The Mighty Mage

Gu Jin's team had proven its strength in the first round. But that was just the beginning.

After defeating Country B, they didn't get much time to rest. The next day, the team received news that they were to fly to their next destination... Country T.

The second round of the alchemy competition was being held there, and they would be facing one of the stronger teams.

As they boarded the plane, Meng Hao stretched and yawned loudly. "I hope these guys put up more of a fight than the last ones."

Lin Yue rolled her eyes. "Focus. We haven't won yet."

Gu Jin stayed quiet but was already thinking about what strategies they might need.

By the time they reached Country T, the atmosphere was tense. Unlike Country B, the team from Country T was known for their use of strange herbs and tricks in their alchemy.

Some people even called them "poison masters" because of their special skills with toxic ingredients.

The challenge this time was different, too. It was not just about creating pills, but about purifying a poisonous mixture and turning it into a healing tonic.

The crowd watched as both teams were given the same dark, bubbling liquid. It smelled awful, and a few of the younger alchemists from other countries even backed away in fear.

But Gu Jin's team stayed calm.

Bai Yu, the shy but smart boy, stepped forward first. He had studied the structure of herbs the most, and his calm analysis helped the team figure out which ingredients to use.

Yun Qing, quiet and mysterious, added her support by placing formations around the cauldron to keep the temperature stable.

Gu Jin took the lead in balancing the antidote ingredients. Her flame control was perfect, not too hot, not too weak.

As the timer ticked down, Country T's team began to rush. Their cauldron started to shake slightly. One of them added the wrong root. The liquid turned muddy brown.

Meanwhile, Gu Jin's team kept steady. At the last moment, a gentle golden light rose from their cauldron. The tonic was ready... clear, glowing slightly, and filled with rich energy.

The judges tested both tonics. The result was clear.

Gu Jin's team won again.

And just like that, they moved on to the next round.

From there, they flew to Country R, where the climate was colder and the alchemy test was based on creating fire attribute pills to help soldiers survive in snowy regions.

Zhou Lei, who was always sleepy, surprised everyone. He stood tall and controlled the fire with perfect timing, as if he had practiced it in his dreams.

"Guess I'm not just a backup," he mumbled, half-smiling, as the judges clapped for their blazing hot pill.

Another win.

.......................

Then came Country K, where the challenge was about speed and teamwork. The task was to make three different types of pills within a short time limit.

Gu Jin quickly assigned roles.

Meng Hao and Qiao Feng were in charge of breaking the herbs.

Lin Yue and Bai Yu prepared the cauldrons.

Gu Jin and Yun Qing handled the most difficult steps, fire control and final refinement.

The audience watched in shock as the team moved like one body. Every motion flowed perfectly into the next.

By the time the timer ended, all three pills were sitting on the table, glowing softly.

The Country K team had only finished two.

Gu Jin's team advanced again.

.........................

By now, the competition had gone through several countries and many rounds. Each challenge was different, sometimes they had to repair broken pills, sometimes solve puzzles related to rare ingredients, and once, they even had to make pills in the middle of a strong windstorm caused by magic formations.

Everywhere they went, Gu Jin's team shocked the audience.

People began to whisper in admiration.

"That's the team from China, right?"

"They're always so calm. Especially that girl… what's her name? Gu Jin?"

"She's scary good. Their teamwork is too smooth."

The mocking from earlier teams was gone now. No one laughed at them anymore.

Instead, reporters began writing stories.

"Gu Jin's Team Rises to the Top!"

"China's Alchemists Shock the World!"

"From Underdogs to Powerhouses!"

As they reached the final rounds, only ten teams were left. The top ten in the world.

Gu Jin's team was one of them.

Inside the hotel lobby that night, her teammates gathered in a quiet corner.

"We did it," Bai Yu said softly, a small smile on his face.

"We're in the top ten," Lin Yue added, looking a little more relaxed than usual.

Meng Hao grinned. "Let's aim for number one next."

Meanwhile, the Magic Combat Team of China was also making big news. Just like the Alchemy Team, they had also entered the Top 10. For China, this was a huge moment.

In the past few years, none of their teams had made it this far. They had only reached the Top 20 before, but never the Top 10.

And now, for the first time, both the Alchemy Team and the Combat Team were in the Top 10 without losing even one match.

This became such a big deal that even international news stations talked about it. Videos and photos of the teams were shared all over the internet. Some people laughed and said China got lucky.

Others said their opponents were too weak, and that was why China had lasted this long. But many people from China were proud.

They defended their teams and said this year, China might really win the first place.

Back in the hotel, Gu Jin looked around at her team. The mood was a little lighter now, but she spoke seriously.

"From here on," she said, "the matches will be even harder. We have to stay focused."

Her teammates nodded. No one joked or laughed. They all knew she was right.

The stadium in Country J was filled with noise and excitement. Thousands of people had come to watch the world alchemy competition. It was the final round now, and only the best teams were left.

The stadium was so big, it looked like ten football fields put together. Magical screens floated in the air, showing everything clearly to the audience. No matter where you sat, it felt like you were sitting right next to the cauldrons.

As each team was called out, the crowd cheered loudly. Country England, Country A, Country C, Country F... and then, it was finally time for China.

When the host shouted, "Team from China!", a huge wave of clapping and cheering filled the air.

Gu Jin and her teammates walked out slowly, their heads held high. They were surprised to see so many Chinese flags in the audience. People were waving banners, shouting their names, and smiling proudly.

Lin Yue looked up, eyes wide. "Is that... all for us?"

Meng Hao blinked. "Are we dreaming?"

"No," Gu Jin said softly. "They're really here. For us."

Just two days ago, people in China had been scrolling through the internet. When they read the news that their alchemy team had made it to the top ten without losing a single match, they got excited.

Many of them quickly bought tickets to come and watch the finals live.

Some said that if China won, it would become a historical moment, and they wanted to be part of it. Others joked that if they saw it live, they could brag about it to their friends forever.

Those who couldn't come were a bit jealous. Some even said, "China will be the first to lose. Just wait and see." Online forums were full of debates. A few people even started betting on which team would get eliminated first.

But now, the match had started.

One by one, the teams started to fall.

Some couldn't handle the pressure. Others made small mistakes that cost them everything. A cauldron exploded here, a pill turned black there. Judges announced the losses clearly, and slowly, the number of teams began to shrink.

Gu Jin's team stayed calm. Each round, they moved carefully, like they had practiced a hundred times. The ingredients were harder this time, and the rules changed slightly with every test, but Gu Jin's team always found a way to finish first or near the top.

Soon, only four teams were left.

China.

England.

Country F.

And Country C.

The final four.

The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium. "These are your top four teams in the world!"

The crowd clapped and shouted. Flags waved in the air, and magical lights danced in the sky.

Country C's team had strong teamwork. They were fast and organized. But in the final test, they made a small mistake with one herb. It made their pill lose its shine, and the judges gave them fourth place.

Country F's team had a powerful leader who used special flame skills. Their pill was good and passed all the tests. But it was still a bit weaker than England's and China's. They were given third place.

Now only two teams were left.

China and England.