The way they handled the alchemy told Bi Fan plenty about their skills.
Their overall alchemical aptitude was a little better than that of people outside Pill City, but not by much.
As Bi Fan looked over the other contestants, everyone in Pill City was also watching the competitors one by one.
Seeing the contestants work with practiced ease, the crowd began discussing which pills they were refining and what grades they might be.
Their gazes moved from one contestant to another, but they lingered longest on the Pill King.
The alchemists in particular watched without blinking, marveling at the Pill King's technique.
Aside from the Pill King, they also watched Lei Tianhu and Pan Yi. Lei Tianhu's style was as rough as he was: he tossed all the ingredients into the cauldron in one go, and waves of heat rolled out from the Hundred Beast Cauldron.
It made people wonder if he was going to ruin all the ingredients at once.
Pan Yi, by contrast, was much more cautious. He guided the ingredients toward the cauldron one plant at a time, at a steady pace. Under his control, they were gradually refined into medicinal liquids of various colors, rising and falling inside the cauldron.
Their gazes drifted away from them, rapt, and finally settled on Bi Fan. The crowd was stunned.
They saw that Bi Fan was still standing right where he was, without lifting a hand.
What was going on? They were puzzled. The alchemy trial lasted only three days, so every moment counted. Even if there was plenty of time, what if something went wrong? He would have to start another batch, which would take time too.
And Bi Fan showed no intention of getting started at all. Instead, he watched the other contestants with keen interest.