Chapter 216: Chapter 216: All Parties Observe the Ceremony, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Pharmacist Exchange Conference was held once every three years within the Pharmacist Alliance.

Every Pharmacist Exchange Conference was a bustling affair, as outstanding Pharmacists from every state and domain within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty would attend. Pharmacists from surrounding imperial dynasties would also take part.

Participation required a recommendation from an Advanced Pharmacist within the Pharmacist Alliance. Even if these recommended individuals did not reside in White Jade City, they held the title of Honorary Elder.

Of course, the requirements were more lenient for the Imperial Family and other nations, which had their own set of standards.

The Pharmacist Alliance, despite its immense prestige within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, was still ultimately located within its borders. When it came to the Imperial Family, they had to show the proper respect.

The Imperial Family had also arranged for representatives to observe the ceremony.

Emperor Yang Yu did not attend in person. Instead, he had sent Princess Qianyue to observe, a development that naturally caught many people’s attention. For the past several conferences, this duty had always been assigned to Crown Prince Yang Qian.

This time, however, the representative had been changed to Princess Qianyue. She was the ninety-ninth of the Emperor’s children and was popularly known as Princess Ninety-Nine.

The Crown Prince’s absence from the ceremony, remaining instead in the Eastern Palace, led many to speculate about the Emperor’s true intentions.

Still, it was fortunate that he had sent a Princess. Had he arranged for a Prince to attend, the speculation would have been even more intense.

Beside Princess Qianyue stood First Grade Grand Protector Sikong Wenwen, the minister Emperor Yang Yu had appointed to oversee the Pharmacist Exchange Conference. His responsibilities were limited to deploying troops to prevent any disruptions to the event. Any internal matters were to be handled by the Pharmacist Alliance itself.

Before the Pharmacist Exchange Conference officially began, the Alliance Leader led the assembly in offering incense to the great Pharmacist sages of the past. It was then that Yang Chan finally saw Lu Qianfan, the Alliance Leader of the Pharmacist Alliance. He was one of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s few Top Level Pharmacists, and one of only two within the Alliance.

The other was Xu Chuan, the Vice Alliance Leader of the Pharmacist Alliance and Princess Lan Yue’s master.

The Pharmacist Alliance had numerous Advanced Pharmacists, but only these two were Top Level Pharmacists. Publicly, they were the only two in the entire Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. Whether any other Sects had hidden Top Level Pharmacists was a secret known only to their highest echelons.

Both Top Level Pharmacists were well advanced in years, even older than Yan Jinfeng. However, having broken through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm, their lifespans were naturally much longer. Under normal circumstances, both of them would likely still be alive long after Yan Jinfeng was buried back at the Cyan Yuan Sect.

After offering incense to the sages, the Pharmacist Alliance began the ritual prayers. The entire ceremony was conducted with great solemnity.

The observers present were all invitees. They were either Pharmacist members who had entered White Jade City and whose names were on the Alliance’s roster, or individuals personally invited by the Pharmacist Alliance.

Of all the personnel from the Cyan Yuan Sect, only Elder Ji Feng had secured an invitation, thanks to Yan Jinfeng. He was also there to protect Yan Jinfeng, Yang Chan, and the others.

Even within the Pharmacist Alliance, Elder Ji Feng did not let his guard down; his senses remained on high alert.

This was because the situation in White Jade City was simply too treacherous, making one feel unsafe.

In fact, hidden among the observing crowd were many Inner Masters from the various Sects—a force that could not be underestimated. Emperor Yang Yu’s decision to appoint Sikong Wenwen was not just to maintain order at the conference; it was also a precaution against these very Sect members.

From the Emperor’s perspective, this was a power that lay outside his control. If they were to unite, it would undoubtedly pose a threat to him. As an old emperor who had reigned for many years, he was naturally wary of such a force.

Yang Chan followed Elder Yan and the others, joining Alliance Leader Lu Qianfan in the ceremonial worship. A series of rituals followed. The entire process was rather tedious, but it followed a fixed, established schedule.

According to Elder Yan, this series of rituals was meant to beseech the blessings of the ancient sages and to show them the progress the field of pharmacy had made.

’This was a first for Yang Chan. In his two lifetimes, he had never participated in such a large-scale ritual. It was quite an eye-opening experience.’

The Cyan Yuan Sect held similar events, but only once a decade. He had never participated in one and would have to wait several more years for the next.

After the rituals concluded, a high-pitched voice boomed, reaching everyone’s ears. "The ceremony is complete! The Pharmacist Exchange Conference will now begin!"

The speaker was an expert at the Inner Refining Grandmaster Level, specifically one who had reached the stage of Inner Refining of the Five Viscera.

’Yang Chan was certain of it. The voice originated from the speaker’s chest, carrying a powerful vibration that was nevertheless perfectly controlled. Only a master of the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera, one who had already completed the Tempering of their heart, could achieve such a feat.’

’He knew this because during his own Inner Refining, he had focused on the organs related to the heart, giving him a deeper understanding of the process.’

’The Pharmacist Alliance is truly full of hidden experts. Besides the two Alliance Leaders, both Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters, there are plenty of other powerful figures.’

’Yang Chan knew that within the Cyan Yuan Sect, there were few masters at the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera Level. Only the Supreme Elder, the Sect Leader, and a handful of others had reached that stage.’

’Even figures like Medicine Hall Master Gu An were still at the Peak of Inner Refining of the Lungs and Spleens, a short distance away from the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera. It seemed like a small bottleneck, but it was one that held back countless cultivators.’

’The Spiritual Materials required for the elixirs that could help one break through to the Inner Refining of the Five Viscera were exceedingly rare and difficult to gather. Besides, the Cyan Yuan Sect was currently focusing its efforts on concocting drugs to aid a breakthrough to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. The Sect desperately needed a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster to secure its position.’

’Whether due to the current political climate or to ensure the Sect’s continuation, a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster was essential.’

With the rituals complete, Yang Chan followed Yan Jinfeng, Xu Gaocen, and the others as they mingled and chatted with their acquaintances. They discussed various experiences related to their profession, and among the crowd were some of the very Pharmacists he had met at Fragrance Tower and Baihua Building.

Now, however, they were all impeccably dressed and carried themselves with utmost decorum. They wore the official Pharmacist robes of their respective Sects, each with its own distinct regional style.

Here, no one spoke of romance and pleasure as they had in the brothels. Instead, the conversation was strictly limited to the knowledge of a Pharmacist. Some discussed elixir refinement, others medicine concoction, and still others brought up strange medical cases they had treated. All manner of information related to their craft was shared and exchanged.

Every one of them was experienced and well-informed, and there was no shortage of topics. Some subjects sparked lively debates and exchanges, with some even attempting to verify their theories on the spot. If they couldn’t convince each other, they would seek out an Advanced Pharmacist from the Alliance to resolve their questions.

’The scene reminded Yang Chan of a study hall from his school days in a past life—the kind where students were allowed to talk. They would discuss problems they ran into, and if they couldn’t figure something out, they would go find a teacher for the answer.’

As Yang Chan chatted with them, he would occasionally offer his own ideas or bring up problems he had encountered in Alchemy. He felt he was gaining a great deal from the exchange. And as he did, he noticed the proficiency for his Pharmacist class on his status panel was increasing.