Shaking his head as he thought about the Master Realm, Fang Shi knew very well just how hard it would be for him to breakthrough.
In the first place, the main reason why he had wanted to take on a disciple this time around, was because he hoped that he would be able to further increase his fundamental understanding of alchemy by teaching someone.
At the very least, that was what he had been told by one of the Sky Empire's Master Alchemists the last time he had gone to ask for help regarding overcoming his bottleneck and breaking through to the Master Realm…
"Hah, why do I still feel like I'm still so far away from the Master Realm? Just what is it that I'm missing?"
Remembering his conversation back then with a certain Master Alchemist from the Sky Empire, Fang Shi could not help but let out a quiet sigh as he soon redirected his attention towards the participants busy finishing up their pills.
Other than Qing Yi, Fang Shi also kept an eye on three other participants who all surpassed the other participants in both skill and alchemy realm...
Looking over those three participants, Fang Shi could not help but smile wryly as he noticed a certain young man smiling confidently as he looked over towards his disciple Cai Yu standing a few feet away from him.
The young man in question, was the crown prince of the Dark Sky Kingdom that had been chasing after his disciple for the last few years!
To be honest, Fang Shi felt truly impressed by this crown prince and even wanted to take him in as a disciple. The main reason for this was the fact that the crown prince of the Dark Sky Kingdom had only started practicing alchemy three years ago after rumours about him accepting in the near future began circulating inside the Sky Empire…
In under three years, the crown prince of the Dark Sky Kingdom had directly gone from someone who had never come into contact with alchemy before, to becoming an Expert Alchemist!
This talent in alchemy alone was more than enough to make Fang Shi want to take him in as a disciple and he had even approached him a few months before the alchemy competition. Expressing his wishes to enter his tutelage… The only thing preventing him from doing so was Cai Yu's clear dislike towards this crown prince.
While he didn't know the real reason why his disciple was so against this crown prince, Fang Shi decided to priories the wishes of his first disciple and didn't accept the crown prince as a disciple at that time.
In the end, the crown prince of the Dark Sky Kingdom had ended up following them all the way to the Iron Sky Kingdom and even joined the alchemy competition…
Glancing over towards the pills that were placed in front of the crown prince, Fang Shi could not help shaking his head with a wry smile on his face.
This crown prince clearly came all the way here to show off how much better than the other participants he was and get accepted as his disciple!
If the crown prince won, Cai Yu would not be able to say anything if he picked the crown prince as his disciple!
He was scheming so much just to get accepted as his disciple and get closer to Cai Yu…
Thinking about this, Fang Shi could not help but marvel over just how shrewd this crown prince! No wonder his disciple was so cautious of him…
Turning around to look over towards Cai Yu, Fang Shi clearly saw how a small frown had appeared on her face as she looked over towards the pills in front of the crown prince.
"Ah, looks like the time is up…"
…
Arriving back in front of her small alchemy station where her potion along with other things were located, Qing Yi could not help but breath out a sigh of relief upon discovering that she had managed to make it back in time before the end of the second stage of the competition.
The time it had taken for her to clean up and not smell like something that had been dragged manure pit was longer than she had expected. The main reason for this was because the smell from the impurities had become way harder to remove, due to the fact that she had forcefully prevented them from leaving her body right after her breakthrough.
"Time is up! Everyone that didn't manage to finish a potion or pill in time, leave. The rest, come up with your pills… Or potion, like last time and I will inspect them. The top twenty will move on to the third stage of the competition."
Hearing the voice of the Artisan Alchemist just as she finished looking over her potion, Qing Yi quickly grabbed her potion before making her way up towards the platform located in the middle of the competition space.
Like last time, she found herself standing shoulder to shoulder with the same young girl that she had stood with during the first stage of the competition.
Looking down towards the pills that the young girl had made, the young girl did the same as she looked down towards her potion.
Seeing that the Artisan Alchemist was not coming over to inspect their products yet as he was waiting for the participants who failed to make a pill or potion in time to leave the competition space, the young girl inched a bit closer to Qing Yi.
"What kind of potion did you make?"
Asking this in a quiet tone so as to not catch too much attention from the other participants, the young girl curiously looked up towards Qing Yi who was a little taler than her.
Trying her best to remember what the use of the potion was, all Qing Yi could remember was the fact that her master said that one should drink it to gain some sort of beneficial effect… Or maybe it was something different?
"I'm not too sure… I just learned about it from my master a few days ago… To be honest, I never got to ask him what it does. The only thing I know is that it's supposed to have some sort of beneficial effect when you drink it…"
Tilting her head, a bit as she thought seriously about the question that the young girl had asked her before answering her, Qing Yi quickly realized that she had no idea what the potion she had just made did.
She actually had no idea what the first ever Spirit Grade Potion she made did!𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
But it should at the very least be something beneficial. After all, all the Spiritual Herbs she had used were normally only used in potions or pills that brought about some sort of beneficial effect. From a short increase in strength, to increasing the recovery of one's qi during battle…
The Verdant Jade Bamboo was also well known for its positive effects in alchemy, being a core ingredient in several different healing pills and potions!
The first time she had seen the Verdant Jade Bamboo being used by one of the elders of the Alchemy Hall, was also when the elder was in the process of making a Spirit Grade Qi Recovery Potion!
With this in mind, Qing Yi felt certain that the Spirit Grade Potion that she had made, would have some sort of beneficial effect. After all, she had never heard about the Verdant Jade Bamboo being used in any sort of harmful potions or pills before!
"I see… I decided to make a Spirit Grade Qi Recovery Pill!" Nodding her head in understanding at what Qing Yi said, the young girl also decided to show off what she had made to Qing Yi.
"Spirit Grade Qi Recovery Pills!?"
"Yes!"
It was only at this moment that Qing Yi realized that the young girl beside her was already an Expert Alchemist!
Even more surprising, was the fact that the young girl was clearly way younger than her! At least two years her junior!
Thinking about this, Qing Yi could not help but take a deep breath as she suddenly came to realize just how talented the young girl beside her truly was.
Reaching the Expert Alchemist Realm at the age of 14 or 13 was no joking matter! Even Qing Yi felt slightly inferior when she compared herself to the young girl standing beside her.
Forgetting the fact that she had gone from someone who knew nothing about alchemy about alchemy less than a year ago.
In under a year, she had gone from someone who knew nothing about alchemy to someone at the Expert Alchemy Realm! Even if the young girl beside her was talented, she was way more talented than her!
"Ah, the inspection is starting!"
Being brought out of her thoughts by the voice of the young girl, Qing Yi quickly realized that the Artisan Alchemist had begun moving down towards one the participants.