C18 Hundred Cold Pill(1)

"Four Directions Medicinal Clinic, Xu Ziqing at your service!"

Jiang Xiaofan regarded the courteous youth before him and clasped his fists in return, "Miraculous Hand Medical Hall, Jiang Xiaofan."

The two exchanged a nod, stoked the flames in their furnaces, and at the mayor's booming command, "Begin the competition!" they commenced.

Xu Ziqing swiftly retrieved several pre-selected spiritual herbs from his storage ring and set to work refining them in the flames. However, being only in the Late Period of the Original Martial Stage, Xu Ziqing lacked Martial Qi. Despite his adept pill-making skills, his pace in crafting pills was slow, and the resulting quality was inevitably subpar.

This was the crux of the issue: his disciple's talent was insufficient, making it a challenge to find a successor to elevate the Four Directions Medicinal Clinic beyond its modest standing in Breeze Town.

Jiang Xiaofan, on the other hand, pulled several spiritual herbs from his backpack and placed them into the Pill Refining Furnace. With a lift of his arm, he unleashed his Martial Qi to amplify the fire's intensity. Witnessing this, Xu Ziqing's resolve wavered, recognizing the disparity between himself and Jiang Xiaofan.

Nonetheless, he poured his heart into the task, determined not to disappoint his master's faith in him.

Within a mere two minutes, Jiang Xiaofan withdrew his hand. While the others were still toiling over their pills, he had completed his task. Opening the Pill Refining Furnace, the aroma of the freshly crafted pills wafted out, drawing astonished glances from the crowd who could scarcely believe a young pharmacist could work with such speed.

Minutes later, Xu Ziqing's pill was also ready. The examiner approached, inspecting the pills from both competitors. He announced, "Xu Ziqing of the Four Directions Medicinal Clinic has produced a Sixth Grade Yellow Level Physique Pill of medium quality. Jiang Xiaofan of the Miraculous Hand Medical Hall has crafted a Tenth Grade Yellow Level Blood Pill of the highest quality! Victory goes to Miraculous Hand Medical Hall's Jiang Xiaofan!"

Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment, including those on the elevated platform. It was hard for them to believe that a mere fifteen or sixteen-year-old could effortlessly produce a top-tier Tenth Grade yellow pill!

The elder from the Divine Wind Sect was momentarily taken aback, yet he kept his composure, offering only a slight smile before turning his attention back to the other stages.

Ann Yunshan applauded enthusiastically, while Jiang Xiaofan stepped down from the arena. Qin Chuan, too, had just triumphed over his adversary. It was no small feat, as an Eighth Grade Yellow Level pharmacist was a rarity among the younger ranks.

Ann Xiaobai was next to compete. With only seven contestants, Chu Zhu was given a bye, which made sense since his skills were well-known, and there was no point in him participating in such preliminary bouts.

Ann Xiaobai faced off against Chu Lu from the Hanging Pot Pharmacy, a pharmacist of the Yellow Eighth Grade, a notch above Xiaobai, making the outcome seem inevitable.

Minutes later, both had successfully refined their pills. The examiner reviewed their work and noted that both had produced high-quality pills—one a Poison Transformation Pill of the Eighth Grade, and the other a Spirit Wind Pill of the Seventh Grade.

Chu Lu sneered, "The Martial Artsed Hand Medical Hall is just full of nobodies. You seriously thought you stood a chance in this competition?"

Ann Xiaobai clenched her jaw and retorted fiercely, "Don't you dare insult the Martial Artsed Hand Medical Hall!"

At that moment, Jiang Xiaofan stepped in, pulling her aside and giving Chu Lu an icy stare. "You think you're advancing to the next round? That's laughable. Why don't you go home and practice for another decade?"

"You!"

"What 'you'? Can you refine a top-grade pill like I can? No? Then it's time you kept quiet!" Jiang Xiaofan's retort left Chu Lu speechless, prompting him to sweep his sleeve indignantly and exit the stage.

Jiang Xiaofan and Ann Xiaobai made their way back to the wooden table. Xiaobai looked up at Ann Yunshan with a soft apology, "Grandfather, I'm sorry..."

