The Herb King



Omar and the participants were surprised by Christopher's words and they immediately looked at the cauldron in his hands. When they saw the imposing cauldron filled with golden inscriptions, they gasped in shock. 

"Another Divine-Rated cauldron! There's no more chance for us!" 

"Who would have thought that I would actually see two Divine-Rated cauldrons in one day? Even if I lose, I won't be sad..."

Omar rubbed his chin curiously as he observed the cauldron in Christopher's hands. With just one look, he could tell that it was much better compared to what Judy had. "The Leone Empire must have prepared a lot for this competition..." 

Meanwhile, Judy who was already humming victoriously suddenly frowned as she watched Christopher. "That bumpkin actually has a Divine-Rated cauldron!" She gritted her teeth angrily. 

"Alright. Since everyone is ready, I now announce the start of the last stage! You have one hour to refine as many pills as you can! The more valuable the pills you refine, the higher your final scores will be! Begin!" Omar announced loudly.

After his voice fell, the participants immediately summoned their Pill Fire. Most of them were planning to refine 2nd-Grade Pills because it was a lot easier to refine compared to 3rd-Grade Pills. 

Christopher sorted out his ingredients and placed them neatly inside a basin. He even sent a stream of his world essence to prevent them from being contaminated. He learned from Aethelwolf that there are countless harmful bacteria and viruses that are present in the air. Although the damage they could make was minuscule, Aethelwolf told him that it has a major impact on the quality of the resulting pills. 

The pill he was going to refine is called Tacnium Rejuvenating Pellet. It was an original pill that was created by Aethelwold. It was a 3rd-Grade Pill capable of reviving the dead cells in one's body, making the consumer's body healthier and younger! If used regularly, it could even extend one's lifespan! It was a very valuable pill!

The name of the pill came from its core ingredient, the Tacnium Fruit. It was a Level 3 ingredient that grows only in harsh environments. It was difficult to procure and there was only a limited number of them found in the market. 

Christopher chose this pill because it wasn't that hard to refine. During his last training with Aethelwolf, he had even refined 3 pills in just one refining session! 

Christopher was filled with vigor as he refined the pill. He was so excited about winning the competition since he would receive a Divine-Rated cauldron as a reward! He didn't dare to believe this before since his Leone Imperial Family only has one Divine-Rated item. It even almost caused the destruction of their empire! 

"I must win this!" Christopher muttered with determination. 

His hands didn't stop moving. He was like an experienced Alchemist who had refined thousands of pills! He didn't even look flustered as he extracted the medicinal properties of the ingredients. 

Compared to him, the other participants seemed a bit lacking. Some of them were even struggling to control their Pill Fire under the intense pressure. There were also a few who had failed in extracting the medicinal properties of their ingredients. 

Among the participants, there were only a few more than five who had shown supreme refining techniques. Their movements were obviously better than the rest. The most eye-catching among these guys were Judy Kristel and the scholarly-looking Brandon Flores. They were the top contenders other than Christopher. 

Soon, a few people had already refined their pills, but they were only 2nd-Grade Pills. The first one to refine a 3rd-Grade Pill was Judy Kristel, but she only managed to form one pill in her first refining session. The next one to refine a 3rd-Grade Pill was Christopher and there were three pills lying inside his cauldron! He had actually refined three pills! It was amazing! The next one after him was Brandon Flores and just like Judy, he only managed to refine one 3rd-Grade Pill. However, it must be mentioned that he had done this by simply using a Unique-Rated cauldron! 

Not long later, the one-hour time limit was over. 

"Stop!" Omar shouted. The participants immediately stopped what they were doing when they heard his voice. The people who haven't completed their refining sessions lowered their heads in shame. As for those who had refined their pills on time, they clenched their fists in excitement. 

"The judges will inspect the pills you have created and this will take some time. While they are grading the value of your pills, you guys can have a rest!" Omar said with a smile. 

After the old man's words announcement, several old Alchemists came up to the stage and recorded the pills created by the participants. There were also several Appraisers on the scene. They were wearing advanced monocle glasses capable of determining the value of items. 

After recording their pills, the participants left the stage to take a breather. There was only one participant who remained on the stage. It was Christopher Leone. He was cleaning the cauldron he got from Aethelwolf and he even wiped the table he was using. He also discarded the ashes and waste materials from the ingredients. 

This job was supposed to be done by the servants and staff members, but Christopher who was a prince did it without hesitation. This was a habit he learned from Aethelwolf. 

"Sir Christopher, there is no need for you to do that. We'll clean everything for you." A staff member said as he looked at Christopher. 

"There's no need. I'll do this myself. It's just a small matter." Christopher rejected the staff member. 

Looking at this scene from above, Omar nodded his head contentedly. "This young man isn't conceited despite his achievements. He has a good teacher." The old man muttered in praise. There were only a few young talents he admired and Christopher was one of them.

The other participants felt ashamed of themselves when they saw the hardworking Christopher. 

"Bumpkin! Hmph!" Judy snorted in disdain.