Fourth Grade Alchemist Assessment

After entering the auction hall, Ye Tian felt that the scale of this auction house in Black Rock City was at least several times larger than the one in Wutan City.

"Dear guests, what would you like?"

The moment a female attendant saw Ye Tian and the other two, she immediately came forward with a smile. Anyone who could enter the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City was wealthy.

"Take us to the treasures and spirit medicine section for a look," Ya Fei replied with a smile and a nod.

"Certainly!"

"Three guests, this way please."

Seeing this, the female attendant hurriedly led Ye Tian and the other two toward the treasure and spirit medicine exhibition room.

After making a round, Ye Tian had gathered several portions of High-grade Spirit Medicine.

"Huh! There's actually spirit medicine of this grade?"

Just then, Ye Tian spotted a fifty-year-old Spirit Marrow Root. It was precisely one of the spirit medicines needed for the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

"Sister Ya Fei, do you think we should buy it, or just take it directly?"

Seeing that this Spirit Marrow Root was priced as high as 200,000 Gold Coins, Ye Tian asked Ya Fei for her opinion.

"Then just take it."

Ya Fei chuckled and urged Ye Tian to quickly take out the token given by the Great Elder.

"Two guests, what do you mean by that?"

The female attendant beside them showed a puzzled expression when she heard Ya Fei and Ye Tian's conversation.

"It means we don't need to pay for the things we just took."

"Take a look. This is the token of the Great Elder of the Mite'er Family."

Ya Fei smiled mysteriously, then took the Elder Token from Ye Tian's hand and showed it to the female attendant.

"An Elder Token? May I ask who you are?"

Upon seeing the token in Ya Fei's hand, the female attendant had no idea who these three people were.

"Go inform Mite'er Li Fei. Tell her her cousin has arrived." Knowing that this female attendant could not make the decision, Ya Fei gave her a reminder.

"Oh! Alright! Please wait."

After receiving the instruction, the female attendant immediately ran toward the back of the auction house.

"Tap tap..."

Before long, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded. The female attendant quickly returned with a mature beauty.

"Ya Fei? Weren't you managing the auction house in Wutan City? Why did you come all the way here?"

The mature woman was extremely surprised when she saw Ya Fei.

This woman was Ya Fei's cousin, Mite'er Li Fei. She was a Three-star Dou Master, with a fine figure and looks only slightly inferior to Ya Fei's.

"Can't I come visit you?"

Seeing that her cousin had arrived, Ya Fei greeted her as well.

"Of course you can!"

"How do you have the Great Elder's token?"

Li Fei smiled sweetly as she took the token from Ya Fei and examined it, her curiosity piqued.

"The Great Elder gave it to Xiao Tian when he came to Wutan City some time ago."

Ya Fei took back the token and placed it in Ye Tian's hand.

"You're saying this little brother is Ye Tian?"

Li Fei's jaw dropped. She then curiously sized up Ye Tian, wanting to see what was so extraordinary about this Prodigy.

"Beautiful lady, am I really that famous? Even you know about me?"

Ye Tian had not expected his reputation to have reached Black Rock City, thousands of miles away.

"Not just Black Rock City. Even the Imperial Capital, the Misty Cloud Sect, and all the other Major Powers know your name."

"Ya Fei, honestly. You brought Brother Ye Tian here to my place without even notifying me in advance."

Li Fei explained with a smile, then looked at Ya Fei with a hint of reproach.

"Wasn't it meant to be a surprise for you?"

"Xiao Tian, Xian'er Sister, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Mite'er Li Fei."

Ya Fei smiled mysteriously. After not seeing her for several years, it seemed that her cousin had changed quite a bit as well.

"Miss Li Fei, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ye Tian and Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly greeted Li Fei.

"No need to be so polite."

"Xiao Hua, pack up these spirit medicines for Brother Ye Tian."

Li Fei smiled charmingly, then instructed the attendant to pack up the Spirit Herbs Ye Tian needed.

"Actually, I just wanted to see whether this token really worked."

"Maybe I should just pay for them with Gold Coins instead!"

Seeing that Li Fei truly intended to give him these Spirit Herbs, Ye Tian felt a little embarrassed.

