At this moment, He Qianyao heard the elder's words, feeling very excited, evidently not expecting to have finally found out where Zhou Ruoran is from. Although the elder didn't know the location of the Jade Maiden Sect, knowing that Zhou Ruoran is from the Jade Maiden Sect made things much easier.

After all, a sect is relatively easy to find, and with that, He Qianyao handed over several Spirit Stones to the elder, expressing her gratitude sincerely:

"Thank you, Elder! Please take these Spirit Stones! Thank you!"

The elder's cultivation had not yet reached the level of a Nascent Soul Period Cultivator, clearly making him an ordinary person. Seeing He Qianyao pull out so many Spirit Stones, he couldn't help but be shocked. However, the elder did not accept her Spirit Stones, as he had only intended to help because he saw a young lady working so hard to inquire about someone. He, fortunately, happened to know and offered help as a simple gesture.

Although the elder outright refused He Qianyao's Spirit Stones, in the end, He Qianyao insisted, shoving the Spirit Stones into his pocket, repeatedly and sincerely expressing her gratitude. Before the elder could return the Spirit Stones, He Qianyao had already turned and dashed off into the distance.

The surrounding crowd witnessing this scene was utterly dumbfounded, clearly not expecting such an extravagant gift of Spirit Stones from the elder. It was somewhat over-the-top!

"Wow! So many Spirit Stones! That's just too easy!"

"What did that beauty ask just now? I know! I know!"

"Give it a rest! Money-hungry!"

...

People can't help but discuss this incident, as most cultivators are fairly typical ones. Obviously, the Spirit Stones He Qianyao gave to the elder were quite shocking to everyone. After all, such a large amount of Spirit Stones wasn't easy to come by.

He Qianyao continued weaving through the crowd, quickly leaving her original spot. She wanted to tell Ding Fan now, but realized the Great Alchemy Competition had already started, making it impossible for her to meet Ding Fan. Feeling anxious, she knew Ding Fan would be thrilled if he got this news.

However, He Qianyao soon calmed down, realizing she simply couldn't meet Ding Fan at the moment, as the final round of the Great Alchemy Competition had already begun. She continued to search in another direction, wanting to verify the elder's words correctly. The elder's words didn't seem deceitful to her.

Yet, He Qianyao worried that if the elder was wrong, telling Ding Fan would mean a wasted trip, missing the chance to find Zhou Ruoran. It would certainly be more challenging to gather information on Zhou Ruoran later.

Thus, He Qianyao pondered searching more thoroughly and confirming everything since this would give her a better grasp. She believed any cultivator who had seen Zhou Ruoran would remember her, given her stunning beauty, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone with just one glance.

He Qianyao continued asking spectators around her about Zhou Ruoran's information...

The hosting elder had announced the competition rules for the Great Alchemy Competition, and thus, the third round officially began. There were two groups in this third round, with twenty-five participating alchemists in each. Even though the high platform was large, it couldn't accommodate all fifty participating alchemists.

Ding Fan was placed in the second group. The alchemists in this group garnering attention also included Elder Herr, who was a strong contender for the championship in this Great Alchemy Competition. The third round tested not only alchemists' skills but also their cultivation levels, which worried many participating alchemists.

After all, low cultivation is a common issue among alchemists, since most spend their time on alchemy. Clearly, their cultivation levels are generally subpar, especially those young alchemists with astonishing alchemic talent, whose cultivation levels were even more lacking.

Soon, the first group of alchemists entered the competition arena, and the numerous cultivators outside began cheering loudly, eagerly anticipating this moment for a long time. The audience, meanwhile, was filled with great curiosity about this final round of the Great Alchemy Competition, given neither an Emergence Stage cultivator nor others had ascended more than twenty steps.

A hundred steps was the rough estimate for this high platform, leaving everyone astonished. The hosting elder had previously mentioned this platform wasn't a difficult challenge for alchemists, as it contained enigmatic elements specific to them. Nonetheless, spectators felt anxious for the participating alchemists.

Of course, they understood, as this final round would determine the champion. Naturally, it had to be challenging, but no one expected it to be so overwhelmingly difficult! It's simply unbelievable!

