The Mighty Mage-Chapter 485: Penalty

The next day, a friendly competition was arranged.

In the morning, the alchemy competition was going to be held, while in the evening combat competition.

From the Chinese team, Gu Jin, Bai Yu, Lin Yue, Qiao Feng, and Meng Hao were fighting.

As for Han Xiaoyu and Zhou Lei were backups so they couldn’t participate at all.

What baffled Gu Jin was...Han Xiaoyu had been missing since the morning.

Yun Qing didn’t participate either. The team should have consisted of only 5 people, but due to the division of provisions, there was one extra player from the start.

The weakest of the alchemists would have to be benched or used as backup.

And it just happened that Yu Qing was the weakest alchemist.

Instructor Luo said,

"Today’s friendly competition will test teamwork, skill, and adaptability! Each team must find its own ingredients and refine two pills: the Mana Nourishing Pill and the Blood Recovery Pill! You have four hours. Good luck!"

As soon as the horn sounded, the teams scattered into the nearby forest.

"Split up but stay within shouting distance!" Gu Jin ordered quickly.

Everyone nodded.

Gu Jin moved swiftly through the trees, her sharp eyes scanning the ground. She found a cluster of Red Spirit Flowers and carefully dug them up.

Meanwhile, Meng Hao’s loud voice echoed,

"Hey! I found some Spirit Herbs!"

"Don’t yell, idiot!" Qiao Feng muttered from nearby, but he was already collecting some golden leaves.

Lin Yue found a small pond with rare Silver Water Reeds, and with her steady hands, she packed them safely.

Bai Yu used his knowledge smartly, pointing out hidden ingredients others would’ve missed.

Within an hour, Gu Jin’s team had gathered almost everything they needed.

Meanwhile, across the forest, the England team was also working hard, but not without problems.

"Finn! You picked the wrong herb! That’s Poison Ivy!" Priya shouted.

Finn yelped and threw the plant away, shaking his hand.

Sophia growled under her breath, clearly angry.

Emma blinked slowly, picking herbs at her own lazy pace.

Leo chuckled but stayed focused, collecting roots carefully.

Back at the Alchemy Field

Each team rushed back to their station, herbs in hand.

Now came the hard part — refining the pills.

Lin Yue, Bai Yu, and Meng Hao started preparing the herbs under Gu Jin’s instructions.

Qiao Feng set up the furnaces, moving fast despite his lazy look.

After their preparations were done, they all stepped aside and it was now Gu Jin’s turn.

Gu Jin summoned her fire element. A deep, steady flame rose from her palms, bright and pure.

She carefully fed the herbs into the furnace, her movements smooth and flawless.

Not a single extra spark. Not a single wasted second.

Across the field, Sophia Green gritted her teeth, watching.

Their team was struggling.

Priya was focused but too rigid.

Finn was too playful.

Emma was too slow.

Only Leo was keeping up, but even he couldn’t hide the frown on his face.

A Twist

Suddenly, a loud boom! echoed.

One of the England team’s furnaces exploded!

Everyone turned.

Smoke and sparks flew everywhere. Finn stumbled back, coughing.

Sophia’s face turned red with anger.

Meanwhile, Gu Jin didn’t even flinch.

She kept working, her hands weaving patterns in the air, controlling the fire like a master.

Within minutes, a soft, sweet smell filled the air — the sign of a perfectly forming Mana Nourishing Pill.

Bai Yu, Lin Yue, Meng Hao, and Qiao Feng looked at her with admiration.

"She’s amazing..." Bai Yu whispered, eyes wide.

Meng Hao pumped his fist in excitement. "We’re gonna win for sure!"

Another thirty minutes passed.

Then, with a soft pop, two shining Spirit Nourishing Pills landed in Gu Jin’s palm.

Perfect shape. Perfect color. Perfect scent.

"The victory is in our hands!" Meng Hao said excitedly.

But his excitement died down the moment he saw the England team.

Compared to their approach, where Gu Jin was the only one who was making the pills, the England team had divided the workforce; they were simultaneously making both the pills.

Mana Nourshing Pill was being made by Sophia while Priya was making blood recovery.

Both of them were at the last stage, and the advantage the Chinese stage had over, seemed almost negligible.

