Assessment

Hearing Xiao Tian's age, Yu He's hand paused, and she said in surprise, "Sir, you truly are young and accomplished."

Yu He looked at Xiao Yi Xian. "Is this young lady here to take the alchemist assessment as well?"

"I'm not. I came with him," Xiao Yi Xian said.

"Then may I trouble you to sit over in the Resting Area for a while, miss? Anyone who isn't taking the alchemist assessment isn't allowed inside." Yu He pointed toward the Resting Area not far away.

Yu He quickly and efficiently packed up the things, then picked up the Registration Form. "Sir, please follow me."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded and said nothing. She walked up to Xiao Tian, helped him straighten his collar, and patted the dust from his shoulder. "I'll wait for you here. I hope your assessment goes smoothly."

Xiao Tian nodded, then slowly lifted his foot and walked inside. Yu He followed beside him, guiding the way.

"Sir, are you taking the First Grade Alchemist assessment?" Yu He asked casually with a smile as they walked.

Xiao Tian shook his head and said, "No. I'm taking the Third Grade Alchemist assessment."

At that, Yu He's steps suddenly halted. She turned her head, her small mouth falling open, and asked in stunned, trembling disbelief, "Y-you said you want to take the Third Grade assessment?"

"Mm, yes. Is there a problem?" Xiao Tian said calmly, looking at Yu He in puzzlement.

"N-no problem. My lord, to take the Third Grade Alchemist assessment, you need to start from First Grade. Only after successfully advancing can you take the Second Grade assessment, and only then the Third Grade." Yu He explained the assessment process to Xiao Tian.

"Mm. Then we'll do them one by one," Xiao Tian said indifferently.

Yu He brought Xiao Tian to a large door. She stepped forward to speak with the guards at the entrance and handed over the documents. After the guard carefully checked the documents, he took out a black armband.

Yu He took the armband and came before Xiao Tian. "My lord, this is your examination number. Keep it safe and don't lose it. You can only go in by yourself from here. According to the rules, I can't enter casually."

Xiao Tian accepted the armband. The number eight was written on it. He slipped the armband onto his arm and walked through the large doors.

After Xiao Tian entered the doors, he arrived in a hall. The hall was illuminated by lamps until it seemed as bright as day.

There were already quite a few people in the hall, whispering among themselves.

In the hall, Xiao Tian also saw two old men with four ripples on the badges at their chests. If nothing unexpected, they should be Black Rock City's two great Fourth Grade Alchemists, Otto Master and President Fu Ke Lan.

In the Assessment Area at the center of the hall, there were more than a dozen stone platforms, all filled with various alchemy instruments.

Seven or eight young men and women were already standing there, waiting.

Frank looked at Xiao Tian as he walked in. His gaze swept over Xiao Tian's armband, and he asked amiably, "Little fellow, are you here to take the alchemist assessment too?"

"Yes, President Frank." Xiao Tian nodded and replied politely.

"How old are you, little fellow?" Frank asked in surprise when he saw Xiao Tian's youthful face.

"Eighteen."

"Mm? Eighteen? Old Otto, this little fellow is much younger than both your disciple and mine." Frank spoke to Otto beside him in surprise.

"Looks like this little fellow is no ordinary person," Otto praised.

"Little fellow, go over and choose a place. Make your preparations. The assessment will begin shortly," Frank said to Xiao Tian.

"All right!" Xiao Tian chose one of the empty stone platforms and walked over.

"Do you think this little fellow can succeed?" Frank asked Otto Master.

"Difficult. He's too young. Our Black Rock City has never produced such a young alchemist," Otto said, stroking his beard.

Frank also shook his head. He knew as well that wanting to obtain an Alchemist Badge at eighteen was truly as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Xiao Tian came before the stone platform. Beside it stood a woman in a purple dress. She looked to be under twenty. Her body looked petite, but she had developed extremely well, with graceful curves in all the right places.

"Hello! I'm Lin Fei." When the woman noticed someone sizing her up, she turned her head, ready to open her mouth and scold him. But when she saw Xiao Tian's otherworldly bearing and handsome appearance, under the blessing of the belief that good looks were justice, she swallowed her words back and greeted him with a smile.

"I'm Xiao Tian." Xiao Tian responded as well, then turned back to look at the things on the table.

Just as Lin Fei was about to speak again, a cool voice rang out. "Teacher, sorry I'm late."

Xiao Tian turned his head and saw a tall woman walk in from outside. She wore a tight silver dress, and her silver hair gave her a unique allure.

It was Xiao Tian's first time seeing silver hair, and he could not help feeling a little surprised inside. He thought, That must be Xue Mei, the one who got tricked later when buying the Peach Blossom Flame.

The woman came to Fu Ke Lan's side, spoke a few simple words, then walked toward the central stone platforms. In the end, she stopped in front of another empty stone platform beside Xiao Tian.

Looking at the two women on his left and right, Xiao Tian suddenly thought, Wasn't this the treatment Xiao Yan had during his assessment back then?

The people around them cast envious looks over.

"Hmph. If you have a Cauldron Explosion later, don't affect me," Lin Fei could not help snorting when she saw Xue Mei.

"Even without my influence, with your strength, there's still a high chance you'll have a Cauldron Explosion," Xue Mei said coldly.

Caught between the two of them, Xiao Tian watched with interest as the two acted like sworn enemies and traded barbs.

"Ahem. Little ones, the assessment is about to begin. Check the instruments, medicinal herbs, and prescription in front of you now." Fu Ke Lan walked forward a few steps, coughed lightly a few times to interrupt their verbal sparring, and spoke with a smile.

When Xiao Tian and the others heard this, they immediately began carefully checking whether there were any problems with the items on their tables.

Xiao Tian opened the parchment prescription. Written clearly on it was the First Grade medicinal pill, Power Accumulation Pill. On the table, three full sets of medicinal herbs required for the Power Accumulation Pill had been neatly arranged.

He turned to look at Xue Mei's and Lin Fei's Medicinal Herbs, and at one glance—well now, the scene of abusing power for personal gain had appeared again. What these two were going to refine were Recovery Pill and Flame Condensation Pill, both considered simple among first-tier Medicinal Pills.

"Everyone finished checking? If there are no problems, then the assessment officially begins." Frank asked once, and seeing that no one raised any issues, he directly waved his hand and sent out a streak of Force Energy to strike the iron bell above.

The Bell Sound rang out, and a transparent Light Screen rose, surrounding all the examinees and isolating them inside.

The examinees directly placed their hands on the uniformly arranged Standard Pill Cauldrons, circulated their Dou Qi, and ignited flames inside the cauldrons.

Xiao Tian did not use Heavenly Flames. Instead, he used the Bing fire that came with Binghuo Thunder, and a burst of red flame appeared inside the Pill Furnace.

Otto Master was holding a cup of tea and drinking when he saw Xiao Tian's red flame. He immediately sprayed the tea from his mouth. "What kind of fire is that? Heavenly Flames?"