Alchemy Hall

Since he was already there, Lin Cheng took the opportunity to point out the shortcomings in his disciple's cultivation.

Several hours later, he finally sent Meng Tangtang on her way.

Lin Cheng began to study his newly acquired auxiliary profession: Alchemist.

It was common knowledge what the most sought-after profession on the continent was.

Over ninety percent of people would answer without a second thought: Alchemist!

Take the Mystic Pill Sect, one of the Ten Great Sects, for example. Their disciples were weak, their hearts were dark, their hands were ruthless, and even the Innate Realm expert guarding them was merely at the initial stage.

Such strength was not even on par with the former Jingyun Sect.

Yet, in the rankings of the Ten Great Sects, the Mystic Pill Sect consistently held a spot in the top five!

Why?

Alchemists!

Although the Mystic Pill Sect had few members—only a few hundred, far fewer than other major sects that boasted thousands of disciples—every single disciple they had was an alchemist!

Their Supreme Elder was even a Yellow-Grade Alchemist.

With such an existence holding the fort, who would dare to target the Mystic Pill Sect?

Every sect scrambled to curry favor with them; even the Five Elements Sect, a two-star sect, would not dare to provoke the Mystic Pill Sect.

The terrifying influence of a high-level alchemist could be glimpsed from mere fragments of historical records.

Once, the Southern Region was not just home to the Ten Great Sects; there were many other powers that stood on equal footing. Among them was a family that possessed a foundation no weaker than the Ten Great Sects.

However, because the family head was too greedy and lecherous, acting with total lawlessness, he dared to set his sights on the beloved daughter of a reclusive Yellow-Grade Alchemist.

In a fit of rage, that alchemist summoned five Innate Realm experts and even a Foundation Establishment Venerable.

Overnight, not a single soul was left alive in that family.

A family comparable to one of the Ten Great Sects was wiped off the map in a single night.

Afterward, countless powers were struck with horror, finally realizing the terrifying nature of a high-level alchemist.

From then on, an unwritten rule began to circulate across the continent.

Do not easily provoke an alchemist.

If you truly do provoke one, then do not hesitate: cut the weeds and dig up the roots!

Do not give the other party a chance to gather reinforcements.

Otherwise, that destroyed great family would be the warning of what was to come.

After reading this story, Lin Cheng gained some understanding of the esteemed status of alchemists.

"If a Yellow-Grade Alchemist is already like this, I wonder how terrifying higher-level alchemists must be? Such existences probably wouldn't even look twice at a tiny place like the Southern Region."

Lin Cheng was full of anticipation.

With the system's help, now that his auxiliary profession as an alchemist had awakened, becoming a top-tier alchemist was only a matter of time.

He just needed to keep refining pills.

"I lack medicinal herbs and pill formulas. As a beginner, I have to start with the simple ones and increase the difficulty step by step."

Lin Cheng had many good things in his system space, but they were mostly finished pills, divine weapons, and cultivation techniques.

He really didn't have any pill formulas.

He didn't have any medicinal herbs, either.

What was he to do? Even with a talent for alchemy, without formulas and herbs, even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook a meal without rice.

Ask the sect for them?

If he did so as the hidden ancestor, it naturally wouldn't be a problem, but that would invite unnecessary speculation and trouble.

Lin Cheng rejected this proposal first.

Ask his disciple?

He couldn't bring himself to ask.

As for other options, he was currently nothing more than an outer sect servant. To obtain herbs and formulas, his only path was to complete sect missions.

"I remember the Jingyun Sect has an Alchemy Hall that is currently recruiting disciples interested in learning alchemy."

"They must provide medicinal herbs."

"I might as well go and take a look."

Lin Cheng acted as soon as he decided. He instructed Xiao Jin to stay behind to hold the fort, then immediately left the Library Pavilion and headed straight for the Alchemy Hall.

As one of the Ten Great Sects of the Southern Region, the Jingyun Sect naturally covered all aspects of its disciples' cultivation.

