Watching the flames spring to life on the Floating Stone Platforms, Xiao Fan shook his head slightly. Zi Yan noticed and turned toward him. "Xiao Fan, did those people make a mistake by starting first? In a competition like this, shouldn't starting earlier give them an advantage?"
Although Xiong Zhan knew nothing about alchemy, he knew that the hundred-odd alchemists here were all exceedingly rare grandmasters. Hearing Zi Yan question Xiao Fan, he couldn't help pricking up his ears.
"Of course they made a mistake!"
Xiao Fan nodded at Zi Yan's question, then explained, "An alchemist must avoid impatience and agitation above all else. That Pill Tower Elder just whipped the atmosphere into a frenzy. Everyone must be incredibly excited right now."
"They've started refining before bringing themselves to their peak condition, yet they want to produce their most perfect pills. Their chances of success are far too small..."
Following Xiao Fan's explanation, Zi Yan looked toward the Floating Stone Platforms. Sure enough, only a dozen or so people had immediately begun refining. The others were all taking some time to adjust their condition or inspect their medicinal ingredients rather than blindly getting started.
The alchemists who had already summoned their flames naturally understood when they saw the others' reactions. After all, anyone who had reached this level of alchemy knew its taboos; they had simply lost control of themselves in their excitement. Yet as they looked at their rising flames, a trace of pride remained in their eyes. Before all the forces of the Central Plains, they couldn't swallow their pride and stop to readjust.
One alchemist after another took various medicinal ingredients from their Storage Rings, agonizing over which pills to refine. Then flames of every color rose from the Floating Stone Platforms.
As time slipped by, most