Reborn Medicine King

0For three consecutive days, the pharmacists on the platform diligently worked on their concoctions. Some of the more skilled ones had already completed the nurturing phase and were moving on to the final stage of pill formation. However, Jiang Fann remained unhurried, seemingly indifferent to the pace, lagging far behind the others.    

    

Fang Xiang, unfamiliar with the art of alchemy, showed no reaction and sat cross-legged next to Jiang Fann, focusing intently on his own practice, unconcerned with Jiang Fann's progress. Meanwhile, Zhu Yan spent these days observing the other pharmacists, appearing extremely excited and absorbing everything without blinking, clearly benefiting greatly from the experience.    

    

Jiang Fann, on the other hand, was calm and composed, puzzling the two pharmacists who were watching him. The elder-looking pharmacist even questioned his judgment more than once, wondering if he had underestimated Jiang Fann.    

    

Jiang Fann was also curious about the methods of the other talented pharmacists but couldn't afford to be distracted at the moment. His current pace was deliberately set for the observers, with everything under his control.    

    

Due to the nature of the alchemy competition, the entire valley was kept very quiet to avoid disturbing the pharmacists. However, Jiang Fann, using his spiritual strength, could sense the different auras of flames within the arena, even detecting the presence of unique spiritual energies from rare fires. This indicated that these young alchemists were taking no chances, maintaining a high level of concentration.    

    

By the fifth day, around noon, there were only two days left in the second phase of the competition. Most of the participants had entered the crucial stage of refining their concoctions the day before. Only a few were still in the process of nurturing their ingredients, and these young pharmacists were visibly anxious, unable to maintain the calm and focus they had earlier.    

    

Two participants had already extinguished their furnaces, having given up on continuing, highlighting the significant differences in skill levels among them.    

    

Zhu Yan, feeling a sudden urge, was about to share his observations with Jiang Fann. However, when he looked over at Jiang Fann, his expression changed.    

    

"Why are you still nurturing your materials? You're running out of time!"    

    

Jiang Fann remained calm and unflustered. "Don't worry about me. There's still time."    

    

With that, he tossed another ingredient, yet to be nurtured, into the pill furnace and ignored Zhu Yan. Seeing Jiang Fann's confidence, Zhu Yan refrained from asking further. Even if Jiang Fann couldn't proceed to the third phase, having the chance to closely observe several talented pharmacists at work was a rare opportunity he couldn't afford to waste.    

    

Another day passed quickly. Jiang Fann added the final ingredient to the furnace, maintaining the intensity of the flame without making any other adjustments.    

    

The two elderly observers in the stands were now very serious. They hadn't spoken all day, focused entirely on watching Jiang Fann's method. The middle-aged pharmacist among them was equally puzzled by Jiang Fann's approach.    

    

"What on earth is this kid up to? There's less than a day left, and it's too late to refine the pills now. Even if he could succeed, they wouldn't be ready; they wouldn't have enough time to mature. What's the point?"    

    

"Looks like I might have misjudged him this time. This kid isn't as extraordinary as I thought. Maybe the first stage was just his unique way of refining or perhaps some special fire technique. That would make sense for their group."    

    

After that, the two stopped paying attention to Jiang Fann and focused on the other pharmacists.    

    

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu's voice echoed in Jiang Fann's mind. "Master! Those two have shifted their focus away from you. It seems your plan worked."    

    

"We can't let our guard down. Let's keep up the act."    

    

Unbeknownst to the two, inside Jiang Fann's pill furnace, four pills floated, emitting a strong aura. The last ingredient Jiang Fann added had been carefully nurtured, turning into a fine powder that evenly coated the pills. The powder was absorbed, enhancing the pills' power.    

    

The pills' color changed slightly, but their aura remained stable, indicating they were ready to be taken out at any moment. However, Jiang Fann deliberately suppressed their aura, intending to use all the available time. As for the quality of the pills, he was confident they'd far surpass the others.    

    

The Martial Master remarked, "This is the first time I've seen a pharmacist use this method to refine medicine."    

    

Jiang Fann replied with a smile, "Refining medicine is all about understanding the art of alchemy. As long as the materials are properly prepared beforehand, it won't affect the process."    

    

"In special circumstances, this approach can even be beneficial, significantly increasing the success rate of the medicine. However, it requires a certain level of mastery in alchemy. If it were a King Rank pill, I wouldn't be able to handle it with my current skills."    

    

That night, a surge of intense fire energy erupted in the valley. All the pharmacists present knew what it meant. Someone had opened their pill furnace and successfully completed the refining of the Great Linglong Pill, finishing the second stage of the competition ahead of schedule.    

    

Following this, a second wave of fire energy appeared as another pharmacist quickly completed their task. The speed at which these two refined their pills caused a stir in the valley. Completing the refinement of a Heaven Rank Pill half a day early was beyond what many veteran pharmacists could achieve.    