Although the focus was on cultivation, other halls had been established as well.

For instance, the Alchemy Hall.

As long as one possessed talent and could pass the examination, they could become an alchemy apprentice and learn the art of alchemy.

Although the Jingyun Sect was not renowned for alchemy, its level of expertise was considered quite good, second only to the Mystic Pill Sect.

Correspondingly, the status of the Alchemy Hall within the Jingyun Sect was extremely high.

Once someone entered it, even if they were only an outer sect servant, they could receive treatment comparable to that of an inner sect disciple.

Therefore, a large number of outer sect disciples came to try their luck every year.

Even if one truly lacked talent, being chosen by an Alchemist to be a fire-tending boy was still considered a step toward reaching the heavens.

When Lin Cheng arrived outside the Alchemy Hall, he discovered that a long, winding queue had already formed, which was quite a spectacle.

"Unqualified!"

"Next batch!"

The middle-aged steward shouted with a dark face as several disciples left in low spirits, immediately followed by a dozen or so nervous disciples entering.

"Unqualified!"

"Unqualified!"

A string of rejections left those hopeful disciples feeling utterly dejected.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man remained expressionless; as the most noble profession on the continent, how could becoming an Alchemist be simple?

In this month alone, nearly a hundred disciples had come.

Only a handful of those who truly possessed talent were kept.

Alchemists were, by nature, a rare species.

"Next!"

After waiting for nearly an hour, it was finally Lin Cheng's turn.

"Follow me."

The middle-aged steward glanced at Lin Cheng and gave his customary warning: "Once inside, don't touch anything randomly. Do exactly as you're told. If you break something, you won't be able to pay for it even if you're sold. Don't look for trouble for yourself, do you understand!"

"An outer sect disciple with Third-Grade cultivation—not bad talent. Good luck!"

Having said that, he left without looking back.

To avoid attracting attention, Lin Cheng had naturally suppressed his aura to around the Third-Grade. Possessing the Great Concealment Art, hiding his cultivation was a simple matter.

Inside an alchemy room, three Alchemists dressed in white robes were seated.

Two were low-grade, and one was mid-grade.

According to the ranking system, from low to high, they were classified as low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade.

Only after that came the Yellow-rank Alchemists.

"Name!"

"Outer sect disciple, Lin Cheng."

"Cultivation!"

"Third-Grade peak."

Upon hearing this, the Alchemist who asked the question showed a hint of surprise. Most who came here were outer sect disciples, usually with cultivation below the Third-Grade, so reaching the Third-Grade was considered quite good talent.

The man nodded slightly and pointed a finger.

"See the Spirit Bead on the table? Place your hand on it. If it lights up, you pass."

Lin Cheng was surprised; was it really that simple, just placing his hand on it?

Seeming to see through his thoughts, the man chuckled softly and said, "Little guy, don't think it's easy. This Spirit Bead contains fire energy and a trace of wood energy. It can detect an Alchemist's talent. As long as you can trigger a resonance and make it emit light, you pass."

"This point alone has stumped countless people."

"For an Alchemist, talent is the most important thing, followed by hard work. Without talent, no matter how hard you work, it's useless."

Speaking of this, the man seemed to recall something, and a look of reflection appeared on his face.

Lin Cheng nodded.

Without another word, he placed his hand on it.

Only by becoming an Alchemist could he accept a large number of medicinal herb tasks.

With medicinal herbs, he could quickly refine pills.

This was related to the improvement of his cultivation.

Although this assessment was simple, it was still very necessary.

Countless curious gazes were cast from the surroundings, and the three Alchemists were also staring at the Spirit Bead. Although they didn't hold much hope, there were always a few promising sprouts that appeared each time. Every additional Alchemist could raise the overall strength of the Jingyun Sect by a notch.

If a Yellow-rank Alchemist could emerge, the Jingyun Sect could even instantly rise to a level comparable to the Mystic Pill Sect, and even two-star sects would be willing to treat them as equals.