Perfect Scores for Both
The spectators in the stands immediately erupted, their envious cries threatening to lift the roof off the arena.
"He's soared straight into the heavens! That's a threshold so many people can't even touch in their entire lives!"
"They're fighting this hard over a 6.2? And that guy who scored 7.6 even got a permanent government post? My God!"
"That's the Six-City Qi and Blood Pharmacists Competition for you! One competition can change your fate!"
"..."
The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly heated as the countdown on the big screen ticked down to the final thirty seconds.
Everyone's gaze converged on Su Mo, who still hadn't finished refining.
The Su Family's genius had earned his intermediate pharmacist certification at fourteen and was universally recognized across the six cities as the best pharmacist of his generation.
Everyone had thought he would be the first contestant to finish, yet he had left it until the very last second.
"Beep! Time is up. The competition's refining stage has ended!"
Just as the announcement sounded, Su Mo finished screwing the cap onto his potion bottle.
The nearby judges and others gathered around, their expressions somewhat complicated.
Anyone who could refine a Primordial Qi and Blood Potion at his age, even just within the time limit, was already a rare genius and deserved congratulations.
But this was Su Mo of the Su Family. By his usual standards, he should have been leagues ahead.
Instead, he had finished at the buzzer, placing last among all the contestants who had successfully refined their potions.
To anyone watching, it looked as though he had made a serious mistake.
Someone spoke first, offering reassurance. "Young Master Su, you're young and accomplished. Being able to refine a Primordial Qi and Blood Potion at your age already puts you far ahead of the vast majority of your peers. It's perfectly normal to have an occasional off day."
"That's right, Young Master Su. With your talent, you'll have plenty more opportunities to enter the Six-City Young Pharmacists Competition."
Uncle Fu's expression darkened at their words. Leaning close to Su Mo, he lowered his voice. "Young master, they really think you made a mistake!"
Su Mo wiped his hands and said quietly, "I told you before. It's perfectly normal for ordinary people not to understand a genius's methods."
Uncle Fu nodded without the slightest doubt.
Just as everyone was still assuming that the Su Family's young genius was sulking in silence and difficult to get along with-
The head judge holding the testing device suddenly froze, his grizzled eyebrows shooting up. "Wait! This total volume of condensed liquid... is this two standard doses of Primordial Qi and Blood Potion?"
At those words, the surroundings fell deathly silent.
Another elderly judge with graying hair leaned over to inspect the volume of liquid and exclaimed, "The Double-Quantity Refining Method? The Primordial Qi and Blood Potion has an extremely low tolerance for error during its reactions. Even a single dose is very easily ruined during refining.
"When refining twice the quantity at once, the margins of error for ingredient ratios, temperature control, and reaction times are more than five times tighter than for a single dose! Su Mo actually dared to use the Double-Quantity Refining Method in the competition?"
"He didn't just dare to use it. He succeeded." The head judge picked up the sterile potion bottle and held it to the light. The liquid inside was crystal clear, shimmering with a perfect halo of activity. "Not a trace of impurities or scorching."
Su Mo raised his chin slightly, his tone calm. "That's right. I used the Double-Quantity Refining Method."
But inwardly, he thought, What does my Double-Quantity Refining Method even amount to?
Compared with Lin Hao's refining technique, breaking down the entire process of purification, ingredient fusion, and liquid condensation, then running multiple streams in parallel, my Double-Quantity Refining Method isn't worth mentioning.
The judges failed to notice the slight change in Su Mo's expression and began evaluating the Primordial Qi and Blood Potion he had refined.
Readings on the various testing devices in the judges' hands kept shifting, making the spectators in the stands unconsciously hold their breath.
Five minutes later, the evaluation results were ready.
The head judge picked up the microphone, his voice noticeably excited.
"Su Mo of Qingyang City has refined a Primordial Qi and Blood Potion. Verification by the judging panel confirms a purity of 97.26%, qi and blood activity reaching 100% of the theoretical maximum, no toxic or harmful residues, and flawless execution of the Double-Quantity Refining Method. It meets the standards for a perfect-grade Primordial Qi and Blood Potion. Following deliberation by the judging panel, his final score is... ten points! A perfect score!"
At those words, the entire arena nearly exploded!
"A perfect score! Did I hear that right? How many years has it been since anyone got a perfect score in the Six-City Young Pharmacists Competition?"
"As expected of the Su Family's genius! He got a perfect score even with the Double-Quantity Refining Method! That's just ridiculous!"
"I knew it! How could the Su Family's genius have finished at the buzzer? Turns out he was here to take on a higher difficulty! It wasn't a mistake at all!"
"..."
The spectators' cheers were deafening.
Yet none of the city departments, trading firms, or prominent families that had been fighting over the other contestants earlier approached to recruit him.
Everyone knew the Su Family was one of the six cities' foremost potion-making families, and Su Mo was its future heir. Forget an annual salary of a million-even ten million wouldn't lure him away.
As for serving in one of the city departments, Su Mo was only fifteen, below the legal minimum hiring age, so that was out of the question as well.
Just as the head judge cleared his throat and prepared to announce the competition's champion, Su Mo suddenly stepped forward and picked up the microphone.
The entire arena quieted down and watched him, assuming this perfect-scoring genius was about to give an acceptance speech.
But Su Mo's very first words sent a wave of startled cries through the arena.
"I'm not the best contestant in this competition. A contestant at the station next to mine completed a Primordial Qi and Blood Potion in less than half an hour.
"He completed the entire ingredient purification process in ten minutes, then carried out ingredient fusion, pressure control, and reactions simultaneously in multiple parallel streams, without a single temperature error throughout. Compared with his methods, my Double-Quantity Refining Method isn't worth mentioning.
"Although he withdrew, in terms of potion-refining skill, he is the undisputed number one in this competition."
His words threw the entire arena into an uproar!
"A contestant who withdrew? He finished refining a Primordial Qi and Blood Potion in half an hour?"
"Young Master Su said his own methods weren't worth mentioning? How is that possible?!"
"I know! Was it that contestant who left as soon as he finished refining?!"
"Didn't they say he was just playing to the gallery? But if even Young Master Su says so, could it be true?"
"..."
The spectators in the stands exploded into chatter, and every judge's expression changed.
The head judge immediately turned toward the proctor who had been responsible for this area and asked gravely, "What happened? Where was this contestant's station? Where's his finished potion?"
The proctor, who had been so dismissive of Lin Hao earlier, felt his heart tighten.
Could all my judgments earlier have been wrong?
Was this contestant I dismissed as playing to the gallery really a genius whom even Su Mo admitted he couldn't match?
"Over... over here!" A staff member beside the proctor reacted first, hurrying to Lin Hao's station and pointing at the small amount of liquid remaining in the crystal dish on the workbench. "There's still some of the finished potion left here! It can be tested!"
Without another word, the head judge personally walked over with the testing device, carefully extracted that tiny amount of residual potion, and ran the various tests.
The entire arena fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on the testing devices.
As the evaluation continued, the expressions of the head judge and the rest of the panel grew increasingly varied.
Only after more than ten full minutes of evaluation did the head judge pick up the microphone, his voice full of astonishment carrying to every corner of the arena.
"Testing confirms that this residual potion has a purity of 99.99%, qi and blood activity exceeding the theoretical maximum by 236%, and zero harmful residues!
"Following deliberation by the judging panel, this entry far exceeds perfect-grade standards and is awarded a perfect score!"
As his words fell, the spectators nearly went wild, their cheers and cries of astonishment lingering for a long time.
The spectators who had mocked Lin Hao for playing to the gallery now felt their faces burning, but even they couldn't help cheering along with the crowd.