The Medicine Assembly Champion Can Only Be From the Main Branch; He Wouldn't Mind Crippling Another Alchemy Genius From a Side Branch

After Yao Wangu finished speaking, the young members of the Yao Clan participating in this Medicine Assembly stepped into the center of the square one after another, revealing their own medicinal cauldrons.

The alchemy competition had officially begun.

The rules were simple: within the allotted time, they had to refine a pill and submit it to Yao Wangu and Elder Wanh̆uo for evaluation.

Thus, everyone in this assembly had only one chance to refine a pill.

Therefore, whether they were from the direct branch or the side branches, they all chose to refine pills of at least the fourth grade.

After all, only then would they have a chance to win the Medicine Assembly!

With so many clan members competing, there could only be one champion!

It was like thousands of troops trying to cross a single-plank bridge—the difficulty was immense!

Yao Xuan likewise stood before his own alchemy platform. A faint glimmer flashed across the Storage Ring on his finger, and a pitch-black medicinal cauldron appeared before him.

Yao Xuan's cauldron was not some precious treasure, merely the most ordinary and common black cauldron.

At the same time, Yao Ling and Yao Xingji, the two favorites of this assembly, also brought out their own medicinal cauldrons.

Compared to Yao Xuan's, their cauldrons were clearly far more luxurious.

After all, both of them were from the Yao Clan's main branch and had enjoyed the clan's finest resources since childhood!

Yao Xingji's eyes brimmed with arrogance. With a light raise of his hand, precious medicinal ingredients appeared before him one after another.

Yao Xuan happened to glance in Yao Xingji's direction and found the ingredients before him exceedingly familiar!

The same Medicine Heart Grass, Profound Resonance Condensation Flower, and Ancient Spirit Source Spring Liquid!

Seeing those ingredients, Yao Xuan immediately understood. The pill Yao Xingji intended to refine was the same as his: the fifth-grade Myriad Veins Origin-Bearing Pill!

Yet Yao Xuan did not panic. Since they were refining the same pill, the final contest would be one of quality!

Yao Xuan did not believe his alchemy skills were inferior to Yao Xingji's!

Though Yao Xingji would one day become the Human Medicine Adept spoken of by others, compared to Yao Xuan now, he was merely someone born into the main branch!

Thus, Yao Xuan unhurriedly took out the medicinal ingredients Yao Ling had given him from his Storage Ring, arranging them before him as he prepared to begin refining.

From afar, Yao Ling had been watching Yao Xuan's movements. When she saw that he had ultimately chosen to refine the Myriad Veins Origin-Bearing Pill, she smiled faintly, reassured, and began refining her own pill.

On the elevated platform, Yao Wanhuo and Yao Wangu swept their gazes over the crowd below, their expressions showing little change.

Only when Yao Wanhuo's gaze fell upon Yao Xingji did he speak in a deep voice:

"Medicine Heart Grass, Profound Resonance Flower..."

"That child Xing Ji intends to refine the fifth-grade Myriad Veins Origin-Bearing Pill..."

Hearing this, Yao Wangu also looked toward Yao Xingji and nodded approvingly. "This child has a steady temperament. He is already at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Spirit, only a step away from Dou Wang..."

"Choosing to refine this pill at the Medicine Assembly, he must be completely confident..."

"It seems Yao Ling will have an opponent in this Medicine Assembly..."

After speaking, Yao Wangu's gloomy gaze once again locked onto Yao Ling amid the crowd...

However, when he saw the ingredients laid out before Yao Ling, the old man's expression changed abruptly:

"What is that girl doing!?"

"Is she planning to refine a Detoxification Pill!?"

With a single glance, Yao Wangu recognized that the ingredients before Yao Ling were for refining the most ordinary fifth-grade Detoxification Pill!

Though the Detoxification Pill was also a fifth-grade pill, it was the most common and ordinary kind of fifth-grade pill.

In Yao Wangu's eyes, such a pill had no chance whatsoever of winning the Medicine Assembly!

After all, he believed Yao Ling should be evenly matched with Yao Xingji. By choosing to refine a Detoxification Pill now, she was completely giving up her chance at the championship!

Yao Wangu then cast a cold glance at Yao Tian behind him and spoke in a deep voice, "Yao Tian, what is going on with Yao Ling?"

Yao Tian merely shook his head, indicating that he did not know why Yao Ling had made such a choice.

Just as Yao Wangu's expression darkened, Yao Wanhuo beside him spotted the inconspicuous Yao Xuan among the crowd.

"Medicine Heart Grass and Profound Resonance Flower as well..."

"This boy also intends to refine the Myriad Veins Origin-Bearing Pill..."

Yao Wanhuo paused, confusion in his eyes. "But he is in the side branch area, so he should be a side branch clansman..."

"How does he possess the formula for the Origin-Bearing Pill, and how did he obtain these ingredients!?"

Upon hearing Yao Wanhuo's words, Yao Wangu turned his gaze toward Yao Xuan as well.

Yao Wangu had always firmly upheld bloodline hierarchy. Seeing a mere side branch member intending to refine a pill exclusively supplied to the main branch, he immediately questioned Yao Tian behind him:

"Yao Tian, who is this person?"

Yao Tian glanced at Yao Xuan before slowly explaining, "His name is Yao Xuan, and he comes from a side branch..."

"But Yao Ling seems to have some affection for him, so she likely gave him this pill formula..."

As Yao Ling's elder brother, Yao Tian understood his younger sister fairly well.

Thus, he had roughly guessed what had happened.

After hearing Yao Tian's explanation, Yao Wangu's aura suddenly surged. "Outrageous!"

"How dare a mere side branch member lay his hands on a pill exclusively supplied to our main branch!"

After speaking, Yao Wangu prepared to personally step in, forcibly interrupt Yao Xuan, and revoke his qualification for this Medicine Assembly.

However, just as Yao Wangu was about to move, Yao Wanhuo suddenly spoke from beside him:

"Elder Wan Gui..."

"Do not be so hasty. The Medicine Assembly is underway. If you end it now, would that not disrupt the rules..."

Yao Wangu was somewhat puzzled. "First Elder, but this boy comes from a side branch!?"

Yao Wanhuo glared at Yao Wangu and spoke again. "So what if he is from a side branch..."

"In my view, the champion of this Medicine Assembly will likely emerge from either Yao Xuan or Xing Ji..."

"Moreover, although Yao Xuan is only a Two-Star Dou Spirit with soul strength at the Mid-Level Mortal Realm, his alchemy skills are no less impressive than Xing Ji's—perhaps even superior..."

At this moment, Yao Wanhuo's gaze continuously shifted between Yao Xingji and Yao Xuan.

As someone whose alchemy skills in the Yao Clan were second only to Yao Dan's, Yao Wanhuo could judge another's alchemy talent merely from their refining techniques.

Therefore, upon hearing Yao Wanhuo give such an astonishingly high evaluation to Yao Xuan, who came from a side branch, Yao Wangu was extremely displeased!

Yet with Yao Wanhuo present, he could not easily make a scene on the spot. Still, he had already formed a plan in his heart!

After all, in Yao Wangu's eyes, the various benefits of becoming champion of the Medicine Assembly were merely bait dangled before those side branch clansmen. The Medicine Assembly champion had to belong to someone from their main branch...

Many years ago, he had already crippled one alchemy genius from a side branch. He would not mind adding another now...