C145 Pill King Competition(2)
"Consequences? It's always others who pay the price for crossing me. Have you ever heard of me paying for someone else? What do you think, coward?" The last sentence was directed at Woo Zhengyang.
Yu Jun, who tends to be impulsive, usually stays calm when it's not about him. But seeing Ma Tenglong's provocation, he feared Woo Zhengyang might react impulsively. He quickly shouted, "Ma Tenglong, go pick a cauldron and stop bothering my niece, or I'll knock your teeth out!"
Woo Zhengyang remained expressionless, calm as still water. Ma Tenglong's taunts meant nothing to him. Even if Yu Jun hadn't spoken up first, Woo Zhengyang had no interest in retaliating. Verbal battles were pointless to him; he preferred actions that spoke louder than words.
"Hmph... a coward is a coward!" Ma Tenglong sneered, but seeing Yu Jun's unfriendly expression, he led his group toward a cauldron, arrogantly adding, "What's there to choose about a cauldron? If the alchemist is strong enough, any cauldron will do!"
There wasn't much preparation needed; they just needed to be present. Half an hour later, Ouyang Zhenshan announced the rules for the Pill King Competition. To ensure fairness, the competition was divided into three parts: fire control, herb refining, and pill crafting.
The Pill King Competition was said to be a true test of an alchemist's abilities. However, the setup was skewed in favor of the Ma family's alchemist, a man in his thirties with years of experience. His foundational skills were far beyond those of the young Liang Ruoxuan.
With Ouyang Zhenshan's close ties to the Ma family, Liang Ruoxuan never expected complete fairness in the competition. She didn't dwell on it and simply walked to the cauldron, ready to begin.
As she prepared to control the flames, Ma Tengyue taunted from across the room, "Hey, the woman my brother almost married, let me give you a tip for old times' sake—watch out for fire poisoning, haha..."
"Hmph..." Liang Ruoxuan snorted, choosing not to respond, though she couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled.
To calm her, Woo Zhengyang reassured her, "Why bother with someone who can't even speak clearly? Let him keep talking. Maybe the wind from his mouth will blow out their flames, and we'll win without a fight."
Though Woo Zhengyang spoke quietly, everyone around heard him clearly and burst into laughter. Ma Tengyue, who had lost four teeth in a previous incident, was indeed speaking with a lisp.
"You... you coward, how dare you show your face here..." Ma Tengyue was furious, but missing teeth or not, his words came out garbled, prompting more stifled laughter from the crowd.
Woo Zhengyang couldn't be bothered to respond, and Ma Tengyue fell silent, fearing ridicule. As Ouyang Zhenshan announced the start, the first round of the competition began.
Fire control is undoubtedly the most intricate skill in alchemy. While it may seem unremarkable during the process of refining, in a competition, it becomes the most captivating aspect.
The alchemist from the Ma family made the first move. A flame burst forth from the cauldron, splitting into two, then four, then eight... Eventually, hundreds of tiny flames appeared, resembling small stars scattered above the cauldron.
"Impressive... Alchemist Wang's fire control is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people!" Ma Tenglong was the first to applaud, followed by the members of the Heavenly Martial Academy. The alchemist couldn't help but show a proud expression.
"What's so difficult about that?" Liang Ruoxuan remarked nonchalantly, initiating her own fire array. Unlike Alchemist Wang's method, Ruoxuan's approach was more direct. As soon as the flame erupted, it exploded into countless sparks, intertwining and dancing. Although fewer in number than Alchemist Wang's, her technique was undoubtedly more refined.
Witnessing this, Alchemist Wang's expression shifted slightly. A young woman capable of such mastery in fire control was truly unexpected.
Not one to back down, the alchemist let out a cold snort, "A mere parlor trick," and prepared to show his skills once more. This time, a fiery dragon emerged from the cauldron, its claws and teeth bared as it soared into the air. The heat was intense, yet everyone seemed to forget the scorching temperature, entranced by the lifelike dragon. It was as if they could hear the dragon's roar echoing in their ears.
This wasn't just fire control; it was a fusion of fire manipulation and soul energy, crafting a realistic depiction through flames. Achieving this required immense skill in both fire control and soul energy.
"Wow... truly impressive... I almost thought I was seeing a real dragon!" exclaimed Ma Tengyue, snapping many back to reality, including the alchemist, who was momentarily startled. A slight lapse in concentration caused the realistic dragon to flicker, revealing a break in its form.
"I told you, people who can't keep their mouths shut shouldn't stand so close! Look, he actually blew it out!" Woo Zhengyang couldn't help but chuckle, amused that his offhand remark had come true. The crowd laughed again, noting how Ma Tengyue's words seemed to have disrupted the fiery dragon, making it appear as though his breath had broken it.
