Taking the Grade Badge
Lin Ming and his group followed Ye Zhong, flying and circling in the vast and dizzying Outer Sacred Pill City for about half an hour before finally landing slowly in a relatively quiet area near the south.
The place they landed in was not a luxurious inn or restaurant, but a Courtyard that looked quite spacious, yet clearly exuded an air of antiquity and decay.
The Courtyard was enclosed by a wall built of Blue Stone, the top of which was covered with unknown withered vines. The paint on the vermilion gate had peeled off, revealing the dark gray wood inside.
Looking through the open courtyard gate, the buildings inside are mostly gray-tiled and white-walled, with a simple and ancient style. However, many places show signs of disrepair over the years. The paint on the pillars is peeling, cobwebs are on the window frames, and wild grass stubbornly sticks out from the cracks in the stone slabs in the courtyard. Overall, it looks as if it has not been touched by the vitality of people for many years, exuding a sense of desolation.
Directly in front of that Courtyard hung a similarly weathered wooden plaque. The gold paint on the plaque had long since faded and peeled away, leaving only two powerful yet unmistakably aged characters:
Ye Courtyard.
"Well..."
Looking at this Courtyard filled with memories and loneliness, a complex and incomprehensible emotion flashed in Ye Zhong's eyes. He turned his head to Lin Ming and his group, and explained in a somewhat hoarse and helpless voice.
"This is a property that my Ye Family acquired during the heyday of Sacred Pill City. It was originally intended as a place for clansmen to stay when traveling to Sacred Pill City. Unfortunately, as the family declined, manpower and resources became scarce, and no one had the energy to maintain it, so it gradually fell into disrepair... However, the place is still quite spacious, and the house structure is still sturdy. It's still a good place to rest temporarily and avoid trouble."
His tone was filled with the sorrow of a hero's twilight and his family's decline.
Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, and Elder Yao didn't have any particular requirements regarding their accommodations.
They were not people who craved luxury. Having endured the tempering of the Void Lightning Pool and countless dangers, a roof over their heads and a quiet place to recuperate were enough for them. Moreover, although Ye Courtyard looked old and desolate, it was precisely because of this that it appeared exceptionally secluded. Although there were still quite a few people coming and going around, compared to the deafening noise of other areas, this place was indeed a rare haven of tranquility.
"Hehe, I'm glad you all don't mind." Seeing that Lin Ming and the others looked calm and showed no dissatisfaction, Ye Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile. "It's getting late tonight, so let's all rest here for a bit. We have important business to attend to tomorrow..."
As time passed, the setting sun finally sank completely below the horizon, and the deep night, like a huge curtain, slowly poured down from the sky, enveloping the entire vast Sacred Pill City in a hazy and dazzling array of lights and starlight.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, an old yet gentle voice rang out from outside the courtyard, and then Ye Zhong's slightly thin figure appeared at the gate.
"Mr. Lin Ming, have you woken up yet?"
Not long after the sound faded, the door to Lin Ming's room was gently pushed open, and he, Xiao Yi Xian, and Elder Yao walked out almost simultaneously. After a night of recuperation, they were all radiant and in high spirits.
Upon seeing the group emerge, Ye Zhong nodded to them, his gaze primarily fixed on Lin Ming, and said, "Mr. Lin Ming, today I'll first take you to the testing site set up by the Pill Tower in the outer realms to obtain the certified Grade Badge. Old Sir Yao, Miss Xiao Yi Xian, you can stay here. This test is just a formality, so there's no need for you two to come along."
Upon hearing this, Elder Yao and Xiao Yi Xian both hesitated for a moment, their gazes turning to Lin Ming. Although it was just a test, Sacred Pill City was a melting pot of all sorts of people, and it was hard to guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen.
Lin Ming smiled slightly at them, giving them a reassuring look, and said, "It's alright. Elder Ye Zhong will lead the way. It's just a badge test; there won't be any problems. Please wait here for a moment."
Upon hearing Lin Ming's words, Elder Yao and Xiao Yi Xian nodded and did not insist on traveling together.
"Then let's set off." Lin Ming smiled, his gaze meeting Ye Zhong's for a moment. The two then turned and walked side by side out of the quiet Ye Courtyard.
After leaving Ye Courtyard, Lin Ming followed Ye Zhong through the maze-like streets of the Outer Sacred Pill City for nearly ten minutes. Along the way, they saw bustling crowds and various shops and stalls related to alchemy. The air was filled with a complex Medicinal Fragrance, showcasing the unique character of the city.
Finally, the two stopped outside Stone Tower that looked rather ancient and was made entirely of blue boulders.
This Stone Tower is not particularly tall, but it exudes a sense of historical depth and majesty.
At this moment, outside the Stone Tower, there was a sea of people! Countless figures dressed in various Alchemist robes were constantly coming and going like a tide. The noisy clamor gathered together and turned into waves of sound that spread out and assaulted the eardrums.
"This is a branch tower of the Pill Tower in the outer realm. Its function is similar to that of the branches of the Alchemist Guild in the empire, responsible for handling daily affairs, including the certification of Alchemist levels." Ye Zhong led Lin Ming, following the throng of people, and walked with some difficulty into the ancient Stone Tower, while introducing it to him in a low voice.
