“That guy… actually summoned a purple flame? Could it be an Anomalous Flame? How is that possible?!” Inside the hall, all the Alchemists were shocked as they stared at the purple flame rising from within the medicinal cauldron. Due to the isolation by the light barrier, they couldn’t confirm it too much, but the color of that flame was absolutely not an ordinary Dou Qi Flame condensed from regular Dou Qi!
“An Anomalous Flame?” Frank and Otto exchanged a stunned glance, then shook their heads slightly.
“It doesn’t seem like it… Moreover, with this little guy’s strength, it’s impossible for him to control such a dense Anomalous Flame so proficiently!” Otto’s eyes were fixed on the purple flame that rose under Xiao Yan’s control, and he said in a low voice.
“Indeed, it doesn’t look like it; Anomalous Flames aren’t so easy to control…” Frank wiped the water off his beard, and the expression on his face was equally grave.
“But why is his flame purple?” Frank and Otto frowned, feeling somewhat bewildered. They had never heard of any other flames, besides those refined Anomalous Flames, that would appear purple.
“This little fellow… He’s not simple at all. No wonder he dared to take the test for a first-grade Alchemist at such a young age. It turns out he has such a foundation. Judging by the density of that purple flame, I think this little fellow’s strength must be above the level of a five-star Dou Shi. What a terrifying cultivation talent!” Calming down, Frank remarked with a sigh.
“I was wondering why I felt something strange when I first saw him. I didn’t expect that he actually concealed some of his strength right under my nose. This kid is really mysterious…” Otto stroked his long beard and smiled at Frank, “I suddenly really want to meet his teacher. I want to know who could possibly cultivate such an excellent student. Ah, compared to him, Xue Mei and Lin Fei are a notch below.”
“Mm.” Nodding slightly, Frank chuckled, “It’s a shame these two girls have been competing for so many years. Now, this young man called Xiao Yan has given them a blow. From now on, they will know what it means that there are always people better than them, and skies beyond skies.”
“Send a notification to the Alchemists’ Guilds in other cities and ask them to help investigate whether there is a senior Alchemist named Old Pharmacist. To be able to cultivate such a student, he shouldn’t be an unknown person,” Frank whispered to an Alchemist, waving him over.
The Alchemist nodded respectfully and quietly left the hall. Seeing this, Otto just smiled slightly, then looked back into the light screen, muttering softly, “Although he can control this purple flame that differs from other flames, alchemy isn’t just about the flame. Spiritual perception, mastery of fire, and the amount of ingredients needed—these are all important aspects. Let’s continue watching…”
Frank nodded, naturally knowing these things as a fourth-grade Alchemist. So, he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the youth who was completely focused on refining the pill.
As they fell silent, the hall once again lapsed into quietness. Only this time, most of the gazes lingered on Xiao Yan. Many people wanted to know if this youth, who could control a flame that resembled an Anomalous Flame, would still perform outstandingly in other aspects.
Xiao Yan, inside the light barrier, had no time to pay attention to the commotion outside caused by the purple flame. His gaze swept over the stone platform, and he picked up several herbs methodically, throwing them into the cauldron one by one. Under the suppression of his spiritual perception, the fierce purple flame was as gentle as a lamb, gently enveloping the herbs thrown into the caudron and extracting the essential materials needed to refine the Energy Pill.
Under Xiao Yan’s steady refining, the prototype of the Energy Pill was gradually forming in the cauldron. Although each stone platform was separated by smaller light screens, Xiao Yan’s purple flame was too unique. Not long after he released it, both Xue Mei and Lin Fei, who were on either side of him, noticed and turned their heads.
When they saw the rising purple flame, their beautiful eyes widened, and with a slight thud, the herbs they were refining in their own cauldrons turned to ashes due to their distraction. Ignoring the burnt herbs, both women opened their red lips slightly, staring in amazement at the purple flame controlled by Xiao Yan, which flickered and fluctuated in temperature and intensity. After a moment, both of them inwardly took a deep breath.
Though they did not know exactly what kind of purple flame Xiao Yan was using, judging from its intensity, it was definitely more difficult to control than their dark yellow Dou Qi flames. However, looking at the boy’s calm demeanor, he seemed to control the purple flame with ease. Such control made even the proud Xue Mei and Lin Fei feel inferior.
Their gazes moved from the cauldrons to the boy, who was entirely focused on his work. At this moment, the boy’s fair face showed no sign of nervousness. The reflection of the purple flame cast a faint purple hue on his face, but his calm and composed demeanor almost made the two women believe that the person before them was not a young, inexperienced youth, but a senior Alchemist with extensive experience.
