Alchemist Assessment

Opening the Scroll, Xiao Heng saw the words "Recovery Pill" appear upon it. He had refined this kind of pill before—quite a few of them, in fact. It was fairly ordinary among First-grade Pills, with a low-to-medium level of difficulty and decent effects. To him, it was no challenge.

He took out the Five-Oracle Cauldron from his Storage Ring. Heavenly Flames entered the Medicine Cauldron through the fire inlet, and vermilion flames swiftly filled every inch of the cauldron, blazing fiercely.

He tossed all five medicinal ingredients into the Medicine Cauldron at once. For Xiao Heng, extracting these relatively low-grade ingredients was quite simple; there would basically be no problems at all.

Under the searing flames, the emerald-green herbs gradually withered and melted, eventually turning into clumps of medicinal liquid.

Master Otto's gaze swept over the four rooms before finally settling on Xiao Heng's. A smile appeared on his face, as though he were anticipating something. The old man beside him followed his gaze and said with narrowed, smiling eyes, "Master Otto seems quite interested in that young man."

Looking at Xiao Heng's room, Otto held an ancient parchment in his hand and said somewhat wistfully, "That young man... I have never sensed such an exceptionally pure fire-element aura before. He is a natural-born alchemist. Guigu Zi? An alchemist with no record in the guild—I wonder who he is."

The old man also understood Otto's intentions. Otto seemed to have developed the thought of taking a disciple. In his aged voice, he slowly said, "If Master Otto wishes to take him as a disciple, he would have no reason to refuse."

Otto shook his head and put away the parchment, saying somewhat disappointedly, "That was what I thought at first, but now it seems unlikely. I initially believed the boy was merely here to try his hand, but when he entered, he showed no panic whatsoever—he was even somewhat confident. That means he truly has confidence in himself. And if he really succeeds in refining a First-grade Pill, then this alchemist named Guigu Zi may truly exist."

At this point, Otto let out a sigh. He had finally found such a promising talent, only for it to appear that the talent belonged to someone else. It truly disappointed him.

"But so be it. Even if I cannot take him as a disciple, it would still be good to form a favorable connection."

The old man beside him nodded in agreement. Though Otto's words made sense, he could not be too blunt, so he still consoled him, "Let's wait and see! Perhaps that young man truly has no teacher!"

The old man's consolation did little for Otto, but he still nodded. "All we can do is hope so."

However, their hopes were doomed from the start. Guigu Zi had indeed been made up by Xiao Heng, but Otto's alchemy was not remotely qualified to teach Xiao Heng—that was certain.

The flames inside the Medicine Cauldron extinguished. Xiao Heng lightly slapped the cauldron with his right hand, and a round pill rose into the air. He caught it in one motion and smiled faintly. "Easy," he murmured.

"He's come out. Looks like he failed. Congratulations, Master Otto," the old man immediately said upon seeing Xiao Heng emerge. He had never considered the possibility that Xiao Heng had succeeded so quickly. He himself could not refine a First-grade Pill in such a short time.

"It has not been confirmed yet! There is no need to congratulate me so soon!" Though he said that, the smile on his face betrayed him. Clearly, he too did not believe Xiao Heng could refine a First-grade Pill in such a short time. Even he might not be able to do it, let alone Xiao Heng. If Xiao Heng had failed, it meant there was a strong chance that he had no teacher yet—or that his teacher was very weak. In that case, Otto would have a great chance of taking Xiao Heng as his disciple.

Then again, Xiao Heng would probably be unhappy after failing the assessment, so he should be more tactful later. Still, it did not matter. As long as Xiao Heng became his disciple, Otto would train him into a genuine First-grade Alchemist within three years. Within five years, he would become a Second-grade Alchemist. It was not merely wishful thinking; the fire-element aura within Xiao Heng was simply far too pure.

He had already decided what gift he would give Xiao Heng upon accepting him as a disciple: a Mystic Rank Technique and Dou Technique, along with a Four-Oracle Cauldron. Laughing heartily, Otto walked toward Xiao Heng, while the old man followed beside him, wearing an expression of joy for Otto.

"Little friend, there is no need to be discouraged. You can take the assessment again next time! With your talent, you will surely pass then," Otto said as he approached, smiling warmly.

The old man beside him echoed, "That's right! Little friend, don't take it to heart!"

They must think I failed. Xiao Heng smiled faintly, stretched out his hand, and opened his palm. A round pill lay in the center of it.

"Please determine whether I have passed the assessment."

The smiles on the two men's faces gradually vanished as they solemnly accepted the pill from Xiao Heng. Whether he had succeeded or failed, it was a significant matter. If he had failed, Otto might be able to take him as a disciple. If he had succeeded, then a First-grade Alchemist of such a young age would certainly not have low future achievements.

"This... a Pill Pattern!" The more the old man examined it, the more astonished he became! He looked at Otto in shock and passed the pill to him. Otto took it, nodded in confirmation, and inspected it closely again. It had just been refined; residual warmth still lingered on the pill.

"Congratulations, little friend!"

Otto was the first to react, offering his congratulations with a smile. Though he felt somewhat disappointed inside, it did not matter. Witnessing the birth of such a young First-grade Alchemist was itself a fortunate event.

Xiao Heng nodded, entirely unsurprised by the result. "Then I thank you both. I would also like to continue with the assessment for Second-grade Alchemist. Would that be possible?"

The old man returned the pill to Xiao Heng. Pills bearing Pill Patterns were quite valuable, and with Otto standing beside him, he would not dare to pocket it for himself.

