The Alchemy Assessment

The Alchemy Assessment

"Lately, I've been wanting to learn alchemy. Are there any tasks related to it?" Shi Yue asked calmly.

"Alchemy?" Steward Wang was taken aback.

"What? There aren't any tasks related to alchemy?" Shi Yue looked a little disappointed.

"That's not it. Junior Brother Shi, wait a moment while I check." Steward Wang shook his head.

With that, he tapped away at the Silver Jade Plate in his hand.

A short while later, Steward Wang looked up and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Shi, there are currently three tasks related to alchemy. For the first, Uncle-Master Chen of Fire Cloud Peak needs a furnace attendant. It pays twenty Contribution Points a month, and the additional compensation is guidance in alchemy. However, you'd have to spend at least twenty days each month at Uncle-Master Zhang's place, eating, drinking, and taking care of everything there. For the second task, Divine Pill Hall needs an alchemy apprentice. You need to know how to make at least one of these three kinds of pills: Bigu Pills, Qi Refining Powder, or Qi Nurturing Pills. The Contribution Points depend on how many pills you turn in each month. For the third, Martial Uncle Liu of Green Cloud Peak needs a medicine-pounding boy. It pays twenty Contribution Points a month. Which task would you like to take, Junior Brother Shi?"

"I'll take the second one," Shi Yue replied after thinking it over.

The second task seemed tailor-made for him. Of course he would choose it.

"Very well. Here's the token for claiming the task. Take it to Divine Pill Hall and report in. Once you pass the assessment, you can take the task." Steward Wang nodded. He flipped his hand, produced a Green Token, and handed it to Shi Yue.

"An assessment? What kind?" Shi Yue asked, slightly surprised.

"They'll give you several sets of alchemy materials and have you make pills. If you manage to produce them, you pass. If you don't, you can't take the task. Those are the rules set by Divine Pill Hall," Steward Wang explained.

Shi Yue nodded, thanked him, and turned to leave.

After leaving Deacon Hall, Shi Yue summoned his flying artifact and headed toward Divine Pill Hall.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shi Yue landed at the foot of a towering peak. Patrols of disciples passed overhead from time to time. An endless flight of green stone steps stretched down to the foot of the mountain, and disciples could be seen walking up them.

Thick white mist shrouded the mountainside, obscuring everything above it.

At the foot of the mountain stood a stone stele more than two zhang tall, inscribed with the three large characters "Divine Pill Peak."

Divine Pill Peak was one of Taixu Sect's most important grounds. All the pills the sect sold to outsiders were made there, and more than ninety percent of its alchemists practiced their craft there. As a result, the area was protected by countless restrictions, and several patrols guarded the vicinity.

It was said that a Core Formation Cultivator also kept watch over Divine Pill Peak, spending the whole year in seclusion there to deter troublemakers.

After recalling what he knew about the place, Shi Yue stepped onto the green stone steps.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shi Yue stood on one step, panting as he stared at the seemingly endless flight ahead. If someone hadn't emerged from the mist, he would have thought he'd taken a wrong turn.

Shi Yue wiped the sweat from his face and continued onward.

A quarter of an hour later, Shi Yue stopped. A transparent barrier blocked his path.

Seeing this, Shi Yue raised an eyebrow. He remembered the senior brother ahead of him had passed through with ease. Why couldn't he get through? Did he need to use his spiritual power?

Shi Yue circulated his spiritual power and walked forward, but the transparent barrier still stopped him.

Just then, space rippled ahead, and two transparent passageways suddenly appeared before him, each wide enough for one person to pass through. Two red-robed disciples emerged from them.

"Who are you? Don't you know you need a token to enter or leave Divine Pill Peak?" one red-robed disciple asked coldly, giving Shi Yue a glance.

"A token?" Shi Yue was momentarily stunned, then hurriedly took out the token Steward Wang had given him.

"Not that one. You need a token for entering and leaving this place. Anyone without one is forbidden from trespassing on Divine Pill Peak. Do so, and you'll be killed without mercy," the red-robed disciple said coldly.

"I'm here to take a task from Deacon Hall and work as an alchemy apprentice at Divine Pill Hall," Shi Yue hastily explained, his heart tightening.

"You? An alchemist? Do you even know how?" one of the red-robed disciples asked skeptically.

"I know how to make Bigu Pills," Shi Yue answered honestly.