"Brother Ye Tian, this is a privilege granted to you by the Great Elder. How could we possibly take your Gold Coins?"

Li Fei directly stuffed the packed Spirit Herbs into Ye Tian's hands. This Little Fellow was a prodigy the Great Elder wanted to win over, so she could not afford to neglect him.

"Then thank you, Sister."

Seeing how courteous Li Fei was, Ye Tian and Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly thanked her.

"You're welcome."

"Ya Fei, take Brother Ye Tian and Xiao Yi Xian to my place and sit for a while!"

Li Fei smiled enchantingly. Having encountered a prodigy like Ye Tian, she had to entertain him properly.

"Of course. We haven't seen each other for nearly five years, so we definitely need to catch up."

Ya Fei promptly led Ye Tian and Xiao Yi Xian after Li Fei toward the rear courtyard of the Auction House.

"Back then, I went to Wutan City, while you came to Black Rock City. In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed."

"Yeah! Time flies. You didn't come to Black Rock City just to see me this time, did you?"

"Of course not. Uncle Gu Ni is preparing to take the Third Grade Alchemist examination, so we came with him."

"So that's how it is..."

As they walked, Ya Fei chatted with her cousin.

"You keep Brother Ye Tian and little sister Xiao Yi Xian company. I'll have the maids prepare a few dishes."

After arriving at the courtyard, Li Fei gave Ya Fei a few instructions before going off to prepare a feast.

"Sister Ya Fei, didn't you say this cousin of yours looked down on you?"

After Li Fei left, Ye Tian quietly asked Ya Fei.

"Not only that. When that sister saw Sister Ya Fei, she even revealed a trace of envy."

At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian also voiced the detail she had noticed.

"The people in the family must have learned about my strength, so she became envious."

Ya Fei's fate had changed. Those in the family who had once looked down on her naturally envied her now. Of course, there were surely some who hated her out of jealousy.

Before long, a lavish meal had been prepared, and Li Fei joined Ye Tian, Ya Fei, and Xiao Yi Xian for dinner.

"Ya Fei, if your admirers found out that you were with Brother Ye Tian now, they'd probably go mad—especially Lei Le and Mu Zhan..."

Seeing how well her younger cousin treated Ye Tian, Li Fei could not help teasing her.

"Lei Le? He's nothing but trash. And there's another one called Lei Gang, who's just as much of a piece of trash..."

"As for Mu Zhan of the Mu Family, he's not a bad person, but he's merely a brute."

Thinking of her admirers, Ya Fei felt utterly speechless. Now that she had a better future ahead of her, how could she possibly care about them?

"You don't even think Mu Zhan is good enough anymore? What's your current strength?"

Hearing Ya Fei's tone, Li Fei immediately felt that this woman's standards had become rather high.

"Five-star Dou Master."

Ya Fei answered casually. With her current strength, if those fly-like admirers dared to harass her, she would simply break their legs.

"F-Five-star Dou Master?"

"I'm only a Three-star Dou Master now. How did you cultivate?"

Seeing that Ya Fei's realm was two stars higher than her own, Li Fei's jaw dropped.

"How else? Of course, through diligent cultivation."

Ya Fei brushed it off. She could not reveal that she had inherited the Super Divine Skill, not even to her family.

"Fine, I won't ask about your secret. Among the young women of our family, your talent used to be the lowest, but now your achievements are the greatest. I'm sure plenty of people are dying of jealousy."

"I know. Originally, I probably would have been used by the family as a tool for a political marriage. Now that I've grown stronger, I wonder which unlucky person will be forced into that marriage instead?"

"My guess is that it'll be Xue Fei. If the family really uses her for a political marriage, she'll probably hate you to death."

"It would be best if she hated me. If I ever move against their branch in the future, I won't need to show them any mercy..."

"Looks like you're quite ambitious."

"Cousin, aren't you pretty much the same?"

"It can't be helped. Born into such a powerful family, only by striving can we take control of our own fate..."

As they ate, the Two Women animatedly discussed the open and secret struggles within the Mite'er Family.

