirty-four rounds.
This Jiang Chen was far too suspicious!
Beyond his shock, killing intent surged in Ding Tong's heart.
"No wonder Palace Master
Ding Tong had a premonition that Jiang Chen would become the greatest obstacle to the Three Star Sect's bid for supremacy.
In the hearts of the various powerhouses, a complicated mix of emotions churned—envy and admiration for the Dan Qian Palace alike.
Once again, Dan Chi had demonstrated his boldness and foresight.
Back when Dan Chi had forged an alliance with the Treasure Tree Sect, every major sect in the Myriad Phenomena Region had thought Dan Chi had gone mad, picking a fight with a colossus like the Nine Yang Heavenly Sect over the insignificant Treasure Tree Sect.
Now it seemed that everything Dan Chi did was calculated.
This Jiang Chen—his fire-control talent alone was enough to shock the entire Myriad Phenomena Region. A figure of this caliber, if allowed to develop, would inevitably become a powerhouse capable of shaping the Dan Qian Palace's fortune for centuries.
"Dan Chi really does have nerve. He's stumbled onto a true treasure." Everyone harbored quiet envy in their hearts, unable to deny their admiration for Dan Chi's vision.
After a brief rest, they entered the second stage of the competition.
The second stage was the cauldron-heating contest.
Jiang Chen had been through this many times before. Back at the Dan Qian Palace, during his contest with Shen Sanhuo, he had employed the miraculous Nine-Nine True Return Fire, leaving Shen Sanhuo speechless and slinking away in shame.
That miraculous technique, when applied to cauldron-heating, could complete the task in merely one-ninth the time required by ordinary cauldron-heating methods.
They entered the cauldron-heating hall, and according to their assigned numbers, proceeded to their respective stations.
Before each contestant sat a single cauldron. The cauldron looked ancient and unadorned in design, clearly not an ordinary vessel. What was even more remarkable was that every participant faced the same type of cauldron—identical in both grade and appearance.
"Before you, you each have an identical alchemy cauldron. This is the most common type of cauldron in the alchemy world, but it is forged from a special material called Frostheart Iron, making it significantly harder to heat. However, once successfully heated, the purity of pills refined in this cauldron surpasses what other cauldrons can achieve."
"The rules for this round: each of you has a base time of thirty breaths. If you complete it within thirty breaths, you earn four hundred points. After thirty breaths, for every additional breath consumed, ten points are deducted from that four hundred. If you take seventy breaths, you score zero for this round."
Thirty breaths was the base time.
Finish within the base time, and you received a perfect score.
Beyond the base time, every additional breath cost ten points, continuing in that fashion. Forty extra breaths would wipe out the entire four hundred points.
Of course, for these geniuses, being reduced to zero was out of the question. No matter how poorly they performed, it wouldn't take them more than seventy breaths.
"Rules explained. Timing starts now!"
Every contestant steadied their focus, held their breath, and began their work. This was a competition where every moment counted—each breath was precious. They had to deploy everything they had ever learned to succeed.
Jiang Chen had used the Nine-Nine True Return Fire last time, and this time would be no exception. He summoned his intrinsic fire source in his palm, his hand movements flowing like the wind. Layer upon layer of flames stacked upward.
Before long, towering infernos rose around the cauldron like buildings.
Nine rows vertically, nine columns horizontally—eighty-one fire sources in total, stacked into formation in no time at all.
The combined fire sources were spectacular in scale, producing a dazzling spectacle. Don't underestimate those eighty-one piles of flame. At first glance, stacking them seemed simple enough.
In reality, beyond extraordinary technique, it required masterful spatial construction ability, sharp eyesight, and nimble skill.
These combined factors could not be mastered overnight.
After the previous contest with Shen Sanhuo,
But even now, Mu Gaoqi had not managed to master the full eighty-one layers—he could only construct thirty-six. Any further, and Mu Gaoqi lost control, unable to maintain that level.
Building the Nine-Nine True Return Fire took considerable time. In the blink of an eye, the clock had already reached around thirty breaths.
Once the Nine-Nine True Return Fire was fully constructed, one flame served the purpose of nine, immediately cutting the required time down to one-ninth.