The Shattered Empyrean Isles was not actually a hidden or secret dimension nor was it a wild realm, easily exploitable without development and natives. In fact, according to the information in the library (available on the five floors for seniors), it could actually be classed as a middle realm.
Some hundred thousand years ago, a great disaster occurred which could only be likened to an explosion of unimaginable magnitude that shattered the land into fragments. However, rather than these chunks of earth be lost to the surrounding atmosphere, like Leon imagined might happen to an exploded world or moon in the universe he had some understanding of in his previous life, they became like meteors circling around a sun. Or in this case a gigantic, solidified crystal of spiritual energy.
Of course, such a concentrated treasure would be coveted by Cultivators and exploited were it not for one small detail; this crystal had gained sentience of sorts. It was not the sentience of an intelligent being knowing of schemes, lies and whatever can be learned from a book, but it did have the instinct required to protect itself. This in itself would not stop the most determined Cultivators from attempting to steal a least a small part of its essence, but being that it was so naturally powerful, the greater majority of those immortal beings had discovered their mortality, unfortunately as they drew their last breaths.
Now there was a restriction in place; only Cultivators of Body Tempering and below could walk without fear of being obliterated by the Heart of the Shattered Empyrean Isles. But that did not mean that they were safe. For one thing, that which separated the isles was air not sea and there was no apparent bottom to it. Could not say if a Cultivator who fell from the isles would not fall forever and ever and simply die of starvation or lack of air. If the isles clustered together for a time, might be worth the risk, but if they remained far, far apart, definitely not.
Also the isles had many types of spiritual beasts nurtured upon them, though perhaps understandably flying types had the greatest strength and survivability. These creatures guarded their territories from interlopers fiercely. A cultivator was not a natural Hunter here, but could easily become the hunted. Still, if the beast became too strong, it might still find itself annihilated by the restrictions, especially if it gained intelligence and began to eye the crystal like a freshly boiled ham. So there were very, very few beasts that could kill a Cultivator on the brink of completing Body Tempering (late senary stage).
Being a middle realm, one could journey there through portals and the risk of travelling to other middle and to lower realms was not so great (though travelling back from a lower realm was extremely difficult), especially when the portals were supported by several top mages and several more decent ones protected those crossing over. Plus as long as the pathway was kept open, the risks would be vastly reduced some more, though that cost a great deal of spiritual energy to ensure.
This land that was inhospitable at best to Cultivators, hostile at worst, still could count as an excellent place to train young talents. Indeed, there were risks, but these risks could be counted as being lower than many locations within their own realm, so long as they were astute and careful. This was also why only teams lead by the best students within the Institute were allowed to take on the challenge that this realm presented and only for two ten days.
But to a small alchemist of secondary cultivation, this 'challenge' was terrifying.
Leon closed the thick book describing the Shattered Empyrean Isles; there were other books about it, describing in more detail the flora and fauna that could be found there. There were even names and rough maps that gave a comprehensive detail for the larger islands; but they did not know which island they would appear on until after the connective tunnel was formed between there and the only portals leading to it, which happened to be located on the Institute grounds. In fact, there were more than thirty large islands on which they could appear.
As the event occurred once a year and had done so for at least five hundred years, it was unlikely that the ruins of the civilisation that once lived there had any treasures still within their depths, but some smaller islands only floated close to the main ones every hundred years or so, it could not be said that there were not things to find there! Most teams would not take the risk, but no one could say none would.
The event was about teamwork and survival, but it was also a competition and points would be calculated on a number of things; collected Beast trophies, herbs and treasures both natural and manmade. The rarest ones naturally gained the team more points while some of the most common would not be counted. Those common ones would still be gathered, these might not win a competition, but it's not that they had no value at all!
Plus, to make things a more fair playing field, the number of pills, weapons, equipment and food the teams could take with them had a limitation; each team member could only take a small personal interspatial bag with a metre square space. After some essentials were thrown in the space remaining was next to nothing!
Which was why alchemists were relied on to distinguish herbs and make pills during camp, while Scholars might be relied on for other things such as which fruits were edible and which sheltering ruins were not filled to the brim with self-resetting traps! Beast Tamers were learned about beasts and their territories so had this advantage as well as being able to hold their own in a fight. Mages could create protective arrays or blast areas to smithereens, while martial artists were as sharp and deadly as the weapons they wielded and could both attack and defend, follow and lead as necessary. It could clearly be seen that choosing one's team members was as high importance as anything else. So why was it that Pike decided to chose him? Leon couldn't help but wonder.
Not only that, Bowyer had also wanted to choose him to be his alchemist.
Leon thought about it and thought that maybe it was just because his healing pills were better than most. He could not think of any other reason.
The cost for him becoming a Core student, albeit temporary one, wasn't actually as big a deal as others might think. He'd simply shared a few of his recipes; the two alternative Energy Pills, the beast calming pill (of which half of the recipe had already been figured out anyway) and the One heart pill. None of these recipes had been new, just slightly amended by himself. These pills were not something hugely amazing after all; Energy Pills could only be effective for primary Cultivators, beast calming pills only helped tame weak beasts and the one heart pill was the most common of the healing pills dealing with external injuries.
However, making the improved Pills was not quite as easy as the usual recipe, more fiddly and requiring more attention, even more spiritual energy. Only a few advanced, inner school seniors and one outer school student (Hue) had the complete knack of them so far, but even then, most inner school students favoured focusing on more advanced, tricker pills that would given them more fame and fortune in the future. (Hue didn't mind what Pill he made, but his cauldron only ever produced one pill at a time, so his slow speed couldn't be helped). Had to be said in passing, the Teachers could make them, but there wasn't always the time and they weren't competing anyway.
So as much as his improved pills were in demand, the sources were few and far between at present, inadvertently increasing Leon's value. He didn't think it was for his talismans as Mage arrays were far more formidable.
This evaluation was not completely untrue, but Pike was not so shortsighted to consider this point only. He also suspected that Leon had potential that he'd not revealed. Plus his talismans had an extra benefit that Leon never considered; they left no noticeable imprint on their surroundings and were more subtle of nature. However the main reason that Pike and Bowyer fought over the small alchemist was just because they liked him and his character and that was that.
Author's note; friendship like, don't you fujoshi's be thinking something else!