Ye Tian and Xiao Yi Xian did not interrupt, quietly acting as onlookers as they listened to the Mite'er Family's internal gossip. They found it quite interesting.

After spending a day at the auction house, the time they had agreed on with Old Man Gu Ni arrived, and Ye Tian's group left.

"I'll give you a ride!"

Ya Fei's Cousin also wanted to join in the excitement, so she hired a carriage and took Ye Tian's group toward the Alchemist Guild.

Half an hour later, Ye Tian and the others arrived before the Alchemist Guild. What greeted their eyes was a tall building shaped like a massive cauldron, along with a huge plaque engraved with the words "Alchemist Guild."

Ye Tian and the others then jumped down from the carriage, preparing to enter the guild.

"This is the Alchemist Guild! You cannot enter recklessly."

When the two burly guards saw Ye Tian's group preparing to enter, they stepped forward and blocked their way.

Seeing this, Li Fei was about to reveal her identity as the person in charge of the Mittel Auction House, hoping to bring Ye Tian and the others into the Alchemist Guild.

"Whoosh..."

"Gentlemen, I'm here for the alchemist assessment. Please inform them for me."

At that moment, Ye Tian snapped his fingers. In an instant, a golden flame appeared on his fingertip, and he spoke to the two guards.

"So you are an alchemist, sir. Please, come in at once."

Seeing Ye Tian casually conjure a flame, the two guards immediately became incomparably respectful.

"Then thank you."

"Let's go in!"

Ye Tian thanked the two guards, then called Ya Fei and the others to enter the guild.

The two guards did not stop Ya Fei and the others either, allowing the three women to follow Ye Tian into the Alchemist Guild.

"Brother Ye Tian is actually an alchemist?" Li Fei quietly asked Ya Fei, her face filled with surprise.

"That's right." Ya Fei smiled proudly.

"Brother Ye Tian is truly hiding his talents well!"

Looking at the upright young man ahead of her, Li Fei suddenly had the urge to cling to him.

After entering the Alchemist Guild, Ye Tian saw several young men and women handling various medicinal herbs on the shelves. From time to time, the fragrance of medicine drifted over from nearby.

"Tap, tap..."

"Excuse me, are you Ye Tian?"

At that moment, a woman dressed in green hurried over from ahead and asked Ye Tian curiously.

"Yes!"

Ye Tian directly admitted his identity. It seemed Old Man Gu Ni had already instructed this woman.

"My name is Ya Han."

"Young Master Ye, please follow me. Master Gu Ni has been waiting for quite some time."

The woman nodded with a smile, then led Ye Tian and the others toward a great hall ahead.

"Thank you."

Ye Tian and the others hurriedly thanked the woman and closely followed Ya Han.

Upon arriving at a spacious hall, Ye Tian saw several cauldrons arranged inside. Two young women stood behind the Medicine Cauldrons, seemingly refining medicine.

The two girls were quite beautiful. One had a head of white hair and looked like an icy beauty, while the other was delicate and pretty, looking rather cute.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

As the two women worked, uneven flames burned within the cauldrons, sometimes weakening and sometimes strengthening. It was clear that their abilities differed.

On the raised platform ahead, three old men sat leisurely in their chairs, drinking tea and chatting.

Old Man Gu Ni was among them, but instead of watching the two girls, he had been staring toward the entrance of the hall.

"They're finally here."

At that moment, Old Man Gu Ni spotted Ye Tian's group and immediately jumped down from the platform.

"Master Gu Ni, we're here."

Ye Tian and the others hurriedly greeted the old man.

"Miss Li Fei, why have you come to join in the excitement as well?"

Old Man Gu Ni was greatly surprised to see Li Fei, the person in charge of the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City, accompanying them.

"Master Gu Ni, there's no need to be surprised. We visited the Mittel Auction House earlier and got to know Miss Li Fei," Ye Tian briefly explained.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

"Gu Ni, is this the genius alchemist you mentioned?"

At that moment, the other two old men on the platform also jumped down. They had the two apprentices stop refining medicine before walking over to Ye Tian's group.

"Indeed, Xiao Tian had only studied the basics of alchemy under me for two or three years, yet his achievements have long since surpassed this old man's."

