Chapter 656 - 622: The Ranks of Pill Pavilion Pharmacists, Profound Void Grotto Heaven

"You must be Pharmacist Yang, correct?"

After Gu An and the others exchanged a few simple pleasantries, Feng Anliang, the Direct Disciple from Xuanjin Peak—who was also an Initial Stage Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster—spoke up.

During the pleasantries, Liu Xuan had introduced everyone by name, but Feng Anliang spoke before Liu Xuan could introduce Yang Chan.

The other Direct Disciple from Xuanjin Peak was named Sikong Qing. He was the disciple of an Inner Master and the son of a Merak Sacred Land Elder.

"Yang Chan greets Senior Brothers!"

Although he hadn’t officially joined the Merak Sacred Land yet, being received by them meant that Yang Chan and the others were now considered part of it. Therefore, addressing them as ’Senior Brother’ was not only reasonable but also a good way to build rapport.

Among their group, aside from Gu An who had become a Hall Master of Chiyu Peak, the other older members were appointed to steward positions, with their roles still determined by their cultivation level. Of course, with a direct promotion, cultivation could be overlooked, but the disparity couldn’t be too great.

"Mm, not bad. To become an Advanced Pharmacist at such a young age, you have great potential."

"After you complete the induction ceremony with Peak Master Liu, we’ll take you to the Pill Pavilion to become one of its Pharmacists!"

Feng Anliang gave Yang Chan a few more glances. Although Yang Chan’s cultivation wasn’t strong—only at the initial stage of External Iron Bone Refining—he didn’t place much importance on that. What mattered more was Yang Chan’s Alchemy Ability.

An Advanced Pharmacist held a high status within the Merak Sacred Land. In some respects, it was even higher than that of Direct Disciples like them. After all, the Elixirs they needed were mostly refined by Advanced Pharmacists, so they naturally held these Pharmacists in high regard and would not easily offend them.

Furthermore, because of the Pill Pavilion, all Pharmacists in the Merak Sacred Land formed a single faction. Although they generally didn’t participate in the competition for the Sect’s Saint Master position, the contenders still had to acquire their necessary Cultivation Resources from the Pill Pavilion.

Within the Pill Pavilion, Advanced Pharmacists played a crucial role. Thus, once one became an Advanced Pharmacist, their status changed completely, because they had a voice in matters.

Even though Yang Chan wasn’t personally nurtured by the Merak Sacred Land, coming from one of its Affiliated Forces and joining was treated the same. He wouldn’t be ostracized by the Pill Pavilion—unless his character was exceptionally poor.

"I’ll be troubling you two Senior Brothers, then!"

Yang Chan cupped his fist in thanks.

He was naturally aware of matters concerning the Pill Pavilion. The information had been sent back from Chiyu Peak, so he knew the general situation.

Within the Pill Pavilion, the Pavilion Master was a Top Level Pharmacist with the strongest Alchemy Ability. Having been in charge for over thirty years, he was a figure of real power, with a status in the Merak Sacred Land no lower than that of the Saint Master.

Additionally, there were several Vice Pavilion Masters, all of whom were Top Level Pharmacists. None of them were simple characters; each was responsible for different affairs, and some even held the title without any real authority.

However, the title alone granted them a somewhat transcendent status within the Merak Sacred Land. Ultimately, one’s standing was determined by their personal Alchemy Ability.

For example, both a Pharmacist who could refine Elixirs for Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters and one who could refine them for Blood Exchange Martial Saints were considered Top Level Pharmacists, yet there was a difference in their status.

Take Yang Chan, for instance. He was currently an Advanced Pharmacist capable of refining Elixirs that helped an Initial Stage Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster advance. To be promoted to Top Level Pharmacist, he would need to be able to refine Elixirs for the Third Bone Marrow Cleansing. This was a huge hurdle.

The higher the quality of the Elixir, the greater the difficulty of refining it.

Below these Top Level Pharmacists were the Advanced Pharmacists, who were also known as Third Level Alchemists in the Pill Pavilion. They could manage some of the Pill Pavilion’s affairs, generally working under the Pavilion Master and Vice Pavilion Masters. Possessing a certain degree of authority, their status was naturally quite high.

They could also obtain a significant amount of Top Level Spirit Medicine to improve their Alchemy Ability. This was in preparation for cultivating future Top Level Pharmacists.

Within the Merak Sacred Land, Top Level Spirit Medicine wasn’t considered all that scarce. This was because the Holy Land had special cultivation methods, allowing it to periodically acquire these Top Level Cultivation Resources.

Of course, just as there were differences among Top Level Pharmacists, there were also differences among Top Level Spirit Medicines. The most supreme were those that could even advance the cultivation of a Blood Exchange Martial Saint, making them the most precious.

Once Yang Chan joined the Pill Pavilion, he would naturally become a Third Level Alchemist. The fact that two Direct Disciples from Xuanjin Peak were now leading him was consistent with the information he had received—that the Merak Saintess had made arrangements to place him in a suitable position.

The Pill Pavilion’s status within the Merak Sacred Land was somewhat transcendent. The Top Level Pharmacists all held high positions and naturally had no need or reason to get involved in the struggle for the Saint Master position, allowing them to maintain their detached status.

However, Advanced Pharmacists had not yet reached that level.

Take Yang Chan, for example. He would receive the protection of the Pill Pavilion, but if the Merak Saintess needed his help with something, he would still have to provide it.

For instance, when it came to refining Elixirs, as long as it didn’t violate the Pill Pavilion’s rules, he could flexibly choose to prioritize helping the Merak Saintess. This was a clear advantage.

For example, if a Pharmacist hostile to the Merak Saintess tried to cause trouble within the Pill Pavilion, Yang Chan, being inside, could help navigate the situation and prevent them from succeeding.

Therefore, for the Merak Saintess, the more supporters she had within the Pill Pavilion, the better.

’However, I don’t know which Top Level Pharmacist I’ll be assigned to work under, as I haven’t been explicitly told.’

Below them were the Intermediate and Basic Level Pharmacists, known as Second Level and First-level Alchemists, respectively. They were the most numerous group within the Pill Pavilion, possessed no real authority, often had to follow the directives of Advanced Pharmacists, and were subject to fixed task requirements.