Chapter 21: Great Upset

The Third Divine Son of the Yu Clan, Yu Mo, and Huo Yun'er resumed their alchemy refining. However, the intense battle had left its mark. The lingering murderous intent in their hearts hindered their focus, but their skill ultimately prevailed, and they succeeded.

"Yu Mo, Third Divine Son of the Yu Clan: fifth-level elixir—Enlightenment Pill, second grade."

"Huo Yun'er: fifth-level Fire Control Pill, first grade."

Huo Yun'er's complexion paled slightly, but Yu Mo wore a confident smile. "Miss Huo, accept your defeat."

"Hmph! If I hadn't been influenced by external factors, I might not have lost!" Huo Yun'er retorted, though she chose to accept the reality without further argument.

Yu Mo sneered, his disdain evident. "Referee, isn't it time to announce the results?" He turned to the referee cultivator at the Harmonizing Dao Realm, his tone lacking respect.

The cultivator's expression remained impassive. "The time has not yet come."

"Oh? Are you suggesting these two ants can still change the rankings?" Yu Mo scoffed.

"Rules are rules," the referee replied coldly, his gaze sharpening. Even a cultivator at the Harmonizing Dao Realm would not tolerate such arrogance. Yu Mo snorted but refrained from further provocation, instead glaring at Xiao Ling'er and the 'fool'. "Hurry up!"

His imposing aura pressed down on them like a mountain.

"Ahhhh!" Tie Hanhan suddenly exclaimed, his alchemy furnace flaring to life. "No, no, no! Don't kill me! I'm done refining!"

At the same time, Xiao Ling'er's hands moved swiftly, forming a series of intricate seals. "Condense!" she shouted.

Boom!

The lid of her furnace flew open, and nine dazzling elixirs soared into the air, their brilliance almost blinding.

"What is this?!" The crowd erupted in shock.

"Such radiant elixirs! At least seventh grade—no, eighth grade!"

"It's an eighth-grade Profound Yuan Pill! What a pity. If her opponents hadn't been so strong, she might have claimed the top spot!"

"I remember her. Didn't she struggle with refining Profound Yuan Pill earlier and barely passed the first round? How could she…?"

"She was pretending to be weak all along!"

The audience quickly pieced it together. After all, they were no strangers to such tactics in the competitive world of cultivation. Xiao Ling'er's previous secrecy had kept them in the dark, but now her true skill was undeniable.

"An eighth-grade elixir?" Yu Mo's eyes narrowed, a flicker of unease crossing his face. 'Did I almost lose to her?' But then he noticed something. The elixir's light was condensing, forming distinct halos around it.

"Wait! It's not eighth grade!" His expression shifted dramatically.

Huo Yun'er's lips parted in surprise. "Nine-grade… a nine-grade Profound Yuan Pill! Hah! Yu Mo, you've lost too!"

The crowd erupted again, but before they could fully process this revelation, another exclamation rang out.

Everyone turned to see what the 'fool' had produced. To their astonishment, he had also refined a ninth-grade Profound Yuan Pill—a third-level elixir!

"Ninth-grade elixirs, appearing one after another?!"

"Is this kid also pretending to be weak?!"

But when they looked closer, the fool's bewildered expression and excited dancing suggested otherwise. "Ahhh! It's ninth grade! My luck is incredible! I can't believe it!"

The crowd's faces twitched. They'd rather believe that guy was absurdly lucky than accept that he, too, had been hiding his true abilities.

"Two ninth-grade elixirs! How do we rank them?"

"Naturally, the ninth-grade elixirs take the top spots! Even though they're only third-level, a ninth-grade elixir multiplies the medicinal properties exponentially. They're priceless and nearly impossible to obtain. Their value far exceeds that of fifth-level elixirs, especially when the latter are only first or second grade."

"Besides, one of them produced nine elixirs in a single batch, while the other produced eight. Yu Mo and Huo Yun'er only managed one each. The difference in value is obvious."

The noise in the arena grew deafening.

Duan Qingyao, however, had her own thoughts. 'Xiao Ling'er is ranked first…' For a moment, she was overwhelmed with pride, but her expression soon darkened. 'This might not be a good thing.'

…..

On the field, Yu Mo's smile vanished, replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

"You dare to act now?" The cultivator at the Harmonizing Dao Realm spoke calmly but with authority. "If you wish to die, go ahead and try. During the competition, any deaths are the participants' own fault. But now that the results are out, any further action violates the rules of Hongwu Immortal City. If I kill you, even the Yu Clan will have nothing to say."

The message was clear: the Yu Clan wouldn't protect him if he broke the rules.

Yu Mo's face darkened further. 'The Yu Clan might not care, but I don't believe Hongwu Immortal City would let me off so easily.'

With over a hundred million spectators watching, any blatant violation would force the city to act. This was a matter of face—and for a Loose Immortal, face was everything. Loose Immortals, who faced natural disasters every five hundred years, were known to be unpredictable and ruthless. Why provoke an old lunatic with nothing to lose?

"Fine," Yu Mo spat, turning to leave. Every moment he stayed only deepened his humiliation.

The referee watched him go, then announced, "In that case, Xiao Ling'er of the Moon Embracing Sect is the first-place leader. Fan Qiang, the wandering cultivator, is second. Huo Yun'er is third. As for fourth to tenth… they're all dead."

His tone was calm, carrying the arrogance of a powerful figure. 'What does it matter if you're the Third Divine Son of the Yu Clan? If you leave, you forfeit your rank.'

The crowd buzzed with disbelief.

"What an upset!"

"Yu Mo and Huo Yun'er, the favorites, didn't even make the top two. Instead, these two dark horses took the lead. Unbelievable!"

"Fan Qiang's luck is insane, but Xiao Ling'er… she's the real surprise."

"From the Moon Embracing Sect?!"

Mention of the Moon Embracing Sect sparked a wave of murmurs.

"I heard the Moon Embracing Sect was in decline, on the verge of collapse. How do they still have a disciple with such incredible alchemy talent?"

"She must have been hiding her true abilities all along!"

"Hiss… we can't underestimate the Moon Embracing Sect too much. Rumors can't always be trusted."

"After all, they were once a top-tier sect. Even in decline, their foundation is impressive."

"But…"

"But what?"

"Winning such prestige and being crowned the leader might not be a good thing for the Moon Embracing Sect."

As the award ceremony began and the storage bag was handed to Xiao Ling'er, countless eyes gleamed with greed, and minds began to calculate.