Day Of The Competition

Devin led Jasper to a secluded corner, making sure no one was following them, before they began their discussion.

Devin retrieved boxes of potions from his ring and traded them with Jasper, completing a deal worth 4000 gold coins. Devin hadn't expected such a large transaction, surmising that the people behind Jasper must be wealthy. With the deal finalized, Jasper felt relieved. "If we want to make a purchase in the future, how can we contact you?" he inquired.

"If you want my information, how about we do each other a favor and exchange it?" Devin proposed.

"Your potion is good, but not good enough for that," Jasper stated.

"Actually, my potion isn't just good; it's unique, especially the acceleration potion. I won't deny that its recipe might be cracked in the future, but for now, only I have it. Furthermore, who's to say that we won't produce other exclusive potions in the future?" Devin countered.

Jasper knew that what Devin said was true. Though their level was low, they did possess unique potions, and forming a friendship with pharmacists wasn't a bad idea. "What do you want in exchange?" he asked.

"I need information on Green Valley Pavilion," Devin disclosed.

"Good luck with that," Jasper replied, about to leave.

"Aren't you curious why I need that information?" Devin questioned.

"Honestly, I am curious, but the person behind that pavilion is not someone to be trifled with," Jasper answered.

"I know, I've heard. But there's a girl who's gone missing, and she took a job at that place. I'm trying to find her, and I've heard that a lot of people have been disappearing in the slums recently," Devin explained.

"People going missing in the slums is nothing new," Jasper replied.

"This is different. I did a little digging and found that the targets are young girls and boys who went to look for jobs, and most of these jobs lead back to Green Valley Pavilion," Devin explained. He didn't actually do any digging, but he knew how things like this worked, even in the real world.

Jasper frowned upon hearing this. "Give me your contact information If I find any information, I'll send it to you," Jasper offered.

"I'm a pharmacist participating in the competition. If you have any information, you can send it to the hotel where I'm staying," Devin replied, taking out three bottles of potion. "This one is top-grade, and these two are high and medium-grade Golden Sore potions. You can try them to see their effectiveness. If your people are interested, you can contact me," Devin said as he left.

"It seems this pharmacist is really worth getting to know," Jasper remarked as he blended back into the crowd.

"How did it go?" Ethan asked.

"Good. Here's 400 gold coins, your share of the deal," Devin replied, handing over the gold coins to Ethan.

"Boss, working with you was the best decision ever. With all this money, I can experiment with more potions," Ethan said happily.

"You might as well use this time to purchase lots of medicinal plants," Devin suggested.

"Good advice," Ethan said as they left the stall.

Devin and Ethan entered a large dome arena, the venue for the upcoming competition. They walked along a corridor filled with participants queuing to check their registration and find their designated spaces. Since the competition was for junior and intermediate pharmacists, there were separate arenas for each level. On the first day, they would all compete simultaneously, but starting from the second day, the competitions would be staggered to allow everyone to enjoy each event.

An elderly man wearing a robe adorned with golden cauldrons appeared on the platform. As soon as he appeared, everyone in the arena grew excited but remained silent in his presence.

"Hello everyone, I am Gerald Thompson, the host of this pharmacist competition. The City Lord couldn't be here, so he sends his regards. On behalf of everyone in Elysium City, we welcome all our young and talented pharmacists. Together, let's strive to make the pharmacist world even greater," Elder Gerald announced.

His words were met with thunderous applause from the audience in the arena. Devin noticed the awe in the eyes of the pharmacists, including the senior ones seated on the special platform.

"I hope to catch the eye of the Grand Elder. It would be a dream come true," an excited pharmacist standing in front of Devin shared.

"Keep dreaming. With thousands of pharmacists participating, it's not your turn yet," his friend beside him replied.

"Think about it, though. If a Medicine Commander takes you as an apprentice, even if it's just as an outer apprentice, wouldn't your pharmacy level skyrocket?" the boy pondered.

"Well, the premise is for you to stand out among the sea of talent here. Instead of trying to impress the Grand Elder, why not focus on passing the test first?" his friend advised.

