The Man’s Decree

“Of course not. The victor of this round has the privilege of selecting the next category and setting the rules. It's a significant advantage for the winner,” the elderly judge clarified.

Upon hearing that, Roderick grinned. This condition was entirely acceptable to him.

With the ability to dictate the next round's content and establish the rules, Roderick naturally intended to select something that would work to his advantage.

Everyone else nodded in approval when they heard this rule. The winner of the third round would be able to set the direction and rules for the fourth round!

“I can set any rule I want, right?” Roderick asked.

“Of course. Anything is fine as long as they are related to alchemy,” the elderly judge affirmed with a nod.

Roderick declared, “Very well. I propose a competition in pill crafting with no restrictions. We can each use our own pill cauldron. The winner will be determined by the speed in producing the pill and its quality.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly judge turned around to glance behind him. If there were no restrictions on the pill cauldrons used, the difference between utilizing a specialized cauldron and an ordinary one would yield significantly distinct results.

With a specialized cauldron, even a Fifth Level Top Tier alchemist could potentially craft pills of a higher level than their own proficiency!

The quality and speed of pill creation could be heavily influenced by the type of pill cauldron used, independent of the alchemist's personal skill level.

“Roderick, this seems a bit unfair. It's common knowledge that you possess a spiritual cauldron, which is the reason for your rapid improvement. Competing against Mr. Chance using a spiritual cauldron doesn't seem fair,” Gregory protested with a furrowed brow.

Roderick erupted into laughter. “Fair? The world itself is unfair. Yes, I do own a spiritual cauldron, but I'm not preventing him from using one. I won't even begrudge him if he has a specialized cauldron. The question is, does he have one? I have the right to dictate the terms of the next round, so I'll naturally choose what gives me the best advantage,” he asserted smugly.

Gregory glared at him angrily. “You're despicable!”

At that moment, Pearl came to Roderick's defense from the sidelines. “I agree with Roderick,” she chimed in. “He has the privilege to set the rules for the next round, so it's only fair for him to ensure they're favorable for him.”

“Shut up!” Gregory glowered at Pearl. He couldn't help but despise his disciple, who had brought nothing but shame to him.

There were many excellent men in the world, but Pearl had to fall in love with someone as despicable as Roderick.

As her mentor, Gregory couldn't help but feel dismayed.

Right then, Jared spoke up. “If that's what you want, then let's compete. Perhaps I am also in possession of a spiritual cauldron.”

Viola, Ghaylen, and the others struggled to contain their laughter from the sidelines as they were well aware that Jared possessed the Divine Cauldron.