Applying for the Examination

Black Rock City was one of the most prosperous cities in the Jia Ma Empire. Compared to it, Wutan City seemed like some backwater village.

Just consider that Alchemists, who were rare in Wutan City, included even Fourth-Rank Alchemists here. That alone showed how prosperous the city was.

Besides, Black Rock City even had an aerial transport fleet...

Of course, that wasn't the main reason Xiao Lei had come here.

After leaving Green Mountain Town, Xiao Lei and Xiao Yi Xian rode her Blue Eagle straight toward Black Rock City. After several days of swift flight, they finally arrived at the magnificent city.

"Xiao Lei, you said you came here to take the Alchemist Badge examination. Aren't you already a Second-Rank Alchemist? Why don't you even have a First-Rank Alchemist Badge?"

Everything about Xiao Lei seemed strange to Xiao Yi Xian. He had the cultivation of a Da Dou Shi, yet he used a Yellow Tier Low Grade cultivation method.

If someone said he was poor, then he had a Mystic Tier Dou Technique. Besides, how could an Alchemist be poor?

Now she'd discovered that Xiao Lei could already refine Second-Rank pills with ease, yet he still didn't even have an Alchemist Badge.

"The city I used to live in didn't have a place where you could take the Alchemist Badge examination, so I never took it. That's not the point; what matters is passing. Given my age, once I pass, the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild should invite me to become an honorary elder. Then I can get their help finding a poison-attributed cultivation method for you."

After staying in Green Mountain Town for so long, Xiao Yi Xian had long since condensed her Dou Qi Vortex and become a Dou Zhe. Thanks to the special nature of her Woe Poison Body, her cultivation could continue to rise even though she hadn't started practicing a cultivation method.

But she still needed a cultivation method. She also needed poison-based Dou Techniques. Otherwise, with a body full of poison Dou Qi, she wouldn't be able to bring out her full strength.

Keeping Xiao Yi Xian by his side would reduce a lot of uncertainty. Xiao Lei wasn't sure how she'd managed to grow stronger in the Chu Yun Empire in the original story. What if, because of him, she ended up biting the dust in the Chu Yun Empire ahead of time? Wouldn't he lose an ally?

After thinking it over, Xiao Lei decided to keep her by his side.

"To save time, I'll go straight to the Alchemist Guild. You can wander around Black Rock City!"

Xiao Lei could hardly wait to gaze upon the two Alchemists' venerable faces for a good long while!

Xiao Yi Xian didn't say much. This was her first time leaving Green Mountain Town, and everything was new to her. Her attention was fixed on all the sights around her. After Xiao Lei told her to go ahead, she wandered deeper into the streets and alleys.

Soon, guided by passersby, Xiao Lei arrived at a building shaped like a medicine cauldron.

There wasn't much trouble. After Xiao Lei tipped the two guards at the entrance with a pill of the lowest grade, they let him through.

After all, whether or not Xiao Lei was an Alchemist, being able to tip them with a pill already showed he was no ordinary person.

As soon as Xiao Lei entered, a maidservant soon came over from the hall.

"Sir, what business brings you here?"

The maidservant saw that Xiao Lei wasn't wearing an Alchemist Badge, so she assumed he'd come to the Alchemist Guild for some other matter.

"I'd like to apply for the Second-Rank Alchemist examination. Sorry for the trouble, but could you report it for me?"

Unlike the standardized First-Rank examination, the number of people taking the Second-Rank Alchemist examination had dropped sharply, so the Alchemist Guild didn't hold it on a set schedule. Alchemists had to apply for it themselves.

Hearing this, a strange look came over the maidservant's face.

"Have you ever taken the First-Rank Alchemist examination, sir?"

Seeing that Xiao Lei didn't even have the lowest-level First-Rank Alchemist Badge, she honestly didn't dare submit his application directly!

"If I remember correctly, your guild doesn't have a rule requiring someone to take the First-Rank Alchemist examination before applying for the Second-Rank examination, does it?"

The maidservant was at a loss for words. It was true that the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild didn't have such a rule. After all, according to the way an ordinary person thought, you had to pass the First-Rank examination before taking the Second-Rank one!

