“Hey, Old Otter, you brought someone along too, huh?” As the atmosphere in the grand hall was slightly quiet, an aged laughter broke the silence. Following the sound, Xiao Yan noticed a group of elderly men wearing alchemist robes standing on a high platform to the left of the hall, smiling. The voice had come from one of them, a man with snow-white hair.
“That’s Vice President Qiemir, also the teacher of the young princess,” Otter greeted the old man with a wave and whispered to Xiao Yan.
“Ah.” Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
“Don’t mind those guys’ looks. To become a third-grade alchemist at this age, they naturally have outstanding talent. It’s natural for them to be a bit proud. If you don’t reach their level, they won’t pay much attention. Most capable young people are like that,” Otter said, glancing at the young people in the hall and patting Xiao Yan on the shoulder reassuringly.
Xiao Yan smiled but didn’t speak.
“Come with me to meet those old folks; they hold significant power in the Jia Ma Empire,” Otter said, leading the way to the high platform. After a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Yan followed.
Otter walked up the platform, chatting and laughing with the other elders of similar age, while Xiao Yan stood quietly behind him, not making any move to greet them.
“Old Otter, is this the strong candidate from your Black Rock City this time?” After a while, the white-haired elder asked, smiling at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan lifted his gaze, looking at the elder who clearly held a high position in the Alchemist Guild. Dressed in a finely crafted alchemist robe, his wrinkled face carried a hint of a smile, and his cloudy eyes were calm and gentle. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary old man, except for the alchemist robe and the four silver waves on his chest, shimmering with strange light. Yet, this seemingly ordinary old man controlled nearly half the power of the Alchemist Guild.
While Xiao Yan was observing Qiemir, the latter was also examining him. Ordinary appearance, nothing special. The only thing that surprised Qiemir was the calmness in Xiao Yan’s expression, especially under the gaze of several fourth-grade alchemists.
“Ah, he’s called Rock Vulture, with quite good potential,” Otter replied with a smile, then turned to Xiao Yan and introduced, “This is the Vice President of the guild, Master Qiemir.”
“Hello, Vice President Qiemir,” Xiao Yan smiled and bowed politely.
“Heh, young man, I hope you won’t make Otter’s recommendation useless. Otherwise, it would be a big embarrassment for him,” Qiemir said, shaking his head at the second-grade badge on Xiao Yan’s chest. In a competition of this level, a second-grade alchemist might not even enter the top twenty.
“I believe I can pass this test,” Xiao Yan shrugged.
“Good to have confidence. Since all the branch presidents recommend strong candidates, this internal test will be somewhat challenging,” Qiemir nodded and smiled.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Heh, time is running out, so I won’t waste words. Go down now; the test will start soon,” Qiemir said with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded, turned, and walked down the platform. Under the watchful eyes of the young people in the hall, he quietly moved to a corner and stood there with his hands hanging.
“Old Otter, isn’t Black Rock City a big city? Can’t you find a young third-grade alchemist?” Qiemir asked Otter helplessly, watching Xiao Yan.
“I trust him,” Otter said, smiling with his hands in his sleeves.
“Ah, you old rascal… If no one from your city performs well this time, don’t blame us if the budget is cut next year. I must handle these matters officially, no matter how close our relationship,” Qiemir shook his head.
Otter nodded, not continuing the topic. “Time to start the test.”
Qiemir nodded and turned to the young people below, pointing to the black curtains on the left side of the hall. “Behind each curtain is a small room, your examination place…”
“As we all know, the extraction of medicinal ingredients is a crucial step in alchemy. Our test today will focus on your ability to extract these ingredients. On the table in each room, the required medicinal ingredients are prepared. Your task is to extract them to the highest purity within the shortest time possible. If you fail to complete the extraction before the sand runs out, or if the quality of your extraction does not meet our standards, you will be considered failed, and you will lose your qualification to participate.”
Looking at the strict rules, the young people below exchanged glances, some of their faces showing slight changes.
