Alchemist Guild

As one of the more prosperous towns in the Jia Ma Empire, Black Rock City was naturally no small place. However, Xiao Heng had no energy to take Bear Two sightseeing again. One man and one bear found an inn and rested.

"Welcome, please come in!"

The people of Black Rock City were clearly much more indifferent toward Bear Two. There were few people who kept Magical Beasts, but that did not mean there were none. Many found it strange, but they were not particularly shocked.

The man and bear wolfed down food and drink until they were full. Bear Two truly could eat. If Xiao Heng had not been fairly wealthy, he might genuinely have been unable to afford raising him. Still, it was Bear Two's first time in such a large town, so he was quite excited. Only after Xiao Heng promised to take him around tomorrow did he finally calm down.

The next day!

Xiao Heng took Bear Two onto the bustling streets. While people who kept Magical Beasts were not unheard of, most still kept their distance from them, afraid that Bear Two might suddenly go berserk.

"Xiao Heng, I want to eat this!"

Bear Two pointed at the candied hawthorns and spoke excitedly. His arms were already full of food. The man holding the candied hawthorns had sweat running down his forehead, yet he still forced himself to remain calm.

Xiao Heng shook his head helplessly. Other people traveled with beautiful women, while he traveled with a bear. What kind of situation was this? He handed over two Gold Coins.

"Boss, I'll take them all."

The man accepted the Gold Coins with trembling hands. He was afraid too, but he depended on this to support his family. He could only suppress his fear, take the coins, and hand the entire bundle of candied hawthorns to Xiao Heng without daring to say a word.

Just then, a voice came from behind him. "Little friend, your Magical Beast is truly clever. It can actually speak."

Xiao Heng handed the candied hawthorns to Bear Two and turned around. An elderly man stood not far behind him. He smiled politely.

"That's his only talent. There's nothing else remarkable about him!"

When traveling, it was best to avoid trouble whenever possible. There was no need to attract too much attention, though bringing a bear around was already conspicuous enough.

The old man did not dwell on the matter. He had noticed this strange pair earlier. The powerful fire-element aura around the youth was well concealed, but as a Fourth-grade Alchemist, he could still sense it. Moreover, the Magical Beast beside him was no ordinary creature either; it gave him a faint sense of danger.

"May I ask if you have come here to take the alchemist examination, little friend?"

Xiao Heng was now quite indifferent about whether or not he took the alchemist examination. As long as he could refine medicine, there was no need to insist on getting certified. Naturally, though, he could not say that aloud.

"We'll see! I do have that intention, but I'll only be staying here for two or three days. If the timing works out, I might give it a try."

The old man nodded slightly. With such pure fire-element aura, it was practically impossible for him not to be an alchemist. As for his grade, that was unclear, though it was probably not high. Judging by his appearance, if he had not disguised himself, it would already be good if he could pass the first-grade alchemist examination.

The old man nodded. Although this youth's fire-element aura was quite dense, he was not about to become overly enthusiastic toward an unfamiliar youth over that alone. He had only acted on a whim earlier to confirm whether Xiao Heng was an alchemist. Now that he had confirmed it, there was nothing more to say.

"The alchemist examination is available every day. You can give it a try. Even if you do not succeed, you can still gain quite a bit of experience."

"Alright, I'll go take a look."

Since the examination was available every day, there was no harm in trying. He had nothing else to do anyway, and having an official alchemist identity would be quite convenient.

"Then, farewell, little friend!"

He did not believe that this youth could pass the examination now, but the pure fire-element aura still gave him some confidence in the youth's future.

"Alright!" Xiao Heng nodded slightly as he watched him leave. Though he did not know why this man had spoken to him, he did not seem like a bad person.

After parting ways, Xiao Heng did not hurry to the Alchemist Guild. Instead, he continued strolling through the streets with Bear Two, satisfying the bear's curiosity. But after wandering around for a while, Bear Two lost interest. He was mainly interested in food, and after eating his way around the area, there was not much left that caught his attention. He was only particularly fond of candied hawthorns, so Xiao Heng bought him another huge bundle, letting him carry one over each shoulder.

However, taking Bear Two to the Alchemist Guild might be somewhat inconvenient. So Xiao Heng simply gave Bear Two a bag of Gold Coins and let him continue wandering on his own. If he no longer wanted to wander, he could return to the inn himself, while Xiao Heng went to check out the Alchemist Guild.

"Go on without worry, Xiao Heng. I'll be fine."

Bear Two was happy with the arrangement. He gleefully accepted the Gold Coins and left without even looking back. Xiao Heng could only shake his head and head toward the Alchemist Guild.

"Alchemist Guild!"

The Alchemist Guild was easy enough to find; anyone could point it out. Xiao Heng quietly read the five words aloud. Just as he was about to enter, two heavily armed burly men blocked his path.

"Stop. Please present your letter of introduction!"

A letter of introduction...! He did not even have a teacher to teach him alchemy, so where would he get a letter of introduction? But he had come all this way. He could not just turn back like this!

"Can't I enter without a letter of introduction?"

The guard shook his head. "You cannot enter without a letter of introduction."

Now Xiao Heng was in a difficult position. Where was he supposed to find one? It seemed he could only leave. With a sigh, he turned to go back.

"Let him in!"

"Master Otto!" Upon seeing the person behind Xiao Heng, the guards quickly bowed!

