Verifying Alchemist Rank, Encountering Nalan Yanran by Chance

After leaving the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Yan controlled the Purple Cloud Wings and descended into the territory of Black Rock City.

This major city, which had not received much attention in the original work, ranked among the best in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Its Alchemist Guild even had two Tier 4 Alchemists.

Xiao Yan had come here for only two things.

First, to verify his Alchemist rank, which would allow his later plans to proceed more smoothly.

Second, to show off.

Yes, it was that simple and unpretentious.

As a young man who had stayed in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for so long, he could not help but feel somewhat stifled.

Coming here to show off and satisfy his youthful vanity was not a bad way to vent those feelings.

With that thought in mind, Xiao Yan registered to enter the city just like any ordinary cultivator.

He found an inn in the city, checked in, and rested briefly.

Meanwhile, outside Black Rock City.

A small Flying Boat bearing the emblem of the Misty Cloud Sect descended.

A delicate-looking young girl and a Misty Cloud Sect elder whose cultivation had reached the Dou Ling realm slowly stepped down from it.

"Sigh, ever since the Sect Leader returned more than a month ago, she suddenly began gathering Beast Flames and asking people to collect things that could lessen the pain of absorbing Beast Flames. It truly is baffling." The Misty Cloud Sect elder shook his head in confusion.

Hearing this, the girl smiled lightly. "Elder Yun Jing, my master has her own considerations. There is no need for us to overthink it."

"For example, when Master went out to obtain Purple Spirit Crystals, some elders within the sect criticized her for wasting her efforts. Yet hadn't she succeeded in the end?"

Yun Jing nodded with a smile. "Haha, the Young Sect Leader is right. When the Sect Leader returned, she not only brought back Purple Spirit Crystals, but also two Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills. Her gains were truly considerable."

"Young Sect Leader, you are already a high-level Dou Master. Once you break through to the Da Dou Shi realm and take those two Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, your strength will rise again. At the time of the Three-Year Agreement, that Xiao Yan will definitely be no match for you!"

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, Nalan Yanran's expression turned cold. She clenched her pearly teeth. "Hmph, I will never forget the humiliation he brought me that day!"

"At the Three-Year Agreement, I will definitely defeat him!"

"Young Sect Leader..." Yun Jing was stunned. He had not expected Nalan Yanran to be so fixated on the Three-Year Agreement.

Nalan Yanran let out a breath and returned to her usual expression. "Elder Yun Jing, let's not talk about that. My master sent us here because she learned that Elder Gu He's brother, Gute, has Ice Spirit Cold Spring in his possession. We are here to trade for it."

"We do not know Mr. Gute's residence, so let us ask at the Alchemist Guild here."

Yun Jing naturally had no objections. "All right, then let's go."

After resting at the inn and easing the exhaustion of his long journey, Xiao Yan regained his energy. He took out an ancient, textured white mask patterned with flames from his Storage Ring and put it on.

Leaving the inn, Xiao Yan asked some passersby for directions, learned the location of the Alchemist Guild, and headed straight there.

At the entrance to the Alchemist Guild, two guards stopped Xiao Yan and demanded a letter of introduction.

Xiao Yan did not waste words. With a flick of his wrist and his palm facing upward, strange Purple Flame appeared.

"A tangible flame! You are a Tier 4 Alchemist!" the two guards cried out.

Xiao Yan raised a finger, signaling for them to be quiet. His voice remained calm. "Keep it down."

The two guards immediately shut their mouths, terrified into silence.

Xiao Yan ignored them and strode into the hall.

A faint medicinal fragrance drifted toward him. Xiao Yan's nose twitched slightly as he subconsciously named the herbs. "Soul-Calming Grass, Curved-Tail Flower, branches from a Four-Wind Tree... The combination is not bad. The person who prepared this incense is fairly skilled."

"Only fairly skilled?" An aged voice sounded behind Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan turned around and saw an old man in Tier 4 Alchemist robes smiling at him.

"There is not enough Soul-Calming Grass, the Curved-Tail Flower is slightly too young, and there is a better substitute for the branches of the Four-Wind Tree. Improve all three points, and this incense will rise several levels in quality."

As the old man listened to Xiao Yan, his eyes suddenly lit up. "That is indeed true. I always felt that this incense had some flaws, but I could never put my finger on them. I never expected you to point them out so easily. I will refine it once I return."

Xiao Yan came to his senses and politely cupped his hands. "So this incense was prepared by you, sir. Pointing out its flaws to your face was somewhat discourteous of me."

The old man immediately laughed. "Haha, calling yourself junior? If we compare ages, you may not necessarily be younger than me."

"From the skill you displayed just now, you must have studied medicinal herbs for countless years and encountered who knows how many of them to develop such expertise. Even if you have disguised your voice to sound young, I do not believe you are truly young."

Xiao Yan did not refute him. He was waiting to make a big show of it later, so he said, "I came here to have my Alchemist rank assessed. Since you are a Tier 4 Alchemist, Senior, why not make an exception and help me finish the assessment quickly?"

The old man nodded in agreement. "Since you pointed out the flaws in my incense, I will make this exception for you."

"Oh, right. My name is Frank. I am the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild. What is your name?"

"Yan Xiao."

"Yan Xiao? I have not heard of you. Are you an Alchemist from another empire?" Frank guessed.

"No. I previously studied alchemy with my master deep in the mountains and never had my rank assessed, so I delayed it until now," Xiao Yan explained.

"I see. That is rare indeed. Then what rank of Alchemist are you planning to assess?" Frank asked.

The corners of Xiao Yan's lips curled beneath his mask. "Sixth-Rank."

"Sixth-Rank? Then follow me... Wait, what rank did you say?!" Frank's expression froze as his eyes widened.

"Sixth-Rank." Xiao Yan secretly reveled in the feeling as he repeated himself.

Frank instinctively lowered his posture. "A Sixth-Rank Alchemist... Our small place has no way to assess that rank. After all, we cannot even gather a full set of ingredients for a Tier 6 Medicinal Pill."

Xiao Yan shook his head indifferently. "It does not matter. I have ingredients for a Dou Ling Pill in my Storage Ring. Your guild need not prepare any ingredients."

"A Dou Ling Pill?! You said you want to refine a Dou Ling Pill?!" Frank's breathing grew heavier, his eyes filled with delight.

He no longer cared whether the person before him had some strange hobby of disguising himself as a young man.

Bringing his own ingredients for a Tier 6 Medicinal Pill merely for a rank assessment—there was no way he was simply playing a prank on him.

This also meant that he might actually have the good fortune to observe a Sixth-Rank Alchemist personally refining a medicinal pill, and one as difficult as the Dou Ling Pill among Tier 6 Medicinal Pills!

It was no exaggeration to say.

If the person before him could truly refine a Dou Ling Pill, and Frank watched the entire process with his own eyes, his alchemy skills might improve considerably.

How could he not be delighted?

Just as Frank was rejoicing, two figures appeared at the entrance of the Alchemist Guild.

An old man and a young girl, both dressed in robes bearing the unmistakable patterns of the Misty Cloud Sect.

The moment they entered, the girl spoke first. "Which one of you is President Frank?"