The competition started with a bang. Literally. The first competition to commence was alchemy, from the Cultivation category and the theme in this first round of the competition was healing pills. Every contestant must produce either healing pills or other things of the same nature, with the same or higher efficacy. All while they use the same standardized equipment they were not used to and a strict time limit. That's why puffs of smoke and the smell of burnt herbs wafted through the air, filling it to the displeasure of the spectators. Oh, and there was something stinky too. Someone must have failed really badly.