Alchemy Department

Lin Ming returned to his lodgings and did not use his Dou Qi to force the alcohol out of his system. Since he had decided to let loose today, he might as well let loose completely! He washed up and went to sleep.

The first ray of early morning sunlight shone onto Lin Ming's bed. Opening his bleary eyes, Lin Ming sat up and welcomed the start of this new month.

After getting up and washing up, Lin Ming walked along the road. Today, Lin Ming planned to go take a look at what Jia Nan Academy's Alchemy Department was really like.

After asking around for a while, Lin Ming finally arrived before a building. Looking at the black building, whose exterior was not much different from his family's Medicine Refinement Hall, both shaped like medicine cauldrons, only several times larger, Lin Ming knew this was the Alchemy Department.

After all, in this world, only buildings where Alchemist organizations gathered would dare use a medicine cauldron as their exterior design. If someone who was not an Alchemist used the cauldron shape that represented Alchemists, the building would probably be torn down the very next day by a group of Alchemists who felt you were insulting Alchemists.

Lin Ming arrived at the main gate, where two guards in black armor blocked his path.

"Junior, this is the Alchemy Department, the place where Alchemists refine medicine. Only Alchemists or those led by Alchemists may enter. If you want to buy pills, you can go to the pill-selling area over there."

Lin Ming heard the speaker call him junior and figured he was also a student of the academy. He had probably just taken an Enforcement Team task and come here to serve as a guard.

The Enforcement Team did not only protect against dangers outside. It also had tasks within the academy, such as serving as guards like this, maintaining order when the academy held events, and so on.

"Seniors, I am Lin Ming, and I am also an Alchemist. I wonder if you could let me in?" Lin Ming cupped his fists toward the two seniors and addressed them.

"An Alchemist?"

"Lin Ming? The new student who was already a Dou Master as soon as he entered the academy, Lin Ming?"

Two different voices came from the mouths of the two seniors.

"Seniors, a new student who has reached the Dou Master realm and is also named Lin Ming—aside from me, I doubt the academy has a second Lin Ming who meets all those conditions."

The Two People grew even more shocked when they heard Lin Ming's answer. A new student being a Dou Master right at the start of school had already shocked quite a few people. Word had spread even through their Enforcement Team, to the point that even the two of them, who had come to guard the gate, knew about it.

But now you were suddenly saying you were not only a Dou Master, but also a damn Alchemist. Were you the illegitimate son of a Dou Di or what? Did every good thing have to fall into your lap? How were people like them supposed to live?

However, Looking at Lin Ming's expression, which did not seem like he was lying, the two seniors exchanged a glance. Then one of them said, "Junior Lin Ming, wait here for a moment. I'll go in and report this."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, senior," Lin Ming replied.

Lin Ming watched the senior go in to report, then waited outside. Before long, the senior who had gone in returned with a Middle-aged Man in his forties.

"Lin Ming, this is Steward Yang of the Alchemy Department. He is responsible for reviewing those who want to join the Alchemy Department. Steward Yang is a Third-Grade Alchemist."

"Hello, Steward Yang!" After hearing the senior introduce this Middle-aged Man, Lin Ming spoke in greeting.

"You are Lin Ming, yes? You say you are an Alchemist. Have you ever refined a Finished Pill?" Steward Yang asked, clearly rather doubtful.

He had heard Lin Ming's name before. As a martial artist, being a Dou Master right at the start of school was indeed impressive. He admired that much.

But if you came running to the Alchemy Department and said you were an Alchemist, then he could not tolerate it. The word Alchemist was not something one could casually claim. It was an honorific title that could only be used after one had independently and successfully refined a pill. Otherwise, even if you met the requirements to become an Alchemist, before successfully refining a pill, you could at most be considered an alchemy apprentice.

And how old was Lin Ming? He had not even reached sixteen, the age of adulthood. At this age, you were saying you had cultivated your strength to the Dou Master realm and learned alchemy too?

"Heh." Steward Yang only wanted to answer like that. Even if he had started cultivating in the womb, it would still be impossible to reach that point.

"Steward Yang, the highest I have refined so far is only a Second-Grade Pill. I haven't tried a Third-Grade Pill yet, but I imagine it shouldn't be much of a problem," Lin Ming replied to Steward Yang.

"The highest you've refined is only a Second-Grade Pill? You haven't tried a Third-Grade Pill yet, but you imagine it shouldn't be much of a problem? Heh heh heh." After hearing what Lin Ming said, Steward Yang repeated it mockingly.

Then came a burst of disdainful ridicule. "Young people these days truly don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. You think that just because you have a little talent in cultivation, you no longer know your own limits. You can even say things like you've only refined a Second-Grade Pill at most, and a Third-Grade Pill shouldn't be much of a problem. If you weren't a student of the academy, just for that sentence alone, I would make you understand the consequences of insulting Alchemists. Now get lost. The Alchemy Department does not welcome you."

Lin Ming looked at Steward Yang, who had suddenly changed his expression, mocked him severely, and in the end even cursed at him. He was also quite angry. After all, no matter who it was, if they were telling the truth only to be scolded and even abused by someone else, they would lose their temper too.

So Lin Ming spoke bluntly as well. "Not everyone is like you, still hovering around the level of a Third-Grade Alchemist at your age. Just because you can't do something doesn't mean others can't."

