The annual Alchemy Grand Competition consists of two rounds of examination, requiring participants to refine two batches of pills.
One batch is determined by the participant, who refines their most familiar pill formula.
The other batch is decided by a draw; participants must refine any formula they draw, regardless of prior experience.
Xiao Fei's current forte is refining Qi Gathering Pills. His success rate in the space is forty percent.
When refining with his physical body, the success rate easily reaches over sixty percent.
This is akin to walking and jumping with sandbags tied to one's legs; removing them instantly makes one as light as a swallow.
However, his current achievement is still insufficient to enter the rankings, and he needs to improve further.
With another six months remaining, he plans to dedicate all his energy to alchemy, striving to enhance his refining skills to the greatest extent possible.
Once ranked, he will receive contribution points as a reward each month. For every ten positions higher he climbs on the list, the reward will increase by another level.
Xiao Fei urgently needs a substantial amount of contribution points to exchange for better cultivation techniques, for the "Primordial Five Elements Art," and even for Foundation Establishment Pills.
Such a system of incentives holds considerable appeal for Xiao Fei.
From the day he registered, Xiao Fei extended his daily time spent in the space studying alchemy to ten hours.
This way, his one day is equivalent to over ten days for others, and that too, without rest.
However, with only twelve hours in a day, he is left with just two hours for meals, rest, and other miscellaneous tasks.
At this moment, Xiao Fei's divine sense is in the space, refining a batch of pills.
Although cultivators cannot completely abstain from food, there are alternative methods, such as the Body Nourishing Pills he is currently refining.
These pills are primarily made from Red-striped Yellow Ginseng aged over twenty years, supplemented with spirit stones that replenish blood and Qi.
Consuming just one pill is sufficient to sustain a Qi Refining stage cultivator's blood and Qi consumption for a day.
Soon, a batch of pills is successfully refined. There are three Body Nourishing Pills in the cauldron. For his first attempt, producing three is quite commendable.
Xiao Fei seizes the opportunity, takes one Body Nourishing Pill, and feeds it to his physical body. It has a faint aroma but little other taste.
This allows him to save the time spent on cooking and eating today, enabling him to refine another batch of pills.
After his physical body consumes the Body Nourishing Pill, his divine sense continues to refine pills in the space.
Having continuously refined over ten batches of pills, he is so exhausted that his eyes can barely stay open, and his hands can barely lift.
He can only return to his physical body to rest briefly, alleviating his fatigue for a few breaths before resuming his refining in the space.
Cultivators' divine senses require nourishment from their physical bodies and cannot remain separated for extended periods.
Furthermore, continuous refining places an immense strain on the divine sense. Spiritual items that aid in divine sense recovery are extremely rare in the cultivation world, and Xiao Fei possesses none.
In the period that follows, Xiao Fei relentlessly pushes his limits, dedicating his entire being to alchemy.
Five months later, Xiao Fei is emaciated, having lost significant weight, with his hair disheveled.
He sports two large dark circles under his eyes, and his bloodshot irises make him appear somewhat frightening.
However, his mental state is one of intense excitement.
His efforts over these five months are equivalent to more than five years of practice for others.
At this moment, he lifts the lid of the cauldron before him, and a rich spiritual energy washes over him.
At the bottom of the cauldron lie nine Qi Gathering Pills. Xiao Fei's eyes light up. He picks out one pill and examines it in his hand.
This pill possesses a brighter luster and more potent spiritual energy, with a faint golden pattern on its surface.
"Mid-grade pill!"
Xiao Fei's face breaks into a smile of pleasant surprise. Above ordinary pills are mid-grade and top-grade ones.
However, mid-grade and top-grade pills are difficult to refine, and only when one's alchemy skill reaches a certain level can a few occasionally be produced.
The efficacy of a mid-grade pill is approximately three times that of an ordinary pill, yet its price is more than ten times higher.
The relationship between mid-grade and top-grade pills is similar.
Being able to refine a mid-grade pill signifies a significant leap in his alchemy skills.
Xiao Fei carefully places this pill in a separate bottle, reserving it for his own use.
With only one month left until the Alchemy Grand Competition, he needs to adjust his state and familiarize himself with refining using his physical body.
He also needs to explore various other first-order pill formulas, ideally practicing commonly used ones a few times.
Since joining the Danxin Sect, he no longer worries about pill formulas, as the sect's library contains many.
Numerous commonly used pill formulas are freely provided to disciples, and rare formulas can be exchanged for contribution points.
Additionally, he procured a large quantity of medicinal herbs and stored them in his space.
Thus, another month passes, and the Danxin Sect's triennial ranking competition officially commences.
On this day, the plaza atop Cuiyun Peak is crowded with people. All disciples of the Danxin Sect who were on external missions have returned in advance.
Anyone with a particular talent in any area wishes to participate and compete for supremacy.
If fortunate enough to be ranked within the top one hundred, they will enjoy the sect's generous benefits each month.
Besides recruiting disciples every ten years, the Danxin Sect also seeks out talented young children from the mortal world for training.
Disciples raised from a young age are more loyal to the sect and have a stronger sense of belonging, forming the mainstream of sect disciples.
Consequently, the sect maintains a scale of several thousand disciples over time.
However, among these thousands, only the five hundred who can make the rankings are truly valued and receive the sect's attention.
Xiao Fei is currently mingling with the crowd, with Huang Feifei by his side.
"Young Master, the Formation Grand Competition is about to begin. I must take my leave. I wish you good luck!"
"And good luck to you too!"
Huang Feifei's master specializes in formations, and she has learned a great deal from him. She has registered to participate in the Formation Grand Competition this time.
Xiao Fei also spots Zhu Yu in the crowd and discovers that he will be participating in the Alchemy Grand Competition as well.
It appears that disciples who have a master's guidance learn much more easily than those who explore on their own.
In this competition, in addition to disciples from their own sect, representatives from the other three of the Four Great Sects will also be present for exchanges.
The three great sects will have some of their outstanding disciples participate in the Danxin Sect competition as a form of friendly match, not to be included in the rankings.
While this method is described as mutual exchange, it is essentially a form of mutual comparison.
If another sect secures the first place in alchemy, the sect will undoubtedly feel disgraced, and it may even affect the sect's reputation.
The Alchemy, Artifact, Formation, and Talisman Grand Competitions are held simultaneously, with each occupying a corner of the Cuiyun Peak plaza.
Only the Combat Grand Competition is scheduled after these four competitions conclude.
"I hereby declare the Danxin Sect Alchemy Grand Competition officially open!"
The elder presiding over the Alchemy Grand Competition is a Golden Core stage elder, bearing the Daoist title True Person Guangling.
Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, cultivators are referred to as True Persons and may adopt a new Daoist title.
After True Person Guangling announced the commencement of the competition, he reiterated the rules, which were largely similar to previous years, causing many to feel drowsy and dampening their initial excitement.
"Any disciple who can rank within the top 50 on the list will be admitted to the inner sect and become an inner sect disciple."