As Qiemir’s gaze swept over the young people, it stopped on Xiao Yan, standing quietly in the corner. He was slightly surprised by Xiao Yan’s calm demeanor and thought, “Could this guy really have some skills?”
“Alright, let’s begin. Pay attention to the sand timer,” Qiemir said, clapping his hands and turning away from Xiao Yan with a smile.
The young people started walking towards the left side of the hall, each entering a room behind a black curtain. Xiao Yan found a secluded curtain and was about to enter when a voice made him pause, turning his calm face to look back.
“Heh, I didn’t expect Brother Rock Vulture to be able to participate in this internal test. We really have some fate,” Liu Ling approached, smiling. However, his gentle smile made Xiao Yan frown slightly.
Xiao Yan glanced at him and said, “I was just pulled in to fill a spot.”
“Brother Rock Vulture, you’re joking. Although your rank is low, you have a rare treasure like the Heavenly Fire. I’m sure your score won’t be too low,” Liu Ling said, though he was still skeptical about whether Xiao Yan really had the Heavenly Fire. He had asked Nalan Yanran, but she didn’t give him a clear answer.
Xiao Yan shrugged noncommittally and, after a casual reply, entered his room, leaving Liu Ling frowning.
“Big Brother Liu, aren’t you going in yet?” A clear voice sounded behind Liu Ling. The pretty young princess walked over, looking at the curtain Xiao Yan had disappeared behind and smiled.
“I met an acquaintance. If the young princess is interested, I can introduce him to you,” Liu Ling smiled softly at her.
“Never mind, a second-grade alchemist… I don’t have your good temper,” the young princess shook her head indifferently, clearly less interested in Xiao Yan than in Liu Ling, who excelled in everything.
Liu Ling smiled and said, “Up to you.” Her dismissive attitude toward Xiao Yan pleased him, as he was often overshadowed by Xiao Yan in the Nalan family.
“I’ll go in first. Don’t lose to me, Big Brother Liu,” the young princess winked playfully at him and then flitted behind a curtain.
Liu Ling nodded, and seeing the empty hall, he headed to a curtain without delay, his calm demeanor earning nods of approval from Qiemir and the others on the platform.
“This test is well-designed. Extracting medicinal ingredients is not only necessary for alchemy but also tests one’s control over heat. This small task will reveal their abilities,” Otter said, smiling at the empty hall.
Qiemir nodded, sat down, and sipped his tea. “Let’s see who can extract the purest medicinal ingredients.”
Inside the small, elegant room, Xiao Yan saw a stone table against the wall with a sand timer and several stacked medicinal ingredients.
He walked to the table, glancing at the blackened herbs, and muttered, “Black Iron Spirit Leaves, very tough to extract. These old folks sure don’t make things easy.”
Shaking his head, he summoned a dark red pill furnace. Picking up a Black Iron Spirit Leaf, he frowned, pondering whether to use the Earth Heart Lotus Flame.
After a moment, he decided not to use his ace in this preliminary test. Using the Earth Heart Lotus Flame for such a simple task would be overkill.
With a snap of his fingers, a purple pill appeared, and he popped it into his mouth. Chewing and spitting it out, a ball of purple flame burst forth, which he held in his palm.
Holding the purple flame, Xiao Yan smiled. Thanks to his previous consumption of the Purple Flame, he could now control it adeptly. While it wasn’t as strong as the green flame, it was sufficient for extracting Black Iron Spirit Leaves.
His soul force slowly extended, controlling the purple flame and channeling it into the furnace. The cold furnace began to heat up, the purple flame swirling inside.
Watching the bright purple flame, Xiao Yan tossed the Black Iron Spirit Leaf into the furnace. The flame surged, enveloping and burning it fiercely.
His fingers danced nimbly, and as he became more proficient, he closed his eyes, relying solely on his senses to control the flame.
Meanwhile, the sand in the hourglass on the table was slowly draining.
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