"Little friend, refining Second-grade Pills requires one to have broken through to the Dou Shi realm! Could it be that you...?"

Although Xiao Heng had refined a First-grade Pill with a Pill Pattern, Otto still did not believe he could refine a Second-grade Pill. What a joke—pills were not so easily refined. If he truly could refine one at his age, then his talent would genuinely be no weaker than Gu He's.

Xiao Heng smiled. "I was fortunate enough to reach it."

Ordinarily, it was difficult for others to discern a cultivator's exact strength unless they were far stronger than him, or unless he actively released his aura.

This time, the two men were truly stunned. At such an age, he had broken through to the Dou Shi realm...! And he was also a First-grade Alchemist. No, judging by his manner, he did not seem to be taking the Second-grade Alchemist assessment merely to try his luck. If so, he might very well be a Second-grade Alchemist too.

"The procedure for the Second-grade Alchemist assessment is the same. As long as you refine one Second-grade Pill, you will have succeeded!" Otto looked at Xiao Heng seriously, seemingly watching for his reaction.

Xiao Heng smiled faintly. "No problem!"

Seeing his confidence, Otto said no more. When the old man beside him saw Otto fall silent, he stepped forward. What came next was his duty.

"Little friend, please follow me!"

After signaling to Otto, Xiao Heng followed the old man to another room. Its general layout was similar to the previous one, except it was much larger and far better sealed.

The old man took out three sets of medicinal ingredients from his Storage Ring and placed them on the stone platform. Then he took out a Scroll and said with a genial smile, "Few people usually take the Second-grade Alchemist assessment, so we do not keep the materials prepared at all times. I hope you do not mind, little friend. Take a look at this Pill Recipe first. As long as you successfully refine it, you will pass the assessment."

After looking around the room, Xiao Heng turned to the stone platform in the center and walked over. Picking up the Scroll, he said, "Thank you, Senior."

"Then I shall wish you success in advance! This old man will await your good news," the old man said with a grin. With that, he left the room.

Xiao Heng opened the Scroll. "Blood-Generating Pill, Second-grade Pill. Ingredients: one First-Grade Wood Magic Core, Blood-Generating Flower, Rush Grass..."

This pill was not bad either. He had never refined it before, but that did not matter. He pressed the Scroll against his forehead...

"Master Otto, do you think he can succeed?" The old man and Otto stood in the adjacent room, before a black wall. Strangely, from their side, they could clearly see everything Xiao Heng was doing. At that moment, the two watched Xiao Heng in the neighboring room through the wall.

Otto stared solemnly at Xiao Heng, looking extraordinarily tense, as though he himself were taking the examination rather than Xiao Heng. "If he truly succeeds, the Jia Ma Empire may very well produce another Gu He! Let us wait and see...! I only hope he succeeds!"

The old man nodded as well. If Xiao Heng could succeed, it would be extraordinary! He too hoped Xiao Heng would make it. Being able to administer an assessment for a future master alchemist would also be an exceedingly rare experience.

Xiao Heng, who had begun extracting the medicinal ingredients, had no idea that two people were watching him through a wall. This wall had been cut from a special kind of stone: one side could see through it, while the other was nothing but darkness.

He tossed all the ingredients into the Medicine Cauldron at once! Xiao Heng began adjusting the flame's temperature. Each type of medicinal ingredient required different temperatures in different pills, and varying temperatures and roasting times could extract different components from the same ingredient.

Among these ingredients, the only one somewhat difficult to extract was the wood-element magic core. But before the Heavenly Flames, that level of difficulty was no issue at all.

Seeing Xiao Heng throw all the ingredients into the Medicine Cauldron at once, the old man anxiously clenched his fists and looked at Otto beside him. "He... this is...!"

"Keep watching. Maybe he knows what he's doing." Otto was nervous as well, but Xiao Heng did not look like he was acting recklessly. Besides, there was nothing Otto could do to change it. All he could do was watch.

"Hey!" The old man let out an irritated huff, like a parent angered by an unpromising child. In his eyes, this was sheer nonsense. But since Otto had said so, he could only keep watching. Hopefully, the boy truly was confident.

Flames surged within the Medicine Cauldron as the different medicinal ingredients melted one by one, gradually turning into the medicinal liquids Xiao Heng needed.

For Xiao Heng, taking the alchemist examination was merely something he did on the side. At his current level, even taking the Fourth-grade Alchemist examination would probably pose no problem. Whether or not he possessed an alchemist identity recognized by the Alchemist Guild was not important to him. It was simply a convenient matter—good if he had it, and no great loss if he did not.

Under the control of his Soul Power, the clusters of medicinal liquid slowly began to merge.

"It's starting..." Seeing Xiao Heng begin to fuse the medicinal liquids, Otto's heart tightened. Xiao Heng's earlier act of extracting all the ingredients at once had frightened him badly. He had thought Xiao Heng had acted impulsively out of youthful recklessness, but when Xiao Heng completed the extraction without the slightest disturbance, Otto realized that Xiao Heng truly was confident he could do it.

In truth, the moment Xiao Heng finished extracting the medicinal liquids, Otto knew that refining this Second-grade pill should not be much of a problem for him. Even if he failed this time, he still had two more chances. Besides, Xiao Heng's technique and composure in alchemy clearly did not belong to someone who had only just stepped into the ranks of a Second-grade Alchemist. It was very likely that he had already refined quite a few Second-grade pills, which was why he was so practiced.