737 Winner

Alex didn't need the Pill testers, but he still brought out 5 of them for everyone else's sake.

"Please give me your pills," Alex said to the first man to his left. While he looked through the pills and put them one by one in the 5 different testers.

As they waited for the result to come, Alex asked the man, "What did you think of the recipe I gave you?"

"It was good," the man said with no other expression on his face. Alex immediately knew he hadn't used it.

The results came and the best pill was around 56%.

Alex went on to the next one and did the same thing. This person said that he did use the recipe, but only for the last one, but it was the first time he used that recipe so he got a little confused and messed up.

The results came and his best pill was around 53%.

It went on for a while as Alex tested everyone's pills and asked the same question. Most of them didn't bother with the new recipe as 80 minutes was too fast a time for them to risk their pills.

That wasn't to say that no one used it. A couple of people had clearly heard him say that this was an improved recipe of his, so they had tried it immediately.

While the first 2 pills weren't what they wanted, soon they got a much better result.

By the end, they were making pills that were in the 60% range.

Xue Meirong came forth and handed her pills. Alex put the pills in the testers and asked her the same question.

"What did you think about the new recipe?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I didn't bother with it. I had too many things on my mind anyway."

"Okay," Alex said and waited.

The fogs rolled up in the tester and soon he saw the number 63% in one of the testers.

"Not bad," Alex said. She was the highest yet and she had done it by herself.

Although, Alex doubted she did it using the same recipe everyone else had. Her father must've improved the recipe somewhat and passed it along.

Alex moved on to the next few people and the best he got was 61% by someone who used his recipe.

"Hello," the final participant came and spoke with a nervous voice.

"Hi, your pills?" Alex asked.

"Here," she gave it nervously with a shaking hand. Alex started putting in the pills into the testers and even as he did, his eyes slightly widened at the result.

"You used my recipe?" he asked confidently.

"Yes, yes," the girl with the green and orange-colored robe said. "Can you tell me who changed that recipe? That was amazing."

"Thank you. That was me," Alex said.

"Wow, but you're so young," she said.

Alex had a favorable impression of the girl. "Sister Zhanrou isn't that old herself," he said.

"Ahem, little Yu, why are you flirting with her?" the princess asked in a low voice.

"I'm not," Alex said. "I'm just creating a favorable atmosphere between us two, considering we will have to work together for over 10 months now."

Just as he said that the crowd made a gasping sound and Alex smiled at the princess.

The princess looked to the testers and realized what had just happened.

71%.

"Congratulations, Gu Zhanrou. You are now the Royal Alchemist for the Luminance Empire," the princess said.

"Wow? Really? Yes!" Gu Zhanrou celebrated while all the other participants congratulated her.

"Wait, no! How did she get 71%? She must've cheated," Xue Meirong said.

"What? No, I didn't," Gu Zhanrou said. "You're just mad you didn't beat me."

"Zhanrou, you know yourself you're not as good as me," Xue Meirong said.

"That's arguable at best," Zhanrou said. "Besides, I won, didn't I? You might've won if you had followed his recipe instead of being stubborn."

"What's going on here? I hear my daughter shouting," Xue Mufan said as he walked over to the group.

"We chose our alchemist, senior," the princess said. "Your daughter is just angry that it wasn't her."

"Oh, she didn't win? What happened?" Mufan asked.

After getting a short primer on what had happened, Mufan laughed a bit. "Don't be a sore loser, rongrong," he said.

"But… how could she and I have such difference?" Meirong asked.

"Well, it sounds like she had a better recipe," Mufan said. "Which if I say honestly, I'm very curious about. How did you come across such an amazing recipe, Junior?"

"I came up with it myself," Alex said.

"How?" Mufan asked curiously.

Alex gave a single thin smile and said, "now senior, I'm not going to give away trade secrets just like that."

"Ah, right. My apology," Xue Mufan said. "Well, if there is nothing else, then I will leave now. Come, rongrong."

Xue Meirong gave a snort to Zhanrou and then turned to Alex before saying. "You think you're some big shot huh? I will show you how great I am in the Alchemy competition," she said.

"Well, my apologies, but I won't be attending the competition," Alex said.

"Coward!" Xue Meirong said before walking away.

Alex gave her a weird look as she and Mufan flew away. 'Why does everyone think I'm running away?' he wondered.

"We will leave now too," the different alchemists said and started leaving one by one.

Finally, only the princess, Alex, and Gu Zhanrou remained.

"Well, you two talk. I have things to do. Welcome to the palace, miss Alchemist," the princess said.

"Thank you," Zhanrou said excitedly.

After the princess left, Zhanrou and Alex sat down by the table and started talking. The two talked about themselves and got to know each other.

Alex talked a bit about him but didn't go into details for the most part, while Zhanrou couldn't stop speaking about herself.

She was one of the best disciples from the Azure Leaves school. It was an Alchemy-focused school like the Hong Wu sect was and was one of the main rivals of the Falling Lotus sect, which was more popular than it due to it having more than just Alchemy.

Because of that, since a young age, Zhanrou had come to see Meirong as her rival, and for the first time today, she had won against her.

In her nearly 36 years of living, she had finally gotten the victory she wanted.

"Her father is too good and she always ends up getting the best training resources, while I have to work for mine," Zhanrou said. "I'm sure I get better with good ingredients and recipes too."

"Ooh, can you give me some of the recipes that you changed?" she asked.

Alex thought for a moment and wondered if he should do it or not. In the end, he nodded. "I will give you a few of them," he said as he planned to give her the most basic ones that would be useful for the Royal family.

After staying here for 2 years, he wouldn't want to leave the place worse than when he joined.

"Ooh, I can't wait," Zhanrou said excitedly.

The two of them continued talking for a while before the princess came back and took her on a tour of the palace.

Alex was finally free and returned back to his room as well.