    

In the stands, the two pharmacists exchanged a satisfied smile. They were the mysterious pharmacists sent by the Alchemy Sect, and the two who had just completed their tasks were their disciples. Not far from them, a cultivator turned to look at the pair, clearly familiar with them.    

    

"Congratulations to both of you. The younger generation of the Alchemy Sect truly possesses alchemical skills far beyond those of outsiders."    

    

As soon as he finished speaking, the third pill furnace on stage opened. It belonged to the skilled alchemist, whose speed was nearly as fast as the other two. Instantly, she captured the attention of everyone present.    

    

"Impressive!"    

    

On stage, Zhu Yan stared in awe at the three figures who had completed their alchemy.    

    

Even Fang Xiang, who wasn't particularly interested, glanced over. They all saw four pills floating above each of the three furnaces, their auras similar, still radiating heat—a testament to their perfect completion.    

    

Zhu Yan sighed, "Just crafting this pill alone, I might not be as good as these three. They truly are talented individuals."    

    

After speaking, he instinctively looked at Jiang Fann.    

    

"It seems we can't count on Brother Jiang this time, but witnessing these alchemists at work is rewarding enough."    

    

Fang Xiang smiled silently, offering no rebuttal.    

    

After these three finished their alchemy, no one else completed theirs for the next two hours, highlighting the significant gap between them and the others.    

    

It wasn't until dawn that Qin Feng and Huang Rui completed their alchemy. Qin Feng's furnace also yielded four pills, while Huang Rui produced one less, but still succeeded with commendable quality.    

    

Following Huang Rui, two more individuals completed their pill crafting, but neither matched Qin Feng's success rate. By then, seven people had finished.    

    

By now, dawn was breaking, and there wasn't much time left before the end of the second stage. The young man from the Chen family finished his potion two hours later, becoming the eighth pharmacist to complete the task. After finishing, he shouted loudly, drawing a lot of attention. Chen Ye quickly applauded, feeling elated. With another disciple entering the third stage, the Chen family would gain more prestige in the world of pharmacists.    

    

He glanced over at Zhu Yan, his eyes filled with challenge and mockery. However, their commotion annoyed the other pharmacists who hadn't finished yet. Zhu Yan was furious, his good mood vanished, especially as he looked at Jiang Fann, who remained calm, fueling his anger with no outlet.    

    

Shortly after the Chen family pharmacist finished, the ninth pharmacist completed their potion, with only an hour left until the second stage ended. Fang Xiang, noticing Jiang Fann's lack of reaction, couldn't help but remind him, "Hey, hey! That's the ninth one, there's only one spot left."    

    

But just as he finished speaking, the tenth pharmacist completed their concoction. Although successful, two of the four pills shattered upon completion, leaving only two intact. The quality was decent, and the young man was thrilled, clearly boosted by the success.    

    

Zhu Yan watched the scene unfold, feeling utterly deflated, like a balloon losing air. "It's over... all over..."    

    

Just as the competition was about to conclude, two more pharmacists finished crafting their pills. They succeeded, but each only managed to produce one pill.    

    

It was then that Jiang Fann finally opened his eyes and remarked, "The second round isn't about speed; quality is what really matters. What's the rush?"    

    

He opened his pill furnace, and at the same time, on the other side of the stage, another young man opened his furnace, completing his pill-making process.    

    

From both of their furnaces, four pills each floated up, capturing the attention of everyone in the audience and eliciting gasps of amazement.    

    

Jiang Fann felt many eyes on him, but he looked toward the other side and was surprised to recognize the other young man. "Cheng Shufan?"    

    

Cheng Shufan took out a fan from his waist and gently waved it, maintaining his scholarly demeanor. He seemed at ease, as if everything was under his control.    

    

Shortly after the two finished their pill-making, Chen Ning's voice rang out. "Time's up! The second stage of the competition is now over. Those who haven't finished can choose to continue crafting their pills. Regardless of success, you can take your final product with you. Thank you all for participating in this grand event."    

    

In an instant, barriers rose around the fourteen pharmacists who completed the second stage of the competition. From a distance, Qin Feng was watching closely, his eyes fixed on the pill Jiang Fann had crafted, his brow furrowed as he noticed something unique about it.    

    

On the viewing platform, two elders observed the pill in front of Jiang Fann, their expressions shifting. The middle-aged pharmacist exclaimed, "This is truly bizarre. How could he have succeeded? And with such near-perfect success? Was everything we saw yesterday just a trick? Had he already completed the process?"    

    

"Right in front of us? Impossible. Those materials were indeed the last ones. I can't fathom what happened in his pill furnace. It's too strange. Could it be some special method of crafting?"