The appearance of the first Dao Pharmacist naturally drew the attention of all the cultivators present. They watched the blue-robed elder, discussing him fervently.
"This is the Grand Elder from Ziqi Sect. At the last Alchemy Competition, he refined a rare low-grade Dao Medicine. If he wants to surpass his previous achievement this time, he'll have to refine a mid-grade Dao Medicine."
"If he really succeeds, Ziqi Sect's reputation will surely rise another level. I reckon they would only be one step below top-tier sects. Once their sect leader achieves the third heaven of the Heaven Mending realm, they will truly become a top-tier sect."
"..."
Voices of discussion continued as the blue-robed elder swiftly offered up his medicinal ingredients, so fast that it was almost indiscernible, leaving the surrounding cultivators unable to identify what ingredients were being used.
Zhen Hu's eyes flashed with disdain as he said with a sneer, "Again, just a low-grade Dao Medicine. A thousand years have passed, and this old waste still hasn't made any progress. No matter how rare your low-grade Dao Medicine is, it can never compare to a mid-grade Dao Medicine."
This was the strict hierarchy in play.
Chen Xia remained silent, tilting his head to watch, occasionally touching his cheek. He didn't seem to take things seriously.
Due to the appearance of the first Dao Pharmacist, other Spirit Pharmacists started to feel anxious and sped up the refinement of high-grade spirit medicines, fearing they might be overshadowed by the Dao Medicines later on.
However, once one Dao Pharmacist entered the arena, it marked the beginning, and soon other Dao Pharmacists would follow suit.
Within half a day, four alchemists had appeared in the entire alchemy venue, all of whom were well-known figures refining low-grade Dao Medicines.
Mid-grade Dao Pharmacists had yet to appear; presumably, they were still observing the situation.
Chen Xia stretched lazily, already feeling somewhat impatient. He asked Zhen Hu beside him, "Can I enter now?"
Zhen Hu shook his head and explained, "The Alchemy Competition follows a certain order. Generally, we wait until the alchemists of the higher tier are nearly finished before those of the next tier enter. After all, refining medicine isn't like battling; there are still some courtesies to observe."
"Otherwise, if high-grade Dao Pharmacists entered directly, the competition would practically end there, leaving no need for mid-grade Dao Pharmacists or lower."
"How boring," Chen Xia sighed. For ordinary cultivators, refining pills was an extremely taxing task requiring a lot of concentration and time.
Chen Xia did not have the right to disrupt others'sessions, especially since his ingredients were at the Starry Sky Pill Sect, so he could only wait.
Fortunately, the first low-grade Dao Medicine was successfully refined two days later by the blue-robed elder. It was a relatively rare low-grade Dao Medicine, arguably the best among its class in terms of value!
The surrounding cultivators continued to discuss, mostly praising the blue-robed elder.
"He has consecutively refined rare low-grade Dao Medicines in both competitions. He should solidify his position as the top figure below mid-grade Dao Pharmacists."
"With time, he will definitely become a mid-grade Dao Pharmacist, perhaps even in the next competition!"
Despite physical and mental fatigue, the blue-robed elder's expression was filled with joy, and he received a near-perfect evaluation.
The remaining low-grade Dao Pharmacists were not as formidable as the blue-robed elder. One newly promoted Dao Pharmacist failed to refine a pill and didn't even receive a passing grade.
Before all the low-grade Dao Pharmacists finished, a mid-grade Dao Pharmacist entered the arena.
Mid-grade Dao Pharmacists were formidable figures, typically found only in top-tier sects. Even in the upper realms, they could earn the title of elder.
Someone once said, "Compared to anyone below the fifth heaven of the Heaven Mending realm, a mid-grade Dao Pharmacist is still more impressive."
That was the value of a mid-grade Dao Pharmacist.
A mid-grade Dao Pharmacist now took the stage, dressed in the attire of Jiamu Mountain's Grand Elder, a tall and thin elderly figure with a faint purple flame hovering above his head.
Zhen Hu narrowed his eyes and said, "Jiamu Mountain couldn't hold back any longer. With this old man's skills, he could almost challenge high-grade Dao Medicines. Yet he appears now."
"The purple flame on his head is Pill Fire Life Flame, which increases the integration with the pill, making it a valuable tool for refining."
"He does look quite trendy," Chen Xia commented.
The tall and thin elder from Jiamu Mountain did not start refining immediately but glanced around, first looking towards the Starry Sky Pill Sect area as if casually glancing, then focusing forward onto Victory Mountain.
He nodded slightly, as if acknowledging someone, and directly summoned a large cauldron. The purple flame erupted instantly, enveloping the entire cauldron, burning fiercely.
Discussions among the surrounding cultivators resumed.
"Why did the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor appear so early? Normally, he should be the final mid-grade Dao Pharmacist to appear, usually alongside the three high-grade Dao Pharmacists."
There were currently only three high-grade Dao Pharmacists in the realm, and the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor could be considered the highest existence beneath them.
With the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor's appearance, other mid-grade Dao Pharmacists dared not act arrogantly and stepped out one after another, occupying thirteen positions.
The Jiamu Mountain Ancestor pulled out his ingredients, all extremely precious, including one ingredient rarer than an entire low-grade Dao Medicine.
These were absolutely not materials for refining mid-grade Dao Medicines.
These were high-grade!
The crowd buzzed, instantly understanding the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor's intentions.
He aimed to advance directly to high-grade Dao Pharmacist through this competition!
What boldness!
The spectators were astonished, looking at the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor with admiration.
"Excellent strategy, remarkable courage!" Zhen Hu couldn't help but exclaim. As a fellow mid-grade Dao Pharmacist, he could clearly sense the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor's intentions.
Meanwhile, at the location of the Victory Mountain sect members, a middle-aged man twirling a ring on his finger smiled slightly, casting a glance towards the Starry Sky Pill Sect, with a hint of resentment on his face.
The refinement of mid-grade Dao Medicines began!
A strong aroma of medicinal pills filled the air instantly. Thirteen mid-grade Dao Pharmacists, each refining different mid-grade Dao Medicines, started to influence each other.
It was an invisible battlefield of pills, where only the most skilled Dao Pharmacist could stand out and succeed first.
The cultivators watched intently, unwilling to blink.
For this was the most thrilling battle.
After five consecutive days, the competition began to show clear winners and losers.
The fragrance of the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor's medicine gradually dominated the entire venue, revealing the terrifying influence of a high-grade Dao Medicine.
Almost the entire venue was filled with the fragrance of high-grade Dao Medicine.
This signified that the Jiamu Mountain Ancestor was halfway through refining his pill. He smiled slightly, not hastening his refinement but instead looked towards the Starry Sky Pill Sect and laughed.
"I heard that the Starry Sky Pill Sect has produced an outstanding alchemist who is also a Grand Elder. Why hasn't he shown his skills yet? Could it be that he's afraid?"
Before Zhen Hu could respond,
Chen Xia, who had been bored, suddenly perked up and stood up first, smiling.
"You heard it; he asked for it himself."