Listening to their conversation, Devin realized that the Grand Elder's name was Gerald, the same one behind the Green Valley Pavilion.

Devin stared at the elderly man. Not only was he a Medicine Commander, but his cultivation was also impressive. Even though the man wasn't deliberately exuding his aura, Devin could still sense the strong presence surrounding him due to his heightened sensitivity to auras.

Devin let out a sigh, feeling daunted by the formidable task ahead. The Grand Elder was a formidable opponent, and if he was indeed the one behind the disappearances in the slum area...

Several people entered the arena, carrying a large number of spiritual herbs. In just a few minutes, they set up multiple stations within the expansive space.

"Everyone will be divided into groups of twenty, and each group will receive a prescription. This prescription will list the exact spiritual herbs you need to pick from the selection provided here," the Grand Elder explained, chuckling at the nervousness displayed by the young pharmacists. "Don't worry, there are over 4000 spiritual herbs for you to choose from. You will also have a limited time to complete your potions within that timeframe. This competition will test your skills in identifying herbs and your potion-making abilities," he added.

Devin noticed that he was grouped with the two boys he had overheard earlier. He glanced at the others in his group and saw that they all appeared nervous but carried themselves with a sense of pride.

"How are we supposed to find the spiritual herbs we need?" one participant asked.

"I can only identify a few dozen of the herbs in there..." another participant murmured.

"I really hope I'm familiar with the herbs we have to find," someone else whispered anxiously.

Devin heard the nervous whispers of the other participants surrounding him. The Grand Elder then proceeded to distribute the prescriptions to each group. Devin received his and saw the list of herbs needed to make the potion.

The prescription indicated that they needed to make a stimulant potion. This potion had the power to raise one's ability by three levels, allowing the user to tap into their potential for a short burst. However, it could only be used for one minute. Despite the limitations, Devin could see the potential of such a potion. The two downsides mentioned were that the user would be unable to use their energy for five days after consuming it, and it could only be used by earth-grade and mortal-grade cultivators.

"Now that all of you have the prescription and know the herbs needed, the competition will officially begin! You have three hours to make the stimulant potion," the Grand Elder announced.

As the competition began, a rush of participants headed towards the large platform filled with herbs. Devin, however, took his time to carefully study the prescription and description before approaching the herb-filled platform. His first herb was the purple flower roots, but the challenge was distinguishing them from the similar purple rock roots. Fortunately, Devin had the ability to use identification to ensure he chose the correct herbs. When he touched the purple flower roots on the platform, the pharmacopeia confirmed that they could be used for the prescription.

Without wasting any time, Devin swiftly picked the remaining six medicinal herbs required for the prescription. As he examined the prescription, he noticed its similarity to the one given by the competition, except for one addition: butterfly flower medicinal herbs. The inclusion of butterfly flower would help mitigate the potion's violent nature and negate any harm to the spiritual core. Additionally, it would decrease the weakness period from five days to as short as a day or even just a few hours, depending on the user's strength. Devin decided not to deviate from the provided prescription and proceeded accordingly.

Since this potion could be categorized as a second level potion, bordering on third level, the brewing process required a significant amount of spiritual power. Devin placed the seven spiritual herbs on his workstation and began preparing the ingredients. As he was cutting the water lily spirit leaf, one of the boys who had been talking earlier interrupted him.

"Why are you cutting the water lily from the root? Why not cut from the top?" the boy asked.

Devin looked at him and noticed that most of their group had returned with their plants, with slight variations in their herb choices, but all of them had the water lily spirit leaf on their tables.

"That's because most of the energy is concentrated at the top. I decided to cut from the root to prevent any energy leakage," Devin replied honestly.

The boy nodded. "I see. Thank you for answering. I'm Jesse, and this is my friend Manny," he introduced himself, receiving a nod from his friend. "I'm Devin. Nice to meet you," Devin replied, exchanging pleasantries before focusing on his workstation.

However, their conversation was soon interrupted by a disconcerting voice. "Tsk! Bunch of bumpkins. Believing in someone you don't even know says a lot about you," the voice sneered from nearby.