Third-Tier Assessment, Wang Teng's Little Scheme

Host: Wang Teng

Profession: Alchemist

Realm: One-Star Dou Master

Professional Skills:

Fire Control (Advanced): 688/10000

Perception (Advanced): 886/10000

Compounding (Advanced): 720/10000

Mastered Formulas:

Qi-Recovery Pill (Tier 1): 27/10000 (Mastery)

Blood Surge Pill (Tier 1): 150/10000 (Mastery)

Combined-Strength Pill (Tier 1): 10/10000 (Mastery)

Body-Tempering Pill (Tier 2): 1/10000 (Mastery)

Fire-Absorbing Pill (Tier 3): 1/10000 (Mastery)

While waiting, Wang Teng glanced at the information panel.

Among them, every professional skill had risen from intermediate to advanced.

The medicinal ingredients supplied by the Jia Lie Clan deserved much of the credit for that.

With advanced-level professional abilities, passing the third-tier alchemist assessment would definitely not be a problem.

But he still could not relax. My goal is to win this Alchemist Tournament.

To accomplish that, he needed to raise his professional skill levels even further.

After returning to South Star City, he would have to purchase a large batch of ingredients for first-tier pills.

In addition, he needed to prepare the ingredients for the Body-Tempering Pill and Fire-Absorbing Pill. Whether his strength could improve quickly depended entirely on them.

He also needed to replace his cultivation method. A earth-tier one was probably out of the question, so he would aim for a high-grade mysterious-tier fire-element cultivation method.

Hiss...

Wang Teng silently calculated the costs and realized the gold coins required would not be a small sum.

He should have kept the valuables in that cave.

He regretted it inwardly. It had been his first time looting a cave for treasure, and he had been far too careless.

"What's wrong? Not confident?" Xiao Yi Xian noticed Wang Teng inhaling sharply one moment and frowning the next.

Wang Teng said, "I thought of something troublesome."

"Can I help?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

Wang Teng nodded. "Yes. I'll let you know when the time comes."

"Really?" Xiao Yi Xian wondered if Wang Teng was deliberately making an excuse to keep her around.

Wang Teng said, "You'll know once you come back to South Star City with me."

Xiao Yi Xian asked, "How long are you staying there?"

"Until next year, probably. I'm planning to improve my alchemy skills and participate in the Alchemist Tournament in the imperial capital," Wang Teng said.

Xiao Yi Xian asked curiously, "The Alchemist Tournament that made Pill King Gu He famous?"

"That's right," Wang Teng said. "They say Gu He won that tournament due to a combination of several factors."

Xiao Yi Xian was intrigued. The mercenaries of Green Mountain Town would never discuss such inside information.

"Back then, Gu He happened to be right at the tournament's age limit of under thirty. With several more years of experience than his opponents, he claimed the championship," Wang Teng said with a smile.

Xiao Yi Xian said, "Then doesn't that put you at a huge disadvantage?"

Wang Teng would only be twenty next year, with a full ten fewer years of alchemy experience than the other contestants.

"Experience is important, but talent is just as important," Wang Teng said.

Before a true genius, no amount of alchemy experience would matter.

That was right—he was talking about that freak, Xiao Yan.

Just thinking about competing against an opponent like that gave him a headache.

Xiao Yi Xian did not understand. She thought Wang Teng was showing off his own talent and rolled her eyes at him.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.

The two stopped talking and looked toward the door.

The staff member from earlier entered with three old men, followed by a young man and woman.

Sensing that they were sizing him up, Wang Teng scrutinized them for several seconds.

"Are you Wang Teng?" Kato Taka asked.

Wang Teng rose to his feet and nodded. "That's me, President Kato."

"You are currently a first-tier alchemist. Are you sure you want to skip the second tier and directly take the third-tier assessment?" Kato Taka asked solemnly.

Wang Teng answered firmly, "I'm confident."

Kato Taka carefully studied Wang Teng's expression and came to a conclusion.

The kid seemed to be serious.

