Douluo Traversal: I Pulled Out a Dou Technique, and You Didn't Explode? Part 43

The two walked to the entrance, where the two burly gate guards who had noticed them long ago stretched out a hand and spoke in muffled voices.

"Young man, young lady, this is the Alchemist Guild. If you want to enter, you'll need a letter of recommendation from your mentor. Do you have one?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked at Liu Bai. Naturally, Liu Bai had no letter of recommendation, but he had something else.

He raised his hand, and a cluster of blue-gold flames blossomed in his palm. As it burned fiercely, the surrounding temperature rose sharply.

"Condensed True Flame, a Fourth-Grade Alchemist?!"

The two cried out in shock. Having guarded the Alchemist Guild's entrance for so long, they naturally knew that condensing True Flame was something only a Fourth-Grade Alchemist could possibly achieve. But... the person before them was far too young. He was clearly a boy under twenty.

"Can we go in now?"

Liu Bai withdrew his hand, extinguishing the flames, and spoke to the two guards.

"Yes, yes, of course! Sir, please come in."

Alchemist Assessment

The two guards exchanged glances, then quickly bowed and stepped aside to let them through, respectfully welcoming the pair inside. Regardless of Liu Bai's age, an alchemist's skill was not judged by age. With that ability to condense True Flame, this youth could not possibly be ordinary.

Only then did Liu Bai and Xiao Yi Xian stride inside.

The moment they entered the Alchemist Guild, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted through the air. Xiao Yi Xian took a deep breath and immediately felt refreshed.

"So this is the inside of the Alchemist Guild? It smells so nice. I feel completely relaxed after coming in."

Liu Bai patted her head.

"You're surprised by this already? You've simply seen too little. Once you see more in the future, you won't find this so astonishing."

There were not many people in the Alchemist Guild's main hall at the moment. Most were busy with their own affairs and paid no attention to the two of them.

A woman specifically responsible for receiving guests saw them enter and hurried over to greet them.

"Sir, miss, you both look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"

The woman in green smiled gently, her voice soft as her gaze swept over Liu Bai and Xiao Yi Xian. When she saw Xiao Yi Xian's exceptional beauty and temperament in particular, a trace of amazement flashed through her eyes.

Liu Bai nodded and smiled. "It is indeed my first time here. I came to receive an Alchemist Grade Badge."

"You're an Alchemist as well?"

The woman in green was clearly stunned. Her beautiful eyes sized Liu Bai up and down, surprise appearing on her pretty face.

Liu Bai looked far too young. Though he carried himself calmly, young alchemists like him were rare in Black Rock City.

She then looked at Xiao Yi Xian beside him.

"This young lady too?"

Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly waved her hands. "I'm not an Alchemist. I just came with him."

"Oh, I see."

The woman in green understood, and the smile on her face became even more respectful. Turning sideways, she gestured ahead. "Sir, please come this way to register."

She led the two to a quiet, tidy counter and took out an ancient parchment that carried a faint sandalwood scent. Then she picked up an exquisite quill, looked up at Liu Bai, and smiled sweetly. "Sir, according to guild regulations, I need to register some basic information first. May I ask your name, age, and your mentor's name?"

"Liu Bai. Age... sixteen."

Liu Bai paused briefly and wrote down sixteen for his age. As for his mentor, he said calmly, "My mentor's name is inconvenient to disclose. He prefers peace and quiet, and there is no record of him in the Alchemist Guild."

He had learned all his alchemy on his own and had not spent much time on it. Occasionally, he only visited the Alchemist Association to watch others refine pills and exchange pointers. Strictly speaking, he had no teacher.

"This..."

The woman in green's hand paused slightly as she held the quill. Her delicate brows furrowed with some difficulty.

"Sir, I'm afraid that doesn't comply with the rules. According to convention, if there is no record or recommendation from a mentor, we will need to verify your alchemy ability. The process may be rather cumbersome..."

Liu Bai had expected this. His expression did not change as he merely gave a soft hum. "I understand. Then let's follow the rules. As long as I can pass the assessment, that will be enough, correct?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing that Liu Bai was so reasonable, the woman in green let out a breath of relief, and her smile blossomed once more.

"As long as you pass the assessment for the corresponding grade, you can still receive an Alchemist Badge. May I ask, sir, are you preparing to test for... a First-Grade Alchemist?"

As she spoke, she quickly recorded information such as Liu Bai's name and age of sixteen on the parchment.

Liu Bai shook his head. "No, I'm applying to test for Third-Grade Alchemist."

"Gasp—"

The woman in green's quill trembled sharply, nearly leaving an ink mark across the parchment.

She looked up, her beautiful eyes wide as she stared at Liu Bai in disbelief. Her rosy lips parted slightly. "Th-Third Grade?! Sir, are you certain? You wish to test for Third-Grade Alchemist?!"

Her voice rose slightly in shock, drawing astonished looks from several alchemists nearby who had been speaking quietly.

"Yes, I'm certain."

Liu Bai nodded calmly.

