Led by the Medicine Clan's attendants, Lei Qi and his group soon arrived at the summit of Medicine Mountain.
The air was thick with a fragrant mist — the scent of countless herbs and elixirs. Wisps of smoke drifted lazily toward the sky, blending with the clouds that wrapped the mountaintop like a silken veil.
In past years, the Pharmacopoeia was little more than formality to most visiting clans. The other Dou Di families sent representatives out of obligation rather than interest — for their skill in alchemy was mediocre compared to the Medicine Clan's.
But this time was different.
Lei Qi, a Thunder Clan prodigy with an unusual affinity for fire, had personally expressed interest in alchemy.
That alone ensured the Medicine Clan would treat this visit with far greater courtesy.
At the mountain's peak stretched a sight that could take anyone's breath away — a sea of spiritual herbs, each radiating its own faint light. Above that endless green ocean floated a massive stone plaza, suspended in midair by intricate spatial arrays.
At each corner of the plaza, a colossal medicine cauldron burned steadily, sending up four great pillars of multicolored smoke that twisted into the heavens.
The entire floating platform was alive with activity — the hum of conversation, laughter, the clinking of jade bottles and cauldrons.
Mang Tianchi led Lei Qi forward, guiding him through rows of arranged stone seats. Maids, graceful as butterflies, glided between the guests, filling jade cups with fragrant tea.
Lei Qi leaned back slightly, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
The maids of the Medicine Clan were all stunning — fair-skinned, graceful, and elegant, with soft smiles that could melt the coldest heart.
"Xiao Qi," Mang Tianchi chuckled, noticing the boy's wandering eyes, "the girls here are a bit easier on the eyes than the Thunder Clan's, eh?"
Lei Qi nodded with perfect seriousness. "That's true."
Mang Tianchi sighed dramatically. "I knew it. My Thunder Clan's women could wrestle bears, but none could charm a man to save their life."
Lei Qi smirked. "Elder Mang, you've been single for decades. Don't tell me you've never had a crush?"
The old man coughed into his cup. "Ahem… that was a long time ago."
The subject died there — though the wistful look in his eyes said enough.
As Lei Qi's gaze drifted across the crowd again, it stopped on a particular pair.
A young man stood before a cauldron — his aura calm but steady, the symbol of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist and One-Star Dou Wang. But it wasn't him who caught Lei Qi's eye.
It was the girl standing beside him.
She had long azure hair, her expression cool and distant, beauty sculpted in ice. There was a frostiness to her — one that dared others to melt it.
An iceberg beauty, through and through.
Lei Qi chuckled inwardly. That kind of challenge is always the most satisfying to conquer.
Still, he knew the reality — she was likely one of the Medicine Clan's proudest daughters. The chance to get close was nonexistent… at least for now.
"That pair is Yao Tian and Yao Ling," Mang Tianchi explained, noticing Lei Qi's attention. "Brother and sister. Both considered outstanding talents among the Medicine Clan's new generation."
He gestured subtly toward another youth standing farther away. "And that one is Yao Xing Ji. Not bad either."
Mang Tianchi smiled faintly. "But honestly, none of them can compare to you, Xiao Qi."
It was no exaggeration.
Seventeen years old. A Two-Star Dou Huang.
His Dou Emperor bloodline barely awakened, yet his strength already towered over most of his generation.
Among the young elites of the Eight Ancient Clans, even those showered with resources would consider reaching Dou Wang a remarkable feat.
But Lei Qi had leapt straight to Dou Huang — a chasm that most could never cross.
"It'll be interesting," Lei Qi mused, "to surpass them in alchemy someday."
Mang Tianchi laughed aloud. "Ambitious words — but not realistic."
He wasn't mocking, merely honest.
"The Medicine Clan has eighth-tier and even ninth-tier alchemists. Our Thunder Clan? We only have one peak eighth-tier. Even with your talent, the gap in foundation is immense."
He gave Lei Qi a pointed look. "You're already cultivating thunder and fire. Add alchemy on top of that, and you'll spread yourself too thin."
Lei Qi shrugged lightly. "Maybe. But we'll see."
Mang Tianchi sighed, shaking his head. "You've got your clan leader's stubborn streak, that's for sure."
Still, deep down, he couldn't help feeling proud.
The Thunder Clan had long needed a ninth-tier alchemist — someone who could refine the heavenly-grade pills vital to advancing their strongest experts. But nurturing such an existence was no small feat.
Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, ninth-tier alchemists could be counted on one hand. Most either belonged to the Medicine Clan, or lived reclusive lives free from clan politics.
In this regard, only one clan rivaled the Medicine Clan — the Soul Clan.
While the other Dou Di families dismissed those without bloodline purity, the Soul Clan had done the opposite.
They elevated talent above lineage, gathering the greatest geniuses under their banner through the creation of the Soul Palace.
Even Hun Tiandi, the enigmatic clan leader, was said to overshadow Gu Yuan of the Ancient Clan — both peak-level Dou Shengs, yet vastly different in their means and vision.
A true emperor not only wielded strength but commanded talent.
Hun Tiandi often said: "A man who controls both power and knowledge controls fate itself."
The Pharmacopoeia began soon after.
Hundreds of cauldrons blazed across the floating platform. Flames of different colors roared to life, reflecting in the eyes of thousands of onlookers.
Though the early rounds featured the younger generation, the sight was mesmerizing — the rhythm of fire and medicine, Dou Qi and soul power dancing in harmony.
When the final day came, however, the stage was claimed by a Grandmaster of Precious Elixirs — not one of the Medicine Clan's true elders, but an alchemist of immense reputation nonetheless.
The thunder of applause echoed across the mountain as the Grandmaster's flame ignited.
Even without witnessing a true Profound Elixir refinement, it was a spectacle that left Lei Qi and the others spellbound.
A full month passed in the Medicine Clan's domain.
During that time, Lei Qi didn't merely watch — he learned.
By observing the techniques of the Yao Clan's alchemists, and through a mixture of intuition and experiment, Lei Qi actually managed to refine his first second-grade elixir.
The news spread quickly.
Mang Tianchi had been astonished. Even several of the Medicine Clan's own elders were left speechless.
No prior experience. No formal instruction.
Yet within a single month, Lei Qi had grasped the essence of pill condensation and flame control — and succeeded.
Even among the Yao Clan's geniuses, such comprehension was unheard of.
A seventeen-year-old Two-Star Dou Huang, already capable of refining pills.
Mang Tianchi couldn't help but laugh. "The heavens are truly unfair — to bless one boy with so much talent."