"Xiao Tian, let me introduce you. This is Frank, president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, and this is Otto. They are both Fourth Grade Alchemists."

Old Man Gu Ni chuckled and proceeded to introduce both sides.

"Greetings, Masters."

Seeing this, Ye Tian and the others immediately cupped their fists and bowed to Frank and Otto.

"No need for such formalities."

"Miss Li Fei is here as well. What a rare guest!"

The two old men had heard of Ye Tian's reputation some time ago, but they had never imagined that this Prodigy was actually an alchemist too.

At that moment, the two girls in the hall were also curiously staring at Ye Tian, this unexpected visitor.

"Xiao Tian, I originally wanted to falsify your age for you, but the guild presidents already know your name, so there's no way to keep it hidden."

At this point, Old Man Gu Ni told Ye Tian the truth.

"Then there's no need to hide it."

Now that all the major powers of the Jia Ma Empire knew his name, Ye Tian no longer cared.

"Gu Ni, Young Friend Ye Tian is a genius alchemist. With our Alchemist Guild backing him, you needn't worry about anything."

"This time, we'll report him to President Fama. His esteemed self will also take an interest in Young Friend Ye."

Frank and Otto immediately made their stance clear. A genius alchemist of Ye Tian's caliber had to be strongly supported. Moreover, they had heard from the rumors that this Prodigy had a Dou Emperor-level expert protecting him from behind the scenes, making their support all the more necessary.

"Thank you, Masters."

Ye Tian was truly surprised by how kindly these two Old Fellows treated him.

"Mm! Young Friend Ye, what grade of alchemist are you planning to test for?"

Otto and Frank smiled as they looked at Ye Tian. Neither of them knew this Little Fellow's exact level of alchemy.

"Fourth Grade, beginner level." Ye Tian nodded.

"F-Fourth Grade?"

The moment those words were spoken, Frank, Otto, Ya Han, Li Fei, and the two alchemist apprentices were all startled.

Frank and Otto in particular were stunned. The two Old Fellows were only Fourth Grade Alchemists themselves, yet Ye Tian, a youth not even seventeen years old, intended to test for Fourth Grade Alchemist. Was there any justice in this world?

"Masters, let's begin."

"If that doesn't work, I'll test for Third Grade."

Ye Tian reminded the two old men to arrange his assessment quickly. His level of alchemy could be called genius-level within the Jia Ma Empire, but on the Central Plains Continent, it was nothing remarkable.

"May I ask which Fourth-grade Pills Young Friend Ye is capable of refining?" Frank asked curiously.

"The Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill, Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, Qi Gathering Powder, and more than a dozen others." Ye Tian nodded.

"So impressive?"

When they heard that Ye Tian could refine the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill, a peak Fourth-grade Pill, Frank and the others found it unbelievable.

"President, it would be better to let Xiao Tian start from First Grade Alchemist and proceed step by step," Old Man Gu Ni reminded them from the side.

"Alright!"

"Young Friend Ye, as long as you can refine the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill and the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, you will pass the Fourth Grade Alchemist assessment—and at a high rank, at that."

Frank and Otto exchanged glances, preparing to witness Ye Tian's true ability.

"There are over a hundred types of herbs here. Match them yourself and show us what you can do."

Otto directly brought out a large pile of Spirit Herbs and deliberately mixed them up, making Ye Tian assemble the formulas himself.

"No problem."

Ye Tian walked to the platform in the center of the hall. Seeing that these herbs were all ingredients needed for common pills, he immediately felt that this assessment was far too easy.

Ye Tian then quickly sorted the ingredients for seven First-grade Pills, including Strength Accumulation Powder, Qi Enhancement Powder, Spring Restoration Powder, and Injury Recovery Pill. Next came the Second-grade Pills Qi Nourishing Powder, Meridian Protection Pill, Ice Heart Pill, and Bone Regeneration Pill; then Third-grade Pills such as Wind Hành Pill and Qi Recovery Pill; and finally, Qi Gathering Powder and Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill.

"Big Sister Fei Lin, he's amazing!"

"Yeah! I wonder how he cultivated himself?"