The woman in green took a deep breath and tried her best to calm the storm raging within her heart.

Sixteen years old, testing for Third-Grade Alchemist?!

This was probably unheard of in the entire history of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Guild!

Even across the entire Northwest Continent, he would be an exceedingly rare talent!

This youth before her was either arrogantly ignorant or... a truly astonishing genius!

Suppressing her shock, she said respectfully, "Mr. Liu Bai... according to the rules, if this is your first assessment and you have no mentor records, you must begin with the First-Grade Alchemist assessment and advance one grade at a time. Only after passing the first-grade assessment may you apply for the second grade, and so on. What do you think...?"

"That's fine. Then I'll begin with the first grade."

Liu Bai had no objection and nodded.

"O-Okay."

The woman in green hurriedly responded, efficiently completed the registration, then took a black armband marked with a number from her pocket and handed it to Liu Bai.

"This is your examination number. Please wear it properly. The assessment is about to begin, so please follow me."

She turned and led Liu Bai and Xiao Yi Xian toward a heavily guarded, thick wooden door deep within the main hall.

At the entrance, four burly men with steady auras and sharp gazes stood like iron towers. The badges on their chests showed that they possessed at least the strength of Nine-Star Dou Zhe.

"Brother Teya, this is Mr. Liu Bai. He has come to take the Alchemist Grade assessment. Here are his registration materials."

The woman in green handed the parchment to one of the leading men.

The burly man called Teya accepted the materials, his gaze sweeping over Liu Bai like lightning as a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

With strength close to that of a Dou Master, he actually could not see through this youth at all. He only felt that Liu Bai's aura was deep and tranquil as an abyss, faintly giving him an inexplicable pressure.

He then looked at the information on the parchment.

Testing for Third Grade? Sixteen years old?

The corner of his eye twitched slightly, but he said nothing more and only asked in a deep voice.

"You know the rules?"

"I do."

Liu Bai nodded.

"Mm, go in. Good luck, kid."

Teya handed Liu Bai a black armband carved with the number "Eight."

After taking the armband and fastening it around his arm, Liu Bai gave a slight nod to the woman in green, Teya, and the others. Then, holding Xiao Yi Xian's hand, he pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

Xiao Yi Xian normally would not have been allowed inside, but since Liu Bai had requested it, and none of them could see through Liu Bai's true strength, they let her enter. At most, there would be one extra spectator. Perhaps this girl was the youth's disciple?

After all, alchemists never judged seniority. They only judged superiority through alchemy skill.

The two entered. Beyond the door was an assessment hall even more spacious and brightly lit than the outer main hall.

Soft light poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the hall as brightly as day.

At that moment, seven or eight young men and women stood beside more than a dozen separate stone platforms in the center of the hall, their expressions either tense or expectant as they inspected the standard medicinal cauldrons and various alchemy tools prepared on their platforms.

The Center of Attention

On a raised platform at one side of the hall, several elderly men with profound auras and Alchemist Badges signifying their noble status on their chests were speaking quietly.

Liu Bai had seen portraits of two of them outside. They were the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, the Fourth-Grade Alchemist Frank, and another Fourth-Grade Alchemist, Otto.

The arrival of Liu Bai and Xiao Yi Xian did not cause much of a stir. Only a few people cast curious glances their way.

However, Xiao Yi Xian's graceful, otherworldly beauty and ethereal temperament caused the eyes of several young male examinees to light up.

"Oh? Another young friend has arrived. Are you here for the assessment as well?"

On the raised platform, President Frank noticed the newly arrived Liu Bai. His gaze paused on the number eight armband around Liu Bai's arm, and a friendly smile appeared on his aged face as he called out.

The hall immediately grew quieter, and everyone's gaze focused on Liu Bai.

Liu Bai casually cupped his hands toward the raised platform and replied in a clear voice, "This junior is Liu Bai. I have indeed come to take the Alchemist Grade assessment."

"Hehe, good."

Frank smiled and nodded. His gaze swept across Liu Bai's young face, surprise flashing in his eyes before he asked.

"Young friend, you look unfamiliar. You came for the assessment at such a young age. May I ask how old you are this year, and which Grandmaster taught you?"

"This junior is sixteen. My master is a wandering recluse who dislikes publicity, so it is inconvenient to mention his name. I hope President Frank will forgive me."

Liu Bai used the same explanation again.

"Sixteen?"

Frank and Grandmaster Otto beside him exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

Taking the Alchemist assessment at sixteen was not the earliest possible age, but it certainly counted as exceptionally talented.

What concerned them even more was that this youth, facing two Fourth-Grade Alchemists and the many gazes in the hall, could still remain so composed and calm. Such temperament was rare.

He should be from some major force.

Grandmaster Otto stroked his beard and said with interest.

"Little fellow, coming for the assessment at sixteen, you must have some confidence. Your aura is steady, and your Soul Power seems rather strong as well. Not bad, not bad. However, on the path of alchemy, talent and temperament alone are not enough. You also need solid fundamentals and extensive practice. What grade are you preparing to test for?"