So this old man was Master Otto. No wonder! Xiao Heng had wondered about it earlier. Someone here had actually been able to tell that he was an alchemist, but if it was him, then it made sense. After all, for an experienced Fourth-grade Alchemist, the fire-element aura around him was indeed difficult to conceal.

Of course, that was also because he had spent too little time refining the Heavenly Flames. Give him another month, and he would be able to completely hide the fire-element aura around him. No one would be able to detect it unless they were far stronger than him. His ability to conceal his aura was not weak.

After signaling to the guards that they need not mind him, Otto smiled at Xiao Heng. Perhaps this little fellow did not yet have a teacher. Maybe he had happened upon an alchemist's inheritance. If so, Otto might have a chance to take another disciple—though he would need to observe him further first.

"Little friend, we meet again!"

Xiao Heng smiled politely as well. "Greetings, Master Otto!"

There was no need for formal bows or anything of the sort. A Fourth-grade Alchemist was not important enough to warrant that from him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two bid each other farewell.

"Then farewell, little friend!"

"Farewell, Master Otto!"

After the two parted, the guards became much more respectful toward Xiao Heng and obediently let him enter. They had seen Master Otto's attitude toward Xiao Heng just now. This youth before them was no simple person. Perhaps he would become a major figure in the future. They did not dare offend him.

They said respectfully, "Please enter, sir!"

As Xiao Heng entered the Alchemist Guild, the scent of medicinal herbs washed over him. To an alchemist, it was undoubtedly a pleasant aroma. There were not many people inside—only a few dozen, most of them middle-aged or elderly.

Just as he was about to find someone to ask about the alchemist rank assessment, a young woman in green robes walked out.

"Hello, sir. You look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting our Alchemist Guild?"

Xiao Heng looked over the young woman before him and smiled gently. "Yes. I'd like to ask what the alchemist assessment involves."

"Sir, are you also an alchemist?" The young woman looked at Xiao Heng in shock.

"Yes. So, could you tell me the process?" Ignoring the young woman's admiration, Xiao Heng asked directly.

"Oh! This way, sir." He was such a young alchemist, and he was handsome as well. If she could catch his eye, she would rise to greatness. Thinking this, the young woman's steps became far lighter than usual.

"Sir is truly young and accomplished, becoming an alchemist at such a young age."

Xiao Heng could clearly sense that the young woman was trying to flirt with him, but he had no time to think about that for now. He merely hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing else.

The young woman also sensed Xiao Heng's aloofness and could not say much more. She simply followed the procedure and registered him. Taking an ancient, yellowed piece of parchment from the counter, she held her pen with considerable elegance and smiled sweetly. "Sir, please state your name, age, and your mentor's name. I need to register them for you."

"Xiao Heng, twenty-five. Mentor: Guigu Zi."

When mentioning his teacher, Xiao Heng hesitated slightly. He did not actually have a teacher in alchemy, so he could only make one up.

The young woman wrote down Xiao Heng's name and age, but paused when she reached his mentor. She said awkwardly, "Sir, it seems your teacher has no record in the Guild..."

Xiao Heng frowned. "Can't I take the assessment if my teacher isn't registered with the Guild?"

Seeing Xiao Heng's dissatisfaction, the young woman hurriedly explained, "No, sir! You can still take it even without a record, as long as you pass the assessment."

Only then did Xiao Heng relax. That was what he thought. He remembered that Xiao Yan had not encountered such trouble when taking the test. "Then arrange my assessment quickly."

"Yes, sir. This way, please!" The young woman carefully put away the recorded information, then gestured toward the back.

The young woman opened a door, revealing a brightly lit hall before Xiao Heng. There were even fewer people in this hall. Including Xiao Heng, there were only eight people. One was Master Otto, while another elderly man also seemed to be in charge of the assessment. There were also three staff members. In other words, apart from Xiao Heng, there were only three people taking the alchemist assessment this time.

Master Otto gave Xiao Heng a slight nod from a distance, and Xiao Heng politely nodded back.

"Sir, this is your examination number. Please keep it safe."

A burly man handed Xiao Heng an armband with considerable respect. The number three was written on it. As for the young woman, she took her leave after bringing Xiao Heng here.

After a while, another person entered the hall. The white-haired old man standing beside Otto said respectfully, "Master Otto, we can begin."

Otto nodded. "Then let us begin."

The man beside him appeared even older than Otto, yet he was only a Second-grade Alchemist. Normally, he alone was responsible for the alchemist assessments. Although he did not know why Master Otto had suddenly come to observe this assessment, it did not stop him from performing well. If Master Otto happened to be pleased and offered him some guidance, that would be quite good.

Speaking of which, he was several years older than Otto, yet both his alchemist rank and Dou Qi cultivation were far inferior to Otto's. Thus, whenever he met Otto, he had to show him respect.

The old man raised a hand toward another man nearby. The man understood the procedure and announced, "The alchemist assessment officially begins. The four of you, please enter the corresponding rooms according to your numbers. Use the ingredients and Pill Recipe in the rooms to refine a pill. Refining one successfully will count as passing. Now, the four of you may begin!"

The explanation was very clear, and the four had no questions. Xiao Heng walked straight into Room Three. Inside, a scroll and a pile of medicinal ingredients had already been neatly arranged atop a stone platform, awaiting his arrival.