Ann Yunshan gave her a comforting smile and gently patted her head, "There's nothing to apologize for. You did your best, and that's all that matters."

After the first half of the initial round concluded, only fourteen competitors remained on the stage. It was Jiang Xiaofan's turn to step up once more, facing off against a Seventh Grade Yellow Level pharmacist from another pharmacy.

Jiang Xiaofan effortlessly produced a Tenth Grade Yellow Level pill before shifting his attention to another arena where Qin Chuan and Chu Zhu were competing. Qin Chuan continued to excel, crafting the finest pill of his life, yet even this near-perfect creation, a Third Grade High-Grade Profound Level pill, wasn't enough to secure victory.

The last seven contestants moved on to the second round. Each was at least an Eighth Grade Yellow Level, and they were tasked with refining the Eighth Grade Yellow Level Taiqing Pill. Their performance would determine the final four to remain in the competition.

At the mayor's command, they began placing spiritual herbs into their pill furnaces, using Martial Qi to refine the pills. Soon, the air was fragrant with the scent of their creations.

Jiang Xiaofan and Chu Zhu finished their pills simultaneously, exchanging glances. Chu Zhu turned away with a sneer, clearly underestimating Jiang Xiaofan's abilities.

Within fifteen minutes, all the pills were ready for inspection. The judges examined each one and, after deliberating, announced, "The finalists advancing to the Pharmacy Conference championship are Chu Zhu from Hanging Pot Pharmacy, Jiang Xiaofan from Mighty Hand Medical Hall, Qian Dongdong from Nine State Pharmacy, and Su Jinsong from Hundred Spirits Herbal Store. The contest will resume at noon. Contestants, please prepare yourselves!"

As noon approached, Jiang Xiaofan sat alone in the basement, lost in thought. Of his three adversaries, Chu Zhu was his greatest concern. Having witnessed Chu Zhu's skillful display earlier, Jiang Xiaofan's confidence wavered.

Armed with the Devouring System, his pill refining speed was extraordinary, surpassing even that of Ann Yunshan. Yet, Chu Zhu matched his pace, a testament to the formidable prowess of a Seventh Grade Profound Level Pharmacist.

The afternoon competition rules were straightforward: each participant was to craft three pills on-site and submit them to the five judges for auction!

The judges would place bids on the pills they preferred, and the highest bids would determine the winner.

Ultimately, the rankings would be based on the total amount fetched by the three pills—essentially, the more valuable the pills, the higher the rank of the alchemist.

For this reason, everyone pegged Chu Zhu as the likely champion. Even a low-grade Seventh Grade Profound Level pill could command a price that would dwarf any Yellow Rank or lower-grade Profound Level pills.

Yet, the price wasn't solely influenced by the pill's level; rarity played a significant role as well!

Take, for example, his top-grade Stone Condensing Pill, which could fetch one Silver Coin—a price nearly unattainable for pills below the Fifth Grade of the Profound Level. So, for the afternoon's contest, he was determined to concoct unique pills with unparalleled effects that no one had ever seen before!

However, having recently ascended to a Second Grade Profound Level alchemist, Jiang Xiaofan faced a challenge. The Medicine King Scripture contained numerous Profound Level pill recipes, and although he had selected a few, the one that truly caught his eye was a Second Grade Profound Level formula!

He was capable of refining a Second Grade Profound Level pill, but the likelihood of success was slim, and the resulting quality might not be up to par. This was the dilemma he was grappling with.

Lost in thought, he idly toyed with a stalk of White Crow Worm Grass.

Suddenly, his eyes sparkled with inspiration!

...

The lively Central Square of Breeze Town was abuzz with excitement. The five judges sat with solemn poise on an elevated platform, overlooking the four remaining stages—other platforms had been cleared away to accommodate the throng of onlookers.

The mayor stood before the contestants and announced robustly, "The Pharmacy Conference finals are now underway! I call upon all pharmacists to commence their pill refining. You have the duration of one incense stick to complete your task!"