Compared to them, the pill refiners of Qingdan Valley would have already started this step without any survival pressure.
But this little problem will surely not pose a difficulty for Luo Chen.
He smiled faintly, "Let’s wait and see then!"
...
Luo Chen’s consecutive victories had put immense pressure on the others.
Among these people, the ones most impacted were none other than Huang Hezi and, behind him, the third-ranked Shangguan Yan.
"I had my uncle step in and also hired the You Ming Two Sha with their strong combat techniques, all this to secure the third place," she said.
"And now, you keep losing."
"Huang Hezi, do you not desire that life-extending spirit fruit anymore?"
Facing this accusatory tone.
The aged Huang Hezi’s face twitched violently.
He gritted his teeth and said, "In the third match, I will definitely not lose!"
Shangguan Yan’s mouth curled into a cold smirk, "You said before that you could rank in the top three in all three matches. Now, aside from a fifth place in the second match, you have no accomplishments. How can I trust you?"
Huang Hezi said reluctantly, "It won’t happen in the third match."
"Hmm?"
"The third match is about refining second-order elixirs. Rogue pill refiners like Dan Chenzi have very limited access to second-order pill formulas; they absolutely can’t compete with us, the pill refiners from Qingdan Valley. I’m confident I can surpass him!"
"I hope you don’t disappoint me!"
Shangguan Yan said icily, looking at Huang Hezi as if she were looking at a dead man.
The ranking advantage she had struggled so hard to obtain was being weakened by Huang Hezi’s losses.
She dared not even think about what the overall ranking for the true disciples might be after the second round.
By comparison.
On the He Family’s side, although Xuan Yunzi also faced criticism, it was not as severe.
"Senior Brother’s foundation is still too profound. The consumption of the first round wasn’t as great as imagined."
"It’s Luo Chen, who unexpectedly rose like a dark horse, displaying such a high level of pill refinement technique and winning two matches in a row."
He Yuanqing was somewhat disappointed.
Looking at Xuan Yunzi, for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
He wanted to criticize the other for his inadequacy.
But to any discerning eye, it was clear that Xuan Yunzi had already done his best.
In both matches, he had achieved the good result of third place.
Even the elder from Tai Dan Court had not been without admiration for him.
But thinking about it, if Dan Chenzi won once more, with the terrifying record of winning all three matches in the second round, it was likely that Tao Wen, now ranked fourth, would see her ranking skyrocket.
Fourth?
No, it was very likely that he would be knocked from his second place.
In the silence, Xuan Yunzi suddenly said:
"Actually, Brother Yuanqing, your efforts to wear down Senior Brother were quite successful. With his pill technique, he shouldn’t be too far behind Luo Chen."
"The rest time given for the second round was very short."
"And the refining of second-order elixirs is also very demanding."
"So, in this next match, I have a great chance of obtaining an even better rank than before."
He Yuanqing was startled.
Staring at Xuan Yunzi, he couldn’t help saying, "Are you that confident?"
"I’m very confident about refining the Dustfall Pill!" Xuan Yunzi said assuredly.
Having said that.
Naturally, He Yuanqing wouldn’t dampen the mood.
"If you can achieve a better rank, I will definitely strive to secure a spot for you in Tai Dan Court!"
A hint of joy appeared on Xuan Yunzi’s face as he bowed.
...
The second round of the Pill Refinement Competition allowed only for brief rest; there was no time for long breaks.
The three matches were almost back-to-back.
For those who were falling behind in rank, there was hardly any time to catch their breath.
Even for someone like Luo Chen, who was ranked at the very front, the rest was just an hour or two at most.
Two matches had passed.
By the time the third match began, Luo Chen noticed that many people had already started rubbing their foreheads.
Dealing with materials, solving pharmacological problems.
Refining new elixirs, and moreover, they must be successful.
It was already a huge stress for pill refiners.
Luo Chen, in his pill refining days, also had to control the frequency well every day.
This competition, without sufficient rest time, was a significant test of the pill masters’ divine souls and their exhaustion.
"The most challenging one isn’t us, but Dan Yangzi!"
Luo Chen’s gaze stretched into the distance, looking at the man opposite him.
The purple lines between the man’s brows seemed to have dimmed.
From the first round’s relentless battles to the second round’s three consecutive matches,
his spirit power, divine soul, and energy must have all been worn to the utmost limit.
"This second match is more difficult than the previous ones; I wonder if he can still hold on?"
As his gaze wandered,
he saw Huang Hezi not far away.
Unexpectedly, this time, the other did not glare at him with resentment as before.
Instead, Huang Hezi sat with eyes closed, composed and tranquil.
"His state seems to be well-adjusted, huh!"
Luo Chen chuckled and paid no mind to these people.
As he observed others, they were certainly sizing him up too.
Seeing his composed smile, everyone’s hearts tightened.
They all realized that for the third match, this Dan Chenzi was likely also intent on winning.
There wasn’t a long wait.
Soon!
A vast quantity of medicinal materials, each sorted into categories, was placed before all the participants.
Luo Chen looked at the items before him.
Red Scorpion Vermilion Sand, Hundred Spirit Grass, Seven-colored Stone, Fire Spirit Fruit...
All were common materials, and many could even be found in the mundane world.
Using these materials, they composed the second-order pill formula for the Dustfall Pill.
Ordinary materials and fundamental pharmacology meant that the refinement of this pill was not particularly difficult.