Steward Yang, who had already turned around and was about to walk back in, immediately stopped when he heard Lin Ming's words. He turned his head with a savage expression, glaring at Lin Ming with hostility. Then Lin Ming saw the corners of Steward Yang's mouth curl into a sinister smile as he said, "Kid, since you dare look down on Third-Grade Alchemists, that means your alchemy is very profound?"

Before Lin Ming could speak, Steward Yang said to him again, "How about this? I won't fuss over what you said Just Now, about refining Third-Grade Pills being no problem. We'll go by what you said, that the highest you've refined is a Second-Grade Pill. My Alchemy Department has all kinds of Medicinal Materials inside. Today, you will refine a Second-Grade Pill here on the spot. As long as you successfully refine any Second-Grade Pill, I will apologize for mistrusting you earlier. But if you can't refine one, even if you are a student of the academy, I will make you pay the price for what you said."

"Let him in." After speaking to Lin Ming, Steward Yang then spoke to the two senior guards, though his tone was extremely poor.

"Then Steward Yang, please lead the way." Steward Yang's words were exactly what Lin Ming wanted. He also preferred letting facts speak for everything. Otherwise, no matter how well you put it, others would think you were bragging. Just like with this Steward Yang, who had scolded him for no reason. So Lin Ming spoke, intending to let the facts speak for him!

Lin Ming followed Steward Yang inside and saw that many people had already gathered nearby to watch. They had probably heard what Steward Yang said Just Now and come over to spectate!

After Lin Ming was brought by Steward Yang to an alchemy room, Steward Yang said, "You can refine here! The Medicinal Materials are placed up ahead. Whatever Medicinal Materials you want to use,

go take them yourself. Next, let me broaden my horizons and see how a young alchemy master like you refines medicine."

Lin Ming ignored Steward Yang's mockery and walked straight toward the Medicinal Material area, searching for the Medicinal Materials for the Ice Heart Pill. In this situation, of course he had to refine the Second-Grade Pill he was most familiar with. Since he was already going to slap someone in the face, then naturally he had to slap hard. He not only had to refine it in one go, but also had to do it at his best, refining the pill to the extreme and bringing out the Pill Pattern as well.

After gathering all the Medicinal Materials, Lin Ming walked to the medicine refinement area.

With a "dong," a Bronze Medicine Cauldron landed on the ground. Lin Ming directly took out the Bronze Medicine Cauldron he was accustomed to using, without even glancing at the Alchemy Department's medicine cauldron placed beside him.

He took out the Medicinal Materials and placed them beside him for refinement. Lin Ming closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.

"One set of Medicinal Materials, a Three-Fire-Mouth Cauldron."

Looking at how Lin Ming had only taken one set of Medicinal Materials and placed it beside him, then brought out a three-fire-mouth Bronze Medicine Cauldron, Steward Yang said in slight surprise.

After all, those capable of using a Three-Fire-Mouth Cauldron were at least official First-Grade Alchemists, and they had to be rather accomplished First-Grade Alchemists at that. Beginners and those who had only recently become First-Grade Alchemists could not control three fire mouths. Although the more fire mouths a medicine cauldron had, the greater its boost to the success rate of medicine refinement, the difficulty of control also increased accordingly. A beginner's limit was a two-fire-mouth cauldron, and even then, only those with relatively good talent could use a two-fire-mouth cauldron.

As for Lin Ming taking out a three-fire-mouth Bronze Medicine Cauldron, either he was putting on an act, or he truly had ability.

Also, Lin Ming had only taken one set of Medicinal Materials. Was he extremely confident in his alchemy and believed he could refine a Second-Grade Pill in one attempt? Or did he feel that he would not be able to refine it anyway, so taking more would be useless?

So Steward Yang was now a little unsure. However, he felt the chances of Lin Ming being the latter were higher. After all, if he had to believe that an underage person could reach the Dou Master realm while also refining Second-Grade Pills, he would rather believe that his own father was a once-in-ten-thousand-years Dou Di expert who had merely hidden his identity and never told him.

Because whether it was reaching the Dou Master realm before adulthood or being able to refine Second-Grade Pills and become a Second-Grade Alchemist, either one alone was already unimaginable. At least in the several decades he had lived, forget seeing it, he had never even heard of it. And now you were telling him the person before him had both gathered into one body. In that case, he felt he might as well hurry home and ask his father whether he was a Dou Di.

Lin Ming had no idea Steward Yang had thought so much. After regulating his breathing for a moment, he began to move.

Lin Ming placed one hand at one of the fire mouths of the medicine cauldron and circulated his Dou Qi.

With a soft "hong," a Golden Flame rose inside the Bronze Medicine Cauldron.

"Golden Flame?"

"Heavenly Flames?"

Voices rang out among the onlookers. However, after sensing that although this Golden Flame was stronger than flames produced by ordinary Dou Qi, it did not reach the world-destroying level of Heavenly Flames, someone spoke after a round of discussion. "This should be some kind of beast flame. Our Alchemy Department also has people who possess similar beast flames, only theirs are not as powerful as this Golden Flame. It seems Lin Ming's Golden Beast Flame was obtained from a very High-Grade Magical Beast."

Only after hearing someone explain the origin of this Golden Flame did the people stop discussing it. Otherwise, if Heavenly Flames appeared on a Dou Master, they would not feel very good about it.

But now, these people instead began to look forward to what Lin Ming, who possessed a Golden Beast Flame, would do.