He said in a deep voice, "Very well. I'll have someone arrange it immediately. I hope you pass the assessment successfully."

"Wait, President. I have a question," Wang Teng said.

Kato Taka said, "Let's hear it."

Wang Teng asked curiously, "What exactly does the third-tier alchemist assessment test?"

The first-tier alchemist assessment was rather cumbersome and mainly tested three professional skills.

He had gone through it before, so he was familiar with it.

"If you successfully refine a third-tier pill, you pass," Kato Taka said.

Wang Teng froze, then blurted out, "That simple?"

The moment he spoke, startled cries rang out.

The young man and woman said in unison, "That's simple?"

Kato Taka glanced at Jiang Fan and Xia Yu, then looked back at Wang Teng. "Do you have any other questions?"

Wang Teng said, "President, does the pill I refine have to be provided by the association? Can I refine my own third-tier pill?"

"You can," Kato Taka nodded.

As long as he successfully refined a third-tier pill, the particular formula did not matter.

Other than the first-tier stage, where fundamentals mattered, alchemist assessments judged tier solely by results.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Wang Teng's face. "President, could the association provide the medicinal ingredients?"

Kato Taka frowned. "The ingredients for refining third-tier pills are quite expensive. Under normal circumstances, we do not change them casually."

The formulas the association provided to examinees were mostly common ones, and the required ingredients were not too expensive.

"President, I'm one hundred percent certain I can succeed with my own formula," Wang Teng said.

One hundred percent certain? Even I wouldn't dare say that so easily.

Kato Taka's expression remained unchanged, but waves churned within his heart. What an arrogant young man, daring to say such a thing.

Was he simply overconfident, or did he truly have the confidence to back it up?

If that was the case, then he would arrange a set of ingredients for a third-tier pill.

If it was a loss, they could treat it as the cost of trying. But if he really succeeded, the association would have a nineteen-year-old third-tier alchemist.

With that in mind, Kato Taka said deeply, "I can grant you this once. Don't disappoint me."

"Thank you, President." Wang Teng took out a sheet of paper listing the names and ages of various herbs.

Kato Taka was surprised. This kid had come prepared.

Now he was truly looking forward to it.

He called over a staff member and instructed him to gather the materials and deliver them as quickly as possible.

Tian Zhong and Barton were both old foxes. Seeing Wang Teng produce the list so cleanly and decisively, they were astonished.

Could it be that the association would produce a nineteen-year-old third-tier alchemist today?

Wang Teng watched the staff member leave, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Great, a free set of ingredients for the Fire-Absorbing Pill.

He had actually prepared himself to be refused, but he had not expected the president to agree so readily.

Soon, the staff member returned.

As expected of the Alchemist Association.

Wang Teng secretly praised their efficiency.

"President, I'm starting." He eagerly took the materials and walked to the alchemy table.

Kato Taka nodded. "Go ahead."

Wang Teng took out his cauldron and poured flames into it. While waiting for the temperature to rise, he closed his eyes and recalled the complete refining process for the Fire-Absorbing Pill.

He had repeated this step many times ever since receiving the reward.

His proficiency with the Fire-Absorbing Pill had now reached the mastery level.

Hopefully, he could refine a batch of perfect-grade Fire-Absorbing Pills.

Wang Teng opened his eyes and entered a state of complete concentration.

In an instant, his entire bearing changed.

When Wang Teng had refined pills in the Jia Lie Clan before, he had always been alone in the pharmacy, with no outsiders present.

He had no idea that when refining formulas rewarded by the system, he would become exceptionally focused.

In the eyes of Kato Taka and the others, Wang Teng seemed to merge with heaven and earth. His gaze remained fixed on the cauldron.

Whenever the internal temperature changed, he would always pick up a herb and place it inside at exactly the right moment.

The entire process was unhurried and orderly, carrying an exceptionally graceful quality.

It did not feel like he was refining pills, but performing an art.

"No wonder he has the confidence to take the third-tier alchemist assessment at nineteen," Tian Zhong said in shock.

Barton nodded. "A unity of man and heaven... this talent is terrifying!"