Another Pill Vein?

Master Otto and Frank outside the arena also recognized the flame in Xiao Yu's hand.

"This should be a beast flame! A Heavenly Flame wouldn't be this easy to control."

"That's right. And a Heavenly Flame's power would be far more terrifying."

Frank smiled.

"This little fellow is quite remarkable. No wonder he dared to take the alchemist examination at such a young age." As he spoke, he glanced toward Xiao Yan as well. Both were only nineteen and taking the examination, and both had concealed part of the truth about their masters, greatly increasing Frank's interest in them.

Master Otto found Frank's expression both amusing and exasperating. It seemed Frank had completely forgotten how furious he had been just moments ago. He said, "Still, this has taught those two girls a lesson. They now know that there is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky."

Regardless of the reactions outside the arena, everyone within it, aside from Xiao Yan, had also noticed the strangeness of Xiao Yu's flame.

Linda and Xue Mei had been distracted as well, forcing them to restart their refining.

Ignoring everyone's gazes, Xiao Yu looked at the medicinal ingredients on the stone platform and threw all of them into the medicinal cauldron.

"He actually dared to put in all the ingredients at once?"

Everyone was shocked by Xiao Yu's action. After all, extracting the essence from each medicinal ingredient required different levels of heat and temperature, all under strict requirements. Throwing in every ingredient at once was not something a mere candidate for first-tier alchemist certification should be capable of doing.

Yet Xiao Yu's expression remained utterly calm, as if this were effortless for him.

Linda and Xue Mei exchanged a glance and saw a trace of defeat in each other's eyes. This young man had finally dealt them a blow. Looking at the rivalry they had carried on for years now seemed as childish and laughable as children at play.

Xiao Yan was also stunned by Xiao Yu's methods, but this time, he promptly steadied his mind and did not waste his ingredients again. Otherwise, he would have ruined another batch.

Xiao Yu paid no attention to the others' gazes. Every time he advanced through a major realm, the system tempered his soul. Furthermore, during the month he had spent in the small valley with Little Medical Fairy, he had continuously fused Heavenly Flames. Both his cultivation and soul strength had increased tremendously once more, and his control over the Purple Flame had become second nature.

Carefully sensing the changes in the medicinal ingredients within the cauldron, Xiao Yu cautiously controlled the heat. During pill refinement, even the slightest mistake could cause the entire process to fail.

Xiao Yu perfectly extracted the essence from every medicinal ingredient, leaving them suspended within the medicinal cauldron.

Manipulating his soul power, Xiao Yu blended the remaining essences together. Then, as the medicinal liquid condensed, he gradually adjusted the temperature of the Purple Flame once more.

At last, enveloped by the slowly circling Purple Flame, a full, pale-cyan pill gradually took shape within Xiao Yu's medicinal cauldron.

Only after becoming immersed in pill refinement did Xiao Yu release his awareness to examine the others' examinations. He discovered that most people had already finished and were watching him. Only two or three remained, Xiao Yan among them.

After all, the Strength-Accumulating Pill he had drawn was also among the more difficult pills to refine.

The pill in Xiao Yu's cauldron finally formed completely. Xiao Yu picked up the jade bottle from the stone platform and carefully placed the Swift Pill inside.

"Alright, the examination is over!"

Frank's voice rang out from outside the arena, and everyone at the stone platforms had finished refining.

The many examination candidates stood beside the pills they had refined.

Frank and Otto descended and began their inspection with those closest to them.

Although Linda and Xue Mei's pills had slight flaws, they had nevertheless successfully passed the examination. The two girls breathed sighs of relief. Aside from Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu, only two of the remaining candidates passed the first-tier alchemist examination.

When Otto and Frank inspected Xiao Yan's pill, they both paused upon seeing his prescription.

"So that's how it is. You actually drew the prescription for the Strength-Accumulating Pill."

Frank looked at Xiao Yan and smiled.

Otto also smiled in agreement. "Promising indeed at such a young age!"

The other contestants' expressions changed as well, grateful that they had not drawn such an outrageous topic. Even some newly advanced first-tier alchemists could not guarantee success every time they refined a Strength-Accumulating Pill. For an apprentice taking the first-tier alchemist examination to successfully refine one was already highly impressive—especially since Xiao Yan was only nineteen!

Otto smiled as he picked up Xiao Yan's pill, then cried out, "A pill vein?"

Hearing Master Otto's words, Frank hurriedly leaned closer to inspect it. Sure enough, pale-cyan ripples like water waves encircled the pill Xiao Yan had refined.

One had to know that only when a pill's quality and luster had both reached their peak could pill veins possibly appear. The appearance of pill veins also meant that the pill's medicinal potency was stronger than that of an ordinary pill.

Otto's gaze toward Xiao Yan instantly filled with curiosity. "I truly wonder what sort of alchemist could cultivate a little monster like you."

"Hehe, my master's background... he instructed me to keep it secret..." Xiao Yu scratched his head and said to Master Otto.

"Alright, it's not as if we're forcing you to tell us."

Frank smiled, placed the pill back into the jade bottle, and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. "Congratulations, Xiao Yan. You have passed the first-tier alchemist examination."

After saying that, the two of them walked toward Xiao Yu once more.

Everyone's gazes followed Otto and Frank's footsteps and gathered on Xiao Yu.

After all, Xiao Yu's flame and pill-refining techniques had aroused everyone's curiosity during the refinement just now.

Otto and Frank stopped before Xiao Yu, smiled, and picked up his prescription to take a look.

"Swift Pill?"

Frank raised his eyebrows as he shifted his gaze between Xiao Yu and Xiao Yan.

"You two really have some luck."

Upon hearing the name of Xiao Yu's prescription, the people around them became even more curious about his examination result.

Xiao Yu and Xiao Yan were the only ones in the entire arena who had drawn such difficult topics. If those topics had gone to anyone else, it was uncertain whether they could have passed at all. The other alchemists who had already passed thought to themselves with relief.

Frank extended his hand and took Xiao Yu's jade bottle. A round, full pale-cyan pill rolled into his palm.

"Another pill vein?"

Looking at the Swift Pill in his palm, with its smooth, full luster and the pill veins that signified the pinnacle of refinement, Frank could not help crying out in surprise.

Hiss!

Everyone's eyes fell upon Xiao Yu.

Even Xiao Yan was astonished by Xiao Yu's result.

After all, although pill veins had appeared on the Strength-Accumulating Pill he refined, that was because of Medicine Elder's daily guidance and because he had tempered and refined each ingredient one by one. Xiao Yu, however, had thrown all the ingredients into the medicinal cauldron at once. This placed an enormous test upon an alchemist's spiritual power.