"Junior Brother Chen, take him to see Uncle-Master Zhao," the disciple said, his expression softening as he turned to the other red-robed disciple.

"Follow me," the other red-robed disciple said, then headed into the transparent passageway.

Shi Yue didn't dare dawdle and hurried after him.

The scene beyond the passage left Shi Yue astonished. Dozens of meters ahead lay an exceptionally spacious Green Stone Platform, upon which stood a Magnificent Palace. Above its entrance, a plaque bore the three golden characters "Divine Pill Hall," written in sweeping, elegant strokes.

No one stood guard outside the palace. Instead, a statue of a lion, about one zhang tall, stood on either side of the entrance. They were lifelike and pitch-black, as if cast from refined iron.

"Stay close behind me. There are many restrictions here. If you trigger one, even I won't be able to save you," the disciple surnamed Chen said coldly.

"I understand," Shi Yue replied with a nod.

As soon as Shi Yue stepped onto the Green Stone Platform, he felt several powerful spiritual senses sweep over him. A moment later, they vanished.

Shi Yue's heart jolted. He soon realized it was the disciples guarding the place. Even so, he remained tense and obediently followed the red-robed disciple, afraid of triggering any restrictions.

Inside the hall lay a spacious chamber more than a hundred zhang across, with a passageway on either side leading to destinations unknown.

At the center of the chamber stood a Yellow Wooden Table, piled with more than a dozen books. A middle-aged man with a scholarly air and a middle-aged woman with ordinary features sat behind it, chatting.

"Uncle-Master Zhao, Uncle-Master Wu, this is the disciple Deacon Hall sent over. He says he's here to work as an alchemy apprentice." The disciple surnamed Chen bowed to the man and woman and gestured toward Shi Yue.

"Disciple Shi Yue pays his respects to Uncle-Master Zhao and Uncle-Master Wu." Shi Yue stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"What kind of pills can you make?" The middle-aged man studied Shi Yue and frowned.

In his view, there was no way Shi Yue, a Qi Refining Level Four cultivator, could know alchemy. Most disciples at that level were busy cultivating.

"Replying to Uncle-Master Zhao, this disciple can make Bigu Pills," Shi Yue answered honestly, his manner extremely respectful.

"Before you came, the steward at Deacon Hall told you that you'd have to pass an assessment to practice alchemy here, didn't he?" The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and asked calmly.

"This disciple heard about it, but doesn't know the details of the assessment. Please instruct me, Uncle-Master Zhao," Shi Yue said with a nod.

"We'll give you five batches of materials. If you can make thirty-six Bigu Pills, you pass. Fewer than thirty-six, and you fail. But you'll have to pay for the spirit stones used to buy the materials yourself: five spirit stones per batch, twenty-five in total." The middle-aged man enunciated each word.

Shi Yue nodded and took twenty-five Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, handing them to the middle-aged man.

"Come with me." The middle-aged man took the Spirit Stones and headed down the passageway on the left.

Shi Yue didn't dare delay and hurried after him.

Before long, the middle-aged man had led Shi Yue into a Stone Room.

The Stone Room was only a dozen zhang across. Inside were a meditation cushion and a red pill furnace.

"Here are five batches of materials for making Bigu Pills. In two hours, hand over thirty-six Bigu Pills and you'll pass the assessment." The middle-aged man pulled a leather pouch from his robes, handed it to Shi Yue, and spoke calmly.

"Uncle-Master Zhao, how can I make pills without fire?" Shi Yue asked after a brief hesitation.

"Use Spirit Charcoal. Pills made with Spirit Charcoal are higher quality. There are five pieces in total, all in the Storage Bag. One piece is enough for a batch of Bigu Pills. All right, if there's nothing else, I'll be off. I'll return in two hours." The middle-aged man turned to leave.

"Wait, Uncle-Master Zhao. Don't you need to stay here and watch me make the pills?" Shi Yue hurriedly stopped him and asked cautiously.

"Why would I watch you make pills? As long as you hand me thirty-six Bigu Pills in two hours, that's enough. I don't care whether you made them yourself or brought them with you. But I'll give you a word of warning: once you become an alchemy apprentice, I'll give you a certain amount of materials each month, and you'll need to make a set number of Bigu Pills. You'll be rewarded for making extra and punished for falling short. Don't try to cheat. You'll only be the one who suffers," the middle-aged man said with a meaningful look, rolling his eyes.

With that, he turned and left.