The sound of the Alchemical Furnace echoed across the plaza. All thirty competing Alchemists turned solemn and took their seats at the alchemy tables.
Apart from Jun Wangchen, Feng Fu, and Feng Xuan, nearly all thirty Alchemists were over thirty years old and had spent half their lives refining pills.
Decades of pill refining had given them a profound understanding of herbs, and the knowledge of plants stored in their minds had reached an astonishing level.
It was fair to say that if they left the Feng Family for smaller families, they would undoubtedly be revered as herbal masters and enjoy wealth and luxury.
Even so, none of them showed the slightest complacency as they faced the first round of Herb Identification.
They knew that the Feng Main Branch's Direct-Line Alchemy Competition was no ordinary contest.
Jun Wangchen sat at his alchemy table without a trace of nervousness. Although this was his first time entering such a competition, the first round of Herb Identification was far too easy for him.
The Alchemy Art Taishang Laojun had given him covered countless plants. Every herb found in their world was recorded in it, along with herbs that did not even exist in their world.
He glanced toward Feng Fu. She had already opened her scroll and begun answering. Even as she worked, her bearing remained elegant, drawing more than half the crowd's attention.
Another portion of the crowd watched a curly-haired Alchemist. His cold expression warned strangers to keep their distance, but the brush in his hand raced across his scroll, displaying his thorough command of herbal knowledge.
Feng Fu's older brother, Feng Xuan. He looks like a formidable opponent. Recalling Feng Qianyuan's earlier conversation with several collateral branch elders, Jun Wangchen narrowed his eyes and turned toward the robed Alchemist ahead