Are You a Dou Shi?

"Young man, are you sure you're not joking? You really want to take the second-tier badge examination directly?"

Frank suspected that the youth before him was joking. Possessing a Heavenly Flame at such an age, controlling it, and using it to refine high-quality first-tier pills was already an utterly terrifying talent.

Yet this monstrous young man was now applying directly for the second-tier alchemist examination!

Although Frank was unwilling to believe that this fourteen-year-old could pass the second-tier alchemist examination, faced with that confident and resolute attitude, he suddenly felt for an instant that perhaps he truly could do it...

"President, please believe me! I have that ability..."

Gu Xia faced Frank's scrutinizing gaze without the slightest fear. His eyes remained as clear, confident, and resolute as ever.

The two stared silently at each other for several seconds. In the end, Frank was the first to yield...

"Fine, fine. Come with me..."

Frank shook his head and sighed helplessly, then slowly turned and headed out of the hall.

"Hey! Don't underestimate the requirements for the second-tier alchemist examination. To pass it, you not only have to refine a second-tier pill, but your own strength must also reach the Dou Shi level. Don't tell me you're already a Dou Shi at this age?"

Suddenly, as Lin Fei watched the youth's departing back, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she called out to Gu Xia...

"Heh heh..."

Gu Xia did not turn around or answer after being called. His footsteps did not even pause. He merely left behind a meaningful laugh before following Frank out of the hall. As the doors closed again, a breeze carrying a few cherry-blossom-like petals lifted Lin Fei's soft dark hair...

"...Condensing Dou Qi into matter..."

Whether by coincidence or not, a pink petal happened to fall into Lin Fei's jade-like hand. Before long, it slowly dispersed, leaving only the girl standing there and murmuring in dejection...

"Sigh, girl. Don't be too upset. Some people are destined to be beyond the reach of ordinary people like us..."

Seeing that this young girl, who had never suffered setbacks or blows since childhood and had thus become somewhat arrogant, had fallen into such a dispirited state, Master Otto comforted her with some concern...

"...Yes, Teacher. I'll work hard."

The girl bit her lower lip with pearly teeth, her jade-like hand clenching tightly. Without turning around, she took one deep look in the direction Gu Xia had left, drew a deep breath, and answered her teacher in an exceptionally resolute tone.

"Sigh, should I thank you or blame you?"

Watching the girl, who had clearly matured somewhat, Otto sighed helplessly. Then he returned to his role as acting examiner and continued supervising the remaining two candidates' first-tier alchemist examinations...

Time slowly passed. About two hours went by.

Back in the hall, the remaining two candidates unsurprisingly failed the first-tier alchemist examination. Gu Xia's appearance had left their hearts unable to settle, so their failed refinements were within Otto's expectations...

Without surprise, he wrote the three words "Failed to Pass" on both of their records.

Just as Otto set down his pen, Frank pushed the door open and entered once more. Strangely, the handsome youth who had been the focus of the day did not return to the hall with Frank...

"Old Frank, did he pass? Why didn't he come back with you?"

Seeing that Frank had returned alone, Otto could not help asking his old friend curiously. He wanted to know whether Black Rock City had truly produced an extraordinary young alchemist. Moreover, this concerned whether they might have a chance to go to that place and gain an opportunity to advance further...

"...See for yourself..."

Faced with his old friend's anxious question, Frank merely shook his head. He handed Gu Xia's examination record to Otto, then rubbed his brow with a headache... "What?! Third-tier?!!"

Otto's cry of shock drew everyone's attention in the hall, including the two girls who had somehow gathered together and begun whispering to each other...

"Frank, are you sure there's no mistake?! He's only fourteen! How is that possible?!"

Otto could hardly believe it, because this was simply too terrifying. If that youth named Gu Xia had truly refined a third-tier pill, wouldn't that mean they had spent all these years living like dogs?...

He had thought that passing the second-tier alchemist examination would already be Gu Xia's limit. But reality had slapped him hard across the face. The sheet of paper in his hand bore the words "Third-Tier Alchemist" in clear black ink. No matter how much he rubbed his eyes, those same words remained when he opened them again.

"Would I need to lie to you? Here, if you still don't believe it, this is the Spirit-Clearing Pill he refined during the third-tier examination..."

As he spoke, Frank directly tossed a jade bottle containing a round blue pill into Otto's hands.

Otto hurriedly caught the jade bottle Frank had thrown him. He first opened the stopper, and a refreshing fragrance that instantly invigorated the mind spread from the mouth of the bottle, filling the entire hall in an extremely short time...

"This... this really is a third-tier Spirit-Clearing Pill! And it even has pill patterns!"

Otto took out the thumb-sized blue pill and examined it carefully. He discovered that faint rings of emerald-green ripples were mixed around the pale-blue pill, like spreading waves. It looked quite strange. With his extensive experience, he knew that these emerald-green ripples were pill patterns—a sign of pill quality that could only appear when a pill's color and luster had reached their peak during refinement.

Seeing his old friend's hand trembling with excitement, Frank explained before Otto could speak. After all, when he had first seen it, he had reacted much the same way as Otto...

"I know what you want to ask. All I can tell you is that those pill patterns appeared because that master personally refined it..."

Frank walked over to Otto and transmitted his words directly into Otto's ears. Finally, he lightly patted Otto's still-trembling shoulder without saying anything further, then left on his own...

"That lord..."

Prompted by Frank's words, Otto seemed to suddenly think of something. His somewhat cloudy eyes instantly widened to their limit...

"Hey, Old Frank! Wait for me!"

After standing stunned for several seconds, Otto finally came to his senses. He hurriedly chased after Frank in the direction he had left...

Leaving behind only the bewildered alchemists in the hall, staring at each other in confusion...

Meanwhile, the two girls at the side began whispering again...

"Hey, didn't you say before that among the younger generation in Black Rock City, no one could surpass you? Now he's appeared. I remember you said back then that you'd accompany..."

Watching her teacher's hurriedly departing back, Lin Fei gave a helpless, bitter smile. She then turned to the silver-haired girl and brought up a topic that belonged to girls...

"..."

However, the silver-haired girl did not answer Lin Fei's question. Two faint blushes merely appeared on her still icy face...

Ignoring Lin Fei, the silver-haired girl also chased after Frank and the others.

"No, answer me first! Don't walk so fast..."

When Lin Fei saw the silver-haired girl leave, she had no reason to remain in the hall either, so she quickly followed after her. Thus, the two graceful figures, trailing fragrant breezes, vanished from everyone's sight...

As for why Gu Xia had left in such a hurry, it was because he had suddenly sensed an aura extremely similar to the black mist's soul force from within Xun'er's soul space, though it was far weaker. Although that aura was so faint it was nearly vanishing, Gu Xia detected its fluctuations with his incomparably powerful perception...

That was why, after discussing the purpose of his visit with Frank, he had hurriedly left...