This Is Beast Fire

Master Otto saw that nearly everyone had arrived and gave the order.

"Since everyone's here, let's begin."

At Master Otto's words, the people in the hall walked toward the enormous stone platform in the center.

The stone platform was divided into more than a dozen sections, and each participant chose one.

Xiao Yu's position was not far from Xiao Yan's, while Linda and Xue Mei stood right next to each other.

Linda raised her chin and looked arrogantly at Xue Mei. Patting the medicine cauldron before her, she gave a light snort.

"Don't blow up your cauldron again later. You'll affect my assessment."

Xue Mei glanced at Linda and replied blandly.

"Hmph. Even without my interference, your chances of failing are still pretty high."

"Enough. The assessment is about to officially begin. Stop talking."

Master Otto raised a hand to stop their argument and announced the official start of the examination.

After being stopped by Master Otto, Linda snorted at Xue Mei and said no more.

Everyone began inspecting the medicine cauldrons before them and the other tools on the stone platforms.

The test for a first-tier alchemist required one to independently refine a completed medicinal pill. As for what kind of pill it would be, that depended on the Alchemist Association's arrangements for the assessment.

Xiao Yu looked at the parchment on his stone platform and picked it up. It described a first-tier pill called the Swift Pill. Its effect was to increase the user's speed for a short period of time, placing it among the better first-tier medicinal pills.

However, for Xiao Yu, who had already reached the level of a third-tier alchemist, refining a Swift Pill was effortless.

Looking up at the expressions of those around him, it seemed that everyone had received a different pill formula. Both Linda and Xue Mei appeared fully confident.

When Xiao Yu looked toward Xiao Yan, their eyes met by chance. Xiao Yu nodded lightly in greeting, and after a moment of surprise, Xiao Yan returned a friendly smile.

Xiao Yu recognized the medicinal ingredients on Xiao Yan's table. They were for the Strength-Accumulating Pill, a first-tier medicinal pill that could slightly increase the user's strength for a short time. Its refining difficulty was also above average.

Xiao Yan swept his gaze over the ingredients on the stone platforms around him. When he saw the ingredients for Xiao Yu's Swift Pill, he muttered.

"Only our formulas are harder. Our luck is really terrible."

That was indeed the case. Whether it was Linda's Wound-Recovery Pill or Xue Mei's Flame-Congealing Pill, both were relatively simple among first-tier medicinal pills and the easiest to pass in an assessment.

Xiao Yu glanced around but did not care much. After all, they had a master who was the president of the Alchemist Association. Refining a first-tier medicinal pill would count as passing the assessment. Though the procedure could not be changed, this was a society built on personal connections.

"Finished checking? If there are no problems, the assessment will now officially begin!"

After sweeping his gaze over everyone, Frank asked the question and signaled for the assessment to begin. Then he sent out a burst of force that struck an ancient bell hanging from the ceiling. Its clear chime echoed throughout the hall.

The ringing of the bell marked the official start of the assessment. No one else was permitted to enter afterward, lest they disrupt the alchemists' examination.

At the sound of the bell, all the examinees began refining. They quickly pressed their palms against the fire vents of their medicine cauldrons, and Dou Qi surged from their bodies. Instantly, numerous flames ignited within the cauldrons on the stone platforms.

Xiao Yu was the only one who had yet to make a move.

Xiao Yu looked in surprise toward Xiao Yan's area. Burning in Xiao Yan's medicine cauldron was an ordinary yellow flame. After all, unless an alchemist had reached the fourth tier or possessed another type of flame, they could only release real fire through their medicine cauldron's conversion.

Xiao Yu had originally thought Xiao Yan would release the Bone Chilling Flame, but after thinking about it, he understood. There was no need to borrow Medicine Elder's Bone Chilling Flame for an assessment he could pass anyway. If Xiao Yu had obtained the Purple Flame, there would naturally have been no problem in using it. Though beast fire was rare, it was not enough to draw powerful enemies.

Because of Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan had not obtained the Purple Flame, so he could only use the most ordinary method available to alchemists.

Everyone in the hall had already begun kindling their fires and refining, while Xiao Yu alone remained standing where he was. Master Otto and the others outside could not help turning their attention toward him.

"This kid still hasn't started refining. What's he doing?"

"I don't know."

Frank spread his hands in confusion as well. Could it be that Mo Shang did not even know how to start a fire? If he could not even perform such a basic task, was he not simply here to toy with them? At that thought, Frank's expression darkened.

"Cough... where is his mentor's letter of introduction? Let me see whose student he is." Frank waved over an attendant and asked.

"President, he doesn't have a letter of introduction, and his records do not state who his mentor is."

Upon hearing the attendant's reply, Frank was so angry that his beard nearly flew up.

"How do you people handle things? He has nothing. How can you prove that he knows alchemy?"

Seeing Frank's anger, Master Otto could understand it as well. If something like this happened in a city under Frank's jurisdiction, word would spread that Frank had managed it poorly. Of course he would be furious.

"Alright, alright. Let's wait until their assessment is over before discussing it."

Master Otto tugged on Frank's sleeve and comforted him.

While everyone outside thought Xiao Yu was here to make fools of them, the people in the hall also grew curious about him.

Although three sets of ingredients had been prepared on each stone platform, if they did not hurry, then even if they made a mistake, they would not have enough time for a third attempt.

Just as countless eyes were fixed on him, Xiao Yu moved.

He slowly placed his hand against the fire vent of the medicine cauldron. Dou Qi circulated within his body and flowed along the meridians in his hand into the cauldron.

Bang!

Purple flames abruptly appeared within Xiao Yu's medicine cauldron and began burning fiercely.

At the same time, Frank and Otto outside saw the purple flames rising from Xiao Yu's cauldron.

"Purple flames? A Heavenly Flame?" Frank cried out.

Everyone in the hall was startled by Frank's shout and turned to look toward Xiao Yu's area.

Xiao Yan also turned curiously toward Xiao Yu. In his heart, he asked Medicine Elder.

"Teacher, is that person using a Heavenly Flame?"

Medicine Elder carefully sensed it, then smiled at Xiao Yu.

"Hehe, that is not a Heavenly Flame. It is beast fire."

"Beast fire?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

"Beast fire is the type of flame that certain magical beasts can control. Alchemists pursue Heavenly Flames with an obsession that can be called terrifying. Later, some alchemists discovered that there were flames in the world more powerful than ordinary fire, each accompanied by different properties. After researching them, they found a way to control them. Those are beast fires."

After hearing Medicine Elder's explanation, Xiao Yan understood that Xiao Yu was using beast fire. He then began wondering whether he could use beast fire to advance the Flame Mantra.

This distraction caused the medicinal ingredients Xiao Yan was refining to turn into ashes because he failed to control the heat properly, forcing him to begin refining again.