"I estimate that the champion of this Great Alchemy Competition is likely to be Elder Herr. After all, not only is Elder Herr a seventh-grade alchemist, but he also has an impressive cultivation level. He is truly a comprehensive alchemist."

"Indeed, the gold content of this year's Great Alchemy Competition is quite high!"

"Yes, the champion this time is certainly not an ordinary person, showing amazing skills not just in alchemy but surely also being formidable in cultivation!"

"But I think Ding Lin still has quite a chance. There have been rumors about Ding Lin before, saying he took down a Nascent Soul Early Stage Elder with his own Emergence Stage cultivation! His strength seems really impressive!"

"You actually believe those rumors? You should know such rumors are mostly false! An Emergence Stage cultivator defeated a Nascent Soul Early Stage Elder? Who would believe such a thing when it's told? How ridiculous!"

"Exactly! If Emergence Stage cultivators could slay Nascent Soul cultivators, then I could fight against Tribulation Stage cultivators! Haha..."

"It seems indeed unbelievable..."

...

For a moment, everyone began to discuss fervently. Clearly, there was a lot of anticipation and concern surrounding this Great Alchemy Competition. Most of the audience was eagerly anticipating Ding Fan, yet also worried about him, as this competition clearly tested the overall quality of the alchemists, and Ding Fan was simply too young, likely putting him at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation.

As for the rumor about Ding Fan slaying a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was too far-fetched, and evidently, not many believed it!

"Alchemists, prepare! The competition begins!"

At this moment, a middle-aged man shouted to the alchemists standing at the starting line, and the third and final round of the Great Alchemy Competition officially started.

Immediately, twenty-five alchemists charged out like horses freed from their reins, rushing swiftly toward the high platform. However, as they reached the first step of the high platform, their momentum drastically weakened. It seemed as if they carried huge stones on their backs, making it hard for them to push forward; they had no choice but to climb slowly upwards.

Soon, some alchemists stopped at the tenth or more steps, finding it difficult to climb any further. It was apparent that they were mostly young alchemists. As for the slightly older alchemists, their cultivation was evidently better, yet they couldn't climb beyond the thirtieth or so step.

Clearly, they had reached their limit. Some had found a good method for climbing the high platform, a way to save energy while climbing higher. Many competitors discovered that using mental power to resist the pressure from the platform eased their burden and conserved their True Qi, yet they still reached only the thirtieth or so step.

Although the method was found, for most alchemists, even if their mental power was stronger than that of ordinary cultivators, it had a certain limit. After the thirtieth or so step, many alchemists reached their mental power's limit, making it hard to climb further. The rightful source is novel⚑fire.net

When the audience outside saw this scene, they couldn't help but feel tense. Clearly, even the spectators could sense the pressure of the high platform; it was definitely not ordinary. Some competitors even doggedly used their knees to push against the steps, trying to climb upward. Their knees were already bleeding, but they continued to insist on climbing; however, everyone could see that such cultivators ultimately wouldn't complete the Great Alchemy Competition. After all, the high platform couldn't be climbed merely by force.

Yet these alchemists were not willing to give up easily, as the Great Alchemy Competition was very important to them. Some regarded it as the most significant event of their lives, as achieving good results in the competition was crucial for an alchemist, more important than any cultivation resource.

For alchemists, winning honors in this competition meant more resources. It was known that many sect forces were paying attention to this competition, with even tens of thousands of viewers watching. If you become famous in the competition, even if it's a small reputation like Ding Fan's, it's quite beneficial. Even if sect forces don't seek you out, cultivators with spiritual materials who can't refine them will come searching for you.

At that time, it's truly the alchemist's most exhilarating moment, as it means having sufficient resources, which is very important. An alchemist with ample resources is ready to become strong, as only strong individuals truly receive respect in the Cultivation World. For alchemists, it's the same; however talented an alchemist is, ultimately they require proper cultivation.

Some cultivators become alchemists to become strong because, in this world, having a foundation is not as valuable as having one's own extraordinary strength. One's own power is reliable, a means to protect oneself at all times.

Survival in the Cultivation World means nearly everyone's ideal is to become a powerful cultivator, striving diligently for this goal!