The Pill Arena was crowded and boisterous! Most of the people knew how to be seated. The ones with the lowest status were in the first tier, and the ones with relevant status sat on the upper second tier.
There was also the third tier, but it was a separate tier that hovered over the Pill Arena, overlooking the entire stage from the northern side. The dignitaries were all seated there, including the Dragon Queen Isabella.
Davis took a top seat in the second tier, and for some reason, Nora Alstreim and Dalila Leehan also sat near him at the same time. Only a single seat separated them.
"You followed us until here?" Dalila Leehan possessed a teasing smile on her face as she cast a look towards the right at him. She was the one who sat closest to him, and towards her left was Nora Alstreim.
"There’s no other free space..." Davis cast a look around as she shrugged.
"Well, I don’t mind..."
"I didn’t ask..."
Dalila Leehan lazily frowned at his answer before she turned her head away and no longer bothered to look at him.
Princess Isabella, who was watching from above, inwardly sighed as she drooped her head. It wasn’t that she was disappointed that he didn’t converse with Dalila Leehan, but she was dejected at how he easily offended Dalila Leehan by remaining indifferent.
Of course, on the one hand, she felt that he should remain this way, but on the other hand, she wanted him to make powerful connections.
’Maybe be I should tell him of my intent... But wouldn’t men usually reject their women’s thoughts...? I know that he is different, but what if he takes my words in a different meaning and openly woos Dalila Leehan... I can’t let that happen...’
Princess Isabella’s lush black eyes flashed in a dilemma as she viewed Dalila Leehan as a potential threat. She possessed the same figure as Evelynn but was even better looking than Evelynn. There was no reason for Davis not to fall for her. She even caught him looking at her bosoms in the beginning as proof. Her hand moved, and she almost brought her nail to her teeth to bite in frustration before she sat straight.
Fortunately, she was aware that she was with a bunch of old farts who couldn’t keep their eyes to themselves or the battle stage. She was starting to feel offended by their occasional glances, so she promptly began to let out her natural martial pressure, and the peepers no longer dared to steal glances at her.
At the same time, Elder Belias Alstreim seemed to be announcing the start of the second round. The contents of the second round seemed to be matching ingredients to make a particular pill. However, the identity of the pill wasn’t leaked, but the grade was informed.
Moreover, he gave instructions on how to proceed in this round.
In a pill tent in the middle of the stage, there were eight common ingredients and two additional ingredients, but the two additional ingredients were placed within a group of ingredients that were similar to the attribute and effects of the two ingredients.
What the participants have to find is to accurately pick the two correct ingredients that went hand-in-hand with the other ingredients, able to form the required pill. They would pick up the two matching ingredients and keep it within their newly provided spatial rings, not revealing to anyone of what they had picked up when they come out of the tent.
Everyone only had a single chance to pick the ingredients, so if they failed to choose the right ingredient at the beginning, they became spot out!
They also couldn’t communicate with each other. It doesn’t matter if it were gestures or soul transmission because they would be easily found out by the elders who would be intently watching them from the third tier. Being found flouting the rules meant instant disqualification!
There wouldn’t be an opportunity to ask for justification or forgiveness!
However, the difficulty of this pill concoction was as easy as child’s play to them since it was a Low-Level Sky Grade Pill that they were required to concoct. Nevertheless, the main intent for this round seemed to be choosing the right ingredients!
It was obvious that this round concentrated on those talented alchemists who have discerning eyes, a differentiating nose, and a detailed understanding of taste! However, it was unlikely that people would possess a differentiating nose or a detailed understanding of taste without experience or a unique constitution, so this round mainly relied on discerning eyes!
The fifty-four participants on the stage all possessed their own ample space. They all brought out their own cauldrons at the same time, each one of them emitting a blinding light while floating before them. The cauldrons all simultaneously dropped to the ground with an earth-shaking thud!
The crowd stood up in astonishment and trembled as they stared at the various cauldrons that appeared in their sight. The cauldrons were all eye-catching in their own way, yet only three of them seemed to have caught the majority’s eyes. The people present here were mostly alchemy maniacs, so they could discern what grade those cauldrons were before they quickly spread out the word!
Three Peak-Level Sky Grade Cauldrons!
*Woah!!~*
Despite the boisterous and noisy atmosphere in the spectator seats, the young alchemists on the stage seemed to act as if they have heard none. To them, the stage was absolutely silent, and only the breeze occasionally picked up, making the sounds of wind that brushed past their faces.
"Mhm? None of them seemed to be distracted by the crowd’s noisy atmosphere...?" Nora Alstreim suddenly asked as she captivatingly narrowed her blonde brows.
"Isn’t that obvious?" Dalila Leehan did the charming roll of her limp black eyes before she pointed towards the air, "This formation is not only defensive in nature, but it is also capable of blocking sounds. Have you never seen an alchemy exam that is conducted out in the open before?"
Nora Alstreim awkwardly giggled, "Yes, it’s my first time witnessing an alchemy exam like this... After all, I am busy with cultivation, increasing my battle prowess."
’And scheming...’ Another person inwardly added from the side.
"Haha, great!" Dalila Leehan’s bosom shook with her laughter, "This way, we can complement each other. I’ll be responsible for supplying you pills, and you’ll be responsible for protecting me. We’ll reach the peak together by relying on each other!"
Nora Alstreim awkwardly smiled again. It was true that Dalila Leehan was trying to recruit her for her prowess, but she had no such thoughts for the future as she felt that she could rely on herself and her close ones. However, things weren’t looking optimistic anymore, with the whole Alstreim Family looking at her like she had done something horrible.
It was unknown when they would be ambushed and, perhaps, attempt to kill her. For the first time in her life, she was nervous about stepping out of the territory of the Alstreim Family. This made her think that she was truly in need of external support.
’Dalila Leehan, or the... Dragon Queen?’
Nora Alstreim’s eyes flashed with a complex glint as she recalled the handsomely attractive face that she was trying to forget.
"Couldn’t the distracting sounds also be kept as a form of a test? It is useful for tempering one’s will, after all." A pure and handsome-sounding voice suddenly echoed beside them.