"Sir, why don't you come back another time? The First-Rank Alchemist examination will begin in a few days. You could get your First-Rank Alchemist Badge first, then apply for the Second-Rank examination."

Xiao Lei was only doing this because the next First-Rank examination was still a long way off. So he'd decided to take the Second-Rank examination directly.

"He doesn't even have a First-Rank Alchemist Badge, yet he dares apply for the Second-Rank examination. Is he here to waste the guild's medicinal ingredients?"

Just as Xiao Lei was arguing with the maidservant about whether his request was reasonable, a haughty voice rang out behind him.

Xiao Lei turned around. A young woman of about twenty stood behind him, hands on her hips.

Xiao Lei first looked at her eyes.

Well, she was staring right at him.

No matter!

Xiao Lei moved his gaze elsewhere. Lin Fei was wearing a purple dress today, but even its loose fit couldn't conceal her formidable "assets."

Her legs didn't measure up to Xiao Yu's!

That was Xiao Lei's verdict.

"If we're talking about wasting the guild's medicinal ingredients, I'm afraid I can't compare to Miss Lin Fei. After all, this is my first time taking the examination. As for Miss Lin Fei... I couldn't say."

Xiao Lei shot back without hesitation. Just because a woman was beautiful, did that mean she could do whatever she wanted? Xiao Lei was this handsome, and he still kept a low profile.

"You... You!"

At his words, Lin Fei's face flushed with embarrassment. She'd insisted on taking the previous examination, but nearly blown up the cauldron while refining pills. She'd made a complete fool of herself.

"Since you know who I am, how dare you speak to me like that? Apologize to me at once!"

He'd only stated the truth. How had that turned into him needing to apologize?

Xiao Lei couldn't be bothered with her. She was just Otto's disciple, after all, and had no strength of her own. He didn't take her seriously. Instead, he turned back to continue arguing with the maidservant.

"If you can't make the decision, then report it to Master Otto or Master Frank and let them decide."

Although Xiao Lei had never met the two of them, he knew from the original story that they both liked geniuses. If he could get the matter in front of them, the examination would almost certainly go ahead.

After all, to the two of them, the medicinal ingredients needed for a Second-Rank pill couldn't possibly be more important than a sixteen-year-old Second-Rank Alchemist.

"Hmph! Report it to my teacher? I'll make sure your application gets rejected!"

Lin Fei had already decided how she'd use the one bit of influence she had—her teacher-student relationship with Otto—to block Xiao Lei's application and make him apologize to her.

Just thinking about it made her a little excited!

"Who's making a racket in the hall?"

As Xiao Lei and the others remained at an impasse, Otto's voice suddenly rang through the hall.

An elderly man then came striding toward them with a relaxed gait.

Pinned to the old man's chest was an antique badge bearing a medicine cauldron and four delicate ripples.

Before Xiao Lei could speak, Lin Fei rushed to Otto's side, clutched his arm, and began whining as she complained about Xiao Lei.

"Teacher, this guy isn't even a First-Rank Alchemist, yet he came to apply for the Second-Rank examination. I only said one thing, and he mocked me for what happened when I took the examination before. He even said you hadn't taught me properly!"

Leaving out key details and embellishing the rest—everyone who tattled had that talent.

Xiao Lei shrugged, too lazy to explain. The truth of these things often didn't matter; all that mattered was what Otto chose to believe.

Xiao Lei took a Qi Recovery Pill from his Storage Ring and handed it to Otto.

"Master Otto, I refined this pill myself. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. If I fail the examination, could you use this pill to cover the cost of the medicinal ingredients?"

Otto took the Qi Recovery Pill and opened the bottle to examine it carefully.

"The pill fragrance is strong, and its color is bright. It must have been refined recently. It's certainly possible that he made it."

A brief inspection was all it took for Otto to understand. He then handed the pill back.

"Candidates for the guild's Second-Rank Alchemist examination don't need to pay for the medicinal ingredients themselves. The guild covers the cost. Take it back, lest people say the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild is stingy."

"As for the examination... come with me!"

At that, Xiao Lei wasn't surprised in the slightest, but Lin Fei was...