As Lin Ming entered the Stone Tower, he glanced around, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. The tower was unexpectedly spacious, no smaller than the headquarters of the Alchemist Guild the Jia Ma Empire in his memory.
The tower's high dome and massive stone pillars give it a grand and imposing appearance. Inside, the tower is teeming with people, many dressed in robes representing different levels of Alchemist, their badges gleaming under the lights.
"Look, that area to the north of the tower is the trading area," Ye Zhong said, pointing to the north side of the Stone Tower as he led Lin Ming inside. There were many stalls there, where Alchemist were setting up their stalls, either searching for the medicinal herbs they needed or trading pills, prescriptions, and so on. The sounds of bargaining were endless, making it a very lively place.
"However, you usually don't find anything too good in places like this; it's mostly just ordinary stuff," Ye Zhong added, then First Revolution, a hint of interest in his eyes.
"In a couple of days, there will be a special auction in Sacred Pill City. This auction is exclusively for high-level transactions among Alchemist, and only Alchemist certified by the Pill Tower are qualified to participate. Rare medicinal herbs, ancient prescriptions, and even strange flames that are hard to find elsewhere often appear there. Perhaps we can go and try our luck."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming raised an eyebrow. An auction entirely for Alchemist to trade? That was quite rare and piqued his interest. Even if he didn't find what he urgently needed, it would be good to broaden his horizons and learn about the top resources in the Yao Realm today.
"Hehe, let's discuss that later. Follow me first. The southern part is where the level certification takes place." Ye Zhong smiled, said no more, turned around and led Lin Ming towards the southern area of the tower. Lin Ming quickly followed.
When Lin Ming and his companion arrived at the so-called assessment area, the scene before them caused Ye Zhong to frown deeply.
A long queue, like a winding dragon, stretched from the door of a room with a sign that read "Certification Office" all the way to a corner of the hall. At a glance, there were probably no fewer than a hundred people! And the queue was moving at an extremely slow pace.
"Sigh, I didn't expect there to be so many people today."
Ye Zhong sighed and said to Lin Ming, "Mr. Lin Ming, please wait here for a moment. I'll try to find someone I know and pull some strings. If we continue in this queue, we might not even get a chance to be assessed until dark."
Lin Ming naturally had no objection to this and nodded. Although he was Tier 8 Alchemist, he had no interest in wasting most of the day here.
After giving his Ye Zhong hurriedly left. Lin Ming remained where he was, casually observing the surroundings and the Alchemist queuing up. Judging from the badges on their chests and the occasional aura they exuded, most of them were between the 4th Grade and 6th Grade. Occasionally, one or two Seventh Grade Low-level individuals could be seen, but they all wore arrogant expressions, clearly extremely confident in their alchemy skills.
After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, just as Lin Ming was getting bored, Ye Zhong's voice suddenly rang out:
"Mr. Lin Ming, please come with me..."
Lin Ming turned his head and saw Ye Zhong walking quickly to his side, but his brows were slightly furrowed and his face showed a hint of difficulty.
"Can we go now?" Lin Ming asked.
"Hmm..." Ye Zhong, then hesitated for a moment, lowering his voice to say, "I did pull some strings to get you a special testing room so you don't have to wait in line here. But... the current testing room is already occupied. I think... maybe we should come back tomorrow?"
Seeing the somewhat gloomy and worried look on Ye Zhong, Lin Ming raised an eyebrow, already guessing what was going on, and asked directly, "Is it someone from another family?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong paused for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared on his face. He nodded and sighed, "It's someone from the Cao Family, also taking the test inside. It's an elder from the Cao Family with Cao Xue, Cao Xiu, and others..."
Some time ago, Cao Dan from the Cao Family brought his men to the Ye Family to force a marriage proposal, but Lin Ming forcefully drove them away, and the two sides have already formed a grudge. Now that they have met here, Ye Zhong is afraid that the other party will take the opportunity to cause trouble, embarrass Lin Ming, or even affect the assessment, so he wants to avoid confrontation for the time being.
"Cao Xue?" Lin Ming had absolutely no recollection of this person. As for the Cao Family, apart from Cao Dan, whom he had scared away some time ago, Lin Ming only knew Cao Ying. After all, in the original story, Cao Ying was hailed as a rare alchemy prodigy in the Cao Family, a talent with exceptionally outstanding soul abilities. At a young age, she had already reached the peak of the Tier 7 and even touched the threshold of the Tier 8, making her one of the strong contenders for the Pill Gathering Champion.
Lin Ming smiled at these people he'd never even heard of, patted Ye Zhong on the shoulder, and said calmly but with an undeniable confidence, "Elder Ye Zhong, we're already here. Are we going to leave empty-handed just because they're here? It's just a level certification; do you think they can eat us?"
Seeing Lin Ming's attitude, Ye Zhong hesitated for a moment. Thinking of Lin Ming's unfathomable strength and alchemy skills, most of his worries subsided. He could only nod and say, "Alright, since that's the case, let's go. However... if they say anything unpleasant, just ignore it and don't take it to heart. The assessment is the most important thing."
After saying this, Ye Zhong took a deep breath, turned around, and led Lin Ming towards a relatively secluded special passage not far away, guarded by soldiers. Lin Ming followed closely behind, his expression unchanged.