After all, Gu Jin was just starting to make the blood recovery pill.

Gu Jin’s team could feel the pressure.

Bai Yu, Lin Yue, and Meng Hao exchanged nervous looks, but Qiao Feng remained calm, a slight grin playing at the corners of his lips.

"We still have time," he muttered, his voice reassuring.

Sophia Green and Priya Patel carefully inspected their work before submitting the finished Mana Nourishing Pill and Blood Recovery Pill to the judges.

Both pills were flawless, glowing with energy as they were presented.

The Chinese team could only watch as the England team stood confidently.

Their pills had been done before the time limit, and the deduction for being late was hanging over the Chinese team’s heads like a sword.

Gu Jin looked down at the Blood Recovery Pill in her hands. It was perfect—absolutely flawless.

They submitted the pill, only to realize that they were still 10 minutes late.

For each minute a team was late in submitting the pill compared to their opposing team, 100 points would be deducted.

So they were starting with -1000 points.

The team members could feel their hearts sink.

They had no chance now. No matter how good the pills were, the 1,000-point penalty was too steep.

And now, the pills had to be at Earth Rank Intermediate Stage or higher for them to even have a chance of winning.

Instructor Luo stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he examined the pills of the England team.

The crowd held its breath, waiting for his verdict. Gu Jin’s team held onto the last shred of hope, praying that her pill would make up for the lost points.

The instructor’s face remained neutral as he inspected the pills closely. After a long pause, he slowly looked up at the teams, his face hardening slightly.

"These pills..." he murmured, and the silence seemed to grow even heavier.

"The England team’s pills are Yellow Rank Peak stage."

(Apprentice --> Yellow --> Earth --> Black)

(Sub category --> Intial --> Intermediate --> Advanced --> Peak )

The Chinese team couldn’t help but hiss in disbelief.

Their worst fears were confirmed.

If the England team’s pills had been Yellow Rank Advanced stage, the Chinese team would’ve won if Gu Jin’s pills were at Earth Rank Intermediate Stage.

The Yellow Rank Peak stage meant they were technically still in the race, but not by much, only if Gu Jin’s pill were Earth Rank Advanced Stage could they win.

Which was practically impossible...

Though Gu Jin was at Earth Rank, it was already a big deal if she could make an Earth Rank Intermediate Pill, let alone an Advanced Stage one.

They had lost, but the Chinese team still hoped they could win by some miracle.

Then, Instructor Luo began to inspect the Chinese team’s pills, his face growing more serious by the second.

Gradually, his face darkened, and he glared at Gu Jin.

Gu Jin stared him back.

"Earth Rank Intermediate Stage," he announced, and the room seemed to collapse around Gu Jin’s team.

The shock was palpable. The realization hit them like a hammer.

They had lost. The Earth Rank Intermediate Stage pill wasn’t enough to overcome the 1,000-point penalty, even if it was perfect.

A deep groan rose from the team as the crushing weight of their loss settled in.

Meng Hao’s shoulders slumped. Bai Yu cursed under his breath, his frustration evident. Lin Yue looked down at the ground, defeated.

Gu Jin’s gaze, however, remained steady.

Only they knew a secret no one did.

Instructor Luo met her gaze for a moment before he looked away, his expression hardening.

"Gu Jin, come and meet me in the office."

Gu Jin knew what he was going to say, so she could only nod.

The England team erupted into cheers, their victory confirmed. Sophia Green looked smug as she turned toward Gu Jin with a condescending smile.

"You’ve got talent, but that’s not enough to win a competition," she said, her voice dripping with pride.

Gu Jin didn’t respond. She simply stared at her pills, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Unknown to her, Ethan, the captain of the alchemy team, was staring at Gu Jin with a deep look.

......

Later, in the office, Instructor Luo slammed the pill down onto the desk with a force that should have made others flinch, but Gu Jin remained calm.

"You’d better explain yourself, Gu Jin," he said, his voice cold and angry.

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow, her posture relaxed, almost as if she hadn’t just lost the competition.

"What kind of explanation are you looking for, Instructor Luo?" she asked casually.

The instructor’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing.

"Don’t play dumb with me, Gu Jin. I had asked you to hide your strength from the beginning, so why did you make an Earth Rank Advanced Stage pill?"

Yes.