Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
During the Bloodline Awakening Ceremony over those ten days, not a single Ling Clan child of eligible age among the tens of thousands in East Ling City awakened a bloodline rank above the fourth grade.
The highest bloodline rank among them was only a mere third grade.
Although Bloodline Power slowly increased with age and strength, that only applied to members with bloodlines of the fourth grade or higher.
Below the fourth grade, Bloodline Power never increased over the course of one's life.
Just like Yao Chen, who had been expelled from the Yao Clan, his Yao Clan Bloodline Power had never increased.
"The Medicine Hall is an important place. Visitors, stop here."
Once the ten-day period was over, Ling Xi followed the instructions Ling Yang had given him when they met at the Bloodline Awakening Ceremony and reported to the Medicine Hall within the Clan Academy.
The Clan Academy was a place the Ling Clan had established to provide a unified education for clan members of eligible age. It was responsible for teaching basic knowledge and cultivation methods, and could be found in nearly every city in the Ling Domain.
The Medicine Hall, meanwhile, was the part of the Clan Academy responsible for training Alchemists.
Considering how rare and important Alchemists were on the Dou Qi Continent, the Medicine Hall naturally held a lofty position within the Clan Academy.
"I'm Ling Xi. The Bloodline Awakening Ceremony revealed that I have the aptitude to become an Alchemist, so Elder Ling Yang arranged for me to report to the Medicine Hall."
Seeing the two Spirit Guards standing before the Medicine Hall, their auras powerful and steady, Ling Xi did not dare be careless. He hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting.
"Ling Xi... wait here for now."
The Spirit Guards held a position in the Ling Clan comparable to that of the Black Annihilation Army in the Ancient Clan. Their status far surpassed that of a Descendant Citizen like Ling Xi, with his sparse Dou Di Bloodline.
The Spirit Guard looked Ling Xi up and down. One of them headed straight into the Medicine Hall, his manner fairly courteous.
After all, even among the Ancient Races, no one would ever offend a future Alchemist without good reason.
Ling Xi said nothing and stood obediently to one side as he waited.
It was only a moment before two distinct sets of footsteps came from inside the Medicine Hall.
"I heard from Elder Ling Yang that they didn't find any promising candidates at this Bloodline Awakening Ceremony, but he unexpectedly discovered a clan member with Alchemist aptitude."
The booming voice carried a hint of curiosity. Ling Xi looked up without thinking.
He saw a middle-aged man, apparently in his thirties or forties, standing at the entrance to the Medicine Hall beside the Spirit Guard.
The man wore a neat robe, and his expression seemed faintly haughty.
"You're the Descendant Citizen Elder Ling Yang arranged to study at the Medicine Hall?"
The middle-aged man scrutinized Ling Xi for a moment. His tone seemed to carry a barely perceptible air of superiority.
"My name is Ling Fu. I'm an instructor at the Clan Academy in East Ling City."
The lofty status of Alchemists was plain even among the Ancient Races.
"Greetings, Instructor Ling Fu."
Ling Xi respectfully bowed to Ling Fu.
"Mm. At least you're a polite boy."
Seeing how sensible Ling Xi was, Ling Fu gave a slight nod.
"Come with me."
With that, Ling Fu beckoned to Ling Xi, then turned and headed back into the Medicine Hall.
Ling Xi hurried after him. This time, neither of the two Spirit Guards stopped him.
As soon as he entered the Medicine Hall, Ling Xi's nostrils twitched slightly, and he kept glancing around with the corner of his eye.
Inside, the Medicine Hall consisted of a long corridor lined with rooms whose doors were all shut tight.
A faint medicinal fragrance drifted through the air, invigorating anyone who breathed it in.
"Do you know what you'll be doing next?"
Seeing Ling Xi follow silently behind him, Ling Fu found the boy rather unusual.
In the past, Descendant Citizens with Alchemist aptitude had reacted in all sorts of ways upon arriving at the Medicine Hall. Some had been anxious, some cautious, and others overjoyed.
A child as composed as Ling Xi was a rare sight.
"Please enlighten me, Instructor Ling Fu."
Ling Xi stopped and looked up at Ling Fu, his expression serious.
"Although you have the potential to become an Alchemist, we need to find out how great your Alchemist talent is."
Ling Fu continued walking as he explained.
That was just what Ling Xi had expected.
As a transmigrator, he had soul power far greater than that of ordinary people, just like Xiao Yan.
And soul power was the most direct measure of Alchemist talent.
Ling Xi was also curious about what level his soul power was at compared with other children his age, after taking a Ninth-grade Mysterious Pill like the Mysterious Origin Saint Sculpting Pill.
"We're here. This is the place."
After walking through a long, narrow corridor, the two arrived at an open-air plaza.
A stone stele stood at the very center of the plaza, reaching a full zhang in height.
Calling it a stone stele wasn't entirely accurate, though. It was so transparent that it looked like crystal.
"Soul power is the most important foundation for us Alchemists."
"Only with sufficiently powerful soul power can we handle the process of refining pills with ease."
Ling Fu pointed to the center of the stele, where a smooth Mirror Plate was set.
"Put your hand on the stele, and your Soul Value will appear on the Mirror Plate."
"The Medicine Hall will assign you a suitable mentor based on your Soul Value."
After a pause, Ling Fu couldn't help but remind him, "Make sure you do your best. If no mentor takes you as a disciple, your future achievements will be very limited."
That was the greatest difference between the Medicine Hall and the Clan Academy.
The Clan Academy provided a broadly accessible education, somewhat like the nine-year compulsory education system from his previous life on Earth.
The Medicine Hall, on the other hand, had an entry threshold. It was more like the mentor system at universities in his previous life.
"Thank you for the reminder, Instructor Ling Fu."
Ling Xi gave Ling Fu a grateful smile, then stepped forward and stopped in front of the stele.
Looking at the stele before him, Ling Xi hesitated briefly before bringing his hand against it.
The stele was icy cold, like a block of ice. When his palm touched it, he felt a faint stinging sensation.
The feeling seemed to burrow into his soul, making him rather uncomfortable.
"Is this the child with Alchemist talent that old Ling Yang discovered during the bloodline test?"
A somewhat aged voice suddenly sounded behind Ling Fu, who was focusing intently on the test before him.
The voice wasn't loud, but it made Ling Fu jolt.
"Greetings, Elder Ling You."
Ling Fu turned around in a fluster and hurriedly bowed to the old man behind him.
"Reporting to Elder Ling You, this is the Descendant Citizen Elder Ling Yang mentioned."
"Mm."
The old man gave a noncommittal nod. His gaze fell on Ling Xi, who was undergoing the test, and he said nothing more.
Ling Xi gently closed his eyes, and in that instant, his entire being seemed to fall into complete silence.
The next moment, a pure stream of soul power slowly flowed out of Ling Xi's body, drawn by the stele.
"Hmm?"
The old man suddenly raised an eyebrow, a surprised look appearing on his face.
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