This calm and composed demeanor was something Xue Mei and Lin Fei had only seen in their own teachers when they were practicing alchemy. And now, the boy before them was making them relive that experience.
Their gazes met briefly in the air, both showing a hint of bitterness and defeat. Sighing, Xue Mei glanced at Xiao Yan once more, brushed her silver hair, and then refocused on her cauldron.
“This guy, hiding so deeply… I underestimated him again…” Glancing at Xiao Yan, Lin Fei mumbled softly. The previous view she had of Xiao Yan as just another passerby had now shifted to one of a high-level Alchemist with terrifying talent, worthy of great respect. Shaking her head, Lin Fei sighed bitterly, then threw the second set of herbs into the cauldron, beginning the final stage of refining.
Xiao Yan, fully focused on his cauldron, was unaware of the two women’s earlier scrutiny. His eyes were fixed on the cauldron. Time passed quickly, and after numerous rounds of turning, the pills finally became smooth and round. Smiling at the color of the pills, Xiao Yan slowly withdrew his hand from the cauldron, and as his hand withdrew, the purple flame in the cauldron dissipated.
With a flick of his finger, the lid of the cauldron was pushed down by a gust of wind. Xiao Yan waved his hand, and a light yellow pill shot out of the cauldron, flying straight towards him. Grabbing a jade bottle, Xiao Yan quickly caught the pill and placed it inside. Putting the bottle down, Xiao Yan raised his head and discovered that the light barrier around him had been removed, and many pairs of eyes were watching him intently.
“Eh… Is the exam over?” Glancing around, Xiao Yan noticed that Xue Mei and Lin Fei were also looking at him, and he awkwardly asked.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s somewhat embarrassed expression, Xue Mei paused, then nodded with a smile, her voice softer than before, “Just a few minutes ago, but since your teacher saw that you hadn’t finished, we waited a bit. Don’t worry, it won’t affect your qualification.”
Thanking Xue Mei with a smile, Xiao Yan looked up at Frank and Otto, who were walking towards him, grinning.
Standing in front of the stone platform, Frank gave Xiao Yan a meaningful look and said with a smile, “Little guy, you’re quite secretive, huh.”
Xiao Yan shrugged, saying nothing.
Frank and Otto first took the pills from Xue Mei and Lin Fei, inspecting them closely, then nodded, smiling, “Not bad. Although the pills are a bit lacking in refinement, they still meet the passing standard.”
Hearing this, Xue Mei and Lin Fei breathed a sigh of relief. After checking the girls’ pills, Frank and Otto did not immediately check Xiao Yan’s but instead walked past him, examining the pills of the other six newcomers. Among the six, only two met the requirements, while the other four hung their heads in disappointment.
“Ha ha, don’t be disheartened. If not this year, then next. Youth, you may lack other things, but you have plenty of time,” Frank comforted, then exchanged a glance with Otto, and they returned to Xiao Yan.
Seeing Frank and Otto’s actions, the gazes in the hall gradually focused on Xiao Yan. Xue Mei and Lin Fei, curious, also watched Xiao Yan, eager to see what grade the pills refined by this controller of a mysterious flame would be.
Frank picked up the sheepskin paper on Xiao Yan’s platform, took a look, and his face changed slightly, surprised, “Energy Pill?”
“Huh…” Hearing this, Otto was also surprised, then laughed, “No wonder the little guy took a bit longer. So, you managed to get this recipe.”
Upon hearing the name of the Energy Pill, Xue Mei and Lin Fei shook their heads helplessly. Just the difficulty level of the recipe put them at a disadvantage.
“Tsk, this little guy is capable. He managed to successfully refine an Energy Pill. Even some real first-grade Alchemists find it difficult to refine this pill,” exclaiming, Frank poured the pill out of the bottle. A light yellow, smooth pill rolled out mischievously.
The pill was about the size of a thumb, with a pale yellow color, and a green wave pattern mixed in, resembling ripples, making it look rather strange.
“Dan Mark…” Looking at the green wave pattern, Frank and Otto were astonished again. Usually, when the quality and luster of a pill reached their peak, a Dan Mark might appear.
Upon hearing the term ‘Dan Mark,’ Xue Mei and Lin Fei knew that in this exam, they could not match the youth beside them.
“Congratulations, Xiao Yan, you have passed the test for a first-grade Alchemist,” putting the pill back in the bottle, Frank sighed and smiled at the youth.
Hearing this, everyone in the hall looked at the lucky youth on the platform with envy and admiration.
“Uh… That… Can I continue with the second-grade Alchemist exam?” In a soft voice, Xiao Yan asked.
At these words, the smiles on Frank and Otto’s faces froze instantly…
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