The Almighty Dominance (by Sunshine) novel Chapter 602

“Wait—wait!” Lu Nan’s voice cut sharply across the arena as he stepped forward and bowed toward the referee. “I clearly heard him say surrender. Shouldn’t you be announcing that I’ve already won?”

The referee turned, his gaze settling on Alex. “Did you just say you surrender?”

Alex inclined his head. “Yes. I did.” He paused. “But that was before he insulted my parents. Now… I have no intention of surrendering.”

Lu Nan’s expression twisted. “A man’s word, once spoken, should never be taken back!” he shouted.

“And a man,” Alex replied coldly, lifting his chin, “never lets anyone insult his parents and walk away.”

A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips.

“When you lose… believe me, I’ll take your tongue.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

“Referee!” Lu Nan barked, his patience snapping. “You must declare my victory!”

The referee raised a hand, leaving no room for argument. “The match will proceed. Jun Jiu has withdrawn his surrender and is willing to continue. Therefore—you will fight.”

He paused, then added, “Since this is an alchemy duel, have you both decided what pill you will refine?”

Lu Nan’s jaw tightened.

What should have been an effortless win had slipped through his fingers. Now he was forced to actually compete—and worse, against this stubborn fool.

Still… it didn’t matter.

Jun Jiu couldn’t even refine proper pills, let alone an elixir.

“I’ll explain the rules,” Lu Nan said, regaining his composure. “The Medicine Pavilion will provide a selection of herbs. We are free to choose our own ingredients and refine an elixir that enhances cultivation. The one with the highest concentration of inner force… wins.”

At his signal, the staff of the Medicine Pavilion stepped forward. Tables were swiftly arranged, laden with spirit herbs, rare fruits, and exotic flowers that released faint, shimmering auras.

The scent alone was intoxicating.

Lu Nan didn’t hesitate.

He had prepared for this long ago.

With practiced confidence, he selected his ingredients, moving with precision. One by one, he dropped them into his cauldron, lit the fire beneath it, and began channeling his inner force into the vessel. Flames roared to life as his energy fused with the herbs, the air around him pulsing with heat and power.

On the other side—

Alex didn’t move.

Not at first.

He walked slowly along the tables, his gaze sweeping over every herb, every fruit, every flower. He crouched to inspect the firewood, testing its dryness, its burn quality—details most would overlook.

Minutes passed.

Ten… maybe more.

To the crowd, it looked like hesitation.

Indecision.

But inside Alex’s mind, Gaia was already running countless simulations—virtual trials of refinement, combinations forming and collapsing, recalculating again and again until only the most optimal path remained.

Finally—

He stopped.

And began selecting his ingredients.

A quiet shift rippled through the crowd as people noticed something strange.

Alex reached for a cauldron.

Not one of the polished, high-grade ones—

But a cheap, ordinary cauldron. The kind beginners used.

A moment of stunned silence.

Then laughter broke out.

Lu Nan’s supporters scoffed openly.

“Is he serious?”

“He’s using that kind of cauldron?”

“Does he even know what he’s doing? That’s the standard one for first-time learners!”

Mockery spread like wildfire.

But Alex didn’t even glance at them.

He simply set the crude cauldron down before him… and began.

Alex had gotten that cauldron from a desperate gambler back when he was still nothing more than a servant—someone who had wagered his belongings on a fight and lost everything.

He didn’t even know what grade it was.

Didn’t care.

To him, if it could hold heat and cook—it was enough.

But the moment he set it down, laughter erupted.

Across from him, Lu Nan’s cauldron gleamed like a work of art—jade-green, etched with fine golden lines that shimmered under the light. It radiated prestige, power, wealth. Even the flames licking its surface seemed to bend in reverence, making it look almost divine.

Alex’s, on the other hand…

Was battered.

Used.

The base was blackened with soot, scarred by countless burns, like it had lived a hundred lifetimes already.

The contrast was almost embarrassing.

And the crowd didn’t hold back.

“Look at that thing—”

“Did he pick it out of a trash heap?”

“That’s not even worth comparing to Senior Lu Nan’s!”

Mockery spread, sharp and relentless.

Lu Nan didn’t even bother hiding his smirk.

But Alex?

He didn’t react.

Didn’t argue.

Didn’t defend himself.

He simply… continued.

Calm. Focused. Unshaken.

Alchemy wasn’t a quick craft. Everyone knew that. Refining a proper pill could take hours—sometimes even days. It required patience, control, and absolute precision.

So when after four hours passed—

Bang.

Alex suddenly slammed his cauldron, the sound cracking through the arena like thunder.

Every head snapped toward him.

From within the cauldron, five pills shot into the air, gleaming faintly as they spun. Without hesitation, Alex caught them smoothly and sealed them inside a porcelain bottle, locking it tight to prevent even the slightest leakage of energy.

Silence fell.

“I’m done,” Alex said simply.

Then—

Laughter exploded again.

“What a joke,” Lu Nan scoffed without even looking up from his work, his hands still moving steadily as he refined his pill. “I’ve studied alchemy for decades. I’ve never seen a combination like that.”

He sneered.

“You just grabbed random herbs and cooked them together because you don’t want to admit you can’t refine a real pill.”

Alex stepped closer.

Slow. Measured.

“I know every herb you picked,” he said quietly.

“And I know exactly what you’re trying to make.”

Alex’s gaze locked onto him, sharp as a blade.

“An elixir that adds ten years of cultivation to whoever consumes it. Am I right?”

Lu Nan straightened, pride flashing across his face. “If you already know that much,” he said coldly, “then you should also know to admit defeat.”

Alex laughed.

Not loudly—but with something dangerous underneath.

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