Top Level Pharmacists like Lu Qianfan and Xu Chuan watched the outstanding Pharmacists from various regions as they performed Alchemy. They were observing and assessing the abilities of these young talents. Some had attended three years ago as rising stars, and they were eager to see how much those individuals had improved.

If they saw someone with outstanding ability, they might even consider taking them on as a disciple, though this was highly unlikely.

The Pharmacist Alliance in White Jade City was a multifaceted organization, not a Sect, which was why figures like Elder Yan and Elder Hua could serve as its Honorary Elders without any conflict with their own Sects.

If Top Level Pharmacists like Lu Qianfan and Xu Chuan decided to take on a disciple, virtually no Sect would refuse. After all, to be chosen by a Pharmacist of their caliber meant the disciple would, at the very least, become an Advanced Pharmacist, with the potential to even reach the Top Level. The benefit to their Sect would naturally be immense.

Although a disciple trained in this way might favor the Pharmacist Alliance, they would still belong to their original Sect. The Sect would naturally reap benefits as well; when they needed high-level elixirs refined, they would have a direct connection.

Pharmacists of the Top Level were not numerous in the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty; in fact, they were exceedingly rare. The line of people hoping to commission an elixir from such a figure would stretch from one end of White Jade City to the other, and even beyond. Without the right connections, it was impossible to even get an audience.

"The two Intermediate Pharmacists from the Celestial Sword Sect haven’t improved in three years. Intermediate Pharmacist is their limit."

"The Xuanqing Palace only sent one Basic Level Pharmacist this time. They probably won’t be able to come next time."

"This newcomer from Qinjian Manor is not bad. His refining techniques are very practiced, but he’s a bit impetuous. He just needs to temper his mindset."

"Xu Taijie from the Brahma Sound Battle Pavilion is quite good. The next time he comes to White Jade City, he’ll likely be an Advanced Pharmacist."

"This new Basic Level Pharmacist from the Cyan Yuan Sect is very steady. His Alchemy methods are also very polished, and his performance is quite good. It seems the Cyan Yuan Sect will have another Intermediate Pharmacist before long." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"..."

Lu Qianfan and Xu Chuan commented on those refining the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill. Although it wasn’t a particularly difficult elixir to create, the process still revealed a great deal about each pharmacist’s abilities.

The stronger a person’s Alchemy Ability, the more aesthetically pleasing their refining process became, as it showed they had mastered their craft to a certain degree.

Their conversation naturally reached the ears of those standing nearby. This information was recorded and sent to the Pharmacist Alliance, to be filed as another form of data.

For Pharmacists like Yang Chan who were participating in the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, various investigations were conducted from the moment they registered with the Pharmacist Alliance. The ultimate goal was to gauge their potential.

And the evaluations from two Top Level Pharmacists were something no one could afford to ignore.

...

Yang Chan focused on refining the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill, his concentration absolute. He was aware of the distant Advanced Pharmacists scrutinizing him, but he paid them no mind. The elixir wasn’t particularly difficult to make, so his success would be perfectly normal and in keeping with his official status.

’As for the subsequent elixirs, there’s no need to succeed. I’ll just fail when I’m supposed to fail.’

’There’s only one path to success, but there are countless paths to failure. I can just pick any one of them.’

’Even though I can perform Alchemy and make mistakes here for free, I’m not lacking for materials. I can just as easily gather them back at the Sect. There’s no need to be too conspicuous here. It wouldn’t be good if someone with ulterior motives were to remember me and target me later.’

As a cautious person, Yang Chan had no desire to stand out, especially not under the watchful eyes of Advanced Pharmacists, Inner Masters, and other prominent figures.

’And there are two Top Level Pharmacists here. If they discovered I was hiding something and started probing me with various tests, that would be terrible.’

’The chances of that happening are low, but I don’t want to risk it at all.’

’Best to cut the problem off at the source. Don’t give them a single opportunity.’

Yang Chan’s refining of the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill went smoothly, and he succeeded on his first attempt. He immediately handed the finished elixir to a representative from the Pharmacist Alliance, completing his task.

There were many experts among the alchemists, so Yang Chan wasn’t the first to finish. By turning in his elixir, he was just one among many who had succeeded, drawing no particular attention to himself.

As long as their luck wasn’t terrible, any of the participants had a chance to successfully refine the elixir.

After completing his alchemy, Yang Chan headed toward where Elder Yan and the others were gathered. Xu Gaocen had already finished before him. As expected of a veteran Intermediate Pharmacist, he was both steady and much faster.

His own alchemy style leaned more toward endurance, which helped reduce the chance of failure during the process.

"Not bad. Although this is an elixir you’ve refined before, to succeed on the first try under the gaze of so many people shows your mindset is excellent."

"Many people participating in the Pharmacist Exchange Conference for the first time feel inhibited while performing alchemy under so many watchful eyes. This is especially true with so many Advanced Pharmacists present; even the smallest mistake can be spotted, which makes newcomers very nervous."

"It’s not unheard of for someone who is perfectly capable of succeeding to fail simply due to mental pressure."

"This experience has given you a taste of something new. It will help stabilize your mindset, which will be a great help to your alchemy in the future."

Yan Jinfeng hadn’t spoken much to Yang Chan before. However, seeing him successfully refine the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill on his first attempt greatly improved his impression of the young man. As a result, he was more talkative and offered a few words of guidance.

He hadn’t actually wanted to select Yang Chan for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, but had chosen him for the sake of the bigger picture. And while he’d noticed Yang Chan’s diligence on their journey, he hadn’t given him that much importance.

Mindset is crucial for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, and Yang Chan’s performance on that front was excellent.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Yan. This disciple will take it to heart."

Yang Chan said, bowing in thanks.

The truth was, he hadn’t been nervous at all. When he focused on alchemy, he tuned out his surroundings, his attention fixed solely on the Alchemy Furnace. He simply ignored the stares.

"You too. You got a bit hasty at the end of your refining this time. That moment you stretched your back almost caused the alchemy to fail. Be careful next time. And try not to be so... busy these days. Save some of your strength."

Yan Jinfeng then turned to Xu Gaocen with his admonition.

Xu Gaocen’s refining of the First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill had been both fast and stable, but during the final stage, he had suddenly put a hand to his lower back. The sight had naturally made Yan Jinfeng’s brow twitch.

He naturally understood the reason: overexertion during the night.

Xu Gaocen’s cultivation had not yet broken through to the Inner Master realm, so his lifespan was nowhere near as long. Compared to others of his rank, he was already getting on in years and no longer possessed the same reserves of energy.

Thus, Yan Jinfeng’s reminder was veiled, but he didn’t forbid the activity outright.

It takes a man to know a man, and he knew that some things simply couldn’t be stopped. Besides, forbidding it would be useless. If he could control his... intensity, that would be good enough, and it wouldn’t affect his alchemy at the Pharmacist Exchange Conference.