On the fourth day of the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, Yang Chan followed Yan Jinfeng and the others to the Pharmacist Alliance. He keenly noticed an increase in people along the roadside. This wasn’t an increase in ordinary folk, but in those with Martial Arts Cultivation. Some tried to look like commoners, but their grim, battle-hardened auras gave them away.

Yang Chan’s perception was sharp. These were soldiers from the army, yet here they were in White Jade City, deliberately disguised as commoners. He didn’t have to think twice to know something was amiss.

They were specifically positioned on the road to the Pharmacist Alliance, their numbers growing the closer one got. Yang Chan couldn’t tell if they were there to move against the Pharmacist Alliance or to protect it. Since he didn’t know, he couldn’t make a sound judgment.

The thought of staying behind at the Cyan Yuan Pavilion had crossed his mind. After all, he had failed at refining the Cyan Spirit Pill, so there was nothing left for him to do. But on second thought, ’If there’s danger in White Jade City, the Cyan Yuan Pavilion might not be safe.’

’It would be far safer to stick with Elder Yan and the others. There are several Inner Masters in our group, and there will be even more at the Pharmacist Alliance. Their combined strength is nothing to scoff at.’

’Besides, within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, no faction would dare to directly offend the powerful Sects from the various regions.’

’Rather than staying in a place with little protection, it’s better to come along. Even in the worst-case scenario, the heavy hitters will take the brunt of it, and I can hide myself more easily.’

Upon arriving at the Pharmacist Alliance, Yang Chan saw that the Advanced Pharmacists from the various regions all wore grim expressions. Clearly, they had also noticed the situation on the road.

Regardless of whether this force was here to protect the Pharmacist Alliance or to target it, they would all be caught in the crossfire and inevitably affected.

After arriving at the Pharmacist Alliance, many of the Advanced Pharmacists from the various Sects gathered in small groups. Yang Chan could overhear them discussing matters of cooperation and speaking of sticking together should trouble break out in White Jade City.

He wasn’t surprised by this outcome, as he had overheard Elder Yan and the others discussing it at the Spring Pavilion Building last night. When faced with danger, these Pharmacists could only ensure their own safety by uniting. Together, they would form a formidable force that no one would dare to provoke.

Elder Yan and his group were making small talk with the Advanced Pharmacists they had made an arrangement with last night at the Spring Pavilion Building, even going so far as to sound out members of other Sects.

Last night, some Sects had accepted invitations from factions within White Jade City, visiting places like the Imperial Music Bureau or even attending private functions at their manors. There must have been some deals made.

Before the Cyan Yuan Sect came to White Jade City, Elder Yan, Elder Ji Feng, and the others had followed Sect Leader Liu Xuan’s orders not to get involved in the power struggles between the various factions. They were to remain neutral observers.

No matter how the factions in White Jade City fought, no benefits would fall to the Cyan Yuan Sect. Instead, Sect Leader Liu Xuan had set his sights elsewhere, searching for an opportunity to break through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm.

Even in White Jade City, Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters were considered peak experts. A faction like the Pharmacist Alliance, which drew talent from all regions, had only managed to produce two. This showed just how difficult it was to reach that level.

It was equivalent to having the support of cultivation resources from every region, and even then, only two Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters had emerged.

Even though the Pharmacist Alliance’s Alliance Leader, Lu Qianfan, and Vice Alliance Leader, Xu Chuan, were not combat-focused Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters, their Grandmaster-level cultivation alone was enough to crush most Inner Masters. This was a disparity in realms, a qualitative leap in power.

In Martial Arts Cultivation, every major realm represents a qualitative leap, creating a vast gap in combat power.

This was no exception, even for Pharmacists who didn’t primarily focus on combat.

The transformation into a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster was even more profound than the breakthroughs of other realms.

The crowd didn’t have to wait long before the alchemy competition began. Neither the Alliance Leader nor the Vice Alliance Leader of the Pharmacist Alliance made an appearance, but the event proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Yang Chan followed Yan Jinfeng and sat on the viewing platform. This time, he was watching from the very beginning. He observed the Pharmacists’ preparations before they began their alchemy; each person’s habits had subtle differences, which naturally led to variations in their processes.

He watched with great care. On previous occasions, he had arrived late, when the refining process was already half over, never from the start.

But even in this preparatory stage, there were things to learn and lessons to be drawn.

He had gained a great deal from the discussions at the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, and watching these people refine elixirs would naturally grant him even more insight. He hoped to extract useful information from their techniques.

Some of the Pharmacists had excellent habits before they started refining, and Yang Chan naturally wanted to learn from them. Most of his own alchemy process was self-taught, supplemented by the experience that came with advancing his Pharmacist class. He had never received direct guidance from another Pharmacist.

He hadn’t taken a master in the Cyan Yuan Sect, so he had no one to teach him. Now, however, he could learn just by observing their preparatory work.

The people currently performing alchemy all had outstanding abilities. They were elites even in their home regions, so their refining processes were naturally worth studying.

Preparation was also a critical part of alchemy, as it affected both the speed and the success rate of the refining process.

Furthermore, the elixir being refined today was the Three Revolutions Nourishing Viscera Pill. Yang Chan had never attempted to make it himself, so he watched with rapt attention. This would be a great help to him.

He hadn’t yet refined a Three Revolutions Nourishing Viscera Pill, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future. Once he could reliably produce elixirs like the Cyan Spirit Pill, Guiyuan Pill, and Qi Replenishing Pill, the Three Revolutions Nourishing Viscera Pill would be his next target.

He needed these elixirs, both to advance his Martial Arts Cultivation and to increase his daily harvest of Potential Points. The higher the grade of the elixir, the greater the benefit.

Of course, he wasn’t in a hurry now, nor could he rush it. But by observing carefully, he could gain some preliminary knowledge. That way, he might fail a few less times when he did try, and could start increasing his daily income of Potential Points sooner.

Yang Chan’s gaze fell mostly on Xu Gaocen. Xu Gaocen’s alchemy style was very much in line with the methods of the Cyan Yuan Sect, so observing him would naturally be of greater help.

He watched intently, though he also made sure to observe the others during the process, taking in the techniques of other excellent Pharmacists. Among them were the ones he had seen at the Spring Pavilion Building yesterday—the new additions. It seemed they had been invited to join after they successfully refined the Cyan Spirit Pill.

Each of these individuals had their own unique style, and their refining processes varied. The order in which they added the medicinal herbs wasn’t fixed, a difference tied to their specific techniques. Yang Chan paid close attention to them as well, committing their alchemy processes to memory. He could try them out himself when he had the time.