The two alchemist apprentices were utterly impressed, and even the Iceberg White-haired Beauty's eyes shimmered with admiration.

"His eye is sharp, his methods are professional, and his proportions in matching the formulas are utterly masterful."

"Gu Ni, are you sure this Little Fellow was taught by you?"

Seeing Ye Tian's expert techniques, Frank and Otto were both incredulous.

"If I could teach a genius like Xiao Tian, do you think I'd still only be a Second Grade Alchemist?"

Old Man Gu Ni chuckled, thinking, At my current level, compared to this Little Fellow, I'm just a complete amateur.

"That's true."

Frank and Otto now understood that Ye Tian must have an unparalleled master guiding him from behind the scenes.

"I'm going to start refining pills."

After preparing the dozen or so Spirit Herbs needed for the pills, Ye Tian walked over to a Medicine Cauldron in the center of the hall and began refining them.

Although this Medicine Cauldron was not as good as Ye Tian's Universe Cauldron, it did not affect his alchemy skills.

"Whoosh..."

Golden flames emerged from Ye Tian's hands and slowly flowed into the cauldron. In an instant, the ingredients within began to melt, producing a Maillard reaction.

"What kind of flame is that?"

The moment Ye Tian's Chaos Heavenly Flame appeared, Frank and Otto were utterly shocked. At that moment, they found that they could not even stir the flames within their bodies, as though they were being suppressed by some power.

"Shh!"

"President, don't be nervous. Please keep this secret as well, lest it provoke the anger of the expert behind Xiao Tian."

Seeing Otto and Frank's tense expressions, Old Man Gu Ni immediately struck while the iron was hot, making Ye Tian seem even more mysterious.

"Understood."

Frank and Otto were old and shrewd, so they naturally understood the benefits and dangers involved.

In the end, Frank and Otto also warned the two apprentices, lest they bring disaster upon themselves.

"Masters, take a look!"

At that moment, Ye Tian successfully refined a Power Accumulation Pill and directly tossed it to Frank.

"The quality is extremely high—better than what this Old Man can refine."

"Truly remarkable."

Frank and Otto carefully examined the Power Accumulation Pill, each offering their own assessment.

"Whoosh..."

Next, Ye Tian began refining other pills. From First Grade to Second Grade, then Third Grade, with his current abilities, it was as easy as playing around.

Two hours later, Ye Tian had refined more than a dozen pills. Only the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill and Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill remained.

"Perfect, simply perfect..."

Frank and Otto carefully scrutinized the pills Ye Tian had refined, unable to stop clicking their tongues in amazement.

"Esteemed President, why not let him refine the Fourth-grade Pill tomorrow?"

Gu Ni, Xiao Yi Xian, Ya Fei, and Li Fei were worried that Ye Tian was too exhausted and wanted him to rest.

"Very well!"

Frank nodded with a smile. Having witnessed Ye Tian's true ability, he now felt that he had wasted all these years of his life.

"No need. I'm fine."

Ye Tian stopped the Two Women, then swallowed two Qi Recovery Pills and began refining the remaining two Fourth-grade Pills.

Ye Tian was already thoroughly familiar with the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill and Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, so refining them came naturally. Half an hour later, he successfully refined both Fourth-grade Pills. The Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill even bore three pill patterns, bringing its quality to the highest tier.

"Young Friend Ye, congratulations on becoming a Fourth Grade High-level Alchemist."

"You have truly broadened our horizons. Though we do not know the situation in the distant Central Plains Continent, on this Northwest Continent, you are undoubtedly the youngest Fourth Grade Alchemist."

After witnessing Ye Tian successfully refine the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill and Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill, Frank and Otto personally presented him with the Fourth Grade High-level Alchemist badge and Exclusive Robe.

"Thank you, Masters."

Ye Tian accepted the Fourth Grade Alchemist badge and robe, then stored them in his Ring of Holding.

At that moment, Ye Tian felt that an alchemist's badge and Exclusive Robe were essentially certification documents, much like a doctor's medical license on Blue Star in his previous life. Without those two things, even if one possessed exceptional alchemy skills, others might not necessarily believe it.